larirnwr. 
THE FARMER’S GARDEN. 
BY M. L DUNLAP. 
" , . . .. n cn1tv or w c conversed with several persons who The hotels are good, and prices range 
made into whisky but it attracts M oil 0“^“L^Ucago Wheel had ungNJUd'Tarma^hS^theimmediate vicinity i 
[yTf‘th'e TiqtSfor £T Atothe charcoal hoc, has little idea of the saying of labor by experience 'nor capital of the city, particularly those which imssea d 
i?_ With the noisonous their use. , , ._u, ihe undertaking; hut iny opinion a good river front suitable for InnIding pin ( 
These range from $200 to $250 per 
tv of the liauid for use. Alter the cnarctmi uoo, — ...— that th hatl nC iuier ir.\p«i.i«uvt= u U . — -v» r-.— • 
L hceonie “l use a Coulter made of a two by cqua, '£?*SZ ^ TJZ S T^ tmZ ZZ 
fusel oil, it Is no longer <rfjduef«»*P»f ^ “ ch b „ of iron , tur „ e dnp atthelower » that tho ^«*0 Posam these t ^ ^ w( . u stockcd wlth fruil , tl ,e 
when dm chwcoalte’again ready for use. ’ end ami pointed, “ Cincha d^buftt 1» here, spending the crop of which will pay for the land on which 
Without denidiug the point, whether a ot *, edge prese'ntedte winter in a ^™Uage of h,s own nem r t « -I 11 “*T 0 ” re ^ —j fanns „ be bought 
BY M i eusur. without deciding the point, wnctuer a !» ■, ~- . ire6eQW u> 
Oui: great want of the Western farmer la portion of the manure is, or us“£ (h( , „ M of but lett the thickness of the 
abetter knowledge of the value amt culture hjr P*™ “ P>* , ^ t „ K K Uon,» bar, half an inch. This will be run dose to 
Of Barden vegetables. Most of them labor ***} >uluC .’ " tbe balll 0 f charcoal the young plants, so as to break the soil 
under the delusion that the soil is sufficiently wo bn jb 1 gubtracted from , the deeply, for the purpose of adn^Ung jam- 
rich to grow garden truck without the aid of j diminished its value, water and air. By plan mg tetto, cwrote 
manure, In some instances this may pro\c j • . tbe simple fact that and turnips eighteen inches ap , 
true, hut as a general thing It b a falhtcy ^ ^ a .tronger aIBnity for the hotel run tbto coulter in these rows greatly to 
that has cost us loo much to be 1W” *' ' b wtae8 , with which it had been their advantage, 
rated. Ten to twenty wagon load, of good, ™ ^ ^ ^ ^ ebampa uen, ill., _ 
rich manure to the aew* ™ The sap of newly tappdt maple trees con- Brfl7lHa|1 gweet P „ t „, 0 .- This potato has at- 
much, and Without which large \ laLng 8an d, and the blood of the human sys- tmcl ,. (1 conSld erable attention in minots- Mn 
good quality cannot be confidently expoctet cannot suppose that these k. a. RntHnof Alton (we believe.) a rol able and 
fc Wo cannot choose a garden, for that ts Wb» " |,„t rather in oraetlea, man. write, the Buret Wortahat It 
. ___ f the bnnse erounda; were taken up in a enuu. suue, out, [ u j t t U) 0 r the sweet potatoes lie 
combination, or reduced to atoms, a division when mat nrt% la better and morn 
so small that we have no microscope So pow- productlvo tha „ the NanaemoiuL but is low i r>i-o- 
erful as to enable u» to see them, much less ductJv e than the Bermuda, it has 
.0 measure their airn and font. Wm.dy 1 = XSl»SSTl‘S 
structure is but the aggregate of atoms iu g(XHl will tl()t roa ke more than half as 
carbon, and this'carbon is diffused through many plants as a bushel of tlm Sunsemontl, and 
circle 
they 
and yet it is poor soil. -y be purchased as low as $50 per acre. 
