version by ,al ,haines4 ,,three ,,acres ,,and ,,liberty ,,by ,,bolton ,,hall ,,author ,,of ,,things ,,as ,,they ,,are1 ,,thrift1 ,,etc4 ,,revised ,,edition ,a sower went out to sow and he sowed that which was in his heart--for what can a man sow else6 ,from ,,the ,,game ,,of ,,life4 ,or1 as the ,vulgate has it1-- ,exitt qui seminat seminare semen suum4 ,,new ,,york ,,the ,,macmillan ,,company #aiah ,all rights reserved4 ,copyright #aijg and #aiah ,by ,,the ,,macmillan ,,company ,set up and electrotyped4 ,published ,march1 #aijg4 ,reprinted ,april1 ,july1 #aijg2 ,march1 #aijh2 ,june1 ,september1 #aiaj2 ,april1 #aiab2 ,april #aiad4 ,new edition1 revised ,february1 #aiah4 ,,foreword ,we are not tied to a desk or to a bench2 we stay there only because we think we are tied4 ,in ,montana ,i had a horse1 which was hobbled every night to keep him from wandering2 that is1 straps joined by a short chain were put around his forefeet1 so that he could only hop4 ,the hobbles were taken off in the morning1 but he would still hop until he saw his mate trotting off4 ,this book is intended to show how any one can trot off if he will4 ,it is not a textbook2 there are plenty of good textbooks1 which are referred to herein4 ,intensive cultivation cannot be comprised in any one book4 ,it shows what is needed for a city man or woman to support a family on the proceeds of a little bit of land2 it shows how in truth1 as the old ,book prophesied1 the earth brings forth abundantly after its kind to satisfy the desire of every living thing4 ,it is not necessary to bury oneself in the country1 nor1 with the new facilities of transportation1 need we1 unless we wish to1 pay the extravagant rents and enormous cost of living in the city4 ,a little bit of land near the town or the city can be rented or bought on easy terms2 and merchandising will bring one to the city often enough4 ,neither is hard labor needed2 but it is to work alone that the earth yields her increase1 and if1 although unskilled1 we would succeed in gardening1 we must attend constantly and intelligently to the home acres4 ,every chapter of this book has been revised by a specialist1 and the authors wish to express their appreciation of the aid given them1 particularly by ,mr4 ,e4 ,h4 ,moore1 ,arboriculturist in the ,brooklyn ,department of ,parks2 ,mr4 ,collingwood of the ,rural ,new ,yorker and ,mr4 ,george ,t4 ,powell2 and to thank ,mrs4 ,mabel ,osgood ,wright1 and also ,mr4 ,joseph ,morwitz1 for many valuable suggestions2 also all those from whom we have quoted directly or in substance4 ,we have endeavored in the text to give full acknowledgment to all1 but in some cases it has been impossible to credit to the originator every paragraph or thought1 since these have been selected and placed as needed1 believing that all true teachers and gardeners are more anxious to have their message sent than to be seen delivering it4 ,in truth1 teaching is but another department of gardening4 ,practical points and criticisms from practical men and women1 especially from those experiences in trying to get to the land1 will be welcomed by the authors4 ,address in care of the publishers4 ,the ,report of the ,country ,life ,commission1 with ,special ,message from the ,president of the ,united ,states1 is especially important as showing the connection of ,intensive ,cultivation with ,thrift for war time4 ,it tells us that3 ,the handicaps 7on getting out of town7 that we now have specially in mind may be stated under four heads3 ,speculative holding of lands2 monopolistic control of streams2 wastage and monopolistic control of forests2 restraint of trade4 ,certain landowners procure large areas of agricultural land in the most available location1 sometimes by questionable methods1 and hold it for speculative purposes4 ,this not only withdraws the land itself from settlement1 but in many cases prevents the development of an agricultural community4 ,the smaller landowners are isolated and unable to establish their necessary institutions or to reach the market4 ,the holding of large areas by one party tends to develop a system of tenantry and absentee farming4 ,the whole development may be in the direction of social and economic ineffectiveness4 ,a similar problem arises in the utilization of swamp lands4 ,according to the reports of the ,geological ,survey1 there are more than #ge1jjj1jjj acres of swamp land in this country1 the greater part of which are capable of reclamation at probably a nominal cost as compared to their value4 ,it is important to the development of the best type of country life that the reclamation proceed under conditions insuring subdivision into small farms and settlement by men who would both own them and till them4 ,some of these lands are near the centers of population4 ,they become a menace to health1 and they often prevent the development of good social conditions in very large areas4 ,as a rule they are extremely fertile4 ,they are capable of sustaining an agricultural population numbering many millions1 and the conditions under which these millions must live are a matter of national concern4 ,the ,federal ,government should act to the fullest extent of its constitutional powers in the reclamation of these lands under proper safeguards against speculative holding and landlordism4 ,the rivers are valuable to the farmers as drainage lines1 as irrigation supply1 as carriers and equalizers of transportation rates1 as a readily available power resource1 and for raising food fish4 ,the wise development of these and other uses is important to both agricultural and other interests2 their protection from monopoly is one of the first responsibilities of government4 ,the streams belong to the people2 under a proper system of development their resources would remain an estate of all the people1 and become available as needed4 ,river transportation is not usually antagonistic to railway interests4 ,population and production are increasing rapidly1 with corresponding increase in the demands made on transportation facilities4 ,it may be reasonably expected that the river will eventually carry a large part of the freight that does not require prompt delivery1 while the railway will carry that requiring expedition4 ,this is already foreseen by leading railway men2 and its importance to the farmer is such that he should encourage and aid1 by every means in his power1 the large use of the rivers4 ,the country will produce enough business to tax both streams and railroads to their utmost4 ,in many regions the streams afford facilities for power1 which1 since the inauguration of electrical transmission1 is available for local rail lines and offers the best solution of local transportation problems4 ,in many parts of the country local and interurban lines are providing transportation to farm areas1 thereby increasing facilities for moving crops and adding to the profit and convenience of farm life4 ,however1 there seems to be a very general lack of appreciation of the possibilities of this water-power resource as governing transportation costs4 ,the streams may be also used as small water power on thousands of farms4 ,this is particularly true of small streams4 ,much of the labor about the house and barn can be performed by transmission of power from small water wheels running on the farms themselves or in the neighborhood4 ,this power could be used for electric lighting and for small manufacture4 ,it is more important that small power be developed on the farms of the ,united ,states than that we harness ,niagara4 ,unfortunately1 the tendency of the present laws is to encourage the acquisition of these resources on easy terms1 or on their own terms1 by the first applicants1 and the power of the streams is rapidly being acquired under conditions that lead to the concentration of ownership in the hands of the monopolies4 ,this constitutes a real and immediate danger1 not to the country-life interests alone1 but to the entire nation1 and it is time that the whole people become aroused to it4 ,the forests have been exploited for private gain not only until the timber has been seriously reduced1 but until streams have been ruined for navigation1 power1 irrigation1 and common water supplies1 and whole regions have been exposed to floods and disastrous soil erosion4 ,probably there has never occurred a more reckless destruction of property that of right should belong to all the people4 ,the wood-lot property of the country needs to be saved and increased4 ,wood-lot yield is one of the most important crops of the farms1 and is of great value to the public in con trolling streams1 saving the run-off1 checking winds1 and adding to the attractiveness of the region4 ,taken up in a special chapter of this book4 ,in many regions where poor and hilly lands prevail1 the town or county could well afford to purchase forest land1 expecting thereby to add to the value of the property and to make the forests a source of revenue4 ,such communal forests in ,europe yield revenue to the cities and towns by which they are owned and managed4 ,these revenues would furnish good roads even in the poorest and most sparsely settled districts4 ,there are a number of other reasons why people do not like to live outside of cities--or do not succeed in farm work4 ,there is the difficulty of finding help4 ,this1 however1 rejoices the heart of the modern sociologist4 ,consider--we first teach our children independence and train them for everything but farm help or household services4 ,then we degrade the help below a mill hand so that people will not even sit at table with them at an hotel4 ,next we fix a theory of conduct for them that keeps them constantly under orders and pay them wages that make it hardly possible for them to rise above the station to which we have appointed them4 ,finally1 when we move away from the haunts of men out to ,sandtown-by-the-,puddle we blame them that they do not rush to join us4 ,most of them would be happier in penal servitude than in the country4 ,the work is as hard and requires as much skill as a mechanic's work1 besides personal qualities that are demanded of no mechanic1 and commands half its wages4 ,those who1 like ,henry ,ford1 can afford to pay mechanics' wages for help can get all they want4 ,many people go to the country without plan1 preparation1 or vocation1 to make a living4 ,they usually start to build a bungalow but seldom get further than the bungle4 ,don't build anything without plan4 ,get a comfortable house proof against cold and heat as soon as possible and1 above all1 well ventilated4 ,at present the air in the country is good1 because the farmers shut all the bad air up in their bedrooms4 ,they say ,the farmer works from sun to sun ,for the summer's work is never done4 ,we might add1 it's never even half done--naturally4 ,a donkey engine can work like that1 but then it hasn't any brains4 ,no man can work from sun to sun all summer and think at all or be good for anything at the end of it4 ,above all things don't work long hours1 even in learning1 with the idea of saving that way4 ,all up-to-date employers are agreed that an eight-hour day produces more and better results than a ten-hour day and that a twelve-hour day brings sheriffs and suicides instead of profits4 ,that's just as true of the individual worker as it is of the factory hand4 ,yet most men and a few women proudly say that they work like a horse 7it's usually not true74 ,they don't2 a horse won't work and can't work over eight hours a day steadily4 ,neither can you3 you may keep buzzing around much longer--but the best work requires the best conditions and the best hours4 ,you think1 or you flatter yourself that you think1 that it is necessary2 but nothing is necessary that is stupid and wrong4 ,it is hardly too much to say that when we are tired out or ill either we have been doing the wrong thing or doing it wrong4 ,there is besides1 as an anti-rusticant1 railroad discrimination in favor of long hauls1 but the main reason that the small farms of the ,eastern ,coast are less settled than those farther west is the great difficulty in getting farm loans or loans on farm buildings4 ,new ,york companies and others in the great cities will loan on farms west of the ,alleghenies1 but even the otherwise excellent eastern ,building ,loan ,associations usually restrict themselves to places within twenty-five miles of a city4 ,the ,jewish ,agricultural and ,industrial ,aid ,society will help approved ,jewish farmers to buy and build3 and there is a ,federal ,land ,bank in ,springfield1 ,mass41 which lends to some ,farmers' ,associations1 of which some four thousand are already formed4 ,it is hoped that the ,state ,land ,bank of ,new ,york ,city may improve the situation in ,new ,york for ,farmers' ,organizations1 but generally nearly all available funds of the local banks seem to be drawn off for investments in ,wall ,street4 ,however1 it is not to be forgotten that this difficulty is reflected in the lower prices of eastern ,land4 ,one more thing that keeps many people from the country and drives some people back to the city is the mosquito 7of course there are mosquitoes in town1 but we are not out as much1 so we notice them less74 ,mosquitoes breed or rather we breed them1 in still water in which there are no fish1 in pools1 hollows in trees1 wells1 etc41 and above all in old tin cans4 ,they can no more breed without water than sharks could4 ,mosquitoes do not breed in grass1 but rank growths of weeds or grass may conceal small breeding puddles1 and form a favorite nursery for ,mamma ,skeet4 ,a teacupful of water standing ten days is enough for #bej wrigglers2 their needs are modest4 ,different species of mosquitoes have as well-defined habits as other birds and are classified as follows3 ,domestic1 ,migratory1 and ,woodland4 ,the common domestic or pet species breed in fresh water1 usually in the house yard1 fly comparatively short distances1 and habitually enter houses4 ,they winter in cellars1 barns1 and outhouses4 ,some of them are conveyors of malaria4 ,the ,migratory ,species breed on the salt marshes1 fly long distances1 do not habitually enter houses1 and are not carriers of diseases so far as known4 ,certain varieties of ,woodland ,mosquitoes breed only in woodland pools1 appearing in the early spring1 and travel a greater distance than the domestic species4 ,they are not usually troublesome indoors4 ,it has been proved that malaria is transmitted only by certain species of ,anopheles1 one of which is the domestic mosquito4 ,eliminate this one species of mosquito and the disease will disappear as a direct consequence4 ,so if you hear that pretty little song in the house1 don't swear1 thank the ,lord that effects always follow causes4 ,you need never be without a bite in the house if you have a nice cesspool handy for ,sis ,mosquito1 for each one will have a first-class feed with you every second or third day4 ,they are needless and dangerous pests or pets4 ,their propagation can be prevented by draining or filling wet areas1 by emptying or screening water receptacles1 and by spraying with oil where better measures are not available4 ,oil should be sprinkled in any cesspools1 sewers1 and catch basins1 rain barrels1 water troughs1 roof gutters1 marshes1 swamps1 and puddles that cannot be done away with4 ,all ponds and large bodies of water should have clean sharp edges1 because in shallow1 grassy edges larvae of the malarial species are commonly found4 ,large ponds with clean edges1 inhabited by fish or predatory insects1 are safe2 smaller ponds1 if wind swept1 and all ponds in the ripple area are safe4 ,all rain pools1 stagnant gutters1 overgrown edges of large ponds1 and all receptacles holding water not constantly renewed1 are dangerous4 ,you raise most of your own mosquitoes4 ,now a word specially concerning this revised edition4 ,the farm papers are supported mainly by men with large acreage1 it is the rise in value of these acres more than the rise in farm products that has pulled the land-owning farmers out of the hole that they were in up to about the year #aijj4 ,farmers' knowledge1 liking1 and equipment was for big fields1 half cultivated1 and at first they did not like to hear that they had been wasting so much of the labor that had bent their backs4 ,nor did they want to hear that it would have been far more profitable to them to have cultivated a few acres and left the goats and hogs or sheep to attend to the rest as wild land until the long-expected settlers came along to buy the land at dreamland prices4 ,consequently1 all the faults in the book there were1 and some more besides1 have been picked out by these critics4 ,it is surprising as well as a notable compliment to the agricultural experts who revised the first edition that1 with one exception1 no material error or omission has been pointed out4 ,the more so because there is absolutely no limit to the advances in methods and results in doing things1 and in growing things1 all born of intelligent toil4 ,your suggestions may help the world to better and bigger things4 ,if you will listen at the 'phone you may sometime hear a conversation like this3 ,hello1 this is ,mrs4 ,wise1 send me two strawberries1 please4 ,you'd better take three1 ,madam1 ,i've none larger than peaches to-day4 ,all right2 good-bye4 ,you may sometime see that kind of strawberry in ,new ,jersey at ,kevitt's ,athenia1 or ,henry ,joralamon's1 or in the berry known by various names1 such as ,giant and different ,joe's4 ,but lots of people have failed in their war garden work even on common things2 lots more ought to have failed but haven't--yet4 ,years ago1 we1 the book and its helpers1 started the forward-to-the-land movement which has resulted in probably two million extra garden patches this war year4 ,i have had carloads of letters1 at least hand carloads1 about the book1 but not one worker who even tried to follow its counsels has reported failure4 ,so don't let us have a wail from you because your garden stuff never comes up4 ,of course it doesn't2 you have to bring it up1 just like a baby4 ,that's what ,i've been crying for long years in the wilderness ever since the first edition of this book4 ,the ,three ,acres may be bought on credit but eternal vigilance is the price of ,liberty and crops4 ,to raise good crops costs time and attention and sweat of body and of brains4 ,here is a chunk of wisdom out of the excellent ,garden ,primer 7which you can get free by asking me for it73 ,one hour a day spent in a garden ten yards long by seven wide will supply vegetables enough for a family of six2 but the value of this remark lies in the application of it4 ,if you figure a bit on that you will find that ten minutes a day will provide enough for one person1 but six hours once a week won't do4 ,six hours a day will bring up a baby2 but two days a week is criminal neglect for the other five days4 ,if you once let the weeds get a good start1 say after a rain1 they will make even the angels swear4 ,it's regular attention that the baby and the garden and your education and your best girl will require4 ,if you want more minute instructions about how to grow each vegetable1 put in words that anybody can understand without getting a headache or a dictionary1 look up ,the ,garden ,yard by the ,author4 ,it is in nearly all libraries now1 and it is the only book that makes perfectly plain everything that a plain man needs to know about growing plain things4 ,so there is little to add in this new edition except to reinforce what was not strong enough4 ,in the present jumping market to revise the prices quoted would be absurd1 but it may be noted that1 as in the prices of 'cowers1 the minimum prices are still about correct1 but the maximum prices have jumped almost out of sight4 ,every year there are more and more very wealthy people who will pay nearly any price for the very best4 ,the world seems to be dividing into those who have to count their pennies and those who couldn't count their thousands4 ,of course1 where war has prohibited the importation of the strong bulbs and roots needed for forcing flowers1 the prices are about what any one who has any chooses to ask4 ,monopoly can always get its own price4 ,this ,new ,edition does not attempt to bring prices quoted up to date4 ,in these times not even a stock exchange telegraph ticker can do that4 ,prices of goods in general have advanced at least #hj per cent4 ,by the day that this book is off the press they may have decreased1 or more likely advanced some more4 ,the next day they may slump4 ,prices of labor advance more slowly and do not slump so fast4 ,wages of men gardeners have risen perhaps #ej per cent in the last ten years1 but women and children have learned to do much of the work4 ,they do the work cheaper because most of them have some one on whom they can partly depend for support4 ,similarly1 when an example of total product given in the earlier edition is still typical and has stood investigation1 it is not discarded in favor of a more modern instance4 ,it would have been easy to have revised all the figures1 but of little advantage to our readers4 ,for example1 it is encouraging to the citizen to know that the average wheat yield per acre has increased more than two bushels since the first edition of this book1 but it would not help the garden maker4 ,the increase of possible products tends to counterbalance the increased cost of labor4 ,so only the musty parts have been cut out of the book1 which is more needed now than ever4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,chapter ,i3 ,making a ,living--,where and ,how ,chapter ,,ii3 ,present ,conditions ,chapter ,,iii3 ,how ,to ,buy ,the ,farm ,chapter ,,iv3 ,vacant ,city ,lot ,cultivation ,chapter ,v3 ,results ,to ,be ,expected ,chapter ,,vi3 ,what ,an ,acre ,may ,produce ,chapter ,,vii3 ,some ,methods ,chapter ,,viii3 ,the ,kitchen ,garden ,chapter ,,ix3 ,tools ,and ,equipment ,chapter ,x3 ,advantages ,from ,capital ,chapter ,,xi3 ,hotbeds ,and ,greenhouses ,chapter ,,xii3 ,other ,uses ,of ,land ,chapter ,,xiii3 ,fruits ,chapter ,,xiv3 ,flowers ,chapter ,,xv3 ,drug ,plants ,chapter ,,xvi3 ,novel ,live ,stock ,chapter ,,xvii3 ,where ,to ,go ,chapter ,,xviii3 ,clearing ,the ,land ,chapter ,,xix3 ,how ,to ,build ,chapter ,,xx3 ,back ,to ,the ,land ,chapter ,,xxi3 ,coming ,profession ,for ,boys ,chapter ,,xxii3 ,the ,wood ,lot ,chapter ,,xxiii3 ,some ,practical ,experiments ,chapter ,,xxiv3 ,some ,experimental ,foods ,chapter ,,xxv3 ,dried ,truck ,chapter ,,xxvi3 ,home ,cold ,pack ,canning ,chapter ,,xxvii3 ,retail ,cooperation ,chapter ,,xxviii3 ,summer ,colonies ,for ,city ,people ,,chapter ,i ,,making ,a ,,living--,,where ,,and ,,how ,by thought and courage1 we can help ourselves to own a home1 surrounded by acres of fruit and vegetables1 flowers and poultry1 and learn the best methods so as to insure success4 ,in olden times any one could farm1 but it is necessary to-day to teach people to obtain a livelihood directly from the earth4 ,scientific methods of agriculture have revealed possibilities in the soil that make farming the most fascinating occupation known to man4 ,people in every city are longing for the freedom of country life1 yet hesitate to enter into its liberty because no one points the way4 ,most sociologists are agreed that the great problem of our day is to stop the drift of population toward the cities4 ,seeing the overcrowding1 the want and misery of our great towns1 the philanthropist chimes in with ,get the people to the country1 that is the need4 ,but there is no such need4 ,man is a social animal1 he naturally goes in flocks1 he earns more and learns more in crowds4 ,to transport him to the country1 even if he would stay1 which happily he won't1 would be to doctor a symptom4 ,as in typhoid1 what is needed is not to suppress the fever1 that is easy1 but to remove the cause of it4 ,it is not the growth of the cities that we want to check1 but the needless want and misery in the cities1 and this can be done by restoring the natural condition of living1 and among other things1 by showing that it is easier and making it more attractive to live in comfort on the outskirts of the city as producers1 than in the slums as paupers4 ,we know already that the natural and healthy life is1 that in the sweat of our faces we should eat bread4 ,we observe that everything we eat or use or make comes from the earth by labor2 but no one knows how abundantly the ,mother can supply her children4 ,it is well said that no man yet knows the capacity of a square yard of earth4 ,the farmer thinks that he has done well if he gets a hundred and fifty or two hundred bushels of potatoes from an acre2 he does not know that others have gotten #abhd bushels4 7,mr4 ,knight1 whose name is well known to every horticulturist in ,england1 ,once dug out of his fields no less than #abhd bushels of potatoes1 or thirty-four tons and nine hundreds weight 7about #cd bushels to the ton71 on a single acre2 and at a recent competition in ,minnesota1 #aabj bushels1 or thirty tons1 could be ascertained as having been grown on one acre4 ,p4 ,kropotkin's ,fields1 ,factories and ,workshops1 page #aad47 ,let us realize what an acre means4 ,an acre is a square about #bji feet each way1 #dhdj square yards of land4 ,a ,new ,york ,city avenue block is about #bjj feet long from house corner to house corner4 ,it has eight city lots #be ,x #ajj in its front2 about double that space 7#ag-b_/e lots7 makes an acre4 ,an ordinary one-horse cart holds twenty bushels1 so then a full crop of potatoes from that space would fill #ef carts4 ,to raise potatoes as an ordinary farmer raises them1 requires him to go over the ground not less than a dozen times1 plowing1 harrowing1 marking1 planting1 cultivating1 three times weeding1 three times for bugs1 and digging2 it would pay him to go over it much oftener4 ,if he plants his rows of potatoes three feet apart1 to allow for horse cultivation1 he has #fi rows of #bjj feet each2 which makes him walk at least thirty-three miles over each acre4 ,if he has a twenty-acre lot in potatoes1 he walks each year more than #fej miles over the field and gets1 let us say1 #aej bushels of poor potatoes per acre1 or #cjjj bushels off his twenty-acre field4 ,now suppose he cultivates the soil1 instead of just raising a crop1 and gets #fjj bushels of fine potatoes to the acre1 he need plant only five acres1 walk only #bjj miles1 and1 because his potatoes are choice and early1 get many times the price that his pedestrian neighbor gets4 ,it is much easier to grow #bjj1jjj lb4 of feed on one acre than to grow them on ten acres4 ,to cultivate is to watch the soil as you would watch your cooking and to tend the crop as you would tend your animals4 ,the crop is as alive as the stock and as easily gets sick4 ,if an ordinary farmer rents #fj acres at #e4jj per acre1 a moderate rent for good land1 he pays out in cash #cjj1 besides farm wages4 ,if he buys it1 his interest and taxes will amount to nearly as much2 but if he tills but five acres intelligently1 he can get as much out of it as out of an ordinary farm1 and even if his rent be as high as #cj per acre for well situated land1 he is #aej to the good2 besides1 doing the work himself1 he has no drain of capital for wages4 ,large barns and shelter for help being unnecessary1 he can live in a cheap shack till he accumulates enough for proper buildings4 ,many of the successful vacant lot farmers live in a tent or in shanties made of old boxes and such like4 ,of course1 if we have the knowledge and ability and the capital and can give it the attention1 it is more profitable to cultivate on a large scale than on a small one1 because in that case each worker necessarily produces more than he gets as wages--and we pocket the difference4 ,most ,american farmers are holding land that somebody ought to pay them a bonus for working1 else they must come out of the little end of the horn4 ,they get poor or poorly situated land1 because it costs less1 and then put three or four hundred dollars' worth of labor and money a year into the land and take out four or five hundred dollars' worth of crops4 ,the farmer thinks he must have big fields to feed his cattle1 and that he must have cattle to keep the big fields fertilized1 so he raises hay4 ,in that he makes two mistakes2 hay1 like most other low-priced crops1 is risky--the cost of harvesting is high and the margin of profit small4 ,a week of wet weather at cutting time or the impossibility of getting enough men and machines in the week when it should be cut1 may make a loss4 ,but the scientific dairy man does not take that risk1 nor let his cattle use up this fodder by wandering over the fields in search of tid-bits of grass or clover1 or1 goaded by the flies1 trampling more grass than they eat and wasting their manure4 ,he keeps the cows in cool sheds1 feeds them on cut fodder1 and saves every ounce of the manure4 ,the modern cow is a ruminating machine for producing milk and cares little for exercise and needs little4 ,to exploit the cattle as employers exploit the factory hands1 he gives the cows a cool1 shady place and food1 and they stand there all day long to their profit and his4 7,united ,states ,agricultural ,bulletin ,no4 #bb says3 ,the ,new ,jersey ,experiment ,station has been conducting a practical trial in soiling dairy cows for a number of years past1 and finds that complete soiling is entirely practicable1 i4e4 that green foliage crops may serve as the sole food of the dewy herd1 aside from the grain ration1 without injury to the animals and with a considerable saving in the cost of milk4 ,under the soiling system a large number of animals can be kept upon a given acreage and by allowing open-air exercises in a large yard or pasture the practice has been demonstrated as entirely feasible for dairy animals4 ,one acre of soiling crops produced sufficient fodder for an equivalent of #c cows for six months4 ,rye1 corn1 crimson clover1 alfalfa1 oats and peas1 and millets have been found to furnish food more economically than any other green crops in that locality4 ,a grain rotation was always fed in addition to the soiling crops47 ,although we can feed a cow on less than an acre by raising forage crops1 she needs to be milked every day at regular hours1 and the milk1 as well as the cans and the cow1 need to be cared for--and she cannot wait4 ,the stock-raiser has a different proposition2 he needs fields and grass2 but if time and available labor is limited1 we had better specialize on the garden--unlike the farmers4 ,the farmers are not to blame that they do not usually cultivate the land intelligently4 ,they are mostly cut off from the educational advantages of the cities by distance and by bad roads4 ,usually1 that is because1 desirable land being held at speculative prices1 they are forced to places where the farm itself is worth less than the good improvements on it cost4 ,sometimes it is because1 also1 the land is poor or worn out2 more often because it is thoughtlessly managed1 nearly always because the land-hungry farmer has taken ten times as much land as he needs for farming4 ,in the hope of a rise that often does not come1 nearly all have bought more land than they can take good care of with limited capital and scarcity of help4 ,in addition1 the farms have held out such poor prospects of fortune that the smarter and more enterprising boys and girls have left them for the towns1 leaving behind the duller and more conservative to the mercy of the railroads and other monopolies4 ,what wonder1 then1 that the overworked and struggling farmer finds little chance to study1 or to investigate and invest in fertilizers or even in modern methods of agriculture4 ,no wonder farming does not pay if a farmer means a stupid man with neither training for1 nor knowledge of1 his business4 ,those who have the knowledge seldom have the experience and those who have the experience seldom have the knowledge4 ,the bonanza farms of the ,west are other samples of great areas of the most productive land in the ,united ,states being used most unscientifically4 ,by the methods used1 the land produces less per acre than land in the ,east which is not so good4 ,accordingly1 we find that the bonanza farm plan1 where great areas of wheat are worked by machines with labor employed only in the seed time and harvest1 is rapidly breaking up4 ,as the land becomes valuable and is taxed1 such wasteful1 wholesale methods do not pay as well as it pays to rent or sell the land to farmers1 who each for themselves attend to details of the business4 ,consequently1 most of those farms are being sold off4 ,the whole amount of wheat ever raised on them1 however1 is small compared to the rice1 millet1 and wheat raised in ,china1 ,india1 and ,russia1 and is insignificant compared to the amount of produce grown on the myriad little farm plots4 ,a comparison of productions as taken from the #abth and #acth ,united ,states ,censuses in the bonanza farm states shows that the yield of wheat was3 while ,new ,england shows #bc4e bu4 per acre4 ,in #ahii ,in #aiji ,minnesota #ad4e bu4 per acre #ag4d ,north ,dakota #ac4e bu4 per acre #ad4c ,south ,dakota #aj4e bu4 per acre #ad4f ,by #aiag these largely increased1 but the differences remain4 ,the average extent of land tilled by one family in ,japan does not exceed one hectare 7#b4dga acres71 less than two and a half acres4 7,japan in the ,beginning of the ,twentieth ,century1 page #hi4 ,published by the ,department of ,agriculture and ,commerce of ,japan47 ,farm households contain on an average #e4h persons1 of whom two and a half persons per family may be regarded of an age capable of doing effective work4 ,so that here we have more than one person working on each acre and each acre supporting more than two persons1 notwithstanding that their #bb1jjj1jjj tenant farmers pay sometimes four fifths of their product as rent4 7,same1 page #ajc47 ,denmark1 one of the best agricultural countries and probably one of the happiest communities on earth1 reported #a1ijj farms of #bej-cjj acres1 #gd1jjj farms averaging #ajj acres1 #aej1jjj farms averaging #g to #aj acres1 #a1jej cooperative dairies1 and so on4 ,and so impressed has the ruling class there become with the advantage of this that the ,government will supply the poor worker nine tenths of the means necessary to buy a small farm4 ,says ,kropotkin1 the small island of ,jersey1 eight miles long and less than six miles wide1 still remains a land of open field culture2 but1 although it comprises only #bh1gjg acres 7nearly #de square miles71 rocks included1 it nourishes a population of about two inhabitants to each acre1 or #acjj inhabitants to the square mile1 and there is not one writer on agriculture who1 after having paid a visit to this island1 does not praise the well-being of the ,jersey peasants and the admirable results which they obtain in their small farms of from five to twenty acres--very often less than five acres--by means of a rational and intensive culture4 ,most of my readers will probably be astonished to learn that the soil of ,jersey1 which consists of decomposed granite1 with no organic matter in it1 is not at all of surprising fertility1 and that its climate1 though more sunny than the climate of the ,british ,isles1 offers many drawbacks on account of the small amount of sun heat during the summer and of the cold winds in spring4 7,the successes accomplished lately in ,jersey are entirely due to the amount of labor which a dense population is putting on the land2 to a system of land-tenure1 land-transference1 and inheritance very different from those which prevail elsewhere2 to freedom from ,state taxation2 and to the fact that communal institutions have been maintained down to quite a recent period1 while a number of communal habits and customs of mutual support1 derived there-from1 are alive to the present time4 7,fields1 ,factories and ,workshops47 ,it will suffice to say that on the whole the inhabitants of ,jersey obtain agricultural products to the value of #bej to each acre of the aggregate surface of land4 7,same1 page #aac477 ,in a small plot the character of the soil is of little consequence4 ,we hear of one garden in ,new ,york ,city on the roof of a big building where the janitor smuggled up the needed soil in baskets4 ,the school gardens in ,new ,york ,city1 some in a space as small as a hearth rug1 one yard by two1 show how to use a very small patch of land to the best advantage4 ,nor need it take more time than you can afford4 ,some of the cultivators of city lots on ,long ,island who kept count of the number of days they worked1 show the surprising conclusion that they earned1 not farm wages 7seventy-five cents a day with board and lodging for the worker71 but mechanics' wages 7four dollars per day7 for every working day2 as1 for instance1 a stone-cutter1 assisted by his two boys1 worked fifty hours and made #abj4bc4 7,cultivation of ,vacant ,lots1 ,new ,york1 page #ab72 and four city lots is a very little farm4 ,but though one may not own even a little farm1 almost any one who wants to can have a home garden--it needs but a small plot of land4 ,nor need we be discouraged because acquaintances who play at gardening tell us that their vegetables cost them more than if they bought them4 ,they naturally would1 with thoughtless methods of cultivation1 with the selection of crops and the purchase of seeds left to an uneducated man who does all his work the way he saw his grandfather do it4 ,nor are we to be discouraged even by the gentleman farmer who runs a model farm1 a model of how not to do it1 for1 notwithstanding its large capital1 it seldom pays4 ,i am passing such a farm now as ,i write in the train--it is surrounded by a cut stone wall4 ,do you suppose the owner business would pay if it were run in the same way that his farm is run8 ,we know the story of the white sparrow to find which would bring luck to the farm--but it was out only at daybreak2 the farmer got up each morning to find the sparrow and found a lot of other things to attend to1 which did bring luck to the farm4 ,i don't think the owner of that wall worked at it1 at daybreak4 ,the time is not far distant when the builders of homes in our ,american cities will be compelled to leave room for a garden1 in order to meet the requirements of the people ,in the mad rush for wealth we have overlooked the natural state1 but we see a healthy reaction setting in4 ,with the improvements in steam and electricity1 the revolutionizing of transportation1 the cutting of the arbitrary telephone charges1 it is becoming possible to live at a distance from our business4 ,may we not expect in the near future to see one portion of our cities devoted entirely to business1 with the homes of the people so separated as to give light1 sunshine1 and air to all1 besides a piece of ground for a garden sufficient to supply the table with vegetables8 ,you raise more than vegetables in your garden3 you raise your expectation of life4 ,life belongs in the garden4 ,do you remember--the first chapters of ,genesis show us our babyhood in a garden--the garden that all babyhood remembers1 and the last chapter of the ,apocalypse leaves us with the vision of the garden in the ,holy ,city1 on either side of the river1 where the trees yield their fruits every month and bear leaves of universal healing4 ,just so will it be in our holy cities of the future--the garden will be right there in the midst4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,present ,,conditions ,up to the ,civil ,war and for some years after1 our people were almost wholly agricultural4 ,national activity contented itself with settling and developing the vast areas of the public lands1 whose virgin richness cried aloud in the wilderness for men4 ,the policy of the government1 framed to stimulate rapid occupation of the public lands1 had attracted hordes of settlers over the mountains from the older states1 and immigration flowed in a steady stream into the valleys of the ,ohio and the ,mississippi4 ,a system had grown up in the ,south almost patriarchal1 based upon cultivation by slave labor of enormous areas devoted exclusively to cotton4 ,in the ,north1 ,new ,england had developed some few centers of industry1 drawing their support from the manufacture of the great ,southern staple4 ,new ,york1 ,boston1 and ,philadelphia were growing as outlets for foreign commerce1 but as yet manufacturing flourished but feebly and in few localities4 ,such manufacturing and commercial enterprises as existed had been laboriously built up by long years of honest working4 ,the free lands of the government1 by giving laborers an alternative1 kept up wages1 forcing employers to bid against each other for labor2 and monopoly thus being checked1 individual equality was possible4 ,the mineral resources of ,pennsylvania and ,ohio were all but unsuspected1 and the calm of a people devoted to the peaceful pursuits of agriculture rested over the country4 ,railroads were few and inefficient3 telegraph lines but in their infancy4 ,intercourse among the people1 outside of a narrow fringe on the ,atlantic coast1 was cumbersome1 and impeded by many obstacles4 ,primitive conditions everywhere prevailed1 and communities brooded in silence1 growing stragglingly in sluggish indifference1 content with coarse food and coarser living4 ,such1 in general1 were the conditions up to #ahfa4 ,then came the storm of shot and shell1 the rain of blood1 the elemental rage of passion called the ,civil ,war4 ,there was a total upset of business4 ,such periods of hard times as had occurred prior to that time had been caused by the tinkering of untrained minds with the money system or by land speculation1 and not by lack of access to the riches of nature4 ,after four years our people awoke1 as from a nightmare1 to find the old life swept away forever4 ,in the ,south1 the ,confederates1 bitter and sullen1 groping amid the ruins of their institutions1 sought to find some substitute for the agricultural despotism exercised for generations by their slaveholding families4 ,in the ,east1 the first families of the ,revolution1 secure in their preeminence1 assumed again the manufacturing-banking-social prestige4 ,the far ,west was still almost unknown1 and remained in possession of the buffalo and the ,indian4 ,settlers poured1 in increasing numbers on to the unappropriated lands still left in the states of the central ,west1 and the center of political power shifted rapidly to this fertile region4 ,already men of keen insight foresaw a time when oil1 timber1 coal1 and iron must become the stay of a vastly expanding industrial system1 and bent their energies to secure the chief sources of supply4 ,from the nature of their work the men who built railways first became aware of the riches of nature1 and aided by an enormous public sympathy with their efforts1 monopolized all the natural opportunities of value4 ,coupled with industrial development was the gradual appropriation of the land4 ,the time soon arrived when the late comers either stayed in the manufacturing centers at the railways terminals or were pushed farther and farther away from the centers4 ,as the landowning families multiplied1 the young men were confined to the same choice4 ,forced off the land1 the tendency has been to crowd the brainiest blood of ,america into the cities4 ,in addition1 the competition of the new ,western lands1 brought into use by railway development1 has exiled the youth of ,new ,england1 who found in their rocky acres no incentive to toil4 ,they1 too1 joined the ever-increasing flow to the cities1 and entered into the savage competition of our great towns4 ,in our time the pendulum has swung to its extreme4 ,at every depression of business1 armies of the unemployed perish in sight of the land they abandoned in the hope of a brighter future4 ,their children have forgotten the traditions of the soil1 and the energies of our people must now be concentrated to reverse the aimless tide of human sufferers1 which under stress continues to flow city-ward1 and to send it to repeople the silent places whence it came4 ,the fight will not be easily won4 ,changes in the national land policy are imperative4 ,to give one generation privileges which enslave all who succeed it1 is intolerable and will not be permanently endured4 ,it is easy to determine upon a policy in the quiet of the study2 different is the problem of applying a comprehensive scheme to repeople the idle land4 ,in the first place1 where is the idle land8 ,in all parts of our country it exists in abundance4 ,almost every state in the ,union has lands which either have never been alienated1 or which have reverted to the state through nonpayment of taxes4 ,in the ,east1 particularly1 the competition of ,western lands1 aided by discriminating freight rates1 now so notorious1 has resulted in the abandonment to the mortgagee of vast areas in ,new ,york1 ,connecticut1 ,new ,hampshire1 ,maine1 and to some extent in ,new ,jersey4 ,these are now largely resold4 ,declining fertility and exorbitant and oppressive transportation charges have helped to keep these lands out of use1 and some still lie idle and neglected1 to excite the wonder of the social and economic student4 ,to use the abandoned lands of the ,east1 equal rates on agricultural products is a basic necessity4 ,the first step1 now well under way1 is railroad control by the ,government4 ,equal access to transportation is as essential as equal access to land1 for transportation is indeed an attribute of land4 ,extending the inquiry westward1 the coal and oil areas of ,pennsylvania and ,ohio are all controlled by a few hands4 ,the original fertility of the farming areas of these states1 together with the fact that they have been producing for only about a century1 has enabled them to hold their own until recently1 but now only the best located tracts are in maximum production1 and this can be maintained only by the most advanced agricultural science4 ,in spite of greater advantages1 the crowded cities and deserted country districts are beginning to repeat in the fertile alluvial valleys of the interior1 the tragic story of the ,east4 ,in the ,mississippi valley1 conditions seem better4 ,values of farming lands are increasing rapidly2 the farms are rich and growing richer2 food products are cheap and abundant2 certain staples are produced in enormous quantities and sent to feed the cities of the ,east and the industrial population of ,europe4 ,the railroads transport these products nearly one thousand miles for the same prices as they charge in the ,east for transporting them one hundred miles4 ,wealth1 activity1 and political power concentrate at the inlet and outlet of the railway funnel1 leaving vast areas of unused and unusable land between the terminals4 ,access to markets determines value4 ,that is why the favored lands of ,illinois1 ,iowa1 ,kansas1 ,michigan1 and ,wisconsin1 one to two thousand miles from market1 have risen in value to as high as three hundred dollars per acre1 and the lands of ,new ,england1 ,new ,york1 and ,new ,jersey go begging at twenty to sixty dollars per acre1 unless they lie within the artificial prosperity of the cities4 ,farther west in the irrigated regions of ,colorado and ,utah1 restricted areas are held for special fruit crops1 at prices ranging from three hundred to two thousand dollars and up1 per acre4 ,but here1 again1 monopoly1 now a monopoly of natural opportunity1 is a factor in creating prices2 on this1 however1 the vast irrigation projects of the government1 bringing into use larger and larger areas of these favored lands1 were expected to exercise a check4 ,up to #aiah little has been sold4 ,their reclamation cost too much4 ,the willingness of the ,southern planters to sell their lands1 and so to release them for intensive cultivation1 has partly turned the tide of immigration from the ,eastern ports to the ,south1 and the market garden system is reaching increasing areas4 ,the development of factories to make cotton fabrics and to utilize the formerly wasted cotton seed by turning it into meal for cattle and other animals1 as well as into the various food products1 such as cotton-seed oil1 cottolene1 etc41 has stimulated the use of the waste land around these budding factory centers1 thus tending to encourage intensive use of small1 well-located tracts4 ,with a climate much milder and more equable than that of the ,northern states1 with a potential fertility of soil1 equally great under proper management1 the ,south is making greater strides than any other part of the country4 ,the foregoing shows that in every section opportunities of getting the people to the land exist4 ,where a man should go is determined by a variety of things4 ,if he be a newly arrived immigrant used to land work in ,southern ,europe1 he would find his best chance in the ,south2 if a ,german or ,russian1 or from any of the ,northern ,european countries1 he would find the beet-sugar sections of ,michigan ,colorado1 or ,california more to his liking2 if ,american born1 without much knowledge of out-door work1 and feeling the need of social life1 the cheap farms of ,new ,york1 ,new ,jersey1 and ,new ,england would probably be most attractive4 ,many persons write me that ,i say it is necessary to get good land near population or with cheap and assured transportation facilities--and that it must not cost more than it is worth for gardening4 ,i find1 they say1 that such acres are held as 'lots' at wildly speculative prices and they ask ,where can ,i find such land8 ,but this is a book on agricultural use of land4 ,why land costs too much and where the remedy lies are other questions1 dealt with in my ,things as ,they ,are4 ,however1 probably the best chances now for intensive cultivation are in ,new ,jersey1 in the backwoods of the ,middle states now made accessible by cheap autos--and in the ,south4 ,what can be undertaken with good prospects of success will be outlined in the following chapters4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,how ,,to ,,buy ,,the ,,farm ,before the purchase of the land for a home in the country1 some consideration ought to be given to probable increase in land values4 ,even if you are primarily interested in your early sales of produce1 you will not object to reaping an additional profit from the presence of other people4 ,inasmuch as density of population determines land values1 it follows that vacant land near a large city at #ajj per acre may be cheaper than similar land at a distance would be at #aj per acre4 ,if you buy real estate1 you become a silent partner who does nothing1 but takes most of the profits of the business of others4 ,some persons see so clearly that money is often easily gotten by investing in land1 that sometimes they make mistakes1 in trying to get in4 ,it is as easy to be a lamb in the real estate market as it is in the stock market4 ,foresight1 judgment1 and experience or luck are essential to success in real estate dealing1 but help1 at least in keeping out of danger1 may be had by following a few simple rules1 if one can command a little capital1 borrowed or owned4 ,the following points1 suggested by a professional land shark1 will certainly be of interest and possibly of profit to the intending buyer4 ,i believe myself that they contain the whole philosophy of land speculation4 ,for a sure profit buy low-priced land1 keeping as near the raw material as possible2 high-priced property is risky and expensive to carry4 ,an acre which costs one or two hundred dollars1 or ten dollars per lot1 will cost but six to twelve dollars per year to carry and half a dollar for taxes1 and if a stable does come next you1 why1 you can sell your land for a blacksmith shop4 ,besides this1 a ten-dollar lot1 if restricted for residence or available for business1 often advances to #ajj in a year2 one good house which some one else built near it may raise its value that much4 ,if the land is high priced1 see that there is some kind of a building on it2 even a shanty will usually bring in enough or save you enough by its use to pay the taxes2 so you will have that working for you whilst you are away4 ,if possible1 buy at auction and of reputable people who are not boomers1 or at least buy at forced sale2 that is how real estate is sold when it must be sold4 ,choose lots level with the curb and on high ground1 lest the expense of grading and sewering eat up your profit4 ,keep in mind that in buying land for speculation one really buys the opportunity to tax other people1 by taking part of their earnings in the shape of rent or price4 ,do not then be deluded by boom schemes in inaccessible or desolate places2 choose rather that land which in the natural course of events others must have in order to work or to live4 ,home buying in small communities is safer than in the outskirts of a large city1 because public improvements are much less costly4 ,if you put #ejj in a #ejjj home and carry the balance on mortgage1 an assessment of #ajjj for streets or sewers1 which helps the vacant lots1 will probably put you out of business4 ,whether for use or speculation1 buy in an established neighborhood or where the circumstances and neighbors are such that restrictions or expenditures