212 massachusetts horticultural society. 



Children's Home Garden Reports. 



ROGER NEWTON PERRY, WORCESTER, MASS. 



First Prize, 1906. (Boys.) 



I have a garden 60 feet long and 25 feet wide. As soon as the snow 

 was off the ground I covered it with manure that my father gave me. 

 April 9 I made my hotbeds out of a window 6 ft. X 3 ft., filling it with 

 manure two-thirds full and covered the rest with dirt. 



The next day I planted tomato, celery, lettuce, and cabbage seed. 



Two days later I saw some of the seeds were up. April 19 my father 

 let me take the horse and plow to plow the ground with. I evened it as 

 fast as I got ready to plant my seeds. I made 2 drills across my garden 

 and planted Gradus peas 2i inches deep. 



April 24 planted 4 rows of sweet corn, dropping 6 kernels to a hill and 

 planting 2 feet apart. April 25 I made drills and planted sweet peas, 

 parsnips, radishes, and onions. I covered the radishes about an inch, 

 the rest 2h inches deep. April 27 sowed my white Swede turnips 2^ inches 

 deep. When they were some size I thinned them out. 



May 2 sowed my parsley and beets 2§ inches deep. Sold my radishes. 

 May 3 planted my second planting of sweet corn. Had 3 rows. May 5 

 planted pole beans and cucumbers in hills. To every hill of beans I put 

 a pole into the ground and put the beans 3 inches deep. About the middle 

 of May I transplanted 2 rows of lettuce, 4 of cabbage, and 1 of tomatoes, 

 raised in my hotbeds. At this time my celery was looking fine. I went 

 out to look at it one hot day and found almost every plant torn up and 

 wilted in the hot sun. My dog thought she smelled a rat in the hotbed 

 and dug up my celery hunting for it. I did n't feel very cool about it 

 and looked for the dog but could n't find her. So then I set the celeiy out 

 in small boxes and kept it very wet for some time. 



May 29 thirmed my beets. The middle of June I dug 3 trenches where 

 I had had radishes and peas. Put in plenty of manure and set out my 

 celery. I have had to bank it as fast as it grows to bleach it. Some 

 squash vines came up in my garden and bore 68 lbs. of squash that I sold 

 at retail. My turnips and radishes did not prove to be very good, but the 

 rest of my vegetables were a success. 



I had 12 plants of tobacco given me to set out. The most of my seeds 

 were given me. My parsley, beets, and pepper seeds were bought. I did 

 not know my peppers after they came up and hoed them up for weeds. 

 I have not sold my celery or parsnips yet. I raised my vegetables for 

 market and not for exhibition, and sell them as soon as ready. 



I have sold more at wholesale this year, selling to stores and a restaurant. 

 From your farmer friend, 



Roger Newton Perry. 

 Worcester, Mass. 



Oct. 22, 1906. 



