The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-06-04
Gardening for Profit.

Two or three years since. lady living
within few miles of ONE Of our great
business cenrers, finding much difficulty
in procuring fresh vegetables during the
summer season. determined 10 raise them
herself. The farmers in her vicinity car
ried their vegetables directly 10 the city
market, where her grocer bought them,
and she got them after they had been trans
ported twice over the road, and hsd lad
time enough. in addition to that. To lose all
their freshness while lying i'm the market
and the grocery.
She determined to rent am acre of land,
hire a stout lri>hman 10 plow and plant IL
for her, get him one day in every week 10
do the heavy work. and all the rest
she would do herself. Every body dis
couraged her in the undertaking. She
was entirely unaccustomed TO such work.
knew nothing of gardening. and was,
moreover, a lady. which was the hardest
argument OF all 10 meet. But in spite Of
the incredulous smiles of her friends and
the expostulations of her husband. who
was in easy circumstance. she adhered TO
her resolution. An acre Of land was rent
ed, and "A man hired 10 prepare and plant
II, she aiding him In the work, dropping
potatoes While he covered them, planting
peas. putting out onion sets and cabbage
plants, and learning in general and spe-
cific way under his tutelage how To cult
waite them. The homework was left
mainly in the hands OF a competent and
faithful hired assistant, and every day for
several hours she gave herself 10 garden.
ing. Ii was hard work; the July suns
were hot and scorching, the rows of corn
and potatoes were long and wearisome,
but she was superior TO fatigue and strong
in resolution. A rigid account was kept
with this acre OF ground, and she knew to
a farthing all her receipts and expendi-
lures. In the fall, when she balanced the
accounts. she foun1 that i'm addition 10
having all the fresh vegetables she could
use in the family during the summer. she
had in store an ample supply for winter
consumption. and had sold enough to pay
all expenses of labor, tools. and seeds. and
had realized 800 cash as clear profit. Her
COW, meantime. had lived largely from
the garden, and thus even the refuse veg
etables had been transformed into milk
tor the children.
But these were the least valuable of her
out-of-door industry. Her three children
were nervous, fragile creatures. and one of
them put TO sleep in it, crib. TO all appear
ance In perfect health, was found dead
and cold In an hour or two afterward, in
the same position in which it had been
laid 10 rest. Late in the autumn which
succeeded her labors in the open air. there
came TO her arms healthful. vigorous.
baby boy. totally unlike the feeble Off
spring that had hitherto given her mixed
pleasure and pain. The child grew and
waxed strong, passing through the differ
ent stages Of babyhood into robust
and chubby childhood without illness
or suffering, and when, a few weeks since,
the mother rehearsed this story he had
known scarcely sick day since his birth.
referred to. she points with pride and de-
light to him as the prime stimulus TO her
enterprise and browning proof that her
gardening was for profit.-Nep Pork
Tribune.