Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-05-04

Did / ever tell You the success that neigh
Dor Sloboots had with his garden
! will not 90 into biography Of this late
gentleman, because a mans life is not com
plete until Time has thrust in his sickle and
gathered the standing grain into his arms.
Stuboots is not dead, but the lesson Of his
gardening lives in my memory, and hope
to give 1.-THE lesson-though imperfectly,
to others for what it is worth.
Mr. Soboots has like most men, made
some mistakes during his eventful life. Per
haps some would call it blunder when he
took up gardening, but no one should feel
free to say until the effect that last years eX b
perience will have upon his future action is
known.
He had evidently not read all the books on
the bect when he took up the labors Of the
vegetable gardener. He may have, and prob
ably had, skinned over the subjects In such
a manner that with little fresh earth, so to
speak, upon the surface, it may have seemed
to him that further and deeper investigation
was unnecessary.
I watched the hired man from my window
one afternoon while he was spading the
ground for early peas, and lac was evidently
taking the easiest method Of making things
seem what they are not. He was perhaps
acting upon the idea that tine Lord knew best
what particles of earth should be on top. and
was bent-not very much bent-upon not
getting any Of them more than an inch or 30
below the surface.
But to return from the superficial spadug
of shallow man, it should be said that Mr.
Sloboots committed an error at the outset
that he was not able to overcome through
out the whole season He selected dry,
sandy piece Of ground thinking it would be
much easier to work than O fine loan near
by. pile of coal ashes had accumulated
during the winter and these, as IA fertilizer,
we're applied literally. The man OF expert
once may know that coal ashes, a. q garden
fertilizer, are not altogether "a success, and
especially when put upon soil already airy
enough and to spare Thus was the garden
plot selected and manfred
The next thing was to prepare the surface
for the sowing of the seed. The manner in
which this was done by the hired man has
been limited but not winked at above Per
haps it may be well for US to note here the
third error in this neighbor gardening.
The ground was now ready - for the
seeds The seeds were not ready for the
ground It will not be difficult to point out
the fourth error The wise gardener forget
teth not the seeds OF the garden.
In great haste-that Is, great for SlobootE
the seeds were either borrowed or bought
| No thought was given to the selection Of the
best sorts. The only aim was to get seeds.
and they were obtained Parsnip, eggplant
and carrot seed that for all Neighbor S.
knew, were five or ten years old, found their
way to the inexperienced gardener. The fifth
blunder was il not beginning the work of Sc.
Letting and procuring the garden seeds early
in the season, long before the time for SOW
ing had arrived las the seed, so shall the
crop be, and it might be added las some
dead seeds. so shall no crop be"
The pargnip bed remained a blank as far
as parsnips were concerned, because Of lack
of vitality in the seeds. The peas, that
should have been dwarf and early, were OF
the larger sorts, and had the soil furnished
the necessary food they would have aston
ished the owner with their growth, but as il
was they were shy Of the upper air and drag
ged out low and almost podless existence
Do you not see sixth error or blunder Turk
ing somewhere beneath these struggling and
struggling pea vines
The seeds such as they were all went into
the ground at tine same date There was nc
distinction made between the hardy and ten
der sorts. Beets and beans were sown side
by side on the same day. Cabbage and corn
likewise. Carrots with cucumbers, turnips
with tomatoes. There is a time to SOW A.
well as to reap, and Mr.. Sloboots found out
this much by sad experience before the sea
son was through.
There were other blunders made that il
may be well to relate at later date. Those
/ here given, it is hoped, may serve as a warn
/ ing to any who think they may have good
garden and not have it cost anything in think
ing Experience is a dear school in which tC
learn the simple things of common life -
Cor Farm and garden.