The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-30
GARDENING IN
NORTH DAKOTA
ALTHOUGH MANY STATES CAN
GROW VEGETABLES, NOWHERE
is SUCH DELICIOUS FLAVOR
AND cRIsPNEss FOUND AS IN
NORTH DAKOTA VEGETABLES.

Grand Forks Herald: There is no
! more enthusiastic or better posted
North Dakotan on the subject of veg
etable raising in North Dakota than
>. II. Mercer, of Larimore. and even
though the winter season is here Mr.,
Mercer sees the spring ahead and sub
lnlts the following interesting paper
on Gardening in North Dakota to the
attention of the Herald readers.
The vegetarian is at home when he
reaches North Dakota. Florida NAV
boast of her fruit orchards, Oregon If
her apples and grapes and California.
or her oranges, grapes and apricots,
out North Dakota can discount the
whole OF them on vegetables. They
can grow vegetables in any of the
states mentioned, but they lack the
flavor and crispness of our vegetables
In no part of theh known world can
they raise such potatoes as can be
raised here. AT the mid-winter fair
recently held in Larirnore. visitors
from a distance were much surprised
at some of the samples of potatoes
raised on dry year. Not only were
many of the samples large, but the
flavor and quality of the very best
Quite a percentage of people do not
seem to know that different soils pro-
duce different favored potatoes. THE
dlHerence between a "wet" and a "drv'
potato Is pretty well established. but
the Well posted epicurean knows that
there is great difference in the flavor
or potatoes grown in different locali-
ties. Little attention has been paid to
improving the quality of the potato,
but great interest has been taken i'm
raising the biggest potatoes Won
ever saw. No planter should boast
of raising big potatoes. No competent
Judge will award premium on a big
potato. 1t is an indication of poor quail
ity. What is pleasing to the eve is
not always received kindly by the
stomach.
Many of our eastern friends don't
believe We can raise ripe tomatoes.
The writer has raised them 25 years
in succession, right here in Grand
Forks county. Most all the gardens
around Larimore have raised ripe to-
matoes for years. The greatest draw
back is that great many don't know
how to raise them. They grow vines
in abundance but not fruit Nature
has so constructed a tomato that the
gardner can take his choice Of either
haising a tomato or a vine.
Up to the present time celery has
not been grown on a large scale for
export, but the time will come when
North Dakota will surprise the world
on the quality and flavor of it's celery.
Very few seem to realize what a
CHEAT and profitable Industry could be
made out of growing celery. A celery
farm could be made most profitable
investment. Our celery can double
discount celery grown in California
so far as quality is concerned. North
Dakota gardeners ought to ship few
small boxes Of our radishes to some OF
the epicureans in New York and Bos-
ton just to show them that they never
tasted good radishes.
1t will be admitted that an "onion is
an onion" but this trueism Is out of
joint with the science Of growlngl
onions. The scientific growing OF
onions can, by knowledge of the
preparation Of soils, impart desir- |
able or undesirable flavor to his onion
crop, just the same as the poultry man
can impart flavor to his hens eggs.
A poultry man can give his custo- |
mers wintergreen or peppermint eggs
II they want them. Just as soon as |
the gardeners come to the state who
know how to prepare the soil for the
growing of onions, we will be exporters
in place of importers. The opportun- |
ity for growing large crops of onions |
In North Dakota could not be better. I
But what is the use Of going down the |
line any further? 1t is enough to say |
that even our near neighbor Mime |
sofa, is trailing along behind when |
It comes to quality of vegetables.
In departing from the subject Of /
raising vegetables in North Dakota. I |
wish to say a few words about the i'm
portance of experimental grounds for
the trying out of shrubs and hardy
perennials for this climate. Grand /
Forks county ought to reach out for
this enterprise. What a splendid adj |
Vertisement could be made for our
state by displaying an acre or two Of
peonies in full bloom. The object of
the enterprise would be to find out
The yarities best adapted to the state
The exterior characterization OF the +
home is one of the good things that il
coming to our country In the near FIJI.
.llre. The carpet on the lawn viii he
admired as much as the carpet i'm the +
parlor.
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