The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-05-02
WHERE HORTICULTURE
LEADS.
THE SUBURBAN TYPE OF FARMING

THE SUBURBAN TYPE OF FARMING.
The modern tendency toward subur-
ban living has in part, with the stimuli
tancousl y rapid growth of the cities,
had Il tendency to produce what may
be termed the suburban type of agri-
cnlture. This style of farming PIE
a,hts various characteristics of a mere
ly comparative nature, such as the
relatively smaller farm, higher cost. of
land, large investment of working cap
ital more intensive methods, larger
production and !lrger gross profits.
Sometimes the percentage of profit is
greater, and sometimes less, than in
the old fashioned la:aI farming.
This type of farming which goes on
under the smoke of factory chimneys,
may fairly be called 4 refined style of
agriculture. 1t has all those charac-
teristics which 60 with what is COM
monty called refinement of industry or
refinement Of society. TO be sure, one
has often to doubt whether "refned
society" is any better than rural soci-
ETY. and it may still be a question
whether the ''refned type of agricul-
ture' of the city suburbs is better or
more satisfying to the farmer than the
good old frontier struggle with the
wilderness. Nevertheless, in the sense
of being more highly specialized, of be-
ing more intimately in touch with
modern scientific discoveries, of being
more intensive in methods, the subur-
ban agriculture is more refined.
Now the point which brings all this
up here is that the modern suburban
agriculture, like every other case of
refined farming comes pretty near to be-
ing Horticulture and is the refinement.
Of agriculture ia more ways than some
people care to recognize.
Take the ncig ghborhood of Washing
Ton IS an example. In 1899, the value
OF agricultural products for the Dis
trict OF Columbia were as follows for
the items named: Milk, cream and
butter. SSG,096; cereals, $7,039; hor-
ticultural products, S639,39S. Dairy
ing. which, like horticulture, is 4 high
ly refined branch Of agriculture, is the
only rural idustry which has competed
with horticulture in the recent devel-
opment of the District of Columbia.
In the decade between 1890 and 1900,
the number of COWS kept in thi, terri
tory increased As per cent, and the
amount of milk scared increased s.
per cent. The fact that the milk pro-
duct increased nearly twice as rapidly
as the number Of COWS kept. speaks
again most emphallcally of the refine
ment of agricultural practice which has
been going on. Meanwhile the value
of market garden products increased
from 1889 to 1899 from $74,S90 to
$95 All, or Sis 095. depending on
whether potatoes and sweet potatoes
are counted in for 1899. At the
same time the total Of foMers and Or
plants grown in greenhouses
and Oh farms rose to S5l9.565 year,
or 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 10 draw from this. Most
farmers are anxious for Improvement
in agriculture. They sincerely want
to see farming improved in general,
and they are willing to see some i'm
provement on their own farms, provid-
ed it does not require too much trou-
ble, and providing it gives some prom
ise OF paying its way. With this feel
Ing at heart, they ought to give more
thought and room to horticulture.
There are hundreds of farmers who
will not bother with stra berry bed,
Or with plum trees, or even q row OF
currant bushes. They have more i'm
portant concerns. Their farming is
laid out on other lines. Yet in this re-
fusal they shut up th2ir souls against
Jhe greatest means of grove (appiying
a camp-meeting figure to an agricultu
raj topic) which there is open to them.
Always and every where, naturally and
horticulture means i'm
proved agriculture, and the man who
lesircs Improvement should take every
chance to avail him5.'.f Of the proper
means.
We have purposcIy left out OF ac-
count an incidental advantage to be
derived from strawberry beds and
plum trees, which has no relation 70
,he money yield. and which is never
.heless Of lhe highest Importance to
he farnlr an'! lis !amily-we mean
,Le supply Of the most healthful and
delicious Of Iuxuries for his own table. |
.Couhty GoHilemuR.
Brown (in the middle of a tall shoot
nI storYl-IIardiY had | taken aim |