will make its character sure4 ,the increase in your land value depends first upon the presence1 then upon the efforts1 of others2 it is by their labor you hope to profit4 ,therefore1 buy property on leading thoroughfares2 except in a very small section devoted to the residence of millionaires1 the price of residence property has a limit2 even there the merest accident or the whim of fashion may destroy the value1 but there is no telling what figure business property may reach4 ,do not build unless you have to4 ,it is rare that a building pays five per cent net on the value of the land and the cost of the house4 ,who buys a house already wrought1 gets many a brick and nail for naught4 ,if1 however1 you can get a piece of ground in a growing neighborhood and live on it till you can sell at an advance1 that is the safest1 and surest of investments4 ,it delivers you from the power of the landlord4 ,lastly--in real estate--don't bite off more than you can chew4 ,most of these rules apply to the purchase of suburban land4 ,in farm buying1 keep as close to your market as you can4 ,see that railway facilities are all right2 get land likely to be needed for other purposes4 ,the best way to begin is by securing all information possible from state agricultural departments4 ,write to the industrial agents of important railroads traversing the section in which you want to locate4 ,they have detailed information regarding land1 markets1 social conditions1 etc42 get from the ,united ,states ,agricultural ,department a map showing the soil survey of the section of your choice4 ,it must be borne in mind that personal aid is not to be expected from ,state ,agricultural ,departments1 ,bureaus of ,immigration1 railway companies1 or any public agency4 ,from the big farm agencies run for profit you can get lists of thousands of properties for sale4 ,some ,state ,agricultural ,departments cooperate with real estate men in their own states1 by referring inquiries for farms to them4 ,some states issue from time to time lists of abandoned farms1 but these change so constantly that they help but little except in the way of suggestion4 ,when you start farm-hunting take along a good map4 ,then you will know a few things on your own account4 ,verify railroad maps and facts1 as they are often biased4 ,don't waste your time wandering around a strange locality by yourself4 ,the local real estate man knows more about his community than you can learn in five years4 ,in trying to find out things for yourself you will waste in aimless journeys1 undertaken in ignorance of real conditions1 more time and money than a real estate man's commission amounts to4 ,the only way to form a correct idea of the production of any given section is to examine a particular farm in detail4 ,within well-recognized limits1 all the farms thereabouts will be found of similar character4 ,before spending money to look at land1 learn all you can by correspondence4 ,whether it is more profitable in the long run to buy that good plot of land in a high state of cultivation with good buildings on it1 at a high price1 than to buy this exhausted piece of land with poor buildings or none at all1 is a question for the individual to decide4 ,it depends on your energy1 grit1 age1 and how much money you have4 ,it is much easier to take advantage of what the other fellow has done1 than it is to build from the stump4 ,you must bear in mind1 however1 that well kept land in a high state of cultivation seldom goes begging in the market4 ,on the whole1 if you have the capital to do it1 you can make the biggest wages by buying rough or neglected land1 and hewing it into shape4 ,if you have a knowledge of soils1 you may be able to find land that will grow something that no one supposes it will grow4 ,this will be particularly useful in the case of land thought to be valueless4 ,the lands about ,miles1 ,michigan1 were considered sterile until some one found out that they would grow mint1 a valuable crop1 which made the land salable at high prices4 ,get hold of a desirable bit of the earth4 ,all that men wear or eat or use2 everything--shelter1 food1 tools1 and toys comes from the land by labor4 ,even the capital used to make more of those things is taken from the land4 ,the employer and the capitalist are1 at bottom1 only men who control the land or its products1 who own rights of way1 mining rights1 or the fee of valuable lands4 ,thousands have made money by finding unexpected products in their land or of their lands1 oil1 coal1 mineral1 plants2 thousands more because their land was needed by some one else1 and they were paid to get out of the way4 ,to speculate on these chances is risky business2 to keep land that enables you to make good pay while you wait1 is profitable4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,vacant ,,city ,,lot ,,cultivation ,in this book1 necessarily1 we have to take much upon the reports of others1 checking them by our own judgment and experience4 ,the startling accounts of what has been done and is being done on plots of about a quarter acre to each family1 however1 can be easily re-verified by any one who will go or write to ,philadelphia1 or examine any present experiment or model gardens4 ,these show what can be done even by unskilled labor1 with hardly any capital1 on small plots where the soil was poor1 but which are well situated4 ,the directors say3 ,the first ,vacant ,lot ,cultivation ,associations were organized when relief agencies were vainly striving to provide adequate assistance for the host of unemployed4 ,the cultivation of vacant city lots by the unemployed had already been tried successfully in other cities4 ,the first year we provided gardens1 seeds1 tools1 and instruction only1 for about one hundred families on twenty-seven acres of ground4 ,at a total cost to contributors of about #ahjj1 our gardeners produced #df1jjj worth of crops4 ,the applicant is allowed a garden on the sole condition that he cultivate it well through the season1 and that he do not trespass upon his neighbors4 ,he must respect their right to what their labor produces4 ,a failure to observe these rules forfeits his privilege4 ,during twenty years1 more than eight thousand families have been assisted1 many old people who could no longer keep up the rapid pace of our industrial life1 cripples whose physical condition held them back in the race for work1 persons who on account of sickness or other misfortunes have been thrown out of the competition in modern business1 and unfortunate beings who1 though clear in mind and strong in muscle1 have been forced to the ranks of the unemployed--these have all had an opportunity opened to them3 opportunity to enjoy all of the fruits from nature's great storehouse which their own labor and skill might secure4 ,the war has forced ,france1 ,italy1 and ,england similarly to utilize natural opportunities for subsistence in their enormous tracts of unproductive lands4 ,in ,mexico all proprietors will be required to designate what they propose to cultivate and the remainder will either be allotted temporarily for agricultural purposes to those desiring them or it will be cultivated under government management4 ,there is no remedy like that for poverty4 ,the first man who applied for a vacant lot garden came to the ,philadelphia office after the announcement in the papers1 so weak and emaciated that the doctor was afraid the poor fellow would be unable to get out of his office without assistance4 ,he was a widower with three girls and a boy1 the oldest girl about seventeen4 ,he received a garden which contained only about one fifth of an acre4 ,later he observed that a part of another little farm was left untouched on account of being very rough1 full of holes1 and covered with stone and bricks4 ,part of this farm was below the street grade and subject to overflow1 but it was larger than the others--nine tenths of an acre4 ,he offered to exchange1 saying he did not mind the extra work4 ,his offer was accepted4 ,in a few days the stones and bricks had been thrown into the holes and covered with dirt4 ,the low places had been filled in4 ,it was a work in which the whole family joined4 ,a small house was rented in the immediate neighborhood in lieu of their one room near the foul alleys of the city slum4 ,every inch of the soil was utilized4 ,a rosy hue took the place of the pale1 wan cheek of a few months before4 ,and now the harvest has come1 and the winter's store can be enumerated4 ,thirty bushels of potatoes1 four bushels of turnips1 one bushel of carrots1 thirty gallons of sauerkraut1 fifteen gallons of catsup1 five gallons of pickled beans1 one hundred quarts of canned tomatoes1 fifty quarts of canned corn1 twenty quarts of beans1 one thousand or more fine celery stalks1 and many other things4 ,warm clothing has replaced the badly worn garments of nine months ago4 ,a few pieces of furniture have been added4 ,the boy has been provided with a small capital for his little business4 7,vacant ,lot ,cultivation1 ,reprint from ,n4 ,y4 ,charities ,review47 ,better labor would of course get even better results4 ,the personal benefits that have come to a few individual cases1 are largely the same that all the gardeners enjoyed in ,new ,york and elsewhere4 ,an old colored woman--a grandmother--who had just been released from one of the hospitals where she had been treated for a long time for pleurisy1 asked for a garden4 ,it was more than a mile to the nearest plot1 but she was quite willing to go even that distance if she could get a garden4 ,at first1 owing to her weakened condition1 she was forced to work slowly and for short periods only1 but a little assistance enabled her to get a garden started4 ,the work proceeded so well that more land was added to her small holding1 and most of her waking hours were now spent either in or near the garden1 working among the tender plants or watching them grow4 ,before the season was half spent she had developed one of the best gardens in the whole plot4 ,her surplus produce became so large that she had to devote most of her time to gathering and selling it4 ,finally she rented a small shed on a prominent street and passers-by often stopped1 and regular customers came to buy the freshly gathered produce1 the supply being not only abundant1 but of great variety4 ,one of the best gardens1 from the standpoint of value of produce as well as for the varieties of products it contained and the artistic arrangement1 was worked by a man who had but one arm4 ,many other successful and profitable gardens were cultivated by men and women of an age when we generally expect them to depend entirely upon others for support4 ,many incidents were found where such habits as drinking and loafing around saloons and clubs and abusing the family have been checked on account of the gardener's time and attention being occupied in the little farm4 ,one of the workers came for work in a condition of mind and body which rendered his services almost worthless4 ,he was scarcely able to carry on his work for a minute beyond what he was shown4 ,each new move had to be explained constantly1 and even then he was often found doing the work in the wrong way only a few minutes afterwards4 ,before long1 however1 he began to see that his place had its responsibilities and that the work of ,mother ,nature depended on his doing his part and doing it well4 ,by the time the crops were ready to gather and market he came to realize that the cost of production must come under the amount received from the sale of the produce so as to prevent loss4 ,by the end of the season he had learned so to utilize his time and to organize his work and execute our plans that we were able to recommend him to a farmer who was looking for a handy man about the place4 ,in twenty years our ,associations have made demonstrations of the following facts1 each demonstration proving more clearly than the former ones3 ,first4 ,that many people out of employment must have help of some kind4 ,second4 ,that a great majority of them prefer self-help1 and many will take no other4 ,nearly all are able and willing to improve any opportunities open to them4 ,third4 ,that to open opportunities to them does not pauperize or degrade1 but has the opposite effect of elevating and ennobling4 ,it quickly establishes self-respect and self-confidence4 ,the best and most effective way of helping people in need is to open a way whereby they may help themselves4 ,the most effective charity is opportunity accompanied with kindly advice and a personal interest in those less fortunate than ourselves4 ,fourth4 ,that the offering of gardens to the unemployed with proper supervision and some assistance by providing seeds1 fertilizers1 and plowing accompanied with instruction1 is the cheapest and easiest way of opening opportunities yet devised4 ,fifth4 ,that it possesses many advantages in addition to providing profitable employment2 among others1 that the worker must come out into the open air and sunshine2 must exercise1 and put forth exertion1--all of which are conducive to health1 and1 most important of all1 he knows that all he raises is to be his own4 ,this is the greatest incentive to industry4 ,the ,vacant ,lot ,cultivation system is a school wherein gardeners are taught a trade 7to most of them a new trade71 farming1 which offers employment for more people than all the other trades and professions combined3 a trade susceptible of wide diversification and offering many fields for specializing4 ,but little capital is required2 any other field would require large outlay4 ,its greatest advantage1 however1 is that the idle men and the idle land are already close to each other--the men can reach their gardens without changing their domiciles or being separated from their families4 ,it was not until after several years that the full effect of the work was realized4 ,a few gardeners each year from the beginning have1 after one or two years' experience1 taken small farms or plots of land to cultivate on their own account1 or have sought employment on farms near the city2 but the number is quite small compared to the whole number helped4 ,now more than ten per cent of those that had gardens previously have for the last two years been working on their own account4 ,out of nearly eight hundred gardeners1 more than eighty-five either rented or secured the loan of gardens that season and cultivated them wholly at their own expense1 and many others would have done so had suitable land been available4 ,the number of gardens forfeited on account of poor cultivation or trespassing was only two out of #hjj plots given out4 ,the first important advance was early in the spring of #aijd1 when it became known that a large tract of land that had been in gardens for several years would be withdrawn from use4 ,a number of the gardeners came together to talk over the situation4 ,one proposed that they form a club to lease a tract of land and divide it up among themselves4 ,the plan was readily agreed to1 and a nine-acre tract on ,lansdowne ,avenue was rented at #ae per acre per annum4 ,some sixteen families became interested' and ,mr4 ,d4 ,f4 ,rowe1 who had been one of the most successful gardeners1 became manager ,they had the land thoroughly fertilized and plowed1 and then subdivided4 ,some took separate allotments1 as under the ,vacant ,lot ,association's plan1 and others worked for the manager at an agreed rate of wages per hour4 ,the whole nine acres were thoroughly well cultivated1 and a magnificent crop harvested4 ,as soon as there was produce for sale1 a market was established on the ground and a regular delivery system organized which later attracted much attention4 ,it was carried on by the children1 of nine to twelve years of age1 from the various families4 ,each child was provided with a pushcart4 ,there were many and various styles1 made from little express wagons1 baby coaches1 and produce boxes4 ,the children built up their own routes1 and went regularly to their customers for orders4 ,they made up the orders1 loaded them into their little pushcarts1 charged themselves up with the separate amounts in a small book1 and at the end of each day's sales each child settled with the manager and was paid his commission 7twenty per cent of the receipts7 in cash4 ,these little salesmen and salesgirls often took home four to five dollars per week and yet never worked more than three to five hours per day4 ,the work was done under such circumstances that to them it was not work but play4 ,you can get the full report from the ,philadelphia ,vacant ,lot ,cultivation ,associations4 ,it's interesting4 ,the greatest value that our little garden has brought us1 said a ,french woman1 mother of a goodly number of rather small children1 has not been in the fine vegetables it has yielded all summer1 or the good times that ,i and the children have had in the open air1 but in the glasses of beer and absinthe that my husband hasn't taken4 ,quite right1 mother1 quite right1 came from a man near by4 ,the world can never know the evil we men don't do while we are busy in our little gardens4 ,further1 pillage of crops1 which was always urged as an objection to raising fruits or truck on open grounds1 has proved to be a baseless fear4 ,where any of the gardeners are allowed to camp or put up shacks on the patches1 theft does not occur and various superintendents repeat that the few and trivial cases of stealing from vacant lot plots or school gardens were almost all at the places that were fenced4 ,perhaps our locks and bolts tend to suggest breaking in4 ,the ,garden ,primer issued by the ,new ,york ,city ,food ,supply ,committee gives simple but incomplete directions for planting and tending a vegetable garden4 ,for those who need that sort of thing1 these are just the sort of thing they need4 ,they will be useful if you do not follow them4 ,the ,primer tells you how to get some kind of parsnips1 chard1 spinach1 common onions1 radishes1 cabbage1 lettuce1 beets1 tomatoes1 beans1 turnips1 peas1 peppers1 egg plants1 cucumbers1 corn1 and potatoes4 ,don't grow these things1 unless it be for your own immediate use4 ,every one grows them and ripens them all at the same time4 ,in many places these are given away or thrown away this year4 ,grow anything that every one wants and has not got1 like okra1 small fruits1 etc42 you can get a much better return in cash or in trade than by spending your time like other folks who do not think4 ,so ,i refer to these directions for their instruction1 and for your warning ,however1 they give the following admirable injunctions4 ,help ,your ,country and ,yourself by ,raising ,your ,own ,vegetables4 ,as we will likely have to send to ,europe in coming years as much or even more food than we did last year1 there is only one way to avoid a shortage among our own people1 that is by raising a great deal more than usual4 ,to do this we must plant every bit of available land4 7,of course1 we can't2 the owners won't let us4 ,ed47 ,if you have a back yard1 you can do your part and help the world and yourself by raising some of the food you eat4 ,the more you raise the less you will have to buy1 and the more there will be left for some of your fellow countrymen who have not an inch of ground on which to raise anything4 ,if there is a vacant lot in your neighborhood1 see if you cannot get the use of it for yourself and your neighbors1 and raise your own vegetables4 ,an hour a day spent in this way will not only increase wealth and help your family1 but will help you personally by adding to your strength and well-being and making you appreciate the ,eden joy of gardening4 ,an hour in the open air is worth more than a dozen expensive prescriptions by an expensive doctor4 ,the only tools necessary for a small garden are a spade or spading fork1 a hoe1 a rake1 and a line or piece of cord4 ,first of all1 clear the ground of all rubbish1 sticks1 stones1 bottles1 etc4 7especially whisky bottles74 ,choose the sunniest spot in the yard for your garden4 ,dig up the soil to a depth of #f to #aj inches1 using a spade or spading fork4 7,deeper for parsnips and some other roots4 ,ed47 ,break up all the lumps with the spade or fork4 ,if you live in a section where your neighbors have gardens1 you might club together to hire a teamster for a day to do the plowing and harrowing for you all1 thus saving a large amount of labor4 ,after your garden has been well dug1 it must be fertilized before any planting is done4 ,in order to produce large and well-grown crops it is often necessary to fertilize before each planting4 ,very good prepared fertilizers can be bought at seed stores1 but horse or cow manure is much better1 as it lightens the soil in addition to supplying plant food4 ,use street sweepings if you can get them4 ,the manure should be well dug into the ground1 at least to the full depth of the top soil4 ,the ground should then be thoroughly raked1 as seeds must be sown in soil which has been finely powdered4 ,lay out the garden1 keeping the rows straight with a line4 ,straight rows are practically a necessity1 not only for easier culture but for economy in space4 ,after you have marked all of your rows1 the next step is opening the furrow4 7,a furrow is a shallow trench47 ,that is done with the hoe4 7,best and quickest with a wheel hoe4 ,ed47 ,after the furrow is opened1 it is necessary that the seed be sown and immediately covered before the soil has dried ,in covering the seeds the soil must be firmly pressed down with the foot4 ,this is important4 ,in buying seed it is best to go to some well-established seed house1 or1 if that can't be done1 to order by mail rather than to take needless chances4 ,with most kinds of seeds a package is sufficient for a twenty-foot row4 ,begin to break up the hard surface of the soil between the plants soon after they appear1 using a hand cultivator or hoe1 and keep it loose throughout the season4 ,this kills weeds2 it lets in air to the plant roots and keeps the moisture in the ground4 ,by constantly stirring the top soil after your plants appear1 the necessity of watering can be largely avoided except in very dry weather4 ,an occasional soaking of the soil is better than frequent sprinkling4 ,water your garden either very early in the morning or after sundown4 ,it is better not to water when the sun is shining hot4 ,the planting scheme can be altered to suit your individual taste4 ,for instance1 peas and cabbage are included because almost everybody likes to have them fresh from their garden2 but they occupy more space in proportion to their value than beets and carrots4 ,therefore a small garden could be made more profitable by omitting them altogether1 or cutting them down in amount and increasing the amount of carrots1 beets1 and turnips planted2 or any of the vegetables mentioned which may not be in favor with the family can be left out4 ,the kind of season we have would change the date of planting4 ,in raising vegetables1 as in everything else1 one should use one's common 7or garden variety of7 sense4 ,a good rule is to wait until the ground has warmed up a bit4 ,never try to work in soil wet enough to be sticky1 or muddy2 wait until it dries enough to crumble readily4 ,gardening is not a rule of thumb business4 ,each gardener must bring his plants up in his own way in the light of his own experience and in accordance with the conditions of his own garden4 ,a garden lover who has a bit of land will speedily learn if his eyes and his mind1 as well as his hands1 are always busy1 no matter how meager his knowledge at the beginning4 ,there is plenty of land--if you can only get it4 ,says ,carl ,vrooman1 ,assistant ,secretary of ,agriculture1 in regard to the food problem3 ,millions of acres of farm land are being held out of use and other millions of acres are being cultivated on a wasteful and inefficient basis4 ,land values have risen at an unprecedented rate4 ,they are based not upon what the farm will earn at the present time1 but on an expectancy of what it will be worth in the future4 ,the farmer's son or the tenant farmer1 with little or no capital1 cannot hope to acquire possession of a farm w hen the price of land is ,,so high that his earnings would not pay the interest on the investment4 ,the result is that land remains idle or in the hands of tenants1 and thousands of farmers' boys desert the country for the city4 4 4 4 4 ,what we need1 and need badly1 is a program of taxation which1 without throwing additional burdens on the bona fide farmer1 will place land now idle within the reach of men of limited means who possess the ambition and the ability to cultivate it4 ,you can see that poor ignorant people1 women1 boys1 cripples1 old men1 often on less than #ajj ,x #aej feet each1 not only in ,philadelphia1 but as war gardeners in ,new ,york1 and most other towns1 have been able to support themselves by their work on the land4 ,you can do much better4 ,to be sure1 they had valuable land and often seeds free1 but for such little pieces of land these are small items1 and many of them had no certainty of having the land even for a second year1 consequently they could not have hotbeds or any permanent improvement4 ,you can make all these things4 ,then what can you do8 ,only remember they had intelligent instruction and did the work themselves1 and got the whole product2 often the children helped--they thought it fun4 ,it does not pay to farm a small piece of land where all the workers have to be hired4 ,nor does it pay if one calculates merely to stick in seeds with one hand and pull out profits with the other4 ,,chapter ,v ,,results ,,to ,,be ,,expected4 ,if we get every one out on the farms1 then there will be an over-production of farm products and a fall in prices4 ,true1 but there are farmers who could do better in towns2 what we want to do is to make it easy for people to get on the land about the cities1 then it would be equally easy for those farmers who are better adapted for city life to get near the cities4 ,under present conditions1 where the worker is forced out fifteen or twenty miles from the town by the high price of land and the large amount of land required1 the farmer is as much cut off from the city as the city dweller is cut off from rural life4 ,we need not be afraid to teach men better ways2 there will always be plenty too stupid or too old or too isolated to learn2 these will remain a bulwark against too sudden change4 ,dr4 ,engel1 former head of the ,prussian ,statistical ,bureau1 informs us that ,scientific farming succeeds because a given amount of effort1 when more intelligently directed1 produces greater results4 ,inasmuch1 then1 as the amount of food which the world can consume is limited1 the smaller will be the number of farmers required to produce the needed supply1 and the larger will be the number driven from the country to the city4 ,it has already been observed that if #cd scientific methods were universally adopted in the ,united ,states1 doubtless one half of those now engaged in agriculture could produce the present crops1 which would compel the other half to abandon the farm4 ,this is ,engel's ,law4 ,this argument assumes that we are now utilizing all the land possible and that every one is fully supplied with food4 ,but when we consider the great masses of people in the slums of all cities who are always underfed and whose constant thought is about their next meal2 when we see hundreds of able-bodied men waiting in line until midnight for half a loaf of stale bread1 surely it seems that there is a possibility of keeping all of the present farmers at work1 if not of finding new fields for others1 if we make our conditions such that there will be opportunities for every able-bodied worker to labor at remunerative employment4 ,professor ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey1 a most industrious and accurate observer1 says3 ,dr4 ,engel's argument rests on the assumption that agriculture produces only or chiefly food2 but probably more than half of the agricultural products of the ,united ,states is not food4 ,it is cotton1 flax1 hemp1 wool1 hides1 timber1 tobacco1 dyes1 drugs1 flowers1 ornamental trees and plants1 horses1 pets1 and fancy stock1 and hundreds of other non-edible commodities4 ,the total food produce of the ,united ,states1 according to the twelfth census1 was #a1hcg1jjj4 ,the cost of material used in the three industries of textile1 lumber and leather manufactories alone was #a1hea1jjj1jjj4 ,dr4 ,engel thinks that the outlay for subsistence diminishes as income increases2 but comforts and luxuries increase in intimate ratio with the income1 and the larger part of these come from the farm and forest4 ,dr4 ,engel1 in fact1 allows this1 for he says that 'sundries become greater as income increases4' ,we have already abundance of information about almost every county in the ,union1 published by ,boards of ,trade and land boomers1 like the following about ,oxnard1 ,ventura ,county1 the center of the famous lima bean district in ,california4 ,for a year the returns from farm products alone1 in this vicinity1 are estimated at over #b1jjj1jjj4 ,the sugar factory1 which uses #bjjj tons of beets every twenty-four hours1 requires the yield of about #aijj acres every season4 ,the beet crop is rotated with beans1 and the factory's supply is kept good by systematic methods4 ,two thousand head of cattle are being fattened at the present time in the company's yard on the beet pulp4 ,much of the pulp is also sold to local stockmen1 who value it highly for feed4 ,the factory turns out #ejjj bags of sugar every day4 ,and again3 ,eastern farm lands steadily declined in price up to about #aijb1 so that ,eastern land sold for less than ,western land of the same quality and of like situation2 but the tide seems at last to have turned1 and much money is now being made in buying up cheap farms and especially in sub-dividing them for small cultivators4 ,that sort of thing is interesting2 but it is not what a man wants to know--he is anxious to learn how much he can make and where and how to do it4 ,the man who seeks a comfortable living will do better to rent on long lease or buy a few acres convenient to trolley or railroad communication with a city2 besides the returns which will come to the farmer from the use of a few acres1 if he is the owner he will get a constant increase in the value of the land1 due to the growth of the city4 ,if the city grows out so that the land becomes too valuable to farm1 he will be well paid for leaving4 7,although progress is continually forcing laborers back upon less desirable land1 their loss1 unless they are the owners1 is the landowner's gain47 ,the amount of product to be grown for one's own use depends on the size of the family and its fondness for vegetables4 ,an area of #aej,x#ajj feet about two fifths of an acre is generally sufficient to supply a family of five persons with vegetables1 not considering the winter supply of potatoes2 but the acres must be well tilled and handled4 7,bailey1 ,principles of ,vegetable ,gardening47 ,the produce that could thus be obtained from an acre of land well situated would abundantly supply with nearly all the vegetables named1 nineteen families1 comprising in all #aad individuals4 ,in our garden we must know what we want and know how to get it4 7,it is impossible to treat exhaustively of the various crops in a book of this kind4 ,on onion culture alone there are four standard books1 besides seven or eight recent experimental station bulletins4 ,in a family garden #ajj ,x #aej feet 7which equals six ,new ,york ,city lots71 the rows running the long way of the area1 eight or ten feet may be reserved along one side for asparagus1 rhubarb1 sweet herbs1 flowers1 and possibly a few berry bushes4 ,a strip twenty feet wide may be reserved for vines1 as melons1 cucumbers and squashes4 ,there remains a strip seventy feet wide1 or space for twenty rows three and one half feat apart4 ,this area is large enough to allow of appreciable results in rotation of crops2 and i6 it is judiciously managed1 it should maintain high productiveness for a lifetime4 7,bailey1 ,principles of ,vegetable ,gardening477 ,the things to be considered in the home garden are3 7#a7 a sufficient product to supply the family2 7#b7 continuous succession of crops2 7#c7 ease and cheapness of cultivation2 7#d7 maintenance of the productivity of the land year after year4 ,the ease and efficiency of cultivation are much enhanced if all crops are in long rows1 to allow of wheel-tool tillage either by horse or wheel-hoe4 ,the experience of the ,vacant ,lot ,gardeners 7,chapter ,,iv7 shows that if the land be near a large market where the product can be peddled or sold by the producers or by those 7as in ,mr4 ,rowe's case71 with whom he directly deals1 more than twenty-five dollars capital is not necessary1 but ,peter ,henderson 7,gardening for ,profit7 estimates that to get the best results1 #cjj capital per acre is required for anything less than ten acres4 ,where the land is favorably situated a fortune may be made in cultivation of a few acres--with brains4 ,quinn says 7,money in the ,garden7 that he knows a large number of market gardeners worth from ten to forty thousand dollars each1 none of whom had five hundred dollars to begin with4 ,if one has not enough money to get all that can be gotten out of his plot1 it is best to put part of the land into clover to fit it for later use or to use it for raising grass4 ,results undoubtedly come from hard work2 but it is not necessary1 in order to cultivate a little land successfully1 that you should work all day on your hands and knees2 if you can raise fruit or nuts1 this is not needed at all4 ,but for vegetables a certain amount of it is necessary--when there is a large job of that kind of weeding to be done1 you can hire ,italians or other foreigners to do it better and cheaper than you can do it yourself4 ,those who will read this book can earn more with their heads than their hands2 but when weeding is needed after a sudden shower and there is no one else1 you must do some of it yourself2 the weather will not wait for you to get a man1 and if you are not willing to do such things1 your chances of success are greatly lessened4 ,here is the experience of one who got a man3 ,my garden1 to begin with1 was in the most rudimentary condition1 having been allowed to run to grass4 ,after digging up a spot about ten feet square in the turf1 taking the early morning for the work1 ,i decided that it would require all summer to get the garden fairly spaded up1 so ,i hired a stalwart ,irishman to do the work for me1 which he did in a week1 charging me nine dollars for the job4 ,as he professed to be also an expert in planting vegetables1 ,i bought a supply of seeds in the city and intrusted them to him1 assuring myself that once in the ground the rest of the work would fall to me2 if ,i could not keep a garden patch fifty feet square clear of weeds1 ,i had better abandon the business at once1 and all hopes of making a living out of scientific gardening4 ,the beginning was an unfortunate one4 ,the weather happened to be first very wet1 and then so dry and hot that my vegetables were unable to break their way through the baked earth4 ,when my peas and beans still gave no signs after being in the ground for two weeks1 ,i discovered that the whole work would have to be done over again4 ,a ,presidential campaign was beginning1 which kept me in town often late at night1 so that the chief labor of the garden fell to my faithful ,irishman1 who got far more satisfaction out of it than ,i did4 ,the vegetables finally did come up above the surface1 and many an evening ,i finished a hard day's work by pumping and carrying hundreds of gallons of water to pour upon potato plants1 tomatoes1 beans1 and other things which a friend of mine1 an expert in such matters1 assured me were curiosities of malformation and backwardness4 ,my ,irishman told me that it was all for want of manure1 and by his advice ,i bought six dollars' worth of manure from a neighboring stable1 and had it spread over the ground4 ,the bills for my garden were meanwhile mounting up4 ,i had begun the spring with a garden ledger1 keeping an accurate account of every penny spent1 and hoping to put on the other side of the page a tremendous list of fine vegetables4 ,the accounts are before me now1 and ,i presume that every one who has been through the same experience has preserved some such record4 7,naturally1 if he began that way47 7,liberty and a ,living1 by ,p4 ,g4 ,hubert47 ,if your idea of farming is to bury some seeds in untilled ground1 regardless of suitability1 and wait till they come up1 you will wait in vain for a decent crop4 ,says ,professor ,roberts in the ,farmstead 7,macmillan71 ,mushrooms sell at fifty cents per pound2 maize for one half cent per pound4 ,why8 ,because anybody1 even a squaw1 can raise maize1 but only a specially skilled gardener can succeed in mushroom culture4 ,but enough has been said to show that you must cultivate with brains4 ,the ,germans say1 ,what your head won't do1 your legs have to4 ,we'll have a little farm1 ,a pig1 a horse and cow ,and you will drive the wagon ,while ,i drive the plow1 is very pretty4 ,the horse and the pigs are practical1 if you can take care of them yourself2 pigs are good farm catch-alls4 ,if you have to pay a man to do it1 you had better hire your horses and buy your pork4 ,two well-groomed1 healthy cows1 one calving in the spring and one in the autumn1 can be made a source of profit1 and of valuable manure1 if you have land enough in a neighborhood where up-to-date parents are willing to pay ten to twenty cents a quart for pure milk for their infants or even for family use4 ,but your land and your own baby's care and milk will probably be enough for you to attend to promptly and thoroughly every day--and night4 ,it is an age-old experience that if we take care of a little land1 the land will take care of us4 ,in ,ferrero's ,grandezza e ,decadenza di ,roma is an interesting account of ,marcus ,terentius ,varro's ,de ,re ,rustica4 ,varro wrote in the year #cg ,b4,c41 and as he was then eighty years old1 he had seen the transformation of ,italy from an agricultural to a manufacturing1 trading community and the accompanying wreck of the old agricultural system1 which1 of course1 he laments4 ,the growth of vast landed estates largely held by imperial favorites1 as ,pliny said1 destroyed ,italy4 ,so fearful has the destruction been that it is only in our generation that the ,campagna at ,rome1 which was once an intensely fruitful quilt of garden patches1 has been reclaimed from the fever-smitten swamp to which vast landlordism had reduced it4 ,in the third book of ,de ,re ,rustica1 ,varro recommends as his remedy1 intensive cultivation close to the cities1 and the breeding of fancy stock1 including pigeons' snails1 peacocks1 deer1 and wild boars4 ,he tells how an aunt of his made #fj1jjj sesterces 7#cjjj7 in one year by raising thrushes for the ,roman market1 at a time when an excellent farm of about #bjj acres only yielded #cj1jjj sesterces per annum4 ,he quotes another case of one who made #dj1jjj sesterces per annum from a flock of one hundred peacocks1 by selling the eggs and the young4 ,those old ,roman women weren't so slow4 ,ferraro calls ,varro's work one of the most important for the history of ancient ,italy and says historians have made a mistake in not reading it4 ,at the time of the migration of the barbarians 7#cej to #gej ,a4,d471 the lot of each able-bodied man was about thirty morgen 7equal to twenty acres7 on average lands1 on very good ground only ten to fifteen morgen 7equal to seven or ten acres71 four morgen being equal to one hectare4 ,of this land1 at least a third1 and sometimes a half1 was left uncultivated each year4 ,the remainder of the fifteen to twenty morgen sufficed to feed and fatten into giants the immense families of these child-producing ,germans1 and this in spite of the primitive technique1 whereby at least half the productive capacity of a day was lost4 7,from ,the ,state1 by ,franz ,oppenheimer1 p4 #aa47 ,in the ,orange ,judd prize contest1 merely for the clearest account of a garden1 not for results at all1 a number of the contestants raised produce at the rate of #aej to #djj per acre and over1 even in semi-arid regions2 for instance1 ,l4 ,e4 ,burnham says that he raised on his first garden of about one third of an acre in eastern ,massachusetts1 garden stuff which he sold to summer cottagers for #fa4fi4 ,this took about eight days' work1 nearly all with a wheel hoe4 ,remember about the present increased and changing prices and costs8 ,at the present writing1 #aiag1 the advances in costs and prices would probably average about three quarters1 and those of common labor perhaps one third over those given in the text4 ,in other respects1 the instances and authorities1 still pertinent1 have been retained in this revision4 ,it would have been waste1 not thrift1 to get a new authority to tell us that straw makes the cleanest mulch for strawberries2 that's the reason they were called strawberries2 and they grew just the same way ten years ago4 ,l4 ,e4 ,dimosh of ,connecticut raised on one quarter of an acre #adf4ba1 of which over #he was profit4 ,in other cases the profits were #adb 7,gianque1 ,nebraska7 per acre2 and over #bie 7,dora ,dietrich1 ,pennsylvania72 with the rather exceptional profit at the rate of #egj 7,mrs4 ,hall1 ,connecticut74 ,some showed a loss4 ,some of the town or city lots yielded very high profits2 one of a third of an acre gave a profit of #bbd4cc 7,edge ,darlington1 ,md474 ,the summary based upon the reports of five hundred and fifteen gardens in nearly every state and territory and in ,canada and the provinces1 may be considered accurate and reliable4 ,covering such a vast territory local conditions are avoided4 ,it shows that the average size of farm gardens was #bd1cgb square feet1 or about half an acre1 the average labor cost #bf4cd1 the average value of product was at the rate of #agj per acre1 and the net profit over #hj per acre4 ,to get results we must first learn and then teach what we know4 ,the finest game in the world is to teach4 ,no one ever knows anything thoroughly till he tries to teach it4 ,when you tell a person how to do a thing1 he doesn't know how to do it himself4 ,when you show him how to do it1 still he doesn't know that he could do it himself4 ,but when you get him to do it himself1 then he knows4 ,country boys will believe that early tomatoes can be raised by starting them in the house2 but like the rest of us they don't know how to do it1 and when spring comes and it is time to do such things1 they are busy on the farm4 ,there are several schools trying the experience of allowing the children to plant in window boxes in early ,april and are showing them how to do it4 ,but as there is not room for all the children to plant in these window boxes1 there is a new idea which originated in the country1 where the children are engaged in the fall and the spring assisting their parents at agricultural work4 ,it was hard to get up any interest in school gardens1 but it was all the more important that they should have agricultural instruction in the winter time4 ,at ,berkeley ,heights1 ,n4 ,j41 we devised this simple plan1 and it works4 ,we made a number of wooden boxes1 one foot wide1 two feet long1 so they will just fit on the ledge of a school desk4 ,they are only three inches deep1 with a bottom of tin1 turned up at the edges1 or of well painted pine1 white-leaded at the joints4 ,there is no drainage1 since we discovered that if they are not watered too much1 they do better without drainage4 ,the holes usually made in the bottoms of flower boxes carry off a lot of plant food with the water that runs through4 ,now1 how to store these boxes when they are not in the sunny places near the windows8 ,why1 we set up four posts of one-inch stuff at the four corners1 so that the box looks like a kitchen table turned upside down 7see illustration74 ,now the boxes filled with earth and with the young plants growing can be stored at night1 one on top of the other1 by the wall of the schoolroom4 ,if it is going to be cold1 and over ,sundays1 the pile of them can be covered with newspapers1 which keep them from getting chilled and from drying up1 or the boxes can be covered and carried home by the children4 ,we found that for most plants nine inches is high enough for the posts1 and that well-seasoned one-inch lumber is heavy enough not to warp if it is painted inside and out1 and it is not too heavy to lift4 ,by the way1 better paint the joints before the sides are nailed together4 ,it makes them more water-tight4 ,four screws at the corners will make them still tighter4 ,the scholars raise lettuce1 parsley1 onions1 and strawberries1 and all kinds of small plants1 as well as flowers1 in the winter2 and when the plants get too big or two crowded for the boxes1 they are separated and transplanted into other boxes to be taken home4 ,this was so successful that we devised a big window box which is suited for home use also2 it is just as wide as the window and half as long again as it is wide4 ,but this box does not stand outside on the window sill2 if it did1 the plants would freeze4 ,one end only rests on the inside window sill where it gets the sun2 the end is supported by two legs of the same height that the window sill is from the floor4 ,when a nice warm day comes1 the other end of the box is pushed out of the window and the sash closed down on it to keep it from falling out4 ,a couple of cleats or nails in the window jamb help to hold it in place4 ,of course1 the box has to be watched and taken in if it turns cold1 but it's astonishing how much can be raised and how much more can be learned out of season by the school desk boxes and the home window sliding boxes4 ,try it and see for yourself4 ,the children can learn as much about some things from a box #b,x#a ft4 as they can from a children's garden4 ,here are a couple of samples of what the kids themselves in a city school think of it4 ,,department ,,of ,,education ,office of the ,principal of ,public ,school ,no4 #g ,,van ,,alst ,,ave41 ,,astoria1 ,,queens ,i inclose a few compositions that were written by some of our boys and girls of the ,fourth ,year4 ,you will recognize the descriptions of your ,garden ,trays for classroom use ,unfortunately the free space in the classroom is limited1 so we have found it necessary to allow each pupil only part of a box4 ,the children themselves are delighted1 as you can see by their compositions4 ,very sincerely yours1 7,signed7 ,,agnes ,a4 ,,cording ,asst4 ,principal4 ,p4 ,s4 ,no4 #g ,grade #d ,a--,april #bl1 #aiae4 ,arthur ,miller1 ,age #aj ,,our ,,garden ,at first we planted radishes then onions and lettuce and beans and sunflowers4 ,each one of us have #a_/d of a box4 ,when we had finished that we brought them up to the front of the room and then watered them and went home4 ,anna ,duerr1 ,age #h ,,my ,,garden ,i have a garden4 ,it is a box4 ,i have a quarter of a box for my very own4 ,my garden has five rows4 ,in the first there are radishes1 in the second lettuce1 in the third onions1 in the fourth beans1 in the fifth sunflowers4 ,i hope my garden grows up4 ,of course these are only preparatory for profitable work4 ,we have cases in which #bjjj has been recorded from sales in one year from one acre1 and many cases in which at least #ajjj worth of produce has been sold from an acre4 ,these are sales1 not profits4 ,such results are not due to the boundless and fertile soil of the new world nor to small farming alone--they are due to intelligence4 ,professor ,ronna gives the following figures of crops per acre at ,romford 7,breton's ,farm73 #bh tons of potatoes 7say #ieb bushels71 #af tons of marigold1 #aje tons of beets1 #aaj tons of carrots1 #i to #bj tons of various cabbages1 and so on4 ,it was suggested to the ,agricultural ,department that it might fix standards of what is a good attainable crop4 ,on every golf links we have what is called a ,bogie score posted up4 ,that is a score that a certain mythical ,captain ,bogie1 supposed to be an average good player1 could make on those links4 ,on one typical club-course1 for instance1 the ,bogie score is #db4 ,though it has been done in #cg1 the ordinary player congratulates himself when he gets down to the ,bogie score4 ,now1 if there were standards attainable to ordinary intelligent and good cultivation set in each section1 it would enormously encourage farmers to reach them1 which may be of great importance4 ,one of the heads of the ,department replied as follows3 ',in regard to fixing a standard for each farmer to strive to attain1 ,i think that a very good idea2 but the standard for each crop in each particular locality would necessarily be somewhat different from that in every other locality4 ,persons who have had experience in experimental work keenly appreciate these points4 ,the work which is done upon one soil formation under different climatic conditions in one season1 does not necessarily find a duplicate in any other locality1 and the experience is that what is accomplished in one year would not be duplicated on the same soil and under the same management again in several years1 for the conditions under which agriculture is carried on are so many of them outside of the control of the operator that it is very difficult to predict results or to attain any fixed standard4 ,this is necessarily so with an operation which has so many uncertain factors to deal with as agriculture4 ,humidity of the atmosphere and of the soil1 the available plant food in the soil1 methods of tillage1 fertilizers used1 recurrence of frosts1 amount of sunlight1 the altitude and latitude of different localities1 all have a bearing upon crop production4 ,it is1 therefore1 very difficult to fix any approximate standard or average production for any particular locality without basing it upon a long series of years4 ,i think1 however1 that it is a subject worthy of agitation1 and it might inspire agriculturists to better work were such an ideal fixed upon4 ,this indicates that each experiment station or progressive farmer or teacher of agriculture might advantageously establish the local ,bogie score of what might fairly be expected4 ,we know how misleading averages are4 ,the man who tried to wade across a stream whose average depth was two feet1 was drowned4 ,the writer used to go to a fishing club of which ,cornelius ,vanderbilt was a member4 ,one of the standard jokes there was that the thirty members are worth on an average over two million apiece1 that is1 ,cornelius sixty millions1 and the rest of us 7comparatively7 nothing4 ,which are you to be8 ,a ,vanderbilt among cultivators1 or the other fellow who makes the 'average'8 7,money ,making in ,free ,america1 by the ,author47 ,but even making all allowances we see that we must cultivate much better than the average1 to make anything more than the farmer's hard living off the land4 ,peter ,dunne tells us what kind of a grind that is4 ,this pa-aper says th' farmer niver sthrikes4 ,he hasn't got th' time to4 ,he's too happy4 ,a farmer is continted with his farm lot4 ,there's nawthin' to take his mind off his wurruk4 ,he sleeps at night with his nose against th' shingled roof iv his little frame home an' dhreams iv cinch bugs4 ,while th' stars are still alight he walks in his sleep to wake th' cows that left th' call f'r four o'clock4 ,thin it's ho6 f'r feedin' th' pigs an' mendin' th' reaper4 ,th' sun arises as usual in th' east1 an' bein' a keen student iv nature he picks a cabbage leaf to put in his hat4 ,breakfast follows1 a gay meal beginnin' at nine an' endin' at nine-three4 ,thin it's off f'r th' fields where all day he sets on a bicycle seat an' reaps the bearded grain an' th' ,hessian fly1 with nawthin' but his own thoughts an' a couple iv horses to commune with4 ,an' so he goes an' he's happy th' livelong day if ye don't get in ear-shot iv him4 ,in winter he is employed keeping th' cattle fr'm sufferin' his own fate an' writin' testymonyals iv dyspepsia cures4 7,mr4 ,dooley ,says47 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,what ,,an ,,acre ,,may ,,produce ,we have shown what an acre has produced4 ,you must figure out for yourself what you can make your acres produce and what the product can be sold for4 ,all progress in agriculture has come heretofore through experiments1 made mostly by uninformed and untrained men4 ,what may not be done by practical learning and applied intelligence8 ,the wonderful recent advances have been made in just that way4 ,the modern improved methods in agriculture1 known collectively as intensive farming1 have nearly all had their origin in the hands of truck farmers and market gardeners4 ,no class of the rural population is more alert in utilizing the newest researches and discoveries in all lines of agricultural science1 and none keeps in closer touch with the agricultural colleges and experiment stations4 7,development of the ,trucking ,interests1 by ,f4 ,s4 ,earle47 ,still1 it is not advisable for the ordinary city dweller1 however intelligent1 without other means and without either experience or study1 to cast