Gardening for Amateurs 



1043 



gardening and fruit growing. If it is pos- 

 sible for these men on a large scale, then 

 surely it is possible to make a success of 

 such a holding as is outlined above. It may 

 safely be asserted that we need more of 

 these small holdings in Britain than exist 

 to-day. 



Choosing the Site. So much depends 

 upon the character of the soil and the posi- 

 tion of the holding that this part of the 

 subject can never be lightly regarded. To 

 put men with little capital upon cold clay 

 land is to court disaster at the outset. Not 

 only does such land need a great expendi- 

 ture of labour to improve its mechanical 

 condition, it nearly always requires imich 

 money spent in manure to raise its fertility 

 to the standard requisite for market garden 

 work. It is also just as risky to start on 

 poor, sandy land ; but the latter, with its 

 ease of working, is to be preferred to the 

 clay. The latter is not only difficult to 

 work, it is impossible to do anything with 

 it during spells of wet weather. The misery 

 of removing a crop for market on such land 

 in bad weather is not easily realised 

 except by those who have had previous 

 experience. It is totally unsuitable for 

 market gardening. It can only be culti- 

 vated in favourable weather, and this is 

 altogether against the quick and continu- 

 ous cropping so requisite for successful com- 

 mercial gardening. Besides, for years crops 

 from this sort of land are later and longer 

 in coming into use than those from lighter 

 and warmer soil. In regard to situation we 

 cannot always be dainty choosers. A warm, 

 sheltered bank facing south or south-west 

 is ideal, while flat, open wind-swept spaces 

 are not so desirable. 



What to Include. According to my 

 ideal of a small holding, many things might 

 be included to help not only in making a 

 living, but in returning some profit. One or 

 two breeding sows kept would mean that 

 there would be litters of young pigs for sale. 

 These would give an occasional cheque for 

 10 or so. Cows should be kept if the 

 holding is large enough, and here again there 

 would in time be sturdy young heifers worth 

 16 to 20. Or a stout colt might be reared, 

 which in its turn should be worth 20 to 

 30 if kept until the proper age. Small 



patches of wheat or barley or other cereals 

 might be found of profit ; it must be re- 

 membered that not only the corn, but the 

 straw is of value, either sold or at home for 

 the animals. It is not proposed to go into 

 detail in regard to the essential farm life 

 of the holding, except as regards the cereals. 

 So much depends on natural aptitude and 

 knowledge and love of animals. Some 

 people do not care for them, and detest the 

 necessary work of attention. I have said 

 nothing of poultry, but it is generally under- 

 stood that a stock of fowls is almost 

 essential for a small holding, if only to 

 suppty eggs and birds for the holder's use. 



Market Gardening. This is a form of 

 utilising a small holding of land which has 

 become increasingly attractive to people of 

 late years. Quite a number of well-educated 

 young men have taken up the life ; and 

 while some have, for want of energy and 

 attention, signally failed, others have be- 

 come established and increased their hold- 

 ings. The crops grown for this purpose are 

 largely those which have been found suit- 

 able for certain districts. In some locali- 

 ties earliness is a feature for certain crops, 

 as, for instance, what is known in the 

 markets as Cornish Broccoli ; or, again, the 

 soil of a portion of the country may speci- 

 ally favour a crop, such as is found to be the 

 case with Worcester Asparagus. Many other 

 instances could be advanced, but enough 

 has been said to show the intending holder 

 of land that, for a time at least, when a 

 new neighbourhood is chosen, there must 

 be more than usual care in the selection of 

 crops to be grown. 







Artichoke, Globe. With this plant it 

 is not the roots that are marketed, but the 

 tops or heads. Give liberal treatment to 

 induce rapid growth in spring. Besides 

 ample dressings of yard manure in autumn 

 or winter, nitrate of soda in March and 

 April, about twice, at the rate of i oz. per 

 square yard will be useful. Feeding is an 

 essential feature in the cultivation of this 

 crop, as unless this receives due attention 

 the " heads " will be small and lacking in 

 tenderness. Plants can be raised from seeds 

 sown in spring or from side growths taken 

 from the old plants and planted out in 



