ANNUAL MEETING AT SAGINAW. 487 



upon amateur culture of vegetables. It is a mistake to place the money out- 

 come so promineutly in advance of the heart work of the occupation. I 

 don't know as more than a small minority of my students will be gardeners 

 and farmers, and as far as my teaching them matters of gardening is con- 

 cerned I don't care. But I do want them to absorb a love for garden opera- 

 tions, so that in whatever occupation or profession they may engage, they 

 will carry their love for the garden with them and will not be without the 

 comfort and satisfaction that can be secured in a home garden. 



Eobert Graham — I didn't like the garden as a lad, and got out of working 

 there as much as I possibly could ; and I believe this idea of putting a 

 boy in the garden because he isn't good for anything elsewhere on the farm, 

 although it may work wonders in individual cases, is a mistaken notion if 

 made a rule of action. The chances are, if a boy is placed in the garden 

 weeding onions alone during haying time, he will think it is "boy work" 

 and drudgery; he will hate it when he begins and there is little reason for 

 his changing his mind afterward unless a different plan is pursued. I belong 

 to a gardener's family and I like the garden, but I do think in the manage- 

 ment of the boys, the thing must be managed pretty deftly to prevent them 

 from hating the garden on the farm. I wish to say a word about quality in 

 vegetables. You can not get it in a muck bed. You may grow large and 

 beautiful samples on well tilled muck, but the highest quality and the best 

 keepers are secured on upland. Of course it is more expensive growing 

 them on high land and some seasons, like the past one, failure ensues when 

 the best conditions are not to be had, but the best vegetables are grown there. 



Mr. Tracy — There will be a growing demand for vegetables of good quality 

 and good prices will be secured for good articles ; but the gardener must not 

 only specialize on the quality but must grow a wide range of vegetables so as 

 iio be able to supply families with all the varieties they desire. 



Mr. Root — The problem I have been solving is how to get the most on a 

 small area. My land is worth $1,000 per acre and I must crop two, three, 

 and even four times in a season to get a fair interest on the land. Mr. Root 

 here explained his system of growing early plants under glass and trans- 

 planting them with a cylinder of tin, thus reducing the shock of removal to 

 a minimum. 



Prof. Bailey — One of the surest and most profitable crops I have, is grown 

 in spent hot beds. I have made the sash quickly pay for themselves in this 

 catch crop. 



Prof. Satterlee — I get a good deal of satisfaction from a small area devoted 

 to a garden or a city lot, but to reap the highest enjoyment in this way a 

 man must own the land he works. As a supplement to close office work 

 there is nothing better than care of a garden. 



Mr. Garfield — The people over in Grand Rapids don't want Mr. Root to 

 educate the Ohio mind too rapidly in the home production of vegetables, for 

 we now ship lettuce in late winter and spring by the ton to be distributed to 

 consumers in Ohio; and as Ohioans are good pay we want to hold the trade. 



Robt. Graham — There is everything in the proper selection of site and soil 

 for a garden ; and then in a dry season it is important that vegetables have 

 room to grow. Over size in vegetables is to be deprecated. 



Mr. Garfield — And yet it is the big vegetables that take the money at the 

 fairs. Our judges can't be ''up" on this matter. 



Mr. Root — I grow some early potatoes and start them in the greenhouse. 



