Page 22 



BETTER FRUIT 



February 



The Satisfactory Vegetable Garden on the Fruit Farm 



By A. G. B. Bouquet, Division of Horticulture, Section of Vegetable Gardening, Oregon Agricultural College 



WITH the hurry and scurry of 

 every-day activities on the fruit 

 farm, the vegetable garden, as 

 a legitimate part of the farm, very often 

 suffers from lack of attention, or in 

 many cases it is entirely an unknown 

 (|uantity. In still other cases it has 

 fallen to the lot of the housewife to 

 also do a large part of the vegetable 

 gardening, in her attempt to produce 

 some fresh produce that she can pre- 

 pare for the table for the hard-working 

 fruitgrower. It seems almost unneces- 

 sary to emphasize that this is somewhat 

 of an unreasonable proposition in view 

 of the amount of work that the average 

 housewife on the farm must necessarily 

 do from day to day. 



It has always been my impression, 

 gained by observation and experience, 

 that the average farmer realizes to a 

 small degree the producing power and 

 money value of a small area of land 

 cultivated to vegetables. Indeed, on a 

 great many farms it is the last part of 

 the farm that receives attention, the 

 farmer laboring under the idea, pre- 

 sumably, that either the vegetables will 

 grow anyway without very much care 

 or that there was not enough return 

 made in the time invested in the care 

 of the same. 



I well remember a few years ago my 

 first attempt to interest and influence 



For 25c 



GOOD SEEDS 



Ten of the Finest Vegetables 



We will mall one laxge 

 packet each, of the follow- 

 ing Vegetables in a coupon 

 envelope. This coupon will be good for 

 25c worth of seeds selected from our 

 Catalogue on any other order for 75c 

 worth of seeds. 



Bradley's Earliest Radish: crisp and brittle. 

 Bradley's Early Egyptian Turnip Beet; blood red. 

 Bradley's Earliest of All Lettuce: very crisp. 

 Bradley's Imp. Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage. 

 Bradley's Earliest or All Blood Red Tomato. 

 Bradley's Best Extra Early Sweet Corn; delicious. 

 Bradley's Perfection Long White Spine Cucumber. 

 Bradley's Mammoth Yellow Prlzetaker Onion. 

 N. Y. Improved Splnelees Egg Plant. 

 Improved Mammoth Ruby King Sweet Pepper. 



25c buys all the above and In addition 

 we will send one large packet "SPEN- 

 CER SWEET PEAS," a mixture of 10 

 varieties; regular price 16c. 



Big Illustrated Catalogue FREE. 



ILLINOIS SEED AND NURSERY CO. 



104 Main St., Makanda, Illinois 



^ requires no bookkeep- 



J tr ing knowledge, sim 

 ^^^*l/»^C*^ P^^ ^""^ comprehen 

 B1ITC^''C' j sive. Endorsed by 

 1 1|/ oljSiem bankers, colleges and 



^ ^ lann Accounting practical farmers. 

 t'oniiilete .set locse- 

 ■ leaf business forms for all types of farm- 

 ing, including dairy, breeding, spraying, 

 pedigrt-e. poultry, etc.. records. .State kind 

 of farm or orchard. .Ask fnr particulars 

 TWEEDS SYSTEM CO.. Pacific Block. Seattle. Wash. 



Walnut Growers, Attention! 



A fine stock of Franquettes (Vrooman Strain) 

 and also Mayettes (Latest Improved) grafted 

 on California Black Walnut. 



Prices on application. 



TABLE GROVE NURSERIES, Healdsburg,Cal. 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FKUIT 



the average Hood River Valley farmer 

 and fruitgrower in the value of the 

 garden area. The.se attempts .seemed to 

 be crude and rather wasted on the 

 desert air, but succeeding years have 

 .shown, I believe, that at least some of 

 the seed may have taken root and while 

 not producing a hundredfold, have pro- 

 vided some examples which were later 

 to influence others. It is not so very 

 long ago since the situation was when 

 many of these fruitgrowers in this sec- 

 tion as well as in others were purchas- 

 ing in liberal quantities their every- 

 day necessities, among them many 

 vegetables. Not a few crates of the 

 most common kind of vegetable prod- 

 uce found their way down this valley 

 and other valleys to be finally disposed 

 of to some farmer. 



My impression is that this condition 

 has somewhat changed at the present 

 time, and I am led to believe so partly 

 by the increased interest taken in some 

 of the meetings at which I have spoken, 

 and the statements made to me by a 

 goodly number of folk who have re- 

 lated to me their successful experi- 

 ences, as well as their ditTiculties in the 

 farming of their vegetable lands. 

