Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-04-10
The Farmers Garden.

Is not, however, apt TO De thc case.
1t ought to he so, not only because
the farmer has facilities for garden
ing not enjoyed by others, but be-
cause the land thus employed pays
many times better than any other
piece of equal amount on the farm.
The season for gardening is now at
hand, and we want specially to direct
the attention Of our farmer read, rs
to the Importance of n good garden,
and the ease with which it can be had.
Don't say "it's too much trouble and
requires too much fussing," and put
out for the corn-field or potato patch,
and leave the garden for the "womcn-
folks" to attend to. Even if all the
"trouble and fussing" with which
gardening, under the traditional and
nonsenscal square-patch system, is
usually attended, were necessary, it
would still pay, and pay well, to Sc
cure good, liberal supply of garden
vegetables but with little broad
ening and liberalizing of our ideas on
this subject, and the application to it
OF n little hard common-sensc, the
greater portion of Sis "trouble and
fussing" can be done away with,
and the "garden" become n source Of
pleasure and profit, to every farmer,
instead Of being, as is too often the
case, an annoyance and eye-sore.
Cast away, rs unworthy and unten.
able, the old notion Of expense and
trouble-the offspring of the old
manipulating, hand-hoeing and fin
ger-weeding system-and take our
word for it, for "we know whereof
We speak, and affirm that which We
have seen," that large, rich garden
-plowed and narrowed in liberal
slices by horsepower instead of
spadcd and raked in little carpet
strips at the expense of lame back
and aching arms,-and planted in
long rows, with wide spaces, admit
ting the free use of the cultivator,
will give better returns than four
times the amount Of ground, in any
other part of the farm. Speaking on
the subject, the current number Of
the American Agricuiturist very sensi-
bly, says;
The best paying plot on any farm.
and the one yielding the most enjoy
ment, too, is the Vegetable Garden
or Kitchen Garden as it is frequently
called, and quite appropriately, especial.
ly when the Kitchen folks" have the
chief or sole care of it. 4 good supply
Of garden products for the table cost
less than the standard bread, meat, and
potatoes, is more healthful and nourish.
ing than all corn beef, salt pork, and
the small assortment usually found on
the farmers table. Need we add any.
thing about palatableness, comfort,
home enjoyment Contrast table set
nearly the year round with bread. Falt
pork, corn beef, potatoes, boiled cab.
bage. varied with hash. mush. buck.
wbeats, and occasionally few other
items, with a table we'll supplied in
succession and abundautly with Aspar.
agus, Green Peas, Lima Beans, String
Beans, Sweet Corn, Radishes, Carrots,
Beets, Parsnips, Celery, Satisfy, Tur.
nips, CauliAower, Spinach, Lettuce, Egg
Plants. Tomatoes (all the year,, Rhu.
barb, Okra, Squashes, Onions, Cabbage,
Cucumbers ~, and other things,-flled
in with CuTrants, Strawberries, Rasp-
berries, Blackberries. not to mention
Grapes, Pears, etc.-We do not accept
the standing excuse, 81 am too poor,
too hard driven, too much to do In my
/. field to bother with the garden" We
repeat, Nth enpha1iS, that every farmer
can have moet, If not all the above
pleasant and healthful variety Uih no
less labor and lees erpeHsc than the table
can be supplied in any other way. Every
days work in the garden will produce
several dollars worth Of good things.
At the winter meeting of the Con-
necticut State Board of Agriculture,
held in December, 1875, Donald G..
Mitchell, better known,as Ike Marvel,
and author of those charming books,
"Rural Studies and my Farm of
Edgewood," and who Is one of the
most thoughtful and practical farmer
in America, read paper under the
title of "Fences and Division Of
Farm Lands" in the course of which
he said
Again, a just division Of farm land
must include spot for garden we
know what the average aspect Is; lit.
fta ractangular incIosure with arti.