himself upon a small patch of ground for a living2 but if he can give it most of his time mornings and evenings1 or if he sees1 as many do1 that he will be forced out of a position1 it would be well for him seriously to consider intensive cultivation as a resource4 ,it would be the greatest blessing to our day laborers if they could secure an acre of land which they could till in conjunction with their other labor4 ,if time and change #ij works upon society as to put the laborer out of a job1 he will be safe in his acre home and can live from it and be happy and contented4 ,the time required to cultivate an acre is much less than is generally supposed4 ,the maximum time required seems to be that given in the ,university of ,illinois ,experiment ,station at ,urbana1 ,bulletin #fa1 by ,j4 ,w4 ,lloyd1 at the rate of #adj hours 7say #ad days7 with one horse and #bej hours 7say #be days7 for hand labor4 ,with a great variety of crops1 or with poor labor add one half to this time allowance4 ,the results vary greatly4 ,an acre of northeastern ,long ,island will produce #bej to #djj bushels of potatoes at a selling price of fifty to seventy five cents per bushel1 which wholesale1 at those figures much below present prices1 bring an income of #abe to #cjj to the grower4 ,the actual cash outlay in one instance was3 ,seed ,potatoes #aj4jj ,commercial ,fertilizer #ac4jj ,spraying for blight and pests #d4jj ,,total #bg4jj #bej bu4 selling at the minimum price #abe4jj ,less the cash outlay #bg4jj ,income to the grower from an acre #ih4jj ,a production of #djj bushels costs no more cash outlay per acre1 while the income is big wages to the farmer4 ,if but one acre be grown and hand labor is used1 the labor might cost an average of #dj per acre1 with wages at #a4ce to #a4ej per day1 and if the produce is shipped any distance by rail and consigned1 it would cost #dj to #ej to pay selling charges1 leaving you a profit of about #cj per acre on this crop4 ,other crops in the rotation might not be so profitable1 hence it is not fair to figure an income on one4 ,but1 of course1 in the above estimate1 we are considering mainly the cases where the gardener does the work and earns the wages himself4 ,an acre will bear if devoted to each crop1 of3 ,blackberries1 #aj1jjj qt41 which at #g cent a qt41 would bring #gjj4jj ,dewberries1 #i1jjj qt41 say at #g cent a qt4 #fcj4jj ,gooseberries1 #bej bu4 at #b4jj a bu4 #ejj4jj ,strawberries1 #h1jjj qt4 at #e cent a qt4 #djj4jj ,currants1 #cjjj plants yield #fjjj bu4 #bjj4jj ,raspberries1 per acre #bjj4jj to #fjj4jj ,peaches1 per acre #bjj4jj to #djj4jj ,pears1 per acre #bjj4jj to #ejj4jj ,apples1 per acre #ajj4jj to #ejj4jj ,grapes #ajj4jj ,five1 or even three acres will give a good living if this can be approximated3 ,an acre will produce in vegetables--either ,asparagus1 #cjjj bunches at #bj cent a bunch1 would be #fjj4jj ,cauliflower1 #ajj to #cjj bbl4 at #a4ej1 say #dej4jj ,onions1 #fjj bu4 at #ge cent per bu4 #dej4jj ,cabbage ,seed1 #ajjj lb41 at #dj cent a lb4 #djj4jj ,brussels sprouts1 #cjjj qt4 at #aj cent a qt4 #cjj4jj ,celery1 #fjj bunches at #e cent a bunch #cjj4jj ,parsnips1 #cjj bu4 at #a4jj a bu4 #cjj4jj ,lettuce1 #ijjj heads at #c cent a head #bgj4jj ,lima ,beans1 #ej bu4 at #e4jj a bu4 #bej4jj ,we may hope to get from an acre1 respectively in ,potatoes1 #cjj bu4 at #ge cent a bu1 would be #bbe4jj ,cabbages1 #bj tons at #aj4jj a ton #bjj4jj ,carrots and ,beets1 #bjj to #djj bu #aej4jj ,tomatoes1 #bjj crates at #ge cent a crate #aej4jj ,early ,peas1 #ej bu4 at #bjjj a bu4 #ajj4jj ,turnips1 #djj bu4 at #be cent a bu #ajj4jj ,spinach1 #ajj bbl4 at #ej cent a bbl4 #ej4jj ,mr4 ,d4 ,l4 ,hartman1 whose experience in the ,north is given on a later page1 has since moved to ,little ,river1 ,florida4 ,he writes in #aiag3 ,i have recently sold the last strawberries of a small plot4 ,owing to a combination of circumstances it produced1 ,i think1 the largest value per area of any crop ,i have ever cultivated4 ,the main factors were high prices realized and heavy yield4 ,area of plot1 a trifle over one fifth acre4 ,total yield1 #bbie quarts1 total receipts1 #dgjc4hj4 ,first berries picked ,january #bnd2 last berries picked ,june #bfth2 ,variety1 ,brandywine4 ,this shows a yield of #aa1ajg quarts per acre worth at the same rate1 #ccih4jj4 ,the fruit was all sold to stores in ,miami 7five miles distant7 and brought an average you notice of #cj-b_/c cents per quart for the crop1 the highest bringing fifty cents per quart4 ,the average price during the ordinary seasons is about twenty cents per quart4 ,my ordinary average yield is less than half of this yield or about #ejjj quarts per acre1 and that is much above the average of most yields of other growers4 ,the crop was started with northern plants1 set just as for matted rows in the ,north1 then early in ,november plants were dug up and set out in order in rows #ab inches apart and #h-a_/b inches apart in the row1 leaving every fifth row vacant for paths4 ,it is super close culture2 one plant per square foot for the total area or a little more4 ,i often think that if ,i were operating in the ,north again ,i would like to try strawberries the same way1 except that ,i would do the transplanting ,september #ast instead of ,november #ast as here1 since ,i would expect them to grow larger and of course ,i would plan to mulch them during the winter4 ,it would take a lot of planting but ,i think it would insure a tremendous yield4 ,i find that the digging and planting including watering of #aejj plants makes ten hours' work with elimination of all waste motion4 ,you will not get as good results as ,mr4 ,hartman's average1 unless you learn as much as he has learned2 he has succeeded by well-directed work in different places and circumstances4 ,the ,south and ,west are not the only places in the ,united ,states where a man can live on one acre of ground1 by intensive culture and with irrigation4 ,the ,eastern and ,middle ,states can present just as good1 if not better1 opportunities1 especially where land in small tracts is available near the large cities4 ,the ,farmers' ,advocate 7,topeka1 ,kansas7 says of lands which ten years ago were among the much advertised abandoned farms of the eastern states3 ,all over the eastern states where farming twenty years ago was pronounced a failure under ,western competition there has sprung up this intensive cultivation4 ,violets are grown in one place and tuberoses by the acre in another4 ,celery is making one man's large profit near ,williamsburg4 ,special fruits are cultivated4 ,currants are grown by the ton and sold by the pound1 yielding a profit4 ,this is in progress over the entire range of farming4 ,at ,hyde ,park1 a little village three miles north of ,reading1 ,pa41 there is a small farm owned by ,oliver ,r4 ,shearer1 who may be said to be one of the most successful farmers in the ,united ,states4 ,this farm contains #c-a_/b acres1 only #b-a_/b of which are cultivated1 but they yield the owner annually from #abjj to #aejj4 ,from the profits of his intensive farming1 ,mr4 ,shearer has paid #chjj for his property1 which1 besides the land1 consists of a modern two-story brick house1 with barn1 chicken-yard1 and orchard1 the whole surrounded by a neat fence4 ,he has also raised and educated a family of three children4 ,there are no secrets1 ,mr4 ,shearer says1 about his method of farming4 ,a study of conditions1 the application of common-sense methods and untiring energy1 he asserts1 will enable others to do what he has done1 but that most men would kill themselves with the work4 ,in an agricultural exchange a small farmer tells that he makes a living and saves some money from a ten-acre farm4 ,before he was through paying for his land1 which cost #ajj an acre1 building his house1 fences1 and outbuildings1 he went in debt #acjj1 having about the same amount to start with4 ,he is near a good market1 and in five years has paid off the debt1 and has been getting ahead ever since4 ,he raises poultry and small fruits1 and says that it is a good combination1 as most of the work with poultry comes in winter1 while he can do nothing out of doors4 ,he maintains that a ten-acre farm rightly managed will bring a good living1 including the comforts and some of the luxuries of life1 and says3 ,this ,i have fully demonstrated1 and what ,i have done others may do4 ,maxwell's ,talisman says3 ,e4 ,j4 ,o',brien of ,citronelle1 ,alabama1 received #agj clear from an acre of cucumbers shipped to the ,st4 ,louis market4 ,he was two weeks late in getting them on the market4 ,he says those two weeks would have meant nearly double the net returns4 ,he does not consider this an extraordinary return and hopes to do better next year4 ,professor ,thomas ,shaw writes of a plot of ordinary ground in ,minnesota comprising the nineteenth part of an acre1 which for years kept a family of six matured persons abundantly supplied with vegetables all the year1 with the exception of potatoes1 celery1 and cabbage4 ,in addition1 much was given away1 more especially of the early varieties1 and in many instances much was thrown away4 ,in the market-gardens of ,florida we see such crops as #dde to #fjj bushels of onions per acre1 #djj bushels of tomatoes1 #gjj bushels of sweet potatoes2 which testify to a high development of culture4 ,we select from ,bailey's ,principles of ,vegetable ,gardening the following general estimates3 ,beets--,average crop is #cjj-djj bushels per acre4 ,carrots--,good crop is #bjj-cjj bushels per acre4 ,cabbage--#hjjj heads per acre4 ,potatoes--,the yield of potatoes averages about #ge bushels per acre1 but with forethought and good tillage and some fertilizer the yield should run from #bjj to #cjj bushels1 and occasionally yields will much exceed the latter figure4 ,rhubarb--,from #b to #e stalks are tied in a bunch for market1 and an acre should produce #cjjj dozen bunches4 ,salsify--,good crop #bjj-cjj bushels per acre4 ,onions--,a good crop of onions is #cjj-djj bushels to the acre1 but #fjj-hjj are secured under the very best conditions4 ,the price per ton for horseradish varies from ten to fifty dollars1 and from two to four tons should be raised on an acre1 the latter quantity when the ground is deep and rich and when the plants do not suffer for moisture4 ,averages are very misleading and it would be better to pay little attention to them4 ,they are like the average wealth possessed by a class of twenty schoolchildren4 ,the schoolmaster who had #bj asked what was the average wealth of each1 if the total wealth of the class was #bj4 ,the brightest boy answered1 ,one dollar4 ,the schoolmaster asked ,tommy at the foot of the class if he did not think they would be a prosperous class4 ,he answered1 ,it depends on who has the 'twenty4' ,but1 all the more1 good averages imply some wonderful yields4 ,the following are actual averages in the ,united ,states ,twelfth and ,thirteenth ,census ,report1 respectively4 ,flowers and plants1 #bjad and #aiaa2 nursery products1 #agj and #bfa2 sugar cane1 #hg 7#d tons per acre7 and #eedj2 small fruits1 #ha and #aaj2 hops1 #gb 7#hhe lb4 per acre7 and #age2 sweet potatoes1 #cg 7#gi but per acre7 and #ee2 hemp1 #cd 7#gid lb4 per acre7 and #ed2 potatoes1 #cc 7#if bu4 per acre7 and #de2 sugar beets1 #cj 7#g tons per acre7 and #ed2 sorghum cane1 #ba 7#a ton per acre7 and #bc2 cotton1 #ae 7#d-aj bale per acre7 and #be4gj flaxseed1 #i 7#i bu4 per acre7 and #ad2 cereals1 #h and #aa4dj4 ,specialties1 however1 often do much better4 ,for example1 ,r4 ,b4 ,handy1 in ,farmers' ,bulletin ,no4 #fj1 ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 tells us that a prominent and successful ,new ,jersey grower says3 ,i cannot give the cost in detail of establishing asparagus beds1 as so much would depend upon whether one had to buy the roots1 and upon other matters4 ,where growers usually grow roots for their own planting the cost is principally the labor1 manure1 and the use of land for two years upon which1 however1 a half crop can be had4 ,the cost of maintaining a bed can only be estimated per acre as follows3 ,manure 7applied in the spring7 #be4jj ,labor1 plowing1 cultivating1 hoeing1 etc #bj4jj ,cutting and bunching #dj4jj ,fertilizer 7applied after cutting7 #ae4jj ,total #ajj4jj ,an asparagus bed well established1 say five years after planting1 when well cared for should1 for the next ten or fifteen years1 yield from #ahjj to #bjjj bunches per annum1 or at #aj cents per bunch 7factory price7 #ahj to #bjj4 ,if the rent1 labor1 etc41 for a crop of asparagus is #bjj per acre1 and the crop is three tons of green shoots at #ajj per ton1 on the farm1 the profit is #ajj per acre4 ,if we get six tons at #ajj per ton1 the profit1 less the extra cost of labor and manure1 is #djj per acre4 7,food for ,plants1 by ,harris and ,myers1 page #ai47 ,around ,bethlehem1 ,indiana1 the farmers raise hundreds of tons of sunflower seed every year1 and the industry pays better than anything else in the farming line4 ,a good deal of the seed is made into condition powder for stock1 occasionally some is made into so-called olive oil which is said to surpass cotton-seed oil4 ,large quantities are used for feeding parrots and poultry1 or consumed by the ,russian ,hebrews who eat them as we would eat peanuts4 ,a careful investigation made in #ahih of the value of certain productions taken from farms in ,new ,york ,state shows that the culture of apples is very profitable4 ,from twenty adjoining farms in one neighborhood in western ,new ,york1 the report gave an average annual return of #he per acre at the orchard1 covering a period of five years4 ,another report gave an average of #aaj annual income per acre for three years1 and these results were obtained where only ordinary care was given to the orchard4 ,but note this4-- ,one orchard1 where the trees had been well sprayed to protect the fruit from insect injuries1 and the soil well cultivated and properly fertilized1 gave a return in one year of #gjj per acre1 and for three years an average income of #djj per acre4 ,one man bought a farm of #ajj acres in ,central ,new ,york with a much-neglected orchard upon it of #cj acres1 paying #ejjj for the whole4 ,he cultivated the orchard1 pruned and sprayed the trees thoroughly1 and in seven months from the time he purchased the farm1 sold the apple crop from it for #fjjj cash4 ,peanuts3 ,culture and ,uses1 by ,r4 ,b4 ,handy in ,farmers' ,bulletin ,no4 #be of the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture says3 ,according to the ,census the average yield of peanuts in the ,united ,states was #ag4f bushels per acre1 the average in ,virginia being about #bj1 and in ,tennessee #cb bushels per acre4 ,this appears to be a low average1 especially as official and semiofficial figures give #ej to #fj bushels as an average crop1 and #ajj bushels is not an uncommon yield4 ,fair peanut land properly manured and treated to intelligent rotation of crops should produce in an ordinary season a yield of #ej bushels to the acre and from #a to #b tons of excellent hay4 7,of course better land with more liberal treatment and a favorable season will produce heavier crops1 the reverse being true of lands which have been frequently planted with peanuts without either manuring or rotation of crops47 ,besides the amount of peanuts gathered1 there are always large quantities left in the ground which have escaped the gathering1 and on these the planter turns his herd of hogs1 so that there is no waste of any part of the plant4 ,tobacco is a paying crop if the soil is just right4 ,two thousand pounds per acre can be raised on favorable sites4 ,connecticut tobacco brings1 in ordinary times1 from twenty to thirty cents a pound2 from four to over six hundred dollars being the possible return4 ,some ,connecticut soils raise ,sumatra tobacco equal to the imported crop that sells in this country at fancy prices4 ,the ,department of ,agriculture claims that the ,cuban type of tobacco can be closely approximated in ,pennsylvania and ,ohio4 ,but it must be remembered that the soil is of paramount importance in tobacco raising4 ,the ,department has prepared soil maps of most of the important tobacco districts of the ,united ,states4 ,if you think your land may be suited to tobacco1 apply there for information4 ,you may make your land invaluable4 ,d4 ,l4 ,hartman1 ,rural ,new ,yorker1 gave the following facts and figures3 ,during last season the sales from one acre of early tomatoes amounted to #ded1 and from a trifle more than two and one half acres1 including the acre of 'earlies1' the remainder mid-season and late plantings1 the total sales amounted to over #ijj4 ,from a little less than one acre and a half #eee worth of strawberries were sold1 while the returns from early cabbages during the last few years have been at the rate of about #cjj per acre4 ,these statements are not made in the spirit of challenge4 ,the results are gratifying to me1 because larger than anticipated2 but much greater values can be and are produced4 ,in fact1 the limit of value that may be grown on an acre of land no one can tell4 ,i have a small plot of ground containing less than one sixth of an acre1 planted one year with radishes and lettuce1 followed by eggplant and cauliflower1 and the next year to radishes alone1 followed by egg-plant1 and each year the total sales amounted to over #bjj1 at the rate of #abjj per acre4 ,greatly exceeding even this was a smaller plot1 measuring #bj ,x #fe feet1 last year1 planted first to pansies1 plants sold when in bloom1 followed by radishes1 of which one half proved to be a worthless variety 7it lay idle long enough to have produced another crop of radishes71 then half was planted to late lettuce1 the other half being sown for winter cabbage1 plants yielding no cash return4 ,yet the total sales for the season from this small plot1 less than one thirty-second of an acre1 was #hf4gh at the rate of the surprising sum of #bghj per acre1 and could easily have been raised to the rate of #d1jjj1 and that without the use of any glass whatever1 ,truly the possibilities of the soil are unknown4 ,the cooperative features used by ,northeastern ,long ,island intensive farmers are worthy of imitation4 ,in the community of ,riverhead a club buys at wholesale rates commodities which the farm and household require4 ,the club does a large business1 and has a high rating in the commercial agencies4 ,in another instance at ,riverhead an association markets the crop of cauliflower1 sending cars of such produce to ,cincinnati and ,chicago4 ,these are the best forms of cooperation4 ,in the market-gardening sections the banks show prosperity4 ,in the towns of ,riverhead and ,southold there are savings banks with deposits of #d1jjj1jjj each1 and five business banks which are doing a thriving business4 ,in this stretch of thirty miles on eastern ,long ,island the farms are mostly free from encumbrance of any kind4 ,it should be noted1 however1 that their towns have the open ,sound with its bays which furnish open ways for transportation and an unowned field for work4 7,from circular of the ,long ,island ,guild of ,new ,york ,city47 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,some ,,methods ,we must not put all our time into one crop unless we are rich enough to do our own insurance2 for drought1 or damp2 or accident1 ill-adapted seed1 or general unfavorable conditions may make failures of one or more crops4 ,but in variety and succession of crops is safety and profit4 ,in order to succeed1 crop must be made to follow crop1 so that the ground is used to its full capacity4 ,to leave it fallow for even a week is to invite weeds and to lose much of the advantage of tillage1 as well as so much time4 ,in the ,north1 seeds of many kinds should be sown from the first of ,march to the first of ,august2 in the ,south they should be sown in every month4 ,by following the simple time tables for planting you will find work ready and crops maturing and ready for sale in every month in the year4 ,there is an admirable table of the time to plant1 given in ,how to ,make a ,vegetable ,garden1 though it does embrace some weird vegetables1 explaining1 for instance1 that pats-choi is used like chards1 and that ,scolymus is sowed like ,scorzonera4 ,one can live while waiting for the crops to come up1 for many crops mature rapidly4 ,specialties give employment only during a few months of each year and bring returns only at periods of the year1 but the returns can be made almost immediate and the work almost continuous4 ,long ,island and ,jersey farmers in marketing their crops sell ,spinach and ,radishes in ,april ,peas1 ,early ,onions1 and ,lettuce in ,may ,asparagus and ,strawberries in ,june ,tomatoes1 ,cucumbers1 and ,cabbage ,seeds in ,july ,early ,potatoes1 ,peaches1 and ,beans in ,august ,onions and ,potatoes in ,september ,celery in ,october ,cauliflower in ,november ,cauliflower and ,brussels ,sprouts in ,december ,cauliflower and ,brussels ,sprouts in ,january ,brussels ,sprouts in ,february ,brussels ,sprouts in ,march ,this order of crops can be varied to suit conditions4 ,the old practice of growing vegetables in beds usually entails more labor and expense than the crop is worth2 and it has had the effect of driving more than one boy from the farm4 ,these beds always need weeding on ,saturdays1 holidays1 circus days1 and the ,fourth of ,july4 ,even if the available area is only twenty feet wide1 the rows should run lengthwise and be far enough apart 7from one to two feet for small stuff7 to allow of the use of the hand wheelhoes1 many of which are very efficient4 ,if land is available for horse tillage1 none of the rows should be less than thirty inches apart1 and for late growing things1 as large cabbage1 four feet is better4 ,if the rows are long1 it may be necessary to grow two or three kinds of vegetables in the same row2 in this case it is important that vegetables requiring the same general treatment and similar length of season be grown together4 ,for example1 a row containing parsnips and salsify1 or parsnips1 salsify1 and late carrots would afford an ideal combination2 but a row containing parsnips1 cabbages1 and lettuce would be a very faulty combination4 ,one part of the area should be set aside for all similar crops4 ,for example1 all root crops might be grown on one side of the plot1 all cabbage crops in the adjoining space1 all tomato and eggplant crops in the center1 all corn and tall things on the opposite side4 ,perennnial crops1 as asparagus and rhubarb1 and gardening structures1 as hotbeds and frames1 should be on the border1 where they will not interfere with the plowing and tilling4 7,principles of ,vegetable ,gardening1 page #ca47 ,usually where large acreages are worked there is a tendency to devote a greater portion of the land to one crop and sometimes a failure in this crop will mean ruin to the farmer1 whereas1 where small areas are used1 there is generally a diversity of the higher-priced crops and a failure in one is not so likely to be disastrous4 ,to get the greatest production from the soil two crops can be grown in the same soil at the same time--one of which will mature much earlier than the other1 thereby giving its place up just about the period of growth when the second crop would need more room4 ,this is known as companion cropping4 ,in companion cropping there is a main crop and a secondary crop4 ,ordinarily the main crop occupies the middle part and later part of the season4 ,the secondary crop matures early in the season1 leaving the ground free for the main crop4 ,in some cases the same species is used for both crops1 as when late celery is planted between the rows of early celery4 ,following are examples of some companion crops3 ,radishes with beets or carrots4 ,the radishes can be sold before the beets need the room4 ,corn with squashes1 citron1 pumpkin1 or beans in hills4 ,early onions and cauliflower or cabbage4 ,horseradish and early cabbage4 ,lettuce with early cabbage4 7,principles of ,vegetable ,gardening1 page #ahd47 ,if fruit trees be planted1 vegetables may be grown in rows4 ,as soon as the early vegetables mature they are removed1 and a midsummer crop planted4 ,these are followed by a fall or winter crop4 ,radishes1 lettuce1 and cabbage grow at the same time and on the area formerly used for one crop4 ,early potatoes and early cauliflower are followed by ,brussels sprouts and celery1 two crops being as easily grown as one by intelligent handling4 ,the best beans are grown among fruit trees4 ,the principles of double-cropping are summarized by ,professor ,thomas ,shaw1 in ,the ,market ,garden4 ,onion sets may be planted early in the season and onion seeds may then be sown4 ,between the rows cauliflower may be planted4 ,later between the cauliflower1 two or three cucumber seeds may be dropped4 ,the onion sets up around the cauliflower may be taken out first1 and the cauliflowers in turn may be removed in time to let the cucumbers develop4 ,midway between the rows of onions grown from seeds1 we can plant radishes1 lettuce1 peppergrass1 spinach1 or some other early relish1 which will have ample time to grow and to be consumed before harm can come to the onions from the shade of any one of these crops4 ,when the onions are well grown1 turnips can be sown midway between their rows4 ,so we get two crops of onions1 besides cauliflowers1 cucumbers1 and turnips off the same place4 ,weeds won't have much chance in soil treated like that4 ,multum in ,parvo ,gardening 7,samuel ,wood7 claims ,l #fbj 7#cajj7 from one acre by the expenditure of considerable capital in growing fruit against brick walls--it cost over #cajj to prepare the land1 of which the walls cost #bcjj4 ,in this system the fruit trees are pruned and trained till they look like firemen's ladders4 ,in the suburbs of ,paris1 even without such costly things with only thirty-six yards of frames for seedlings1 vegetables are grown in the open air to the value of ,l #bjj per acre4 7,fields1 ,factories and ,workshops1 page #hj47 ,at the present time1 for fully #ajj miles along the ,rhone1 and in the lateral valleys of the ,ardeche and the ,drome1 the country is an admirable orchard1 from which millions worth of fruit is exported1 and the land attains the selling price of from ,l #cbe 7#afbe7 to ,l #djj 7#bjjj7 the acre4 ,small plots of land are continually reclaimed for culture upon every crag4 7,same1 page #acc47 ,in ,california we hear 7from ,george ,p4 ,keeney7 that while good truck and fruit lands usually sell for #be to #cej per acre1 the land with full-bearing fruit or nut trees often sells at #ajjj1 and even up to #bjjj per acre4 ,there is no reason why any intelligent persons should not make their land increase in the same way4 ,the ,london ,daily ,news reports that in one year1 which was not a good season for all crops1 on a half acre of land1 ,mr4 ,henry ,vincent1 of ,brighton1 ,england1 raised the following products3 #bffj cabbages1 #gj bushels spinach1 #iej cauliflowers1 parsley1 #adfj lettuces1 #ffj broccoli1 #af bushels potatoes1 #ai-a_/d bushels ,brussels sprouts1 #ajf-a_/b gallons peas1 #abj gallons artichokes1 flowers1 #bfg vegetable marrows1 #bigf carrots1 #bfd bundles radishes1 #ad gallons ,french beans1 #ab gallons currants' #ie-a_/b punnets mustard1 #bg pounds mushrooms1 rhubarb1 #idh bushels sprout tops1 #ch dozen leeks1 #aaej plants1 #aa-a_/d gallons broad beans1 #ig bundles sea-kale1 #igh bundles of asparagus-kale1 #ejd beet roots1 #biac gallons gooseberries1 #bai bundles mint1 #bj bundles sage1 #ah bundles of fennel1 thyme1 besides one cartload of stones4 ,mr4 ,vincent explains how he came to go into intensive cultivation3 ,a few years ago the doctors said if ,i did not go out more ,i could not live4 ,very well1 just at that time there was an outcry about the land not paying for cultivation4 ,i could not understand this1 for as a boy at seven years of age ,i had to go out to farm work1 therefore ,i never went to school4 ,anyhow ,i thought something was very wrong if the land would not pay2 so1 to compel myself to go out in the fresh air1 ,i took an allotment on the ,sussex ,downs to work in the early morning before my daily duties began4 ,i might say that ,i am a waiter1 and have been in my present situation forty years1 so you can understand ,i could not know much of land or garden work ,i could not see my way clear in the few spare hours ,i get to take more than half an acre of land to garden early1 especially as ,i started knowing practically nothing about such work1 but ,i can manage to do my half acre all alone4 ,my garden is situated on the ,brighton ,race ,hill ridge1 and twelve years ago it was but four inches of soil on chalk1 but ,i now have a foot of soil on the whole of the half acre1 and year by year my profits increase4 ,yes1 get the men to stop on the land in this country4 ,we ought not to have workhouses4 ,every man could live1 and live well1 if he could get the land1 and would work it as it should be worked4 ,farmers and landowners grumble because the land does not pay4 ,now for the fault4 ,it is quite evident it is not the land1 therefore1 it must be the fault of the man4 ,very well1 get the land from these landed proprietors1 by sale preferred1 and let it out to men1 not by #ajjj acres1 as no man can farm well a thousand acres in ,england2 let the farms be greatly reduced1 and then the land can be treated as it should be4 ,most of us have children1 and we all know how we love and treat them4 ,treat the land in the same manner1 feed it1 and keep it clean1 and you will have no cause to complain4 ,the land of old ,england is as good as it ever was4 ,i have serious thoughts of opening a kind of school for people who would like to make #ejj a year on an acre4 ,it is to be done1 and done easily4 ,i do know that one man alone can manage two acres1 and at the end of this year ,i shall be able to tell how much more he can manage alone1 so under my system one can gain ,l #d a week off two acres and do all one's self4 ,if the land will produce over one hundred pounds per year per acre1 is it not wrong for a man to have1 say1 #ejj or #ajjj acres which in no way can he properly manage2 as1 in the first place1 he cannot feed such an acreage1 let alone keep it clean and gather in his crops8 ,in truth1 what an acre may produce depends on time1 place1 and circumstances ,the product of the best acre of land so situated that its product could be sold at retail in a near-by market1 and which has been cultivated under the best management for a term of years1 would provide a very comfortable living4 ,the product of other acres1 measured by what they produce to the cultivator in living1 declines through various grades down to almost nothing on the acre far from railroads or difficult of access4 ,while in quantity and quality the least favored acre could be made to produce as much as one best situated1 yet1 almost none of its production would be available to sell1 while the product of the favorably located acre could be sold as rapidly as grown4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,kitchen ,,garden ,the aim of the kitchen garden is to provide an abundance and variety of food for the family4 ,as the object of the cultivator is to get the largest product for his labor1 he ought to produce all that he can consume on the least possible area4 ,though one may go into mushrooms or frog raising as a money crop1 the kitchen garden is the first indispensable and should first be given attention4 ,for a garden choose a piece of land with a southern exposure1 sheltered on the north and west by woods1 buildings1 hedge1 or any kind of a windbreak4 ,this arrangement will give the earliest garden1 for it gets all the sun there is4 ,by running the rows north and south1 the rays of the sun strike the eastern side of the row in the morning1 and the western side in the afternoon4 ,the best time to take hold of a piece of land is in the fall1 because then it can be plowed ready for the spring planting4 ,the alternate freezing and thawing during the winter breaks up the sod and the stiff lumps thrown up by the plow1 so rendering the soil pliable and easily worked4 ,this is especially true of land that has been reclaimed from the forest1 or which has not been farmed for many years4 ,before the plowing is done1 the land for the garden should be manured at the rate of twenty-five large wagon loads to the acre4 ,if you can get a suitable plot that has been in red clover1 alfalfa1 soy beans1 or cowpeas for a number of years1 so much the better4 ,these plants have on their roots nitrogen-fixing bacteria1 which draw nitrogen from the air4 ,nitrogen is the great meat-maker and forces a prolonged and rapid growth of all vegetables4 ,after manuring and plowing1 harrow repeatedly with a disk or cutaway harrow until the soil is as fine as dust4 ,then you have a seed bed which will give the fine roots a chance to grow as soon as the seeds sprout4 ,too much stress cannot be laid upon the importance of thoroughly working the soil at this time4 ,every stone1 weed1 or clod that is left in the soil destroys to that extent the source from which the plants can get their food4 ,a quarter-acre garden1 which is big enough to supply the whole family with a succession of vegetables for summer and fall1 as well as some potatoes and turnips for winter1 will take a diligent workman about four days to dig over and three days to plant4 ,the four days' work of digging will need to be done only once4 ,the time spent upon planting succession crops will depend upon the amount of the garden reserved for rotation4 ,the part kept for lettuce1 radishes1 spinach1 beets1 ,swiss chard1 peas1 string and wax beans may be digged over in a favorable season for three successive plantings1 while the part devoted to early potatoes would need to be digged only twice--once when the planting is done1 and again when crop is gathered and the ground be prepared for a crop of late cabbage or turnips4 ,a planting table for vegetables1 which is complete and comprehensive1 is distributed free by the ,national ,emergency ,food ,garden ,commission at ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,it is far more important to plant seeds at the proper depth than that they should be planted thinly or thickly1 for if they are planted too thin1 it makes a sort of advantage by giving the individual plants ample room to develop to large size2 and if planted too thick1 the evil can easily be remedied by thinning or transplanting4 ,after the seeds come up1 the size of almost all the vegetables can be increased by transplanting1 in favorable soil1 which gives each plant room for complete development4 ,it is too expensive to risk part of the land being unused or half used on account of seeds dying1 or to put in so many seeds in order to insure growth that they will crowd one another4 ,where possible1 therefore1 seeds should be sprouted and planted1 not sown4 ,lima beans planted on edge with eye down will come up much sooner than if dropped in carelessly so they have to turn themselves over4 ,in a small garden the time saved by such planting will repay the extra trouble4 ,in some things like onions and radishes1 however1 it is better to sow them thick1 and then thin them out1 so as to get the effect of transplanting without so much labor4 ,in others1 like lettuce and all the salad plants1 transplanting gives new life and energy and develops the individual plants in a way that will astonish those not familiar with what free development means4 ,it is wise to plant corn after lettuce and radishes are gathered1 and more lettuce1 corn1 or salad1 after the beans are picked4 ,then late crops1 cabbage1 cauliflower or spinach1 can go where early corn grew1 so that the small patch may earn your living and pay big dividends4 ,do not let two vegetables of the same botanical family follow each other4 ,for instance1 lima beans should not follow green beans or peas1 as all the family draw about the same elements from the soil1 and are likely to have the same insects and diseases4 ,do not plant cucumbers1 squash1 or pumpkins too near each other1 as they will often inter-impregnate and produce uneatable hybrids4 ,decide what you are going to do with your crop before you plant it1 whether to sell it1 at wholesale or at retail1 to eat it1 or to feed it to stock4 ,c4 ,e4 ,hunn1 in the ,garden ,magazine1 gives the following arrangement3 ,for the beginner who wants to get fresh vegetables and fruits from ,may until midwinter1 a space #ajj ,x #bjj feet is enough4 #a4 ,plant in rows1 not beds1 and avoid the backache4 #b4 ,plant vegetables that mature at the same time near one another4 #c4 ,plant vegetables of the same height near together--tall ones back4 #d4 ,run the rows the short way1 for convenience in cultivation and because one hundred feet of anything is enough4 #e4 ,put the permanent vegetables 7asparagus1 rhubarb1 sweet herbs7 at one side1 so that the rest will be easy to plow4 #f4 ,practice rotation4 ,do not put vines where they were last4 ,put corn in a different place4 ,the other important groups for rotation are root crops 7including potatoes and onions72 cabbage tribe1 peas and beans1 tomatoes1 eggplant and pepper1 salad plants4 #g4 ,don't grow potatoes in a small garden4 ,they aren't worth the bother4 ,by training on trellis or wire1 the smaller fruit plantings can be made much closer4 ,if fruits are wanted in the garden1 plant a row of apple trees along the northern border1 plums and pears on the western sides1 cherries and peaches on the eastern side4 ,next the apple trees run a grape trellis2 and then in succession east and west1 run a row of blackberries1 raspberries1 gooseberries1 and currants4 ,these rows1 with the apple trees1 form a windbreak1 and besides adding to the income1 protect the vegetables4 ,next to the bush fruits1 between them and the ends of the vegetable rows1 put rhubarb1 asparagus1 and strawberries4 ,insect pests must be watched for and their destructive work checked4 ,ashes1 slaked lime1 or any kind of dust or powder destroy most insects which prey on the leaves of plants4 ,the reason for this is that the dust closes the pores through which the insects breathe4 ,it should therefore be applied when the leaves are dry4 ,cutworms can be destroyed by winter plowing4 ,rotation of vegetables will reduce the damage from insects1 because each family has its peculiar bugs4 ,by constant change to new soil1 the pests have no opportunity to get a foothold4 ,with bugs1 as with boys1 only those who are interested in them and therefore understand them can manage them4 ,it is fun to study the insects--and it pays4 ,here's another use of land4 ,maybe a pool in your garden or a dam in a little brook in it may help out your home garden bank account4 ,of course a pond a few square yards in extent will give even better returns if you can sell its produce at retail near by4 ,w4 ,b4 ,shaw1 a seventy-year-old veteran who lost his right arm during the ,civil ,war1 lives in ,kenilworth1 ,d4 ,c41 and clears #aejj an acre every year out of mud puddles--if mud puddles can be measured by the acre4 ,mr4 ,shaw is a pond lily farmer1 and despite his lack of his good right arm1 he poles his boat about his mud puddles and gathers in the pond lilies4 ,his is not exactly a dry farm and neither wet nor cloudy weather bothers him4 ,furthermore1 the demand for his pond lilies in ,baltimore1 ,washington1 ,philadelphia1 and even ,new ,york1 and ,chicago1 is greater than he can supply4 ,mr4 ,shaw secured this swamp for almost nothing1 as it was considered worthless4 ,he divided it into fifteen pools with little dams between them1 and rollers on the dams to enable him to drag his boat from one to the other4 ,from ,may to late in ,september he is busy every morning gathering lilies4 ,his average is about #ejj a morning1 which he ships in little galvanized iron tanks with wet moss4 ,many school children know how to get results on a little land4 ,mr4 ,mahoney1 ,superintendent of the ,fairview ,garden ,school1 ,yonkers1 ,new ,york1 estimates that the total value of produce grown on the #bej gardens1 composing the school plot1 in all about one and one quarter acres of land1 was #acjh1 or at the rate of more than a thousand dollars per acre4 ,when it is taken into consideration that all the labor was done by boys ranging in age from eight to twelve years1 this result is truly astonishing4 ,what may not adult skilled labor produce when applied freely to the land4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,tools ,,and ,,equipment--,,specialized ,,crops ,to subdue the land with an ax1 a plow and a spade is possible2 millions of acres have been so subdued4 ,this method1 however1 is the most expensive of all1 as in our times1 markets won't wait1 and the man who wants to get on must produce as quickly as possible4 ,to do so1 he must have the best tools4 ,they will pay for themselves many times over in a single year4 ,for the farm1 the following list1 in addition to a well-stocked tool chest 7hammer1 saw1 plane1 ax1 etc47 covers the indispensible3 #a team horses 7these may be hired7 #bjj4jj #a walking plow #aj4jj #a disk or cutaway harrow #be4jj #a farm wagon #ej4jj #a cultivator 7two horse7 #be4jj #a one-horse cultivator #h4jj ,shovels1 pick1 mattock or grubbing hoe #aj4jj ,work harness for two horses #be4jj ,,total #cec4jj ,these things you must have to get the land in proper shape for seeds or plants2 but special crops require special tools4 ,a scythe is good to keep weeds away from fences4 ,a sickle is handy to keep down grass4 ,to reduce living expenses1 a cow for #fj1 and fifty hens at fifty cents each1 say #be1 will supply a large family with milk and eggs4 ,most people make the mistake of buying too many things and these poorly selected4 ,it is better to have too few tools than too many1 for tools are often dropped where last used1 and so are lost4 ,then if money is scarce1 you may not be able to make a shelter for your machines and tools1 and they will rust through the winter4 ,many farmers1 through neglect1 have to replace their tool equipment every four or five years1 but with attention and care1 the original equipment1 even to the team1 ought still to be in use twenty years after their purchase4 ,i know many instances where this is true4 ,the above equipment is the minimum for beginning work4 ,the character of additions to it will depend much upon the crops which you select as the money getters4 ,for general market gardening and the kitchen garden too1 the following tool list1 together with the above1 will include everything absolutely necessary4 ,wheel hoe #f4jj ,spade and fork1 each #a4jj #b4jj ,push hoe 4#fe ,watering can 4#fj ,rake and common hoe #a4jj ,bulb sprayer 4#be ,trowel 4#aj ,,total #aj4fj ,the wheel hoe is a great saver--of backache1 especially to the beginner2 as ,warner says1 at the best you will conclude that for gardening purposes a cast-iron back with a hinge in it is preferable to the ones now in use4 ,the dibble1 an old tool handle1 or a bit of broomstick sharpened1 and garden lines to get the rows straight1 labels1 tomato supports1 plant protectors and stakes earl all be homemade out of old material4 ,the full outfit would include the following3 ,roller #h4jj ,wheel-hoe with seeder #h4ej ,sprayer #c4ge ,wheelbarrow #d4jj ,crowbar #a4ej ,weeder 4#ce ,for such crops as admit of horse cultivation a horse hoe will save a great deal of time4 ,the weeder is a cousin to the push hoe and has a zigzag blade for cutting off young weeds which are just starting above ground4 ,it is pushed backward and forward and cuts both ways4 ,it is very good for soft ground2 on a harder patch use the push hoe4 ,a market garden is really a big kitchen garden1 from which the cultivator supplies not only his own family1 but his neighbors1 the public4 ,to run a successful market garden for profit1 land suitably situated near transportation and markets1 a large supply of stable manure1 hotbeds for raising plants1 crates for shipping1 wagons for delivering1 and a complete outfit of tools are necessary4 ,you must raise all sorts of vegetables and salad plants in quantities sufficiently large to justify you in giving your whole time to the work4 ,an acre devoted to general market gardening could be attended to by two men with some extra help for marketing4 ,to get a place fully established on new1 rich land requires two or three years4 ,on worn-out land it would take longer to build it up to the high fertility needed for maximum production4 ,crops like asparagus and rhubarb take two years to establish on a remunerative basis4 ,if bush fruits are raised1 three years are required to get maximum results4 ,so in starting1 land should be bought outright or leased for ten years4 ,in market gardening for profit1 one acre might be devoted to vegetables1 one acre to small fruits2 strawberries1 raspberries1 blackberries1 currants1 gooseberries1 etc4 and one acre kept for buildings1 poultry1 etc4 ,an energetic man could clear one thousand dollars a year besides his living1 after he got a start1 and be absolutely independent2 that is1 unless some predatory railroad corporation could confiscate his profits before his product reached the market4 ,some persons are just naturally so successful with plants that if they stuck an umbrella in the ground we should expect to see it blossom out into parasols--but they don't know why it does1 and they can't teach any one else how to do it4 ,any fool can sneer at book farming or at anything else1 but you can hardly succeed without the best books by practical men4 ,do not let some experienced ignoramus talk you out of experimenting under their guidance4 ,you will learn little without experience1 and unless you have the grower's instinct1 you will learn less without books4 ,don't be hypnotized by long experience or by success4 ,hardly anybody knows his own business4 ,you must have noticed that few of the people you buy of or sell to1 know any more of their goods than you do4 ,it is just the same with trades4 ,hardly a barber knows that he should not shave you against the grain of the skin4 ,even the cat won't stand being rubbed up the wrong way2 but the barber never thought of that4 ,we lawyers and the doctors are supposed to be thorough in our own field--,i said lately to one of the ablest men at the ,new ,york ,bar1 ,about one lawyer in a hundred knows his business4 ,he said1 ,that is a gross overestimate4 ,shortly after ,i talked with three ,judges1 one of the ,city ,court1 one of the ,supreme ,court1 and one of the ,united ,states ,circuit1 and they each agreed that my friend's remark was about true1 and that in most cases litigants would do as well without lawyers as with them4 ,if that is true1 what chance is there that an uneducated man who has raised garden sass ever since he was a boy1 and seen his father do it before him1 can teach you correctly8 ,men learn very slowly by experience1 because no two experiences are exactly alike1 unless they perceive and apply the principles under the experience4 ,an intelligent man accustomed to investigation can learn more about a specialty in a week's study than an untrained practitioner can believe in a year4 ,what the untrained teacher can tell us is of little account2 what he shows us is another matter4 ,therefore get help who know that they don't know anything about a garden and who consequently will do with a will exactly what you tell them to do2 such labor is cheap--why should you pay extravagant prices for skill to a man who has succeeded so poorly that he can only earn day's wages8 ,you can get much better knowledge at less cost from a book4 ,study and put your knowledge into practice yourself1 where you see promise of a profit4 ,almost every crop can be made a specialty4 ,in proportion as special crops are profitable when conditions are right1 so are they sources of loss when things go wrong4 ,if1 after your first season in the country1 some special crop takes your fancy1 give extra space and time to it the second year and see if you are successful in handling an eighth or a quarter acre4 ,if so1 you may extend your operations as rapidly as purse and market permit4 ,before concentrating upon any crop as the chief source of income1 a careful study must be made of all the conditions surrounding its production2 a crop is not produced in the broad meaning of that term until it is actually in the hands of the consumer4 ,potatoes1 for instance1 are grown by the hundred acres in sections adapted to their growth1 and special machinery costing hundreds of dollars is used in planting1 cultivating1 and harvesting the crop4 ,the good shipping and keeping qualities of the potato enable it to be raised far from markets and so brings into competition cheap land worked in large areas1 with large capital4 ,in spite of this1 however1 the small cultivator can usually make money if he can sell his potatoes directly to the consumer4 ,if your land is so situated that you can put your individuality into the crop and can control all the circumstances1 preparation of land1 planting1 cultivation1 harvesting1 and marketing1 your chances of success are immeasurably increased4 ,as soon as any important part must be trusted to some one beyond your control1 danger arises4 ,assiduous care in planting1 cultivating1 and packing will avail nothing if the product falls into the hands of transportation companies or commission merchants indifferent as to what becomes of it4 ,it is therefore better to be quite independent1 sell your own crop1 and have the whole operation in your own hands from the very beginning4 ,generally speaking1 seed growing for the market is a highly developed special business which is usually carried on by companies operating with large capital1 able to employ the best experts1 and to avail themselves of all the advantages of scientific methods in culture1 regardless of expense4 ,so uncertain is the business1 that even with all these facilities1 they rarely guarantee seeds4 ,it is obvious that the amateur has little chance of succeeding in such a difficult business4 ,nevertheless1 he will be able after a few seasons of increasing experience to gather seeds from selected plants and so furnish his own supply4 ,it must be borne in mind1 however1 that plants can be improved by cross breeding and that by keeping a variety too long on the same ground its quality deteriorates1 and the plant tends to revert to the type natural to it before domestication4 ,when land is cropped every season1 the nitrogen1 potash1 and phosphorus removed from the soil must be replaced in some form1 otherwise you have diminishing returns1 while the expense for labor is the same4 ,in farming small areas for specialties you cannot easily invoke the principle of rotation by enriching the land with legumes1 to be plowed under while green1 the bacteria on the roots of which gather nitrogen from the air1 but you must get stable manure or buy chemical fertilizers to maintain the fertility4 ,special crops divide themselves naturally into two classes3 those raised for immediate shipment to market1 and those to be hauled to canneries4 ,the first type are generally prepared in a more expensive way1 and need more care and attention4 ,each class requires its own special forms of packing to conform to market peculiarities fixed by the taste of consumers4 ,for the cultivation of all specialties1 many items of preparation are identical4 ,land must be well drained1 it must contain a sufficient amount of humus1 or decaying vegetable matter1 to make it loose and porous2 it must be free from sticks and stones or any foreign matter likely to impede cultivation or obstruct growth4 ,the proper formation of a seed bed is a prime prerequisite to successful cropping4 ,after the land is manured and plowed it should be gone over in all directions with a disk and smoothing harrow1 until it is of a dustlike fineness4 ,in thorough cultivation before the crop is planted1 lies the secret of many a success1 and in its neglect the cause of many failures4 ,intelligent handling of crops is in a large measure knowledge of the influence of wind and rain1 sunshine and darkness1 on the particular nature of the plant ,delicate plants1 for example1 ought to be grown where buildings or forests break the force of prevailing winds4 ,sheltered valleys in irrigated sections have proved the best for intensive cultivation4 ,for thousands of years in ,china and ,japan the conditions of successful intensive cultivation have been well understood1 and to-day the most efficient gardeners are the ,chinese4 ,in some parts of ,mexico1 for the same reasons1 intensive cultivation has reached a high development4 ,in our own ,west we are catching up on vegetables and fruits4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,advantages ,,from ,,capital ,we have seen what a worker with very little money can do and how he can succeed4 ,a small capital1 however1 can be used to increase the returns to as great advantage on a small farm as large capital can be used on a large farm and with much less risk4 ,stable manure is still the favorite article with the masses of gardeners4 ,one ton of ordinary stable manure contains about #abge pounds of organic matter1 carrying eight pounds of nitrogen1 ten pounds of potash1 and four