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Farmers' Gardens

Farmers' Gardens image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
February
Year
1865
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A cíiri'l'ully ouluvatatf garden will yiehl a fmnily ín ro lussl hful luxuries ilüiii can be obtiitned iu any otfaer wav y llie s uno expense. The aspuragiis and piu plant ure ready for tho tabla altnout as soon at tbo frrwt a out of tho ground ; crisp k-ttuco íind radianes cine soon ufter; uroen peas, new potuioos, :ind the whole list of beets, oni ii8, cabbiigew, cauliflowers, baan, ujiiiisIrs, toinat-ocs-iiiid sweut corn low tu rich profusión. All these re roül dulicaoiegj und aoaily all are reüsheii by every púlate, yet how iiïany far:ner thorc are who aro never wull aiipplied with thtm! How often, even o midsumiDer, wheo the garden should ! be mo.t profuse in the luxuries it jieldf, do we see farmers' labk-s destitute of all vegetables except potatoee, and these perhaps those f the previouu year's growih ! Th'is oegleêt ot fannoi'b tf) uppiv thüiiiselves and f+nilies : with Jicalthy and dolici us lood. wlien it i ciiu bc so oi.fiilv [inicured, bas of'ten , [■ej'plexcd UB. W aiisw-t accou-nt for it, canuol excuse it, havtí no1 charity lor it. Look for a moment at what a farmei's gu-'leu ur-uully is. A yraall corner ia olu'gon somavvhere in the ueighborhood Of ttie hous, gi-nerally beuause it happotis to be inconvenicDtly sttuated for growing tield crops ; arounA the edge of this is set a row of Htraggling tttïÉferifty tU'-rant buslies; porhapa a few gooseberry bushus yield their smull mildewed fruit ; at some period late in the Spring a hu 11' huur is grudgir.gly given to plow 'ing this "garden patch" io a slovenly inannor, the farmer grumWing nieanwhile at being obliged to leave his oorn grouud to perform ach unimportant work ; thn task of putting in the seeds ior tho garden "sass" is left mostly to the woinen and younger boys; the women huve little spare time trom their mnny luboriooa housuhold duties, and tlie biiys luive little skill, so the ground íh iiot niade mollow, uor properly manurod, and tho seecU are pooily put ia; then comes on ni army oí weeds whioh ure hut feebly opposed ; from hiele if care in preparing soil, 'm plantiog and cuitivaüug tho crops, a rneagre supply oí poor vegetables is aü that rcaohes the fainüy tnble, A few messes of lettuee, radishes for tea a huif dozen times, two or three dirvï era of green peas, and nuvr potatoea Itte in the season are about all that such a garden yiekla. There is uo plentifiil supply of asparagus in early Spring, when such a vogetable is moet gruteful to the palate ; pie plant, there is none, or at best only a few half Htarved roots ; strawberries are unknown ; cauliilowers was never heard oí ; tbe Hubbard squaah has only been read of in the columns of an agriculturalpaper ; the improved varietios of sweet corn are myths. Thoso who take théir daily iure from such 11 table, know little of healthful luxuries. Well would it be for them il a large portion of their salt pork could be exehanged for fresh vegetables, and the indigestible pies bc ieplaced by strawberries, rappberries, aud other cultivated fruits. Many farmers will read this and say !t is quite hnpossible for them to have such a supply of vegetables and fruits aa wa indicate, because it would cost so much. Gost ! Certaioly it will cost soinething. We know of little that is worth having that does not cost. We admit that it costs something to grow good fruits and vegetables, but we are iully GOnvinced that it not cost so much as it does to do without tbem. .Where a table is plentifully supplied with the products of a garden, the breu4stufts and meats which constitute tbe great items of expense in most families, will be rnuch less largely drawn npon, and tho amount so saved will pay the expense of cultivating the gardeu. Those whose diet is made up largely of fresh vegetables and ripe fruits are generallv inore healtby thaiy those whö are deprived of thera, and here is a sa ving of time and doctor's bilis, vviiiüh il is not easy to ostimate. If any farmer will cultívate a good garden for one year, and keep u oèrreot debit and credit accuut with it, wo are fully conviuoed that at the end of the year the credita wil) far excoed the debit.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus