St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-03-29
The farmers Garden.

The garden is sadly neglected by a
large class of farmers, especially those
who live at distance from the market
centers where there is an opportunity to
dispose of the oYerplus, if any, OF gar
| attached to the farmhouse is the most
unsatisfactory piece of soil in the place,
and simply because it receives little at
| tention, and is allowed to run to weeds
until its strength is exhausted. Many
thrifty and prosperous farmers, whose
fences and out-houses are always in
good repair, whose fields of corn, oats,
and wheat are carefully titled, and who
rejoice in abundant harVests, give up
their gardens to the control of weeds,
and receive from them little that con-
tributes to the farm-table or to the
profits of husbandry. In such cases, the
garden is looked upon as matter OF
tri1ing Importance, to be attended to
only at odd times, after the larger crops
are all in, and the rush of the season
is over. In many instances gardening
seems to be regarded as profitless
piece of work. to be thought of and at
tended to only when there is nothing
else to do. No attention is paid TO fore
ing plants for early use, the careful lay
ing out of beds and trenches, and the
numerous little details that are neces-
sary to success. No effort is made to
procure variety of choice plants and
vegetables, such as may be had in any
farming district in our country.
If few hills of beans, q short and
struggling row of peas, few cabbages
and tomatoes, bed of onions, lettuce
and beets, are put in, when opportuni-
ty offers, generally late in the season,
it is about all that is to be expected.
These would do very well if that care
and attention were bestowed upon them
that is given to other parts of the farm.
But no systematic effort is made to care
for and train the growing vines. The
pole beans go unpoled until they find in
their Wanderings some tall and friendly
weed on which to lean, or some wall or
fence that offers hold for their creep.
ers, and the peas and the cucumbers
straggle after. The beds go unweeded
until the beets and onions are almost
choked out of existence, and the toma-
toes and eabbages have hard time.
The inhabitants of our villages and
cities enjoy more of the products of the.
garden, in all their freshness and
variety, than do those who own their
broad and fertile acres with every IA
cility at command to ensure them the |
largest and richest yield for the mere
trouble of planting and tilling the soil. |
It is strange, but true, that one must |
come within the city's dust and din, |
miles away from the open country, to
find the earliest and freshest vegetables
on the table and all the best things that
our soil and climate can produce. In
this respect the reality of ordinary
country life differs much from that
pictured in rural romances. The old
adage runs that s'shoemakers' children
always go barefoot, !" and so it might
be as truly said that the farmers wife
and children, his home and life, are too
often wanting in many of those COM
forts and luxuries that are almost as
free to him as the sunshine that falls on
his roof. There is no reason why the
farmers table should not be supplied
with all those pleasant and goodly
things that may be grown in our lati-
tude. There is no reason why his fam
lily should not..enjoy a variety of whole
some vegetables throughout the season.
N Y. Observer.