REPORTS OF LOCAL SOCIETIES. 345 



iias not seen it worked into ;ui architectural design, liow l>eautiful a string of 

 onions can be, how gorgeous a row of vegetable marrows, liow delicate a 

 ■cluster of turnips," 



This art of gardening, which is but tlie common name for liorticulturc, has 

 been defined to be the most perfect method of tilling tlie earth so as to pro- 

 ■duce the best results in the form of fruits, food, and objects of beauty from 

 the vegetable kingdom, and is Init another term for im[)rovcd methods of farm- 

 ing. It is usually divided into llower, fruit or vcgctaljlc gardening, wliile these 

 again are spoken of as amateur, or for profit. 



In gardening for profit cither in dolhirs and cents, or the benefit of tlie fam- 

 ilv, a combination of the three kinds is advisable, Avhile the size of the garden 

 should de^iend upon the wants of tlie family, and amount of experience one 

 possesses. 



Be sure and not undertake too much, — a little land well tilled is far better 

 than a great space but imperfectly cultivated, and if a beginner commences on 

 too large a scale disappointment will be his reward. 



Provide yourself with the proper tools. A plentiful supply of the most 

 improved kinds will insure you greater success with much less outlay of labor as 

 well as in farming. If you can have your choice of soils, take the sandy loam 

 with a gravelly subsoil, either level or slightly sloping to the south or east. The 

 ground should be well and deeply worked. The plow and harrow are most 

 elficacious where there is sutHcient space for their use, otherwise the work must 

 be done with spade and fork. It is well to work the ground in the fall, leaving 

 it rough, thus allowing the frost to act upon it, making it ready for use earlier 

 in the spring; but Henderson says, "by no means plow, dig, harrow, rake, 

 hoe, or in any way stir the soil when wet enough to clog," that " the crop is not 

 ■only injured for the season," but that "in some soils the bad effects show for 

 years." Manure should be used freely. Well rotted stable manure is consid- 

 ered best, and for vegetables the whole surface should be covered at least three 

 inches deep, and this should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. Wood ashes 

 are also much esteemed, while nothing that will enrich the soil or promote the 

 growth of plants should be wasted, — refuse of all kinds should find its way to 

 the compost heap. Decide next what you Avill plant, and "don't plant too 

 much at first, but what you do plant, make it count." 



Every family should have good variety of small fruits — strawberries, rasp- 

 berries, black and red, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, and don't forget 

 the grapes. They will grow almost anywhere. It seems as if a good supply of 

 fruit would brmg health and happiness to every family, saving many grocer's, 

 butchers and doctors bills. After determining what proportion of fruits and 

 vegetables you will raise, lay out your garden accordingly, assigning a certain 

 portion to each, while the fiowers can be used for bordering these plats. 



Plant everything in rows. This makes cultivation easier, and really adds to 

 the beauty of the garden. 



The distance between the rows depends upon the plant, and the kind of 

 culture to be used. Where land is plenty, cultivate with a horse by all means, 

 — Root says, "one horse, with a cultivator, is worth ten men with hoes, — then 

 your rows will need to be farther ai)art than in hand cultivation. 



There should be a rotation of garden crops, as well as field. Root crops 

 .should alternate with those cultivated for their leaves. 



If economy of space is necessarv, you can, by a little care in the planting of 

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