Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-04-11
SOME FARM TOPICS.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO TIL
LERS OF THE SOIL.
The Garden, the Many Adj
vnntages of n Well Kept Garden
Spring Plowing-shippbng Early
Spring Lnmbs-Corn Culture.

One OF the c~ompensating advan-
tages offsettipg depression of farm val
ues is to oblige farmers to give more
attention to their gardens. The great
majority of farmers have not lived
life affords in this respect. Instead Of
being noted for the freshness and ex-
cellence of the garden vegetables and
fruits which can be procured in the
country, the fact has been exactly the
reverse. The market gardeners heal
large cities produce vegetables In great
quantities and sell them so cheaply
that every city market Is supplied at
low rates. Not only this but the sur
plus that can not find an immediate
market Is canned or otherwise pre-
served for future use. Farmers, in
stead Of going to work in the old-fash-
Toned way and producing their own
supplies of garden vegetables and
fruits, have learned the bad habit Of
relying on what they can buy from the
surplus products of the market gar
den put up by the Canneries.
This evil policy has reached its eli
max. The depression in price Of many
Of the staple products of the farm
gives farmers less money to buy, and
with this condition tegins to come n
realization that to grow such pro-
ducts for himself and family Is more
profitable than and satisfactory even
though money were plentiful. The
production of garden vegetables for
hnnIn nCa cant1pnC thnyn y-nSh orI Il,
the best condition, besides saving the
profits OF two or three middlemen
through whose hands such goods must
pass on their way from the market
garden to the farm. If the farmer
cannot make the garden pay under
these circumstances. 1t is a pretty good
sign that he cannot succeed In any
kind OF soil cultivation. When he buys
{ nned goods he pays n much higher
price than the market gardener ever
receives. and what is worse, he gets
an inferior product therefor.
Much of the popular objection to life
on the farm will be changed to enthus-
iasm for It Just as soon as the farm
garden Is given the position that it
deserves. Instead Of being put second
TO everything else. the garden should
subordinate all other farm work. No
part OF the farm will. If properly man
aged. make s much clear profit as
will the garden. 1t is always the rich
est part Of the farm. BY that fact
II ought to get the most care and at
tention. Small cramped gardens are
almost never seeded with clover.
This Is sown with some grain crop
and the garden Is too small to be
cropped with grain. Resides. owing
largely to the difficulty In cultivat!ng
II with horse power, the farm garden is
nearly always the weedieSt place on
the farm. The Great mount OF nan.
urC II receives helps towards this al>',.
With heavy %n!lnuring the garden IN
der rho best conditions will h" hard to
keep free from weeds. When made
so small that the greater part OF the
work has tC he done by hand the task
hecC Les imI,OSSiblr. If gardens were
made in open fields. the work of keep
Ing garden crops free IF weeds will
" reduced twO-tliil,iS. Not everything
can be made grow proftably in rows
each way, but IL rows Of root crops
are made straight and the c%ultivatOr
Is freely used one way very little
ha ID hoeing will lc needed.
But GUILTY. ated by present methods
the farm garden is. when properly
cared for, the best paying spot on the
farm. During the growing season it
supplies palatable food at cheaper
rates thar it can he secured In any
other way. A good garden adds great
" to the att%raclivenesS Of farm life.
as it's absence, where it should be. Is
the most frequent reason why wealthy
men do not find their pleasure in coun-
try homes AS they do i'm most Euro
pean countries. Many New England
farmers have learned the advantage
Of developing as much as they can
the attractions OF their locality as sum-
mer resorts for those taking their va
cation from city life. The very best
way TO make the most of these coun-
try attractions is 10 prepare n better
home supply of all garden vegetables
and small fruits in their season. The
American Cultivator.