250 



PRIZE GARDENING 



but all gardeners have a liking for the use of well- 

 rotted manure, which is not understood by users of 

 commercial fertilizer. The reason is simple. Land 

 which is cropped continually with hoed crops grows 

 heavy from the lack of humus. This is supplied by 

 the manure, the liberal use of which enables the gar- 

 dener to keep his ground loose and friable. 



The most remarkable comparison is probably 

 between the value and amount of produce consumed 

 by the families of the two classes. It is practically the 

 same. The greater consumption of standard sorts of 

 vegetables by farmers' families is offset by a freer use 

 of the rarer sorts, and of flowers, by village people. 

 From the amount sold one must not judge that farmers 

 sell the best and eat the rest. In all cases they have 

 consumed all that were wanted and the kinds sold 

 were very largely a surplus of onions, cabbage, squash, 

 beets and carrots. 



From the farm gardens thirty-six per cent of the 

 produce was sold, which paid seventy-one per cent of 

 the total cost of the garden, while less than twelve per 

 cent of the cost of the village garden was paid by the 

 eleven per cent of produce sold. The farm garden 

 paid a profit of ninety-four per cent on total cost as 

 against two per cent for the village garden. Leaving 

 out the item of interest and taxes, the farm garden 

 returned one hundred and thirteen per cent profit on 

 cost and the village garden sixty-three per cent. 



Profits of Small Market Gardens. — The average 

 size of farm gardens was found to be a trifle over half 

 an acre and of village gardens one-third of an acre, 

 the latter being of ample size to produce enough vege- 

 tables for an ordinary family. The farm garden 

 proved a source of revenue, thirty-six per cent of the 

 total produce being sold. 