\vV visited Col. ll.uiDKE of the “Honey None of these, however, have what the 
Moon ” nursery, expecting there to see Northern farmers would consider good build- 
Homctliing of the capabilities of the soil, but ingfl on them. . . , . 
the colonel’s grounds are new and his plan- One of the best farms that I visited is 
I unions recently made. He had planted owned by Johnson & Stockton ; it is situ- 
MV ...- # - -■ crounds; were taken up in a crime ^t ^ uf t]w #weet potatoes he 
but the appendage ]ocl Jf not on combination, or reduced to atoms, a division ^ bnt> when inatum u better and more 
and the bouse grnm» ■ . ’ n g0 Kina n that we have no microgcope do ]»ow- ^ ductlvo tha „ the Nansemond. but is Icet ipro- 
account of the intnnslc mer ts of the » , w them, much less than the Bermuda. It has ta«u, th ck 
but on account of Us central location to he aud Woody loaves and short vines. f,mlt »Umt 
farm, the highway. U* *^ Lcture is but the aggregate of aUnns of « 
neighbors, The house is, t - ^ carboD , aiK i tins'carbon is diffused through 1)lanta uA a bushel of the Nunaemond, and 
on the most uninviting part »• atmosphere in the form of carbonic acid 8lin lee6 t han tbo Bermuda. He has found, bow- 
far as the garden is concerned. accidental substence, as it were, ever, that, if covered deeper than is the practice 
The garden mu»t he “ !U float. mU.oatmo.pl,We.rUghuu,,- -»/ 
two accounts, one for tike sake d I lliat manuring trees with charcoal ^ ote vlmU than if covered shallovrer, os to 
plying to it tho odd hours lUut would would make them grow rapidly, but this is ugU ally done, and pro peace U> cover his potatoes 
otherwise lost, and the other for convenience ^ u , ue The t . arbon m mit be reduced to (BnuslUan) four to live inches deep, and some 
to the kitchen. carbonic add gas and bn carried to the roots even more. 
After the location of the house Is deter- plants by the rain or air, aud is then — 
* 1*_1,a ai: M >Mnn*iA»iU aVwiitltl * * ^ . i. .1, V__ ^ 
peaches largely, and with each tree a grape 
vine. The peach tree making what lie 
termed a “ green trellis ’’ for the grape, afford¬ 
ing it needful protection from the sun in 
summer. In this way he says lm can grow 
our Northern varieties of grapes. 
We noted extraordinary growth of quinces 
and figs one year from cuttings —twice as 
large as with us. Also a graft of a Red Aslra- 
elian apple on a thorn, one season s growth, 
equal to two at least with us. The graft at 
more plants 
mined, a garden of ample dimensions should by the roots aud carried to the leaves Q v , rm+ll 
he laid out. If the land is so situated, u tll(5 ait i 0 f the sap, aud thence re- Ai)0Ul Wt ^UUU;. 
parallelogram is tho best shape ; say^ twice ^ form wood ^ 0 ^ 
as long as wide. This is to enable the farrm r There ig n0 doubt that this manure per- '- — 
to work the crops with horse instep ot formg at left8t three offices; first, that of an jjOTES OF TRAVEL SOUTH.-V. 
hand power—a very important consider - ub>BOrl)<>Ill G f t bo g a8ea washed out of the - 
tion with the farmer who has not the time to aU nosphare by the rain; second, by its B v P. b.vrrT. 
putter with small weeds, for he is accustomed mechanical cffecl on soil, making stiff -Pontrarv to 
to kill them with the harrow and cultivator. roug R ’ 0 aH u, readily admit rain- Jacksonville, January -1.— Contrary 
An ordinary sized family »hould Have a pjr- ^. oml , lllW , by plant growtl. our expectetions »e ««£<««£ ' 
boitl tbe ^outb. 
NOTES OF TRAVEL SOUTH—V. 
grown there very successfully. 
