3.">6 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 14, if?,*. 



FORMATION OP KITCHEN GARDENS. 



If there is one department of gardening more 

 Useful than others, it is that, the special object of 

 whicli is the production and cultivation of those 

 vegetables which contribute so largely to the sup- 

 port of man. The poor as well' as the rich, the 

 prince and the peasant, are alike indebted to this 

 branch of horticulture for the larger and more 

 wholesome portion of their substance ; to all, a 

 garden is possessed of a certain degree of imports 

 amv, and all have an interest in giving to it as 

 high a degree of cultivation as possible, in order 

 the better to supply their wants. The culinary 

 garden is of importance to the public, particularly 

 in large cities ; and where a proper spirit of im- 

 provement has been abroad, we will find their en- 

 virons occupied chiefly by market gardens, which 

 independently of their furnishing the tables of the 

 inhabitants with most wholesome food, afford an 

 honest occupation and the means of support to a 

 large class of the population ; they are thus doubly 

 beneficial. 



Important as the formation of gardens is to 

 those '• who dwell in cities," it is not less so to 

 the firmer. ■ Every farm-house, every cottage 

 should have a garden (larger or smaller according 

 to the means of the owner) attached to it. The 

 necessity of a garden, is not, I believe, generallv 

 disputed. I am aware that almost every firm- 

 house has a garden of some sort ; but there lies the 

 difficulty , — it is in reality a garden of some sort, 

 and unfortunately, not always of the right sort. 

 The farmer generally appears to think a garden 

 beneath bis notice ; he leaves the cure of it " to the 

 women" — an arrangement which would answer 

 admirably well, if he would only provide the 'wo- 

 man' with the means of attending properly to the 

 duty thus delegated to her. This negligence is 

 prejudicial to the fanner's interests as well as to 

 his comforts and enjoyments. The necessity of 

 having a garden acknowledged, the choice rests 

 between having a good one or a bad one. A gar- 

 den will always well repay the attention and labor 

 bestowed upon it, provided that attention be pro- 

 perly directed and the labor rightly applied. 



In the hope of being useful in spreading the 

 practice of gardening on just and true principles I 

 will offer some hints on the formation of culinary 

 gardens, which I hope will be found useful, not 

 only to market gardeners and others, but to farm- 

 ers and farmers' wives in the country. 



As a preliminary, I beg leave to observe, that 

 "whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing 

 well." It requires but litlle more outlay either ol 

 money or labor, in the beginning, to make a good 

 garden than to make a bad one, and will cost less 

 in the end. If there be any thing in figures, or 

 truth in arithmetic, an article whicli will cost $5, 

 and last twelve months, is cheaper than one which 

 costs but 83 and will last but four or at most six 

 months. So it is with a garden: make it right ai 

 first, — spare no labor nor expense to make it well, 

 and it will endure; but if you begin wrong, or do 

 the vvoik negligently, you lose both your time, 

 your money ami labor, ami will at length be 

 obliged to begin all over again. 



The first point is to make choice of a situation 

 — provided always tied a choice is to be bad ; for 

 sometimes the situation of the house or some other 

 circumstances, will take away that choice, and ii 

 will be necessary to 'locate' the garden to suii 

 such circumstances. But where a choice is to he 

 had, it is of great importance to fix upon a favora- 



ble situation ; for on that depends the prospect of I cuttings or layers, and » 



uxuriant and profitable crops. It is even of more 

 importance than choosing a rich soil ; for if the 

 soil be poor and the situation good, the former in- 

 convenience may be remedied, but if the situation 

 lie bad, the defect is irremediable. The kitchen 

 garden should be placed at the back of the dwell- 

 ing house: but it should not be cooped up anion-; 

 buildings and out Ik. uses of every kind, as is too 

 often the case. Farmers generally will find it best 

 to have their gardens adjoining their houses as 

 these are for the most part plain and simple : but 

 in the country seats of the wealthy, where the 

 principal dwelling has many offices, &C. attached, 

 it will be an advantage to have the culinary garden 

 siluated at some distance from the mansion bouse; 

 it will not then interfere with the arrangements of 

 the pleasure ground, which the proprietor will be 

 more at liberty to dispose in such a manner as his 

 tastes and circumstances will suggest without neg- 

 lecting or disparaging the most useful department. 

