The Portland daily press., 1878-06-11
AGRICULTURAL.
Vegetable. and Small Fruit. for Farmers.

A paper was lately read before the New
York Farmers Club on Gardens for Farm
ers," by Mr.. Peter Henderson, from which
we give the following extract:
Any soil that will grow good crops of corn,
nay, wheat or potatoes, will grow good crops
OF almost any variety of fruit or vegetables,
only, of course, the higher the cultivation in
either case, the more satisfactory will be the
crop. What the extent of a farmers garden
should be, must be decided by his wants or
means of culture, though it may be laid down
as general rule, that one-fourth of an acre,
or spice 100 feet by 100, would be ample
for the requirements of an ordinary sized
family. For convenience, the kitchen garden
should be near the dwelling, and if appear
ances enter anything into consideration. if
would be better placed at the rear than the
front of the house.
Where there is room to use the plow and
harrow in preparing the ground for the gar
den crop, these will always do the work more
thoroughly than the spade. Even in prepar-
ing the ground for our most delicate flower
ing plants We always use the pillow in prefer
ence to the spade when it is practicable to do
so. What kinds of vegetables and fruits to
plant and the space to be allowed to each,
will come next in order.
Asparagus is a very important crop, and
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itself for twenty years, if the weeds are kept
off. This proper planting consists, first in
having the soil deeply plowed and SUBSIDIZED
to depth of at least eighteen inches, thor
oughly enriched with manure, and in havi0g
good healthy plants set out at about twelve
inches each way, a space of six feet by fifty
recurring 300 plants. 1t takes two years
usually from the time of planting tor aspara-
gus to yield full crop, but when once in full
bearing bed of tine size named will give an
unfailing supply. Rhubarb, like asparagus,
gives crop many years without renewal;
dozen plants, set two feet apart, will suffice.
The general crop of vegetables is mostly
grown from seeds; the detail of the quanti-
ties of these is so much matter of taste that
it need not be entered into. l will briefly say
that an assortment of seeds, embracing peas,
onions, radishes, &C., costing from So to 81,
duly apportioned, will be sufficient. Such
vegetables as caulifower, cabbage, lettuce.
tomato or egg plants, had better be set out in
the plants, and if they can be purchased in
the vicinity where wanted, all the better, as
they are too tender to transport far; 100 each
of caulifower, cabbage and lettuce would be
enough, while two dozen tomato plants and
dozen egg plants would produce all that is
likely TO be needed. Any special details for
culture would be unnecessary when the
books on the subject are now everywhere so
easily procurable.
In small fruits perhaps the most generally
appreciated are grapes. II the ground aot-
ted to the garden is fenced (which it should
be- the fences can be used to great advan-
tage in training grapevines. Wire or wooden
stats should be placed or inches from the
fence, SO as to admit air. Grape vines so
trained, having south or southeast aspect,
will mature crops earlier and will generally be
more certain to bear, than if not so sheltered;
besides, when trained against the fences but
little space Is taken up. Twelve or fifteen
grapevines, comprising say six or eight sorts
when in full bearing, will give a large supply.
The varieties are now so numerous
and are yet, yearly improving, that
it is hazardous to recommend what
matter of individual opinion that it is rare
that any two cultivators agree on the best
half dozen sorts. 1 fruit some twenty sorts,
and from these would name as the best for
general cultivation Concords, Delawares Iona
and the Rogers Hybrds, Nos. Is, %, Al, and
A. These comprise nearly all shades of color
extending in their period of ripeDing lin this
latitude) from the 1st of September through
October.
Strawberries come next in Importance
among the small fruits. A bed of the size
recommended for asparagus, and requiring
nearly the same number of plants, would be
ample for all the requirements OF an ordinary
family. The product from such a bed, under
fair cultivation, would be from to quarts
day during the season; though strawberries
will be fair crop for Two OF three years, II
properly trimmed and top dressed with ma
nure. am one of those who believe that
the finest fruit, if not the heaviest crops can
be best got by planting each yearly what is
termed the layering method, full crop can
be obtained in nearly ten months that is,
plants set out in August, will if properly
handled, give full crop in June. AS this
method has recently been extensively pub
lished in the leading agricultural journals, as
also in books specially devoted to gardening
there is no need to detail the plan here. The
varieties, like grapes, are now very numerous
but for general cultivation, no one would 90
far astray in planting either Monarch Of the
West, Charles Downing, Seth Boyden, Beauty,
Triumph de Gand or Great American or the
whole of them.
Raspberrles aud Blackberries follow straw.
berries. About the same area, fifty feet by
six may be allotted to each, though the dis
lance apart at which they should be planted,
of course, is wider, namely, two feet by three.
The new rasrberries, Pride of the Hudson,
(red) Caroline, yellow and New Rochelle,
tpurple) bid fair to supersede the older varie-
ties of the same color. In blackberries, vii.
sons, Kittatinny, and the Cut Leaved, ought
all to be grown if the full season of fruiting is
desired, as they comprised the earliest and
latest sorts in the order named. In currants.
seventy-fve red, twelve white and twelve
black would be about the proper number.
planted two feet by three. In gooseberries,
the only kinds that do well here are our
American varieties, known as Downing, a
greenish white. and Houghton's Seeding (red)
they are of medium size and flavor; few of
these may be grown, but they are not gener-
allV verv satisfactory - Gnupf9u GonfJo,,ooY,