pounds of phosphoric acid4 ,when thoroughly rotted1 the manure acquires a still larger percentage of plant food2 it is more valuable1 not only for that reason1 but also on account of its immediate availability4 ,further1 the mechanical effect of this manure in opening and loosening the soil1 allowing air and warmth to enter more freely1 adds greatly to its value4 ,it is easily gotten and often goes wholly or in part to waste4 ,on the outskirts of some towns may be seen a collection of manure piles that have been hauled out and dumped in waste places4 ,the plant food in each ton of this manure is worth at least two dollars--that is the least ,eastern farmers pay for similar material1 and they make money doing it4 ,yet almost every liveryman has to pay some one for hauling the manure away4 ,this is simply because farmers living near these towns are missing a chance to secure something for nothing--because1 perhaps1 the profit is not directly in sight4 ,but from most soils there is a handsome profit possible from a very small application of stable manure4 ,while writing this1 ,i saw a man in ,new ,rochelle1 ,n4 ,y42 dumping a load of street sweepings into a hole in a vacant lot4 ,it would have been less wasteful to have dumped a bushel of potatoes into the hole4 ,commercial fertilizers are coming more and more in use by market gardeners1 and with reason4 ,if we examine a good fertilizer1 analyzing five per cent available nitrogen1 six per cent phosphoric acid1 and #h per cent potash1 we shall find that one ton of it contains1 besides less valuable ingredients3 #ajj lb4 nitrogen1 #abj lb4 phosphoric acid1 #afj lb4 potash4 ,such fertilizers probably retail at forty to sixty dollars per ton1 and are fully worth it4 ,all this plant food1 and perhaps one half more1 can be drawn in a single load1 while it will take ten such loads of stable manure to supply the same amount of plant food4 ,there is no reason to be afraid of too much fertilizer1 provided it is evenly distributed and thoroughly mixed through properly prepared soil4 ,stinginess in this item is poor economy4 ,nitrogen is the most essential food for plant growth4 ,it is an important element of plant food in manure4 ,in ordinary manure most of the value is due to the nitrogen1 although phosphoric acid and potash are also present4 ,it is found in the most available form in nitrate of soda4 ,nitrate of soda will benefit all crops1 but it does not follow that it will pay to use it on all crops4 ,its cost makes it unprofitable to use on cheap crops2 but on those that yield a large return nitrate of soda is a very profitable investment4 ,it is shown in the experiments conducted with nitrate of soda on different crops that in the case of grain and forage crops1 which utilized the nitrate quite as completely as the market garden crops1 the increased value of crops due to nitrate does not in any case exceed #ad per acre1 or a money return at the rate of #h4ej per #ajj pounds of nitrate used1 while in the case of the market-garden crops the value of the increased yield reaches1 in the case of one crop1 the high figure of over #bfc per acre1 or at the rate of about #ff per #ajj pounds of nitrate4 7,new ,jersey ,agricultural ,experiment ,stations1 page #h1 ,no4 #agb47 ,professor ,voorhees1 of the same station1 experimented with tomatoes1 with these results3 ,manure and ,fertilizer ,used ,cost ,per ,acre ,value of ,crop ,no manure #bga4hh #cj tons barnyard manure #cj4jj #bia4ge #h tons manure and #djj lb4 fertilizer #ae4jj #cag4fc #afj pounds nitrate of soda alone #d4jj #cfa4ac ,such common crops as tomatoes1 cabbage1 turnips1 beets1 etc41 in order to be highly profitable1 must be grown and harvested early2 any one can grow them in their regular season2 their growth must be promoted or forced as much as possible1 at the time when the natural agencies are not active in the change of soil nitrogen into available forms1 and the plants must1 therefore1 be supplied artificially with the active forms of nitrogen1 if a rapid and continuous growth is to be maintained4 ,it is quite possible to have a return of #ej per acre from the use of #e worth of nitrate of soda on crops of high value1 as1 for example1 early tomatoes1 beets1 cabbage1 etc4 ,this is an extraordinary return for the money and labor invested2 still1 if the increased value of the crop were but #aj1 or even #h1 it would be a profitable investment1 since no more land and but little additional capital was required in order to obtain the extra #e or #h per acre4 ,the results of all the experiments conducted in different parts of the country and in different seasons1 show an average gain in yield of early tomatoes of about fifty per cent1 with an average increased value of crop of about #ajj per acre4 ,the rest of the report shows similar results with other crops4 7,new ,jersey ,agricultural ,experiment ,station1 ,bulletin #agb47 ,joseph ,harris says1 ,some years ego we used nitrate of soda cautiously as a top dressing on the celery plants4 ,the effect was astonishing4 ,the next year1 having more confidence1 we spread the nitrate at the time we sowed the seed1 and again after the plant came up1 and twice afterward during a rain4 ,instead of finding it difficult to get the plants early enough for the celery growers who set them out1 they were ready three weeks before the usual time of transplanting4 ,at the four applications1 we probably used #afjj lb4 of nitrate of soda per acre1 and this would probably furnish more nitric acid to the plants than they could get from five hundred tons of manure per acre1 provided it had been possible to have worked such a quantity into the soil4 ,never were finer plants grown4 ,as compared with the increased value of the plants1 the cost of the nitrate is not worth taking into consideration4 ,as a means of fertilization without the use of artificial fertilizer1 soil inoculation has come4 ,it has grown out of the discovery of the dependence of leguminous plants on bacteria which live on their roots4 ,the discovery is one of the most important of those made in modern agriculture4 ,it has received its greatest impetus in ,america1 under the experiments of ,professor ,moore of the ,united ,states ,agricultural ,department4 ,the ,department supplied free to farmers the bacteria for inoculation4 ,now they supply it only for experimental purposes4 ,a laboratory has been fitted up for the work4 ,the method is to propagate bacteria for each of the various leguminous plants such as clover1 alfalfa1 soy beans1 cow peas1 tares1 and velvet beans4 ,all of these plants are of incalculable value in different sections of the country as forage for farm animals4 ,in the ,west1 alfalfa is the main reliance for stockraisers4 ,the farmers of the ,east are trying to establish it1 but meet with difficulty chiefly for want of the special bacteria which should be found on the roots4 ,the function of these bacteria is to gather the nitrogen of the air and supply it as plant food4 ,without the bacteria the plant can get only the nitrogen which is supplied from the soil in fertilizers4 ,with the aid of the bacteria the growing plant can derive the greater part of its food from the air4 ,here is one of the results of the use of inoculated seed as reported by the ,united ,states ,agricultural ,bulletin ,no4 #bad4 ,g4 ,l4 ,thomas1 experimenting with field peas on his farm near ,auburn1 ,me41 made a special test with fertilized and unfertilized strips1 and stated that inoculated seed did as much without fertilizers of any kind1 as uninoculated seed supplied with fertilizer 7phosphate7 at the rate of #hjj pounds and a ton of barnyard manure per acre4 ,this seems to be only in its infancy4 ,the ,department warns us that nitrogen inoculation is useless where the soil already has enough nitrogen and where other plant foods are absent4 ,the experiments are most important1 and we are probably on the eve of as great advances in agriculture as in electricity1 but the human race has a great love for inoculation1 and indeed for all unnatural processes4 ,you remember the story of the wonderful coon that ,chandler ,harris tells8 ,no8 ,they were constantly seeing this enormous coon1 but always just as they almost got their hands on him1 he disappeared4 ,one night the boys came running in to say that the wonderful coon was up in a persimmon tree in the middle of a ten-acre lot2 so they got the dogs and the lanterns and guns and ran out1 and sure enough they saw the wonderful big coon up in a fork of the tree4 ,it was a bright moonlight night1 but to make doubly sure they cut down the tree and the dogs ran in--the coon wasn't there4 ,well1 but1 ,uncle ,remus1 said the little boy1 ,i thought you said you saw the coon there4 ,so we did1 ,honey1 said the old man1 so we did2 but it's very easy to see what ain't there when you're looking for it4 ,another method of increasing fertility at increased expense deserves notice4 ,the vacant public lands are for the most part desert-like1 and their utilization can come about only through irrigation4 ,this land can be made to produce the finest crops in the world2 and the tremendous volumes of water that flow from the mountains to the sea1 once harnessed and piped or ditched to this land1 will transform it into beautiful gardens and farms4 ,with the work being done by the ,united ,states ,government1 and that of the various states1 we may look forward in the not distant future to this land being made habitable to man4 ,it is well known that with the dry1 even climate and with an abundance of water applied as vegetation needs1 this now arid waste is far more productive than the ,eastern states1 where the crops are at the mercy of the elements1 sometimes having too much moisture and at other times not having enough4 ,irrigation offers control of conditions such as is found nowhere except in greenhouse culture4 ,the farmer in the humid country cannot control the amount of starch in potatoes1 sugar in beets1 protein in corn1 gluten in wheat1 except by planting varieties which are especially adapted to the production of the desired quality4 ,the irrigation farmer1 on the other hand1 can produce this or that desirable quality by the control of the moisture supply to the plant4 ,he can hasten or retard maturity of the plant1 produce early truck or late truck on the same soil1 grow wheat or grow rice as he deems advisable4 ,on the irrigated fields of the ,vosges1 ,vaucluse1 etc41 in ,france1 six tons of dry hay becomes the rule1 even upon ungrateful soil2 and this means considerably more than the annual food of one milch cow 7which can be taken as a little less than five tons7 grown on each acre4 ,the irrigated meadows round ,milan are another well known example4 ,nearly #bb1jjj acres are irrigated there with water derived from the sewers of the city1 and they yield crops of from eight to ten tons of hay as a rule2 occasionally some separate meadows will yield the fabulous amount--fabulous to-day but no longer fabulous to-morrow--of eighteen tons of hay per acre2 that is1 the food of nearly four cows to the acre1 and nine times the yield of good meadows in this country4 7,fields1 ,factories1 and ,workshops1 pages #aaf-aag47 ,if irrigation pays--and no one now questions that--the whole ,western country of rich soil1 which asks but a drink now and then1 will be turned into a ,garden of ,eden4 7,maxwell's ,talisman47 ,agriculture may be revolutionized with the advent of irrigation4 ,a new method of disposing of sewage and at the same time irrigating the soil1 has come into use recently1 and will be found valuable to those who are situated so that they can make use of it4 ,the sewage from buildings is drained into a large tank where the heavier matter can settle to the bottom4 ,when the water rises nearly to the top of the tank it is siphoned into another tank1 and from there it is piped about the field4 ,the piping is very simple--ordinary drain tile conveys the water4 ,beginning at the highest point of the field to be irrigated1 a six-inch 7or larger7 line of tile should be laid along the highest ground with a fall of not over one inch to each ten feet4 ,from this main trunk should be branch lines of laterals1 laid from eight to twelve feet apart1 as they would be laid for draining a field4 ,these branch lines may be laid at an angle to the main trunk as may be most convenient2 all the joints must be covered so as to keep out the flirt4 ,the whole system should be laid deep enough in the ground to be secure from frost2 but to be most effective it should not be over fourteen to sixteen inches below the surface1 hence sub-irrigation cannot be used very successfully in the ,northern states4 ,in a sandy loam soil with a clay subsoil it works best at sixteen to twenty-four inches4 ,this is substantially ,colonel ,waring's method of sewage disposal4 ,to get the best use of it for plants1 the water should be assembled and kept in the sun for ten to twelve days1 then turned into the pipes until the ground is well soaked1 and then shut off and not allowed in the pipes again for ten to fifteen days1 according to the weather and condition of moisture in the soil4 ,the crop should be cultivated between each watering4 ,however1 as ,bailey says1 ,evidently in all regions in which crops will yield abundantly without irrigation1 as in the ,east1 the main reliance is to be placed on good tillage4 ,most vegetable gardeners in the ,east do not find it profitable to irrigate4 ,now and then a man who has push and the ability to handle a fine crop to advantage1 finds it a very profitable undertaking4 7,principles of ,vegetable ,gardening1 page #agd47 ,bailey1 however1 was not thinking of overhead irrigation4 ,the late ,j4 ,m4 ,smith1 ,green ,bay1 ,wisconsin1 was one of the expert market gardeners of his region4 ,the longer ,i live1 wrote ,mr4 ,smith1 then in the midst of a serious drought1 the more firmly am ,i convinced that plenty of manure and then the most complete system of cultivation make an almost complete protection against ordinary droughts4 7,same1 page #ccj47 ,if the soil is cultivated carefully and intensively1 it will hold water within itself and carry a storage reservoir underneath the growing crop4 ,finely pulverizing and packing the seed bed1 makes it retain the greatest possible percentage of the moisture that falls1 just as a tumbler full of fine sponge or of birdshot will retain many times the amount of water that a tumbler full of buckshot will4 ,the atmosphere quickly drinks up the moisture from the soil unless we ,prevent it4 ,this we do by means of a soil blanket1 called a mulch ,this finely pulverized surface largely prevents the moisture below from evaporating1 and at the same time keeps the surface in such condition that it readily absorbs the dew and the showers4 ,water moves in the soil as it does in a lamp wick1 by capillary attraction2 the more deeply and densely the soil is saturated with moisture1 the more easily the water moves upward1 just as oil climbs up a wet wick faster than it does a dry one4 ,one can illustrate the effect of this fine soil mulch in preventing evaporation by placing some powdered sugar on a lump of loaf sugar and putting the lump sugar in water4 ,the powdered sugar will remain dry even when the lump has become so thoroughly saturated that it crumbles to pieces4 ,we have no useless ,american acres1 said ,secretary ,wilson4 ,we shall make them all productive4 ,we have agricultural explorers in every far corner of the world2 and they are finding crops which have become so acclimated to dry conditions1 similar to our own ,west1 that we shall in time have plants thriving upon our so-called arid lands4 ,we shall cover this arid area with plants of various sorts which will yield hundreds of millions of tons of additional forage and grains for ,western flocks and herds4 ,our farmers will grow these upon land now considered practically worthless4 ,in this way it has been estimated that in the neighborhood of one hundred million acres of the ,american desert can be reclaimed to the most intensive agriculture4 7,see a study of the possible additions to available land in ,prof4 ,w4 ,s4 ,thompson's ,population1 a ,study of ,malthusianism3 ,col4 ,u1 #aiae47 ,frederick ,v4 ,coville1 the chief botanist of the ,department of ,agriculture1 does not hesitate to say that in the strictly arid regions there are many millions of acres1 now considered worthless for agriculture1 which are as certain to be settled in small farms as were the lands of ,illinois4 ,land that was thought to be absolute desert has been made to yield heavy crops of grain and forage by this method without irrigation4 ,macaroni wheat will grow with ten inches of rainfall1 and yield fifteen bushels to the acre4 ,this however is less than the average wheat yield in the ,united ,states4 ,much can be done by dry farming2 that is1 by plowing the soil very deep and cultivating six or eight times a season1 thus retaining all the moisture for the crops and reducing evaporation to a minimum4 ,there are thousands of acres in different sections of ,montana that grow good crops without irrigation4 ,in ,fergus ,county1 for instance1 the wonderful yield of #de bushels of wheat per acre is grown without irrigation4 ,heavy crops of grain and vegetables are grown in the vicinity of ,great ,falls by the dry farming system4 ,the money and time spent in spraying is also well invested4 ,the ,new ,york ,agricultural ,experiment ,station began a ten-year experiment in potato-spraying to determine how much the yield can be increased by spraying with ,pyrox or with ,bordeaux mixture4 ,in #aijd the gain due to spraying was larger than ever before4 ,five sprayings with ,bordeaux increased the yield #bcc bushels per acre1 while three sprayings increased it #aia bushels4 ,the gain was due chiefly to the prolongation of growth through the prevention of late blight4 ,the sprayed potatoes contained one ninth more starch and were of better quality4 ,the average increase of profit per acre from spraying potatoes was figured to be about #bb on each acre4 ,the result was arrived at from experiment1 two thirds of which was by independent farmers4 7,particulars will be found ,in ,bulletin ,no4 #bfd1 issued by the ,department47 ,in fourteen farmers' business experiments1 including #ah acres of potatoes1 the average gain due to spraying was #fb-a_/b bushels per acre1 the average total cost of spraying #ic cents per acre2 and the average net profit1 based on the market price of potatoes at digging time1 #bd4hf per acre4 ,one class of gardeners1 ,burnet ,landreth explains1 may be termed experimental farmers1 men tired of the humdrum rotation of farm processes and small profits1 men looking for a paying diversification of their agricultural interests4 ,their expenses for appliances are not great1 as they have already on hand the usual stock of farm tools1 requiring only one or two seed drills1 a small addition to their cultivating implements1 and a few tons of fertilizers4 ,their laborers and teams are always on hand for the working of moderate areas4 ,in addition to the usual expense of the farm1 they would not need to have a cash capital of beyond #bj to #be dollars per acre for the area in truck4 ,other men1 purchasing or renting land1 especially for market gardening1 taking only improved land of suitable aspect1 soil1 and situation1 and counting in cost of building1 appliances1 and labor1 would require a capital of #hj to #ajj per acre4 ,for example1 a beginner in market gardening in ,south ,jersey1 on a five-acre patch1 would need #ejj to set up the business1 and run it until his shipments began to return him money4 ,with the purpose of securing information on this interesting point1 the writer asked for estimates from market gardeners in different localities1 and the result has been that from ,florida the reports of the necessary capital per acre1 in land or its rental 7not of labor71 fertilizers1 tools1 implements1 seed and all the appliances1 average #ie1 from ,texas #de1 from ,illinois #gj1 from the ,norfolk district of ,virginia the reports vary from #ge to #abe1 according to location1 and from ,long ,island1 ,new ,york1 the average of estimates at the east end is #ge1 and at the west end #aej4 ,i have before me now one of the roseate advertisements1 which we so often see in the newspapers1 telling how fortunes can be made by investing a few dollars in a tropical plantation in ,mexico4 ,it gives what are supposed to be startling yields per acre1 and yet the returns1 which must necessarily be taken with considerable allowance1 are only from #ehj to #ajhg per acre on various plantations4 ,there are market gardeners and nurserymen near ,new ,york ,city who are making their acres produce better returns than this4 ,it is not necessary to go off into the tropical wilderness seeking a fortune which is usually a gold brick that some fellow is trying to sell you1 when as good results can be secured right at home4 ,market gardeners in and near ,philadelphia pay #be to #ej an acre and upwards rent for land1 and work from five to forty acres4 ,this is as much as similar land in many parts of the country could be bought for4 ,but it is not a high rent when they are right at the market--one man makes the round trip in two and one half hours--manure costs them nothing--for years they have been using the excavations from the old style privy wells1 which has been hauled to their farm and deposited where they wished it1 free4 ,they have modern facilities1 such as trolley and telephone1 and are as much city men as any clerk in an office4 ,they clear far higher profits from an acre than the average farmer1 raising never less than two1 and often three crops in a season4 ,they employ several men to the acre1 and at certain times many more1 working the men in gangs4 ,only the difficulty of getting good help at their prices prevents them from using twice the number4 ,however1 the possibilities of putting capital into land at a profit are still infinite4 ,what chiefly attracts the gardener to the great cities is stable manure2 this is not wanted so much for increasing the richness of the soil--one ninth part of the manure used by the ,french gardeners would do for that purpose--but for keeping the soil at a certain temperature4 ,early vegetables pay best1 and in order to obtain early produce1 not only the air1 but the soil as well1 must be warmed2 that is done by putting great quantities of properly mixed manure into the soil2 its fermentation heats it4 ,but with the present development of industrial skill1 heating the soil could be done more economically and more easily by hot-water pipes4 ,consequently1 the ,french gardeners begin more and more to make use of portable pipes1 or thermosiphons1 provisionally established in the cool frames4 ,competition that stands in with the railroads can be met only by being near the market or having water transportation4 ,indeed1 the erect of water transportation in getting manure1 and in delivering the produce from the railroads1 appears in the early history of trucking4 ,the railroads often crush out boat competition by absorbing docks and standing in with the commission men4 ,this could be met by such cooperative selling agencies as the flower growers already have4 ,one of the earliest centers for the development of truck farming in its present sense was along the shores of ,chesapeake ,bay1 where fast sailing oyster boats were employed for sending the produce to the neighboring markets of ,baltimore and ,philadelphia4 ,in a similar way the gardeners about ,new ,york early began pushing out along ,long ,island1 using the waters of the ,sound for transporting their produce4 ,the trucking region on the eastern shore of ,lake ,michigan is another sample of the effect of convenient water transportation in causing an early development of this industry4 ,the building of the ,illinois ,central railroad opened up a region in southern ,illinois that was supposed to be particularly adapted to fruit growing4 7,development of the ,trucking ,interests1 by ,f4 ,s4 ,earle1 page #dci47 ,if one goes into the trucking business on so large a scale as to be able to make deals with the railroads1 such as ,the ,standard ,oil ,company has made1 of course additional prices could be gotten1 owing to the possibility of putting competitors at a disadvantage4 ,that business is a large one4 ,in doing business on this scale1 much will depend on your ability as a merchant4 ,it is useless to grow good crops unless they can be sold at a profit2 yet it is safe to say that ten men grow good truck crops for one who markets them to the best advantage4 ,three ,acres and ,liberty3 ,ch4 ,,xi-,,xv ,,chapter ,,xi ,,hotbeds ,,and ,,greenhouses ,whether to get an early start on the garden or for raising plants for field crops1 a hotbed is all but indispensable4 ,in making a hotbed what we seek to do is to imitate ,nature at her best1 so get the best soil and the sunniest spot you can find4 ,in all hotbeds the underlying principle is the same3 ,they are right-angled boxes covered with glass panes set in movable frames and placed over heated excavations4 ,the bed may be of any size or shape1 but the standard one is six feet wide1 since the stock glass frames are usually six feet long by three feet wide4 ,you can have any length needed to supply your requirements4 ,tomato ,culture1 by ,a4 ,j4 ,root1 tells us that the cheapest plan is to get some old planks1 broken brickbats or stone1 and piece together a box-like affair in proper shape3 to provide drainage1 the front should be at least ten inches above the ground and the rear fourteen inches4 ,a hotbed knocked together in this way is all right to start with1 if you cannot do any better1 but will last only two or three seasons4 ,for a permanent bed1 probably the best way is to make cement walls extending to the bottom of the manure4 ,the bed ought to face south or southeast and be well protected on the north4 ,it should be banked all around with earth or straw to keep out the cold1 and mats or shutters should be provided for extra cold weather4 ,the best material for heating the bed and the most easily obtained1 is fresh horse manure in which there is a quantity of straw or litter4 ,this will give out a slow1 moist heat and will not burn out before the crops or the plants mature4 ,get all the manure you need at one time4 ,pile it in a dry place and let it ferment2 every few days work the pile over thoroughly with a dung fork2 sometimes two turnings of the manure are enough1 but it is better to let it stand and heat three or four times4 ,you can make a hotbed also on top of the ground without any excavation4 ,spread a layer of manure evenly one foot in depth and large enough to extend around the frame three feet each way4 ,pack this down well1 especially around the edge1 put on a second and third layer until you have a well-trodden and compact bed of manure at least two and one half feet in depth4 ,place the frame in the center of this bed and press it down well4 ,a two-inch layer of decayed leaves1 cut straw1 or corn fodder1 spread over the manure in the frame and well packed down1 will help to retain the heat4 ,ventilate the bed every day to allow steam and ammonia fumes to pass off4 ,the soil inside should be equal parts of garden loam and well-rotted barnyard manure4 ,tramp well the first layer of three inches4 ,to make it entirely safe for the plant seeds in the hotbed1 add another layer of the same depth4 ,use no water with garden loam and manure if you can possibly help it4 ,before sowing any seeds put a thermometer in the bed three inches deep in the soil4 ,if it runs over #hj degrees ,fahrenheit1 do not sow4 ,if below #ee degrees it is too cold2 you will have to fork it over and add more manure4 ,if the bed gets too hot1 you can ventilate it with a sharp stick by thrusting it down into the soil4 ,another way that the old gardeners have to make a hot bed is with fire4 ,on a large scale this is cheaper1 though more complicated than the fermentation of manure4 ,in making this kind choose your location and build the frames as before4 ,cut a trench with a slight taper from the east end of the plot to the end of the hotbed1 and on under the ground to about four feet beyond the end of the bed4 ,this taper to the outlet will create a draught and so keep a better fire4 ,arch this over with vitrified tile4 ,the furnace end where the fire is should be about six feet away from the bed4 ,when the trenches are completed1 cover over with the dirt that was taken out of them4 ,two such trenches under the frames will make a good hotbed4 ,anyone can do this sort of work4 ,a hotbed can also be heated by running steam pipes through the ground1 but unless you happen to be where exhaust steam could be used1 this method is not economical except for big houses4 ,the care and expense of a separate steam plant would be too great to pay1 unless for growing winter vegetables for market or flower culture4 ,if you go into that on a scale large enough to pay1 new problems at once demand solution4 ,vegetables under glass have kept pace with other crops4 ,within fifteen miles of ,boston are millions of square feet of glass devoted to vegetables1 chiefly lettuce4 ,there are more than five million feet in the ,united ,states used for other crops4 ,ordinarily1 under favorable conditions1 glass devoted to this work will yield an average of fifty cents per year per square foot4 ,about the lowest estimate of cost per sash is five dollars2 this amount includes the cost of one fourth of the frame and covers4 ,there are usually four sashes to one frame4 ,a well-made mortised plank frame costs four to six dollars4 ,a sash1 unglazed1 costs from one to two dollars4 ,glazing costs seventy-five cents4 ,mats and shutters cost from fifty cents to two dollars per sash1 depending upon the material used4 ,double thick glass pays better in the end as being less liable to breakage4 ,these prices vary greatly1 however4 ,the following sample estimate by a gardener is for a market garden of one acre1 in which it is desired to grow a general line of vegetables4 ,it supposes that half of the acre is to be set with plants from hotbeds4 ,one eighth acre to early cauliflower and cabbage1 about #bjjj plants1 if transplanted1 would require two #f ,x #ab frames1 from two hundred to two hundred and fifty plants being grown under each sash4 ,these frames may be used again for tomato plants for the same area1 using about #dej plants4 ,this will allow a sash for every #ee plants4 ,one frame should be in use at the same time for eggplants and peppers1 two sashes of each1 growing fifty transplanted plants under each sash4 ,two frames will be required for cucumbers1 melons1 and early squashes2 for extra early lettuce1 an estimate of sixty to seventy heads should be made to a sash4 ,it is assumed that celery and late cabbages are to be started in seed beds in the open4 ,in the fashionable suburbs of ,boston one hotbed #c ,x #f feet was used in which to start the seeds of early vegetables4 ,plantings were made in the open ground as soon as the weather permitted1 and were continued at intervals throughout the season whenever there was a vacant spot in the garden4 ,the following varieties of vegetables1 mostly five-and ten-cent packets1 were planted3 ,pole and wax beans1 beets1 kale1 cabbage1 carrots1 cauliflower1 celery1 corn1 cucumbers1 corn salad1 endive1 eggplant1 kohlrabi1 lettuce1 muskmelon1 onions1 peppers1 peas1 salsify1 radish1 spinach1 squash1 tomatoes1 turnips1 rutabagas1 escarole1 chives1 shallot1 parsley1 sweet and ,irish potatoes1 and nearly a dozen different kinds of sweet herbs4 ,in the larger garden1 tomatoes followed peas1 turnips the wax beans1 early lettuce for fall use took the place of ,refugee beans4 ,corn salad succeeded lettuce4 ,the spinach was followed by cabbage1 while turnips1 beets1 carrots1 celery1 and spinach gave a second crop in the plot occupied by ,gardus peas and ,emperor ,william beans4 ,winter radishes came after telephone peas1 ,paris ,golden celery was planted in between the hills of ,stowell's blanching4 ,the plot of early corn was sown to turnips4 ,the hotbed was used during the late fall and winter to store some of the hardy vegetables1 and the latter part of ,october there was placed in it some endive1 escarole1 celeriac1 and the remaining space was filled up by transplanting leeks1 chives1 and parsley4 7,bailey1 ,principles of ,vegetable ,gardening1 page #ch47 ,if spinach is grown in frames1 the sash used for one of the late crops above may be used through the following winter4 ,this1 like the last case1 makes a total of five frames1 the cost1 depending on make and material1 from one to five dollars2 twenty sash and covers1 at1 say1 #b4ge1 #ee2 manure at market price1 calculating at least three or four loads per frame4 ,this is a liberal estimate of space1 and should allow for all ordinary loss of plants1 and for discarding the weak and inferior ones4 ,it supposes that most or all of the plants are to be transplanted once or more in the frames4 ,many gardeners have less equipment of glass4 7,same1 pages #di-ej 7 ,growing vegetables under glass gives smaller returns than flowers2 as1 for instance1 a head of lettuce brings much less than a plant of carnations1 and suffers more from the competition of southern crops4 ,nevertheless1 the greenhouse-grown vegetables have come into prominence lately because they can be raised in houses that are not good enough for flowers4 ,lettuce and tomatoes are the principal crops2 some growers raise thousands of dollars' worth each year4 ,the greenhouse is also used for forcing plants which are afterwards transplanted to the open air4 ,this develops them at a time when they could not grow outdoors and gives them such a start that they are very early on the market1 thereby realizing the highest prices4 ,nearness to market is the most important feature in a greenhouse4 ,in large cities1 manure1 which is the chief fertilizer1 can be had in most cases for the hauling4 ,the short haul is an important item1 and1 most important of all1 the gardener who is near the market can take advantage of high prices1 if the grower is near enough to the city to make two or three trips2 in such a fluctuating market as ,new ,york1 it is to his advantage4 ,some kind of a greenhouse is necessary1 but one large enough to produce a living would cost a very large sum4 ,vegetable raising under glass has been made profitable in special localities where nearly the whole community gives its time to building up the industry1 but complete success can be attained only by having absolute control of all the conditions entering into production1 and giving assiduous and undivided attention to detail4 ,leonard ,barron1 in the ,garden ,magazine1 says3 ,the best type of greenhouse for all-round purposes is unquestionably what is known as the even span--that is1 a house in which the roof is in the form of an inverted ,v1 so as to be exposed as much as possible to sunlight1 and having the ridge-pole in the center4 ,all other types of houses are modifications from the simplest form1 and are designed in some way or other to fit some special requirements4 ,these requirements may be3 the cultural necessities for some particular crop2 a desire to have the atmospheric conditions inside more or less abnormal at given seasons 7as in a forcing house72 or an adaptation to some peculiarity of the situation1 as when a greenhouse is built as an adjunct to other buildings4 ,it is plain common sense that the ideal greenhouse is one in which the light is most nearly that which exists outside1 and in which the heat is as evenly distributed4 ,it is practical experience that a structure with as few angles and turns m it as possible and with a minimum of woodwork in its superstructure1 best answers these conditions4444 ,greenhouse building has developed into a special industry1 and the modern ,american greenhouse is the highest type of construction4 ,it is built with as careful calculation to its situation and its requirements as is the country dwellinghouse4 ,such a thing naturally is not cheap4 ,the low-priced 'cheap greenhouse' is a makeshift of some sort4 ,perhaps its roof is constructed of hotbed sash1 a perfectly feasible method of construction1 which for ordinary1 commonplace gardening will answer admirably4 ,or1 its foundation is merely the plain earth4 ,such a building does admirably in the summer time1 and even in the late spring and early autumn2 but woe betide the enthusiastic amateur in winter1 who1 being possessed of one of these light greenhouse structures1 has indulged in a few costly1 exotic plants4 ,they will be frozen1 to a certainty6 ,it is economy to pay a fair price in the beginning to secure a properly built greenhouse that will withstand the trials of winter4 ,if iron frame is used instead of wood there is greater durability1 and the structure being more slender1 will admit more light1 but the cost will be increased4 ,it makes very little difference in cost what shape of house is to be erected4 ,the cost per lineal foot for an even span is practically the same as for a lean-to of the same length and width4 ,in the lean-to1 in order to get the sufficient bench and walk space inside1 it is necessary to carry the roof to a point much higher than in the even span4 ,the extra framework and material for the roof cost a good deal1 yet add practically nothing to the efficiency of the house4 ,heating of greenhouses is best done by hot water1 and in a small house the pipes may well be connected with the heating system used for the dwelling1 if the greenhouse and the home are within any sort of reasonable distance from each other4 ,for large houses1 or ranges of several houses together1 the independent heating plant is necessary4 ,steam is used for heating by commercial florists1 but it is economical only on a large scale4 ,as a uniform temperature must be maintained in the house1 the fires1 where steam is used1 need watching continuously during cold weather1 for the moment the water ceases to boil1 the pipes cool off and a considerable time is consumed in starting the heat running again4 ,with hot water there is much more latitude in attention1 for though the fires dwindle' the water which fills the pipes will carry heat for a long time1 and it will circulate until the last degree is radiated4 ,but a hot-water system costs in the installation about one fourth more than steam4 ,very small houses may be successfully heated by kerosene stoves1 which may be placed inside the house4 ,a much better way would be to use oil heaters for an inside water circulation1 carrying off all products of combustion by means of a flue4 ,coal stoves should never be installed inside the house4 ,it has been done successfully by some amateurs1 but the danger of coal gas being driven back into the house by a down draft in the chimney is too great a risk4 ,coal gas and illuminating gas are two virulent poisons to plants4 ,it is obvious that the amateur must proceed with great caution in undertaking intensive cultivation under glass4 ,build at first the simplest and least expensive kind of hotbeds or greenhouses4 ,it takes three to five seasons to train even an experienced farmer along these special lines4 ,separate crops require special treatment4 ,do not experiment1 but follow well-tried procedure4 ,it is comparatively easy to farm an acre under glass1 but it should be worked up to1 each step being taken only after a solid foundation is ready to build on4 ,learn by your mistakes4 ,don't get discouraged by failure4 ,by not making the same mistake twice1 you will soon learn by experience just what is essential to production4 ,the more you learn about the way nature does things1 the more likely you will be to succeed when you seek to imitate her4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,other ,,uses ,,of ,,land ,we had intended to write an interesting chapter on the use of a few acres of land for poultry1 and another on raising a vast drove of rabbits1 both from practical men1 but a good average man1 just such as this book is written for1 sent the following3 ,i am very sorry that ,i cannot comply with your request to write a chapter on poultry for your new book4 ,it is true that ,i am physically and mentally capable of performing that feat1 and it would be possible for me to prepare an essay that might entertain the reader1 and even make him believe that there is money in commercial poultry4 ,i prefer1 however1 to leave that sort of romancing to the poultry journals who1 by much practice1 are adepts in the art4 ,the fact is1 ,i did not make poultry raising pay1 and had ,i remained on my chicken ranch1 ,i would have gone broke4 ,i do not mean to say1 however1 that there is no money in poultry1 but merely that ,i could not get it out4 ,perhaps others who are better equipped for the work can make a success of such an undertaking1 but ,i could not4 ,the numerous poultry journals are filled with instructions how to do it and with letters from people who assert that they have done well with poultry2 but1 really1 during the four years that ,i was in the business ,i cannot recall a single case of success1 and1 on the other hand1 ,i learned of failures without end4 ,i had the reputation of having the best planned and most completely equipped in this part of ,washington1 and perhaps in the entire state4 ,my stock was thoroughbred and healthy1 and they seemed to attend to business strictly4 ,i devoted about all my waking hours to them1 did everything that seemed necessary that was suggested by my own success1 and yet ,i could not make it go1 am glad ,i am clear of it1 and have no desire to try it again4 ,i am perfectly willing to admit my possible unfitness for the business1 but ,i am also compelled to admit that ,i could not succeed and that no advice of mine could help others4 ,although many1 either under exceptional circumstances or because of exceptional ability1 have made a success of wholesale poultry raising1 it seems on reflection that ,mr4 ,wolf's ideas are in the main correct4 ,the price of chickens is fixed1 like all other prices1 by supply and demand1 and toward the supply every farmer contributes his chickens and their eggs which cost him practically nothing2 at least he counts that they cost him nothing4 ,now it is clear that if you considerably increase the supply at any place1 the price will fall1 and the farmer1 whose chickens and eggs cost him almost nothing in money1 will sell them low enough to command a market and will continue to raise them1 however little he gets for them4 ,so you are against inexhaustible competitors who can neither be driven out nor combined with4 ,it is worse than competing with bankrupt dealers4 ,to make much money you must have at least some monopoly1 and even a little bit of the earth that is well suited to your purpose where there is no unreasonable and unreasoning competition1 will give you a chance4 ,but while it is true that the farmer's subsidized hens have a very disastrous effect at times upon the market1 the fact is that1 notwithstanding the tariff1 we import millions of dozens of eggs laid each year by the pauper hens of ,canada and often of ,denmark4 ,another fact to be considered is1 that it is when eggs are most plentiful that the farmers depress the market4 ,with their ways of handling their poultry1 their hens lay only when conditions are most favorable1 and in the winter when eggs are as high as fifty cents a dozen in cities1 they have no eggs to market4 ,like the market gardener1 to be timely in market is to succeed4 ,a week may mean an annihilation of profits4 ,it is a different proposition to raise a few chickens as a side line as the farmers do4 ,a workman at the ,connecticut place of one of the experts who has revised this book had a bit of land not more than #ajj ,x #bjj feet1 and for several years cleared #ajj a year by raising eggs and broilers1 doing the work together with that of a little garden of small fruits before and after working hours ,the chickens fed largely on green food in summer4 ,in selling your surplus at a profit1 the same principles apply as in raising a surplus to sell at a profit4 ,while poultry and egg raising does not require that you must be first1 it does require that you market your produce at a time when the prices are highest4 ,you must hatch at a time which will allow the young hens to begin laying as winter approaches2 the food must keep up animal heat and the house must be warm enough to make the hens comfortable1 and the conditions must be such as to keep them laying4 ,as an experiment1 we once raised six pullets4 ,they were hatched in ,may1 and in ,december they began laying4 ,all during the winter they laid never less than four and some times six eggs a day1 and kept this up until spring4 ,they were fed on wheat and corn and plenty of meat scraps and green food4 ,they were kept in what was practically a glass house1 receiving the benefit of the sun during the day1 and were protected from the winds4 ,the effect was to bring as near as possible the condition of the warm months2 these paid very well4 ,ducks are less frequently raised than chickens and often realize good returns4 ,the popular fallacy that ducks require a stream or pond is gradually passing away4 ,there was a time when nearly all ducks were raised in this way1 feeding on fish as the principal diet1 but experience has proved that ducks raised without a stream or pond tend to put on flesh instead of feathers1 and they have not the oily1 fishy flavor of those raised on the water4 ,nearly all of the successful duck raisers now use this method4 ,this is bringing the duck more into prominence as an article of food2 as ,james ,rankin says in ,duck ,culture1 ,people do not care to eat fish and flesh combined4 ,they would rather eat them separate4 ,the white pekins are the popular birds1 because they are larger1 have white meat1 and are splendid layers4 ,they lay from #ajj to #afe eggs in a season and are the easiest to raise4 ,they can do entirely without water2 and ,rankin tells of selling a flock to a wealthy man1 who afterwards wrote asking him to take them back1 because he had bought them for an artificial lake in front of his house1 so that his wife and children could watch them disporting in the water4 ,he complained that they would not go into the water unless he drove them in and would remain only so long as he stood over them4 ,ducks are easier to raise than any other fowl and are freer from disease4 ,they are ready for market when eight weeks old4 ,the industry is assuming large proportions1 and ranches are now raising ducks by the tens of thousands and are finding better markets each year4 ,in starting any poultry business1 it is better to begin with twenty-five fowls and master details with those1 then double the number as fast as they have been made to return profits4 ,the ,atlantic ,squab ,company1 of ,hammonton1 ,n4 ,j41 says it is a simple matter for the beginner to figure out on paper net profits of four or five dollars per year from each pair of breeders1 but we doubt if it can be made4 ,it is1 however1 'pigeon nature' to lay ten or eleven times a year1 but hardly natural to presume that each and every egg will ultimately mean a ,jumbo squab in the commission man's hands4 ,a loft that is1 a pair of high-class ,homers1 properly mated1 should average six pair of squabs per year4 ,for one year our squabs averaged us a fraction over #fj cent per pair2 say #c4fj has been the returns from each pair of breeders4 ,it has cost us #ij cent per pair to feed for twelve months2 remember1 we buy in large quantities2 it would cost the small breeder #a a year per pair to feed4 ,it would be well to allow #fj cent a pair for labor and supplies1 such as grit1 charcoal1 tobacco stems1 etc41 although the bird manure1 which we find ready sale for at #ee cent4 per bushel1 has covered these incidental expenses for us4 ,the inexperienced beginner1 with good management and close attention to details1 should clear #b a year from each pair of birds1 provided he starts with well-mated pure ,homer stock4 ,pigeons are particular about their mates1 and will rather go single than take a disagreeable partner4 ,raising ,belgian hares at one time promised to be a most profitable industry4 ,the ,belgian hare is a distant relation of the ordinary rabbit4 ,its flesh is white1 close-grained1 and tender1 resembling the legs of the frog1 and has a very savory flavor4 ,it is considered by many superior to poultry1 and the rapidity with which they breed gave promise of fortunes4 ,the doe brings forth a litter of about eleven every sixty days1 and with prices ranging from #a4ej to #b4ej1 as they were about the year #aijj1 with the cost of raising from thirty to forty cents1 the reason for this promise is evident4 ,in ,southern ,california thousands turned their attention to it1 and some firms entered the business with equipment to the value of fifty thousand dollars4 ,besides the ordinary market prices realized for the hares1 some went extensively into breeding fancy stock1 and realized from #ej to #bej apiece for them4 ,this industry had indications of becoming extensive and enduring1 but by #aijj so many went into the business that the markets became glutted and prices fell with disastrous effect4 ,whether it will pay you depends largely on the attitude of your customers toward the hare as a food product4 ,bee-keeping offers an interesting and remunerative field of employment4 ,more than the average living awaits those only who will make a careful and intelligent study of bees and their habits and will give them the proper care and attention4 ,one need not be a practical bee-keeper to enter this field4 ,he can purchase even one hive and1 while increasing from this1 he can gain an experience that he could get in no other way4 ,how shall one start bee-keeping8 ,get one hive or a few hives4 ,if you have no room in the yard1 put them upon the roof4 ,one man in ,cincinnati1 ,ohio1 makes his living from bees kept on the roof of his house4 ,wm4 ,a4 ,selzer1 a large dealer in bee-keepers' supplies1 in ,philadelphia1 established many colonies on the roof of his place right in the heart of the business district1 where it would seem impossible for bees to find a living4 ,very little space is required for bee-keeping2 hives can be set two feet apart in rows1 and the rows six to ten feet apart4 ,no pasture need be provided for them4 ,there are always fields of flowers to supply the nectar4 ,white clover produces a large yield of nectar of very fine flavor4 ,the basswood or linden tree blossom produces a fine nectar which some consider better than white clover4 ,buckwheat also gives a good yield of nectar1 but it is dark in color and brings a lower price for that reason4 ,there are other plants which yield large quantities of nectar1 and it would be necessary to know the locality to say what would be the best plants2 but as white clover is found almost everywhere in the northern states1 it is safe to say this will be the best producer in the spring1 and goldenrod1 where found1 the best for the fall supply4 ,frank ,benton1 in ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture ,bulletin #ei1 says3 ,it may be safely said that any place where farming1 gardening1 or fruit raising can be successfully followed is adapted to the profitable keeping of bees4 ,there is always a farmer here and there who keeps a few hives of bees4 ,these often can be purchased at a very reasonable price1 but unless they are ,italian bees and are in improved hives1 it would be better to purchase from some dealer4 ,he may sell you a very weak colony1 but after the first year these ought to be as strong as any4 ,start in the spring2 when you have your bees1 read good literature on the subject4 ,a4 ,i4 ,root's ,a ,b ,c of ,bee ,culture is good for beginners2 subscribe for the ,american ,bee ,journal1 of ,chicago1 or ,gleanings in ,bee ,culture1 ,medina1 ,ohio4 ,they are full of the latest ideas on the subject4 ,a yield of fifty pounds of honey in a season can be obtained from one hive of bees in almost any locality4 ,in fact1 this is often done where bees are kept in built up cities4 ,one hundred pounds would be considered a very small yield by many apiarists1 and twice this amount is often gathered in favored localities where up-to-date methods are followed4 ,one man can take care of two hundred hives or colonies1 as they are termed1 if he is working for comb honey1 and perhaps twice that number if for extracted honey4 ,comb honey is stored usually in one-pound boxes set in a super or small box over the main hive body1 which is itself a box about seventeen inches long1 eleven inches wide1 and ten inches deep into which frames of comb are slid side by side4 ,these combs are accessible and can be lifted out1 exposing to view the inner workings of the hive4 ,it is in these combs that the queen lays as many as three thousand eggs some days1 and in which the young bees are hatched4 ,they are also used for storing honey for winter use4 ,the extractor has been invented to remove this honey without damaging the comb4 ,the economy of this can readily be seen1 as ten pounds of honey can be stored while one pound of comb is being built4 ,this leaves the bees free to gather honey