1940's Experiment

[buckytom]

lol, caslon. plants don't know up from down. just which way is the sun?

kathleen, i'm sorry if it appeared to poo poo the idea, but i was really struck by my mom's reaction. she was really hesitant to talk about the ways around rationing, even 70 years after the fact.

THAT'S what made their generation great. that they knew right from wrong and had a hard time justifying anything in between. even 7 decades later.

but you did what was necessary to feed 8 kids; my mom the youngest.

 

[forty_caliber]

Fascinating thread. Checkout Crisis Education |. I'm going to try the 4 foot farm in the spring.

.40

 

[Addie]

Sort of along the line of efficient gardening and 1940 I hope. Anyone try the hanging basket tomato, strawberries AS SEEN ON TV thingy? I did. Not good, lol. It looked good in the TV infomercial. I may try it again someday as I bought two full sets. Not good. It came out...not good. lol.

I also was into "square foot" gardening back in the late 80's. I think PBS even had a series about square foot gardening. I may try that again someday. That is truly 1940's inspired vegetable gardening. Maximizing space.

We have a news station and one of their reporters does a segment every Wednesday called "Does It Work." She tries out all "As seen on TV" stuff. Those hanging plants were a disaster.

 

[Aunt Bea]

The recent posts make me wonder what things would look like today if we faced a similar challenge. During the Depression and WWII people used what was available and made it work.

What would be the inexpensive almost free meals of today?

Would you be able to garden? I suppose I could grow potatoes or mushrooms in the dark rich soil under the refrigerator but that would be about it!

Would we all be huddled in the alley outside of an internet cafe seeing if we could get a connection?

I wonder what we would come up with.

 

[CWS4322]

The recent posts make me wonder what things would look like today if we faced a similar challenge. During the Depression and WWII people used what was available and made it work.

What would be the inexpensive almost free meals of today?

Would you be able to garden? I suppose I could grow potatoes or mushrooms in the dark rich soil under the refrigerator but that would be about it!

Would we all be huddled in the alley outside of an internet cafe seeing if we could get a connection?

I wonder what we would come up with.

My almost free meal today was eggs, beans, cabbage, and tomato. Almost free--I have to work the garden, feed and tend the Girls. So, not free, but I certainly would not have had to use a ration coupon or find money to pay for what I ate. I cooked the eggs in water, and since I have a well, I don't pay for my water, but I do pay for electricity.

I've sat in a parking lot to get a "free" connection when at my parents (who do not have Internet). I know where all the free hot spots are...

Our wake up call was the Ice Storm in 1998. We were without power for 12 days. That's when we made the decision to get serious about being more self sufficient.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Fascinating thread. Checkout Crisis Education |. I'm going to try the 4 foot farm in the spring.

.40

Thanks for that link.

 

[Caslon]

Yes...PF, that link is the hanging basket AS SEEN ON TV product done right.

I still have another set of hanging tomato/strawberry basket product in my storage garage I haven't tossed out yet that I may try again someday. It looked so successful on that TV ad infomercial. How come mine failed so miserably?

Square foot gardening PBS show was pretty cool. I even bought a book about it. I watched that PBS show every week with keen interest.
I bet you that that 1980's PBS square foot gardening show was born out of WW2 victory gardens.

 

[GotGarlic]

Don't feel bad, Caslon. I tried the upside down tomato thing and it was a huge failure, too. I don't know why - the plant just didn't grow well. It seemed to be trying to grow up against gravity and maybe that put too much stress on it. I think I got two or three tomatoes out of it. Remember that TV ads are about marketing and don't usually reflect reality.

 

[Aunt Bea]

This is an advertisement from one of our local companies in 1918.

None Such was eventually sold to Borden and is now owned by Smucker's.

I thought it was an interesting example of a small sacrifice on the home front in a time of war.


.

 

[Addie]

Yes...PF, that link is the hanging basket AS SEEN ON TV product done right.

I still have another set of hanging tomato/strawberry basket product in my storage garage I haven't tossed out yet that I may try again someday. It looked so successful on that TV ad infomercial. How come mine failed so miserably?

Square foot gardening PBS show was pretty cool. I even bought a book about it. I watched that PBS show every week with keen interest.
I bet you that that 1980's PBS square foot gardening show was born out of WW2 victory gardens.

When Leslie (the TV reporter) tried it, she hung her tomatoes out in the back of her house. In the shade. She gave one to some on her neighbors to try their luck. Most of them hung theirs in the full sun. Leslie's was a total failure. Her neighbors for those whose baskets got full sun all day long, were the most successful. For those whose basket got only the morning sun and a little of the afternoon, were slightly less successful. So the need for full sun all day seems to be the secret.

 

[GotGarlic]

I hung mine from the roof of the shed next to my vegetable garden. It got the same amount of sun as the garden did. It's just a gimmick, imo.

 

[Addie]

I hung mine from the roof of the shed next to my vegetable garden. It got the same amount of sun as the garden did. It's just a gimmick, imo.

It probably is. But if you are going to spend your hard earned money on it, why not do everything you can to make it a success.

 

[GotGarlic]

It probably is. But if you are going to spend your hard earned money on it, why not do everything you can to make it a success.

Um, I did. You didn't see where I said it got the same amount of sun as the vegetable garden?