No. 4.] THE H0:ME ^'EGETABLE G.\RDEX. 295 



THE HOME TEGET.iELE GARDEN. 



ALLEX FRENXH, CONXORD,. MASSACHUSETTS. 



Home vegetable gardening is in sharp contrast to market 

 gardening. The latter needs, for success, special knowledge, 

 very good soil and easy access to market. The former can be 

 made successful on any farm or in any garden. Not that a 

 weedy, poorly planned, badly fed garden is ever worth keeping, 

 but the man who understands the worth, to his family, of a 

 copious and varied supply of fresh vegetables can easily prove 

 the truth of the claim made in the Farmer's Bulletin bearing 

 the same title as this article: — 



The statement can safely be made that a well-kept garden will \-ield a 

 return ten or fifteen times greater than would the same area and location 

 if devoted to general farm crops. A half acre devoted to the various kinds 

 of garden crops will easily supply a farm with a hundred dollars' worth of 

 vegetables during the 3*ear, while the average return for farm crops is con- 

 siderably less than a tenth of this amoimt. 



This article proposes to discuss briefly the management of 

 such a garden. 



The size of the garden will necessarily var\- with the needs 

 of the family. Personal tastes will lead to the inclusion or ex- 

 clusion of different crops. Some families eat more largely of 

 vegetables than others. Further, some housekeepers have 

 learned with how much ease and satisfaction vegetables may 

 be canned for the winter, and will consequently demand a 

 larger summer supply. It seems safe to say, however, that 

 exclusive of the potato supply, which usually comes from 

 another part of the farm, a half acre is plenty for a large 

 family. Yet if the family goes in largely for asparagus, es- 

 pecially for canning as well as eating fresh, the half acre will 

 have to be considerably added to. 



The location of the garden is important. To begin with, it 



