The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-10
About Gardens,

The garden is a miniature farm; and gooa
farming is but gardening on larger scale. Ev-
cry acre of ground, be it where it may, should
be carefully prepared for the seed, and faith
fully cultivated and csred for till the harvest.
A "little farm well TILES" is more profitable
than large one half cultivsted. dIJo9 szke
By garden, in the present article, we mean
the common kitchen garlen--such as should
be attached to every house, if possible, for the
growth of culinary vegetables and vatious
kinds of fruit. In a few weeks spring viii be
upon us, and some remarks upon our present
subject may not be unreasonable, or unaccept-
able to many readers Of the Press. bsaolca ID
/ Andirst, let us say something about fences.
The garden should be well enclosed. The
feuce should be high and firmly secured, so
that heavy winds win not PROSTATE or shatter
any of its parts. On the north line it should
be made tight-a close stone or brick wall, or
/, tight board fence. This makes shelter against
the rude, cold winds that come out of the
north, and receives and radiates the rays Of q
southern sun, thereby making the atmosphere
and soil warm for a considerable distance un-
der the lee oft Vegetables here may be pro-
duced week or two earlier than elsewhere
in the garden. It is the place for grapes, mel
ons, early cucumbers, tomatoes, salad, &C.
The rest of the fence need not be thus tight;
but will do very well ii, it consist of common
palings nailed three inches apart. This will
let the sun and air circulate freely ON the
plants which would otherwise be shaded; and,
what is of more consequence yet, it will keep
out cattle, hogs, pigs and even dogs and hens.
The fence of q garden should always be tight
enough for this purpose Straying little pigs,
ranging dogs and ours, and visiting hens are
exceedingly injurious to garden at any time,
and especially in the spring and early summer
when the beds are newly made and the plants
are yet small and feeble. We have had more
damage done by great dogs treading down
young plants, ,or digging holes in the ground, or
rolling and scratching upon the beds, than their
necks are worth. If the piekets are sharpened
at the top, hens will seldom getinto agarden, as
they must alight alter they rise to enter, which
they cannot do ON those sharp points. It is
matter of great importance to have q garden
fence so tight as not only to exclude cattle, sheep
and hogs, but also the smaller animals and fowls
It is in vain to think of having good garden,
to say nothing of the virtue of patience, with
such creatures in it. 7t5y9 deuoEi Fg4 sfoi
l. A garden ought never to be ploughed. Thi
is too coarse an operation for such ine work.
The plough will not always run deep or regu-
lar enough; it viii not turn all the soil; the
earth viii not be pulverized as it falls, and the
heavy footsteps of the horse or oxen VIII
make much of it hard for the whole season.
and quite unproductivc. The best TOOL ior =
garden is spade or manure fork. Thls snoaia
4 be thrust down its entire length, tne eartn
IN ted above the ground and turned over as it
falls !: and if any of the clumps DO not crpm-
HE TREY should be struck efectually by the
hack of the spade till they are thoroughly pull
yerized. Care should be taken at the same
time to pick out every stick, stone, or other foul
stuff, and to mix and incorporate the manure
with the soil. This can be done by hand
work with the spade, when it cannot be done
I ny the plough. In spading, every root ofgrass
! or weed should be extracted, thrown into a
basket and committed to the hog-yard. BY