FARM CROPS 179 



SECTION XXXIX THE FARM GARDEN 



Every farmer should have a garden in which he should 

 grow not only the vegetables needed for the home table, 

 but also all the small fruits. 



The garden should always be within convenient distance 

 of the farmhouse. If possible, the spot selected should 

 have a soil of mixed loam and clay. Every foot of soil in 

 the garden should be made rich and mellow by manure 

 and cultivation. The worst soils for the home garden are 

 light, sandy soils, or stiff, clayey soils ; but any soil, by 

 judicious and intelligent culture, can be made suitable. 



In laying out the garden we should bear in mind that 

 hand labor is the most expensive kind of labor. Hence 

 we should not, as is commonly done, lay off the garden 

 spot in the form of a square, but we should mark off for 

 our purpose a long, narrow piece of land, so that the cul- 

 tivating tools may all be conveniently drawn by a horse or 

 mule. The use of the plow and horse cultivator enables 

 the work of taking care of the garden to be done quickly, 

 easily, and cheaply. 



Every vegetable or fruit should be planted in rows, and 

 not in little patches. Beginning with one side of the 

 garden the following plan of arrangement would be simple 

 and complete : two rows to corn for table use ; two to 

 cabbages, beets, radishes, and eggplants ; two to onions, 

 peas, and beans ; two to oyster plants, okra, parsley, and 

 turnips ; two to tomatoes ; then four on the other side can 

 be used for strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, currants, 

 and gooseberries. 



