The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-02-16


have been requested to prepare q
paper to be read at this meeting of the
State Board of Agriculture, upon gar
dens-not the famous changing gardens
Of Babylon, or the gardens of roses-oi
spices, or Of nuts, ia 1.-The cline of the
east, the land Of the sun''--nor yet the
gardens Of royalty, or the nobility of
foreign countries, not even those Of our
own merchant princes, marvels Of taste
ana beauty as many of them sro--but
farmers gardens-here in Vermont.
No chance for romance or fine writing
on this subject but it is nevertheless
such an important one, and appeals SO
directly to the heart Of every housekeeper.
that | do not hesitate to undertake it I;
tho really. it would seem as if any sug-
gestions Of mine made to farmers, in this
age Of light progress aud improvement
upon any topic would be superhuous, and
in the matter Of garden, it being 50
clearly evident that every farmer is bound
to have the very best his circumstances
allow, it appears prcposterous.
cannot tell you anything about the
cultivation Of your gardens which your
agricultural journals have not told you
time and time again, and told it better
than | can, but your agricultural papers
are not edited by women, and only women
know how necessary, how indispensable u
good garden is, and in 10 family as much
rs in the farmers. You tillors of the
soil are generally hlnst with good appe-
lite, and with your men and boys require
q goodly amount Of food Of some kind
Your comfort and health demand that it
should in large part be composed Of veg
etables, and when there is lack Of these
who shall answer tho daily recurring
question Of the anxious housewife, what
shall we have for dinner 2" The great
problems which we have strven to solve
from the infancy of our race down to the
present time, have not rackcd the brain
and worn 3he body like this.
am not supposed to know much about
farmers gardens in these days, but have
tolerably distinct recollection OF what
they used to be in some ports of the coun.
try, when l was young,
The patch Of ground dignifed by the
name of garden was not extensive The
land could not be spared, or it would re.
quire too much time to take care Of it.
This was enclosed by a ragged fence or
stone wall which offered little resistance
TO frolicsome calves and mischicvous
pigs, whose raids were frequent and des.
tructive. In the way OF luxury there
were some ill kept currant bushes, posi-
bly, some goose berries, which 10 those
days would grow and bear fruit despite
neglect and bad treatment, Ornament
there was none, if we except one little
spot which the poorest garden could boast,
devoted to the old fashioned flowers. bless
them marigolds, sweet peas, bachelors
buttons, pinks-with lads love and cam
omile-fowers easy Of culture, and with
names which common people could pro.
nounce. For the necessaries, there were
few beds for vegetables, irregular in
shape, and with numerous breaks in the
rows, some crooked rows of peas and
beans, the former insufficiently pushed
and the latter with poles of different
length for every hill. The few vines that
the bugs had lift were wandering off, as
if in search Of better quarters, while
winter and summer squashes were such
near neighbors that the product could
hardly be guessed at. There might be
few hills OF sweet corn 10 one corner, but
the main reliance for cooking was the
field corn, All the fowls about the pre-
misses having free access, leaves of such
plants as they relised had the appearance
of having been visited by hail storm.
No one here probably recognized this pic.
ture. Every thing is changed now, but
there is still room for Improvement
What want to impress upon your
minds is the importance of raising an
abundance of vegetables and of the best
kind. Test the new varieties. Many Of
them are vastly superior to the old.
Procure the earliest and latest, and as
many of the intermediate kinds as will
secure succession, without a break,
With peas, for instance, beginning with
the little Tom Thumb and winding up
with the superb champion of England and
the old marrowfat. ia good pea YETI you
can have your table euppied for many
woke 50 with coru, starting with the
dwarf sugar and going through the differ
ent varieties until you reach the ever
green. which lasts till frost comes, you
have long season for the enjoyment of
this universal iavorite Beans can be so
planted us to keep pace with the corn, so
that succorash (that most delicious com.
pound, for which we will bless the Indian,
savage though he be- may not be want
ing.
Every garden should have an ample
asparagus bed, This fine vegetable is
doubly valusble as coming in that trying
time, "betwecn hay and grass" when the
autumn stores are exhausted, and mother
earth has not had time to mature fresh
supply. The same is true of pie plant,
which makes its welcome appearance
when dried apples have become "fat,
stale aud Improbable. Some Of the
new sorts which are supperceding the old
ones are great improvement | will
not weary you by erlarging upon these
points-particularly as do not suppose
have given you single new idea,
though [ hope have awaken some that
have lain dormant.
l wish now to make some remarks up
on the beauty Of a vegetable garden,
Perhaps you never thought of it in that
light, and may attach no Importance to
that view of it, for it is true that to most
people kitchen garden las it is called)
conveys no idea but that of utility, fine
mealy potatoes for break fast, variety of
vegetables for dinner, with luscious
squash pies, and melons perhaps for des-
sert, dish Of currants or some other
small fruit for supper, but to those who
look for beauty, in all vegetable forms