Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-03
BOARD BULLETIN FOR APRIL.
The FARM GARDEN.

/ sse 0%ss'N-'
GENERAL AVERAGE FOR THE STATE
Number Of farm stock, 100 per cent !,
value, l03 per cent. Amount OF stock
fodder on hand, la0 per cent. Cost of
~intering farm animals, % per cent.
The usual arrangements are being made
for early spring crops. Amount Of fall
plowing, lo2 per cent. The indications
are that the quantity of corn grown will
be somewhat increased from that Of 1897
throughout the larger part Of the state
The prospects for the sweet corn crop
are generally good; the acreage will b~
increased in several sections. Where the
crop Is reduced, yellow corn, grain.
Hungarian, and, Ia n few instances, po-
tstoes will be grown To take Its place.
OXFORD COUNTY.
PoRrER.-I think vegetable garden,
for farm and home, should BE- cousid-
cred by the farmer as one OF the first es-
sentisls In his growing crops on th-
farm A large majority OF farmers
think, or say, that IL will not pay the
cost, that they can not spare the time to
care for il when other crops, seemingly,
require their whole time, but IL Ia my
opinion that farmer cannot cultivate n
small plot Of land ut more profit, with
greater luxuries at almost all seasons of
the yer, and With less labor than In
gro~iug vegetable garden Tor home
use. Ii yields large variety OF whole
some, nutritious and pslstsble food,
with change each day, during almost
entirely the whole of the warm season
Many Of the vegetables are stored for
winter use, and all know what vegeta-
ble dinner means when spoken of la
winter. IL sny OF the crop Ia not needed
for home use, IL will fnd ready sale In
most markets, so there Is nothing lost.
As to location, should prefer nearly
level situation inclining u little TO the
south or southeast, with a warm, deep,
and rich losmy soil. which seldom can
be made too rich. The ground should be
we'll palverized before the seed Is plant
ed. | would have my rows run north
and south when convenient. lu select
lug seed l would end.svor To obtsin the
very best as To varieties and quality, and
plant AT the proper season. With the
vegetable garden, would connect u bed
of straw berries, and few rows OF rssp-
berries and blsckberries. These would
WELD a supply Of very luscious fruit dur
ing their season. once raised in one
season from i've canes Of blsekberries,
sixteen quarts OF very choice berries.
which were very acceptable. Would
plant all seeds and set all vines In rows
80 as TO cultivate with a horse ss much
as possible. The ground should be well
cultivated and entirely free from weeds
during sll the growing season, and then
IL should be expected that We be blessed
with full and profitable crop as re-
ward for all the labor performed.
A. II. MASON.
BErHEL-I commenced planting small
fruits in n small ~Ay five years ago sne
have increased my planting from tim- To
time. until nov have about nine acres
planted. think no farmer should con-
slider his garden complete without
generous supply OF all the fruits, both
large and small, that are known To sue
ceed well in his latitude. For family
OF five or six persons, | would set apart
not less than on.-fourth OF an acre OF
good land for small fruit garden |
prefer 10 plant Strawberries In the
spring, giving them clean cultivation
until fall Plant in rows three and one
half feet apart and about eighteen inches
in the row, and allow them 10 form n
matted row, about two feet wide. After
the ground freezes hard in the fall. cover
Nth clean straw or meadow hay 10 pre-
vent thu frost from heaying the plants
out OF the ground. Rake of the cover
ing as soon ~ freezing weNther Is ov"r
In spring. Rsspbrrries, blacsberries,
currants and gooseb.rries will do we'll
planted either in spring or fall. li
planted in the fall they should BE- given
\ mulch Of coarse IN tnure around each
plant. Give the rsspb.rries and olscs-
b-rries winter protection, by ben'ina
down the canes and covering the tips
with earth Ii Is surprising 10 note the
amount Of berries Consumed In family
" here the supply is limited.
HF. MANN.
SOUTH PARIs-A good, up-'o-dst.
yard-n Is something that majority of
the farmers know nothing about They
read about IL and perhaps sometime they
NAV have seen one, but they never think
of having one of their Own. They plant
few beans and perhaps few beets and
turnips. but the chances are that the,
all never get hoed, il il TOO fu.sing
business. A garden should contain
good bed of asparagus, also plenty oI
rhuharh, and, il you like greens, bed
Of dsndelions: not the common sort Out
ts- large broad leaved variety. Then
have an abundance OF small fruits
bl,xkherries, raspberries, currants,
yooseberries, and rswberries. Then
every year plant for vegetables every
thing that you like, ia such abundance
that your family can have all they want,
md after planting, take good care OF the
same and YOU will lind the old farm has
AN abundance Of fruits in store for you
that you never dreamed OF.
HERBERT NJ TUCKER.
FRYEBuRG-lt Is surprising TO see
how little interest very many OF our
well-to-do farmers take in the matter OF
4 garden: aud yet many OF them DO
work enough 10 what they call garden
IN be worthy OF better results. Wher-
land Is as cheap and plenty as IL Is In
Milne. nearly all can Law out garden
plot that NAV be pleasure To handle in-
stssd OF seven by nine paich that must
be worked entirely BY hand. Ny garden
Is twelve rods square, With no shade,
nor stones above ground. no euriSh'
bushes nor any other kind Of bushes,
neither straw berry plants nor plants OF
.ny sort that cannot be removed In thr
fail, thus giving chance 10 pho" ana
pulv.rizs the ground both WAYS, which
i necessary in order to Keep it In good
sh.pe. have planted this same ground
for a long time, and think II grows Oct.
ter As the wears go ny. On heavy soil
cosrse ms nure is good 10 plow under, A.
il tends To tighten the soil. fio" 10