The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-16
Gardens for Farmers.

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 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 en-
deavors TO produce them as near per-
lection as possible. He has hot-bed
for starting vegetables very early in the
season, and cellar for preserving those
thatmature late during the winter. He
raises vegetables for food and for
relishes. He endeavors to have sue
cession of certain kinds of vegetables
from the latter part of the spring till
late in the fall. He sows lettuce, rad
ishes, 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 q
great variety of dishes If rightly
managed, no crops produced on farm
pay better than garden vegetables, and
none are as conducive to health and
happiness.
The majority of the large farmers in
the west have very poor gardens. They
raise but limited variety of vegetables
and these are of inferior quality Gener-
ally the vegetable garden is located
near the house or other farm buildings,
so it will be convenient to work in dur
ing odd hours when labor can be spared
from the field. 1t is often surrounded
by fence, erected with view of keep
ing out cattle and fowls, though it af-
fordS no protection against the latter.
The fence shades the ground, inter-
fereS with the employment of the pillow
and cultivator, and affords shelterfor
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 vege-
tables The land devoted to the garden
fs poorly prepared, owing to the diff
Guilty of using implements drawn by
horses. 1t receives no greater amount
of manure than land devoted to grain
and potatoes. 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 cul-
tivation of the vegetables receives atten-
tion when no labor is required in the
fields and at no other time. As con-
sequence any portion OF the garden con-
ltans more weeds than portion of land
of equal size situated elsewhere on the
farm. These weeds of course interfere
with the growth of the vegetables and
retard the period of their maturity.
They also reduce the yield and impair
the quality.
Farmers will not succeed in render
ing the production of vegetables very
profitable till they adopt some of the
practices of market-gardeners. They
will be wise if they follow their example
in rendering the soil they devote to the
production of vegetables very rich by
the application of manure Soil NAV
be too rich for the production of small
grain. but the chances of making soil
too rich for the growth of garden vege-
tables are very small. They will also
find it benelicia to initiate professional
gardeners in sowing seed at the time
that is best suited for its termination
and the production of plants. Onions,
lettuce, parsley, spinach, celery and
peas designed for early use should be
planted as soon as the frost is out of the
ground and the soil is in condition to
work. Beets, carrots and parsnips
should be sown as early as the soil and
air become tolerably warm and the cold
rains of spring are over. Lima and bush
beans, sweet corn, melons, squashes and
bucumbers should not be planted in this
latitude before the middle of Nav, and
the planting may often be DELAYED to
good advantage till the middle of June.
Radishes. turnips and some other plants
mature SO quickly and remain in good
condition for so short time that their
seed should be planted at several times
during the'season. AS a rule, the seeds
of plants of tropical or semi-tropicaI
origin should be planted much later
than those that originated in cold eli
mate. Many take contrary view Of
this matter and plant the seeds of vege
tables that are natives of hot climates
very early in the season, so that they
will have long time in which to ma
ture. They gain nothing by the prac
tice, but. on the other hand, general,
fail in raising a crop. Many of tn,
seeds do not germinate and the plant