STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 399 



1. Market gardening. 



2. Farmers gardens. 



3. Town or city gardens, and 



4. The moral influence of cultivating a garden and flowers, and 

 of flowers. 



By horticulture as a general term is understood to embrace all that 

 part of the culture of the soil which pertains to the cultivation of 

 fruits, vegetables, flowers and all that pertains to the ornamentation 

 of grounds, and some adornments by means of everything growing 

 out of the soil. 



The first and most important consideration in the cultivation of 

 any garden is the soil and location or situation. 



It is of great importance that the soil be adapted to the purpose, 

 and to receive the warmth of the sun in that part of the day between 

 the middle of the forenoon and the middle of the afternoon. 



A soil containing a large proportion of loam with a small propor- 

 tion of sand, or sandy loam, with good and ample drainage, either by 

 the natural slope of the land — or if too flat for natural drainage — 

 under or tile drains — and with a southwestern inclination, is the 

 best. 



Heavy clayey soils are not so well adapted for garden culture, but 

 if only such can be had, it can be greatly improved, by the application 

 of sand, or sandy loam, in proper quantities, and with plenty of fer- 

 tilizing material of the proper kind — all thoroughly incorporated by 

 well and thorough mixing and cultivating. 



The importance of thorough drainage cannot be too strongly urged 

 — for no vegetable can grow in pools of water. 



Whatever the character of the soil, or location, the best success 

 with any crop will depend on the quantity of manure applied, which 

 must be thoroughly mixed by cultivating, and the more thoroughly 

 this is done the more certain will be the crop. From my own experi- 

 ence I feel warranted in the assertion that with plenty of manure, and 

 the required amount of labor to incorporate them — the elements com- 

 bined so that the roots of young plants may reach and take in the 

 elements of plant life, will be certain to produce a good crop even 

 though the season may be unfavorable. This will hold true in nine 

 cases out of ten. 



If any other requirements should seem to be needed, I should em- 

 phatically recommend frequent applications of liquid manure, and 

 frequent stirring of the earth, or cultivation. In my own garden I use 

 liquid manure for all flowers and a few vegetables, no matter what the 

 condition of the soil may be — with good efi'ect. 



