The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-02-26
THE OREGON KITCHEN GARDEN.

o'--
neighbors, unless we suspect that they
know more of the subject than we; that
mars our enjoyment. In handling this
question l am troubled with belief that
many of my hearers know more about it
than l. I dislike to advise old settlers
and successful farmers, unless it be about
the weather. However, obey orders like
a soldier and shirk no responsibility.
| We hear great deal about orchard lands
bringing in from $500 to $500 per acre; my
| experience is that there is only one acre on
every farm which will bring in such sum
annually. The kitchen garden in Oregon
will, if properly managed, return profit Of
$500, frequently twice that, and do SO
every year. 1 do not dispute the exist
ence of many who would lose ON garden.
but most of them would lose on anything
except work for wages. There may be
others, successful farmers, who would find
| the work distasteful, but it would be worth
their while to see what their boys could do.
1t is not the purpose of this paper to show
how much gold coin can be taken, but how
much of actual value eau be won from the
| garden. Most articles in the newspapers
are based on the dollars and cents argument
and that is what first betrays their author
ship. If we consider the money question,
we have not only gardening but marketing
to consider, practically two distinct bust.
nesses Of which marketing is the more diff
cult and uncertain. We are frequently
| fnlI t,xyf ftn 1uol
| thousand dollars can be made on all acre, in
| growing a certain vegetable. These state
ments are based Oh what has been done in
| one case on small fraction of an acre.
If such articles were only in the story
| column or edited by the snake editor,
| farmers would not be called upon to an
| swer them. If we wish to know what can
be done on acre in market gardening,
there are hundreds of men with years of
experience, plenty of means anl the best
| location in the world who can answer from
thousands of actual tests.
BY a kitchen garden mean one In WHICH
all the crops are planted with view to
supplying the family; such vegetables and
fruits as we consider necessities and such as
we would have as Iuxuries if able Here is
| no uncertain market; it is a case of so much
| land and labor for so pleasure. Money is
valuable exac5ly as it supplies our wants;
whatever answers As a substitute has a
money value. An acre, we'll III ,naged,
will yield several dollars worth of truck at
| wholesale prices. IF this il grown to suit
the appetites Of the family it will be used
to advantage and we have our profit. The
study of the home market or household
market will give many useful ideas. With
the boys it may be made to lay the founda-
tions of business education. Farmers are
too apt to consider business education as
based upon bookkeeping, which is only the
clerical part. that can be learned at any
time and by anyone. The foundation
principles are necessary to succeed i'll any
employment and can best be learned at
home.~ Which of these is more important
in agriculture, than that our productions be
suited to our market Work and thought
IN growing crops for home supply is an ex.
cellent start in political economy.
do not believe in set model for a
kitchen garden, such as we often see: A
piece of land so many feet square; so many
rows of grapes, currants, berries, etc., with
smaller plants between and general sys-
tenn of plotting which puts each plant in
its proper place and one or two more with
1t. l object to following such a model for
several reasons. The experience one gains
in developing plan To meet his own needs
is not slight. Then where there are differ
ent kinds of soil place, greater success
may be had by having parts of the garden
in several places. Some plants are bene-
fitted by irrigation, Others by elevation.
Injury to some from chickens and benefit to
others, must be considered. There may
sometimes be reason for doing two things
at once or planting two crops in on place.
A young friend, some years ago, was able
to solve the most intricate problems while
eating his dinner; believe since then, he
has found it an intricate problem to get |
that meal. noticed for several years, |
man cutting fine crop of hay in his orchard;
the trees were annoying ,ut he could rest |
in fruit harvest. I have always doubted |
the Dutch proverb, "More than enough IS
is as good as FEAST" If there is one crop |
at a time and that does well, it should |
satisfy; and permanent plants should not |
be sacrificed to temporary ones. Each
person must decide for himself as to the |
size shape and location Of his garden, and |
mainly, as to its arrangement; that is, |
models are useless if followed literally.
Many things could be said in regard to
management, but most of them would be
likely to occur to farmer. Not counting |
first plowing and narrowing if all the work
of ground is done by hand, it will cost $l00
or more. The same amount of crop could
be raised OH two acres, largely by horse.
work, at cost of less than $50. If the
rental of the land is not worth more than
$50 an acre per annum, it would seem best
to plant everything in long rows for horse
cnlture, rather than in beds as is often done
This, in spite of the increased cost of fenc.
ing the larger piece, for if it is in the form
of a square half more fence will more
than double the size of the enclosed piece,
and majority of plants are benefited by
the added room, to say nothing of the fact
that reducing gardening to hand labor in
farming community. usually preoedes its
abandonment by about one year,
Other th;nos heipo fayorahIe the kitehen