THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



far in advance of us in this respect; there every workingman, who has the 

 least ambition, rents a piece of ground if he has none attached to his home, 

 and grows a fine variety of vegetables. In Great Britain large numbers 

 of workmen even have small greenhouses in their gardens, in which to 

 grow a few flowers and early vegetables, and to start their seedlings. It 

 should be possible for many to have modest greenhouses here ; they need 

 not necessarily be heated through the winter, but utilized for starting 

 early plants for the home garden, both flowers and vegetables. Where a 

 greenhouse is not possible, it does not cost much to have a cold frame 

 with two or more sashes, which can be used as hot-beds for starting 

 tomatoes, celery, lettuce, egg plants, cabbages, and other plants. It is 

 simply astounding that so many residents in these United States prefer 

 to buy their vegetables the year through, when they, in many cases, have 

 facilities for raising the same at home. Take the city of New York and 

 its suburbs as an example, and what a wretchedly small portion of the 

 residents who have homes trouble to grow even a few of the most neces- 

 sary vegetables. We see many fine homes with their lawns and shrubs, 

 veritable Queen Anne fronts, but too often, alas ! what we might say, 

 Mary Ann backs. For it is too true that beyond collections of junk, 

 ashes, and other rubbish, what might be in many cases a garden of utility 

 is only an eyesore. 



The soil in the east may not appear so rich as in our prairie states ; it 

 contains more rock, and also a lot of gravel, but there are few soils which 

 will not with a little coaxing grow creditable crops, and there is no earthly 

 reason why thousands of persons of moderate means should not raise 

 practically all the vegetables needed for themselves and families, if they 

 would but utilize land of which now practically no use is made. There 

 is no more practical way to reduce the cost of living than to grow fresh 

 vegetables in the home garden, and one of the best ways to encourage the 

 rising generation to improve on present-day methods is to interest them, 

 while of tender years, in the home or the school garden movement. It 

 would also be philanthropy of the best type if, in the vicinity of many of 

 our towns and cities, blocks of land could be rented for a moderate sum 

 to working men, who might desire to grow vegetable crops. These latter 

 allotments are a feature in Europe, where intensive culture is more prac- 

 tised and necessary than here. It would be an excellent innovation here 

 and would be welcomed by thousands of European settlers, who mourn 

 the absence of anything in the nature of such gardens. 



Vegetable gardens should always, if possible, be made where they can 

 get a warm, sunny exposure; if sloping south the crops will be earlier, 

 but this is not essential. Very stiff land of a clayey nature can be im- 

 proved by additions of street scrapings, sand, fine gravel, or fine coal 

 ashes. Vegetables will grow well in almost any soil in which water does 

 not stand. Such soils require drainage to produce good crops ; drainage 

 warms as well as sweetens the soil. The best manure for nearly all vege- 

 tables is well-rotted cow manure or horse manure. If applied and worked 



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