THE FARM AND GARDEN 



GARDENING IN FLORIDA (Co^tinuedJ. 



Bx) W. C. Steele, Jlai/port, Fla. 



I closed rather abruptly las^ month, and will 

 reopen the subject just where I left it, without 

 any further prelude. 



String beans are a very popular crop, as they 

 require much less manure and labor tlian most 

 crops, and mature in a sliorter time, often being 

 ready for picking in six weelvs from planting. 

 Bein"- easily grown, the profits are correspond- 

 ingly'small, averaging probably from $50 to $75 

 per acre. 



Upon moist soil or where there is any means.of 

 watering artificially, cucumbers are very pro- 

 ductiverthe returns sometimes running up into 

 the hundreds ot dollars per acre. But being 

 verv sensitive to trost and droutli, this crop is 

 not' so largely planted as some others. I have 

 heard of one man who has contrived a system of 

 irrigation by means of which he lias made ilie 

 cultivation of cucumbers a success. He has rows 

 of wooden troughs across his field five feet ajtart. 

 They are supported on posts, at about two or 

 three feet from the ground, and run a.s nearly 

 level as posiible. They all connect with a larger 

 trough running along the side of the patch, 

 ■which i^ filled as needed by pumping water from 

 a well, ''The cucumbers are planted under tlie 

 rows of troughs, where the leakage keeps the 

 soil alwavs moist. 



Irish potatoes generally do well if planted 

 earlv on suitable soil, and a good crop is very 



, " , „ . profitable, as the price is 



A Personal KcQUest. ^, i • u ij i i x i 



—That ev.rv rea.lur ol Ihis alwaVS high. But Uie tol- 



paper ^-M send us aclub of lowing aCCOUnt of a potato 

 Dew subscribers. We will o , . i x i 



thank vou for four and would Crop, as related tO 1116 l)y 



be glad to have more. ^\^^. grOWCr, shoWS the dis- 



couragements often met in tliis business here. 

 A piece of new land, just cleared, was planted 

 to Irish potatoes. The seed and fertilizers cost 

 •588. There was no rain from planting time 

 until tlie crop was ready to dig. When mar- 

 rketed tlie potatoes brought $18. Thus it is seen 

 that the " Golden Opportunities" do not always 

 yield a 70 A/c» harvest. 



Although sweet potatoes are one of the princi- 

 pal crops of Florida, yet they are not shipped to 

 Northern markets very much. Tliougli very 

 large and of e.^cellent quality, our sweet potatoes 

 do not sell readily at the North. The reason 

 probaljly is that there is a prejudice against any 

 but yellow sweet potatoes, while ours are white. 

 So far no yellow variety has been found tliat will 

 succeed as well in our soil and climate as tlie 

 white. As the white is fully equal to tlie yellow 

 in quality, and superior in size, it is only a ques- 

 tion of time wlien Florida sweet potatoes will be 

 as popular as Florida oranges. A neighbor sent 

 some to Boston last fall. The first lot couhl 

 hardly be sold at all, and many were actually 

 given away to get customers to test them. Hut 

 after that there was no difticulty in disposing 

 of all he had to send at good prices. 



In my account I have not tried to to cover up 

 the disadvantages, or make tilings appear bettei 

 than they really are. The future will very prob- 

 ably be "better than the past, as the last three 

 years have been unusually dry, while last winter 

 was the coldest for ten years. Florida is not an 

 earthly paradise, but it is a very pleasant place 

 to live. I have lived in, or traveled over, more 

 than a dozen States, extending from New Ham- 

 shire to Wyoming Teritory, and have seen no 

 place that suits me as well as this. The longer 

 people stay here, the better they like it; I mean 

 the majority, of course, there are exceittions ; 

 there are some who are never satisfied. Very few 

 who have lived here for several years would be 

 be willing to go North permanently on any terms. 



Some think that the summers must be terribly 

 hot, but I do not find it so, and I have heard 

 several peo]>le who have been here for years, say 

 that they like the summers better than the win- 

 ters. If a change of air seems necessary at any 

 time, on account of health, or for any other rea- 

 son, it is only a few miles to the sea-coast, where 

 fresh ocean breezes and surf-iiathing can be had, 

 equal to any at Long Branch, Brighton, or 

 Eockaway. 



I said in the beginning, that industry, patience, 

 perseverance, &c., &c., were necessary to success. 

 This is undoubtedly true, but at the same time it 

 is also just as true of any new country. 



As a rule, it requires plenty of money, or else 

 lots of hard work, tolfeucceed in Florida ; but no 

 more than is necessary in Kansas, Nebraska, or 

 Dakota. I feel sure that a given amount of labor 

 will produce greater results here than oti the 

 Western plains. The soil is not so fertile, but 

 you are not obliged to work hard six months to 

 get fuel and woolen clothing to keej) from freez- 

 ing the other six. You may be working in the 

 soil every day of the year, and have some crops 

 growing ull the time frotu January 1st to Decem- 

 ber 31st. 



