1 88 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



giis, strawberries, lettuce, radish, celery, and other moisture-loving plants. 

 One reason why a garden should be heavily manured and have plenty of 

 water is, that the excellence of most vegetables consists in their succulence, 

 and this can only be produced by forcing their growth. This, plenty of 

 food, water, and good care (cultivation) will always accomplish. 



No idle spots must be allowed in the garden. They will become 

 harbors for weeds. No useless fallows — the spaces between the rows are 

 the fallows — no yearly rotation. The land must labor with a rotation 

 each year — thus, early radish, lettuce, turnips, beets, top-onions, carrots, 

 spinach, and other quick-growing vegetables may be succeeded by sorts 

 transplanted from the hot-bed, and also by the late corn, beans, and. 

 melons. The only rotation being to succeed fibrous rooted plants, when 

 practicable, with top-rooted ones; and plants maturing their fruit above 

 ground, with those bearing their fruit below; and plants loving a partial 

 shade should be planted in s.ch portions of the garden as will most 

 easily ensure this. Pains should be taken also, to plant the taller growing 

 vegetables so as to obstruct the view from the walks as little as possible, 

 which may be accomplished, measurably at least, by the exercise of a 

 little skill and forethought. 



Many veiy practical amateur gardeners object to the use of the 

 plow in the garden at all, and with very good reasons, especially in a 

 small place, but in the plan here described, the use of the plow in pre- 

 paring the land need not be dispensed with, since the cross-roadways need 

 only be temporary paths, which may be made yearly, while the central 

 portion of the garden is entirely filled up with perennial plants. The 

 principal objection to plowing, heretofore, has been that the spade would 

 more thoroughly pulverize the soil than the plow. But with our present 

 improved forms of plows, the pulverization is fully as complete as the 

 ordinary spadesman will effect, and much better than an unpracticed one 

 would accomplish. Within all the angular and circular surfaces, how- 

 ever, and wherever perennials are planted, nothing but the spade and 

 other hand-implements may be allowed. 



Where scenery is an object, but little care need be required with the 

 roadways, except the wagon way. This ought, if possible, to present a 

 hard surface; but if this is not practicable, the surface should be kept 

 rounded, smooth and clean, as should indeed all the paths. This may be 

 accomplished, principally with a good rake, by raking to the middle of 

 the road-way from both sides. The great objection among formers, to 

 the kitchen garden is the cost. They dislike to spend fifty to one hundred 

 dollars a year upon an acre of land. But if they would reflect for a 

 moment that this outlay will produce from two to five hundred dollars in 

 produce, the surplus of which, or that not needed for consumption in their 

 own families may be easily sold at good prices in the nearest village or 

 city, if not indeed, to their inore negligent neighbors, the objection must 

 cease; for there is no doubt that the produce of an acre of garden, well 

 attended, will supply all the vegetables a large family will need, besides 

 selling enough therefrom to defray all the expenses of its cultivation. 



