THE BROWN FAMILY IN CALIFORNIA. 



"I s'pose it was necessary to grow a lot of corn to see what seed would give the 

 best corn crops on the different farms," said my wife. 



"Yes, indeed, Mrs. Brown," replied Professor Bradshaw. "The experiments were 

 conducted with the view of ascertaining the varieties adapted to various conditions of 

 soil and climate, the size and the quality of the yield." 



"Yep, he did good work, all right," said Simpson, "and I see that the United States 

 Department of Agriculture is beginning to follow out his lines. It's a good line to fol- 

 low in California, and everywhere else, too." 



"I remember back in New England, father always used to select the best seeds he 

 could. I don't know that any one ever went to the extent of experimenting. They just 

 kept as close as possible to the best that was done in their locality." 



"And that is a mighty sensible thing to do," said Simpson. "That's just what Jason 

 here has done. He's gotten together all the local knowledge and applied all the best 

 of It." 



"You bet my pa has! He's got the best vegetable garden there Is. That's what 

 a professor of the University who came down here to the Farmers' Institute say6, any- 

 how," maintained Robert, stoutly. 



"If it is good, it's because my good neighbors weren't afraid to suggest anything 

 for fear it might hurt 'em to give away a good idea," I said. 



"Now, Jason, if that's the case, it's fair for you to turn about and tell what you've 

 done in your vegetable garden," put in jolly Mrs. Simpson. 



"Well, when Neighbor Simpson, here, found me thinking what steps t must take 

 to make our farm immediately productive, he suggested, among other things, to raise 

 a little garden truck. That was a year ago. I put some garden truck — relishes like 

 lettuce and radishes — in the old orchard and some larger vegetables, like potatoes and 

 onions, on a low hillside, with southern exposure. Now, as Mr. Simpson is largely 

 responsible for my garden, and as he wants to talk — " 



"All right," broke in the genial Simpson. "I won't say much about what you 

 planted, but rather how you equipped your garden and about your methods. February 

 is a good planting month in this neck of the woods, so you rightly did your planting 

 then. But while doing your planting you diverted your irrigation ditch to protect your 

 garden. You lead a stream of water on all sides of your garden, so that it not only 

 served to keep away many pests, such as grasshoppers and other insects, and moles, 

 and perhaps some larger animals, but made water easily obtainable at any point, as 

 well as giving irrigation by absorption — the very best kind of irrigation. 



"I might say that, in general, there are four kinds of protection one mm*t figure 

 on for a garden — protection against winds and possible frosts, against Injurious in- 

 sects, against injurious fungi, and against destructive animals and birds. These are a 

 lot more formidable than they seem, for though they keep a man on the Jump, yet if 

 he is on the Jump they won't get very far ahead of him. Naturally a ditch is a good 

 barrier to lots of animals and insects. A wire or close board fence, too, Is good to 

 keep our such animal pests as rabbits, but Jason did not find a fence necessary. 



"A windbreak is a good thing to include in your preparations for the garden. There 

 are very few places where a good windbreak will not be of decided advantage, and if 

 the garden ground cannot be selected so as to enjoy the protection of trees and build- 

 ings already in place, special planting or construction should be undertaken. A good 

 shelter belt of trees, preferably of green foliage, placed in position to break winds that 

 may prevail, is of advantage. Where such protection is not practicable a high fence, 

 even if not closely boarded, will afford some protection to a much greater width of 

 ground than one might think at first. Jason didn't need a windbreak in the srehajd, 

 but he wisely planted a hedge of evergreens above his hillside patch." 



"Give us a few points about protection against insects and fungi, Mr. Simpson." 

 asked the school-master. 



Well, there are two kinds of insects biting insects and sucking Insects. The 

 sucking insects make no holes, but pierce and extract the sap so that the leaf wilts and 

 perhaps dies without losing any appreciable part of its surface. The way to get rid 



\~: 