instead of using a portion of their force to build comb1 as is necessary when comb honey is desired4 ,the extractor is a round tin can on a central pivot with a revolving mechanism4 ,into this the full combs of honey are placed and are whirled around1 throwing the honey out into the can by centrifugal force4 ,it is then run out at the bottom into bottles or barrels1 and the empty combs are replaced in the hive for the bees to fill again4 ,twice as many pounds of honey can be produced by this method2 but the price of extracted honey is much less than that of comb honey4 ,adulteration of extracted honey with glucose is becoming so prevalent that it threatens to ruin this branch of the industry4 ,but there will always be a good market for honey sold direct by the producer to residents1 or even through storekeepers1 in medium size towns1 where customers can be sure that the honey is pure4 ,the average wholesale prices of honey are about fifteen cents a pound for extracted and twenty cents for fancy comb1 so if the apiarist with two hundred hives produces the small average of fifty pounds of comb honey and sells it at fifteen cents a pound1 he will receive #aejj for his season's work4 ,if he goes in for extracted honey and produces one hundred pounds per hive1 he will receive even more4 ,of course1 expenses will have to come out of this4 ,that this has been done over and over again is proved by men who started in with only a few hives and have accumulated considerable property from the business4 ,but no one need expect to do this unless he is willing to give the bees the attention which they will require4 ,to neglect them once means often a total loss4 ,most of the work will have to be done during the swarming season in ,may1 ,june1 and ,july4 ,there has been so much written on the subject and so many inventions and improvements made in the hives that bee-keeping more than any other branch of similar employment has been reduced to a science1 and any one can thoroughly master it in two or three years4 ,it is because its possibilities are not generally recognized that so few are now engaged in it4 ,the fear of stings will always deter many from entering this business and so check competition from forcing prices down4 ,the price of honey makes it a luxury1 and there will be an unlimited opportunity in the crop as long as the price does not get near the cost of producing1 which is far below the present prices4 ,to use land directly is to open almost infinite opportunities4 ,department of ,agriculture1 ,farmers' ,bulletin #bjd1 says3 ,in the ,united ,states the term 'mushroom' refers commercially to but a single species 7,agaricus ,campestris7 of the fleshly fungi1 a plant common throughout most of the temperate regions of the world1 and one everywhere recognized as edible4 ,it is unfortunate that the commercial use of the term mushroom restricts it to a single species4 ,there are about twenty-five common varieties of edible fungi in the ,northern states4 ,the successful cultivation of mushrooms in ,america has not been so general as in most ,european countries4 ,it is in ,france and in ,england that the mushroom industry has been best developed4 ,france is the home of the industry4 ,unusual interest has been shown in the ,united ,states in the growth of mushrooms within the past few years1 and it is to be hoped and expected that within the next ten years the industry will develop to the fullest limit of the market demands4 ,the demand will1 of course1 be stimulated by the increasing popular appreciation of this product4 ,in some cities and towns there is already a good market for mushrooms1 while in others they may be sold directly to special customers4 ,this should be borne in mind by prospective growers4 ,while many ,american growers have been successful1 a much larger number have failed4 ,in most cases their failures have been due to one or more of the following causes3 7#a7 ,poor spawn1 or spawn which has been killed by improper storage4 7#b7 ,spawning at a temperature injuriously high4 7#c7 ,too much water either at the time of spawning or later4 7#d7 ,unfavorable temperature during the growing period4 ,it is therefore important to the prospective grower that careful attention be given to the general discussion of conditions which follow4 ,mushrooms may be grown in any place where the conditions of temperature and moisture are favorable4 ,a shed1 cellar1 cave1 or vacant space in a greenhouse may be utilized to advantage for this purpose4 ,the most essential factor1 perhaps1 is that of temperature4 ,the proper temperature ranges from #ec degree to #fj degree ,f41 with the best from #ee degree to #eh degree ,f4 ,it is unsafe to attempt to grow mushrooms on a commercial basis1 according to our present knowledge of the subject1 in a temperature much less than #ej degree or greater than #fc degree ,f4 ,any severe changes of temperature would entirely destroy the profits of the mushroom crop4 ,from this it is evident that in many places mushrooms may not be grown as a summer crop4 ,with artificial heat they may be grown almost anywhere throughout the winter4 ,moreover1 it is very probable that in this country open-air culture must be limited to a few sections4 ,a second important factor is moisture4 ,the place should not be very damp1 or constantly dripping with water4 ,under such conditions successful commercial work is not possible4 ,a place where it is possible to maintain a fairly moist condition of the atmosphere1 and having such capability for ventilation as will cause at least a gradual evaporation1 is necessary4 ,with too rapid ventilation and the consequent necessity of repeated applications of water to the mushroom bed1 no mushroom crop will attain the highest perfection4 ,even a little iron rust in the soil is reported as fatal to the ,campestris1 the only fungus so far successfully propagated4 ,if other fungi than the ,campestris come up wild1 don't throw them away as worthless4 ,many are better eating than the one you seek1 and you can avoid the risk of poisonous ones by learning to recognize the dangerous family--send for the ,agricultural ,department's ,bulletin ,no4 #bjd4 ,meanwhile1 7#a7 all mushrooms with pink gills1 7#b7 all coral-like fungi1 7#c7 all that grow on wood1 and 7#d7 all puffballs1 are good to eat if they are young and tender--only don't mistake an unspread ,aminita for a puffball4 ,an ingenious person may find other sources of income in the country4 ,a young hotel porter in ,ulster ,county1 ,new ,york1 bought seventy acres of mountain woodland four miles from the railroad for two hundred and fifty dollars1 and puts in his winters cutting barrel hoops1 at which he makes two dollars a day4 ,meanwhile the land is maturing timber4 ,that is hard work1 but to gather wild mushrooms or to cut willows1 or sweet pine needles to make cushions1 or to catch young squirrels for sale1 is lighter1 if less steady employment4 ,and with all our uses of land1 we must not forget a little corner for the hammock and the croquet hoops for the wife and the children4 ,in the ,province of ,quebec1 where the land is held in great tracts under the ,seigniors1 ,i have seen croquet grounds no bigger than a bed quilt in front of the little one-room cottages4 ,the ,frenchman knows the importance of such things as that1 has meals out of doors in fine weather1 goes on little picnics1 and keeps madame contented in the country4 ,a swing1 or a seesaw1 and a tether ball 7a ball swinging from the top of a pole eight feet high7 for the children will help to keep the family peace4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,fruits ,fruit raising can succeed in either of two ways4 ,either planting the orchard in some one fruit and specializing thereon1 or diversifying the operation to cover many varieties4 ,in the first way it is usual to establish orchards in favorable localities without special regard to nearness to market2 because in these days of refrigerator car lines the product of an orchard in any part of the country can be sent to market quickly enough to avoid loss4 ,where many varieties are grown1 the best site is usually near a large city where the grower can market his own product on wagons and get the benefit of retail prices4 ,remember that it is far more profitable to raise twenty baskets of fine1 well-shaped1 clean1 handsome apples or peaches or any other hand-eaten fruit1 than to raise a hundred barrels of stuff that is good only for the common drier or for the mill or hogpen4 ,care and common sense are the jackscrews to use in raising fine fruit4 ,the apple is the great ,american fruit for extensive orcharding4 ,the question is whether there is a profit in apple growing4 ,the answer is1 where the conditions are favorable and when the business is well conducted there is4 ,under average conditions1 with poor business management1 there is little or none4 ,as ,professor ,s4 ,t4 ,maynard in ,suburban ,life tells us1 ,in a suburban garden of one of our ,eastern cities are seven ,astrachan trees1 about twenty years old1 from which have been sold in a single season over one hundred dollars' worth of fruit4 ,a friend near ,boston put three thousand barrels of picked ,baldwins into cold storage4 ,none of the fancy apples sold for less than three dollars a barrel1 and the others netted more than two dollars4 ,they were the product of less than forty acres of trees which had been planted about twenty-five years4 ,another fruit grower showed me several returns of commission men of five1 six1 and even seven dollars a barrel for fancy ,baldwins4 ,at such prices1 and under such conditions1 there is a large profit in apple growing4 ,the other side of the picture1 however1 is the more common one4 ,a friend sent fifty barrels of fancy ,baldwins to a commission house1 to be shipped to ,european markets1 the returns for which were just enough to pay for the barrels4 ,the majority of apples grown in the ,united ,states are sold to buyers1 one buyer in each section1 for a dollar to two dollars for ,no4 #a quality1 and a dollar for ,no4 #b4 ,with the cost of barrels at about forty cents1 labor for picking1 sorting1 and packing1 these prices leave little or nothing for the use of the land1 cost of fertilizers1 spraying1 thinning1 etc41 all of which are necessary for growing fruit of the best quality4 ,holmes further says1 in substance1 that we must make the trees grow vigorously1 whether upon poor or good soil4 ,growth is the first requirement4 ,to do this1 we need a strong1 deep1 moist soil1--good grass land well underdrained makes the best4 ,if this is on an elevation with a northern or western exposure1 it will be better than a southern or an eastern one4 ,while apple trees will grow on a thin soil1 so much care and fertilizing is required that the crop will be of little or no profit upon such land4 ,lastly1 we must protect our fruit from insect and fungous pests4 ,on land that is free from stones and not too steep1 thorough and frequent cultivation will give the quickest and largest returns4 ,on such land1 hoed garden or farm crops may be profitable while the trees are small1 but after five or six years it will generally be found best to cultivate it entirely for the growth of trees4 ,organic matter in the form of stable manure or cover crops will be needed1 and must be applied in the fall or very early in the spring to keep up the supply of humus in the soil4 ,stony land that cannot be plowed or cultivated except at a great cost may be made to grow good crops of fruit4 ,while the trees are young1 the soil should be worked about them for the space of a few feet and then the moisture retained by a mulch system1 making use of any waste organic matter like straw1 leaves1 meadow hay1 brush1 and weeds cut before they seed4 ,most of the first prize apples at the ,pan-,american ,exposition at ,buffalo were grown under the turf-culture system4 ,unless you have trees already on your land1 it is too long to wait six or seven years for a crop4 ,we can graft good fruit on almost any tree1 though the new dwarf trees will bear much sooner1 and if we have trees we need not even wait for the harvest of our crop1 since the windfalls will keep us in apple sauce1 jellies1 and pies1 for no apple is too green for apple sauce1 not even the ones that the boys can't bite4 ,the greatest difficulty in the profitable growth of the apple is the market4 ,much of the profit in apple growing1 whether in the ,east or the ,west1 will depend upon the extent of the business done1 especially if one is a considerable distance from markets4 ,the above are the essentials noted by this practical scientist4 ,next to the apple crop1 perhaps the most important fruit crop for shipping is the peach4 ,the locality is perhaps the most important consideration in a peach orchard4 ,in the ,eastern and ,southern states1 and in ,connecticut1 ,delaware1 ,new ,jersey1 ,maryland1 and ,virginia1 and1 of late years1 ,georgia1 peaches flourish and produce enormous crops4 ,as a general rule1 the nearer the orchard is to large bodies of water1 the more likely one is to get a crop1 as the temperature of the water prevents a too early budding out in the spring and delays killing autumn frosts4 ,generally speaking1 a sandy1 porous soil is best for peaches1 but they may be raised on clay lands if provided with plenty of humus4 ,another fruit which is profitable in districts suited to its growth is the grape4 ,bulletin ,no4 #aec1 ,cornell ,experiment ,station1 says3 ,grapes are a dessert fruit4 ,they are not used to a large extent in the kitchen 7though they might be71 so there are few incidental or secondary products2 that is1 they are not dried1 canned1 made into jellies1 and the like1 to any extent1 that is1 in the ,united ,states4 ,the grape is peculiarly a sectional product4 ,central ,new ,york has a large area devoted to it4 ,in northern ,ohio1 a strip along ,lake ,erie1 and some of its islands1 are devoted almost exclusively to grape vineyards4 ,in districts where grapes are intensively grown1 a great part of the crop is used for wine1 and ,american wine is extensively sold m our home markets1 although it frequently has foreign labels4 ,any one purchasing a farm should plant some grapevines for home use4 ,grape juice is easily made and kept and is a pleasing beverage4 ,grape jelly is excellent and could be readily marketed in any nearby town1 since there is very little1 comparatively1 on sale4 ,a grape arbor gives shade1 needs little care1 and can be planted near the house where it will not interfere with the crops4 ,for you cannot cultivate all of your land2 some grassy space must be left around the house if only for drying clothes4 ,but if ground is scarce1 vines or lima beans can be trained up the back porch or up the sunny side of the house2 or a few climbing nasturtiums will give decorations without care1 while the young leaves make a good salad4 ,of home orchard fruits1 the plum1 pear1 and quince are all profitable specialties1 especially for intensive acre raising4 ,in general1 the same remark may be made of them as of the other fruits1 that they need careful selection of land to get the best results4 ,the cherry has recently come to be recognized as a good commercial specialty4 ,mr4 ,george ,t4 ,powell1 in ,the ,american ,agriculturist1 says3 ,the crop is a precarious one to market4444 ,the risk and loss may be largely reduced by making a proper selection of site for the orchard4 ,this should be on high ground where the air generally circulates freely4 ,this is especially necessary for sweet varieties4 ,the soil should be rich1 with naturally good drainage4 ,he says3 ,i have had ,rockport trees produce four hundred pounds each and the fruit net ten cents a pound for the entire crop4 ,the ,english ,morello trees may be grown fifteen feet apart each way1 which will allow two hundred trees to the acre4 ,the larger trees ought to be planted somewhat thinner4444 ,cherries are packed largely in eight-pound baskets and in strawberry quarts4 ,each basket is filled with carefully assorted fruit1 every imperfect specimen being taken out1 after which they are faced by placing the stems downward so that the cherry shows in regular rows upon the face4 ,girls and women do this work4 ,the ,eastern fruit grower must bear in mind that he has to meet in his market the competition of the ,pacific coast growers1 who excel in fine packing2 and although our ,eastern grown cherries are of a finer flavor1 they are sent to the market in such a crude manner and in such unattractive condition that they sell for much less than the ,california fruit4 ,regarding bush berries1 he says1 you will get a small crop the second year after planting and for the third and subsequent years a full crop4 ,the important thing is to keep the dead canes well pruned out1 as the cane borer is one of the worst insect pests4 ,when they appear they can be stopped by cutting off the shoot several inches below the puncture as soon as it begins to droop1 and burning the part cut off4 ,again1 ,mr4 ,powell says1 ,currants require rich soil4 ,a clay or heavy loam is better than a heavy dry soil4 ,they should be planted in the fall4 ,the average from ten thousand bushes should be about four quarts each4 ,the cherry currant is perhaps the largest in size1 but not so prolific as some others4 ,currants are shipped and sold in thirty-two quart crates and have to be carefully packed to get to market in good condition4 ,gooseberries are raised by the acre4 ,mr4 ,a4 ,m4 ,brown1 ,kent ,county1 ,delaware1 in ,the ,american ,agriculturist1 tells of a plantation in ,central ,delaware where over twenty four thousand pounds were gathered from a scant four acres4 ,the product was sold to the ,baltimore canners for six cents a pound1 making #addj in all4 ,in addition to the gooseberries grown on six acres1 a large crop each of apples and pears were grown on the same ground4 ,like currants1 the gooseberry must be sprayed to destroy the worms1 and cut back and burnt to destroy the cane borer4 ,there is little special knowledge required1 however1 in raising this fruit1 and it is well adapted for growers with small acreage and little money4 ,in going into the cultivation of bush fruits1 it is usually best to grow them in great variety near the market where they are to be sold4 ,the bush fruits are then uniformly profitable4 ,in ,suburban ,life ,mr4 ,e4 ,c4 ,powell tells us that the spring is the best time for planting raspberries and blackberries1 just as soon as the ground is dry enough to work4 ,the first season the plots should be well tilled4 ,it is possible to grow vegetables between the rows the first year before the berries begin to bear1 but unless pressed for space1 it probably doesn't pay4 ,perhaps the best of small fruits1 however1 and most largely used is the strawberry4 ,the strawberry can be planted by the acre4 ,the ground must be rich loam and plenty of humus1 well drained1 with a southern exposure4 ,well-grown plants set out in the open will bear a small crop the first season1 but will not become of maximum bearing till the second year4 ,after the crop is taken off in the fall a mulch of straw or leaves should be placed over the plants to protect them during the winter4 ,the strawberries are picked by boys and girls4 ,the strawberry is an exceedingly profitable crop if properly handled1 and is one of the best small fruits for people with little capital4 ,while the price in the general market varies from fifteen to thirty cents per quart1 they sometimes run as high as fifty in the early spring2 yet it is possible to grow strawberries worth six dollars a quart by intensive culture in greenhouses4 ,mr4 ,s4 ,w4 ,fletcher1 in ,country ,life in ,america1 says3 ,the forcing of strawberries is a specialized industry of the highest type4 ,everybody cannot make it pay everywhere4444 ,strawberries are forced in pots or in benches4 ,the pot method is preferred by those who find a demand for the highest quality of fruit regardless of expense4444 ,if fruit is desired for ,christmas1 the plants are not checked to any extent1 but are kept in continuous growth4 ,the conditions of springtime are simulated as far as possible4 ,at ,christmas time a quart box of forced ,marshall strawberries sells at from one-fifty to eight dollars per quart1 averaging about four dollars4 ,our most valuable allies against the insect armies are toads1 bats1 wasps1 dragon flies1 and birds2 they enjoy the battle4 ,there cannot be too many toads or bats4 ,toads will eat all sorts of flies1 potato bugs1 squash bugs1 rose bugs1 caterpillars1 and almost anything that crawls4 ,if the wasps become a nuisance1 it is easy to poison them2 but the birds are often a nuisance--the robins eat the strawberries and cherries the instant they are ripe4 ,they soon get used to scarecrows2 and to cover the fruit with nets gives the insects a free hand4 ,some growers raise sweet cherries or other fruits specially to feed up the birds so that they will let the rest alone4 ,early rising and a plenty of cats is about the best remedy4 ,a man1 or even a woman1 working on the land is the best scarecrow4 ,there are a few other fruits that grow wild in certain sections and are gathered and sent to market4 ,among these the cranberry is the most important4 ,it grows in nearly inaccessible bogs1 principally in ,new ,jersey1 and the usual custom is for owners of land on which there are cranberry bogs to let out the bog to pickers on a percentage basis4 ,cranberries can be cultivated1 and there is a considerable profit in the business4 ,the swampy nature of the ground needed1 however1 will deter all except the most persistent from this industry4 ,some cranberry bogs bring as high as a thousand dollars an acre4 ,the blueberry or huckleberry1 or1 as we call it in ,ireland1 the bilberry1 or frohen1 grows wild in the northerly states1 and is much sought after in the market4 ,many efforts have been made to grow the blueberry commercially2 but1 as is well said by ,mr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,hale in the ,rural ,new ,yorker1 ,the blueberry proved to be a good deal like ,indians--it would not stand civilization1 and was never satisfactory1 although ,i monkeyed with it for a period of about ten years4 ,mr4 ,fred ,w4 ,card1 of ,rhode ,island1 in the same issue reports a similar experience4 ,with our present knowledge of the blueberry1 it is doubtful if it can be made a commercially cultivated crop4 ,lately1 however1 it is claimed that it can be grown in very poor1 non-nitrogenous soil4 ,a variety1 however1 called the ,garden ,blueberry1 gives almost incredible yields1 five bushels being reported from sixty plants4 ,it keeps all winter on the branches1 if stored in a cellar1 and is of fine flavor and especially good for preserves4 ,a little frost improves it4 ,but wild berries1 crab apples1 and elderberries and others1 are good to preserve and find a ready sale if attractively put up2 they also help out the table greatly4 ,then think of the fun6 ,in recent years1 certain varieties of nuts1 like the ,english walnut1 the pecan1 and the hickory nuts have been grown commercially4 ,in the ,south particularly1 the pecan has been found a good crop to plant on cotton plantations which have been overworked4 ,in the ,rural ,new ,yorker1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,e4 ,vandevan gives an account of an old cotton plantation of #bbej acres ,iying on the west bank of the ,mississippi ,river in ,louisiana4 ,the pecan tree was indigenous to the land1 and the wooded portion of the plantation has thousands of giant pecan trees growing on it4 ,the previous owners of this plantation had done all in their power to destroy these trees1 but they flourished in spite of that4 ,mr4 ,vandevan1 however1 saw in the pecan a large profit1 and he has planted ten thousand trees on six hundred acres1 all in a solid block4 ,the trees are set fifty feet apart both ways1 except where a roadway is left4 ,between the pecan trees ,mr4 ,vandevan has planted fig trees for early returns1 with the intention of canning the fruit4 ,the ,english walnut is grown principally in ,california4 ,its value has been recognized only recently1 as all of the nut crops take a good many years before the trees begin to bear4 ,nut growing on a small scale is not of much value to a man with a little bit of land1 except as an additional source of income4 ,if you find a sweet chestnut tree or a shell-bark hickory or two in your wood lot1 they will well repay protection and careful cultivation4 ,if you don't1 why--there are great promises in quick maturing nut trees4 ,there is now an ,english walnut which is claimed to bear the third or even the second year after setting out4 ,my own small experience with these in ,new ,jersey1 however1 has not been a success4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,flowers ,every city in the ,united ,states affords an opportunity for flower gardening and nurseries1 but a study must be made of the market in order to know what is best to raise and where to raise it4 ,the choice of crops depends on the popular taste4 ,the flowers which are now in greatest demand are the rose1 carnation1 violet1 and chrysanthemum4 ,near every large city there are hundreds of florists with glass houses1 some covering twenty acres or more4 ,there were over #bjjj acres of flower land under glass reported at the last census4 ,as almost all industries to-day are specialized1 so is floriculture2 in one place we see ten acres of glass given over to the rose1 in another thousands of dollars devoted to the carnation or the violet1 while one grower in ,queens1 ,long ,island1 has #ge1jjj square feet of glass for carnations4 ,the specialist who devotes his thoughts and energies to raising one flower can produce better results than if he raised a variety4 ,he has only one crop to market1 and can do it more successfully than with a number of crops4 ,if he raises enough to make himself a factor in the market1 he can sell direct instead of sending his product to a commission man1 thereby receiving better prices4 ,little capital is required to start2 intelligent effort is the road to success4 ,very few1 indeed1 who are now leaders in floriculture1 started with more than #ejj capital1 and many with much less4 ,one of the largest growers of roses in the ,united ,states1 whose plant covers more than ten acres1 did not have #ejj when he started1 and many others not so well known are making handsome livings and have accumulated thousands of dollars of property from a start of less than #ejj4 ,but practical knowledge is much more necessary than in raising vegetables1 as small mistakes will have more serious results4 ,therefore1 if you have some capital and wish to go into flower raising1 it will pay you1 if circumstances permit1 to hire out to a florist1 even at small wages1 till you have learned the business--even though you have raised flowers successfully in a home garden4 ,mr4 ,frank ,hamilton1 manager of ,c4 ,w4 ,ward's of ,queens1 tells of at least a dozen men1 who have been in their employ during his twenty-five years' experience1 some of whom got only twenty dollars a month at first1 and afterwards started in a small way for themselves1 who are now making a substantial living4 ,although the market depends largely on the wealthy class in the large cities1 many florists devote considerable time and space to flowers which are bought by the poorer class of city dwellers who have no space or time to raise their own4 ,there are always good markets somewhere for the crop1 and it is not an uncommon thing to ship flowers from ,new ,york to ,chicago1 ,buffalo1 ,boston1 ,philadelphia1 ,baltimore1 and ,washington1 or vice versa4 ,the chances of success for a lover of flowers are better in this business than in any in which one with a like amount of capital can engage4 ,if the business at first is not large enough to use all his time he will find no trouble in securing employment in his immediate vicinity4 ,there are always some who want such a person to care for their lawns or to give some time to their conservatories4 ,in the last ten years the business has doubled1 and while many have gone into it1 the profit they are making indicates that supply has not kept pace with demand1 and that it is not likely to be overdone the near future4 ,professor ,b4 ,t4 ,galloway1 in an article in ,the ,world's ,work1 says1 ,an acre of soil under glass pays fifty times as much as an acre outdoors4 ,there are annually sold in this country six to seven million dollars' worth of carnation flowers ,there are no less than eight to ten million square feet of glass in the ,united ,states devoted to this flower alone4 ,although ,mr4 ,rockefeller's place at ,tarrytown is the largest competitor in the ,new ,york market for violets1 there is no local monopoly in that1 and the local producer with personal attention can do well4 ,in the ,country ,gentleman an account is given of a violet farm on the north shore of ,illinois1 where two women are supplying local florists44 ,one of them says3 ,we started our farm last spring in the face of most discouraging prophecies from our friends and the keenest competition of violet growers of ,new ,york4 ,but we believed we could be successful4 ,we had studied the best scientific methods of growing the plants1 had imported the best soil obtainable1 and built a greenhouse fully adapted to our needs1 so we just went ahead and we found it to be a paying proposition4 ,our first experiment was in using cuttings from the violet farm of a lady at ,lansing1 ,michigan1 who has been a most successful grower4 ,these did not thrive1 and we next imported #cjjj cuttings from the ,tarrytown neighborhood1 where violet culture has been most successful4 ,the first rule is to keep the temperature of the greenhouse between forty-five and fifty degrees4 ,violets are spring flowers1 and wither and droop if the temperature is not at the right degree4 ,most people think the double violets have no fragrance because most of those that we get lose their fragrance in transit4 ,we supply #bjjj flowers a week1 and as they reach our patrons within two or three hours at the most from the time of cutting1 they retain their fragrance4 ,they are also larger and of a deeper color than the ,new ,york flowers4 ,next year we hope to go in on a much larger scale4 ,while the work is not hard1 it requires infinite care and vigilance when the little plants are growing4 ,as a career for a woman1 violet growing offers greater inducements than anything ,i can think of4 ,then1 surely1 others can succeed in other flowers at other places4 ,while there is little choice between the standard styles of greenhouses for violets1 there should be abundant provision for supplying fresh air1 either from the sides or top1 whichever is chosen4 ,the system of ventilation should admit of operation either from the inside or the outside of the house1 as fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas is sometimes necessary1 in the fumes of which it is impossible to enter1 unless with a gas mask4 ,the arrangement of the house should secure the greatest possible supply of sunshine in ,december and ,january1 and the least possible during the growing season1 when1 as ,miss ,howard points out1 it is necessary to secure as low a temperature as possible1 so as to obtain good1 vigorous1 healthy-growing plants4 ,the best site is a level piece of ground1 or one sloping gently to the south4 ,of the diseases to which cultivated violets are subject ,mr4 ,p4 ,h4 ,dorsett1 of the ,department of ,agriculture1 names four as especially dangerous3 ,spot disease1 producing whitish spots on the foliage2 root rot1 apt to attack young plants transplanted in hot1 dry weather2 wet rot1 a fungus apt to appear in too moist air or where ventilation is insufficient2 and yellowing1 of the cause of which little is known4 ,any of these diseases is difficult to exterminate when it once gains a foothold4 ,the best thing to do is to get strong1 vigorous cuttings1 and then to give careful attention to watering1 cultivation1 and ventilation1 and the destruction of dead and dying leaves and all runners as fast as they appear4 ,among insect enemies1 the aphids1 red spiders1 eel worms1 gall flies1 and slugs may be mentioned4 ,most of these can be easiest controlled by hydrocyanic acid gas treatment4 ,chrysanthemums1 especially of preternatural size and bizarre colors--the college colors at football games1 for instance--are in great demand4 ,they are extremely decorative1 and their remarkable lasting quality insures their permanent popularity4 ,i have heard that the unexpanded bud can be cooked like cauliflower for the table2 but we have not learned to use them in that way4 ,in ,japan and ,china the leaves of the chrysanthemum are esteemed as a salad4 ,one attempt has been made by ,english gardeners to introduce this use of them into ,england1 but it was unsuccessful4 ,the annual shows of chrysanthemums and of roses indicate the importance of the business4 ,it is not generally known1 but the poppies are coming into favor for cut flowers in spite of the fact that they do not keep very well4 ,miss ,edith ,granger avoids this difficulty1 as she explains in the ,garden ,magazine1 by picking off all blooms that have not already lost their petals in the evening1 so that in the morning all the open flowers will be new ones4 ,these are cut as early as possible1 even while the dew is still upon them1 and plunged immediately into deep water4 ,you need not be discouraged by the low prices at which flowers1 especially violets and roses1 are often offered in the streets4 ,those flowers are the discarded stock or delayed shipments of the swell florists4 ,you will find that those flowers are fading1 or revived with salt1 and will not keep4 ,that they are so peddled1 shows that everybody1 at hotels1 dinners1 funerals1 weddings1 in the home1 and the young men for the young women1 want flowers1 the loveliest things ever made without souls4 ,we have only to supply such a want to find our place in life4 ,as a side line the common flowers will bring good prices2 mignonette1 bachelor buttons1 cosmos1 and even nasturtiums1 which you can't keep from growing if you just stick the seed in the ground1 or lilies of the valley1 which you can hardly get rid of once they start1 never go begging1 if they are fresh4 ,a favorite flower with many is the sweet pea1 which can be grown out of doors in the summer time where you have a good depth and quality of soil4 ,i have seen ,may blossoms and autumn leaves on the branch and even goldenrod brought into town and sold at good prices4 ,enterprises often look attractive at a distance2 for instance1 raising orchids1 especially as some of the flowers remain on the plants ready for market for weeks and bring high prices4 ,but to ship flowers at a profit they must be in quantities1 else the expenses eat up the returns1 and they must be shipped with considerable regularity1 else you lose your customers4 ,to get such a supply of orchids would take a very large capital and involve so much labor that it is doubtful if more than good interest could be realized on it4 ,many florists make money by keeping constantly on hand ferns1 palms1 and other plants like rubber trees1 which they rent out for social functions1 weddings1 and other occasions4 ,most florists in the larger cities have also quite a thriving business in tree planting1 which is everywhere on the increase4 ,a highly specialized department of horticulture is that of raising young trees and plants to sell for improving grounds1 planting orchards1 or similar uses4 ,the nursery business bears much the same relation to the commercial florist or orchardist as seed growing does to the market gardener4 ,certain communities1 through favorable soil or climate1 are best adapted to the production of nursery stock4 ,consequently1 one finds this industry most highly developed in scattered localities4 ,it is true that people with small capital should not tackle a business so technical as this4 ,the business of bulb production is another highly specialized department4 ,in certain sections of ,holland large areas of the rich lowlands are given over to bulbs of various kinds of lilies1 nearly all of which are propagated in that manner4 ,to attain perfection1 at least in the ,north1 most bulbs require deep1 rich1 warm1 and highly manured soils2 and assiduous attention at every stage4 ,in many plant specialties1 the gardeners of ,europe still far surpass our own1 because conditions there have forced them to make use of every available means to increase production4 ,the immense price that ,european gardeners have to pay for land has been a most potent factor in forcing them to seek out and apply the most ingenious forcing methods4 ,the time is upon us here in ,america also when we must find out the highest use of land and apply it to that use4 ,as the aesthetic qualities of our people become more highly developed1 the business of raising flowers must become of increasing importance1 and will readily reward any one who goes into it conscientiously4 ,flower growing is peculiarly adapted to women1 since the work is light ,there are few disagreeable features1 unless it be the handling of the manure incidental to the best results4 ,still1 the enjoyments of agriculture depend upon individual tastes4 ,i have seen lady gardeners picking strawberries with the footman holding up an umbrella to screen them from the sun4 ,some women would like that1 some not4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,drug ,,plants ,a source of profit from land to which little attention has been given in the ,united ,states is collecting or raising plants1 some part of which may be used for medicinal purposes4 ,we condense from ,farmers' ,bulletin ,no4 #ahh1 ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture3 ,certain well-known weeds are sources of crude drugs at present obtained wholly or in part from abroad4 ,roots1 leaves1 and flowers of several of the species most detrimental in the ,united ,states are gathered1 cured1 and used in ,europe1 and supply much of the demands of foreign lands4 ,some of these plants are in many states subject to anti-weed laws1 and farmers are required to take measures toward their extermination4 ,the prices paid for crude drugs from these sources save in war time are not great and would rarely tempt any one to this work as a business4 ,yet if in ridding the farm of weeds and thus raising the value of the land the farmer can at the same time make these pests the source of a small income instead of a dead loss1 something is gained4 ,one rather alluring fact contained in an article by ,dr4 ,true1 is that a shortage has become keenly felt in ,golden ,seal1 which the early ,american settlers learned from the ,indians to use as a curative for sore and inflamed eyes1 as well as for sore mouth4 ,the plant grows in patches in high open woods1 and was formerly found in great abundance in ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,kentucky1 and ,west ,virginia1 but is now so rare that its price has risen from thirty-five cents wholesale in #ahih to over seventy-five cents a pound4 ,persons in different parts of the country have undertaken the production of ,golden ,seal on a commercial scale4 ,more than six hundred dollars' worth can be grown on an acre3 so a crop this year would be a fortune4 ,the methods of raising it can be ascertained upon application to the ,department of ,agriculture4 ,ginseng is one of the drug crops which paid handsome returns a few years ago1 perhaps because it takes from five to seven years to grow from seeds2 but so many went into that line that few men to-day make anything at it4 ,furthermore1 the ,chinese1 who use a large part of it1 will buy only the wild roots--and they know the difference4 ,those who control the trade have burned quantities in the effort to keep up the price4 ,there are some drug plants which might be raised with success by those who would specialize in one plant1 but the lesson we learn from ginseng should act as a warning4 ,raising drugs is one of those things that seems to be more profitable to teach others to do than to do yourself4 ,a well known ,professor said to me3 ,if ,i were twenty-five and knew what ,i know about drugs and the market for them1 ,i should go into the drug-raising business4 ,but ,i should expect to lose money for some years4 ,if ,i were a small clerk1 say1 or an old man who wanted to get out of city life1 and ,i had #ejj ,i really wanted to venture in drug raising1 ,i should divide it in half--half ,i should put in the bank and the other half ,i should throw into the ,hudson ,river4 ,then ,i should be sure of #bej instead of being drawn on to spend it all4 ,most of the people who have been in the business1 notably the ,shakers1 who used to do the most of it1 are gradually getting out of it4 ,the few men who make money raising drugs keep it to themselves4 ,in many cases when weeds have been dug the work of handling and curing them is not excessive and can readily be done by women and children4 ,too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the importance of carefully and thoroughly drying all crude drugs1 whether roots1 herbs1 leaves1 barks1 flowers1 or seeds1 and putting them under cover at nightfall4 ,if poorly dried1 they will heat and become moldy in shipping1 and the collector will find his goods rejected by the dealer and have all his trouble for nothing4 ,leaves1 herbs1 and flowers should never be washed4 ,it is important also to collect in proper season only1 as drugs collected out of season are unmarketable on account of inferior medicinal qualities1 and there will also be a greater shrinkage in a root dug during the growing season than when it is collected after growth has ceased4 ,the roots of annual plants should be dug in the autumn of the first year just before the flowering period1 and those of biennial and perennial plants in the fall of the second or third year1 after the tops have dried4 ,after the roots have been dug the soil should be well shaken from them1 and all foreign particles1 such as dirt1 roots1 and parts of other plants1 should be removed4 ,if the roots cannot be sufficiently cleared of soil by shaking1 they should be thoroughly washed in clean water4 ,drugs must look wholesome at least4 ,it does not pay to be careless in this matter4 ,the soil increases the weight of the roots1 but the purchaser is not willing to pay by weight for dirt1 and grades the uncleaned or mixed drugs accordingly4 ,it is the bright1 natural looking root1 leaf1 or plant that will bring a good price4 ,after washing1 the roots should be carefully dried by exposing them to light and air1 on racks or shelves1 or on clean well-ventilated barn floors1 or lofts4 ,they should be spread out thinly and turned occasionally from day to day until completely cured4 ,when this point is reached1 in perhaps three to six weeks1 the roots will snap readily when bent4 ,if dried out of doors they should be placed under shelter at night and upon the approach of rain4 ,some roots require slicing and removing fibrous rootless4 ,in general1 large roots should be split or sliced when green in order to facilitate drying4 ,barks of trees should be gathered in spring1 when the sap begins to flow1 but may also be peeled in winter4 ,in the case of the coarser barks 7as elm1 hemlock1 poplar1 oak1 pine1 and wild cherry7 the outer layer is shaved off before the bark is removed from the tree1 which process is known as rossing4 ,only the inner bark of these trees is used medicinally4 ,barks may also be cured by exposure to sunlight1 but moisture must be avoided4 ,leaves and herbs should be collected when the plants are in full flower4 ,the whole plant may be cut and the leaves may be stripped from it1 rejecting the coarse and large stems as much as possible1 and keeping only the flowering tops and more tender stems and leaves4 ,both leaves and herbs should be spread out in thin layers on clean floors1 racks1 or shelves1 in the shade1 but where there is free circulation of air1 and turned frequently until thoroughly dry4 ,moisture will darken them4 ,flowers are collected when they first open or immediately after1 not when they are beginning to fade4 ,seeds should be gathered just as they are ripening1 before the seed pods open1 and should be winnowed in order to remove fragments of stems1 leaves1 and shriveled specimens4 ,the collector should be sure that the plant is the right one4 ,many plants closely resemble one another1 and some yarbs1 contrary to the popular impression1 are deadly poison--nightshade 7belladonna7 and the wild variety of parsnips1 for instance4 ,therefore1 where any doubt exists1 send a specimen of the entire plant1 including leaves1 flowers1 and fruits1 to a drug dealer or to the nearest state experiment station for identification4 ,samples representative of the lot of drugs to be sold should be sent to the nearest commission merchant1 or drug store1 for inspection and for quotation on the amount of drug that can be furnished1 or for information as to where to send the article4 ,in writing to the different dealers for information and for prices1 which vary greatly1 it should be stated how much of a particular drug can be furnished and how soon this can be supplied1 and postage should always be inclosed for reply4 ,the collector should bear in mind that freight is an important item1 and it is best1 therefore1 to address the dealers accessible to the place of production4 ,the package containing the sample should be plainly marked with contents and the name and address of the sender4 ,when ready for shipment crude drugs may be tightly packed in burlap or gunny sacks1 or in dry1 clean barrels4 ,burdock root brings from three to eight cents per pound1 and seed five to ten cents4 ,about fifty thousand pounds of the root is imported annually1 and the best has come from ,belgium4 ,of dock roots1 about #abe1jjj pounds are imported annually1 at from two to eight cents4 ,the field for the sale of dandelion root is large4 ,of couch grass1 the roots of which cause much profanity in this country1 there are some #bej1jjj pounds annually imported at from three to seven cents per pound4 ,a common weed with which there is a considerable trouble is the pokeweed1 the root of which brings from two to five cents per pound and the dried berries five cents per pound4 ,forty to sixty thousand pounds of foxglove are imported from ,europe4 ,analysis has shown that the leaves of the wild ,american foxglove are as good as the ,european article1 the price of which per pound ranges from six to eight cents4 ,of mullein flowers about five thousand pounds used to be imported1 chiefly from ,germany4 ,the leaves are also imported4 ,dried leaves and tops of lobelia bring from three to eight cents per pound1 while the seed commands fifteen to twenty cents per pound4 ,of tansy about thirty-five thousand pounds have been imported annually at a price rallying from three to six cents4 ,the flowering tops and leaves of the gum plant are used as drug4 ,they bring from five to twelve cents per pound4 ,boneset leaves and tops bring from two to eight cents per pound4 ,catnip tops and leaves two to eight cents per pound4 ,of horehound about #abe1jjj pounds are imported annually1 prices being three to eight cents per pound4 ,blessed thistle is cultivated in ,germany1 and it is imported to a limited extent4 ,yarrow is a weed common from the ,new ,england states to ,missouri4 ,it is imported in small quantities1 and brings from two to five cents per pound4 ,canada fleabane brings from six to eight cents per pound4 ,of jimsonweed1 leaves are imported1 from #ajj1jjj to #aej1jjj pounds annually1 and #aj1jjj pounds of seed4 ,leaves bring two and one half to eight cents per pound1 and seeds from three to seven cents per pound4 ,of poison hemlock1 seeds are imported from ten to twenty thousand pounds annually4 ,price for the seed is three cents per pound1 for the leaves about four cents4 ,the flowers are also used4 ,the ,american wormseed has been naturalized from tropical ,america to ,new ,england2 the seed commands from six to eight cents per pound2 the oil distilled from this seed brings one dollar and a half per pound4 ,black mustard1 which is a troublesome weed in almost every state in the ,union1 is nevertheless imported in enormous quantities1 the total imports of the seeds of the black and white mustard amounting annually to over five million pounds1 the prices being from three to six cents per pound4 ,all these prices and quantities were before the war and may greatly change after it4 ,in studying the wild drug plants1 one may learn the immense variety of field salads and greens4 ,on a visit to the ,spirit ,fruit ,society at ,ingleside1 ,illinois1 one of the girls took me out to gather wild vegetables for dinner4 ,we pulled up about a dozen varieties out of the corners of a field2 two or three of the nice looking ones that ,i gathered the young lady threw out1 saying she did not know them2 but it seemed to me that she took almost anything that was not too tough4 ,the following are commonly used as salads3 ,dandelion1 yellow racket1 purslane 7pusley71 watercress1 nasturtium2 and the following as greens for cooking3 narrow or sour dock1 stinging nettle1 pokeweed1 pigweed or lamb's quarters1 black mustard4 ,young milkweed is better than spinach1 and also makes an excellent salad4 ,probably all the salad leaves could be cooked to advantage4 ,rhubarb leaves and horseradish tops are garden greens usually neglected most unfairly4 ,osage ,orange 7maclura aurantiaca7 is generally supposed to be poison1 and is described in ,webster's dictionary as a hard and inedible fruit1 but ,i have found one kind1 at least1 superior to quinces4 ,capsicum or red pepper1 licorice 7the imports of which have all been in the hands of one person71 camphor1 belladonna1 henbane1 and stramonium are possible fields for culture2 but they are all experiments4 ,if you are growing poppies for the flowers it might be worth while to gather some opium1 especially if the new process succeeds in separating morphine directly from the plant4 ,caraway seeds1 anise1 coreander1 and sage are common garden plants that may be sold as drugs4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,novel ,,live ,,stock ,occasionally we hear stories of the wealth which is being made on a frog farm here or there4 ,but as a rule little commercial success has attended attempts in this direction4 ,the difficulty lies in feeding them4 ,a single frog can be fed by dangling a piece of meat before it1 but it would be impossible to feed thousands this way4 ,there are so many enemies that few tadpoles become adult frogs2 besides1 the frog is a cannibal and will eat not only the larvae or eggs1 but the tadpoles and young frogs as well4 ,frog culture is successful in some places where ponds are large enough to be partitioned1 separating the tadpoles and young frogs from the old ones1 and where insects are abundant enough to supply food naturally for them4 ,near ,san ,francisco there are a number of frog ranches4 ,even in #aijc1 according to ,mary ,heard in ,out ,west1 one ranch sold to ,san ,francisco markets #bfjj dozen frogs' legs1 netting #ahjj4 ,this was considered poor4 ,frogs' legs are sold to hotels and restaurants1 and bring in ,new ,york1 according to size and season1 from fifty cents to a dollar a pound4 ,tons of frogs come to ,new ,york markets each year from ,canada1 ,michigan1 and from the ,south and ,west4 ,few people outside of the cities eat them4 ,the ,united ,states ,fish ,commissioners reported the product in one year3 ,arkansas1 #eh1hjj lb41 valued at #dafb2 ,indiana1 #bd1jjj lb41 valued at #ejbf2 ,ohio1 #ad1jjj lb41 valued at #bcdj2 ,vermont1 #eejj lb41 valued at #hbe1 etc4--a total of #bb1iec4 ,the enormous and increasing prices of large diamond backed turtles1 and the cheapness of little ones shows that maturing1 at least1 if not actually breeding them1 would be well worth investigation4 ,many wealthy ,new ,yorkers send direct to ,maryland for their supplies4 ,where turtle meat is bottled or canned1 the snapping turtle and the common box tortoise are sometimes used as substitutes4 ,both are capital eating4 ,the carp is one of the most excellent fresh water fish1 and is of great value on account of the facility of culture and the enormous extent to which this is carried on4 ,in ,europe some artificial ponds comprise an area of no less than #bj1jjj acres1 and the proceeds amount to about #ejj1jjj pounds of carp per annum4 7,hessel1 in ,carp and ,its ,culture47 ,it attains the weight of three to four pounds in three years without artificial feeding1 and much more under more favorable conditions4 ,it lives to a great age and continues to grow all the while4 ,in ,europe it is common to see carp weighing from thirty to forty pounds and more1 measuring nearly three and one half feet in length and two and three quarters feet in circumference4 ,it lives on vegetable food1 insects1 larvae1 and worms1 and will not attack other fishes or their spawn4 ,it is easy to raise1 and1 provided certain general rules are followed1 success will attend its culture4 ,the localities best adapted to a carp pond are those in which there is sufficient water