Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1903-01-20

Institute, Shenandoah Junction, jan
uary 18th, 1901
There is nothing on the farm that re-
turns more pleasure and profit for the
labor bestowed upon It, than the garden,
besides saving doctors bills by providing |
good wholesome diet throughout the year.
1t should be not less than one acre in
size. enclosed by good picket fence. to
keep out stock and fowls, especially chick
ems nothing so discourages the faithful
wife or daughter as to have the seed she
so carefully planted rooted or scratched
up. One active old hen can work more
destruction in garden in one hour, than
all the returns she can make of eggs or
chickens in year,
The garden should be large enough to
grow fruits, vegetables and melons. Wei
frequently see small gardens, with sew
eral other small plats or patches under
separate enclosures, for planting potatoes.
melons and sweet corn; but it is much |
easier and cheaper to manure, to plant, |
cultivate and harvest all of these in one
enclosure. It is better for the land to |
slope gently towards the South or East,
to be twice as long from the North to
the South as from East to West. It
should have no walks nor beds. trees nor
shrubbery that would interfere with its
cultivation. Small fruits and vegetables
should be planted in rows the whole
length OF the garden from North to South.
and wide enough apart to be cultivated
by horse and pillow. if desired and
narrower where you cultivate with a
garden pillow. 1t is best to do away with
the hoe entirely.
The land should be we'll MANFRED IN
the Fall, with rich. well-rotted barn-yard
manure, ten or fifteen tons to the acre
then plowed. In the Spring pillow again,
when ready to plant it. and by narrowing
and boarding you will have fine seed
bed. AS soon as TIE ground is dry
lenough to work, you may plant peas,
onions, lettuce. kale. spinach, radishes
and beets. Subsequent frosts and freezes
will not hurt them materially. When
the fruit trees begin to bloom, plant
potatoes, early corn, satisfy. and parsnips,
and set out cabbage plants. When the
oak leaves look like squirrel ears. plant
melons. eucumbers, tomato plants, and a
second crop of peas, radishes, beets, and
cabbage plants.
Do not let your land bake after the
seeds are planted. but stir it with weed
er after every rain and when possible,
use the weeder twice week on all the
land planted. until the crop is large
enough to pillow with hand pillow. Use
the weeder alternately with the hand
pillow until the crop is big enough to pillow
with horse, when it should be cultivated
in this way, thoroughly Careful watch
ing the conditlo of your soil and crops
and frequent cultiv alton before they ma
ture, will save much labor and material
ly increase the yield of your garden
One hour with the weeder will cultivate
the whole garden, and two or three hour.
with the hand or horse pillow will accom-
plish the same-without the aid of the
! hoe, in the hand of wife or daughters
. their task should be only to gather ant
prepare vegetables for the table.
As soon as crop ripens. gather it. re
pillow the land or prepare it with diss
harrow, and plant another crop-this i.
easier than to keep down the weeds tina
will grow where the last crop matured
and no weeds should be allowed to go t.
seed iu the garden.
would advise planting a row or two
of flowers for ornament. l always plan
row of sweet peas across my garden
, when plant my other peas. which By
their fragrance and rich variety of colo
add greatly to the pleasure derived by it
They can be gathered all the summer il
profusion. to adorn the house or to glad
den the eye of a less fortunate neighbor
Nothing will add more pleasure or refine
ment to the household, than abundanc,
J of beautiful flowers. none ever regre
,, the time spent in their cultivation
Some of my hard worked farmer friend
| may say that they could never spare tn,
: time for such large and varied garden
|, My own experience may encourage such
have garden of one acre. which l tr,
to cultivate as above, almost every foo
OF it raises two crops annually, and som,
OF 1t three. have large family, which
is materially increased by Summer visi
tors, yet this one acre of land furnishe
an abundance of the best vegetables
fruits and melons, not only for the Sum
mer, but for Winter use also, and in ad
ditlon to this home supply l sell enough
from it to pay for all my fertilizer, labol
and seed bestowed upon it. thus paving
me profit twice as great as any other
acre on my farm, l could not buy tn,
vegetables consumed by my family in an,
market in this county for less than $3.50. OF
sell from this one acre 500 90 worth q
its products. the seed and cultivation
cost $4,000, giving me an increase Of
5000. 90 over and above actual cost. Can
you say as much for wheat, corn. sheep,
cattle, cows, poultry or even fruit? Ny
| garden is always first of my jobs of work
would not hesitate to stop planting or
harvesting any other crop if my garden
needed working.
| Iee-Tackson birthday memorial ever