Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-05-26
Gj)c 5arnlcy.
Agricultural Ra1dings.--No, 4,
riIE GARDEN.


ams whose immense scaffodings covered
with earth, bore trees of gigantic proportions,
interviewer with shrubbery of every hue and
form and variety, watercd by artificial foun-
tains, the cooling spray of which hung in the
morning and the evening sun, the splendid
bow Of promise, all Of which excited wonder
and as,onshmcnt, rather than a taste for the
beautiful and serviceable nor to the gardens
of kings and lords, where may be seen tum-
bed together, in IL few square acres as much
of nature and art as belongs to thousands Of
miles statues and urns and fountains and
mosques ;--decayed d decaying bridges =
deep grottocs ;--pools of stagnant water
whose poisonous malaria offends the health
and where houses and huts, ruins and decayed
trees are so mingled and intermingled that
the practical man hardly knows whether rid
icule at so abortivc an effort to initiate ma
ture or pity at so great a carlcature upon
her handwork, should be excited; but the
garden produced by the exercise of real,
sound, common-sene, practical taste, is the
one to which we would call your attention.
Such as Herden alludes to when he says, "a
district of which every part bears what isbest
for it, in which no waste spot accuses the IN
dolence of the inhabitants and which needs
no statues on the road. Pomona, Ceres,
Pales, Virtumnus, Sylvan and Flora meet us
with all their gifts Art and nat re are
there tremendously mingled"
In New England, we are most emphatl-
caly grave people. The simple manners
and rigid morals which have descended to us
from our Puritan ancestors, the severity of
our climate aud the stubborn character OF
our soil, the small proportion of men of
wealth aud Incidence, have altogether con-
spired to make us an eminentIy pra tlcal
people; and the first great question to be
solved with regard to any measure, matter Or
invention, is, its utility This, is all well
enough,--but we should not allow our prac'
tical turn of mind to interfere with the Gull
tiyation of those high and ennobling tastes
which so beautify and adorn our manhood.
But it is our purpose in this article to con-
fine ourselves to that which is eminently
practical and useful the kitchen garden.
Although,
awe like a shrubbery too, it looks so fresh;
And then there is some variety about it.
In the Spring the Lilac and the SNOWFALL h9wer
And the Laburnum with its golden strings
Wavingin the wind and when the Autumn comes
The bright red berries of the Mountan-ash
With pines enough in Winter, to look green,
And show that something lives :"
The kitchen garden, with its early peas
and beets and turuips and onions and sweet
corn and potatoes; with its rows OF currant
and goosberry bushes its grape vines and
plat Of asparagus who does not enjoy it ,
Supplying the table with dainties that invite
the appetite and at the same. time contribute
to the health and well being of the family.
And, yet, how few gardens there are which
furnish even this variety! Some having no
bed of Asparagus, that delicious plan raised
with SO much ease in great abundance. 1t is
the first vegetable Of the seasonn our North
ern gardens, and bed Of two square rods,
well set aud taken care of, will supply a Ia
Bile for a large family, every other day from
the first of May unit green peas are suth-
GENTLY large to supply its place. Asparagus
may be raised from the seed and the plants
reset in richly-manured bed when they are
two years old /; or they may be purchased
for dollar hundred at the nursery. Two
hundred plants are enough for q large bed,
A little oId brine or about a peck of salt to
tho square rod in the spring will add to the
vigor of the plant and keep out the weeds;
this with covering the bed two inches deep
with horse manure in the autumn IS all the
attention it needs. No person who has en-
joyed the fruit of such bed would willingly
part with it.
Cmraet Bushes.- Most every farmer has
these ; but they grow ard bear with so little
care that they seldom get any. With little
ashes spread about their roots and an occa.
sional hoeng to keen out the weeds aid grass
roots and the soil light aud moist they will
not only bear much larger quantities OF fruit
but fruit Of much larger and better quality.
Besides furnishing a pleasant sauce or pie
for the table the acid of viii h is both CRATE
full and heathfu in the hot season, the cur
rant is valuable for the manufacture of do.
mestic wine. This wine is far preferable to
the drugged stuff which is sold by the wine
merchants and apothecuries for four dollars
gallon Au excellet recipe for making the
wine is, to two quarts Of the juice add two
quarts of water and three and one half
pounds of sugar. But much better way
is to make strong syrup by adding to the
juice from each quart Of curral is pound OF
sugar, straining and botlng, and corking as
tight as it will bear, after which it should be
placed in cool place III the cellar and the
bottles covered with straw.
Currants flourish in almost every variety
of soil, from cold and wet to light and dry /;
but strong, moist, deep loan is unquestlon-
ably the bet. The jelly properly put up
always commands ready market and good
price, and there is no jelly made from any
other fruit that will supply its place.
But little attention has been paid to rising
the currant from the seed. Yet, few su.
perior kinds have been produced. We are
inclined, however, to believe, that the quality
depends very much upon the cultivation, and
the common red currant is about as good as
any.
The Grape is most delicious fruit and
care oeing taken in its cultivation an ordina-
ry native can be made a very good variety.
Its effect upon the system is very beneficial
it being both nutritious and medicinal 1t
has often proved efectual i'll severe cases of
dysentery and it has had the credit Of curing
whole armies OF this complaint. 1t is easily
cultivated, takes but little space in the gar
den, and bears proIifcly when properly tend
ed. There are many varieties growing wild
in our woods which might be made valuable
with care and attent on. The grape hourishes
best in light, deep, rich soil well MANFRED
with bones and ashes 1t is said that any
soil which will bear good Indian corn will
produce grapes. 1t is easily propagated by
I