at hand for the summer as well as the winter4 ,a mud or loam soil is best adapted for such a pond4 ,a rocky1 gravelly ground is not suited for carp2 the water should be the same depth all the year1 as variation has an injurious effect on the fish4 ,carp spawn in the spring4 ,in stocking a pond three females are calculated to two males4 ,the females lay a great number of eggs1 but only a small number are impregnated4 ,the most liberal estimate will not exceed from #hjj to #ajjj to one spawner1 the aggregate per acre amounting to from #djjj to #ejjj4 ,the large cities containing large numbers of ,europeans furnish the principal markets for carp4 ,the ,jewish people will not1 as a rule1 buy carp unless they are alive1 so it is not an uncommon thing to see fish dealers in the ,hebrew quarters pushing through the streets carts constructed as tanks and peddling the carp alive4 ,some years ago carp ponds were quite a fad among farmers of the ,central ,west4 ,americans have been slow to adopt the ,german carp as a food fish4 ,trout1 of course1 can be raised1 and the high prices which they bring1 both in market and for fishing privileges1 make them very attractive2 but the cold running water needed makes opportunity for breeding them with access to a good market generally unavailable to owners of five acres4 ,there is another fish1 famous for its eating qualities1 which well repays effort put upon its production4 ,i refer to the black bass4 ,it is indigenous to the waters of the ,eastern states1 where it is usually found in creeks or rivers4 ,it can be successfully bred in properly constructed ponds4 ,mr4 ,dwight ,lyell1 in ,forest and ,stream1 has this to say about a breeding place for the small-mouthed black bass4 ,the pond should be six feet deep in the center and two feet around the edge2 the bottom should be of natural sand2 water plants should be growing in profusion1 particularly such aquatic plants as the ,daphnia1 ,bosmina1 and the ,corix1 to furnish food for the young bass4 ,a good size for a breeding pond is #ajj ,x #ajj feet4 ,for spawning1 artificial nest frames are built in rectangular form4 ,they are made two feet square without bottoms4 ,on two adjoining sides these frames are four inches high and on the other two adjoining sides sixteen inches high4 ,these frames are made because the bass needs a barrier behind which the spawning may be done and which will protect the nest when made4 ,for raising the fish to a size large enough for food1 ponds can be of any convenient size4 ,in order to keep the water in healthful condition the pond must be fed by a flowing brook with some provision to prevent the water being disturbed by freshets4 ,this can usually be arranged by a sluice to carry off the surplus water during heavy rains4 ,black bass raised in shallow ponds will take the fly all summer1 so that considerable may be made from fishing privileges4 ,in the absence of minnows1 which are the food of the bass1 they must be fed on fresh liver cut in threads like an angle worm to tempt the fish4 ,even then the liver diet must be varied by feeding minnows from ,september until the bass goes into winter quarters4 ,in no other way can fertile eggs be assured for the spring hatching4 ,minnows left in the pond all winter will breed and so furnish fry on which the young bass can feed the next summer4 ,what has been said refers particularly to the small-mouthed black bass4 ,the conditions are substantially the same for the large-mouthed bass 7which grows to a much larger size71 except that the bottom may be made of ,spanish moss imbedded in cement4 ,there is a growing market for the young bass or fingerlings to stock streams and ponds4 ,the relation between the producer of stock fish and those who expect to raise bass of a marketable size is about the same as exists between the professional seed grower and the market gardener4 ,it is much better for the small farmer who has or can make an artificial pond to buy his fingerlings from the professional breeder1 who has facilities which are too elaborate to be duplicated on a small scale4 ,fish culture1 except under government auspices1 is little known in the ,united ,states4 ,american ,homes and ,gardens has an account of the breeding of pheasants1 which is of interest4 ,that it is possible to breed pheasants1 even around an ordinary suburban home1 is shown by ,mr4 ,homer ,davenport1 the famous cartoonist1 who succeeded in breeding and raising some of the choicest pheasants on his place at ,morris ,plains1 ,new ,jersey4 ,a great variety of species are commonly bred1 but all of them came from ,china or ,india4 ,the pheasant can be tamed by careful handling1 but cats and dogs and other small animals must be kept away4 ,the pheasantry should be placed on high1 well-drained ground with a southern exposure1 where the soil is good enough to raise clover1 oats1 and barley4 ,the quarters for pheasants and the management are very much like those for fancy chickens4 ,the yard should be inclosed by wire netting both on sides and top to keep the birds from wandering away2 and there should be houses for roosting and breeding with nesting quarters attached4 ,in ,central ,park1 ,new ,york1 the running space allotted to three or four birds is not more than ten by twenty feet1 and ,mr4 ,george ,ethelbert ,walsh tells of a case where sixty pheasants were kept in excellent condition in a house ten by fifty feet1 with five yards attached1 averaging #aj ,x #be feet4 ,however1 with pheasants1 as with all the bird family1 especially turkeys1 the more ground they have for ranging the less liable they will be to disease4 ,the chief difficulty in breeding game birds like the pheasant is to secure the insects1 such as flies1 maggots1 and ant eggs1 which are the natural food of the young4 ,sufficient green food like lettuce1 turnip tops1 cabbage1 etc41 must also be provided4 ,there is always a market at fancy prices for more of the matured birds than can possibly be supplied4 ,some people make money in breeding or training fancy birds like canaries1 mocking birds1 finches1 parrots1 and so on2 but this industry can be carried on almost as well in rooms in the city as in the country4 ,specializing on any kind of animal rearing must be gone into with extreme caution1 because in the breeding of animals there are many factors to be dealt with which do not confront the breeder of plants4 ,make haste slowly1 and before branching out be sure that you master each step in its turn4 ,an industry which is practically unknown in this country1 but which flourishes in ,burgundy1 ,france1 is the raising of snails for food4 ,those who are shocked by this will be surprised to learn that snail culture was practiced by the ,romans at the time of the ,civil ,war between ,caesar and ,pompey1 as ,jacques ,boyer says in ,american ,homes and ,gardens4 ,the snail lays from fifty to sixty eggs annually4 ,they are deposited in a smooth hole prepared for them in the ground and hatched within twenty days4 ,so rapidly do they grow that they are ready for market six or eight weeks after hatching4 ,the snail park is made by inclosing a plot of damp1 limy soil with smooth boards coated with tar to prevent the snails climbing out1 and held in place by outside stakes strong enough to withstand the wind4 ,the boards must penetrate the soil to the depth of eight inches at least1 and at a level with the ground they must have a sort of shelf to prevent the snails from burrowing under them4 ,when the snail encounters an obstacle in its path1 it lays its eggs1 sensible beast4 ,ten thousand snails can be raised on a plot of land one hundred by two hundred feet4 ,the ground is plowed deeply in the spring1 the snails are placed on it and covered with from two to four inches of moss or straw which is kept damp4 ,they must be fed daily with lettuce1 cabbage1 vine leaves1 or grass2 as they eat at night1 they are fed shortly before sunset4 ,aromatic herbs1 like mint1 parsley1 etc41 are planted in the inclosure to improve the flavor of the snails4 ,in ,october1 the snails having become fat through the summer1 retire into their shells1 the mouths of which they close with a thin gelatinous covering4 ,they are now ready for picking1 and are put on screens or trays which are piled together in storehouses1 where they remain several months without food4 ,when the fast has been sufficiently prolonged1 the shells are brushed up and the snails cooked in salt water in a great pot holding about ten thousand4 ,when cooked1 they are immediately sent to the consumer in wooden boxes holding from fifty to two hundred4 ,the business is a very profitable one1 as the snail is considered a great delicacy by epicures4 ,perhaps the silkworm is not exactly in place in a chapter on ,novel ,live ,stock4 ,it is at present not much more than an interesting experiment1 but there will be money in silkworm culture as soon as a market for the product is developed4 ,the main difficulty is lack of food1 as the worm thrives best on the leaf of the white mulberry tree4 ,until a substitute is found1 it will be necessary therefore to set out young trees1 which in two years will bear enough leaves to supply food4 ,the labor of silkworm rearing all comes in one month4 ,it can be carried on in any large1 airy room ,the eggs are hatched by the summer heat1 and the worm does not become a heavy eater until the last two weeks4 ,it sheds its skin four times1 and after the final moult it climbs into loose brush prepared for it and spins the cocoon4 ,these are then dried and shipped4 ,at the ,south1 where the climate is well suited for silk culture1 an obstacle has been found in the unadaptability of the cheap labor1 particularly colored labor1 to the delicate handling1 and especially winding of the silk from the cocoons4 ,many people make money by breeding dogs4 ,not much land is required and very little capital1 as kennels can be multiplied as demand increases4 ,there is always a profitable market for dogs1 and some of the lap species1 like the ,king ,charles spaniel1 bring fabulous prices4 ,hunting dogs1 such as setters1 pointers1 retrievers1 really require a game country and a practical hunter who can train the puppies1 to make much of a success of it2 with these1 if properly handled1 the business is a safe one1 as there is little other technical skill required beyond ordinary care1 such as is given to domestic animals4 ,cats are a better venture than dogs because they are sold to women who will pay any price for what strikes their fancy4 ,fashions in cats change about as fast as fashions in coats1 but cats breed faster than coats wear out1 so it is quick business4 ,just now1 coon cats1 tortoise-shell cats1 and bizarre colors of ,persian cats are mostly in vogue1 but the tailless ,manx cat1 and even freaks like the six-toed cat and ,iynx cats always find a ready market4 ,of course1 these can be raised in the city1 but if it is done in a large enough way to make a living out of it1 the ,board of ,health and the neighbors will raise--something else4 ,fishing and hunting are primitive industries of which we think only in connection with wild land4 ,but every bay and pond and wood will supply at least some subsistence or profit to the intelligent seeker4 ,oysters1 clams1 crabs1 mussels1 frogs1 and common fish are found in abundance in many places1 and help out with table expenses4 ,even ,english sparrows are delicious4 ,almost any wild animal is much more wholesome to eat than pork4 ,squirrels and even weasels are cleaner feeders than pigs1 and the ,indians eat them with great relish1 while everybody knows the keenness of the darkies for coon4 ,most snakes are better eating than eels and not near so repulsive--when you get used to them4 ,the woodchuck is a nuisance to the farmer1 covering his field with loads of subsoil from the burrow and then eating the tender sprouts2 and the farmer does not know enough to eat his tender corpse1 but he is good to eat4 ,if a rabbit and a chicken could have young1 it would taste like a woodchuck4 ,muskrats1 mink1 raccoons1 and gray and fox squirrels are easily trapped2 and the skins of those killed in that way find a steady market4 ,skins of poisoned animals do not sell so well1 as they are rough and dry4 ,in order to be profitable1 these do not need to pay very well in proportion to the time they take1 since they are hunted as recreation and at odd times4 ,but there is a larger field in raising wild animals1 which our ,western people have not been slow to avail themselves of1 and we hear of men being prosecuted for breeding wolves1 coyotes1 and bobcats1 a kind of lynx1 to get the government bounty for the snouts or scalps4 ,in a legitimate way profit may be had from such animals4 ,ernest ,thompson ,seton has an article in ,country ,life in ,america1 on raising fur-bearing animals for profit2 this offers a good chance for small capital and large intelligence4 ,he suggests the beaver1 mink1 otter1 skunk1 and marten1 and says that whoever would begin fur farming is better off with five acres than with five hundred4 ,he describes two fox ranches at ,dover1 ,maine4 ,they raise twenty to forty silver foxes a year1 on a little more than half an acre of land4 ,the silver fox's fur is one of the most valuable on the market and sells at an average of #aej a pelt1 that is1 #cjjj to #fjjj gross for the year's work4 ,foxes are not expensive to breed1 their food consisting chiefly of sour milk and cornmeal or flour made into a cake1 and a little meat about once a week4 ,the capital required is small4 ,a fence for the inclosure should be of one and a half inch mesh ,no4 #af galvanized wire1 ten feet high1 with an overhang of eighteen inches to keep the foxes from escaping1 and is about the only outlay except for purchase of stock4 ,stakes should be driven close to the fence to keep them from burrowing out4 ,they are naturally clean animals1 and with careful attention are free from disease4 ,mr4 ,stevens reports that in his two years' experience he has had twenty to thirty foxes and lost none by disease1 while ,mr4 ,norton1 with five years' experience1 carrying thirty to forty1 reports that one to two die each year4 ,they breed as well in captivity as in their wild state1 usually bringing forth a litter of six or seven in the spring4 ,these breed the following spring and their fur is ready for market the following ,december4 ,and now breeders sell fine stock to other breeders who are entering the industry1 sometimes getting three to four hundred dollars per pair4 ,mr4 ,seton remarks1 ,i am satisfied that any man who has made a success of hens can make a success of foxes1 with this advantage for the latter a fox requires no more space or care than a hen1 but is worth twenty times as much1 and so gives a chance for returns twenty times as large4 ,this is an infant industry1 but if others can get the same results1 it will pay handsomely4 ,to get the best furs1 however1 requires a district where the winters are cold and long4 ,there are a few skunk farms in the ,west4 ,it is said that the scent gland can be taken out1 though that is not necessary1 and that the farms do well4 ,their oil is also said to be valuable4 ,but while skunks are so common there cannot be much in breeding them4 ,if your fancy goes to critters rather than crops it is much better to raise game birds4 ,wild turkeys raised under a hen or in an incubator and made pretty tame 7if too tame they do not thrive so well in a small area71 wild ducks1 grouse1 partridges1 quails1 even wood ducks which build their nests in trees are no longer experiments4 ,all the common enemies you have to contend against are foxes1 dogs1 cats1 rats1 mink1 skunks1 hawks1 owls1 crows1 frogs1 turtles1 snakes1 poachers1 game legislators1 and disease4 ,it has been calculated that one pair of quails and its progeny would produce five or six million birds in eight years if there were no losses4 ,but so would chickens2 and probably you will not get that many4 ,all about these game birds is set forth in an advertising booklet called1 ,game ,farming of the ,hercules ,powder ,co41 which has offices in a dozen cities1 so we need not enlarge4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,where ,,to ,,go ,intensive cultivation1 raising a big crop on little land1 can be carried on most profitably near areas of dense population2 for perishable products1 like fruits and vegetables1 can be best marketed near the consumer4 ,the limit for delivery by auto is about fifteen to twenty miles1 and then only if roads are good2 if the land selected lies on the line of a railroad which gives equal terms to way freight and to through freight1 you will fare nearly as well4 ,railroads control agricultural development4 ,sparsely settled regions always practice extensive cultivation1 raising light crops on big farms1 because only such crops can be grown as can be raised on large areas by machinery1 and are not perishable4 ,staples like corn1 wheat1 pork1 and beef are transported at low prices for long distances by the railroads4 ,this forces the settlers in newly opened portions of the country to sell in a market created by the railroads1 in competition with what is produced within the areas of intensive cultivation1 that is1 with access to adjacent markets4 ,so we find the bonanza wheat farms of ,california1 the ,dakotas1 and the ,canadian ,northwest1 the pampas of the ,argentine1 the ,steppes of ,russia1 and the ,indian uplands devoted to wheat raising2 in the ,united ,states corn belt1 fields of from five to twenty thousand acres are still not uncommon4 ,conversely1 intensive cultivation is most advanced in ,china1 where a dense population forced the people long ago to bring into use every foot of tillable soil that is left open to them4 ,near the towns of the ,united ,states a few market gardeners supply such vegetables as the people do not raise for themselves4 ,the states along the ,atlantic seaboard have all the facilities for successful intensive cultivation--a dense population and idle1 cultivable land4 ,in choosing a location1 the home crofter should well consider his experience1 and try to enter a community where he can engage in analogous pursuits4 ,dairy regions never have enough men who understand cattle and horses2 fruit-growing districts always need experienced pickers2 market garden regions need men who understand rotating crops and making hotbeds1 transplanting1 etc4 ,if you have a little money1 you can probably do best by buying and draining some swamp land1 which is the most productive of all1 as it contains the washings of the upland for centuries4 ,swamp land can usually be cleared and drained for from thirty to forty dollars per acre4 ,it can be bought very cheap and when ready to cultivate will have increased many times in value4 ,the next best is the abandoned or worn-out farm4 ,proper methods of cultivation will bring it back to more than its original fertility4 ,the ,eastern states from ,maine to ,virginia abound with them at from five to twenty-five dollars per acre4 ,in many cases the buildings are worth more than the whole price asked4 ,the nearest land easily available in the ,east is in the state of ,new ,york4 ,the writer believes it is true that there are twenty thousand farms for sale in this state1 and nearly1 all at such low prices and upon such favorable terms as to make them available for any one desiring to engage in agriculture or have a farm home4 ,the soil of these farms is not exhausted1 but on the contrary is1 with proper cultivation1 very productive4 ,nearly all have good buildings and fences1 are supplied with good water and plenty of wood for farm purposes1 and in nearly all cases have apple and other fruit trees upon them4 7,list of ,farms1 occupied and unoccupied1 for sale in ,new ,york ,state4 ,bureau of ,information and ,statistics1 ,bulletin1 ,state of ,new ,york1 ,department of ,agriculture47 ,these farms are distributed all over the state1 some in nearly every county4 ,in ,sullivan ,county1 for example1 there are farms for sale ranging in price from ten to one hundred dollars per acre4 ,these can1 almost without exception1 be bought by small payments1 balance on long mortgages1 and it is wonderful how cheap they are4 ,in ,ulster ,county thirty farms1 some of which ,i have seen1 are offered for sale at trifling prices4 ,of course1 many of these farms have been sold since the first editions of this book1 and the prices have advanced1 perhaps on the average doubled2 but cheap automobiles have improved roads and have made others available that were useless ten years ago4 ,the development of the ,southern states1 with eradication of the cattle tick 7the cause of ,texas ,fever7 and irrigation and rotation of crops1 has opened up new countries4 ,n4 ,o4 ,nelson writes he has bought many ,louisiana farms for his cooperative enterprise for about what the improvements are worth4 ,cut over woodlands which we have learned to make produce incomes of about five dollars each year per acre by intelligent forestry1 as well as swamp lands which we now know how to make healthful by drainage and by the extinction of mosquitoes1 can still be had at low prices in ,new ,york and other states4 ,numerous others are in the market from five dollars per acre up1 and so it goes through the state1 from ,wyoming ,county in the extreme western end1 where farms ranging from thirty to three hundred acres are in the market at from thirty to forty dollars per acre1 to ,st4 ,lawrence ,county in the north1 where land can be bought as low as fifteen dollars per acre4 ,when it is considered that these lands are within easy access to established markets with transportation and mail facilities1 rural delivery1 and telephone a proper idea may be formed of their value in opportunity4 ,the authority quoted further states that probably fifty thousand agricultural laborers can find employment on the farms of ,new ,york at good wages4 ,families particularly are wanted to rent houses and work farms on shares4 ,wages for new hands run from twenty to thirty dollars and upwards per month with board4 ,men who know how to milk are especially in demand throughout the dairy regions4 ,these conditions make it possible for experienced farmers1 although entirely without money1 to get to the soil4 ,over three hundred thousand aliens annually settled in the cities of ,new ,york ,state during some years in the last decade4 ,these people could be got out of the cities1 where in normal times they are little needed1 into adjacent country districts where they are much needed4 ,in the ,real ,estate ,record and ,guide1 ,mr4 ,a4 ,l4 ,langdon says3 ,it is most remarkable that there are on ,long ,island1 within from thirty-five to seventy miles of ,new ,york1 thousands of acres of land which have never been cultivated1 which have for years produced nothing but cordwood1 and which the owners allow to be overrun with fire almost every year4 ,a large part of this land has soil two or three feet deep underlaid with gravel4 ,the best water in the world is abundant and the climate is more equable than on the mainland1 and in each locality where any reasonable effort has been made to cultivate the soil1 it has produced plentifully of all fruits and vegetables which can be grown in this latitude4 ,long ,island should produce all the fruit1 vegetables1 poultry1 eggs1 and milk needed by its own residents1 with a large surplus for the city markets1 instead of getting1 as it does1 a large part of its supply of these things from the city4 ,when it is considered that about a quarter of a million acres of this land so close to the city is now scrub oak and uncultivated waste1 and that there are about a million adult workers in the city1 the importance of the experiment is obvious2 especially as we learn from the ,united ,states census that over ten thousand of these workers are already in agricultural pursuits within the city limits4 ,here midway on ,long ,island1 and just beyond the limits for a man to locate who expects to earn his living by daily work in the city1 is a territory about forty miles long and ten miles wide which by intensive farming would yield a good living for more than two hundred thousand inhabitants4 ,in this agricultural section1 a man of small means who expects to live on the land the year round1 should purchase a plot not too small to produce enough to support himself and family and a surplus to sell1 not less than six acres4 ,probably all men have more or less land hunger a desire to own land and it is a worthy object to encourage to the extent of inducing a man to purchase what he can pay for and be satisfied with1 but it is a shameful thing to induce a poor man1 who has to earn his living in ,new ,york1 to buy on the installment plan a small lot so far from his place of employment that he cannot live on it and travel to and from his work every day1 and where there is the strongest probability that he will never make more than two or three payments1 and will consequently lose what he does pay4 ,the writer hears of one plot which was sold nineteen times and the contracts defaulted on after payments1 before any one took title4 ,if the seeker is not satisfied with the opportunities which the state of ,new ,york offers1 he may turn to ,new ,jersey1 equally accessible and equally rich in chances4 ,new ,jersey ,year-,book3 ,there are in the southern part of the ,state large tracts of land which are still uncleared1 or covered with brushwood1 and which are adapted to tillage and capable of producing large crops of small fruits and market garden vegetables4 ,the wood on them is mainly scrub oak1 with some dwarfed pitch pine and yellow pine1 and hence they are called oak lands to distinguish them from the more sandy lands and tracts on which the pitch pine grows almost exclusively4 ,the latter are known as pine lands4 ,the total area of cleared 7farm7 lands in the southern division of the ,state1 southeast of the marl belt1 is about #dej1jjj acres4 ,the pineland belts have an aggregate area of #dhf1jjj acres1 making at least #hjj1jjj acres accessible by railways from the large cities and also near to tidewater navigation4 ,the maps of the ,geological ,survey show the location and the extent of these lands1 their railway lines1 and their relation to the settlements already made and to the cities4 ,the soils of these tracts are sandy and not naturally so rich and fertile as the more heavy clay soils of the limestone1 the red shale1 and the marl districts of the ,state1 but they are not so sandy and so coarse-grained as to be non-productive1 like some of the pineland areas4 ,the latter are often deficient in plant food and are deservedly characterized as pine barrens1 being too poor for farm purposes4 ,the growth of oak and pine1 as well as chemical analyses1 shows that the oak-land soils contain the elements of plant production4 ,they are not so well suited to pasturage or to continuous cropping as naturally rich virgin soils2 they are better fitted for raising vegetables1 melons1 sweet potatoes1 small fruits1 peaches1 and pears than wheat1 ,indian corn1 hay1 and other staples4 ,the eminent superiority of this kind of farming in ,new ,jersey over the old routine of wheat1 corn1 hay1 and potatoes is well known4 ,these ,south ,jersey soils are easily cleared of brushwood or standing timber1 and of stumps1 with a hand or horse-power puller which is a cheap affair1 and the wood is salable in all this part of the ,state at remunerative prices1 often bringing more than the original cost of the land4 ,the long working season and the short and mild winter favor the arrangement of work1 so that all is done with the least outlay for help4 ,they also favor the mosquitoes4 ,the success of ,hammonton1 ,egg ,harbor ,city1 ,vineland1 and other places is notable1 and equally good results are to be had at a hundred or more places as well situated as they are4 ,these lands are sold at low figures1 and the settler saves in capital and interest account4 ,only the difficulty of getting money to help in building interferes with rapid settlement4 ,the ,west ,jersey ,railway1 the ,pennsylvania1 and the ,philadelphia and ,reading's ,atlantic ,city ,railroad1 the ,philadelphia and ,seashore ,railway1 the ,new ,jersey ,southern ,railroad1 and other branch roads afford excellent facilities for access to ,new ,york1 ,philadelphia1 and the cities of the ,state4 ,the ,cohansey1 ,maurice1 and ,mullica rivers head well up near the northwest limits of these lands1 and their navigable reaches run for miles across them4 ,the waters of the ,delaware ,bay and the ocean are within a few miles of a large part of this oak-land domain4 ,the advantages of an old settled and ,eastern ,state1 within easy reach of these large markets1 of land which is easily tilled and generous and quick in its response to feeding1 and at low prices1 make them equal to1 if not better than1 the rich prairie soils of a new ,west1 or the low prices and cheap lands of the abandoned hillsides of ,new ,england4 ,wages for unskilled farm labor are about the same as for ,new ,york--twenty to twenty-five dollars per month4 ,the canning and fruit industries make room for a large number of people in the late summer and fall1 who may thus1 by taking a temporary place1 kind some permanent location where they may improve their health and fortunes4 ,delaware also offers unequalled opportunities to immigrants4 ,it is ideally situated on the ,atlantic ,ocean and the ,delaware ,bay1 and is penetrated by numerous creeks and rivers4 ,the railroad1 steam1 and electric facilities of the ,state are developing steadily year by year1 while every section of the ,state possesses easily navigable streams1 with vessels for carrying freight and passengers4 ,over fifteen millions of people live within a radius of three hundred miles2 the large majority reside in cities and towns and furnish the finest markets in the world4 ,within five hundred miles are more than one third of the people of all ,north ,america4 ,wilmington is a city of seventy-five thousand people1 is growing rapidly1 and is becoming a great manufacturing place4 ,these people may be reached in one day by the luscious fruits that grow in ,delaware1 and every one of them is perfectly happy when he gets a ,delaware peach4 ,many other ,delaware products are as good as the peaches4 ,as cattle and wheat raising developed in the great ,west1 ,delaware people thought that they were ruined4 ,they did not change at once1 but slowly discovered that the light lands are wonderfully productive of fruits and vegetables1 and that they pay much better than cattle and grain ever could4 ,but these new methods have not been adopted in all parts of the ,state1 so that land neglected and unprofitable is for sale4 ,the tides of immigration have swept westward and left ,delaware untouched4 ,men1 money1 and enterprise are needed4 ,there are few unoccupied or 'abandoned' farms in ,delaware4 ,the land is mostly held by descendants of the early settlers1 who form a species of landed aristocracy4 ,lately1 owing to the younger members of these families having become established in the newer states and on account of the death or incapacity of the older members left in possession1 there has been a marked tendency to sell off these farms4 ,however1 a large proportion of the farms in ,delaware are not for sale at any price4 ,some of them have been in the same family for generations1 and if put on the market would sell for from one to two hundred dollars per acre4 ,the soil is all the way from a heavy white oak clay1 which is too stiff and too sticky for most crops1 to very light sand4 ,the heaviest clay is made lighter and more porous1 and the lightest sand is readily made retentive of moisture and extremely productive1 by plowing in different kinds of crops as green manure1 such as cow peas1 soy beans1 the vetches1 etc42 crimson clover1 winter oats1 rye1 turnips1 and numerous other crops may be sown in ,august or later1 and produce a fine crop for turning under early in the spring4 ,crimson clover grows nearly all winter4 ,pure cold water is reached at from twenty to fifty feet by dug or driven wells4 ,the climate is good2 there are no cyclones4 ,there is some damp weather in winter1 but there are no malignant fevers1 and there is little or no malaria1 except in a few marshy places4 ,there are some mosquitoes and flies1 but they are not especially troublesome1 and there are no poisonous reptiles4 ,the population is mostly native1 five sixths white1 one sixth colored4 ,the white population is almost entirely of ,anglo ,saxon descent4 ,perfect titles may be secured1 but all titles everywhere should always be searched by a competent lawyer1 the usual fee for which is ten to twenty dollars4 ,farm hands receive from twenty to twenty-five dollars per month and board1 for a season of nine or ten months1 sometimes for the whole year4 ,day hands receive from seventy-five cents to two dollars per day and board themselves4 ,those who are tempted by the advertisements for fruitpickers should beware4 ,delaware1 like some other states1 allows fees to constables and to the squires--,justices of the ,peace they would be elsewhere--for arrests1 and it is a common practice to advertise for fruit pickers1 then arrest them as tramps when they come1 and the next day release them on condition that they will leave the county at once--and leave the trap open for the next comer4 ,delaware peaches have made fortunes for many1 but will make still greater fortunes in the future for the owners of the land4 ,pears1 plums1 grapes1 watermelons1 and cantaloupes thrive1 and find an ideal home1 and small fruits all flourish4 ,sweet potatoes yield bountifully and are of the finest quality4 ,asparagus and early white potatoes pay handsome profits4 ,tomatoes1 the great canning crop1 are grown by the thousands of acres4 ,the grasses and clovers grow in luxuriance1 and hence dairying and beef production are profitable4 ,poultry pays as well as anywhere else2 chickens often run on green clover all through the open winter4 ,the game consists of various species of ducks1 quails1 reed birds1 hares1 marsh rabbits1 and other small creatures4 ,shad1 trout1 herring1 crocus1 black bass1 pike1 white fish1 rock fish1 oysters1 clams1 crabs1 and terrapin are abundant in ,delaware waters4 ,the tax in the rural counties is generally sixty cents on the hundred dollars4 ,besides this there are taxes on business and a very light school tax4 ,there is no state tax1 yet the state makes large appropriations for the support of the public schools1 which are free to everybody4 ,maryland has established a ,state ,bureau of ,immigration in ,baltimore to give information to home seekers1 and advise them as to choice of location1 opportunities for getting started in agricultural production1 and aid them in any way consistent with a ,state ,bureau4 ,most of these facts are taken from such reports4 ,southern ,maryland and the eastern shore are especially adapted to gardening and trucking1 as well as fruit growing4 ,land is cheap and can be purchased in tracts of any size from an acre upwards1 at from ten to fifty dollars per acre4 ,farms from twenty acres to seven hundred acres and up are for sale in nearly every county in the state4 ,the removal of a large part of the negro population from the country to the cities has resulted in the partition of the large estates into smaller farms1 thus affording an opportunity for home seekers who are seeking cheap land amid congenial surroundings4 ,nearly all of these farms have buildings1 some in need of repair1 others in very good condition4 ,for those who wish to avoid the hard work of breaking woodlands1 the eastern and western shores offer abundant well-cultivated lands with buildings1 orchards1 and woods1 in the immediate vicinity of navigable rivers and railways1 on good roads at from twenty dollars per acre upwards4 ,that seems cheap4 ,for settlers who are accustomed to mountainous regions1 western ,maryland has land for sale at even cheaper rates4 ,there are many large tidal marshes in ,maryland1 as might be expected in a territory watered like this state4 ,they are of the richest soil to be found1 because the ,chesapeake ,bay is a great river valley1 receiving the drainage of a vast area of fertile land1 comprising nearly one third of ,new ,york and nearly all of the great agricultural states of ,pennsylvania1 ,maryland1 and ,virginia4 ,every year this drainage brings down a black sediment1 called oyster mud1 which is deposited on the marshlands and enriches the soil1 making it1 with proper cultivation1 of productivity like that of the rice and wheat fields of ,egypt4 ,these unreclaimed lands are used chiefly for grain4 ,proper drainage of small tracts of this land would bring unsurpassed and absolutely untouched fertility4 ,the ,chesapeake ,river valley is not so large as that of the ,nile or ,ganges1 but is of enough consequence to play an important part in human affairs and to support in comfort and prosperity a population as large as that of many famous states4 ,the eastern shore is uniformly level1 with good roads4 ,the proximity of the ocean and the bay greatly modifies the temperature4 ,it has a great trunk railway1 with connections along its entire length1 called the ,delaware ,division of the ,pennsylvania railroad1 which furnishes direct transportation to ,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1 and other northern cities4 ,on the eastern shore there are many thousand acres of land devoted to garden truck1 and the strawberry crop has of late years become of importance4 ,over one hundred carloads of strawberries are shipped daily during the season to the ,baltimore1 ,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1 and ,boston markets4 ,land properly cultivated will yield four thousand quarts of strawberries to an acre4 ,the canning of various fruits and vegetables has grown to be larger than that of any other state and is one of the most profitable of the industries of ,maryland4 ,the principal articles canned are peaches1 peas1 and tomatoes4 ,the tomato crop is also profitable to the grower4 ,the young plants are set out in the spring2 many do this with a machine1 but two persons can easily plant seven acres in a day by hand4 ,an acre will produce from six to eighteen tons of tomatoes1 according to the quality of the soil4 ,all such products bring better prices now in ,maryland markets than they did before canning was resorted to4 ,the ,maryland tin can is known wherever civilization reaches4 ,tobacco is extensively produced only in southern ,maryland1 although it can be raised in any section of the state4 ,in the neighborhood of the larger cities trucking and fruit growing are profitable1 combined with poultry raising1 often on farms of not more than five or ten acres4 ,many farmers devote part of their time successfully to bees1 and there is nowhere a better climate for flowers than that of ,maryland4 ,two ,english florists who have settled in ,baltimore ,county1 ten and thirteen miles northeast of the city1 daily send to all parts of the ,united ,states and even to ,canada many large boxes of beautiful roses1 carnations1 violets1 and other choice flowers4 ,both of these men began on a small scale and have prospered4 ,the farmer who has a couple of thousand dollars to pay cash for a small farm in ,maryland is assured of a good living4 ,but also a less favored settler1 if he has only from four to eight hundred dollars1 can have a good start in ,maryland1 and probably as good a chance for independence and prosperity as anywhere4 ,families of immigrants when traveling to the ,western1 ,northwestern1 and ,southern states of ,america have to spend from one hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars for railroad tickets from ,new ,york to their destination2 by going to these adjoining states they can save all that money1 and invest it in land4 ,the ,virginia ,department of ,agriculture and ,immigration also publishes information for the home seeker4 ,to most people the name ,virginia carries with it limitless vistas of tobacco fields covered with darkies plying the hoe1 or picking off the ubiquitous worm4 ,before the ,war this picture would have been a true one2 but since the awakening of the younger generation to a better understanding of her resources1 together with the withdrawal of large numbers of the colored people into industrial occupations1 no state offers more attractive inducements to the homecrofter than ,virginia4 ,in climate1 diversity of soils1 fruits1 forests1 water supply1 mineral deposits1 including mountain and valley1 she offers unsurpassed advantages4 ,truly did ,captain ,john ,smith1 the adventurous father of ,virginia1 suggest that ,heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man's habitation4 ,virginia lies between the extremes of heat and cold1 removed alike from the sultry1 protracted summers of the more southern states1 and the longer winters and devastating storm and cyclones of the ,north and ,northwest4 ,its limits north and south correspond to ,california and southern ,europe4 ,the climate is mild and healthful4 ,the winters are less severe than in the ,northern and ,northwestern states1 or even the western localities of the same latitude1 while the occasional periods of extreme heat in the summer are not more oppressive than in many portions of the ,north4 ,tidewater ,virginia1 or the ,coastal ,plain1 as it is sometimes called1 receives the name from the fact that the streams that penetrate it feel the ebb and flow of the tides from the ocean up to the head of navigation4 ,it consists chiefly of broad and level plains1 while a considerable portion1 nearest to the bay1 has shallow bays and estuaries1 and marshes that are in most instances reached only by the ocean tides4 ,these marshes abound with wild duck and sora4 ,tidewater is mainly an alluvial country4 ,the soil is chiefly light1 sandy loam1 underlaid with clay4 ,its principal productions are fruits and early vegetables1 which are raised in extensive market gardens1 and shipped in large quantities to ,northern cities4 ,the fertilizing minerals--gypsum1 marl1 and greensand--abound1 and their judicious use readily restores the lands when exhausted by improvident cultivation4 ,middle ,virginia is a wide1 undulating plain1 crossed by many rivers that have cut their channels to a considerable depth and are bordered by alluvial bottom lands that are very productive4 ,the soil consists of clays with a subsoil of disintegrated sandstone rocks1 and varies according to the nature of the rock from which it is formed4 ,the principal productions of middle ,virginia are corn1 wheat1 oats1 and tobacco4 ,the tobacco raised in this section and in ,piedmont1 known as the ,virginia ,leaf1 is the best grown and the best known in the ,united ,states4 ,in this section1 as in ,tidewater1 the low bottom lands formed by the sediment of the waters are exceptionally productive4 ,the ,piedmont section is diversified and surpassingly picturesque4 ,the soil is heavier than that of middle ,virginia1 the subsoil being of stiff and dark red clay4 ,on the slopes of the ,blue ,ridge grapes of delicious flavor grow luxuriantly4 ,these produce excellent wines1 and the clarets have a wide fame4 ,the pippin apples of this section are of unrivaled excellence4 ,the ,great ,valley1 as it is descriptively called1 is in the general configuration one continuous valley1 included between the two mountain chains that extend throughout the state2 it is one of the most abundantly watered regions on the face of the globe4 ,deep limestone beds form the floor of the ,great ,valley1 and from these beds the soil derives an exceeding fertility1 peculiarly adapted to the growth of grasses and grain1 and it bears the name of the garden spot of the state4 ,five trunk lines of railroads penetrate and intersect the state4 ,the lines of steamboats that ply the navigable streams of eastern ,virginia afford commercial communication for large sections of the state with the markets of this country and of ,europe4 ,norfolk and ,newport ,news maintain communication with the ,european markets by steamers and vessels1 while from these ports is also kept up an extensive commerce along the ,atlantic seaboard4 ,the seaports are nearer than is ,new ,york to the great centers of population1 and areas of production1 of the ,west and ,northwest4 ,market garden crops of every description can be grown4 ,the following result was obtained on a four-acre patch near ,norfolk3 ,the owner stated that in ,september he sowed spinach on four acres4 ,between ,christmas and the first of ,march following he cut and sold the spinach at the rate of one hundred barrels to the acre1 at a price ranging from two to seven dollars per barrel--an average of #d4ej per barrel4 ,early in ,march the four acres were set out to lettuce1 setting the plants in the open air with no protection whatever1 #age1jjj plants on the four acres4 ,he shipped #dej half-barrel baskets of lettuce to the acre1 at a price ranging from #b to #b4ge per basket4 ,early in ,april1 just before the lettuce was ready to ship1 he planted snap beans between the lettuce rows2 and today1 ,june #b;d1 these are the finest beans we have seen this season4 ,the last week in ,may he planted cantaloupes between the bean rows1 which1 when marketed in ,july1 will make four crops from the same land in one year's time4 ,the cantaloupes will be good for #bej crates to the acre1 and the price will run from #a to #a4ej per crate4 ,a careful investigation of these 'facts1 figures1 and features' will show that his gross sales will easily reach #bjjj per acre2 his net profits depend largely upon the man and the management2 but they surely should not be less than #ajjj clear1 clean profit to the acre4 ,this is for farming done all out of doors4 ,no hothouse or hotbed work--not a bit of it1 with no extra expense for hotbeds1 cold frames1 or hothouses4 ,intensive1 thorough tillage and care of the soil will probably pay as well here as at any point in the ,united ,states4 ,apples are the principal fruit crop of the state4 ,there is a yearly increasing number of trees4 ,in one of the valley counties a seventeen-year-old orchard of #aaej trees produced an apple crop as far back as #aije which brought the owner #aj1jjj1 another of fifty twenty-year-old trees brought #gjj4 ,mr4 ,h4 ,e4 ,vandeman1 one of the best-known horticulturists in the country1 says that there is not in all ,north ,america a better place to plant orchards than in ,virginia2 on account of its rich apple soil1 good flavor and keeping qualities of the fruit1 and nearness to the great markets of the ,east and ,europe4 ,the trees attain a fine size and live to a good old age1 and produce abundantly4 ,in ,patrick ,county there is a tree nine feet five inches around which has borne #aaj bushels of apples at a single crop2 other trees have borne even more4 ,one farmer in ,albemarle ,county has received more than #ae1jjj for a single crop of ,albemarle ,pippins grown on twenty acres of land4 ,this pippin is considered the most delicious apple in the world4 ,the fig1 pomegranate1 and other delicate fruits flourish in the ,tidewater region4 ,new ,england1 from ,maine to ,rhode ,island1 is suffering from one disease--lack of intelligent labor4 ,thirty years ago the sons and daughters who1 in the natural course of events1 would have stayed to cultivate the home acres1 left to form a part of the westward throng making for the level1 untouched prairies of ,illinois and ,iowa4 ,the old folks have died or become incapacitated4 ,new interests chain their children to adopted homes4 ,result1--unoccupied lands by the hundred thousand acres1 awaiting energy1 skill1 and faith4 ,ten dollars an acre is a common price for the rocky hills of ,new ,england4 ,the choice river bottoms1 and land near the larger cities is as high priced as similar land anywhere else4 ,intending settlers can buy small areas for little money2 usually the smallest farms have good buildings worth in many cases more than the price asked for the whole farm4 ,climatic conditions are not favorable to single cropping4 ,in the old days general farming1 grain1 beef1 sheep1 and hogs were the rule2 nowadays1 special crops1 dairying1 fruit growing1 etc4 ,tobacco is the great staple in the rich ,connecticut ,river bottoms1 and even on the uplands1 if properly manured1 it pays from one to three hundred dollars per acre4 ,tobacco can be raised on small areas far from the railroad1 as1 when properly cured and packed for shipment1 it is not perishable4 ,to many the worst feature of ,new ,england is the climate--long1 cold winters and short summers4 ,maine being farthest north suffers most in this respect1 but that does not prevent her producing hundreds of thousands of tons of sweet corn for canning and vast quantities of eggs and butter4 ,fruit does well on the lower coast2 a small orchard of peaches or plums will in three or four years from planting make a comfortable living4 ,bush fruits grow in abundance and give never-failing crops4 ,poultry is peculiarly successful on the rocky hills1 because they are nearly always dry or well drained4 ,dairying can be made to pay if near a creamery1 or where milk can be sold at retail4 ,the prospective settler here should bear in mind that wherever he goes1 the first year will produce little more than a kitchen garden2 the second enable him barely to pull through1 and the third give him a start at a permanent income4 ,in farming1 as in all other businesses1 only those will succeed who know what they want and how to get it2 who have selected with care the locality best suited to the special crops they intend to raise2 and after having once made a selection1 stick until they have compelled success4 ,the lure of the vast ,west and of the new ,south is not forgotten2 but the time has passed when the young man could go ,west to take a farm of ,uncle ,sam's4 ,desirable land is too expensive for the pioneer1 and the constant toil and comparative isolation of the prairie farm offers but a poor sort of liberty1 though it still affords a living4 ,but close to the growing towns in those states small plots of land can still be had to work with the same bright prospects that are offered near the great metropolis4 ,in nearly all the sections within the area of intensive cultivation1 timber is still plentiful enough to make it the cheapest building material2 and persons who really want to get to the land can contrive a sufficient shelter1 like a pioneer's1 for from two to five hundred dollars4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,clearing ,,the ,,land ,it is pretty good fun to hack at bushes and to chop trees down and then to chop them up4 ,if there is only a small part of the land to be cleared1 a man can easily learn skill with the ax and do it at odd times1 but he was a wise old man of whom his little girl said1 ,when grandpa wants anything1 that moment he wants it4 ,it is now that we need the land2 but even if it is covered with trees1 there is no cause for discouragement4 ,lumber is so high that the local or portable sawmill men will buy the timber by the acre4 ,they will cut the trees and haul the logs4 ,if you decide to cut a tree yourself1 a little inquiry will show for what purpose it will bring the highest price4 ,locust sticks1 for example1 four to six inches thick1 will bring in ,new ,york ten or fifteen cents a running foot for insulator pinions4 ,if a maple proves to be either curly or bird'seye 7this depending not on the variety1 but on the accidental undulations of the fiber71 it will be in demand for the manufacture of furniture4 ,sugar maples ten or fifteen feet high can be transplanted or sold4 ,nut and fruit trees will nearly always be worth keeping4 ,cedar sticks fourteen feet long will bring twenty cents in most places for hop and bean poles4 ,see what can be sold instead of burned1 and don't cut down recklessly2 an unsalable tree may be valuable as a windbreak or as shade for your house4 ,the wrong tree for shade is the dense foliaged1 low-branched tree which forms a solid dome from the ground up4 ,the right tree1 in the opinion of ,henry ,hicks 7in ,country ,life in ,america71 is the ,american elm1 which ought to be called the umbrella tree4 ,pliny speaks of the plane tree1 our sycamore or buttonwood1 as excellent1 because of the horizontal branches which1 like window blinds1 allow free passage of the breezes while intercepting the heat of the sun4 ,the ideal shade tree is a canopy like a parasol over the house1 with high1 leafy branches that do not shut off light and air from the windows4 ,this cools a house by keeping the sun off and cools the air by the rapid evaporation from its leaves1 and will make it ten to fifteen degrees cooler in summer4 ,it will be cheaper and more effective than a combination of awnings1 piazza1 and eaves4 ,woodman1 spare that tree4 ,stumps may be burned out ,to get a good draught1 bore a hole in a slanting direction far down among the roots4 ,the smoke goes through the hole first and then the flame1 boring the body to the roots deep enough to plow4 ,land can also be cleared by dynamite4 ,we condense from ,edith ,loring ,fullerton in ,farming1 on what has been done4 ,to go into the desolate1 uncultivated1 burned over waste lands