After you have a place well established here, 

 you may pick fresh ripe fruit from your own trees 

 or vines every day in tile year. 



See the list, strawberries from January to June, 

 blackberries from April to June, figs in May, a 

 second crop in August, and sometimes a third 

 in October or November, peaches from May to 

 September, grapes from July to September, 

 guavas from July to November, Japan persim- 

 mons from October to January ; oranges, lemons, 

 and all the varieties of the citrus family from 

 September to May. And all these in a climate 

 where it seldom freezes at all, and where the 

 lowest degree of cold, in the most severe winter 

 for ten years, was twenty -si.x degrees above zero, 

 and that only lasted a very short time early in 

 the morning of two d s. 



Many who have ^ -v little strength at the 

 North, soon find tUi "" Ives able to do all the 

 work necessary to m. themselves a home in 

 tliis genial clime. But I might go on indefinately 

 when writing upon this suJ)ject, so I will close 

 with a word of advice to tliose contemplating a 

 change of location. Visit Florida before decid- 

 ing, find remember that you can do ;is well on 

 the east siile of the St. Johns river, within twenty 

 or thirty miles of Jacksonville, as you can by 

 going oiie hundred and fifty miles farther soutli. 



NO EXCELLENCE ■WITHODT LABOR. 



The Experiences of a Virginia Fanner. 



No. 3. 



It seems from the condition of this place this 

 system (or rather lack of any system) was suc- 

 cessively practiced by the various tenants who 

 have occupied it, and'from many mouths I learn 

 it is considered a "migiity poor farni." The 

 creek bottoms have been plowed for corn, as the 

 ridges indicate, and so left, which makes a rather 

 rough surface from wliich to cut the grass that 

 has taken possession of it, making a very rank 

 growth. Of course some weeds make up a [lortion 

 of the growth, but what will not make food for 

 the horse and cow will come in nicely for mulch- 

 ing and bedding, so it is all cut and saved. If one 

 does not " make hay while the sun shines" it 

 will not be made, or in other words, but once a 

 vear can we save the vegetable growths that 

 "make up our support through the year. 



Here in the South it is thought that to make 

 much hav is out of the question. As here on 

 this farni, there are many available acres on 

 others, that if properly put in condition, would 

 vield tons of the best of hay yearly, with no ex- 

 tra expense save to see that it is cleared of any- 

 thing tliat is left by the occasional overflow, 

 whicli onlv makes it each year richer. To jilow 

 such land "for any crop is surely not profitable. 

 Much of these lands can be mown a second time 

 anil very large and fine crops of hay secured, 

 which is far less expensive than a crojiof corn. 



We wantfertilizers for all our lands, and where 

 such a chance exists to secure hay at only the 

 expense of cutting, fed by the yearly overflow of 

 the streams, it should be made available at the 

 earliest possible time. Every rod of land where 

 grass will grow readily is of more value than 

 two rods of "land that is" cultivated. It certainly 

 will pay well to clear up all damp spots, if but a 

 few rods in a place, and devote them to grass. 

 Winter food for the stock will be realized with 

 comparatively little labor. 



After a two months' drouth the rain comes 

 gently but plentifully. Where the soil has been 

 kept "stirred and is in a loose condition, the rain 

 will all be absorbed as fast as it falls, but where 

 there has been little or no cultivation because it 

 was "so drv," much of the water will run otf 

 and not do "the plants the good it would if a 

 mellow soil was ready to receive it. Our neigh- 

 bor sto])ped working" his land because he was 

 afraid to disturb it while so dry. The crops 

 treated by each of ns now show the results of 

 the two methods. The neighbor called in just 

 after dinner and was surprised to see us all busy. 

 He had nothing he could do to profit he thouglit, 

 so the day was lost to work. We were mending 

 some tools, looking over onions, &c. He re- 

 marked that he had not thought of its raining 

 quite so soon, and by forgetting the need of a 

 little ditch bv some "turnips he had sown not 

 long before, hilt which had come up nicely, the 

 water had run across the small patch and did not 

 a little harm. 



*' Well," said I, " why /f;n,f(^( when it is so easjr 

 to keep a memorandum of everything to be done, 

 even if weeks in the future. When I see any- 

 thing that is to be done and I cannot do it at 

 once, I note it in ray book that I always carry 

 with me. If but a leaf of paper and pencil itt 

 one's pocket, there can be no excuse for forget- 

 ting necessary work." 



This is a rule every one should adopt if time, 

 labor, am) loss in values are desiret! to be saved. 

 When one lias the many items of work where 

 they can be read at a moment's wish, that wliich 

 is most needful can be selected, and no time lost 

 in thinking of what to do. Habit will soon 

 make this an easy duty, and by it so many little 

 unnamed items will be remembered in time, that 

 soon it will be seen that there is excellence in 

 all timely labor. 



