The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-04-24

agement. Fine results, if not the best,
can be secured In this case there is
scarcely any possibility for thorough
| preparation Of the soil from the start. 1t
! can gradually be improved however, by
making good its deficiencies, the chief of
which IS the lack of vegetable mould. If
had such soil would rake up all the
leaves | could find, employ them as bed
dug for my cow aud pigs Gf kept any,
and spread the compost heap resulting
on the sandy garden. The soil is already
too light and warm, and it should be our
aim to apply fertilizers tending to coun-
teract this defect. A nervous, excitable
person should let stimulants alone, and
take good, solid, blood making food. This
| Illustration suggests the proper course to
be taken, Many lime have seen &C
| ton the reverse of this resulting disas-
| trously. For instance, a man carts on
| his light thin soil hot fermenting manure
from the horse stable, and ploughs it I'M
der. Seeds are planted In the moist,
cool, early 'pring they make great
start, feeling the impulse of the power
| full stimulaut. There is hasty and I'M
healthful growth, but long before matur-
ity the days grow long and hot, drought
comes, and the garden dries up. There
fore every effort should be made to sup
ply cool manures with staying qualities,
such as are furnished by decayed vege-
table matter composted with the clean
ings of the COW stable. We thus learn
the value of falling leaves, muck from
the swamp, etc, and they also brig
with chem but few seeds of noxious veg
citation.
On the other hand, stolid, phlegmatic
clay requires the stimulus of manure
| from the horse stable 1t can be plowed
| under at once, and left to fermeIt and
| decay in the soil. The process of decom-
| position will tend to Danish, it's cold, inert
qualities, and make the ground loose,
open and ameanable to the influences of
| frost, sun and rain.
Does the owner of light, warm soils
ask, what, then, shall ! do with my
stable manure, since you have said that
1T will be an injury to my garden -
have not said this-only that it will do
harm if applied in its raw, hot, fermet-
ing state. Compost it with leaves. sod,
earth, muck, anything that will keep it
| from burning up with it's own heat. If
yon can obtain no such ingredients, have
it turned over and exposed to the air SO
often that it will decay without passing
through process approaching combus-
ton. When it has become 50 thoroughly
decomposed as to resemble fine black
powder, you have fertilizer superior to
any high-prced patent compound that
can be bought. Further on | will show
how it can be used both in this state ard
also in its crude condition on light soils
with the best results.
1t is scarcely possible to lay too much
stress on this subject of fertilizers. The
soil OF the garden plot looks inert; so
does heavy machinery; but apply to it
the proper motive power, and you have
activity at once. Manure is the motive
power to soil, and it should be applied in
70 produce some vegetables and fruits
much is required; in other growths, very
little.
In laying out garden there are sew
| Il !
pretor may be more desirious of secur-
ing some degree Of beauty in the ar
rangement than of obtaining the highest
condition of productiveness. If this be
true, lie may plan to make down its cen
tie a wide gravelled walk, with a grape
arbor here aud there, and fruit trees and
flowers in borders on each side of the
path. So far from having any objection
to this arrangement, | should be inclined
to adopt it myself 1t would be condu-
Give to frequent visits TO the garden and
to loungng in it. especially if there be
rustic seats under the arbors. l am in
clincd to favor anything which accords
with my theory that the best products of
a garden are neither eaten or sold. From
such a walk down the middle of the gar
den the proprietor can glance at the rows
of vegetables and small fruits on either
side, and daily note their progress. What
he loses i'll space and crops he gains in
pleasure.
Nor does he lose much, for if the Dor
ders on each side of the path are planted
with grape-vines, peach and plum trees,
flowers and shrubs, the very ground he
walks on becomes part of their loot pas
tura2e. At the same time it must be adj
mitted that the roots will also extend
with depicting appeties into the land de-
voted to vegetables. The trees and vines
above will to some extent, cast an I'M
, wholesome shade. He who has set his
heart on the biggest cabbages and best
potatoes in town must cultivate them in
ground open to the sky, and unpervaded
by any roots except their own. If the
general fruitfulness of the garden rather
than perfection in few vegetables is de.
sired, the borders, with their trees, vines,
!. and flowers, will prove no objection.
Moreover, when it comes to competing in
clbbage, potatoes, etc, the proprietor OF
the home acre will find that some Irish
man, by the aid of his redolent pig pen,
will surpass him. The roots and shade
extending from his borders will not pre-
vent him from growing good vegetables,
if not the largest.
, We will therefore suppose that, as the
simplest add most economical arrange
ment, he has adopted the plan of walk
l six feet wide extending through the cen
| tire of his garden. AS was the case with
} the other paths, it will be greatly to his
advantage to stake it cut and remove
t about four inches Of the surface soil
pilng it near the stable to be used fol
composing purposes or III the earth
5 closet. The excavation thus made should
be filed with small stones or cinders, and
then covered with fine gravel. \ walk
that Will be dry at all times is thus Sc.
cured, aud it will be almost wholly free
from weeds In these advantages alone
one is repaid for the extra first cost, and
in addition the rich surface soil obtainci
will double the bulk and value of TIL,
fertilizer with which it is mixed.
II .viny mlde the walk, borders five
feet wide can be laid olt on each side OF
! 4. l.