near a great city and put ten acres under cultivation in the shortest possible space of time was our problem4 ,we undertook it at short notice in an uncertain season--the autumn--with the determination to get at least a portion of the land seeded down to winter rye before cold weather prohibited further work4 ,united to this problem was that of working a small farm to its utmost capacity rather than half cultivation of a large one1 which is difficult to handle from lack of time and labor and an unwise proposition for the ,east under the most favorable circumstances4 ,ten acres of scraggy-looking woodland was purchased1 sixty-eight miles from ,new ,york ,city on the north shore of ,long ,island4 ,the plot had a few second and third growth oak and chestnut trees and sprouts along the borders4 ,all else had been burned1 and the center of the acreage exhibited the mangled and blackened remains of a once thrifty woodland4 ,we proceeded to choose as our helpers native ,long ,islanders whom we were desirous of allowing to work4 ,we succeeded by strenuous efforts in getting together a gang of both colored and white men to the stupendous number of eight4 ,they fell to work with a right good will1 at first cutting down here and trimming up there as directed4 ,however1 after giving them a fair trial1 we decided that they must be replaced by ,italians4 ,the question of housing the eighteen ,italians soon came up4 ,tents might be adopted or even the unsanitary dugout be allowed to mar the landscape4 ,a shanty was entirely too ugly to suit our tastes1 and also expensive1 and useless when the men were through with it4 ,tents were too airy1 as we knew the work would continue until freezing weather1 and perhaps well into the winter4 ,we passed on the dugout4 ,the ideal was something that would be of use after the work of clearing was completed1 and for that purpose we decided upon condemned freight cars4 ,they cost but ten dollars each1 the railroad being glad to get rid of them4 ,we bought two1 ultimately using one for a chicken house and the other as a barn4 ,in the meantime it was decided to remove the stumps by dynamite1 as trying to yank them out by stump pullers or by mattock and plow was both slow and brutal4 ,the ordinary custom of allowing nature to work six years at the stumps and gradually eliminate them by decay was not to be thought of4 ,dynamiter ,kissam1 a ,long ,island expert1 arrived and set to work1 using fuses for small stumps up to two feet in diameter4 ,with the advent of the ,italians work began in earnest2 they cleared out every useless tree1 cutting cord wood where any could be obtained and burning the branches and charred trees as they went4 ,they also cleared out all underbrush thoroughly4 ,the dynamiter with his helper followed them up4 ,this is the most exciting and interesting part of clearing land by modern methods4 ,the dynamite is put up in half-pound sticks4 ,they are a little larger than an ordinary candle and are wrapped in heavy yellow paraffined paper4 ,one folded end of this paper is opened up and a hole made by a wooden skewer into the dynamite stick1 which is plastic and resembles graham bread in color and consistency4 ,for magneto-battery work where several charges are required1 a copper cap in which is a minute quantity of fulminate of mercury1 and which is exploded by a spark1 is attached to fine electric wires and sealed by sulphur4 ,this cap is placed in holes in the sticks of dynamite1 and then securely tied by drawing string tightly around the paper which is raised to admit the cap4 ,in preparing a charge for fuse ignition1 the cap is crimped to the end of a piece of mining fuse and this is inserted in the dynamite stick and securely fastened as previously described4 ,these prepared charges are placed in a basket and carried very tenderly to the stumps which have been prepared by the dynamiter's assistant4 ,all the work is handled very carefully1 for while there is not much danger of an accident unless fire is placed near the explosive1 nevertheless extreme caution is used at all times4 ,it requires a nature serene1 calm1 and deliberate4 ,deep oblique holes were then made with a round crowbar under the stump singled out for execution4 ,this hole should be as nearly horizontal as possible and directly under the stump so that all the explosive force may be expended on the wood and not on the earth between the dynamite and the stump4 ,the earth acts as a cushion and the natural tendency of dynamite to exert force downward is counteracted4 ,as soon as a small strip was blown1 the ,italians1 gathering up all the stumps1 roots1 and fragments1 removing any pieces that were loosened but not completely torn out1 and piling them at intervals1 immediately burned them4 ,this cannot be done when stumps are removed by any other method1 for by the digging process the earth must be picked and scraped from them and ultimately the stump hacked in pieces before it will burn4 ,by our method the stump is burned and the finest kind of unleached wood ashes--containing lime to sweeten and potash and phosphoric acid to furnish plant food--are spread upon the ground a few hours after the stumps are blown out4 ,these ashes would under other circumstances have to be purchased at a cost of perhaps two dollars a barrel1 and as five barrels at least to the acre are required for good fertilization1 these ashes gave us the first credit upon the books4 ,following the burners came the manure spreaders2 five carloads of manure had been purchased and was delivered before it was needed4 ,when the manure was spread upon the land 7one half carload to the acre71 the plow started its work smoothly and with none of the strain and jerk on man and beast usual in new land4 ,the soil was turned over with the greatest ease1 for the explosions had shivered and torn out even the smallest roots1 so the plow ran through the ground much more easily than in sod land4 ,our friable1 sandy loam1 with a light admixture of clay1 pulverized and aerated by the explosions1 was in market garden condition at once and without the year's loss of crops assured by old methods4 ,a tooth harrow was next run over the plowed section1 and gleaners followed the harrow1 picking up the fine roots as they were brought to the surface4 ,as piles of these fine roots grew1 they were burned and the ashes immediately spread upon the land4 ,the tooth harrow was run again across the rows1 the disk harrow following chopped and pulverized the earth into the finest possible condition4 ,thirty five and one half working days after ,larry and his gang arrived1 rye was drilled into three and one half acres4 ,the condemned freight cars were placed upon skids and drawn to the desired position over soaped planks4 ,they were raised from the ground to give good under ventilation4 ,the north and east sides are filled or banked up with sand which came out of the well4 ,this keeps out the cold winds1 and1 in the case of the chicken-house car1 allows the fowls a shaded shelter on hot summer days4 ,the chicken-house car was placed facing the southeast4 ,the western end has a large glazed sash placed on it1 and two in the southern side4 ,one half the car was partitioned off for roosting quarters1 while the other half serves as a laying and scratching house4 ,this farm keeps only a few chickens for family use4 ,the artesian well was started in ,october4 ,the well was1 naturally1 a necessity1 but there was much to be considered in regard to the method of pumping4 ,under ordinary circumstances a windmill would do1 and is generally a good auxiliary2 a ten-foot iron tower and a ten-foot fan wheel cost about fifty dollars1 but our farm is not to be allowed to be a failure for lack of water in a dry season4 ,in case of drought 7and every summer brings one of greater or less duration7 water must be on hand1 and as a drought usually is accompanied by windless weather1 the windmill could not be depended upon4 ,an engine was obviously necessary4 ,both gasoline and kerosene engines were closely investigated1 with the result that a kerosene oil engine was decided upon4 7,the new style of heavy oil engine is better and cheaper to run4 ,ed47 ,an advantage of the engine over a windmill is that it will furnish power for cutting wood1 grinding grain1 or lighting the buildings1 a two and one half horsepower engine running twenty-five #af c4p4 lights easily4 ,the rye was turned under green in the spring to furnish humus1 the greatest and only vital need of this particular spot of virgin soil4 ,since that was written an excellent and cheap stump puller has been introduced1 but the account of work is still typical4 ,dynamiting is still the modern way to clear land as well as to break up a stiff subsoil or hardpan1 so as to loosen the earth to let deep roots like trees or alfalfa go down and to secure drainage4 ,primitive ,american man regarded trees as lumber instead of as timber and still destroys countless millions in valuable wood as he clears the ground4 ,after it is cleared1 it is vital to keep it cleared of weeds1 which worse garroters of crops than trees4 ,to do that we don't need to bow to the ,earth1 nor to hammer her with a hand hoe4 ,the ,man with the ,hoe began to be a back number when ,arkwright invented the ark or the mule or whatever he did invent4 ,the man with the wheel hoe is the man that is ,it4 ,a wheel hoe costs from #f to #ab1 and will do the work of several men without breaking the heart or even the back of one of them4 ,it has as many attachments as a summer girl and is equally versatile4 ,it must be run between the rows as soon as the ground is dry after every rain1 so as to slay the weeds before they are born4 ,if you don't they will slay your profits1 if not yourself4 ,crops grown on that experimental farm are3 ,asparagus1 berries1 beans1 beets1 cabbage1 cauliflower1 celery1 carrots1 cucumbers1 corn1 eggplant1 endive1 fruit trees1 kale1 kohlrabi1 lettuce1 limes1 melons1 martynias1 onions1 okra1 parsley1 parsnips1 peas1 potatoes 7sweet and white71 pumpkins1 radishes1 rhubarb1 salsify1 squash1 tomatoes1 etc4 ,marketed strictly choice radishes ,may #ah1 peas ,june #aj1 lettuce ,june #ba1 beans ,june #bi1 beets ,july #h1 carrots ,july #aj1 cabbage ,july #aa4 ,surely a rapid result4 ,hemp is hardly worth your growing for itself under ordinary circumstances2 the returns per acre are not sufficient4 ,but ,charles ,richard ,dodge1 in one of the ,united ,states ,yearbooks of the ,department of ,agriculture1 says that as a weed killer it has practically no equal4 ,in proof of this1 a ,north ,river farmer stated that thistles heretofore had mastered him in a certain field1 but after sowing it with hemp not a thistle survived2 and while ridding the land of this pest1 the hemp yielded him nearly sixty dollars an acre1 where previously nothing valuable could be produced4 ,as it grows from ,minnesota to the ,mississippi ,delta1 its value for this purpose is considerable4 ,but there is a way easier and cheaper of clearing land than by blasting1 if we can afford to wait a little2 and ,mr4 ,george ,fayette ,thompson1 in ,bulletin ,no4 #bg1 ,bureau of ,animal ,industry1 tells us how1 giving some interesting facts about ,angora goats1 of which the following is a condensation3 ,to people taking up raw land1 particularly where there is a heavy undergrowth to be cleared away1 goats of some kind are an invaluable aid4 ,in its browsing qualities the common goat is as good as any1 but1 aside from the clearing of the land1 the profit in his keep is very little1 though some demand is growing up for goat's milk for infants and for some fancy cheeses4 ,a much better animal from the standpoint of profit1 while in use as a scavenger1 is the ,angora goat4 ,their long1 silky hair has been used for centuries in making blankets1 lap robes1 rugs1 carpets1 and particularly the cashmere shawls1 formerly a great luxury in this country4 ,much of the camel's hair dress goods is in reality made from the hair of the ,angora goat1 or mohair1 as it is called4 ,angora goats thrive best in high altitudes with dry climates4 ,they exist in greatest number in the ,united ,states in ,california1 ,new ,mexico1 and ,texas4 ,they have been used successfully in the ,willamette ,valley of ,oregon to eat the underbrush off the land1 doing for nothing that for which the farmers pay ,chinese laborers twenty-five to forty dollars per acre4 ,the cost of ,angora goats is about ten to thirty dollars each for does1 with bucks at fifty to two hundred dollars1 so that even with a small area of land to clear it would pay to buy a little flock for that purpose4 ,dr4 ,shandley1 of ,iowa1 says that two to three goats to the acre is sufficient for cleaning up land1 and that in two years the goats will eat all of the underbrush from woodland1 such as briers1 thistles1 scrub oak1 sumac1 and1 in fact1 any shrub undergrowth4 ,they need no other food than what they can secure from the woods themselves4 ,consequently1 the income from the sale of mohair is nearly net4 ,the more nearly thoroughbred the goats are1 the better the mohair and the higher the price4 ,the meat of the ,angora goat is superior to mutton1 although if sold in the market under the name of goat meat1 it commands only half the price of mutton4 ,as an example of the ,angora's utility in cleaning up land1 the ,country ,gentleman says3 ,mr4 ,landrum exhibited ten head at the ,oregon ,state ,fair4 ,in order to demonstrate their effectiveness as substitutes for grubbing1 he left them on three acres of brush4 ,at the end of the second year the land was mellow and ready for the plow4 ,it might be possible to build up a business in clearing lands for others by means of a herd of ,angoras4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,how ,,to ,,build ,if you find an abandoned farm on which the buildings are worth more than the whole price asked1 as frequently happens1 you are all right4 ,even if the buildings are somewhat dilapidated1 you can fix them up for a few dollars4 ,but in buying small plots of ground1 larger farms have to be broken up4 ,if you buy from the resident owner1 he may sell you five acres off his larger tract1 and keep his house to live in4 ,certain it is that if a farm of #ajj acres is subdivided into twenty five-acre farms1 at least nineteen new houses must be built1 although sometimes an old barn can be made into a fair residence4 ,if you can do no better1 it is possible to start by tenting4 ,an outfit large enough for a family of six would be about as follows3 #a wall tent with fly1 #aj ,x #ad1 for sleeping #a wall tent with fly1 #aj ,x #ad1 for dining #a old cook stove 7to be erected outdoors71 #b floors1 #aj ,x #ad1 at #e each ,brown tents1 at least for the sleeping rooms1 are best2 they last longer1 are cooler1 and do not attract the flies2 though indeed we need not have house flies if we keep the horse manure covered up--they are all bred in that4 ,if the tents are in the shade1 the cost of the cover or fly can be saved in the dining tent2 but it is necessary in the living tent1 because wet canvas will leak when touched on the inside4 ,to make the tent warm for the winter1 we must bank up to the edges of the platform with earth and cover the whole with another tent of the same shape1 but a foot larger in every dimension4 ,these are commonly used in ,montana4 ,it is to be presumed that no one would attempt moving in without household utensils1 which may be as simple or elaborate as you please4 ,if there is a sawmill in the vicinity1 a temporary shack for winter1 say #bb ,x #cj feet1 could be built for from #djj to #fjj1 depending on the interior finish4 ,partitions can be made very cheap by erecting panels covered with canvas1 burlap1 old carpet1 etc4 ,such a building does not need to be plastered1 but can be made warm enough by an inside covering of burlap1 heavy builders' paper1 or composition board4 ,tar paper laid over solid sheeting makes a roof that will last for two or three years4 ,for such a shack draw the plans yourself4 ,all you really need is a living room1 bedroom1 and kitchen4 ,a cheap and effective water supply can be gotten from a driven well1 which in most places costs about one dollar per foot4 ,have it where the kitchen is to be1 so that the water can be pumped into a barrel or other tank over the stove4 ,with a good range you can have as good a supply of hot and cold water as you had in the city4 ,if so fortunate as to find a piece of land with a good spring on it1 you can lay pipes and draw the water from that4 ,if you can get twelve or fifteen feet fall from the spring to the kitchen1 you don't need a pump at all4 ,for a toilet closet1 build a shed four feet wide1 six feet long1 and eight feet high4 ,use a movable pail or box4 ,lime slaked or unslaked or dry dust or ashes must be scattered every time the closet is used4 ,always clean before it shows signs of becoming offensive3 keep it covered fly tight and mix the contents with earth or litter1 and scatter on the garden4 ,a shack can be built of logs which will do for comfort and will look dignified4 ,horace ,l4 ,pike1 in ,country ,life in ,america1 says3 ,the lot on which we meant to build our log house stood thirty-five feet above the lake4 ,the problem was how to build a cabin roomy1 picturesque1 inexpensive1 and all on the ground4 ,the ground dimensions are thirty-two by thirty feet outside4 ,this gives a living room sixteen by fourteen2 bedrooms twelve by twelve1 twelve by ten1 and nine by seven2 kitchen eleven by nine2 a five-by four-foot corner for a pantry and refrigerator2 closet four by six1 front porch sixteen by six feet six inches1 and rear porch five by five--#gje square feet of inside floor space and #acj square feet of porch4 ,a dozen pine trees stand on the lot1 and maneuvering was required to set a cottage among them without the crime of cutting one4 ,the front received the salutes of a leaning oak1 the life of which was saved by the sacrifice of six inches from the porch eaves1 the trunk forming a newel post for the step railing4 ,we closed the contract immediately for #abj ,norway or red pine logs1 thirty feet long and eight by ten inches diameter at butts4 ,the price was low--one or two dollars their like should have brought4 ,we used1 however1 only eighty-one logs2 forty thirty-foot1 fourteen eighteen-foot1 thirteen sixteen-foot1 and fourteen fourteen-foot4 ,work was begun on ,april #bb4 ,two days sufficed for the owner and one man to clear and level the ground1 dig post holes1 set posts1 and square the foundation4 ,the soil was light sand with a clay hardpan three feet down4 ,twenty-seven days each were put in by two men from start to finish1 with assistance rendered by the owner4 ,there were seven days by the mason1 eight by carpenters1 and four teen and one half by other labor4 ,on ,june #d the cabin was ready for occupancy1 and the family moved in4 ,the prices1 as in most cases cited1 are higher to-day4 ,cheaper transportation or lower tariff may reduce them again4 ,making allowances for increased cost of logs and differences in any of the material cost1 this cabin can be duplicated for less than #gjj by any one who has the ground1 a few tools1 and some building ability4 ,it is compact1 convenient1 and more roomy than a superficial glance reveals1 and it can be occupied 7slight care is required7 from ,april to ,november with only the kitchen stove and the fireplace supplying the heat4 ,the same plan can be used for an all-frame structure1 perhaps at less cost4 ,it could be sheathed and slab covered in a locality where slabs1 edged to six or eight inches wide1 could be had2 or slabs could be used perpendicularly in the gable ends and on the outside of the rear extension4 ,we must not overlook the differences in cost of lumber and labor in different places1 sometimes more than doubling nor the fact that different contractors will vary often twenty-five per cent in their bids4 ,a mere cabin1 like a wooden tent1 #ab ,x #aj with a platform adjoining1 will accommodate one or even two persons and can be built by a contractor even at war prices for about fifty to one hundred dollars4 ,this will serve for tool house or storeroom when a more convenient residence can be afforded4 ,a number of such can be seen at ,free ,acres1 ,new ,jersey1 an hour from ,new ,york ,city on the ,d4 ,l4 ,w4 ,railroad4 ,thoughtful provision and planning will go far to reduce costs4 ,a stove pipe which should run up inside the house1 not outside1 so as to conserve heat and fuel1 serves as chimney and fireplace4 ,a ,franklin stove1 practically an open fireplace set out entirely inside the house1 is a practical device1 though it costs from #ah to #cj4 ,it gives a cheerful open fire to burn wood or coal and has a flat top to keep things hot1 a clutch oven of sheet iron1 and a bob can be attached to the front of the grate4 ,but remember that though you may have trees or fallen wood for the cutting it takes a lot of time to cut it4 ,a cylindrical self-feeding coal burner is most economical for heating and a lined sheet iron cooking stove for the kitchen4 ,a fireless cooker1 which retains the heat all day by means of soapstone or insulation and slowly cooks the food without losing the juices1 is an economical device4 ,it can be made at home by copying what you see in the stores or by getting directions from the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 ,don't forget double windows at least toward the north2 and on all windows have heavy holland shades which make an air space between the cold windowpanes and the atmosphere of the room4 ,portable houses sound attractive1 but they do not pay unless you will need to move them4 ,manifestly it costs more to make a house like a trunk than like a shed4 ,the houses shipped ready made of the ,aladdin type1 with all the parts ready marked to be nailed together by unskilled labor are a much better investment and are not shaky4 ,it is true that living is expensive in the train suburbs1 when almost all that is eaten comes from the city1 with freight and monopoly rates added4 ,but one can raise most of what the family eats1 and save besides in car fares and doctor's bills4 ,the rent1 perhaps a quarter of the income1 that was paid for a place so small that the cat had to jump on a chair when the baby sat down1 will be a clear gain4 ,mrs4 ,warrington's cottage at ,rose ,valley1 ,pennsylvania1 forms a very interesting subject1 and is built from designs of well-known architects of ,philadelphia1 who have taken up building small1 inexpensive modern houses in a practical manner4 ,the house is built with a stone foundation and a wooden superstructure with exterior walls covered with metal lath and cement stucco which is stained a cream color4 ,the trimmings are stained a soft brown and the sashes are painted white4 ,the roof is covered with shingles1 and is left to weather finish4 ,the front porch1 from which a vestibule leads into the house1 has a hooded cover formed by the main roof sweeping down sufficiently to form a protection4 ,the vestibule forms an entrance to both the living room and the kitchen2 the kitchen is at the front of the house1 allowing the main rooms and a private porch to be at the south side4 ,the interior throughout is trimmed with cypress and stained a soft brown4 ,the second floor joists are exposed to view and are stained in a similar manner1 while the ceiling space between the joists is plastered4 ,a broad archway separates the living and the dining rooms1 and while it forms a separation1 it does not preclude the possibility1 when desired1 of throwing the two rooms into one large apartment4 ,the large1 open fireplace is built of clinker brick1 and its facings extend from the floor to the ceiling2 it has a wooden shelf supported on corbeled brackets4 ,a semi-boxed stairway rises out of the living room to the second floor4 ,there are three bedrooms with good-sized closets1 and a bathroom on the second floor4 ,a cellar1 under the entire house1 has a cemented bottom1 and contains a laundry4 ,this house costs about #bjjj complete4 ,houses built of cement blocks are growing in favor4 ,cement blocks can be made anywhere by unskilled labor4 ,all that is needed is a competent foreman to direct the making and seasoning of the blocks and laying them in the walls4 ,the cost of concrete compared to frame or brick structures is1 if anything1 all things considered1 in favor of concrete4 ,houses built of wood are likely to become increasingly expensive because of the deforesting which is going on in all parts of the ,united ,states4 ,there are abundant books of plans and costs published1 showing what may be built1 and several responsible publishers recklessly offer to refund the cost of the plans if the expense of building the house exceeds their estimates4 ,there are also a number of manufacturers of ready-made portable houses1 running in cost from about three hundred dollars for four rooms1 upward4 ,some of these are adapted to all-the-year-round use and may be used where land is taken experimentally4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,back ,,to ,,the ,,land ,life1 to the average man1 means hard1 anxious work1 with disappointment at the end1 whereas it ought to mean plenty of time for books and talk4 ,there is something wrong about a system which condemns ninety-nine hundredths of the race to an existence as bare of intellectual activity and enjoyment as that of a horse1 and with the added anxiety concerning the next month's rent4 ,is there no escape8 ,through years of hard toil ,i suspected that there might be such an escape4 ,now1 having escaped1 ,i am sure of it1 so long as oatmeal is less expensive than ,hour1 so long as the fish and the cabbage grows1 ,i shall keep out of the slavery of modern city existence1 and live in ,god's sunshine4 7,hubert1 ,liberty and a ,living47 ,the wealthy class are taking up farming as a healthy and beautifying diversion1 and we may expect others to follow1 as it certainly promotes happiness and adds to the attractions of those who adopt it4 ,with the aids which science has given1 a farmer can now make good profits with less labor than was formerly necessary to get a bare living4 ,the amount that a single well-managed1 well-tilled acre will produce in a season is simply incredible4 ,this accounts for the increased demand for farming lands wherever they are to be had on reasonable terms4 ,the wage earners are learning this1 and it is only a question of a little time when manufacturing plants will have to be convenient to lands where the families of the hands can have a small tract of land to cultivate4 ,this requires good transportation facilities from the homes to the factories4 ,corporate operation has been a great aid to human progress4 ,organization is man's orderly way of following the ,divine ,plan for his economic salvation vet the far mer has profited less by organization than trades unions4 ,where farmers have organized to aid each other to buy and sell1 they have gained wonderfully1 but a beginning in this direction has but served to show how much more is needed4 ,to the individual farmer with large area and small means1 the improvements in machinery that cheapen his production are not at present available4 ,the discoveries in methods of fertilization of the soil only make it more difficult for him to earn a living in competition with those whose ample capital increases production by its use4 ,improvements in fruits and vegetation1 by hybridization and various methods that add wealth to those of means1 only add to the troubles of our present small farmers4 ,hitherto corporate operation has been mainly for the benefit of stockholders4 ,the cases where those whose labor creates dividends get more than wages have been rare4 ,a living wage has been the ambition of labor itself3 all profit beyond this is supposed to be the right of capital4 ,there is with some persons an unconscious reluctance to share profits with labor lest the laborers become independent1 and thus reduce their number to an extent to raise the labor market1 so that it is difficult to get fair consideration of any business proposition that promises better conditions for the producer or independence for the laborer4 ,this is undoubtedly short sighted1 as the higher intelligence of the people who have land increases production and gives enlarged opportunities for the profitable employment of money4 ,however1 if capitalists persist in this narrow view1 the money of the people when they learn and think1 can be applied to this purpose instead of being deposited in savings banks1 where much of it is used in increasing the wealth of those who already have abundance4 ,the idea of helping others to help themselves finds a responsive chord in the hearts of many wealthy people4 ,but the question is1 how can all be helped8 ,no business method by which this can be accomplished has1 as yet1 been practically demonstrated4 ,in no field does corporate operation promise more for the betterment of human conditions1 for a higher standard of morals and of education1 or great certainty of profit for capital1 than by systematically aiding men to obtain farms4 ,progress proceeds on the line of returns for expenditure4 ,when a man's economic condition permits1 his first thought is to give his children an education and a better chance in life than he had4 ,those who extol the simple life as the ideal condition of happiness do not mean that want and deprivation of necessities is the ideal condition4 ,if they did1 they would put their children in that condition to make them happy4 ,both extremes of wealth and of poverty are burdens and retard mental and moral progress4 ,the ideal condition is to be found on a farm where the land is paid for and ample means are at hand to supply the necessities for physical demands1 with leisure to learn and enjoy those pleasures of the mind which come with knowledge of ,nature's laws1 and wisdom to live in harmony with them1 and in a measure comprehend the purposes of creation4 ,mr4 ,g4 ,w4 ,smith1 founder of the ,hundred ,year ,club1 suggests that there is an opening in intensive farming for the benevolent but canny wealthy who are interested in the soil and want to combine philanthropy and percentage4 ,his plan is to get capital to secure land and all the necessary means1 give to each approved applicant perpetual leases of land for a small farm and a lot in a village site convenient thereto1 with a house merely sufficient for shelter1 requiring as a first payment sufficient to secure capital against loss in case the farmer forfeits his contract1 say #ajj4 ,let the company provide scientific supervision and conduct the operation mainly as though the farmers were employees1 all the necessaries to be charged to each with only sufficient profit to pay the expense and a fair interest on the capital employed4 ,through a purchasing and sales department all products should be sold in the best market and each farmer credited with the net result of his productions until the agreed sale price is received1 when title should pass in fee to the farmer1 who1 during the time1 has become scientific so far as that piece of land is concerned1 and in future can operate it with the advantages which progress has made4 ,a public building would be necessary for a storehouse1 in which rooms for meetings of various kinds should be provided1 also such shelter as might be necessary for assembling and storage of products for shipment4 ,the expense of public buildings and other utilities could be paid for out of the increased value that they bring to the land4 ,the company should have a nursery to provide fruit tree1 etc41 the growth of which1 with the increase of population would make the farms1 when paid for1 worth far more than their cost4 ,such opportunities as this1 opened to all1 would do away with the tramps who are now able to live on the charitable1 only because of the known difficulties of finding work4 ,the farmers should be utilized as far as possible in the purchasing and sales department1 and should divide into committees to try various experiments connected with their business1 that through their reports all may be benefited by the knowledge gained4 ,dairying and large orchards on land suitable and not of use in the general farming plan could be conducted by the community1 each farmer being a stockholder4 ,the labor performed on these cooperative undertakings should be paid for and charged to cost of production1 each one who performs a share of the labor participating in the profits as near as may be4 ,as money is received by the company from products1 it can be used in similar operations4 ,when the farms are paid for1 the farmers can continue the cooperative features that experience has proved useful and extend the business principle to other fields1 such as heating1 light1 and power by electricity1 machinery for preparing products for market1 drying1 canning1 etc41 as well as for the cultivation of the soil4 ,where the land is level the farms can be laid out on a general plan that will admit of the use of steam plows to reduce the cost of plowing1 save hard labor1 and reduce the number of work animals4 ,among the multitude of advantages the individual would have in these communities1 social1 educational1 and economic1 health and physical development appear as not the least4 ,the farm1 as it is1 still furnishes a horde of recruits for insane asylums2 its isolation and monotony of everyday life1 with its lack of social intercourse and educational advantages1 nearly counterbalance the strain and poverty of the cities4 ,but the greatest difficulty is the growing inability of the farmers' sons to secure land and the means to cultivate it when they arrive at a marriageable age4 ,those who have seen for threescore years the ever-increasing flow of boys and girls from the farms to the cities1 greater in proportion to the rural population than in any other age1 realize the necessity for aid in this direction4 ,while it is true that the farm has contributed largely to the numbers of our successful city men1 the fact remains that the mass of boys who come to the cities as well as the city born1 lack the faculty to grab or save1 and fail1 while the healthy girls swell the ranks of prostitution1 where an average of eight years lands them in a pauper's grave4 ,our soldiers1 as well as those of other countries1 are not up to former physical standards4 ,degeneracy1 disintegration is apparent in every direction4 ,the power of a nation depends on the physical and mental condition of the great mass of people1 and to leave the people in ignorance that they may be controlled by the intelligent few who understand their needs and may have their welfare at heart1 is a mistake that other nations than ,russia have made4 ,the law of the survival of the fittest has wiped out races and nations who have ignored this fundamental law1 that all men must progress together4 ,a race or civilization with such a basis of farmers as this plan would create would be enduring4 ,the nation or race1 like the individual1 must have intelligent organization and live in harmony with the laws of nature in order to survive4 ,opposition to them means destruction ,cooperation is constructive4 ,if we are to profit by this lesson1 it is necessary that we improve the conditions surrounding our lower classes4 ,that this is recognized by a large number of leading minds is proved by the efforts of the many who are engaged in educational and other social movements1 most of which result in little net good to the wage-earners4 ,obstacles to small farming near large cities are that farms of three to ten acres with buildings are not plentiful1 and that mortgage loans are hard to get in the ,east and loans to help in building are hardly to be had at all4 ,land is either held intact as large farms or is sold entire to speculators who hold it until it can be divided into city lots4 ,here1 it would seem1 is an opportunity for those who are interested in bettering the condition of their fellow men by wholesale1 and can invest large capital1 but little time1 in the work4 ,let them buy up land in large acreages and cut it up into small plots of from one to ten acres1 charging enough advance to return interest on the money invested and to meet the necessary expenses in such operation4 ,then make liberal building loans to buyers4 ,inquiries among real estate men show that they always have a larger demand for small acreage than they can meet1 so an immediate market with large profits would await those who are first in this field4 ,there is no use in blaming people for not leaving the cities to go to the farms2 they don't know enough to go1 they don't know enough to make a living if they do go1 and they don't know enough to enjoy it4 ,besides this1 they have not the capital4 ,we must teach them and help them4 ,george ,h4 ,maxwell's ,homecrofters' ,guild at ,watertown1 ,mass41 where boys are taught what to do with the earth and how to do it1 is worth whole shelves of books on ,the ,exodus to the ,cities or the ,prosperity of the ,settler4 ,it is reported that the state of ,texas offered six million acres of land for sale to settlers1 at one dollar per acre4 ,it has been suggested that it would be better that the states should rent out the land at four per cent of the sale price4 ,this would leave more money in the hands of settlers and enable many to get farms who cannot pay the price and have enough left to raise a crop4 ,in reality it would be better for the state to help farmers get a start rather than to tax them one dollar per acre to begin with4 ,however1 under our system of government1 we permit only those who have money to have land4 ,there can be no doubt that the state of ,texas and her people would be better off if the land were leased than to have it sold4 ,probably a tax on the value of the land instead of a rent would be the best for all the people1 especially as it would check speculation4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,the ,,coming ,,profession ,,for ,,boys ,in order that as little as possible may seem to be taken for granted or as mere expressions of the opinions of the author1 we cite the views of specialists as to the possibilities of this field1 so new in this country1 of intensive agriculture4 ,these will show that the conviction has become general that1 as workers1 as teachers1 and as discoverers1 there is no career more inviting or more lucrative or more dignified than that of the skillful foster-father of plants4 ,children brought up in city tenements tend to become vicious and sickly1 but if transported to country homes they may grow up strong and self-respecting men and women4 ,there are hundreds of applicants for every position in the cities1 and competition forces the pay down to the lowest level4 ,living expenses are heavier4 ,the risk to health from sedentary occupations1 long hours in ill-ventilated offices1 stores1 and workshops is serious4 ,there are few inducements to out-door exercise4 ,even if he lives at home1 the boy who is forced to the street or into the factory before he has the strength or education to do good work remains an unskilled worker all his life4 ,manufacturing is upon a larger and larger scale4 ,the division of labor is greater and greater4 ,not only does the gulf between capitalist and laborer widen1 but with it the gulf between skilled and unskilled labor4 7,what ,shall ,our ,boys ,do for a ,living8 ,charles ,f4 ,wingate47 ,it is the city that breeds or attracts most of the pauperism and crime4 ,the country has its own healthy life4 ,every one is born with some natural gift1 and it is a good thing to discover early in life what one's natural gifts are so that each may be educated in the direction suited to natural capacity4 ,how are you to treat a lad who has naturally an inclination for the work on the farm8 ,in the first place do not provide him with any spending money unless he earns it4 ,the prime thing necessary is to give the boy a personal interest in what is going on upon the farm4 ,give him a plot of land as his own1 let him understand that anything he may grow upon this land shall belong to him1 but do not give him this plot and say1 ,there1 take that2 do as you like with it1 he will wonder what to do with it4 ,he will need somebody to help him by teaching him what he is to do4 ,enter into a partnership with him at the start1 give him some instruction as to what it is best for him to do with his plot4 ,find out his inclinations2 give him sympathy and help4 ,bring out his natural aptitude for farming life1 teach him method in his work2 teach him to think his way out2 and1 best of all1 teach him to work for definite results2 that is what is wanted in any line of life1 especially in farm life4 ,let the work of the boy have a meaning and a purpose4 ,let him understand that certain results cannot be accomplished in any other way1 and give him chances to go outside and see what other people are doing4 ,let him see good scientific agriculture and be encouraged to pursue such methods4 ,provide for him the very best reading that can be found in agricultural journals and books4 ,let him have three or four years at an agricultural college4 ,all the influences there point to agriculture as the best calling for a young man who is fit for it1 whereas in other colleges the influences are all in the opposite direction4 ,at our agricultural colleges a youth has all the necessary advantages of general education1 and also an education in the lines fitting him especially for the calling he has selected4 7,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 ,bulletin #ach1 condensed47 ,among farmers and gardeners not enough thought is given to the whys and wherefores1 or cause and effect2 as a rule1 they go on year after year without profiting by the personal opportunity afforded them of observation1 or by the results of experiments at scientific stations4 ,with rare exceptions the young farmer and gardener takes up his work1 not from the scientific side1 but strictly from the labor side2 and he begins at the bottom1 meeting the same difficulties as did his father and too often not acquiring information beyond what his father possessed4 ,this should not be2 agriculture should be taught in all our public schools in country districts1 as it has been taught for years in ,germany and ,austria4 ,it should be elevated as an art2 in its higher estate it is already an art4 ,no pursuit possesses a greater scope for development2 the field is almost unoccupied by leaders1 scientific and practical4 7,burnett ,landreth1 in #iii ,queries and ,answers47 ,in accordance with these ideas1 the ,baron de ,hirsch ,agricultural ,school at ,woodbine1 ,new ,jersey1 is giving practical courses in agriculture to ,jewish boys1 on the principle of individual plots--all free where necessary4 ,the trustees of the ,state ,agricultural ,college of ,new ,jersey1 at ,new ,brunswick1 have established winter courses in agriculture1 open to all residents of ,new ,jersey over sixteen years of age4 ,courses will be for twelve weeks1 and only a small entrance fee is required2 few books will be needed4 ,other states are doing likewise2 all will need many teachers and experimenters4 ,at present all who know anything about intensive agriculture are snapped up by the numerous government experiment stations at good salaries4 ,the land like that of the ,rockefellers1 the ,paynes1 the ,cuttings1 on which farming is carried on by unnecessarily expensive methods1 needs the services of trained agriculturists and professional foresters4 ,the ,division of ,forestry at the start employed eleven persons1 but now it has in the field as many hundreds of employees1 including a lot of trained foresters4 ,the railroads also see the profit in teaching farming1 and are devoting more and more money to experiments and lectures to show the farmers that they can get more and better crops with the same effort by intelligent selection of seeds4 ,the ,chicago1 ,burlington1 and ,quincy ,railway ,company ran its first ,seed and ,soil ,special over the entire system in the winter of #aijd-aije1 and has lectured to hundreds of thousands of farmers since4 ,they report to us that there is no doubt that the lectures did a great deal of good1 and necessarily the larger increase of crops which followed is due to the scientific methods of farming expounded by the various professors4 ,the late ,president ,james ,j4 ,hill wrote much about the small farms' large yields4 ,the hundreds of thousands of war gardens unskillfully conducted and glutting the local markets with crops all matured at about the same local time will unreasonably disgust many with intensive cultivation1 especially those who work but do not think4 ,the remedy is more instruction4 ,the effect the agricultural colleges and experiment stations is plain to the eye in the better appearance of farms as we near the centers of instruction4 ,some years ago a clergyman published a book upon the ,adirondacks2 it was full of poetry1 and he sent men up there who afterwards became known as ,murray's ,fools4 ,they knew nothing about the life and had no suitability and little preparation for it4 ,we do not wish to bring out a crop of ,three ,acres and ,liberty ,fools4 ,we are telling what has been done and what can be done again4 ,it does not follow that every man can or will do it1 much less teach it or advance the art1 but the field is a large one and holds out great promise to those who persevere and excel in it4 ,if any one thinks that the profit of the earth will come to the cultivator without very intelligent and steady work1 he is mistaken4 ,no owner of land1 unless others require it to live upon1 can make money by neglecting it4 ,says ,maxwell's ,talisman3 ,the greatest good that can be done to the ,american farmer to-day is to teach him to make the greatest possible profit from the smallest tract of land from which a family can be supported in comfort4 ,a great influence operating to-day against keeping the boys in the country is that the boy does not have money enough to buy a farm4 ,it is unfortunately true that in some places there is a trend in the direction of absorbing farms into still larger farms with a consequent diminution of population1 as in ,iowa and other sections4 ,the remedy for this is to demonstrate that if the value is in the boy rather than in the farm1 and the boy is taught intensive1 diversified1 scientific farming1 a good living with a surplus profit that will provide amply for old age1 may be made from a comparatively small tract of land4 ,the tract may be1 say1 ten acres1 with ample cultivation1 irrigation1 and fertilization1 or even without irrigation because a hoe and a cultivator in the hands of a scientific farmer may bring as good and better results in providing moisture for growing plants as can be had from a ditch and unlimited water in the hands of an ignorant farmer4 ,the field of discovery is always limitless1 and it is to those boys or girls who devote their attention to this that the greatest return will come4 ,what a fine thing it would be to find even one plant free from rust in the midst of a rusted field4 ,it would mean a rust-resistant plant4 ,its off-spring would probably be also rust resistant4 ,if you should ever find such a plant1 be sure to save its seed and plant in a plot by itself4 ,the next year again save seed from those plants least rusted4 ,possibly you can develop a rust proof race of wheat6 ,keep your eyes open4 7,agriculture for ,beginners1 by ,burkett1 ,stevens1 and ,hill1 pages #gf-gh47 ,so you may pluck gain out of loss4 ,if you want to do experiments1 the influence of ether on plants is one new and wonderful field4 ,it seems to induce artificial rest1 so that lilacs1 for instance1 can be made to bloom twice by a treatment1 the last time near ,christmas4 ,e4 ,v4 ,wilcox says in ,farming that in #ahii a small quantity of durum or macaroni wheat was introduced into this country for trial4 ,it was found profitable in localities where there was too little rain for ordinary wheat4 ,six years later1 #bj1jjj1jjj bushels per year of the wheat was grown in the ,united ,states4 ,its production has increased greatly every season and has added materially to the total of the wheat crop44 ,thorough fall cultivation has been found to increase the yield1 and in some parts of the wheat belt one in five of the farmers has already adopted the practice4 ,in certain states where manuring has been thought unnecessary1 experiments have demonstrated that the yield may be increased #fj per cent by this simple practice4 ,the wheat production of ,nebraska was increased more than #aj1jjj1jjj bushels by the introduction of a hardy strain of ,turkey red wheat4 ,swedish select oats in ,wisconsin have greatly augmented the oat yield of the state4 ,in #ahii six pounds of the seed was brought to the state and from this small beginning a crop of #i1jjj1jjj bushels was harvested five years later4 ,mr4 ,gideon1 of ,minnesota1 planted many apple seeds1 and from them all raised one tree that was very fruitful1 finely flavored1 and able to withstand the cold ,minnesota winter4 ,this tree he multiplied by grafts and named it the ,wealthy apple4 ,it is said that in this one apple he benefited the world to the value of more than one million dollars4 ,you must not let any valuable bud or seed variant be lost4 7,agriculture for ,beginners1 page #fa47 ,this fact ought to be very helpful to us next year when planting corn4 ,we should plant seed secured only from stalks that produced the most corn4 ,if we follow this plan year by year1 each acre of land will be made to produce more kernels and hence a larger crop of corn1 and yet no more expense will be required to raise the crop4 7,same1 page #ga47 ,the ,world's ,work tells how the country got a new industry4 ,mr4 ,george ,gibbs1 of ,clearbrook1 ,wash41 has made his stake by growing tulip and hyacinth bulbs4 ,he had a little place on ,orcas ,island1 in ,puget ,sound4 ,he did not know anything about growing flowers1 but he did know that certain varieties of bulbs brought good prices in the ,east4 ,he was observant enough to see that the moist1 warm1 climate and rich soil of the ,puget ,sound country were peculiarly favorable to flowers4 ,he had bad luck with his bulbs2 that only meant that he still had something to learn4 ,he kept his nerve even when he went bankrupt4 ,his friends told him he was wasting time1 but they could not shake his faith4 ,in twelve years he found that he was right4 ,his wonderful gardens were making him rich4 ,other men have gone into the business1 but he was first and has kept his lead4 ,he has made the ,puget ,sound country the greatest rival of ,holland in the sale of flowering bulbs4 ,quantities of wild herbs1 fruits1 and roots that no one eats are good2 the ,jesuits had a list of over two hundred kinds that the ,indians ate1 but it was lost4 ,some one can do a great service by making it up again by research and experiment4 ,thousands more of the wild things must be good for dyes1 fabrics1 and fodder4 ,fame like ,burbank's and fortune awaits the one who is a good self-advertiser and can find the use of the poetic daisies1 goldenrod1 and thistle1 the all-pervading pusley1 and such other vegetable vermin4 ,an interesting experiment is conducted in growing tea with colored child labor1 at ,tea1 ,south ,carolina1 by the aid of education and machinery and the cooperation of the ,agricultural ,department at ,washington1 who will furnish particulars4 ,whatever may be its outcome1 this will give an opening to some intelligent cultivators1 and it points the way to other fields4 ,those who are first in raising new or improved plants find a waiting market for them4 ,the ,market ,growers ,gazette1 of ,london1 ,england1 reports that ,mr4 ,a4 ,findlay1 ,mairsland1 ,auchtermuchty1 ,scotland1 sold one season to five leading growers whose names are given five seed potatoes at ,l #bj each 7which would be1 perhaps1 #ejj a peck74 ,he says enthusiastically3 ,it is as perfectly round-shaped a potato as can be imagined4 ,there is a slight dash of pink on the outer rim of the eye4 ,my stock of it is very small1 only #abf lb4 and ,i do not care to sell any4 ,if next year's crop yields as well as this year's1 we shall have twenty times that quantity4 ,mr4 ,findlay has other seed potatoes1 just as high priced1 for which he wants #abe per lb41 which1 he says1 means that ,i do not want to sell any4 ,this shows what progressive people think of the real value of good seed4 ,it is worth mentioning that ,the land on which these are grown is not highly manured2 the only artificial manure that it has received is about #bjj lb4 of potash per acre4 ,it has the drawback of being rather stony4 ,of course this is a fad2 it is doubtful if it will pay any one to give such prices for seed except to sell to some bigger fool than himself4 ,of course1 also1 the market for a particular fancy thing may soon be overstocked1 but it seems to be a nice thing for the ,findlays meanwhile1 and it does good in teaching people to appreciate good things4 ,yet the average potato patcher prudently saves his small potatoes for next year's seed1 which is just as if a breeder were to keep the colts that were too poor to sell1 to be the parents of his herd4 ,in the dark ages of