A LITTLE LAND 

 AND A LIVING 



The yield of potatoes was at the rate of 900 

 bushels per acre.* 



Mr. E. A. Sutherland of the Nashville Agri- 

 cultural and Normal Institute of Madison, Ten- 

 nessee, writes : " I leased an eighth of an acre in 

 Battle Creek, Michigan, and put it into ordinary 

 garden vegetables. This little plot of land pro- 

 duced me green vegetables that would have cost 

 me $80 (or $640 an acre) on the market. I kept 

 a strict account at the time because I was desirous 

 of knowing just what could be done. I took no 

 other special pains with my garden beyond giv- 



* Farmer's Bulletin No. 149 of the Department of Agriculture, 

 in 1902 says: "In order to secure data regarding the amount of 

 labor involved in the care of a garden, and the amount of produce 

 it would yield, a ' farmer's garden ' was planted at the horticul- 

 ture department of the University of Illinois in 1901 so as to 

 furnish a continuous supply of vegetables throughout the season. 

 The garden was 280 feet long and 77 feet wide, or about half an 

 acre. It was manured with 20 loads of well rotted manure, 

 plowed early in the Spring and well worked down and then 

 planted in long wide rows, so that most of the cultivation could 

 be done with a horse. A succession of the same vegetable through- 

 out the season was secured by planting early, medium, and late 

 varieties, or by planting the same variety at different times. A 

 combination of these two methods was found most satisfactory. 

 The cost of all the seed used was $5.45. Putting a low estimate 

 on the value of the crop raised, the vegetables could not ordinarily 

 have been bought for $83.84. What other half acre on the farm 

 would pay as well? 



