THE HO:\IE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



BY JOHN W. DUNCAN, WEST ROXBURY, MASS. 



Delivered before the Society, February 9, 1907. 



The home vegetable garden is, perhaps, the most vakiable adjunct 

 to the home itself, apart from the immediate surroundings of the 

 home grounds. To the large estate, as well as to the small suburban 

 lot, with its few rods of a garden, it plays alike an important factor 

 in the pleasures of the home. That there is great pleasure to the 

 lover of horticulture in caring for the grounds, lawns, flowers, etc., 

 every one will concede; but, let one get interested in the growing 

 of choice vegetables, and one will find the task doubly fascinating, 

 for, not only is it a joy to look at choice specimens of vegetables, 

 but, when they appear, properly cooked, on the dinner table, one 

 wonders that he can put up with even the choicest that may be 

 bought from the most considerate dealers in the market. 



I do not propose to enter into details as to the size, kind of soil, 

 or location for the home vegetable garden ; that has to be answered 

 entirely by the owners themselves; and to grow vegetables in the 

 garden depends mostly upon those having charge of the work. I 

 wish to say, however, that the ground preferable for most kinds of 

 vegetables is a medium-heavy loam. The garden should be well 

 drained and subsoiled in all cases where the best results are expected 

 and equally good results may be had if the work is done by the plow 

 or spade. I am a great believer in intense cultivation. It should 

 be the endeavor, at all times, to keep the surface of the ground 

 stirred up, especially during dry weather. 



It must ahvays be borne in mind that special care should be given 

 to manuring the ground for the different crops. I have seldom, 

 if ever, seen soil too rich in a vegetable garden. Again, many of 

 the crops may be benefited, at the proper time, during the growing 

 season, by applications of such fertilizers as nitrate of soda or 

 muriate of potash. 



