42 ANNUAL REPORT. re 
During the year 1873, having: arrived so late in the spring, I had 
to bend to work, and was principally occupied in clearing up and 
burning the brush, with which the land was thickly covered. Not- 
withstanding I prepared about one-half acre around my house for 
raising such vegetables as were required for household. purposes, such 
as potatoes, radishes, lettuce, cabbage, beans, (string, snap and 
Windsor,) peas, carrots, onions and turnips, as well as putting in a 
variety of herb seeds. ie 
That season, as you are doubtless all aware, was wet. Everything 
put into the rich soil, (without one forkfull of manure,) owing to the 
warmth and raniahire of the season, came rushing up with a vigor 
gladdening to my heart. In twenty-three days from sowing my rad- 
ish seed I had that salad on my table, and as everything | had put 
in came in its due season, I had that year an abundance of vegeta- 
bles of every description for household use, and of several a good 
winter supply. 
I experienced, however, one drawback; owing to the advanced 
period of the season in which I sowed my seeds, those from which 
I wished to secure seed for future use, with the exception of peas, 
did not mature, more especially owing to an early and severe frost 
in September. This mishap, I am convinced now, would not ordi- 
narily occur again, if the seeds were put into the ground at the ear- 
liest possible season. 
The ensuing fall and winter I was occupied in chopping and clear- 
ing more land, and this spring I had fifteen acres roughly cleared 
for cultivation, the whole of which I got under farm and garden 
crops and grass, presenting ‘‘ a thing of beauty,” when the crops 
were all growing, not often seen before in that neighborhood, though 
alas, not ‘‘a joy forever.” I also planted 1,200 rhubarb plants on 
about one-third of an acre of ground; also 4,000 Wilson’s Seedling 
strawberry plants, 
I need not inform the members of this Society to what perfection 
my vegetables arrived, for is it not ‘‘ writ” on the book of the State © 
Agricultural Association, that I am entitled to the premium for the 
‘‘ best display of vegetables, not less than thirty varieties?’ Also 
the sweepstakes of $50 for the county of St. Louis. My exhibits la- 
bored under one disadvantage, however—that the Fair was held here 
too early for vegetables grown in that northern locality being shown 
in their best maturity. Fortunate, perhaps, for the Association, it 
Was SO, otherwise the judges might have awarded me so many other 
premiums as to have put the commissioners utterly and hopelessly 
beyond the possibility of solvency. 
Many have expressed the opinion to me that Lake Superior is too 
far north, and its growing season too short for productive and profit- 
able cultivation. Neither of these is in my opinion true, after only 
two seasons of trial. But I may here refer to what the Weller 
Brothers have done—also Messrs. Youngblood and Gray, Lemagie, 
and one or two others. I unhesitatingly affirm that all kinds of veg- 
etables, natural to temperate climates, will mature to the greatest 
perfection. I may say, without detracting from any small merit of 
my own, that if some of those gentlemen had sent to the Fair a few 
