The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1864-02-27
Aqrifnltural Golunllr.
Gardening as a Part Of Agriculture

Gardening as a Part of Agriculture.
Iwish to call the attention Of your
numerous readers to few suggestions
on the subject of gardening. l shall be
brief, for I esteem breyity one Of the
cardinal virtues. 6 ssl
By observation in this part of our ma
tiohal domain, at least, l find there is
very little attention paid to the garden
as part Of the farm. The same is,
without doubt, more or less true IN
nearly all parts of the country. In Sec
tions closely contiguous to our large
cities, as Boston, New York, Philadel-
qua, etc., it is otherwise. But these
sections are small compared with the
whole extent Of territory occupied by
farmers in our country. Farmers in
the sections | have named, understand
the balance Of the garden as a part of
the farm. They have found out their
interests in this respect. But appre-
bend it is not SO with farmers as class.
Now, as we are mostly a nation OF far
mers, what is for the interest OF one is
more or less for the interest of all.
And by observation, too, | have learned
men oftentimes have a sensitiyeness il
regard to their INTERESTS feeling In
their pocket, when they have but little
feeling anywhere else. But the farm
iers of our own country, as a class, are
intelligent men, their country's pride,
and its sure defense. They are not the
men on whom reason is lost; they arenot
the men who go to mill with stone in
one end Of the bag, because somebody
else did it in the days Of yore. They
are not the men to humbug with the
doctrine Of protection they are no
advocates Of class legislation, nor will
they submit quietly to the taxation OF
the many for the benefit Of the. few.
When they shall become aware that
one acre, ON which they need spend only
their odd moments, will produce five
times as much in value as the rest of
their land will do measure for measure,
they will 10 longer be without that
which should be an aprendage to every
farm, and acorhy Of the name-a
garden. That a garden properly cared
for viii do this, and often much more
than do it, is assuredly true beyond
successful contradiction. Experience,
and there is no better teacher, will dem
onstrate this to any one who will make
the trial. A fair trial is all that is
needed to place the matter beyond cavil
or doubt. We, as farmers, should make
the trial. If one-fourth Of an acre
sown with carrots will produce as much
food for stock as one and half acres
will do in grass, why not do it? All
know that, fed to dairy COWS, carrots
are the best Of food. And they are al.
most equally as good for many other
kinds Of stock. .A
But this is nor the 2 only view we
should take Of the matter. Not alone
for the profit Of a garden should we see
to it that e-each have good one.
We should then have them as a matter
Of Just pride. OF all citizens we should
be ashamed to be without them. Wit
ness the enormous prices paid in our
large cities for green peas, lettuce, green
corn, melons, early potatoes, for all
garden vegetables, so only they be early
ones. They are esteemed luxuries there
and are they any the less SO because
they are eaten in the country, because
we can have them almost as we'll as not
to have them 1t argues but a poor
farmer to come to his table in the sea-
son Of them and find neither peas, nor
cucumbers, nor salads of any kind, IN a
word, anything which should be there
on his regal board.
Again, we should cultivate them as
matter Of taste. What ornament more
suitable, what ornament more becoming
for our rural residences than hand
some garden, well laid out, and kept
neat and clean? What better evidence
that industry and thrift on such farm
are predominant? What better evidence
of intelligence, and taste for the beauti-
full? There is no better EVIDENCE
There need be none. They show US the
happiest of mankind and those whom
God, the Creator, mostSdeligkts to
bless.-DoNdr Newspaper.
W