THE GENESEE FARMER. 



61 



W MUCH CAN BE RAISED FROM A LITTLE PLOT 

 OF GROUND. 



Genesee Farmer:— Some writer remarks "one 

 ught engenders another." Hence it comes, in part, 

 t the reading in your January No. the interesting arti- 

 "What can be raised from a small piece of ground," 

 determined me to give my experience the past season 

 a plot, or rather two strips of ground, comparing id 

 e with that you allude to, about the same as the widow's 

 te of the olden time in value with the rich man's princely 



5 lot No. 1, lying on the North end of the lot, and bounded 

 a high fence, was some 20 feet long by H wide. No. 

 n the East side the lot, connecting on the North end 

 th No, 1, was about the same size and bounded by a two 

 iry barn. On the South side the main lot was, first, a 

 ;h brick shop ; second, a huge pile of wood, while on the 

 st was the rear end of the house. 



kt first sight one would exclaim preposterous the idea 

 gardening in such a secluded place, where the light, 

 d more than all, the warm genial rays of the sun, the 

 itral source of life and light, could scarcely reach the 

 ound unless at noon ; why, it is nonsense— better to 

 try your soil up on the roof and grow your garden in 

 xes. 



Saving thrown the ground up well and deeply— no 

 lall job either, for it was terribly stony— I leveled it, and 

 xiously awaited the time when our cold snowy spring 

 lerging from the lap of winter would resume its wonted 

 cation. 



Meanwhile, a friend having a pile of sifted coal ashes 

 at were a great eye-sore, thought, as the ground was 

 Id, wet aud heavy, it would be conferring a double bless- 

 g to throw up the beds in trenches, partially fill with 

 hes, and then level off again. Having noticed some- 

 tiere a statement that coal ashes were beneficial on such 

 savy soils by way of lightening them, I readily assented, 

 it the ground was so small that when he had gone over 

 ice the ashes still formed quite a pile, so he repeated the 

 >eration until Plot No. 2 was full one-half ashes, and I 

 as thoroughly disgusted. Well, I planted the bed with 

 :ans and peas, thinking if they did anything it would be 

 lin talking of artificial manures after this, with such 

 i abundant supply of ashes to be had for the drawing. 



spell of cold rainy weather succeeded with frosts, ruiu- 

 ig the beans, though the peas made out to live. Having 

 jplanted the beans, and set out some tomato plants, I 

 lanted four squash seeds, two on each end of Plot No. 1 ; 

 ext a row of cucumbers, finishing with a border of beets. 

 a the middle of this Plot was a grape vine, some six 

 ears old, running upon the fence, and also the barn — 

 rawing nourishment from one Plot while shading both. 

 \o manure save hand labor was applied to either Plot, 

 xcept watering during the summer with the slops saved 

 rom the kitchen for that purpose. 



And now for the results : Plot No. 2 furnished about 

 me and a half bushels string beans, and nearly one bushel 

 leas, both suffering from the severe application of ashes, 

 md being shaded on all sides except overhead. Between 

 he rows I also had a few nice heads lettuce, some radishes, 

 fcc, and late in the fall tomatoes. 



Plot No. 1 furnished a large amount of cucumbers, some 



of the vines of which fastening upon the grape forniedga 

 pleasing contrast of full grape bunches aud pendant cu- 

 cumbers. I also had a fine lot of summer beets, and from 

 the four squash seeds— one dying, and one not bearing — I 

 had nine squashes, averaging 45 lbs. each, two of the 

 largest weighing 67 lbs. each, and the smallest 24 lbs. 

 One of our celebrated melon growers visited the vines 

 two or three times during the season and stated it was, 

 under the circumstances, the greatest growth he had seen. 

 The grape vine also gave an abundant crop. 



Now, Mr. Editor, in your walks about town— you see I 

 assume Editors don't ride— have you not observed tracts 

 or lots of land which compared with your correspondent's 

 or mine would be immense, lying waste and desolate, 

 waiting only the hand of cultivation to cause them to bud 

 and blossom like the rose, repaying the tiller not only in 

 the value of his products, but that greater and nobler 

 good the pleasure of watching and tending the growing 

 vegetation, noting its varied changes day by clay, from the 

 seed to the mature fruit, and if as one quaint author re- 

 marks, " he who causes two blades of grass to grow where 

 onlv one grew before, is the greatest benefactor of the 

 race," what shall be said of those who not only improve 

 their minds but develope their muscle, ranking among 

 the producers as well as consumers of the earth by tilling 

 even a " small piece of ground." w. 



GRAFTING THE GRAPE VINE. 



A correspondent of the Horticulturist says: "My 

 experience in grafting the vine for several years would 

 furnish a chapter of failures. I think I grafted a few 

 vines every season for about five years, and during the 

 whole time succeeded in making but one grow and form a 

 good vine; and this one only by disregarding the usual 

 directions given by the professed experts. Instead of 

 waiting for the formation of leaves, and discontinuance 

 of the excessive flow of sap, I grafted this one early, be- 

 fore the flow commenced. Since that time I have grafted 

 thousands of vines, with nearly as good success as attends 

 any other kind of grafting. I have practiced saddle- 

 grafting, whip-grafting, and several fancy methods, but 

 have found the common cleft grafting, carefully perform- 

 ed, the most reliable and successful. For large, strong 

 stocks, I hardly think tying necessary, though a covering 

 of clay or grafting wax is undoubtedly beneficial. For 

 smaller stocks, I use only paper covered with grafting wax 

 on one side. I could not recommend copper wire in any 

 case. I have also grafted on various stocks, with very 

 little difference in result, using indiscriminately the wild 

 frost grape of the woods, the Catawba, Isabella, Concord, 

 and some others. I do not say grafting the vine cannot 

 be successfully performed after the leaves have formed ; 

 but it is a fact that up to the present time, notwithstand- 

 ing many trials, I have never succeeded in doing it." 



Fruit Trees in Hedges.— Pears and various varieties 

 of fruits are grafted into ,the hedges, in many provinces 

 in France— not that the proprietor anticipates enjoying 

 the fruit. They call them God's part (la -pert de Lieu). 

 In the quince hedges of the Prince of Desdogne, branch- 

 es to bear fruit are allowed to grow and form little trees, 

 bearing quite an amount of fruit, "which boquets of 

 trees," M. Gagnaim assures the editor of the Eevue Hor- 

 ticole, "hanging gracefully in the midst of the hedges, 

 produce a beautiful effect and render the scene less arid, 

 being at the same time elegant and productive." 



