The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-22
Farm Gardeninr

Gardening is different from genera
farming; for whereas the farme
spreads his efforts over many acres o
land. the gardener adopts a more par
ticular and intensive system of culture
to the end that he produces as mucl
produce upon one acre and receives a.
large returns from this same area a:
the farmer does upon several acres.
There are many live stock and grair
farmers in the west who should do
some gardening in connection witt
! their general farm work. This garden
ing will be found very satisfactory, fol
1t will, in the first place, afford a very
important home supply of the most ac-
ceptable food. and. in the second place
the returns from the sale of good vege-
tables TO ones neighbOrs and friends
or in the neartst town or city, will af-
I ford a considerable item in the effort
| TO make farming pay in these dull
/ times when cereal markets are so de-
pressed.
/ Select for a garden the best piece OF
/ land on the farm. Let it be smooth,
level and in a good state of tillage.
If it be near barn or stable so much
the better, as it will be less labor to
draw on the manure, and, being near
the water tank, il can be irrigated in
a dry time.
To grow good, tender, succulent vege-
tables very liberal quantities of rich
manure are TO be applied, and the soil
is to be kept in a fairly moist cOndi-
ton, as moisture is absolutely required
to enable the plant to appropriate the
needed fertility from the soil. No fer
tilizer is better for the garden than
rich, well-rOtted. fine horse or cow
dung. Avoid the application of coarse,
strawy manure, as this has a tendency
10 make air spaces in the soil, cut off
capillary action, and cause the ground
to dry out too rapidly.
Do not be afraid to put on the
manure, no matter if YOU think your
land in pretty good shape; neverthe-
less, put on at least ten or twelve
cords of manure per acre. for this
manure is just what will stimulate a
rapid. quick growth of stem and leaf,
and is what makes the same juicy and
tender.
Remember that there is little hard
labor even in garden culture if you but
lay out your garden rows of. good
length, and place them. wide enough
horse and cultiVatOr. The horse now
does most OF the work in the garden,
if one will but let him.
Be sure and prepare the soil in the
very best possible way, for the effects
of thorough spring preparation are
to be seen all through the period of the
growth of the crop. Good tillage at first
means reduced labor in cultivating the
crop ever afterward. So plough and
harrow. and drag or roll and harrow
repeatedly. The drag or roller follow
ing the harrow is very effective in
breaking I'D the clods and making the
soil as fine as sand.
When it comes to seed, buy the best
and surest. although you may and
probably will have to pay more for it
than at the corner grocery. Grocery
seed is too often wholly or partially.
old and inferior, and, after your care
full preparation of the garden, you can
not afford to risk any chances what
ever. 1t is a good plan to order your
seed direct from some of the seed
growers and reputable seedsmen who
now advertise so generally. as Z. man
or company that places its own name |
upon q package of seed viii see to it |
that it is good seed.-William P. |
Perkins, in Farm, Field and Fireside.