THE HOME ACRE 6$ 



lars and ten cents was profit. The aid of Mrs. Dimock 

 was evidently of i^reat value in the care of the ^s^arden. 

 Their photoi^^raphs are shown herewith. As Mr. 

 Dimock writes, both are " fifty-five years of age and 

 enjoy good health." The vegetables received much 

 favorable comment through the press and otherwise 

 wherever exhibited. 



The land was in old sod and was plowed deeply, 

 harrowed and rolled, and then cross plowed, harrowed 

 and rolled twice before planting. Three cords of 

 stable manure w^ere put on and worked in and some 

 hen manure and fertilizer were used in the drill for 

 some crops. The rows were made wide apart and the 

 hills near together to allow of horse cultivation and 

 the sun to get in among the plants. Twenty-one kinds 

 and thirty-four varieties of vegetables were grown, 

 largely for home use, but a considcra1)le surplus was 

 sold. As ]\Ir. Dimock is quite extensively engaged in 

 poultrv raising he grew a large number of cabbage 

 and sold nearly twelve thousand young plants. 



The methods employed in growing some of the 

 crops were quite out of the usual line, but gave very 

 satisfactory returns. Thus, in growing melons, the 

 earth was excavated to a depth of two feet and three 

 feet in diameter and the hole filled with rotted cow 

 and horse manure and a liberal supply of hen manure 

 mixed thoroughly with the soil. Ten seeds, after 

 being soaked for thirty-six hours, were planted in each 

 hill and covered two inches deep. A box two feet 

 square and twelve inches deep, with top and bottom 

 removed, was placed over each hill and left until the 

 vines were ready to run. This protected the plants 

 from chilling winds and they grew very fast. Two 

 vines only were allowed in each hill and two melons 

 to each vine, the rest being picked off and the ends of 

 the vines pricked after the melons had set. Twelve 



