The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-02-02
FOR THE FARMER.
The Poorest Gardens In the COun-
try Are Where the Natural Adj
vantages Are the Best.
Are Small Farms Well Titled Pro-
fitablc?---Thc Condition of the
Stable at Milking Time.
GARDENS FOR FARMERS,

ly in the United States have not failed
tono,ice that the best gardens are in the
localities where the natural advantages
are the poorest. In the New England
and middle States the occupIcr OF every
considerable plat of ground in village or
country has a fine vegetable garden.
In some of these States the farmer de-
ponds quite as much on the products OF
the garden As of the fields for food for
the supply of his family, The table is
supplied with fine vegetables, fresh
from the garden, from early in the
spring till late in the fall. Large guam
titles of vegetables are stored in the
cellar or in pits for use during the
winter. There is also liberal supply
for homemade pickles catsup, and
sauces. Besides the common esculcnt
roots, such rs bects, carrots, parsnipS,
and ternips, many dcicacicS are pro-
duced in the garden. Among these are
celery, c;eSs, asparagus, egg plants,
vegetable oysters, parsley, and flag
rant herbs. Peas and beans are planted
in great variety and at different times,
so as to insure succession during
nearly all the growing season. Con-
nected with most of these gardens are
hot-beds and cold frames for starting
vegetables in advance of the season.
The soil in the vicinity of these gardens
may De, and generally is, very poor.
Not infrcquently it contains many
stones that are in the way of working
the soil. Still the ground is rendered
very productive by judicious working
and the application of fertilizers. Many
are at great pains to save the droppings
of fowls the wood ashes produced in
stoves, and the bones taken from meat
used on the table, and to apply them to
the soil where vegetables are to be
planted. Many have a compost heap
in one corner of the garden in which
fertilizers are constantly produced
In the prairie regions of the west,
where the farms are large and the soil
mcommonly productive, the gardens
are generally very small and poor
Only the more common kinds of vege-
tables are raised. The list j. generally
confined to beets, carrots, turnips,
onions, and cabbage But one variety
of each is raised. A. "A rule, the seed
for producing all of them is planted
about the same time. The time for
making the gardens is after the field
crops are planted and sown. 1t is then
too late to plant the seed of onions
beets, and other vegetables that re-
quire a long period in which to mature,
and too early to SOW the seeds of plants
that mature quickly but need high
temperature in order to hasten their
growth. The garden, or what passes
Tor one, is treated with neglect during
the entire season. IL receives attention
only when there is little demand for
labor in the fields The weeds ordi-
narilv get the start of the vegetables in
tended for use and they keep till the
frost comes. The work in the garden
is hard because it is done out OF the
proper season. th" Vegetables are
Irbol, as might be expected, Farmers
would not expect good crops of cosn
and potatoes if they tended them as
they do their beets and onions They
plant the former at the proper time and
keep the soil where they grow free
grass and weeds. They plant the latter
"when it comes handy and cultivate
them when they have nothing else to
do. A Il consequence the bulbs OF the
onions are small, while the stalks are
LARGE. The beets and turnips are
tough and stringy and the heads OF
the caDbagcs are not compact. None
of the vegetables are of the class the
farmer secs when he goes To town. lie
is dissatisfied with them and often con
eludes that gardening does not pay.
Did he treat his fields aS he does his
garden he would find that farming was
not n renumerativc business
With proper SIX II, care and attention
garden may be made to supply n
large part of the food required by the
farmers family during moro than hall
of the year. The failure of farmers to
have good supply of vegetables is due
to many causes. They are generally
quite ignorant of the art of managing
garden, and they are ut no pains 10 nc
quire the requisite information. few
days spent on the grounds of u success
full market gardener would be pro-
ductive of great benefit to them. They
could well afford to give their labor for
the instruction they would receive
They could improve the leisure time of
winter by studying some treatise on
vegetable gardening to great benefit.
Peter Henderson's Gardening for
Profit contains most of the information
required for the successful manage
mcnt of market or family garden. IL
is practical guide prepared by man
who has devoted a life to the produc-
ton of vegetables, and who has been
very successful in the business. Most
of the catalogues of vegetable seedmcn
contain much valuable information.
To be Of much practical use to readers
they should be obtained early and
studied diligently. BY consulting any
good work on gardening, farmers will
find the requisites for success in the
production of fine vegetables. They
will see the necessity OF making the
plans for garden before they COM
mence work. They will find that they
can make the frames for hot-beds dur
ing the winter. They will see the
necessity of systematizing the work to
be done in the garden during the en-
tire season. They will also see the
necessity of collecting manure for the
ground to be devoted to gardening at