HANDBOOK OF CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURE g r 



4,000 lettuce, 2,187 bunches onions, 3,000 bushels onions, 400 bushels peppers, 

 4,879 bushels potatoes, 1,500 dozen radish, 2,100 dozen squash, 680 bushels 

 spinach, 49,292 quarts strawberries ; 7,792 baskets tomatoes, 3,890 quarts rasp- 

 berries, 8,791 quarts blackberries, 1,091 bbls. kale, 10,388 Ibs. grapes, 10,079 

 quarts currants. 



The raising of onions and other vegetables for New York 

 is conducted successfully in all the shore towns of F airfield 

 county. Seed is bred with very great care by these market- 

 men, and their home-grown seed has often a pedigree of half 

 a century on the same farm or neighborhood, and they would 

 not use as a gift seed grown elsewhere. 



In proximity to all our cities small fruits and vegetables 

 are raised for market in connection, generally, with milk sup- 

 ply, but all over the State the home garden and orchard fur- 

 nish to the professional man, as well as to the farmer and ar- 

 tisan, luxuries and substantiate of living, and in most families 

 these labors instead of toil are recreation to all the household 

 and make a threefold return for the time bestowed, in food, 

 in health, and in change of employment, which is better than 

 idleness, for rest. These family-kept gardens rival, in their 

 products of fruits and flowers, those of the florists and pro- 

 fessional gardeners, and of the suburban grounds where spe- 

 cial gardeners are employed ; and though Connecticut is not 

 all a garden, it is full of gardens, for soil and climate are 

 kindly, and the nooks and corners of this little State furnish 

 shelter and adaptation, and lend a charm to these artificial 

 adornments. 



Wethersfield and vicinity for a century has been promi- 

 nent in onion culture. Of late years, growing seed of onions 

 and other vegetables has taken the place as a market product, 

 and the reputation of Wethersfield seeds is not confined to 

 Connecticut. 



THE TOBACCO CROP IN CONNECTICUT. 



Almost from the time of its settlement, tobacco has been 

 raised in Connecticut. As early as 1640 its culture was 

 favored by laws which restricted the use of tobacco to that 



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