’ We visited the grounds of another culti¬ 
vator of vegetables, but he had failed in it 
and had just sold Ids place to a Northern in¬ 
valid at a great loss. His ground was poor, 
very poor, and he was short of both means 
ated on the banks of the river, about three 
miles out of the city. They have now in 
bearing iwcn^y acres of strawberries, l>eside 
twenty acres more on another farm, and were 
then planting the balance of 5,000 pear trees, 
and fifteen acres of blackberries. They in¬ 
formed me that they had provided 72,000 
baskets to market their berries. 
Strawberries arc grown largely by all the 
fruit growers, say from five to thirty acres 
each. Pears also do well, aud large num¬ 
bers of trees are being planted. Mrs. W aue 
is one of the pioneers in this line of fruit; 
her orchard numbers two thousand two 
hundred trees in bearing, and has proved a 
profitable crop. 
Mr. Leighton has recently planted five 
thousand trees; bis orchard has been ex¬ 
amined by several good judges, and pro¬ 
nounced to lie very fine. 
Norfolk possesses very superior aclvanta- 
baury. 
Jacksonville, January 21.—Contrary to 
and experience, though before we saw him g eg bl regard to marketing or transporting 
he was reported to have been successful. her produce. It has direct communication 
Wc met another who had left Wisconsin w i tb Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Bal- 
a few years ago and started a nursery a short t i more , and Wilmington, Del., via Anna- 
distance from Jacksonville up the river. me8 ic Line. This cily also possesses a tlour- 
He too had failed, and was about to go j 8b i U g Agricultural Club, of which J. F. B. 
North again. Leighton is President. The society is good, 
den of not less than two acres. This will 
suffice for Ins small vegetables, early pota¬ 
toes, sweet com, cabbage, mangold, and 
beets for two or three cows for his winter 
supply of milk. 
If the soil is sandy, which is not often tho 
case in the prairie country, that is, so sandy 
that it will not hold the manure, we must 
add clay with the manure; if a heavy clay, 
like some of our timber ridges, very deep 
S’ By uitUB vSw' of Two tan ~ railroad from Savannah to .Tnclotonvilk, and 
bow eJrtU it l» to the vegetable garden made the jonrney v^ploaaanl y. m one 
whose products depend mainly on a rapid 
growth, that a supply of cellulose and | 
starch in greater proportion than woody 
fiber is furnished. A slow growing beet, 
turnip or cabbage, is tough and woody, 
while a rapid growing one Is rich in the 
Pullman’s splendid cal's, in about twelve 
hours. 
The land, all along the route, as far as we 
were able to see it, is of the pool, sandy, 
character, which prevails along the whole 
coast region, sparsely clothed with pines, 
with poor-looking settlements at long in- 
North again. uttiuiiiuii x iwnuuv, a *. —j — ^ 
Orange culture wc were told had not thus be i n g largely composed ol Northern men, all 
far been quite successful. In December last working in harmony with the old citizens, 
t he thermometer went as low as seventeen wbo welcome all persons coming here to 
.Lwwn/m i,ninw fraezmiT. ‘and all the oranges m;i kc a permanent home. 
addciay with tne manure, n u , f . montg of food • vvuu poor• iwiuus .. %. 
