River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-07-31
Garden Sass"

preserve, northwest of the depot.
Here the company has nearly sc
acres into garden truck, and it is
looking fine. All the vegetation is
thrifty, is making a magnificent
growth and has the promise of ex-
ceptionally large results in the har-
vest. First, in point of the amount
of land in use, you will see 33 acres
of cabbages. The ground is level
and over all this whole expanse
there is not discovered a missing
hill, and no inequality in the growth
except what results from the time
of planting. SO rapidly have the
plants grown that one can see just
where the crew stopped in setting
the plants each night, and those set
the first day on the north side of the
field are trife in advance in growth
of those set the second day, and SO
all along to the last days planting,
the growth is perceptibly, but in a
very slight degree, smaller.
There are twelve acres of cucum-
bers. These are planted in rows
six feet apart in hills about three
feet apart and the plants thinned to
the number best adapted to secure
a stand that will produce the most
cucumbers. Cucumbers are not
planted until about the goth of
June. The object of planting late
is to avoid the ravages of the strip
ed bug that preys upon the vines.
The striped bug disappears about
the first of July. The vines are
making rapid growth and on some
the cucumbers are large enough for
marketing and are being picked and
sent north where they now bring a
| dollar a bushel. AS soon as the
price falls to any great extent the
cucumbers will be picked, for which
preparations have already been
made. A part of the room in the
hay barns has been arranged for
this use and city water put in for
the convenience of readily and rap
| idly handling the crop to make
pickles.
There are ten acres of Hubbard
squash, and although these were
planted late to escape the bugs, and
set in wide apart rows, they nearly
cover the ground.
Next in area of appropriation you
will see, and smell, onions, of which
there are nine acres. Of this pro-
duct there are several varieties.
There are two patches of the
southern white" These are plant
ed very thick in the hill, or rows
rather, for there is no break between
| them in the rows. In fact the
onions are so compact that a half
dozen or more will be crowding
each other out into the row for space
to grow. These are gathered when
small and sent to market. They
are now ready to harvest and are
being pulled and laid in windrows
so that the tops will die preparatory
| to being cut and the onions made
ready for shipment.
There are also four acres of car
rots that look we'll and promise
big yield; two acres of table beets
that are far advanced; one and
half acres, of parsnips; and quarter
of an acre of dill, substance that
is used 1.-THE picking of cucumbers.
The cultivation of these vege-
tables demands eternal vigilance
and the expenditure of a vast
amount of accumulated muscle.
The preparation of the ground for
the reception of the seed is an i'm
portant consideration and is the
first item in the process of raising
the crop. The seeds are delicate in
structure and require that the
ground shall be mellow to insure
satisfactory termination. The
ground should be level and smooth
to secure convenient cultivation,
and the proper time for the planting
of each variety must be taken adj
vantage of. The company has every
appliance and convenience in the
shape of machinery for use in the
preparation of the ground, the plant
ing, cultivation and harvesting.
The continued wet weather has
handicapped the manager, Mr.. Hut
chins, in his efforts to keep down the
weeds, but he has managed to keep
the desirable vegetation in advance
of the detrimental. At present
he has about thirty hands at work,
twenty of which are boys engaged
in pulling onions.
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