198 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Report of the Orphans' Home Garden, New Bedford, 



Mass. 



BY E. M. FLETCHER, SXJPT. 



Second Prize, Class A, 1906. 



For three years we had a tiny garden in a corner of our large play- 

 ground. Flowers and vegetables crowded each other in every foot of 

 the plot, though we added a few feet to the enclosure every year. The 

 children were so keenly interested that the much needed vacation employ- 

 ment for our boys and girls was suggested. Encouraged by the success 

 of our small experiments, we planned a larger work. 



This year the owners of adjoining lots kindly gave us the use of a plot 

 180 X 50 feet. The land is level and easily worked, though the witch 

 grass has been hard to overcome after the first turning of the sod for years. 

 The grass will be less troublesome next year. No definite study of soil 

 formation or fertilizers was attempted this season. Incidentally we learned 

 that different fertilizers are best for crops that grow above and below 

 the ground. More attention was paid to the condition of the soil, impress- 

 ing the fact that it should be well pulverized, not too dry, yet to be easily 

 crumbled. The fineness and finnness of the soil preventing evaporation 

 of the water supply keeping it near the surface for seeds and the roots of 

 plants. The garden was plovred April 17th. Five tons of dressing were 

 wheel-harrowed in and the planting began at once. 



With tape and line and drawn to a scale, the walks and individual beds 

 were laid out. The two main walks running north and south, dividing 

 the three rows of beds, were four feet wide. The walks between the beds 

 were two feet ^vide. 



The beds were 13 X 4 ft. and occupied a little less than half the plot. 



The larger part of the garden was worked in coinmon by all the children. 

 A rotation of crops was planted, as well as in the individual beds. 



We had a supply of good tools and learned to care for them properly. 

 Some of the tools were given, several other tools, a watering pot, and 

 photographs of the garden were paid for by money given by interested 

 visitors, of whom we had a great many. 



The greater part of our flower seeds and many of the vegetable seeds 

 were from the Government Agricultural Department. 



The cucumber, melon, squash, carrot, onion, beet and parsley seed, 

 also the pease and beans, were bought with the money received from sell- 

 ing flour barrels. Later, in the same way, 58 tomato and 300 celery 

 plants were bought. 20 cabbage, one dozen cauliflower plants and some 

 sweet potatoes from the Azores were given us. Some valuable dahlia 

 bulbs were loaned for the season. 



