THE CANADIAN HOETICULTUEIST. 



161 



Fern leaves, which should never have 

 been ruled out. 



These various freaks in floral fashions 

 may atid something to the stock of bo- 

 tahical knowledge of our city belles, but 

 taste — a clear perception and apprecia- 

 tion of beauty and excellence — is rarely 

 developed by fashion, which often takes 

 retrograde steps and brings faulty 

 modes and ill-shaped forms into com- 

 mon use, which, by their frequent con- 

 tact, rather dull the taste for real art 

 and beauty. A fine taste is not created 

 by a freak of fashion ; it is either born 

 with us or is the result of careful study 

 and high culture. — American Garden. 



THE FARMER'S FRUIT GARDEN. 



I contend that every prosperous 

 farmer owes it to himself and to his 

 family to supply his table with all the 

 desirable and wholesome luxuries which 

 his farm, under ordinary cultivation, is 

 capable of producing, and to supply it 

 bountifully, and failing to do so he fails 

 in his duty to his family, and can not 

 reasonably expect his sons and daughters 

 to gi*ow up contented with their lot. 

 Children brought up on a farm are 

 deprived of many privileges enjoyed by 

 those brought up in the city, and should 

 be provided as compensation with those 

 which the farm is capable of producing. 

 The farmer's boy or girl, visiting town, 

 sees upon the green-grocer's stand 

 almost every species of fruits and vege- 

 tables, and know that these desirable 

 luxuries are grown on soil similar to 

 their father's, and if they are continually 

 deprived of such luxuries, what wonder 

 that they are discontented. 



None of the products of the soil are 

 more enjoyed by children than fruit, 

 and there is no portion of the homestead 

 farm that are longer remembered or 

 more fondly cherished, than the fruit 

 garden. I remember, when a mere 

 infant, visiting an uncle at Red-Hook, 

 2 



Duchess county, and the only thing 

 about the place that made a lasting im- 

 pression on my mind was a garden of 

 plum trees, loaded with luscious blue, 

 red, and yellow plums. I pity the 

 farmer's son who grows to manhood's 

 estate with no such cherished spot to 

 chain him to the parental home. 



Having said so much to prove the 

 value of the fruit-garden to the farmer's 

 family, I will say but little about its 

 character. In the first place, it should 

 be ample. No farmer is so pinched for 

 room that he can not afford space for a 

 liberal fruit garden. A large garden 

 can be cultivated in less time than a 

 small one, as it affords room for using a 

 team to advantage. 



Then plant liberally of every desirable 

 species, so liberally that there will be an 

 abundant supply for the family without 

 using defective fruit. A well-to-do, 

 independent farmer should put no. 

 second-class products of the field, orchard 

 or garden upon his own table. Throw 

 wormy or rotten fruit to the pigs, but 

 never offer it to your children 



Plant enough of the hardy, vigorous, 

 productive varieties of the various 

 species to insure a supply in unfavorable 

 seasons, and then plant some of th» 

 higher-flavored, that require more nurs- 

 ing, so that you may have some of the 

 best. I would say, plant none but those 

 of highest quality, but should that be 

 done, unless the farmer is an expert, 

 there would be seasons when there 

 would be no fruit, or at leiist an insufli- 

 cient supply. 



Plant in tJhe fruit garden, peare, 

 peaches, plums, apricots, cherries,, 

 quinces, grapes, gooseberries, currants^ 

 black-berries, raspberries, and straw- 

 beri'ies. Cultivate the surface well 

 until the trees are well in bearing, and 

 thou you may cease ploughing the treesj. 

 if you choose, but never cease to manure 

 them. The small fruits, of course, must 