like some of our timber ridges, very deep t now , r0 onG step further, and tervals. As we approached Jacksonville, 
plowing and a large supply of coarse ma- ^ dun J, deeply dmincd by tllo, we fell into conversation with a tamflyj ot 
nure to change the texture of the soil and bcda or Jeep plowing, that the soil grown persons, men aud women, w io n 
to render it more porous, is the best treat- wUl absorb aU tb( . gases aud allow the pure left Alabama and were coming to settle 
ment; if it is common prairie sod, a supply U) mter away i, llo die subsoU, ready, Florida. The female head ot the hum j■,. • 
of manure as first Indicated will place It in _ f a droulLl * t0 return back by capil- bright old lady, was quite indignant that * - 
a suitable condition for the garden crop. uttrftclion lo m oiaten atoms of plant should have been brought to such a miseiu- 
The reason for these different preparations ^ tUat 1be soil held for the growth of hie looking country. I hc«« H ’ ‘ ’ 
is not a matter of guess-work, but a matter . Th0 80 n, therefore, acts not so much do drag us around so. \\ hy , this y 
• .i?_l.i,. tnil omlu r\\ • #• i a_ ii . -- y.ln (/if* unvliiiiiv lilt nnflFArd* 
works on gardening, or those which have ^ ^ Wow wbm . « 10 gases should be we Florida m consequence...■«»- > » 
simply been compiled from them. What Blored ant i evaporated, nearly all the gases descriptions of the climah • 
wevvL is an Ainsriean system; or rather, w } th it, and the stock of plant travelers aud the many BfrOng steteumnts 
we of the West., a system adapted to our food lost) „ r returned to the air. In wet made concerning it, as an inviting 
inland continental climate—in short, a system 8oaROn9 tbiB ^ tbe case, and though plants Northern emigrants. . f 
that may be applied to aU soils, in either und otlcu do attain a fair size, yet they Its peculiar fitness for 
damp or dry climates, based on science, that ju . e ngy and of comparatively little value, fruits and vegetables for Nor™ ^ a 
may be taught in our schools, one for every u wU , bc 8ecn that deep tillage is the anti- were matters which 1 wished to investigate 
day practical use, wherever the student may d l( f yr b otli drouth and heavy rains. In in person. 
chol to locate himself. « ,,o emmot uaderdrata, we may plow We were agreeably d^ppo.eted in find- 
In a climate like oors, that la liable to long ,,11.. lanea of two, four or alx rods wide, ami tag an excellent hotel Tl lie_ bt. . a ., 
continued drouths, we must prepare our soil by repeated plowing! in the same direction, a large and commod ous l ouse m 
to wUl^tand ita effoela; on tllo other band J r aiae the l.ed» that they will allow the airy open quarter in the^ town,^ Itad 
wc are also liable to long rainy peritKla, heavy rain fall* to paaa off through the soil, just been opened, am m 
instead Ol the drouth, and tho soil must be A 1Mrt of m y own garden is nnderdramed cellent rooms and aoconimodattoiB of cv_ y 
prepared for this eontlngenoy also. When will, tile, and a part plowed Into beds as kind. I be 1 !!. ^S 
vc nlant in spring wc do net know which of abo vc described. Practically, in regard to a Bostoman, c ^ 1 - 
degrees below freezing, and all the oranges 
in Florida were frozen. The trees were in¬ 
jured, but not seriously. The sugar cane 
‘was also frozen. Wc went to the market to 
procure some oranges and cane to carry 
home, but we were told that neither were 
worth taking, as they had been frozen, and | 
we found this to be the case. Such a severe 
frost is a rare occurrence. 
Wo intended to make a trip up the bt. 
John’s River and to bt. Augustine, hut we 
were too early in the season to see any of 
the beauties of vegetation; the oranges 
were frozen ; the steamers on the St. John’s 
do not afford daily communication, and vve 
were engaged to be in New I oik on the 
10th of February, and so vve were compelled 
to postpone the remainder of our 11 oriel a 
tour till another season, when vve hope to 
see it under more favorable circumstances. 
There does not seem to be a stone around 
Jacksonville. The streets arc all sand, and 
wbo welcome all persons coming here to 
make a permanent home. 
The Bouthern waters are filled with the 
best of fish and oysters, which are sold 
cheap. 
Portsmouth is situated on the - opposite 
side of the river, which is about one aud a 
half miles wide at that point.. The connec¬ 
tion is made by ferry boats, which run 
every fifteen minutes. Farms are cheaper 
here, and of the same quality. A good 
farm can bo bought for $100 per acre, and 
from ten to fifteen miles back, for $10 to 
$15 per acre. These arc not all new lands, 
but old fanns still in fair condition, with the 
exception of the buildings. 
Mr. Riohaiid Cox owns a farm within 
three miles of Portsmouth, and is one of the 
largest growers of produce in that section. 