 In choosing a situation, i\ue regard should be 

 had to shelter; a certain degree of which is neces- 

 sary ; it renders the garden warmer anil protects it 

 from cutting winds, which are productive of much 

 injury. Should the spot where the garden is to be 

 placed be exposed to inclement winds from any 

 quarter, no time should be lost in planting trees, 

 which may afford a shelter from these troublesome 

 visiters. Of course, as the object is lo procure 

 shelter as soon as possible, trees of rapid growth 

 are obviously preferable; Care must be taken, 

 however, not to run into an extreme, and over- 

 shade the ground by lofty trees : in plaining the 

 trees for shelter, therefore, it will be best to plant 

 them at some distance from the boundary of the 

 garden. Wherever a situation can be had, already 

 protected by nature, ir must not be neglected ; for 

 a natural shelter is always better than an artificial 

 one : such natural shelter may be caused by the 

 form or situation of the ground. But if recourse 

 must be had to an artificial one, let it be attended 

 to soon. The earth should be well trenched and 

 trees planted immediately. The Sycamore or Bnt- 

 tonwood may answer very well, as it grows freely ; 

 poplars are of yet more rapid growth, but they are 

 objectionable on account of their long stragglm" 

 roots : if used at all, care should be taken that 

 these voracious appendages do not interfere with 

 the borders. To these may be added trees of 

 slower growth and greater durability, as oaks and 

 elms ; the chesiiut may also be introduced advan- 

 tageously, as it would under such treatment attain 

 a large size, and produce fruit of superior quality ; 

 which is certainly an object, when it often sells 

 from $3 to £6 per bushel. It should be borne in 

 mind, that the best shelter for winter is formed by 

 evergreen trees, as they retain their haves: a large 

 proportion of them should therefore be distributed 

 amongst the other trees, anil when they have at- 

 tained a proper size, some of the deciduous trees 

 may be cut out, anil if a few only of the finest of 

 ibe latter be left at judicious intervals, the effect 

 will be highly ornamental. 



Tin: distance from the line of the garden at 

 which these trees should be planted, must be regu- 

 lated by circumstances; at the south and east they 

 should be as far removed as possible, to keep their 

 shadows out of the garden during ibe winter. 



One word more as regards these plantations ; 

 be sure, in choosing your trees, to give the prefer- 

 ence to those plants which have been grown from 

 seed, before those which have been raised from 



1 ore all, from sui ki is ; 

 the latter having always a tendency, (less or gr. alcr, 

 according to circumstances,) to.au irregular growth j 

 whilst the former are more likely to assume the 

 (drm of handsome trei s. 



This is a general rule ; but it applies in a special 

 manner to evergreens. It is well known that if a 

 cedar or ,-, C j press lose iis central terminal branch, 

 ii "ill never become a handsome tree, unless the 

 cultivator can find a branch so situated as to take 

 the place of the regular one; a matter sufficiently 

 difficult. A plant raised from the seed, is a dis- 

 tinct individual, has iis own proper centre and will 

 grow accordingly, whereas all plants raised from 

 cuttings, layers or suckers, are merely extensions 

 of some pre-existing individual, and consequently 

 their growth is more or less modified. 



I find 1 have rather overstepped my limits, and 

 shall therefore, reserve the continuation of this 

 subject lor another paper, vv here 1 shall treat of 

 situation in regard to altitude, aspects and soil, and 

 probably also of the formation and laying out of 

 the garden. — Magazine of Gardening and Botany. 



From Gooilscll's Farmer. 

 NOTHING MADE IN VAIN. 



We have this weed; received the following com- 

 munication, accompanied with a quantity of seeds, 

 as referred to, for which we return the donor our 

 thanks. From the date, we have no doubt but 

 they were intended to have reached us earlier. 

 The discovery of this way of procuring Maple 

 seeds, is not only a matter of curiosity, but of 

 economy ; as we venture to say that it would have 

 required the labor of one man, at least one week, 

 to have taken the shells from a quantity of seeds 

 equal to those sent to us. We shall endeavor to 

 have them planted, and will hereafter give the re- 

 sult. 



Cultivation of the Sugar Maple and Mannsr of Pro- 

 curing the Seed. 

 Mr. Goodsell — Everyone is delighted to see our 

 native forests thickly planted by the hand of nature 

 with this valuable, jind beautiful tree; valuable be- 

 cause for cabinet work some varieties of this wood 



is superior to thai brought from distant climes: 



first rate for file wood, and as good for the manu- 

 facture of Sugar as the cane plant. And who docs 

 not regret the destruction of the axe-man amongst 

 them. Occupying the best soil, they are usually 

 the first victims. But he who destroys should en- 

 deavor to produce anew. No native tree can be 

 more easily cultivated than this, the seed being 

 abundant and easily procured. It grows rapid- 

 ly from the seed in open cultivated grounds, at- 

 taining the height of six feet in three years, and 

 in twelve years the steins will measure from six to 

 nine inches diameter. I send you a quantity of 

 seed as a specimen, they are ready prepared for 

 sowing, and are divested of the shell, and wings; 

 in their natural stale being connected together in 

 pairs, they are usually called Maple keys. About 

 a peck is sufficient for seeding three acres of 

 ground. Nature would seem to dictate the fall of 

 the year to be the proper time for sowing the seed 

 in their natural Conn, as the effect of the frost 

 would be to soften the shell. At this season they 

 are scattered abroad by the winds in infinite pro- 

 fusion. But divested of the shell and sown in the 

 spring, they will grow as surely .as peas, and make 

 their appearance at the time the forest trees put 

 forth. They should be sown, or rather scattered 



