The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-02-04
FARM N GARDEN.

WHY so FEW GARDEN?
It is astonishing that, with the facil-
| tiles by which every man in our coun,
try is surrounded TO supply himself and
his family with the substantial advan'
tages and refining influences OF a gar
den, 80 few avail themselves OF them.
1t is O great error to suppose that II
is necessary to be wealthy to have q
good garden and attractive flower yard.
Every man who chooses can have land
enough to have both. Even in the most
densely populated portions OF the
northern cities we have seen lovely col
lections OF plants and flowers, with many
varieties of fruits. In European cities,
where the poorer classes live in crowded
tenements, we have seen the fairest and
choicest flowers blooming in window
gardens, cultivated by hands that
earned but q few cents per day to pro-
vide for the wants of u large family.
In the country, especially one like ours,
with the finest climate and the richest
soil j in tho world, it is q reproaoh to our
civilization that our flower gardens are
80 ill supplied and poorly cultivated.
In our eagerness to obtain wealth we
imagine that it is necessary to devote
all our time to its pursuit, and that
every moment OF time and every rod
of ground that is not devoted to making
money is wasted. "We have no time
to fool with garden truck or with flow
,rs," says the farmer who lives in n
tumble.down log house with worm
fences, dilapidated stables and sheds,
eats hog and homiDy, makes his fifty, q
hundred or two hundred bales OF cot
ton. Every hour in the day, week
afte week, year after year, must be
devoted to raise more cotton. Not q
moment can be spared to enjoy the
beauty and glory which nature 80 Law
ishly yields for the asking. The veg
etablo gardens, 80 called, which are to
be found on nineteen out OF twenty
plantations, nro monuments of THRIFT
Ieasness, ugliness and poverty. A few
struggling collards, a row or two OF
unstaked peas, a few snaps, with q
d~iminutiye patch OF Irish potatoes
struggling ior bare life with weeds and
grass, constitute the vegetables.
We venture to say that in not one OF
the cotton states can there be found n
dozen plantation gardens where aspara-
gus, bcets, carrots, parsnips, peas, beans,
celerly, tomatoes, satisfy, egg plant,
okra, lettuce, onions, cabbage and Gu
cumbers can DO found in their proper
succession, and yet there is not a single
plantation where all these vegetables
could not DO raise in abundance on
less than IN acre OF land for an outlay
of a few dollars, yielding more of do
nestle comfort, than any other ten acre
on the place. And as for flowers, where
do We fad them except those which
nature gives in spite of man? is this
so because we are destitute of an appre'
citation of comfort aud all taste for the
beautiful 1t is because the sweet sun.
shine of heaven and the beauty and
glory of the world have no charms for
us except as they are connected with
the yield of Il cotton patch?
For a small part of what we spend
for cigars, whisky and the circus, the
poorest of us can surround himself
with a valuable vegetable AMI fruit
garden and invest his dwelling, be it
ever SO humble, with the flowers oil
rich foliage and the bloom and ira
GRANGE of flowers. Nature let's the
tree grow" rs WILLIS said, land tilt
flower expand for man, without refer
euce to his account ut the bank. -
southern Farmer.
TIE APPLICATION OF MANURE.
There is u great diversity Of opinion
among practical farmers as to the best
and most iadicious way of applying
manure to land. Some contend that,
to p.ow the manure under as sou as
spread and thus prevent the dissipation
by the sun and wind of its most valu
able properties, is the best way to ap
ply manure others insist that manure
spread upon the land and allowed t.
remain on the suface does not waste by
exposure to the elements, because
being so thoroughly spread it does no
ferment, and consequently does MOI
emit ammonia.
Although many good farmers AM
really enlightened agricul,urists hole
the latter opinion, invariably act upor
it and raise fine crops, we cannot ap
prove 1t, because, in our Judgment, it i,
not based upon true principle. Nobody
will deny that the value Of manur de
ponds upon the amount Of ammonia ant
soluble phosphates it possesses, ant
that the ammonia is volatile. 1t is ONLY
necessary to walk over n field on which
stable mamma has bppn newly gpraa(