24th January, A. D. 1895. 



ESSAY 



BY 



HERBERT R. KINNEY, Worcester, Mass. 



Theme : — Vegetable Gardening. 



It being but two years since I bad the pleasure of reading a paper 

 before this Society on this subject, and at that time we looked at it 

 in a general way, it may be as well to-day to consider some varieties 

 of vegetables individually, and incidentally speak about some of the 

 many things that are always coming up which make gardening one of 

 the uncertain, if not the most uncertain, branches of agriculture. 



During the past two years, which have been years of business de- 

 pression throughout the country and which we have felt to a certain 

 extent, we have also had two exceptionally dry summers ; but for 

 all that, as we look about us, we can see others that are getting 

 along no better, in the many branches of industry that go to make up 

 our generally very busy city and county. And while we, as gardeners, 

 horticulturists and farmers, could wish for better business, we must 

 remember that we should only expect a reasonable share of the good 

 things that labor can provide, and our business gives many that some 

 others are denied. We will not try to consider this matter now, but 

 turn to the literal meaning of our subject. 



I shall not try to follow any particular line in this paper, but take 

 up some of the more common vegetables in a more or less general 

 manner, and leave many loose ends for discussion later should you 

 wish to spend more time on this subject. 



In vegetable gardening, fertilization is one of the first subjects to 

 be considered, and on very light or very heavy land it is desirable for 

 us to have considerable vegetable matter. This vegetable matter or 

 humus is quite necessary in most soils, and the easiest way those liv- 

 ing near the city can get it when they wish to get a large part of 

 their land under cultivation, is from stable manure : but where one has 



