The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-12
The Farmers Garden.


economy Of household affairs and in
The matter of health is seldom fully APP
preciated by the farmer, for he often
regards labor and fertilizer used for
this purpose as we'll nigh thrown away.
The village resident working at some
mechanical trade often has a better
garden than the farmer, although he
has but an hour, morning and night, in
which to care for it. This should not
be, for, while 1t costs something to have
good garden anywhere, the farmer
has some advantages in this matter,
and the half acre, more or less, devoted
to this purpose, should be the most
profitable part of the farm. In order
to have it so, there must be an appre-
citation of its Importance and value and
corresponding effort and attention de-
voted to it.
OF all the means at the disposal of
the housewife for providing healthy
and toothsome meal for the family and
occasional guests, nothing can compare
with access to good garden. From
the early days Of spring, when the par
ships that have remained in the
ground all winter are followed by the
early radishes and lettuce, to the latest
cauliaower and cabbage, there should
not be day without something from
the garden on the table. These things
will take the place of meats and dys-
pepsia- breeding pastry, and save many
DOCTORS bills and some lives. No in
ducement for country life has greater
health giving qualities than the oppor-
tunity afforded in having the family
table abundantly supplied every day in
the year with fresh vegetables and
other garden produce, and yet the
privilege is often entirely neglected by
the farmer on the excuse that he hasn't
time to devote to such things.
1t is surprising how much can be
grown on half-acre devoted to gar
den when properly prepared and cult
waited, and more surprising still to see
how far the product of a half-acre will
go towards supplying the family table
for we include in the garden small
fruits as well as vegetables. In theil
season we will have the table supplied
with currants, strawberries, raspber
ries, blackberries, plums and cherries
which, with the fresh, crisp vegetables
will 60 long way in taking the place
of supplies from the butchers cart ant
grocer's wagon.
We do not say that all these thing
can be grown without labor, for i
would not be true. Much of the advice
that is given farmers by the press abou
their opportunities to produce abou
everything that grows in the soil il
their garden lie on the sentimental or
der and without much realization o
the effort necessary to produce sucl
things. A farmer cannot grow thes,
with any less labor or fertilizer thar
any one else, simply because he is on {
farm. 1t will take more time to tax,
care of half an acre in garden crops, i
taken care of as it should be, than t
grow and harvest five acres of corn b,
the use of improved machinery, and NJ
corn should be grown in any other way
The garden cannot be taken care of b,
working in it when there is nothing
else pressing to do, or when the field
are too wet to be worked 1t will re
quire very exacting attention at jus
the right period in the growth of thu
crops and will require considerabl,
hand labor, although it may be so ar
ranged as to work the horse cultivato
to some extent. When given this at
tention the half-acre in garden viii
produce crops that will have a casl
value to the farmer in the support O
his family, and perhaps in surplus tt
sell, exceeding the income from an,
five acres, of cultivated field crops OF
the farm. In addition to its none,
value it will have health value tina
is inestimable. This latter result ma,
not be appreciated, for we seldom APP
preciate health until sickness overtake
us, but the family that partakes freel,
of fruit and vegetables, fresh from thu
garden, will have less sickness, les
DOCTORS bills to pay, and no one cal
say how many lives might have beer
saved among children and delicate
people by the free use of vegetable
and fruit in the place of the indigesti
BILE meat and pastry prepared in th'
absence of these things. This is th'
season of the year to arrange for
good garden and it should have the at
tention of every farmer, for it will b.
the best paying land on the farm. l
should not, however, be undertaken
with the expectation that it will no
require much work and attention, TO-
if so, disappointment will follow, O.
else the garden will be neglected ant
prove an unsightly failure. - Miro
and Farmer.