Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-03-27
GARDENS FOR FARMERS.
value of Gardens to Farmers and Sugges.
items About the Management
OfThem.

Chicago Times
The more land a farmer owns the
poorer is his garden. The best gar
dens in the country that are tended by
farmers are in the eastern states,
where the soil is poor and the land is
divided into small farms. The poorest
gardens are in the prairie districts of
the west, where the farms are generally
large and the soil is very rich. In the
east small farmer finds n garden
necessary for the support of his family.
He raises in it every kind of vegetable
that will grow in the latitude where he
lives, and endeavors to produce them
as near perfection as possible. He has
hot-bed for starting vegetables very
preserving those that mature late dur
ing the winter. He raises vegetables
for food and for relishes. He endeav-
ors to have succession of certain
kinds of vegetables from the latter
part of the spring till late in the fall.
He sows lettuce, radishes, cress, peas,
and beans at intervals of few days or
weeks from April till August. He
cultivates both late and early varieties
of many vegetables. He gives great
attention to the production of squashes,
melons, and cucumbers. He raises
many delicacies like vegetable oysters,
egg plants, cauliflowers, and celery.
He produces large quantities of fruits
and vegetables to be converted into
pickles. He plants sweet corn at
different times, so as to have roasting
ears" in their prime during several
months. If there is an oversupply at
any time, the grains are cut from the
cob and dried for use in the winter.
Lima beans are also dried. Tomatoes
are raised for use when they are ripe,
and for canning and making catsup.
A large proportion of the food for the
family comes from the garden, and not
unfrequently considerable is realized
from the sale of garden vegetables in
the nearest large town. Especially is
this the case when asparagus and rhu-
barb are raised. Nothing contributes
more to good living than supply of
fine vegetables gathered when they are
in their best state, and served while
they are still fresh. They diminish the
quantity of meat, fish, and bread re.
quired for the support of the family,
and reduce the amount of grocers
bills. They furnish the best kind of
food to use during warm weather, and
insure great variety of dishes. If
rightly managed, no crops produced on
n farm pay better than garden vege-
tables, and none are rs conducive to
health and happiness.
The majority of the large farmers in
the west have very poor gardens. They
raise but a limited variety of vegetables
and these are of inferior quality. Gen
orally the vegetable garden is located
near the house and other farm build
ings, SO it will be convenient to work
in during odd hours when labor can
be spared from the field. 1t is often
surrounded by n fence, erected with q
view of keeping out cattle and fowls,
though it affords no protection against
the latter. The fence shades the
ground, interferes with the employ
ment of the plow and cultivator, and
affords shelter for weeds and grass.
in many cases trees and bushes grow
alongside of the fence, produce more
shade, and send their roots into the
soil that is planted to vegetables. The
and devoted TO the garden is poorly
prepared, owing to the difficulty of us
ing implements drawn by horses. 1t
receives no greater amount of manure
than land devoted to grain and po-
tatoes. With rare exceptions the seeds
of all kinds of vegetables are planted
at the same time, though there should
be greater difference in the period
of placing them in the soil than in the
planting of field crops. The cultiva-
ton of the vegetables receives atten-
ton when no labor is required in the