Three Acres And Liberty | Page 7

mosquito and the disease will disappear as a direct
consequence. So if you hear that pretty little song in the house, don't
swear, thank the Lord that effects always follow causes. You need
never be without a bite in the house if you have a nice cesspool handy
for Sis Mosquito, for each one will have a first-class feed with you
every second or third day.
They are needless and dangerous pests or pets. Their propagation can
be prevented by draining or filling wet areas, by emptying or screening
water receptacles, and by spraying with oil where better measures are
not available. Oil should be sprinkled in any cesspools, sewers, and
catch basins, rain barrels, water troughs, roof gutters, marshes, swamps,
and puddles that cannot be done away with. All ponds and large bodies
of water should have clean sharp edges, because in shallow, grassy
edges larvae of the malarial species are commonly found. Large ponds
with clean edges, inhabited by fish or predatory insects, are safe;
smaller ponds, if wind swept, and all ponds in the "ripple area" are safe.
All rain pools, stagnant gutters, overgrown edges of large ponds, and
all receptacles holding water not constantly renewed, are dangerous.
You raise most of your own mosquitoes.
Now a word specially concerning this revised edition.
The farm papers are supported mainly by men with large acreage, it is
the rise in value of these acres more than the rise in farm products that
has pulled the land-owning farmers out of the hole that they were in up
to about the year 1900. Farmers' knowledge, liking, and equipment was
for big fields, half cultivated, and at first they did not like to hear that
they had been wasting so much of the labor that had bent their backs.
Nor did they want to hear that it would have been far more profitable to
them to have cultivated a few acres and left the goats and hogs or sheep
to attend to the rest as wild land until the long-expected settlers came
along to buy the land at dreamland prices.
Consequently, all the faults in the book there were, and some more

besides, have been picked out by these critics. It is surprising as well as
a notable compliment to the agricultural experts who revised the first
edition that, with one exception, no material error or omission has been
pointed out.
The more so because there is absolutely no limit to the advances in
methods and results in doing things, and in growing things, all born of
intelligent toil. Your suggestions may help the world to better and
bigger things. If you will listen at the 'phone you may sometime hear a
conversation like this:
"Hello, this is Mrs. Wise, send me two strawberries, please." "You'd
better take three, Madam, I've none larger than peaches to-day." "All
right; good-bye."
You may sometime see that kind of strawberry in New Jersey at
Kevitt's Athenia, or Henry Joralamon's, or in the berry known by
various names, such as Giant and different Joe's. But lots of people
have failed in their war garden work even on common things; lots more
ought to have failed but haven't--yet. Years ago, we, the book and its
helpers, started the forward-to-the-land movement which has resulted
in probably two million extra garden patches this war year. I have had
carloads of letters, at least hand carloads, about the book, but not one
worker who even tried to follow its counsels has reported failure.
So don't let us have a wail from you because your "garden stuff never
comes up." Of course it doesn't; you have to bring it up, just like a baby.
That's what I've been crying for long years in the wilderness ever since
the first edition of this book. The Three Acres may be bought on credit
but eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty and crops. To raise good
crops costs time and attention and sweat of body and of brains.
Here is a chunk of wisdom out of the excellent Garden Primer (which
you can get free by asking me for it):
"One hour a day spent in a garden ten yards long by seven wide will
supply vegetables enough for a family of six"; but the value of this
remark lies in the application of it. If you figure a bit on that you will
find that ten minutes a day will provide enough for one person, but six
hours once a week won't do. Six hours a day will bring up a baby; but
two days a week is criminal neglect for the other five days. If you once
let the weeds get a good start, say after a rain, they will make even the
angels swear. It's regular attention that the baby