Ellsworth American., 1876-06-22
Our Gardens.

Why is 1t some farmers persis st in having
such miserable kitchen gardens2 do not
believe there is class Of people. taken as
whole, who enjoy so few good vegetables.
and especially fruits, as farmers. do rot
think we realize our poverty in these things
yet. Our city friends come TO the country
expecting 10 ind straw berries and cream,
biackberries, ponegranates, grapes. and
cherries as plenty as buttercups and dan
delions. but instead we regalc them on
/ dried apple sauce.
| Why can't We have ali the luscious fruits
we want, not only to eat fresh. but to dry
and can for winter use? Farmers are
careful to raise turnip> and fodder corn to
fat the cattle; why not raise Strawberries
and sum"er sweetings TO fatten the chill
dren: Isn't there room enough in the gar
den for such luxuriesi There's room for
witch grass, scroegy lilac bushes. and
matted clumps Of sumacs and brier>.
Oh. il only had strength and INV way.
what garden / would have, | have
fought against hens all my lifetime for
want of picket fence. The FIRST thing I
: hould DO would be TO build high. sub
stantial one around my ground. What
rows of cherry trees, dsmsons pomegrsn-
stes and gage plums would have set out.
would have au unbroken trellis run
round the garden, ready TO be covered with
grape vines loaded with clusters OF grapes.
Instead Of dwarfed. scraggy currant bushes
we see 50 often struggling for life snder
the shade OF witch grass and bursocks, |
would have symmetrical, healthy bushes
growing in rich. mellow earth without AS
much as a chick-weed near to dispute over
the soil.
Men folks enjoy ripe, juicy, currauts,
currant pies, sauce. jelly, &C. as well as
anr one. Why don't they. once 10 dec.
ade at least. trim their bushes aud dig
away the rsnk growth of weeds aud gras.
roots; Gooseberry bushes, as well, have
to fight fer their existence, ifihey have
any. In nearly all farmers gardens. Why,
| believe there are children in this town,
who never ate over a teasp0onful OF goose
berries At once in their lifetime, and those
they got when visiting away from home.
Aud what a shame IL Is, children, when
with little pains = thicket of bushes
might run from ons end of your fathers
garden to the other. 50 laden with great
purple berries that the branches would
sag 10 the ground over their r.ilingS. and
you could PICK the fruit from morning an
til night, i, you wished 10. Tame cherries
and daRsons are getting TO be things OF
the past. Ii black knot keeps them from
thriving in our gardens, there is no reason
we should not have summer Sweetings
aud Thompson apples, also thimbleberries
aud grapes. Why is il farmers wives
have 80 little fruit throughout the year;
Because the women folks c1Ht and the
men folks ,-O.f, or haven't time" to do
the work necessary TO raise these luxuries
And as long as this Is the case we NAV
content ourselves with our half dozen cans
of green tomatoes. rhubarb or raspberries
put away for wIDser use, aud carefully
doled ont through the iong.wintry months,
with pint bsgfal of dried blueberres for
company puddings.
But, children, fever have the garden
have told yod about, and which has how
cred ia the future Ikea beautiful air castle
ever since was a child. | shall invite you
al TO come some daY and share my good
things. We viii look st trees 50 full OF
pippins and crab apples that there Is no
room for leaves 10 grow, and at strawbcr-
ries 80 large and abundant the ground
bushes red with them. We will shake
down cherries, red, black and purple on
esch others heads, and after trying each
Kind of fruit aud heapng pals and baskets
with it to carry home. we will rest in the
cool shade OF the grape vines and lazily
pei. hungry, outwitted hens frutlessly try
ing 10 crowd themselves through the pick
cts, with green crab apples and pomegran.
ate stones.-CLARRIssA POTTER In Maine
Farmer.