New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-07-27
A DAY AMONG THE FARMS AND GAR'
DENS OF LONG ISLAND.

Long Island is to New York city Just wha' is, or
should be- the little Enclosure pcketed in at the back OF
every farm house-the garden spot furnishing great
abundance Of fruits and fresh vegetables to the resi-
deLts of the mansion in front. Unfortunately the
smie holds good in several respects for this great
garden spot IT, ike great many kitchen gardens, run
TO weeds and waste for lack OF care and cultiva-
ton. Like the garden divided of in pa.s, par
terres and little nooks it shows one Of lovely
flowers ard another Of weeds-a third is filed
with choice fruit and the next is nest of wild vines,
crabs and brambles-a fourth is waving corn growing
in all the uxurisnce of the wonderful SOIL while right
alongside is spot that only affords scant pasture to
stray cow Instead Of being one great garden, un-
surpassed by all the world it is sad evidence of what
neglect and careless cultivation can do to such spot.
In the course of our rambe we became sststed that
the soil capable Of furnishing this great city with all
its food except, perhaps the great staples Of the West
which alone bear transportation.
At Rsvenswood we looked into the garden OF Henry
Freeman, where rsspberes are grown by the acre
four or five acres, We should say, in plat-not for
fut but to sell the plants to others, at 80 or $50
thousand, the demand being greater than the owner
could supply. Within the same ncosnre is an acre or
two Of rhubarb, which, grown as q crop on several
farms Of Long Island yields $500 an acre.
There are also great number Of sample vines started
stocks for cutting and to show what is the quality
Of the fruit of those two and very superior grapes
the Delaware and Rsbecca The cuttings all start
ed in thumb pots, in forcing houses in the Winter and
as they make roots, successfully removed into larger
and larger potts. until there is Of fbrous roots
filing gallon pot, viii III gives rapid growth to the
vine when Sc. out which buyers greatly prefer to the
slower growth obtained from cuttings set in the open
ground. Mr.. Freeman is probably working land that
is worth at east 81 900 an acre for building lots.
Next to his grounds we visited those Of Charles F.
Erbard whose success we have heretofore spoken of
as grower Of the cherry currant. But excellent
as that is he is not saaed without an attempt TO get
better one, and he has 900 seedlings year old
grown from seeds of the very agest Of the fine at
PreseIt grown. OF these, 1900 plants were grown
with much labor, requiring the and attsn-
ton of the planter for three years before be obtan
and prove the fruit. lie may be rewarded with one
choice new Seeding and cast the other nineteen hun.
dIed spd Direty nine into the fire, or hs may Lot gs
even that single one.
1t crest labor to grow seedlings until is OBJ
tanned better than the original yet some one must
perevers in such labor or We should never hsYs tn.
choice fruits We now erjoy-sucb - HSyeys. Hook.
er's, L0nsworh', McAvOy's, Pssbody's, Burrs,
Wilson Q, and ether new strawberries; Brinkleys rup
berry, Houghton's gooAbery, L.wtons blackberry,
and On almost endless list Of apples pears, plums cher.
Ties, and other choice fruits and plants that somebody
has had the patience end perseverance, 10 grow from
the reed Of old sorts.
Jumping from Ravenswood-that village Of beautiful
residences on the bank Of the East River opposite the
ls!e Of Penitence-to East Brooklyn, we shall see e.
we ride out Division avenue, alias Broadway, a con.
siderable number Of small gardens and cultivated
'pots but most Of the land lies waste and useless to the
Thousands Of starving aborers that thropg the streets
in pursuit Of employment. Not ths, they are unwilling
70 work, or the owners Of the land unwilling that il
shoud be cultivated, but because the absurd
practice prevails Of letting cows, horses. hoss
goats, geese, ducks and fowls run at lsrys. pirst
ing theT hvIg upon the upfenced lands and frequently
breaking into Enclosures. Thusno one can plant lille
patch Of garden vegetables which in some cases would
save the family from begging or being public charge.
And i 10 amoet an annual charge to fence in o,.
since the material viii be stolen for Winter fuel upJes,
closely watched. And 80 wide breadth of nch ,oiI
eAteneug ss far out as the land has bsen cursed by
city lot surveyors, s worthless waste with only here
and there rich green spot, t, show us it Is no. BY
nature barren.
one u theee green spots We notice our left hand
some three miles from Peck slip ferry, at T. W. Fields
peu nrtery, where more than ten thousand tree,
were bloom last Spring, though owing to the bghtny
coid weather, only few Of the hardest sor.s fruitei
Inc moet Of the trees grated upon ounce stocks
ud ale growing vigorously 10 q clsyey loan sol
deep prepared and highly MANFRED Tie trees ,rovn
j" fuiDg are core oitt.m TRACED 70 srsneh three o.