PRIVATE GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 92, 17 August 1942, Page 5

PRIVATE GARDENS

MORE VEGETABLES SOWN SPARE SECTIONS DUG UP The demands of the armed forces make it imperative for greater attention to be paid to the private vegetable garden this year, and already there is evidence throughout •the borough that a section of- the public is fully appreciative of the position. As in England in the early days of the war Avhen the public was asked "to dig for victory," a number of Whaikatanc residents have turned over lawns and spare sections, and cabbage, cauliflower, onion and lettuce plants now flourish where green swards or rubbish earlier claimed attention. Manj* householders who in the past Averc content to confine their gardening activities to ensuring ail adequate vegetable supply over the spring and summer months are now planning a home garden on more generous lines. That there is a phenomenal inquiry for -seasonal seed was stressed by a leading seed merchant in Whakatane. He added that there was no need for panic buying as had been in evidence with a section of the public, which was buying up sufficient seed to carry on lor next planting season. Ample aliocks were available and he did not anticipate that there would be any shortage next season. Compulsory Sunday parades of Home Guardsmen have thinned the ranks of week-end gardeners, but fecreased activity has been apparent on reee-nt evenings wi.th (the cultivatkm of private plots. Women in greater numbers m'e forsaking flower beds for the vegetable patch.