His crop last season consisted of 2,000 boxes 
of tomatoes, and about 2,500 barrels ol peas, 
beaus, cucumbers aud potatoes, with six 
acres of strawberries. He has 1,800 feet of 
ing an excellent hotel. The “ St. James,” 
a large and commodious house, in an 
airy open quarter in the town, had 
just been opened, and in it vve found ex- 
Jacksonville. The streets arc all sanu, uuu acres ot strawoerncs. ire 
in summer wc were told, when the wind gbv s S to grow his tomato plants in alone, 
mows, are'almost unendurable. We saw He informed me thatthe largest returns that 
the foundation of a church being built with be bad received in one year, from one hun- 
sliell stone from Bt. Augustine. The Live cb - t .(| acres, was ten thousand dollars, and 
Oak is the principal street tree, and the that he had compared accounts with gome of 
streets arc spacious and well planted. the best Long Island farmers for several 
We saw bat little of interest in the gar- years, and his profits were as much p< i acre 
dens— some enormous oleanders, considera- aa theirs wore. 
biy injured by frost; in one place we met Mr. Cannon is now experimenting with 
two line,specimens of the Quprmns ftmebrix. the Concord grape ; his vineyard consists ot 
It seemed very strange to us that in such Bixty acres, in a high state of cultivation, 
a mild winter climate not a green blade was and v j n ea are two years old this spring. 
vve plant in spring wo do not know which »n 
these accidents of the season will overtake 
us; and If wc have only simple empirical 
rules for our government wc need expect no 
other result than a failure. 
In either of these cases wo must have 
thorough drainage. T lie plants cannot grow 
RlfUVC UHOt.lIWWU. * * mvv, ,7 7 ci ,, 
the crop, there is little differeuee; yet, in during our brief etay, as did also Dr. Rogers, 
the latter, the wide, deep, dead furrow is au a Now England gentiemau who baa charge 
objection that 1 shall get rid of as soon as 
tile can be had at reasonable prices ; that is, 
made within team-hauling distance. 
With a garden in the condition suggested, 
in standing or stagnant water, or in a soil there is no difficulty in early planting, and 
. . • _ M « » at .. . 1 I_ 
thoroughly saturated, no more than in one 
dry as dust, as is often the case with our 
garden soils. Then again, we must make 
the soil and conditions of moisture conform 
to the natural habitat of any particular 
plant. For instance, the onion needs a very 
little danger of losing tho seed by the wot 
and cold, for such a soil becomes dry and 
warm at an early period in the spring. 
of the sanitary affairs of the house. This 
hotel is a Boston enterprise. The company 
who built and furnished it has also invested 
largely hi adjoining lands and is doing 
much to build up and improve the town. 
There is quite an active movement in real 
estate in and around the town. Prices, wc 
were told, hud almost, and in many cases 
to Vie seen in the fields, and domestic animals jt is the general opinion, however, that the 
seemed to be in a starved condition. How gM pe will not prove a profitable crop m 
easy it, would bc to grow green corn, lb j ft section. The soil is the same on both 
sorehum or something of that sort, for sid(!H 0 f the river, it is composed of a dark 
winter feed. sandy loam, from six to twelve inches deep, 
conditions of moisture conform in this connection I wish to Add that it quite doubled within a blunt • k 
ral habitat of any particular for any reason the manure cannot bc added Northern people are building co f? 
instance, the onion needs a very bc f 0 re planting, it may be applied as a top their winter residence; and others ax i 
sandy loam, from six to twelve inches deep, 
with a subsoil of stiff clay from three to six 
FROM NORFOLK, VA.: f eet thick. The surface is very level and 
Its Fruit ii ml te*etabl« Products-Prices drailiage difficult 1 think the general CUS- 
Of Land, Etc. lo , n is lo cUt through this strata of clay to 
T have freouentlr been asked this ques- tlie sand. This is sometimes done in plant- 
t ion • “ To what part of the South would you ing trees, filling the cavity with oyster^shells 
advise me to no in order to grow fruit and until sufficiently near the aurthce lot planting. 
nXrfreit^ tip New York marketV” Drinking water is obtained by unking 
1 in pin ,r a Short trio to this section, I made it wells from fifteen to twunty-uve ltLt - 
£SttSJVli t° gatlier s'u,,U infor- Labor U <£p e tefo 
mat ion ns I thought would be instructive man can he hired fumi seventy n 
and beneficial to your readers, and at the one dollar per day, and women for bftyce . 
