The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1900-07-20
ARP AND HIS BEANS.
Says a Garden Is a Small Expert
mental Farm.
How the Bean Vines Climb-StOry of
Jack the Giant Killer
What Industry
VIII Do.

his is uHe HTSt OIlSAt B SAA"A oN-J
morning that we have had in three
weeks-for 81 days it has rained every
day save one. The crops are in bad
fix; the corn and cotton are hidden
by grass and weeds, and labor is
scarce, for the negroes are wanted IN
the mines. Most of the wheat has
been cut, but how much of it will be
saved cannot yet be told Within my
recollection of so years | do not recall
so much rain in harvest time. Ac-
cording to Scripture, it seems to be
the same old story, for Solomon says:
"As rain in harvest so is honor un-
seemly in fool" They had too much
rain and too many fools then, just as
we do now.
Maybe Providence sends the rain to
try the farmers-to make them dill
gent and shifty. l Travelled on the
East g. West railroad last week for
60 miles and | noted some farms that
were clean and nice-the corn and
cotton chopped out and the wheat
shocked in the field; one of these be-
longed to a widow, and she and her
three girls and one boy were just nm
ishing the cotton. Markham didn't
write anything about the woman
with the hoe, nor the girls, but one OF
these girls was merry enough to
wave her bonnet at somebody on the
train besides me.
Some farmers sit down and wait for
to-morrow's sun to dry off the ground;
but to-morrow's sun didn't shine, and
SO they wait till next day. Others
slap in every chance and do some
thing; | know one who began to cut
his wheat Monday morning just as
soon as Sunday was gone-tor sun
day was the day it did not rain. He
cut half that night and all day Mon
day and got through with his 30 acres,
and he says he will make 700 bushels
Another diligent farmer made 400
bushels last year on 20 acres, and
sowed it right away to cowpeas and
sold his peavine hay for more per
acre than he got for his wheat. That
is business-and Solomon says: "Seest
thou man diligent in his business;
he shall stand before kings" ! am
no braggart, but let me say that If
had waited for the rain to quit l
would be singing that old song, "a
man of words but not of deeds is like
a garden full of weeds" l worked
between showers, and sometimes
when Mrs. Arp called and called me
to come in out of the rain | pretend
ed | didn't hear her and struck few
more ticks for Mr.. Markham.
1 | wish you could see my bean arbor
mot butter beans, but the best and
most prolific beans l have ever plant
ed; had them last year on my corn
match. but they do better on poles
or over cane arbor. Plant two rows
of beans five feet apart, and when
they are well up stick them with
canes. Lap the small ends OF the
canes together on the ground and get
your wife or daughters to tie them
in three or four places-all of uniform
length-then arch them over the
beans, and nature will do the rest
I never saw half as many beans as
rains have stimulated the growth Of
everything, and it's lucky that vege'
tables grow upward instead of out
ward. I planted my potatoes in
trench that was shoveled out anc
MANFRED with ashes-wood and Goa
mixed-then covered with pine straw
and some earth on that. They are
the finest | ever grew, and come out
of the straw almost clean enough tt
cook without washing. Pine straw ii
very valuable in a garden and y
cheap, costing only 80 cents for gooC
load. 1t is good mulch for straw
berries, and | am experimenting will
ii under a few tomato plants; mos
of them have trained up to stakes
but saw a market garden near Mem
phis and all the tomato vines hal
tumbled over on wheat straw. ant
made more fruit. though not so larg
and fine as when staked
A garden is a small experiments
farm, and is of as much consequence
and more pleasure, especially if yo
mix flowers with it. Don't throw
away your coal ashes, they are fin
fertilizer. Mr.. Berckmans says tina
ashes produce fruit, while stabl
manure produces vine and foliage
Ashes will double the quantity G
strawberries. Beets generally com
up too thrck. Thin them out an
transplant; cut off part of the TOP
and the transplants will make tn
best beets. just so with celery.
But 1 don't propose to teach oil
gardeners. for some of them can teac
me-my neighbor, Mrs. Fields. is th
best gardener ! know of, and j al
satisfied if | can keep up with he