Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1860-05-17
hGRgUkTURAL.
The Farmers Kitchen Garden.
From the Country Gentloman.l


Itis to be regretted that among farm
ers generally so little attention is paid
to gardening. The farmers garden is
too often left to the care Of women and
children, and if any work is required to
be done IN it by stronger hands then theirs
it is too often put off from time to time,
with the exclamation, "Oh, we are all so
busy now we can't be bothered with the
garden" Orif the labor is given at the
pemand of some petticoated tyrant, or to
please some dearly loved wife or sister,
it is perhaps grudgingly bestowed, and
some inexperienced man or stable-boy
sent to perform the unenuied task. So
great, in our opinion, is the value of a
garden well stocked wife vegetables Of
every kind, that if too busy to attend TO
it ourselves, we should not hesitate to
employ an experienced hand, even at a
a considerable expense, to put it in prop
er order every spring, after which the
care of the garden and cultivation of the
plants in it would becnme a source of
pleasure as well as profit.
If there are some "big boys" in the
family, it is a good policy to consign the
care or the garden entirety IL them, and
as an inducement to attend we'll to it, Pur-
chase for them a good stock of garden
tools, seeds, and one or two good practi-
cal works on horticulture, and allow him
him to sell the surplus vegetables, not re-
0uired for family use.
What is the mere value of money in
comparison to having health, and enjoy
ing the comforts of civilized life, towards
which nothing conduces more than hav-
ing the table plentifully supplyed with
wholesome vegetables, both summer and
winter
The farmers kitchen garden is too Of
ten a dirty little spot somewhere out of
sight at the back of the house, where all
the slops are thrown, the clothes hung out
to dry on the few currant bushes growing
there, the fowls allowed to scratch for
living in Summer, aud the hogs to root
ia autumn and winter. What wonder then
if il becomes the nnrsery sf0und for all
8 weeds and IS ar eyesore 20 the
place Better far better d plow i up
81 ohce, and seed down % grass than to
allow it to remain thus.
Others, again, with every disposition
to do Justice to their garden, yet turn it
into an orchard, by filling it with fruit
trees, which are we'll enough while young
and small, but when they grow into good
ly proportions of maturity they shade the
ground so much that any attempt to grow
vegetables under tn IN ends in failure
from the want of light and air; the en-
bryo horticulturist becomes discouraged
and gives up gardening in despair.
But there are some, and we hope nu-
merous exceptions to the picture we have
lust drawn. We have seen farmers gar
dens that it was a real pleasure TO visit
and look over, where every vegetable
the climate would admit of, grew in abun-
dance, and where the useful and Orna-
mental were so we'll combined that the
eve could detect no fault. Surrounded
bv close board fence neatly painted or
whitewashed, and trained with vines on
the sunniest sides; the walks nicely grav-
elled, the soil well cultivated the beds all
kept neat and clean, and not a weed al
lowed to blossom, nor when rooted out to
block up the paths, but when removed at
once to the rubbish heap in the wood or
stable ward Ia horticultural matters let
what is done be well done, or else leave
gardening alone. 1t is of imp rtance that
the soil of garden should be rich. deep.
and we'll drained-if not naturally so. no
paines should be spared to make it so.
Ii is not advisable to do any work IN
the garden TIL the frost is entirely out,
and the sol. becomes dry, unless it is to
construct a hol-bed OF two, or wheel ma
nure on the ground, to be ready for spad,
ing at the proper time, which may be
done while the ground is frozen, though
If spread over the surface rhen. it is apt
to retard the thawihg of the ground. No
manure bat what is well rotted or com
postel should ever be use in a garden.
Another important consideration is that
rotation of crops should be followed in
the garden as wellas the field, and no an
nual allowed to grow two years in sue
cession on the same spot.
! CoIaoFiuO ralvAs f0s, Roaring