Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-16
"GARDEN TRUCK"
RAW VCTUALS, AND HOW THEY ARE
CULTIVATED.


Cincinnati Enquirer.
On recent day a number of men and
women we've observed hard at work in II
patch of garden Just beyond Camp
WASHINGTON. The weary traveller ven.
turcd upon the premises and curiosity, as
well rs serving a business purpose, led
him to an investigation of the affairs
about the place. and the manner in which
thcy were conducted Any views that
might have been entertained of entering
tine life Of gardener were entirely dis
PEELED before the scene was left. Most Of
the workers seemed too busy to talk, uud
the ma GRITTY were unable to understand
the English language. After several
fruitlcss efforts to lry into the business
Affairs OF these people the traveller APP
preached II man and woman who APP.
pcarcd to he more at leisure tl.in the rest,
and who aftcrward turned out to he hus-
band and wife.
They were side 10y side on their knees
and bending over II hot-bcd. The two
were engaged in planting lettuce and
radishcs, slowly and carefully the work
was performed, rs though the CitN's pro.
visions for the next six months depended
upon the coming crop" Of the small
hot.hcd tinally the work of one bed
was finished and that Of an adjoining one
begun.
"Whcn will that he ready for markct?"
About the 1st of May, dryly replied
the man, in broken English, and without
stopping his work
Nv hat if the floods come again?'
- hen the whole business will be ruined
and all you see around you now will he
destroyed said he, with a sigh, and the
woman added I'VE never have Il chance
to save Il cent If we live we are doing
well. The landlord charges us $50 per
year for each acre of ground, and that is
almost rs much us we get from a good
crop. This bed You zee will yield "A
baskctful of lettuce on II good crop, and
will be worth % cents next spring. Here
are twenty large beds of lettuce that oc.
cupy great deal Of ground. We are
working them now. will watch them all
winter and next spring the lettuce must
be taken from the ground, washed ana
prepared for market. Thea we must
drive To tie city and look for buyers
For all this we ret SO. The r0disncs
will he about the same.
what else do you rlisc?"
"ln the hot.bcdS: Well. that one will
contain cucumbcrs, which will be ready
by the LIST of June.
"llow many CuCumbers will each bed
hold-a baskctfulF"
The two laughed again and the man
said: Il wish it did. If we get five from
each we will think it "A biz crop. About
three to each bed is the average. They
sell for cents apiece, or two for ,, &c.
cording to the size. so you see there is
not much profit, there, neither. When
the cuCumbcrS are ripe the beds are taken
up and piled in some corner until fall.
Then We plant cabbage and turnips. which
l,r al "a, Z t,,ll " I,,, .,
cabbage and tunips are sold out we a.
range the hot-beds again, and do the WORK
we are doing now.
Are CN' cEScs heavy"
tine greatest expense is the rent,
which Is 20 per acre per year. 1t take
four or five acres to make "a common-Silcd
garden. The land all around here bring,
about the same rent, and further out from
here rent is cheaper
The gardeners who grow wealthy in the
present day are few and far between.
1 They probably have more ups and downs
to contend with than any other class but
yet seem contentcd at all times Most
/ gardeners attend market three times IA
/ week during the early vegetable season,
and while heavy load and an empty
/ purse are taken TO the city, an empty load
and an only partialy-tillcd purse are
brought home. During the war the small
/ number OF gardeners then in the vicinity
Of Cincinnati made money, most of them
growing wealthy, and the wcl.to.do per
/ sons Of that class to-day are those who re-
allied high profits on their produce before
1 and during the late rebellion Produce
was then high, and raised by gardeners in
abundance. Since that time the number
las rapidly increased, uLtil nearly every
available tract within easy access to the
city is occup ed 10y these people as the
city grows and the population increases
! the demand for every commodity of life,
including garden truck, becomes
greater, but the increase of the product of
/ the gardener exceeds the increased de
mand for the same, having tendency to
ovcrsupply The market and maintain u
very low price for the goods.