Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-11-21
SUBURBAN NOTES.

" nat may De LCFHeu a ESlISus III
tensive form of agriculture has grown
ap in recent years in the vicinity Of all
the larger cities, as q result Of the
modern tendency toward suburban
living and the almost phenomenal
growth OF cities. 1t is noticeable
about Springfield and Worcester and
all the cities OF New England, and IS
hardly less the case in other sections
Of the country. The Country Gentle
man calls it the suburban type of
agriculture, and goes on to say: This
style Of farming presents various
characteristics of a merely compare
tive nature, such as the relatively
smaller farm, higher cost OF land,
large investment of working capital,
more intensive methods, large produc-
ton and larger gross profits. Some
times the percentage Of pT0ht Is
greater. and sometimes less, than IN
the oId-fasnioned rural farming. This
type of farming, which goes on under
the smoke Of factory chimneys, may
fairly be called a refined style Of
agriculture. It has all those char
acteristics which go with what Is
commonly called refinement Of in
dus,ry. or refinement of society. TO
be sure, one has often TO DOUBT
whether refined society is any better
than rural society; and it may stlll De
q question whether the refined type
Of agriculture" Of the city suburbs Is
better Or more satisfying to the
farmer than the good old frontier
struggle with the wilderness. Never
theless, in the sense of being more
highly specialized, of being more init
mately In touch with modern scientific
discoveries. of being more intensive III
methods, the suburban agriculture IS
more refined.
Now the point which brings all this
up here is shat the modern suburban
agriculture, like every other case OF
refined farming, comes pretty near 10
being horticulture. Horticulture Is
the refinement of agriculture IN more
ways than some people care TO
recognize. Take the neighborhoGd or
Washington IS an example. In 1899,
the value Of agriculture products for
the District of Columbia was as fol-
lows for the items named: Milk, cream
and butter, $186,096; cereals, $7,039;
horticultural products, S639,398.
Dairying, which, like horticulture, Is
a highly refined branch Of agriculture,
is the only rural industry which has
competed with horticulture In the re-
cent DEVELOPMENT Of the District Of
Columbia. In the decade between
1890 and 1900, the number OF cows
kept in this territory increased As pc"
cent. and the amount OF milk secured
increased s. per cent. The fact that
the milk product increased nearly
twice as rapidly as the number OF
cows kept speaks again most en-
DhaticaIIy of the refinement OF agri-
cultural practice which has been
going on. Meanwhile the value Of
market garden products increased
from 1889 to 1899 from $74,890 to $95,
All, of $118;O95, depending on
whether potatoes and sweet potatoes
are counted out or in for 1899 At the
same time the total of flowers and
ornamental plants grown in green
houses and on farms rose to $519,565
year, .,r nearly 60 per cent. Of the
total Of all agricultural products for
the entire District of Columbia.
Now there Is just one moral that we
should like to draw from this. Most
farmers are anxious for improvement
in agriculture The sincerely want to
see farming improved in general, and
they are willing to see some improve
metn on their OWL farms, provided 1t
does not require too much trouble, and
providing it gives some promise Of
paying its way. With this feeling at
heart, they ought 10 give more
thought and room to horticulture.
There are hundreds Of farmers who
will not bother with a strawberry bed,
| or with plum trees. Or even row Of
currant bushes. They have more i'm
portant concerns. Their farming is
laid out on other lines. Yet in this
refusal they shut up their souls
against the greatest means of grace
| (applying a camp-meeting figure to an
agricultural topic which there is open
| to them. Always and everywhere,
naturally and necessarily, horticulture
means improved agriculture, and the
man who desires improvement should
| take every chance to avail himself Of
| the proper means. We have pur-
posely left out of account an inciden'
| tai advantage to be derived from
strawberry beds and plum trees, which
! has no relation to the money yield
| and which is nevertheless of the
highest Importance to the farmer and
his family-we mean the supply Of
the most healthful and delicious OF
luxuries Cor his own table.
! Examine Your Bush Fruit Plants.
The condition of bush fruit plants al
the close OF the growing season is 4
certain indication of the product the
following year, says an exchange. II
the foliage is free from rust and
| blight, the cane mature and well
ripened, stocky and well supplied witt
| strong, vigorous buds and free from
| spot or blemish, the roots light
fbrous and strong, and the pith, the
vital part of the plant, bright, frest
and firm, these conditions give as
surance that with fair season and
| proper winter protection a full crop
may be expected 1t is important tt
save all good canes by thorough
winter protection. This is best done
by bending bushes to the ground and