Thud, "thud fell the strokes upon the well- 

 filled and easily-shelled heads of grain. The 

 noise could be "heard only a short distance, be- 

 cause the threshing was being done on the ground. 

 The grain had been drawn when but Jittst boundi 

 up, and not being over-ripe, did not shell out 

 much, and at once set up in small shocks where 

 it was to be threshed out. There was no Hoor, 

 foi' the barn was but a stable. A stack of hay- 

 was put in a long, square form near the graiit, 

 and one day one of the boys suggested in a 

 timely, yet unsuspecting way, that " by the side 

 of that stack was a gootl place to make a simxith 

 place to thresh it out." Dry dirt was being: 

 gathered tor the stable, so the top of the .soil — 

 say two inches deep — was taken ^ift' wj^th a long- 

 handled, square-edged, sliarji shovelifilcd for the 

 ))urpose). This was not far froiu/Jflrge oak trees,. 



Tlu; soil 

 uittiug oS 



wheu the 

 pelt out tne rye/ tUat we preferred 

 to thresh with the flail, .so the straw could be 

 saved, we spread down a square of common 

 muslin, sewed together in four strips, 24 x 12 feet. 

 .Ground the edge, on three sides, we laid bundles, 

 with the lieads just reaching to the edge of the 

 cloth, that all tlie grain that was scattered away- 

 would not fall on the ground, and besides muca 

 of these bundles would be well shelled out by 

 the walking over thenl, and occasionally iiound- 

 ing as we threshed. We hung out rope along the 

 side of the stack by pegs stuck in the hay, andi 

 on this, with clothes pins, fastened bags like at 

 curtain, that prevented the grain loilging in its. 

 sides, thus we saved much of the little harvest, 

 probably not a half-peck was wasted. The 

 grain was very dry, whenever we had seen any 

 inclination of" the shock leaning over, or a top 

 coming off, it was at once fixed, so no straw was 

 blackened by lying on the ground, nor showers 

 soaking uncovered grain. Even in our little 

 harvest excellence responded to labor. 



TOBACCO CDLTtJRE. 



£y Tlios. D. Baird, Qreenvilfe, Ky.. 



The first requirement for a successful crop of 

 tobacco is plenty of good plants, and to secure 

 these I select a rich, rather sandy loam in bottom 

 land ; at or near water courses, is best. Such la.ifl 

 is rich enough without manure to grow gooi» 

 plants. To manure the beds too much niake» 

 the plants tender, and less likely to live when 

 transplanted. If brush is handy I make a heap 

 and burn it at a blast, but if brush is not conve- 

 nient after raking off' the ground, green poles are 

 laid five or si.x feet across the bed, to serve as- 

 ventilators. Wood is piled on these across one 

 side of the bed, six or seven feet wide, of sufB- 

 cient quantity to burn, and then set fire. After 

 it has burned' the ground sufticiently it is moveA 

 on the poles another width, and more woodi 

 added, and so on, until the ground is burned' 

 over. I am careful not to burn the ground toO' 

 much. As soon as the ground is cool enough it 

 is dug up some three inches deep, and the soil 

 well pulverized, all roots are carefully raked oil'. 

 The bed is marked oft' so as to sow the seed more 

 regular. The seed is ]nit in about one quart of 

 cold, sifted ashes, before sowing, about one and 

 a half spoonfulls of seed to thirty feet square. 

 After the seed is sown if the soil is tramped with 

 tlie foot to firm the soil, the seed will germinate 

 better. The bed should be covered with brush 



100 



Scrnp Pictures, no 2 alike. *_5et Of 4 liiree Adv. 

 cards for 10c. C. C. DkPUT, Syracuse, N. Y. 



5CTS (l/iPRICE)2 ANTI-RATTLERS (MAIL) 

 WANT AGENTS H/I0!1EY8.C0. LAGRANGE ILL 



Saj^^^^lj a WLt^W nimslhnrnunhlylnnflhl 

 n\JW\. I nniVUbviiinil or perNonnlly. 

 itimtiiins procured for pupjl? "„hf:i competent, 

 end for Circular. W. G. CHAFFEE. Oawego.N. Y. 



PI-ORAI. WORLD, superb, illsfd.?! montlily free 

 • 1 year Now for ttiis ad. and Mc. Highland Park, 111. 



Cn GRAINS, Northern-srown. New Tpsted 



rU («bu. piM- A.l WhfUl. funs. Ciirii. Potatoes, 



etc. PiireS|.<"rts<'liPiip. Plains by lljciiisHiids. t'at- 



alogile free. J. F. SAL.ZER.Ln Crosse, \\ is. 



SE 



TITT? "m?QTan^ Olienpest PEACH TREE* 

 XflJ!i OXaOI. are grown bv lYIansfield Efck: 



Lebanon. N. J. I will senrt this fall, on reetipl or<(6, lOO irccs^ 

 ♦&0, 1000 trL-ea. 6 feel. No charge for boxes. Wriu; for rarletiea- 