same time answer many questions. In writ- The fruit and produce sent from Norfolk 
in - this article I do so entirely for the benefit were grown principally vvithm a cn cle ol fav c 
SZi. tt bo wish to settle it. the m aes The variety and quantity _««i con- 
Ol mose pmauit. v r.rt<, lvaobnle ryf IlfVldpH 50.000 
food of plants. U is a very generally re- it is just us valuable, aud often more so, 
ccived opinion that the food of plants is the w hen the mins carry its elements into the 
soil or the manure, that the plants take up so ji by lixiviation of the substance, but the 
and elaborate the inorganic matters from manure will lack the added value of an ub- 
tliese and present them to us in the organic so rbent aud mechanical corrector, 
form. This is an important consideration There is also another condition requisite 
not only in farm crops, but has a direct t0 SU ecess, and that has regard to planting, 
bearing on garden vegetables. After the garden is plowed, harrowed, and 
Tlie statement made at tlie commence- rolled, it must he planted in rows, those for 
ment in regard to the necessity of a large horse work, three to four feet, and those for 
supply of manure, would naturally lead to the wheel hoc, eighteen inches. It is best to 
this inference; and yet, in fact, the manure stake out the rows, and with twine long 
may not supply a particle of the real food of enough to reach the whole length of the 
the plant, though, as wc know, the plants rows, lay down the line and fnark out >y 
cannot grow so well without its aid. In the side of it, and cover with a steel rake, 
preparing alcohol or highwines for whisky. Gardeners use a short line; but this require* 
It must pass through pulverized charcoal, too much time, and it is bettor to have a Uni 
Now this charcoal docs not add any new that reaches the entire row, for then it car 
substance to the highwines, by which it is bc laid ever to the next row without mud 
ful climate in winter, that of Jacksonville; 
access, anu now ht Qn berriea one , bes ide melons, cabbages, etc. i was 
boarding-houses, will be one of tlie most • I - $ » QUart ^nich includes informed that good farms were for sale up 
popular places of winter resort for Northern and ajialf^ ^ 1^ ^ > freight on bar _ ^ j Jime9 River from $10 to $25 per acre, 
people. i . ..., 1 c fi+wcents Tlie Annamesic Line runs with connection with Norfolkand Richmond. 
Aa to tho prospects for irmt ca tlire am th^ly «»t. Delaware Railroad, From what I saw ami foamed, I am aate- 
gardeuing for prqbt, our obscrvaUoua did ' “““ju” bused, either as a Height or m that this is one of the best location for 
not result veiy Ayoniiy..|e urn 1 line. Each of the above lines fruit growing in the South, for the New York 
enough to reach the whole length of the great quantities ot manure, wmen is expeu- 
rows, laydown the line and mark out by siv« and difficult to procure. Then the trans- 
the side of it, and cover with a steel rake, pollution facilities are not good enough loi 
‘Z Thf CToA^d Washington line ‘“foft Norfollt March 37th, and then the 
h for make a connection daily at_ Baltimore with peaa were three fow 
the side of it, and cover with a steel rake, porttttion lacrlilies are not goou ei BaV Shore steamers; fare $11, not in- the peach trees in full blossom. 
Gardeners use a short lino; but this requires ebuvoyrtig fresh vegehi > cs am ^ ^ cludin^ meals or berth on the steamer. This strawberries were also in bloom. 
too much time, and it is better to have a line Northern markets. 1 bey have to De re 
that reaches tlie entire row, for then it can shipped at Savannah, and seldom reachei 
he laid ever to the next row without much market in good order, as we were informed 
JNortncrn niamew. mvy un»n t>- ... y.-tn ,\ M arrivimr 
shipped at Savannah, and seldom reached line leaves New York at 8.40 A. M., arriving 
market in good order, as we were informed, at Norfolk the next day a, 
Now and Then. 
New York, April 7th, 1SC9. 
