252 



Kitchen Gardens. 



Vol. VII. 



have a body by some other, more active 

 means ; that lime might then improve it — 

 but until then, he was assuredly throwing 

 away his money." I need hardly say their 

 scepticism is cured, and they are with an 

 enlightened and commendable zeal, and with 

 equal success, now following his example. 

 The lime used in the above instance, in 

 common with all other which we have ac- 

 cess to, had also its portion of magnesia. 

 Some six or eight years ago, I recollected 

 to have heard him say, that since he had 

 been liming, he could raise good corn and 

 grass, but that his crops of wheat were not 

 very much improved; this occurring to me 

 at the interview just related, I reminded 

 him of it, at the same time inquiring what 

 was his present experience 1 His reply was, 

 " that at that time he had limed none of his 

 land but once, that now his crops of wheat 

 were good ;" inviting me at the same time 

 to go with him to a field recently cut, but 

 still in the shock. It was apparently quite 

 a full crop for our best creek lands. 



From all these circumstances taken into 

 consideration, is it not evident that the dif- 

 ferent opinions resulting from the use of 

 lime, must in a great measure, be owing to 

 the different varieties of our soil 1 I believe 

 it is a generally admitted fact, that plaster 

 acts more powerfully on some lands than 

 others, and also that on some lands it ap- 

 pears to have no effect whatever. Ought 

 not these considerations to admonish us to 

 qualify our publicly expressed opinions, 

 when they are likely to come in conflict 

 with the long established opinions of others'! 

 I hope our respected authors, whose views I 

 have endeavoured to refute, will impute to 

 me no other motive, than a desire to render 

 harmless, opinions which, if followed, would 

 paralize to an incalculable extent, our pre- 

 sent progress in agricultural improvement. 

 A Deer Creek Farmer. 



Harford county, Md., 10th of Second mo., 1843. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Kitchen Gardens. 



" Horticulture, the attendant and em 

 bellisher of agriculture, which provides so 

 many palatable and healthful additions to 

 the substantial produce of the field, and 

 correctors of the undue stimulus and acri- 

 mony of much animal food, merits all the 

 fostering care which an uncorrupted and yet 

 educated and refined taste has ever extended 

 to it. A well cultivated garden, in due al- 

 ternation of vegetable, fruit and flower, gives 

 us poetry without its illusions — nature di- 



vested of her ruggedness, and art of its con- 

 straint." 



I was so much struck with the beauty and 

 truth of the above extract from Dr. Bell's 

 preface to his Treatise on " Regimen and 

 Longevity," that I concluded I would copy 

 it, and send it to the Cabinet. I am an old 

 farmer, and the longer I have lived, the 

 more value have I placed upon my Kitchen 

 Garden. By using this homely term, I 

 would not by any means, exclude from its 

 " border," the " rose, the honey-suckle and 

 the tulip," and the thousand other kindred 

 plants of beauty and perfume, that nature 

 has thrown abroad for woman to care for, 

 and manifest her taste in rearing. It is al- 

 ways delightful to see the farmer's wife and 

 the farmer's daughter steal a half hour from 

 her " in-door" duties, and go forth at " even 

 tide," to plant — to weed — to train — "to dress 

 and to keep" her own " rosy plantation." It 

 seems to me a taste of this kind, cannot fail 

 to be chastening in its effects; and it must 

 have a decided tendency to multiply and 

 elevate the enjoyments of the farmer's 

 household. But this is altogether a digres- 

 sion. I was going to talk about the value 

 of a kitchen garden — and behold, I have 

 run off to the ladies and the roses ! But 

 they will forgive me — will not also the 

 Cabinet ? 



I began this article with an intention 

 merely to say, that I think farmers gene- 

 rally, place far too low an estimate upon the 

 great variety of articles that may be pro- 

 duced from a tolerably well attended garden. 

 An hour or two spent in it every day before 

 breakfast, will keep a pretty good sized one 

 in fine order ; it will furnish the table with 

 a great variety of the best vegetables that 

 conduce to health and comfort, and will 

 make it the most profitable spot on the 

 farm. For to my certain knowledge, it will 

 save the pork tub and the meal barrel, to an 

 extent that the farmer himself will be sur- 

 prised at, who has heretofore neglected this 

 little spot. The season is approaching for 

 attention on the part of farmers to this sub- 

 ject. Let its importance be properly appre- 

 ciated. Z. Y. 



Gooseberries are much less apt to mil- 

 dew, when trained so as to admit the air 

 freely to circulate among the branches : the 

 fruit too will be finer, if there be but one 

 stalk in a hill, instead of a great cluster, as 

 we often see. Soap-suds from the wash tub, 

 sprinkled over them, for three or four weeks 

 in succession, before blossoming, it is said 

 are a great preservative, and will hardly 

 fail to ensure "fine, fair, and large ber- 

 ries." 



