FARM-GARDENING. 9 



What these crops shall be and the amount to be realized 

 from them can only be determined by the attending circum- 

 stances. The class of men above alluded to, or, in other 

 words, those who are now engaged in farming working 

 men can enter upon this business at much less risk than 

 those entirely unskilled in tilling the soil. They can, in 

 connection with their regular business, devote an acre or 

 two to growing those crops the management of which is 

 the least complicated. The additional expense will be for 

 manure, some improved tools, and a little extra labor. 

 By keeping strict account of expenses and receipts, they 

 can calculate nearly the probable amount of money return 

 from each crop. 



I would here call attention to the fact that a trial of 

 three or four years will be necessary to fully determine 

 this matter, because the land at the start can hardly be 

 brought to the condition necessary to produce the best re- 

 sults, which can only be brought about by thorough 

 working and manuring. It also may occur that at one 

 season the price of any particular article may be very low, 

 and the next exactly the reverse may be the case, so that 

 one year's results must be averaged with the other. If 

 these experiments prove satisfactory, the area devoted to 

 the culture may be increased, and other crops, such as re- 

 quire the use of hot-beds and cold-frames, may be added. 



Those who have sons growing up can assist them in 

 this way to acquire a knowledge of this kind of farming, 

 and as a rule, those who have grown up with the business 

 are the most successful followers of it. In most cases, in 

 farm-gardening, one half the quantity of manure used by 

 market-gardeners will be sufficient to produce the crop, 

 especially on new land that is naturally fertile, and where 

 land is abundant it will be advisable to select a fresh 

 piece occasionally one that has lain for some time in 

 grass and seed down an equivalent amount of the old 

 land. There are many crops which may be grown for 

 1* 



