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THE IREIGATION AGE. 



Onions are one of the vegetables usually found on 

 every farm and are said to be very healthful. There 

 are many varieties and they can be matured either for 

 spring or fall use, and if one likes them, they are 

 negligent not to have them. It was formerly the custom 

 to grow onions in the South from sets, but they are also 

 grown successfully from the seed. 



Beets ought to be grown and consumed more than 

 they are. They yield enormously, are cheaply grown 

 and have almost no insect and fungus enemies. A very 

 small garden plot will furnish beets for a family and 

 they are fine eating and easily prepared. 



English peas and snap beans of various kinds are 

 leading garden products, and no garden is complete 

 without them. Each should be planted in succession 

 to ripen at different dates. 



Tomatoes are in a class all to themselves. They 

 may be had early by starting in hotbed or cold frame, 

 and they may be continued till fall by later planting. 

 The "love apple" of former days, which was thought to 

 be poisonous, has become a leading standby in the gar- 

 den of today. Whether eaten uncooked, freshly cooked 

 or canned, it is eminently satisfactory. 



Cantaloupes and watermelons may be grown in the 

 kitchen garden, or if more convenient, can be grown 

 outside. When the hot weather of midsummer arrives 

 and our appetite for bread, potatoes and meat has van- 

 ished, nothing is as satisfactory as members of the 

 melon family. Cantaloupes for breakfast with a little 

 salt on them, and watermelon at any time when resting 

 in the shade, are compensations for the long-continued 

 heat that brings on lassitude. 



Summer squashes are excellent for those who like 

 them, and are often a welcome change, but the winter 

 kinds, like the Hubbard, or its southern substitute, the 

 Cashaw pumpkin, are more nutritive. 



Cabbage and collards are very substantial food, the 

 former furnishing, perhaps, more nutritive matter for 

 the area on which it is grown than any other vegetable. 

 Cabbage is good fresh, cooked or made into sauer kraut. 

 By all means, let every farmer grow cabbage, or collards 

 if he prefers. 



Corn should be the king of the garden, as it is the 

 king of the field. There are many varieties of sweet 

 corn, some of them remaining green a long time, and 

 by planting at successive times one may have sweet corn 

 from June until frost comes again. Corn is the most 

 nutritious of all vegetables, except possibly peas and 

 beans, and is superior to them in ease of production, 

 preparation and cooking. Have all other vegetables, but 

 have corn anyway. 



One should have berries on the farm, whether 

 within or without the garden. Several varieties of 

 dewberries and blackberries, and even raspberries, may 

 be grown, while strawberries go without saying. 



For ease of working, garden vegetables should be 

 planted in long rows and worked by horse power as 

 much as possible. This will reduce the hand work and 

 keep the garden cleaner than it could be kept if hand 

 work is depended on entirely. 



All these things growing within a stone's throw 

 of the kitchen door can be gathered by the children 

 where mamma can have her eye on them or can help 

 them, and they will keep the table full to overflowing 

 with delicious, healthful products and save many dol- 

 lars' worth of store goods. 



NATIONAL DRAINAGE ASSOCIATION. 



One of the most important movements of na- 

 tional importance was auspiciously set on foot in the 

 organization of the National Drainage Association at 

 the conference called for that purpose, which sat at 

 Oklahoma City on December 5, 6 and 7 last. There 

 were present at the conference nearly one hundred del- 

 egates, representing seventeen States, covering all the 

 way from Georgia to California. The delegates were 

 a most representative lot of men, and fully alive to the 

 importance and the possibilities of the great work in- 

 volved. The proceedings of the conference were marked 

 by earnest exchange of opinion, and yet resolving them- 

 selves with unity of action, which augured happily for 

 the future work of the association. There were twelve 

 or fifteen of our national and state engineers present 

 at the conference a body of men than whom none are 

 more important or more sincere and earnest in the de- 

 development of all our national resources on broad and 

 efficient lines. To describe to our readers what a 

 change in sentiment has come to the people along the 

 lines of irrigation, drainage and similar work in the 

 states, we simply contrast this first drainage confer- 

 ence with the first national conference called some eight 

 years since to organize the National Irrigation Con- 

 gress. At that conference there were twelve delegates 

 present, representing five states. 



The drainage association elected as its officers for 

 the first year as follows : George E. Barstow, Barstow, 

 Texas, president; J. S. Osburn, Coffeyville, Kas., first 

 vice-president; A. S. Fellows, Bismarck, N. D., second 

 vice-president. 



Executive Committee for three years A. S. Ber- 

 nard, Cass Lake, Minn., and F. W. Brockman, St. 

 Louis, Mo. 



For two Years J. J. Melluish, Bloomington, 111., 

 and A. S. McGowan, Snyder, Okla. 



One year L. E. Ashbaugh, Ames, Iowa, and 

 Charles L. Rushing, Meridan, Miss. 



The election of treasurer and secretary was left 

 with the executive committee. 



There is something like eighty-five million acres 

 of overflowed lands in the states that can be reclaimed ; 

 the products from said lands can hardly be computed. 

 They will add immeasurably to our productive ca- 

 pacity as a nation, and in process of time will be re- 

 quired for our rapidly growing people. 



This movement is entirely in harmony with the 

 great work now in progress by the national government, 

 and by private enterprise in reclaiming the great arid 

 regions of the West and Southwest, as well as being in 

 accord with that other most important work of locat- 

 ing the masses of the people upon the lands of the 

 nation. Also emphasizes the vital need of national aid 

 in creating deep water highways out of the Missis- 

 sippi river and its tributaries. 



Senator Flint of California now has an act before 

 the national Congress at Washington, looking toward 

 the establishment of a fund for propagating this great 

 work of national drainage, and which we hope will meet 

 with success. 



The first national drainage congress will sit at St. 

 Paul in October next. 



