Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-04-08
Il "s' i Il j. i. j. !. !. !. !. !.
!" CLEMSON COLLEGE EXTEN- !.
!" SION WORK. ].
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Developing the Home Garden.
~ f. j. Crider, Associate Professor

| (By f. j. Crider, Associate Professor
OF Horticultural
| Ihe development of the home fruit
ana vegetable garden is one of the
most important problems in connec-
| ton with the upbuilding Of the hor-
| ucultural resources Of our State. The
home garden paves the way, as it
were, for the larger operations of
fruit and vegetable growing. 1t is
always the forerunner of commercial
| development. From it has evolved
all the great fruit and vegetable in
! terests Of the country. Small and
! unpretentiOus as it may appear, it
has been the trial ground and propa-
| eating field where the fitness Of num-
| erouS given sorts have been proven
and where almost all OF our varieties
of high quality and commercial merit
have been produced.
In view of the fact that fruits and
| fresh vegetables are appreciated by
all classes Of people, in the city, town
| and country, 1t is surprising how lit
| tie attention is given to the growing
OF them by those who have the pro-
per facilities and locations at their
| command. Both OF these healthful
products of the garden should have
a regular and permanent place on
| the family bill Of fare, but in many
| instances their culture has been neg
| lecteu to such an extent that they are
! considered almost 4 luxury. Instead
or seeing, as one travels throughout
! our State, orchards containing the
| best varieties OF practically all the
different kinds OF fruit maintained in
| 4 thrifty condition, what do we see?
! In the majority OF cases we see ONLY
few trees Of the commonest kinds
OF fruit occupying the waste corners
! about the home grounds or standing
! mere and there in the cotton and
! corn fields with every evidence of
neglect. Instead of seeing we'll kept
gardens, producing in abundance a
variety of fresh vegetables for the
! table every day in the year. what do
we see? All too often we see in the
spring only a few of the hardy vege-
tables such us cabbage. onions and
/ turnipS. In the midsummer a few
Of the frost tender sorts. as beans.
! tomatoes and sQuashes, and a little
! later in the season a bountiful crop
of weeds.
Most farmers and suburban dwell
ers make some effort to grow fruit
and vegetables for home use, but in
the majority of cases they do not
grow enough to supply their families.
and that which they do grow is often
inferior in quality. 1t is common
sight to observe people on their way
home from town stop at the corner
grocery for a choice head Of lettuce
or basket of strawberries. when on
ground a distance Of less than one
! hundred Yards from their kitchen
! they could have growing, fresh and
juicy, very much superior product.
! Not infreQuently there are those who
have every opportunity to grow and
preserve any amount of fruit and
I vegetables that purchase a constant
supply of canned goods of this ma
: ture. Think of it! In a land like
ours, where these things grow SO
easily and cheaply, people ordering
canned fruits and vegetables from
! the wholesale houses of our large
! cities, paying for the cans, the can
ming, the freight, and besides getting
! an inferior product.
The opinion has become all too
! prevalent among the people Of this
! State that our section is not one
where high class fruit and vegetables
can be grown. We eNclaim, when we
see the beautiful packages Of fine,
/ Well-Dlaced fruit and Vegetables
sent in" from other parts of the
! country, South Carolina cannot
| grow such producc!" The fault.
however, does not lie with our State.
! but with ourselves. We have all the
| natural requisites for the production
OF the very best fruit and vegetables.
| If we add to this a full share OF en-
ergy, coupled with better under
standing of the principles Of fruit and
! vegetable growing. the result would
| prove revelation. There would be
no more craving in the spring time
for plate Of luscious strawberries,
! no more lOngingS for Il YOSy-chcekcd
peach; no more unqucnched desires
! for "sOmethin" green" in winter. and
above all, there would he no more
orders for canned goods. Instead,
| there would be a happy. contentcd
household with table loaded with
| the choicest and most wholesome
| diet that our country affords
1t is true that NOT every fruit and
vegetable will reach perfection in
each individual locality, but practi-
cally every kind can be grown for
| home use, and the majority Of them,
if given the proper treatment, can be
made to attain high quality.
If one wishes to grow quality fruit
| and vegetables, one must give them
| quality care. Locate the fruit and
| vegetable. garden in a place all to
itself; plant desirable varieties in
| the proper way, so as to have con-
| tinuOus succession, and devote to
them the same care and attention
that is given the standard field crops,
and it will yield doubly proportion
ate income. No area on the farm is
worthy Of more careful study. The
value of a few acres wisely developed
as home garden can be made about
| ten times as great as the same area
| devoted 10 ordinary farm crnnS