The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1909-02-04
THE FARMERS
GARDEN PLOT
Probably Most Valuable Tract
on the Farm.
If MADE LONG AND NARROW
WORK IS LESSENED.
Correspondent In Farm Progress
Correspondent In Farm Progress
learned Of Its Great Worth Because
Of Whitening Drought.

| am sure that learned the proper
appreciation of a family garden from
my mother, who was widowed early In
life, and until her sons grew up had
to be executive of the family.
She always said that good garden
afforded half the means of the fam
lily living, and l now know that she
was right.
Ever since l was married l have
had good garden. Even when living
in city found that it paid to get the
use of vacant lot near by, fence it in
and raise garden vegetables. But this
year | have had the money value OF
the garden impressed on me as never
before.
We had six weeks drought here,
covering a part of June and July. 1t
was SO dry and hot and windy that 1t
literally burnt up my garden, and l
was forced to buy vegetables in the
Washington city market. The market
men had. of course, to buy their vege-
tables mainly from distance, and the
few market gardeners whose land
could be irrigated, got fabulous prices
for their stuff
Think Of farmer going fourteen
miles to buy his dinner vegetables
from city market, when he has a
garden Of two acres on 400-acre
farm. was obliged all the same to
get green stuff there or go without.
shall try to avoid any such experience
in future.
had to pay 80 cents dozen for
corn, 5 cents each for small summer
squash, 10 cents head for lettuce, 40
cents dozen for tomatoes, and other
things at relatively the same prices.
We have since had abundant rains, and
things are plentiful, but l learned a
lesson l shall not forget.
My garden is situated on land natur-
ally dry except one small corner. l
have not had any i'll effects from the
dryness of the location before, because
we have been having wet summers
here for five years.
| shall after this do one of two
| things: Either have a garden for a
| portion of our vegetables in place
less subject to drought, or run pipe
| from the water tank, so l can water
| the growing vegetables, when needed
The drought was so severe that Gu
cumber and squash vines actually died
and many other things came very near
| it.
find that a good garden is too i'm
pOrtant factor in preserving the
health of the family, and too great q
money saver, to be neglected. l know
| from observation that there are many
farmers who thing too little of the
value of garden to consider it worth
while to make one. l am sure no big
ger mistake could be made, no matter
from what point of view 1t is looked at
A man or woman who works and
children who are growing require SC
much food daily to maintain health and
comfort under the daily strain. This
food is largely of bread and meat, but
If one has good garden 1t may, with
little or no cost, consist mainly of veg
etables and fruits. The all bread and
meat diet is not SO wholesome as a
mixed diet, and it is more expensive /:
the free use Of vegetables saves more
money than any other personal habit.
1t Is, therefore, serious mistake
to neglect making garden, since from
1t there may be supplied the major
portion Of the family food for large
part OF tho year. was fully impress
ed with this when l was buying the
stuff we always raise.
Some farmers neglect the garden be-
cause they think cultivating 1t takes so
much time and labor 1t need not do
So If the garden is long and narrow,
so the rows can be long, one can cult
vate the whole of it by horse power,
and thus make the handwork very
light And the soil ought to be made
rich by heavy manuring.
The richer the soil, the less land it
is necessary to put in vegetables. If
you are not raising at least half your
living in the garden, don't neglect it
another year.