The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-02-11
THE DETAILS OF THE FARM AND
GARDEN

1 Ix1d1IR0 OE L 7 ANN AN ~
| GARDEN.
| Life is made up of trifies. He who
succeeds must have great patience with
details, must not pass them by as too
small or unworthy to be noticed. The
garden and farm are full of details. The
preparation of the soil, getting it into
such condition as is necessary, indeed,
so that nothing more can be done to more
properly fit it for the crop. The
selection of seeds, the farther Guilt
walton of the crop, destroying the
weeds before they appear aboye the
surface, saving the strength of the
soil, as well rs much labor and expense.
Then comes the details of the harvest.
How much care and patience must be
exercised in that critical period to secure
the crop, after it has been brought to
that state of perfection. The thresh:ng
and preparing for market is also full Oh
details. But perhaps the most import
ant details are connected with the select
ion of seed. Without good seed, you
cannot produce good crops. Like begets
like, and nothing is SO disastrous to the
planter, as to continue to SOW a poor
Quality of seed The selection of seed
requires patience, pains-taking effcrt.
If you have it to buy, it may seem easier
to put it off and just when you need to
SOW, go without any forethought to the
grocery store and pick up whatever you
may find, that may be left. But the
best way is first to plan your garden on
paper, do it while you have plenty of
time, do it at once. If you are farmer
make it as large as possible, say to /
acre. In shape, let it be long rather
than square, 80 that the crops may be
cultivated with single horse cultivator,
or at least wheel hoe or cultivator.
The estimate has been made that one
man employed day of each week, could
care for such a garden, cultivating with
horse as stated. The estimate is a
liberal one. He could care for the ]
acre garden we'll, in that time, or even
with o wheel hoe, such as you push by
hand, one could do nearly as well; one
man using one can do the work of flee
men working ''by hand" This is no
exaggeration. The handling of one of
these wheel hoes is very pleasant and
one is tempted to root out the vegetables
as well as the weeds. 1t is thought that
if an ordinary farm hand, working '.by
the month, were to use one, you might
see at night where he had been at work
"a thing which is not always possible.
Don't be foolish enough to make the old
fashioned beds, three or four feet in
width with rows running crossways.
The cultivating of garden entirely "by
hand has gone out of date and is not
practlced by any one who is at all pro-
gressive. 1t would be as sensible for
one to cultivate corn or potatoes by hand,
or harvest and thresh wheat by hand.
II you plan your garden as suggested,
you can use seed drill to advantage
and 1t Is less expensive, as it makes the
place for the seed, sows and covers it,
and rolls the ground afterward. "A very
important thing by the way, this frming
the soil after the seed is sown. BY the
use OF this drill, the seed is sown not too
thickly and the proper depth. Having
planned your garden on paper or in your
mind, take seed list or catalogue and
mark the quantities you will need of
such varieties as you decide to plant.
Plant sufficient variety to form a sue
cession of the earliest, medium and late
sorts, but plant the standard sorts, such
as have been we'll tested and approved
by the leading planters of the country.
Let the novelties" severely alone until
they have stood the test of year or two;
in that time most of them disappear
from sight. Pay little heed to the fam
ing advertisements and descriptions OF
these novelties" ninety-nin out of q
hundred are worthless. Let the expert
mental stations test them and if of worth
they will become generally cultivated,
If not they will never be heard of again.
Many of these new, high priced "novel-
ties" are only the old sorts with a new
name and varied descrintinns