Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-09-24
Small Gardens.

Editor SGr:--I saw an article 1n TIE EVENING
STAR. or August 18th. one paragraph or wntcl
begins: "Ia ISL my wife had garden a feet
square," When / read this. began TO coaIiar
how much benefit could be derived from SO
small piece OF ground, II used ID raise vege-
tables, and l will lay the result of my thoughts
before our readers first giving my conviction
from experience, that a garden should always
be kept IN as fertile condition as possible and be
cultivated by digging It up with a spade PIT
down It's whole length. and then IL need not be
OF very great extent in area, to produce SGill-
Gent vegetables for small family. In the pre-
sent instance. hall the ground will contain 90
rows OF potatoes two feet apart, the potatoes 10
be cut two eyes 10 a cut, and put IN drills each
cut nine inches apart The cultivation to con-
Sfst OF cutting down the weeds with hoe. and
afterwards drawing the mould up on each side
TO form ridge 10 each row. The potato tops
Will cover the ground, which will be an adyan-
tage, as potatoes Ike cool shade. j have
raised them this way for &c years OF my nfe.and
always found had a much greater yield, with
less labor than by any other method Of piaut-
ing. Next three rows or early \ 0rk cabbageS.
also two feet apart, the plants being Sci Is
Inches apart. Which Is sufficient for them.
There is now piece OF ground ~ feet by Il
feet left. On which may be raised lettuce ans
onions for summer and winter use. as also bed
Of carrots, perShpS, cucumbeTS and bets, and
scarlet running beans or China red-eye beans
either or which win be 1t for use in SIX weeks
from planting. and as this small garden IS not
TO be disturbed by pillow. We may adj bed OF
pot herbs, such as parsley, leeks. marjoram,
sage, summer sayory, marig0ids, thyme and
whatever else the taste OF fancy OF the owner
may may =, suggest, AS ; the potatoes and caboayes
the ground they occupy can be dug up and soyn
with the white stone turnip OF the rutabaga;
the former put in drills a foot apart. and
thfDned out to leave each plant a foot apart in
the drill. and the latter thinned TO 15 inches
apart, as they grow larger.
When the ground for the turnips is dug. It
should be raked fine with garden rake and the
drills may be made by putting handle to
piece OF wood, or board little over four feet
long, and putting five short teeth In IT, Draw
ing this over the ground with one toct In a
drill already made, four drills can be made at
time, aud II this Is drawn crosswlSe over the
ground, the intersection Will give the place to
drop two Or three seeds. which can be thinned
to one In place as they come UP. And now for
the result Of the produce.
60 roots OF potatoes to each row, or oo0
roots altogether, producing at least $500
potatoes or bushels at 81 per buShel. 5 600
90 catb3ges being rows OF 80 In a row,
90. al cents each. .................... S.9l
The beds of lettuce onions. parsnfps. Gu
cumbers, carrots, beetS. and green beans. 500
&c lows Of white stone turnipS, !, 040 att
cent each, or $50 rutabaga at Il cents. 1910
$50 81
Ihave put these prices lower than our city
market price, as this garden Is considered to be
IOf family use to save buying, and everything [
have stated can be realized. The extent OF
ground is about l-26tn OF an acre, and can be
Cug by man accustomed to such work Ia one
day, and the cultivation, after the planting is
performed, can easily be done by boy II years
old. l did the hoeing to large piece OF pota-
toes before was Is years old.
IL only half the above estimate In value is
realized 1t VIII be great achievement. Stable
manure is best for ground to raise cabbage5 on.
Nood ashes, unleached or leached. or even coal
asl e. is good TO put on potato ground. Sd is
stlaw from the under beds hoed into the gro Ind
TO prevent its being blown away, and rottea
wood, or any decayed vegetable matter. M
nufe from the hog pen Will be found suitable
tor any vegetables. Ia horticulture a. In ag-i-
culture. q little head work will save much la5)r
end greatly increase profits aad prevent dislp-
po.Ltment JOHN GRINSELL.