The pen-and-ink illustrations remind me of my Grandpa. He was an accomplished artist, and this style is my favorite.
For such a tiny book, it contains lots of information. And I love the way it's written.
"I'll do it tomorrow" causes a lot of trouble in the vegetable garden. You can't put off watering, spraying, and cultivating without suffering loss in quantity and quality. If you are inclined to enjoy the vice of procrastination, mark well the next few paragraphs and refer to them frequently--the most common causes of failure in the garden.
Celery is a heavy feeder and a heavy drinker. Its favorite home is muck land. Water them thoroughly, and keep on watering. This is one plant that is hard to drown.
Seekers after vitamins A and C (and that should include all of us) need look no farther than the kale patch for an exceptionally generous source of supply.
You might not grow roselle or salsify in your garden, but I bet your Grandma did. The book even includes a recipe for mock oysters using salsify and egg, which reminds me of the tough times they were living in. Your vegetable garden could make or break your family's diet in those days.
The very best part was the surprise I found tucked between the back pages.
Mrs. Alvah Eugene Dailey, thank you for the book. It's in good hands.
2 comments:
What a treasure! Thrift stores are my favorite places to buy books. And that drawing reminds me of a Christmas card grandpa mailed out years before either of us were born... I'll have to send you a copy!
What a great voice the writer/editor had for that book! Thanks for the delightful look back.
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