 Others, possibly, have made feeble 

 efforts and have had very little suc- 

 cess. These are often ready to con- 

 demn the feasibility and value of the 

 garden area, offering as an excuse that 

 it does not pay to cultivate the land to 

 these kind of crops. It should not, 

 however, take very many years to con- 

 vert these people to the true light of 

 conditions. 



I believe that no farmer can afford to 

 so specialize or be so wrapped up in 

 one crop or another that he neglects to 

 produce some of the daily necessities 

 of life. For economy and health he 

 should have a ve.getable garden, and a 

 satisfactory one, which returns to him 

 a profitable interest on his time, labor, 

 and money invested. That is the prob- 

 lem, and the basis of my discussion. 



Many vegetable garden areas on the 

 farm are too large. They cover too 

 much ground, and one has to cultivate 

 and attend to an undue amount of soil. 

 I would suggest no larger an area, out- 

 side of the potato acreage, than a plot 

 one hundred by one hundred and fifty, 

 or even fifty by one hundred and fifty, 

 laid out for horse cultivation, so that 

 there is the greatest economy in the 

 working of the land. 



Many gardens begin to be failures 

 almost before they are started, because 

 they are attacked suddenly, on the spur 

 of the moment, without any plan, or 

 much forethought. A farmer should 

 have a plan of work and then work his 

 plan. It doesn't have to be elaborate 

 or intricate, but it is a guide to opera- 

 tions, and I assure you it is as good 

 and as valuable as an architect's plan 

 in building a house. The Oregon Agri- 

 cultural College would be glad to sub- 

 mit to farmers suggestive plans for 

 their homo vegetable garden. By writ- 

 ing to the Department of Vegelable 



Gardening these may be obtained. 1 

 have seen hundreds of home gardens 

 with allogether too much of one vari- 

 ety planted, and not enough of another. 

 Similarly, there are many gardens 

 where this or that vegetable runs out, 

 and there is a situation of too much at 

 one time and nothing at another time. 

 This can be very largely avoided by 

 planning the plantings and making 

 them timely and opportune. 



1 recommend a wider variety of crops 

 to be grown in the farm garden, with- 

 out necessarily entailing much added 

 labor or expense. By this I wish to 

 encourage a larger variety and a more 

 satisfactory variety of vegetables pro- 

 duced and eaten. Variety is the spice 

 of life, and no farmer should be with- 

 out some of the more delicious vege- 

 tables that the city folks have that can 

 be produced at least on the average 

 farm. In this connection we would do 

 well to pay more attention to vege- 

 tables and their adaptability to seasons 

 of the year. By this I mean that it is 

 entirely possible to lengthen the pro- 

 duction and the value of the garden by 

 planting crops for the fall season, the 

 winter season, and for early spring. 

 Such vegetables as Swiss chard, Scotch 

 kale, brussels sprouts, spinach, broc- 

 coli, Danish cabbage, and head lettuce, 

 ought to be grown more, for these are 



SUPERINTENDENT 



Experienced in developing and handling 

 large tracts of fruit, agriculture, stock, 

 desires location — salary or percentage. 

 W. R., care "Better Fruit." 



A Middle Western Agricultural College 



desires to secure the services of a working foreman 

 to take charge of its nurseries and orchards beginning 

 March 1st. 1917. APPLICANTS MUST BE EXPER- 

 IENCED IN ALL LINES OF NURSERY PROPA- 

 GATING AND FIELD WORK. A good opportunity 

 for the right man. A new modem cottage ready for 

 the successful applicant. Apply at once. 



''Horticulture," care ''Better Fruit." 



Wanted 



Position as Orchard Super- 

 intendent. Scientific knowl- 

 edge of the fruit industry. 

 Practical experience in the best fruit district in 

 all phases of fruit growing, pruning large or- 

 chards and packing experience, superintending 

 the packing of 20.000 boxes. Complete particu- 

 lars and testimonials furnished. 



E. B. D., care "Better Fruit." 



RED INK NOT NEEDED 



A married man, now with Washington State Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, a thoroughly practical orchard 

 man, who can put the balance on the credit side of 

 the ledger, wants to take charge of an orchard. Will 

 consider part salary and part percentage of net re- 

 ceipts. I offer the best and expect the same. 



Address L. A., care of Better Fruit. 



Wanted, Foreman 



for several hundred jicres bearing orchard, who 

 understands irrigating, growing, harvesting and 

 packing. Must be intelligent and able to get 

 efficient service from orchard crew. Good job 

 and splendid future for right man. Address 

 P. O. Box No. 238. North Yakima. Washington. 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