farming--to wit1 in #ahha1 for this is a true story--a minister of the ,gospel came into possession1 by inheritance1 of a fifteen-acre farm a short way from ,philadelphia4 ,he found the soil a reddish1 somewhat gravelly clay1 and so worn out from years of cropping that it did not support two cows and a horse4 ,city born and bred1 he was encumbered with no knowledge of agriculture which had to be unlearned4 ,he began a careful and systematic study of the agricultural literature1 and ultimately developed a novel system of dairy farming to which he adhered religiously4 ,the farm ,iying near the city is high-priced land2 for this reason1 and because of the limited acreage1 the cows were kept in the barn the year round4 ,for six years his bill for veterinary services was #a4ej1 while the income from the milk of his seventeen cows was about #bdjj a year4 ,in addition1 from four to six head of young cattle were sold annually1 netting about #ejj a year4 ,as the stock on the farm was stall fed every particle of plant food contained in the stable manure1 liquid as well as solid1 was utilized4 ,no fertilizer was ever purchased4 ,yet all of the roughage for thirty head of stock was raised on the thirteen acres of available soil4 ,only #fbe a year was expended for concentrated feeding stuffs4 ,the net earnings of the farm for the period averaged more than #ajjj a year4 ,and this was during the early days of his experience2 later he made more4 ,professor ,w4 ,j4 ,spillman1 of the ,agricultural ,department1 visited him in #aijc1 and studied the methods employed4 ,then1 he says1 the rush to see the farm became so great that the owner had to give it up4 ,few people who know nothing about it1 and won't learn1 can take even three acres and make anything off it4 ,to get the phenomenal yields takes capital--sometimes large capital1 wisely spent4 ,sometimes we read of immense products per acre2 this often means the product of a single rod of ground1 this gives at the rate of so much per acre1 or might1 if extended4 ,but any one can take a little bit of ground and use it thoroughly and increase his borders and his knowledge as he goes on4 ,he will find plenty to pay him for doing or teaching whatever he has learned to do that no one else has done ,if a man make but a mousetrap better than his fellows1 though he makes his tent in the wilderness1 the world will beat a path to his door4 ,the mission of this book is accomplished if it interests you to consider the possibilities of making a living on a few acres and leads you to investigate4 ,it is not written as a textbook1 for1 as has been shown1 there are authorities enough cited to supply all the technical information needed4 ,its sole object is to show what has been done and what can be done on small areas and to show that life in the country need not be so laborious if the same methods are used which make successes of business in other lines4 ,if it does this and is the means of checking in any degree the reckless trend of people from the country to the cities1 the author will feel that his efforts have been well repaid4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,wood ,,lot ,if you have a bit of woods on your little farm1 take care of it4 ,by intelligent thinning you can make an average income of five dollars per acre from ordinary second growth wild woods4 ,the cord wood1 barrel hoops1 fence posts1 and so on will decrease your expenses1 while the timber will increase in value4 ,that lot is the place to start your boy as a forester4 ,instructions how to treat the trees can be obtained from your ,state ,forestry ,department or from the ,national ,forest ,service at ,washington3 the care of growing timber is a big subject and requires study1 but don't sell your standing timber without their advice4 ,forestry can hardly be made to pay on a small lot with hired labor or hired teams1 and you must not pay much for your wood lot1 else interest and taxes will eat up the returns4 ,to be of high quality1 timber must be1 to a considerable proportion of its height1 free of limbs1 which are the cause of knots2 it must be tall2 and it must not decrease rapidly in diameter from the butt to the top of the last log4 ,in a dense stand of timber there is very great competition for sunlight among the individual trees1 with the result that height growth is increased4 ,trees in crowded stands are taller than those in uncrowded stands of the same age4 ,when the trees are crowded so that sunlight does not reach the lower branches1 these soon die and become brittle they then fall off or are broken off by the wind1 snow1 or other agencies4 ,by this process trunks are formed which are free from limbs1 and hence of high quality4 ,it is evident1 therefore1 that trees in the wood lot should be so crowded that the crown or top of each individual tree may be in contact with those of its nearest neighbors4 ,a crowded stand of trees produces not only a larger number but also a greater proportion of high quality sawlogs than an uncrowded stand4 ,so vital a matter is their forest shade that it does not do to set out young trees which have grown in the forest4 ,ordinarily1 the exposure to the sunlight stunts them and often kills them4 ,nursery trees are best2 the next best are trees that have grown at the edge of the woods4 ,the actual value of woodland as pasture is small4 ,one dollar per acre per year is probably a liberal estimate of the value of its forage4 ,thrifty fully stocked stands of timber will grow at the rate of #bej or more board feet of lumber per year4 ,adopting only #bej board feet as the growth and assuming the value of the standing timber to be from #e to #h per #ajjj feet board measure1 the value of the timber growth is from #a4be to #b per acre per year4 ,if the timber is given good care1 moreover1 the growth should be as much as #ejj board feet per acre per year4 ,the larger value of the wood lot for growing timber1 as compared to the value of its forage only1 is therefore apparent4 ,it must not be thought possible to secure this growth of timber and utilize the wood lot for pasture at the same time1 because the stock eat the seedlings and damage the trees4 ,if shade1 however1 rather than forage is the wood lot's chief value to stock1 it can doubtless be provided by allowing the stock to range in only a portion of the lot4 ,the remainder can more profitably be devoted to the production of wood4 ,owners are doubtless in some instances indifferent about fires in their wood lots1 because they do not realize that these may do great harm without giving striking evidence of the fact4 ,they burn the fallen leaves and accumulated litter of several years1 thus destroying the material with which trees enrich their own soil4 ,the soil becomes exposed1 evaporation is greater1 and more of the rain and melted snow runs off the surface4 ,the roots may also be exposed and burned4 ,the vitality of the trees is weakened and their rate of growth decreased4 ,don't burn leaves or waste growth3 it is dangerous and they are valuable for mulch and for manure4 ,it has been found in the prairie region that through the protection afforded by the most efficient grove windbreaks1 the yield in farm crops is increased to the extent of a crop as large as could be grown on a strip three times as wide as the height of the trees4 ,at present the following states maintain nurseries and distribute young trees either free or practically at cost to planters within the state3 ,maine1 ,new ,hampshire1 ,vermont1 ,new ,york1 ,maryland1 ,pennsylvania1 ,ohio1 ,michigan1 ,north ,dakota1 and ,kansas4 ,the names of nurseries which handle stock of certain trees and their quoted prices for all the more important species can be secured from the ,forest ,service1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,whether your wood lot pays a profit or not1 like the profit from the rest of your land1 depends largely on how it is taxed4 ,the higher it is taxed the harder it is to make it pay4 ,in most states timberland is assessed on the basis of its value1 timber and land together4 ,woodland assessed on this basis is overtaxed as compared with land assessed on the basis of what it produces each year4 ,the value of plowland for farm purposes is established by what it will earn4 ,if the owner can make #aj an acre a year over all expenses by growing say wheat1 corn1 cotton or alfalfa on it1 his land will have a value of perhaps #aej an acre4 ,if it took two years to grow a crop1 the land would be worth only half as much4 ,its owner in that case would kick vigorously if he could not get his assessment lowered4 ,he would kick still more vigorously if he had to pay a tax also on the value of the standing crop1 after having to pay too much on the land4 ,the ,lord loveth a cheerful kicker4 ,with woodland the case is still worse4 ,each year the owner may have to pay a tax on the merchantable crops of many past years4 ,it is as though the owner of plowland had to pay a tax on the value of his field crops twice a week throughout the growing season4 ,when a full-grown tree is cut down or burned up in a forest fire1 it may have been taxed #dj or #ej times over4 ,each year the land on which it grew has been valued not on the basis of its earning power1 but on the basis of what it would bring if sold1 timber and all4 ,a tax levied on the income-earning value of the land would be much more equitable4 ,certain states have applied this principle by legislation under which land to be used for growing timber can be classified so that the timber can be taxed separately from the land4 ,the land there is taxed annually on its value1 without timber4 ,the tax on the timber is not paid until the crop is harvested4 ,it is therefore a tax on the yield4 ,in ,new ,york this yield tax is #e per cent of the value of the crop harvested2 ,michigan #e per cent of it2 ,massachusetts #f per cent2 and ,vermont1 ,connecticut1 and ,pennsylvania #aj per cent1 with different provisions for forests already established4 ,such a method is much better than that adopted by a number of states which exempt1 under certain conditions1 reforested or reforesting lands for a term of years1 or allow rebates or bounties on such lands4 ,the profit of a growing forest crop will depend largely on relief from excessive taxation4 ,it is unthrifty public policy to discourage putting waste land to work4 7,the ,farm ,woodlot ,problem1 by ,herbert ,a4 ,smith1 ,editor ,forest ,service--from ,yearbook of ,department of ,agriculture for #aiad47 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,some ,,practical ,,experiments ,the ,department of ,agriculture at ,washington1 also ,cornell ,university and various other schools publish special studies and monographs of different branches4 ,for some a small charge is made1 but they are mostly distributed free4 ,many of them are very valuable4 ,the ,united ,states ,department's pamphlet on the ,diseases of the ,violet is a notable example4 ,the average person does not know how these can be obtained or even that they exist4 ,the ,department's ,year ,books are most interesting reading1 and both its ,professors and the state colleges will answer particular questions of citizens4 ,these and the various ,united ,states and ,state ,experiment ,station publications will serve instead of most books 7except this one71 if properly filed1 indexed1 and crossindexed so that you can readily turn to all the information on a given subject--on bugs1 for instance1 before the insects have harvested your crop4 ,i am trying only to suggest things1 not to advise1 nor to induce my readers to try to do anything that they don't like or have no capacity for4 ,it is difficult to make people understand that4 ,one reader of this book1 a dear creature1 wrote her experience for a ,crafts magazine4 ,she got the acres1 built her house1 and raised one fine crop of--swans8 nuts grafted on wild trees8 partridge berries8 ,no--three tons of hay6 ,she called it ,three ,acres and ,starving2 ,i called it ,three ,acres and ,stupidity4 ,she didn't eat the hay1 and the ,editor wouldn't publish my reply4 ,everybody raises hay and potatoes2 so don't you raise any unless for your own use4 ,potatoes are a laborious crop1 requiring constant care1 manuring1 cutting the seed eyes 7on which there is much uncertain lore71 hilling up or down according to drainage and rainfall1 spraying with ,pyrox or dusting with ,paris green1 and1 neither least nor last1 bug hunting4 ,the seed is expensive1 but for your own use you may plant from whatever seed1 otherwise wasted1 may grow on the potato vine1 on the tops of the plants4 ,the crop will be small potatoes and all kinds of varieties1 which won't sell in the market but which make each dinner a surprise party4 ,you may strike a new and improved strain1 though there are over a thousand varieties of potato listed already4 ,new creations of merit bring good returns1 and 'tis the enterprising experimenter that reaps the honor and the harvest1 and he is worthy of his reward4 ,to select the most productive plants and breed again from these is1 however1 a more promising profit plan4 ,even then don't plant the tubers unless you will take the pains to soak the seed potatoes in scab preventer4 ,if you won't1 likely you will raise mostly scab1 and the spores thereof will spoil your ground for potatoes for years4 ,it costs little in money to make it--half a pint of formalin to fifteen gallons of water4 ,not guessed but measured gallons4 ,then soak for an hour and a half by the ,ingersoll4 ,don't reckon that one little hour or a few will do just as well4 ,with one hour they will be under-done and spotty1 with three over-done and weakly4 ,there is lots to be discovered yet about the spuds4 ,sawdust is an excellent mulch for them1 as for small fruits4 ,when you store any seeds to plant1 put carbolic moth balls with them4 ,it checks insects and mice and helps to protect the planted seeds from birds4 ,in a general way1 with potatoes and with other things that you want good and plenty1 get specific directions and follow them4 ,most people won't read directions2 more can't follow them4 ,those people have their knives out for book farmers and professors1 but you can't improve on experience and experiment by the light of laziness or of nature4 ,a delicate jelly is made out of the red outer pulp of rose berries4 ,it would be romantic to develop a ,rose fruit from those seed pods1 as the peach was developed from the almond4 ,we have invented stranger fruits than that1 such as the ,logan-berry and the pomato4 ,but there is better chance for profit in doing the old things better1 especially when the experiment costs little or nothing4 ,you can have a strawberry garden on your roof or even on a balcony4 ,this need not be costly4 ,clinch all the nails on the inside of a stout barrel4 ,bore half a dozen two-inch holes in the bottom1 or put in a layer of stones1 for drainage4 ,bore a row of eight holes about eight inches from the bottom of the barrel and about eight inches apart4 ,eight inches above this bore a second row of holes staggered1 and a third eight inches above those4 ,pile several old tomato cans with perforated bottoms one on the other in the center of the barrel3 these should be the height of the barrel and placed upright in its middle4 ,this is the conductor down which water should be poured at intervals before the soil gets quite dry4 ,fill the barrel with soil made of one half loam and one half well-rotted manure4 ,be sure the manure is not fresh4 ,a little bone meal is a good addition4 ,now plant the first row of strawberry plants 7ever-bearing are best1 though they don't ever-bear74 ,put each plant inside1 spread the roots1 and pull the leaves of each out through one of the holes4 ,press the soil down firmly around each root4 ,repeat the process for the other two rows2 fill the barrel and set say six plants on the top4 ,that will give you thirty plants1 which should grow ten to twenty-five quarts of fine berries1 or more4 ,the illustration makes the holes twelve inches apart--for big leafy plants4 ,if there are any more1 those will be you4 ,anyhow1 you will know a lot about strawberries at the end of the season4 ,other things can be grown in the same way4 ,better than growing vegetables1 or where dry land can't be obtained1 is to raise some crop like water cress that usually comes from a distance4 ,often an otherwise poor season will help a specialty4 ,one year wet weather jumped the price of mint and it sold at double prices4 ,hot1 dry weather is required to make it produce its best4 ,most of the mint produced in this country for peppermint oil is grown in ,michigan4 ,more than #djjj acres are reported from a single county4 ,mint oil is worth about #c4ej a pound and costs about a dollar to produce4 ,nice bright dried leaves sell for about #ae cent a pound4 ,the production of mint is sometimes as high as fifty pounds of oil to the acre4 ,the bulk of it is grown on marshlands1 which a few years ago were nowhere worth more than a few dollars an acre4 ,the mint is sent to the manufacturers1 where it is purified and made into flavoring extract or used in chewing gum1 etc4 ,why should we1 with our infinite variety of climates1 soils1 and labor1 import from ,england the coarser varieties of seeds of the cabbage family1 savoy1 ,brussels sprouts1 kohlrabi1 or kale8 ,we owe ,england enough already for the seed of ,liberty we got from her4 ,california now supplies some seed for onions1 carrots1 parsnips1 and a few others4 ,the finest cauliflower comes mostly from ,denmark now4 ,turnip seed1 too1 mangel-wurzel and swedes1 onion1 pea1 bean1 carrot1 parsnip1 radish1 and beet seeds could be grown here by the same skill1 care1 and training as they are grown abroad4 ,an interesting method of forcing plants by the use of hot water baths is described in ,la ,nature 7,paris71 by ,henri ,coupin4 ,the process is much simpler than others now in use and may be employed by any one who has a small greenhouse1 no expert treatment being necessary4 ,says ,mr4 ,coupin3 ,most trees in our countries undergo a period of rest1 during which all growth appears to be suspended4 ,branches do not enlarge and the buds on them remain as they are4 ,they do not arouse from their torpor until spring1 first1 because they then find the conditions necessary for their development1 and again1 because1 during the period of rest1 chemical changes have taken place in them4 ,these are indispensable1 because if they did not occur1 the trees1 even in the most favorable conditions1 would not open their buds4 ,for example1 plant branches that have quite recently dropped their leaves1 in a warm greenhouse4 ,they will not bud2 but make the same experiment at the end of several months and the buds will appear4 ,there are several ways of shortening this period of rest1 some of which are rather odd4 ,the best known is the process of etherification1 which has been so much discussed recently1 and which consists in placing the plants to be forced in the vapor of ether or chloroform for twenty-four to forty-eight hours4 ,afterwards when placed in a hothouse1 the branches begin to develop almost immediately4 ,a very ingenious botanist1 ,hans ,molisch1 professor in the ,university of ,prague1 has devised a method of forcing1 simpler still and quite as effective4 ,it consists in plunging the branches into warm water during a time that varies with the species4 ,the best method is to plunge the plants in a reservoir of warm water1 head downward1 without moistening the roots1 which would injure them4 ,after a certain time1 the plants are withdrawn1 turned right side up with care1 and placed in a greenhouse1 where they develop at once4 ,the duration of the warm bath should be nine to twelve hours at most4 ,the best temperature is #cj degree to #ce degree #hf degree to #ie degree ,f 4 4 4 ,that is to say1 in the majority of cases1 one may simply employ the water available in hothouses1 which is just at the proper temperature4 ,the process is thus at the disposal of all gardeners4 ,it should be said that the good effects of the hot baths are confined to the parts actually immersed and do not extend to the whole plant4 ,thus1 on the same stem we may see developing only the branches that have been treated with the bath1 while the others remain torpid4 ,this is easy to verify with the lilac or the willow4 ,if ,lobner is to be believed1 we may substitute for the water bath one of steam4 ,he has obtained good results with the lily of the valley4 ,the thing is possible1 but the method used by ,molisch is more practical4 ,how shall we explain the good effect of warm water on branches in a resting state8 ,we are absolutely ignorant of its mechanism1 as we are also in the case of etherification4 ,but if we knew everything1 science would be no longer amusing6--,condensed1 from ,,the ,,literary ,,digest4 ,there are many new uses for water3 ,it will not be long before every truck and every commercial flower garden will have overhead irrigation4 ,this is merely gas pipes 7seconds rejected for blow holes or porosity are usually used7 supported on posts say six feet above the ground4 ,they are usually placed parallel about fifty feet apart1 which will make four to the acre square1 and have a single row of holes and a handle on each pipe1 so that the spray can be turned in either direction2 with a high-water pressure1 often supplied by gravity1 they may be farther apart with larger holes4 ,these not only have saved us from fear of drought1 but they supply the moisture in the natural manner and at the right time and increase fertility to an astonishing degree4 ,when you take a shower bath yourself1 that is overhead irrigation4 ,the gasoline1 kerosene1 or heavy oil one man farm tractor1 so made that it can be used to plow1 to climb a side hill1 to run a saw or a pump1 is the coming factor in garden and farm advance4 ,huge fortune awaits the first manufacturer who will standardize it1 cheapen it1 and specialize on it4 ,the horse is the greatest care and the greatest risk on the little farm4 ,he costs more than a tractor would1 he is eating his head off half the time1 he can't he worked overtime without injury1 not even as much as a man can be2 all too soon he dies1 more missed than any member of the family4 ,when this is popularized the ,three ,acres can well be extended to five4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,some ,,experimental ,,foods ,,fifty-,,eight years ago ,abraham ,lincoln said ,population must increase rapidly1 more rapidly than in former times1 and ere long the most valuable of all arts will be the art of deriving subsistence from the smallest area of soil4 ,no community whose every member possesses this art can ever be the victim of oppression in any of its forms4 ,such community will alike be independent of crowned kings1 money kings1 and land kings4 ,the future1 it seems1 has many strange dishes in store for the ,american stomach4 ,whether you are rich or one of the plain people that have to work1 whether the idea of new fantastic food appeals to your palate or to your pocketbook1 you will be attracted by the array of foreign viands with curious names which have already been successfully introduced and are now beginning to be marketed in this country4 ,mr4 ,william ,n4 ,taft1 in the ,technical ,world ,magazine1 presents the following wild menu for the dinner table3 ,jujube ,soup ,brisket of ,antelope ,boiled ,petsai ,dasheen au ,gratin ,creamed ,udo ,soy ,bean and ,lichee ,nut ,salad ,yang ,taw ,pie ,mangoes ,kaki ,sake4 ,this1 he assures us1 is not the bill of fare of a ,chinese eating house1 nor yet of a ,japanese restaurant1 it is the daily meal of an ,american family two decades hence1 if the ,department of ,agriculture succeeds in its attempt to introduce a large number of new foods to this country for the dual purpose of supplying new dainties and reducing the cost of living4 ,uncle ,sam has determined to decrease the price of food as much as possible1 and1 for this purpose1 delegated ,dr4 ,david ,s4 ,fairchild1 ,agricultural ,explorer in charge of the ,foreign ,plant ,section of the ,bureau of ,plant ,industry1 in particular1 to see what can be done about it4 ,more than #cj1jjj fruits and vegetables have been tested by ,uncle ,sam's experts and1 according to ,dr4 ,fairchild1 a goodly portion of the foodstuffs which have been regarded as staples since the days of the first settler are doomed4 ,consider for example ,jujube ,soup6 ,mention that to the average person and he will answer3 ,but ,i thought the jujube was a fruit1 like an apple4 ,how can you make soup of it8 ,the average person is right4 ,the jujube is a fruit--but a most remarkable one4 ,it is about the size and appearance of a crab apple1 but contains only a single seed4 ,it grows on a spiny tree1 long and bare of trunk1 with its foliage cropping out at the very top like a royal palm of the tropics4 ,the jujube itself has been used for years to flavor candies and other confections4 ,but the essence is very expensive and comparatively rare1 despite the profusion with which the fruit grows in its native habitat4 ,dr4 ,fairchild1 however1 imported several specimens for the ,department's gardens in ,california1 where they are bearing prolifically4 ,the arid sands of the southwest1 where nothing but cactus and sage-brush formerly would grow1 have been found to be excellent soil for the jujube1 and it is the hope of ,uncle ,sam's food experts to see the entire ,arizona and ,new ,mexico deserts dotted with jujube orchards1 with income to their owners4 ,the jujube is delicious eaten raw1 but it may be cooked in any manner in which apples are prepared1 used as a sauce or for pie1 preserved or dried4 ,finally1 its juice may be used as a delicious and highly nutritive fruit broth4 ,petsai1 or1 as the ,chinese have it1 ,pe-tsai1 is a substitute for the cabbage4 ,in appearance it is as different from cabbage as can be imagined4 ,it is tall and cylindrical and its leaves are narrow1 delicately curled1 with frilled edges4 ,the petsai can1 however1 be grown on any soil where the ordinary cabbage could be cultivated and in many sections where the native vegetable would languish4 ,we are told it is no uncommon thing for a petsai to reach sixty pounds in weight4 ,department of ,agriculture officials1 however1 advise that it be plucked when about eight pounds in weight1 its flavor being then the most delicate and appealing4 ,this new importation1 ,uncle ,sam's experts hope1 will cause a drop in the price of dinners4 ,cabbage long ago ceased to be a cheap dish4 ,but petsai requires none of the care which has to be lavished on cabbage and will thrive in almost any climate and any soil4 ,the soy bean1 once started1 grows wild and yields several crops a season4 ,it can be prepared in a multitude of ways1 from baking to a delicious salad4 ,according to ,doctor ,yamei ,kin1 the head of the ,women's ,medical ,school near ,pekin1 milk can be made from it to cost about six cents a quart and equal to cows' milk4 ,it would be a blessing if we could get rid of the sacred but unclean cow4 ,one of the state dairy inspectors told me1 ,we consider milk a filthy product4 ,it may be remembered that1 only twenty years ago1 almost all the dates consumed here came from the oases of ,arabia and the valley of the ,euphrates4 ,to-day there are more than a hundred varieties successfully produced in ,california and ,arizona4 ,the wonders of today are the commonplaces of to-morrow1 and there is no telling to what apparently impossible lengths science will go to relieve people of the burden they now bear in the price of food4 ,it has scoured the ends of the earth for new delicacies and now experts will do their best to teach the people to use them4 ,have you ever heard of ,whitloof or ,belgian ,chicory or have you ever dined in one of the better restaurants of large city where they have served during the winter months a salad composed of golden blanched oblong leaves about #b inches wide and #e inches long1 only the outer edges showing a faint green8 ,it is as delicate as the perfume of roses1 as crisp as young lettuce1 as delicious as asparagus1 and as ornamental upon the table as the freshest fruit4 ,in former years this salad had to be imported and you had to pay dear for a portion of it1 a good reason why so few people know it4 ,a ,belgian farmer located near ,new ,york has grown many thousands of these plants this past summer4 ,how would you like to grow this dainty salad right in your living room and cut several crops from a single planting lasting nearly three months8 ,secure an #h-;inch pot and plant in it #ab roots packed in light sandy soil or pure sand4 ,invert another but empty #h-;inch pot over this to keep out the light1 place in a heated room1 water daily1 and in from three to four weeks you will find full-grown crowns1 beautifully blanched ready for cutting4 ,six of such crowns make a large portion1 sufficient for an entire family4 ,in cutting1 do not cut too close to the root1 for another growth is made directly after the cutting1 which matures in from three to four weeks1 and still two other crops can be grown in this way1 so that from a single planting four full crops can be had4 ,considering1 then1 that eight such treats can be had for the cost of a single dozen roots1 we can all now enjoy what was formerly a luxury4 ,this method is most interesting1 for you can watch the daily progress of the growth of the roots1 fascinating to young and old1 and with three weekly plantings of a pot each this treat can be enjoyed twice a week from the #ast of ,february until ,may4 ,for those who wish to enjoy it more often or in larger quantities1 we suggest the following3 ,prepare a bed of soil #ab inches deep in your cellar in a dark place where the temperature is always above freezing4 ,plant the roots as close as their size will permit and cover the crowns with at least #c inches of soil4 ,on top of this put straw so that when the crowns come through the soil they will not strike the light4 ,when ready to cut1 remove the soil as far back as the original root so that you can intelligently cut the growth to produce the crops to follow4 ,as a substitute for the potato of commerce the ,dasheen long ago passed the experimental stage4 ,it has been served at a number of banquets in ,washington1 ,philadelphia1 and ,new ,york4 ,while the tops of potatoes are useless as food1 the tops of the dasheen make delicious greens1 and tests indicate that good growers can depend on a crop of from four hundred to four hundred and fifty bushels per acre4 ,the ,udo is the plant intended by the ,department of ,agriculture as a substitute for asparagus1 a delicacy which it closely resembles4 ,it is more prolific than asparagus1 grows in the same soil1 and requires less attention4 ,not only plants but animals are experimented with by ,uncle ,sam's experts4 ,officials of the ,bureau of ,animal ,industry claim that before long we will partake of antelope steak4 ,for the antelope has been found to be particularly adapted to the more arid western sections of the country4 ,and beyond that the gastronomist of the future will have to reckon with loin of hippopotamus6 ,the lower valley of the ,mississippi is admirably suited to these huge beasts1 the flesh of one of which equals a score of cattle4 ,african traveled epicures maintain that hippopotamus steak is as tender and inviting as the choicest beef4 ,for those who like that sort of thing1 it is just the sort of thing they would like4 ,it seems a bit remote to urge hippopotamus on us who do not yet know enough to eat sharks1 tortoises1 painted turtles1 or even ,english sparrows4 ,anyhow the small gardener is more likely to succeed raising pheasants than to muss with a hippopotamus1 at least in the suburbs4 ,pigs are more practical and make prettier pets4 ,our population bids fair to approximate two hundred million within the next fifty years1 and1 because of the exigencies of business1 an increasing number of people will be engaged in non-food-producing vocations4 ,these people1 however1 are all consumers and must be fed and clothed1 and even now ,america offers the greatest market for the produce of the farm that any farmer in any country has ever had in all history4 ,one of the coming ways of feeding them is the discovery and use of new foods4 ,as in other things1 after the war1 whether we live in a better world or not1 we shall live in an entirely different world1 new ways1 strange thoughts1 and other foods4 ,for the most of the following1 ,business ,america and ,current ,opinion are responsible4 ,for the creation of new crop varieties or the improvement of those now in use we must depend upon the practical scientists who are engaged in plant breeding4 ,the work of one of these1 ,professor ,buffum1 has been accomplished in a region that is apparently sterile and where plants grow only by coaxing through artificial moisture4 ,his plant-breeding farms near ,worland in the ,big ,horn ,basin of ,northern ,wyoming lie at an elevation of #djjj feet1 in a region of almost total natural aridity4 ,after twenty years' work in ,western agricultural colleges and ,government ,experiment ,stations1 ,professor ,buffum chose his present location because nowhere in the ,united ,states could he find conditions of soil and climate that induce to such a remarkable degree the breaking up of species1 and mutation or sporting of plants4 ,when the modern plant breeder seeks to produce something new by cross-fertilization a problem is encountered4 ,for many years we were ignorant of the principle upon which nature operated in these hybrids or crosses4 ,finally a ,bohemian priest named ,mendel discovered the law4 ,the central principle is that when the seed produced from a cross between two different species is planted1 the progeny breaks up into well-defined groups4 ,a certain percentage of the plants resemble one of the parents1 a smaller percentage are like the other parent1 and the rest seem to be a blend of both parents4 ,these intermediates will not breed true to themselves1 however2 if seed from them is planted the progeny will split up into groups1 showing the same percentages as the first generation to which they belonged4 ,this has been generally accepted by scientists4 ,in many of his productions ,professor ,buffum apparently has set the ,mendelian law at defiance1 for1 by cross-fertilization1 he has evolved plants which breed true to themselves1 and their progeny does not break up into groups1 according to the accepted theory4 ,they show specimens resembling each parent1 with the third composed of seemingly1 but not really1 blended specimens4 ,these results are particularly vital in the development of plants adapted by selection for semi-arid agriculture4 ,the ,professor believes that the great areas of high plain country to be found from ,canada to ,mexico can be made more productive through planting crop varieties that have been bred to withstand the existing conditions which produce meagre returns from the vast expanse of territory under the present methods4 ,in place of corn1 which is difficult to mature even at moderate elevations1 ,professor ,buffum has introduced improved emmers and the various hybrids resulting from crosses with other grains4 ,emmer itself is not a new grain1 having been grown for centuries in ,russia and southern ,europe1 and it is believed to have been the corn of ,pliny1 which he said was used by the ,latins for several centuries before they knew how to make bread4 ,several years ago emmer began receiving attention as a stock food4 ,the first planting of the grain at ,worland resulted in some exceptional sports1 seemingly of a different type1 with coarse straw and very large heads4 ,with this as a basis1 the seed was replanted and subjected to many experiments to increase its drouth and winter resisting qualities4 ,continued selections have shown1 a yield of from a third more to twice as much as corn1 that it is thirty per cent more valuable than oats for feeding horses1 and that for stock fattening it is equal to corn1 pound for pound4 ,it is the most drouth-resistant and prolific of small grains1 has been successfully raised from ,montana to ,mexico1 and is being planted in ,louisiana to replace oats because it is not affected by rust4 ,some of the yields recorded are enormous1 varying from #dj to #ajd bushels per acre under dry farming1 and as high as #aeb bushels under irrigation4 ,one stalk of ,turkey red wheat was noticed as differing in many ways from all varieties1 principally that the head was over eight inches in length1 whereas the ordinary ,turkey red wheat commonly used in the ,west has a head of only four or five inches4 ,from this one stalk has been developed the ,buffum ,no4 #ag ,winter wheat4 ,the heavy beards were eliminated and the grains or kernels in each spikelet increased from the normal number of three to five1 seven1 and even nine4 ,the hardiness of the new variety1 together with its remarkably large head1 means that when it is placed on the market the farmers who sow it need not fear winter killing and will have a splendid flouring grain1 which will produce nearly double the average crop per acre4 ,it is said that if a single kernel could be added to each head of wheat1 the increase in annual production of this country would amount to over fifteen million bushels4 ,if fodder crops can be substituted for a part of the corn now used for stock1 it will be a great gain4 ,in his alfalfa-breeding garden1 ,professor ,buffum is raising over seventy different kinds1 gathered from all parts of the world1 showing that the plant is capable of wide variations4 ,one hybrid has been obtained by crossing sweet clover with alfalfa2 the clover grows wild in every state in the ,union4 ,there seems to be no limit to man's ingenuity and skill in plant improvement4 ,perhaps sometime we will try it with our children4 ,in thirty years an exceptional ear of dent corn1 through continued planting and careful selection each succeeding season1 resulted in a few days' shortening of the growing period and an increased resistance to the cool nights of the higher elevation where it was under improvement2 to-day1 this corn matures about the middle of ,august at an altitude of #djjj feet1 and has been yielding forty to sixty bushels per acre4 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,dried ,,truck ,as a war measure the surplus vegetables in many city markets have been forced by the governments into large municipal drying plants4 ,community driers have been established in the trucking regions and even itinerant drying machines have been sent from farm to farm drying the vegetables which otherwise would have gone to waste4 ,the drying of vegetables may seem strange to the present generation1 but we are very young2 to our grandmothers it was no novelty4 ,many housewives even to-day prefer dried sweet corn to the canned1 and find also that dried pumpkin and squash are excellent for pie making4 ,snap beans often are strung on threads and dried above the stove4 ,cherries and raspberries still are dried on bits of bark for use instead of raisins4 ,this country is producing large quantities of perishable foods every year1 which should be saved for storage1 canned1 or properly dried4 ,drying is not a panacea for the waste evil1 nor should it take the place of storing or canning to any considerable extent where proper storage facilities are available or tin cans or glass jars can be obtained cheap4 ,for the farmer's wife the new methods of canning are probably better than sun drying1 which requires a somewhat longer time4 ,but dried material can be stored in receptacles which cannot be used for canning4 ,then1 too1 canned fruit and vegetables freeze and cannot be shipped as conveniently--in winter4 ,dried vegetables can be compacted and shipped or stored with a minimum of risk4 ,string them up to the ceiling of the storeroom or attic4 ,a few apples or sweet potatoes or peas or even a single turnip can be dried and saved4 ,even when very small quantities are dried at a time1 a quantity sufficient for a meal will soon be secured4 ,small lots of dried vegetables1 such as cabbage1 carrots1 turnips1 potatoes1 and onions1 can be combined to advantage for soups and stews4 ,in general1 most fruits or vegetables1 to be dried quickly1 must first be shredded or cut into slices1 because many are too large to dry quickly1 or have skins the purpose of which is to prevent drying out4 ,if the air applied at first is too hot1 the cut surfaces of the sliced fruits or vegetables become hard1 or scorched1 covering the juicy interior so that it will not dry4 ,generally it is not desirable that the temperature in drying should go above #adj deg to #aej deg ,f41 and it is better to keep it well below this point4 ,insects and insect eggs are killed by the heat4 ,it is important to know the degree of heat in the drier1 and this cannot be determined accurately except by a thermometer4 ,inexpensive oven thermometers can be found on the market1 or an ordinary chemical thermometer can be suspended in the drier4 ,drying of certain products can be completed in some driers within two or three hours4 ,when sufficiently done they should be so dry that water cannot be pressed out of the freshly cut pieces1 they should not show any of the natural grain of the fruit on being broken1 and yet not be so dry as to snap or crackle4 ,they should be leathery and pliable4 ,when freshly cut fruits or vegetables are spread out they immediately begin to evaporate moisture into the air1 and if in a closed box will very soon saturate the air with moisture4 ,this will slow down the rate of drying and lead to the formation of molds4 ,if a current of dry air is blown over them continually1 the water in them will evaporate steadily until they are dry and crisp4 ,certain products1 especially raspberries1 should not be dried hard1 because if too much moisture is removed from them they will not resume their original form when soaked in water4 ,the rotary hand slicer is adapted for use on a very wide range of material4 ,don't slice your hand with it4 ,from an eighth to a quarter of an inch is a fair thickness for most of the common vegetables to be sliced4 ,to secure fine quality1 much depends upon having the vegetables absolutely fresh1 young1 tender1 and perfectly clean2 one decayed root may flavor several kettles of soup if the slices from it are scattered through a batch of material4 ,high-grade root vegetables can only be made from peeled roots4 ,blanching consists of plunging the vegetables into boiling water for a short time4 ,use a wire basket or cheesecloth bag for this4 ,after blanching as many minutes as is needed1 drain well and remove the surface moisture from vegetables by placing them between two towels or by exposing them to the sun and air for a short time4 ,a mosquito net is thrown over the product to protect the slices from flies and other insects4 ,fruits and vegetables1 when dried in the sun1 generally are spread on large trays of uniform size which can be stacked one on top of the other and protected from rain by covers made of oilcloth1 canvas1 or roofing paper4 ,a very cheap tray can be made of lath three fourths of an inch thick and #b inches wide1 which form the sides and ends of a box1 and smoothed lath which is nailed on to form the bottom4 ,as builders' laths are #d feet long1 these lath trays are most economical of material when made #d feet in length4 ,a cheap and very satisfactory drier for use over the kitchen stove can be made by any handy man of small-mesh galvanized-wire netting and laths or strips of wood about #a_/b inch thick and #b inches wide4 ,by using two laths nailed together the framework can be stiffened and larger trays made if desirable4 ,this form can be suspended from the ceiling over the kitchen range or over a clear burning oil1 gasoline1 or gas stove1 and it will utilize the hot air which rises during the cooking hour4 ,it can be raised out of the way or swung to one side by a pulley or by a crane made of lath4 ,when the stove is required for cooking1 the frame is lowered or swung back to utilize the heat which otherwise would be wasted4 ,still another home drier is the cookstove oven4 ,bits of food1 left overs1 especially sweet corn1 can be dried on plates in a very slow oven or on the back of the cookstove and saved for winter use4 ,where the electric juice is not monopolized1 an electric fan in drying is economical1 especially for those who already have a fan4 ,many sliced fruits placed in long trays #c by #a foot and stacked in two tiers1 end to end1 before an electric fan can be dried within twenty-four hours4 ,some require much less time4 ,for instance1 sliced string beans and shredded sweet potatoes will dry before a fan running at a moderate speed within a few hours4 ,the dried fruit or vegetables must be protected from insects and rodents1 also from the outside moisture1 and will keep best in a cool1 dry1 well-ventilated place4 ,in the more humid regions1 moisture-tight containers should be used4 ,if a small amount of dried product is put in each receptacle1 just enough for one or two meals1 it will not be necessary to open a large container4 ,your ,american ingenuity and the ,american practice of reading will show you a lot of ways of saving waste3 for example1 frozen potatoes are not necessarily spoiled1 we are told by ,mr4 de ,ronsic1 a writer in the ,reveil ,agricole4 ,they may be dried and then cooked as usual4 ,the ,revue ,scientifique 7,paris71 abstracting the article in question1 says3 ,the potatoes must be dried to prevent decomposition1 which takes place very rapidly after they have thawed out4 4 4 4 ,the oven should be heated as for baking bread4 ,then1 when it has reached the necessary temperature1 which is easily recognized1 the potatoes are put in1 cutting up the largest4 ,they are spread out in a layer so that evaporation may easily take place1 the door of the oven being left open4 ,from time to time the mass is stirred up with a poker to facilitate the evaporation4 ,when the drying has gone far enough1 the potatoes having become hard as bits of wood1 they are withdrawn to make room for others4 ,potatoes thus dried may be boiled with enough water to make a paste similar to that which they would have furnished if mashed in the ordinary manner1 and which will answer very well1 at least to feed stock4 ,the potatoes will be found to have lost none of their nutritive value4 ,even if you haven't any acres--yet1 there isn't any law against drying in the city4 ,either in sales or in saving it will help to pay for the country place later and the country place can be made to pay it back again4 ,call your product say ,landers' ,desiccated ,beans or ,glory's ,dehydrated ,corn4 ,they will sell better1 they may even taste better1 trying to live up to the description4 ,there's dollars in a name4 ,as a preservative ice must not be neglected4 ,the ,country ,gentleman says3 ,while the temperature is below the freezing point we should take advantage of even short frosts to lay up ice for next summer4 ,the man without an ice pond need not be1 without ice--he can freeze it in pans outdoors4 ,an ice plant of this sort will cost from fifteen to twenty dollars4 ,a double tank should be made of galvanized iron4 ,the inner compartment of this tank should be ten feet long1 two feet wide1 and twelve inches deep4 ,the top of the tank should be slightly wider than the bottom4 ,the inner tank should be divided into six compartments by means of galvanized iron strips4 ,the double tank should be placed near the outdoor pump1 or stream1 where it can easily be filled4 ,being exposed on all sides1 the water will freeze in from one hour to three hours4 ,a bucket of hot water poured into the space between the tanks will loosen the cakes of ice1 each weighing #bjj pounds4 ,four tons of ice will last the average family a year4 ,the cakes may be packed away in the icehouse as they are frozen4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,home ,,cold-,,pack ,,canning ,to save vegetables and fruits by canning is a patriotic duty4 ,the war makes the need for food conservation more imperative than at any time in history4 ,america is mainly responsible for the food supply of the world4 ,in this way the abundance of the summer may be made to supply the needs of the winter4 ,by the modern cold-pack method it is as easy to can vegetables as to can fruits4 ,some authorities say it is easier4 ,at any rate1 it is more useful4 ,in the cold-pack method of canning1 sterilization does away with the danger of spoilage by fermentation or working4 ,sterilization consists in raising the temperature of the filled jar or can to a germ-killing point and holding it there until bacterial life is destroyed4 ,the word container is used to designate either the tin can or the glass jar4 ,single-period cold-pack canning1 as distinguished from old-fashioned preserving1 offers a saving in time1 labor1 and expense1 and satisfactory results4 ,as the foodstuffs are placed in the containers before sterilization1 they are cold and may be handled quickly and easily4 ,then the sterilization period is frequently short4 ,this is time-saving4 ,finally1 no rich preservatives1 such as thick syrups or heavily spiced solutions1 are required4 ,fruits may be put up in thin syrups4 ,vegetables require only salt for flavoring and water to fill the container4 ,another advantage of this method is that it is practicable to put up food in small quantities4 ,it pays to put up even a single container4 ,thus1 when there is a small surplus of some garden crop1 or something left over from the order from the grocer's1 one can take the short time necessary to place this food in a container and store it for future use4 ,this is true household efficiency--the kind which1 if practiced on a national scale1 will conserve our war food supply and will1 after the war1 cut heavily into the high cost of living4 ,there are five principal methods of canning3 7#a7 the cold-pack1 single-period method2 7#b7 the intermittent1 or fractional sterilization method2 7#c7 the cold-water method2 7#d7 the open kettle or hot-pack method2 and 7#e7 the vacuum-seal method4 ,of these the one worked out on scientific lines by leading experts and used by many commercial canners is so much the best method for home canning1 because of its simplicity and effectiveness1 that it is recommended by the ,national ,emergency ,food ,commission and the details are explained in their manual4 ,the cold-water method can be used effectively in putting up rhubarb1 green gooseberries1 and a few other sour berry fruits4 ,the process is simple4 ,the fruit is first prepared and washed and then blanched1 and finally packed practically raw in containers1 which are next filled with cold water and then sealed4 ,some sour fruits packed in this way will keep indefinitely4 ,a serviceable outfit may be made of materials found in any household4 ,all that is necessary is a vessel to hold the jars or cans--such as a wash boiler or a large tin pail4 ,this should have a tight-fitting cover4 ,provide a false bottom of wood or a wire rack to allow for free circulation of water under the containers4 ,while suburban gardeners with large surplus of vegetables find it desirable to use tin cans1 being more easily handled for commercial purposes1 most of us find glass jars the more satisfactory and economical containers for canned vegetables and fruits4 ,this is especially true when there is a shortage of tin cans4 ,all types of jars that seal perfectly may be used4 ,use may be made of those to which one is accustomed or which may be already on hand4 ,the rubbers must be sound but the glass jars may be used indefinitely4 ,glass jars are adapted for use in any of the cold-pack canning outfits4 ,be sure that no jar is defective4 ,for use in the storing of products which are already sterilized1 such as jellies1 jams1 and preserves1 and the bottling of fruit juices1 housewives may practice effective thrift by saving all jars in which they receive dried beef1 bacon1 peanut butter1 and other products and bottles that have contained olives1 catsup1 and kindred goods4 ,blanching is important with most vegetables and many fruits4 ,it consists of plunging them into boiling water for a short time4 ,spinach and other greens should be blanched in steam4 ,to do this1 place them in an ordinary steamer or suspend them in a tightly closed vessel above an inch or two of boiling water4 ,blanching should be followed by the cold dip1 plunging into cold water after removal from the hot water4 ,cold dipping hardens the pulp and preserves the original color1 enhancing the appearance4 ,blanching cleanses the articles and removes excess acids and strong flavors and odors4 ,it also causes shrinkage1 so that a larger quantity may be packed in a container4 ,after blanching and cold dipping1 surface moisture should be removed by placing the vegetables or fruits between two towels or by exposure to the sun4 ,all this is so simple and the directions so easily followed that the average #ab-year-old may successfully can vegetables or fruits4 ,the steps and the precautions are3 #a4 ,select sound vegetables and fruits4 7,if possible can them the same day they are picked47 ,wash1 clean1 and prepare them4 #b4 ,have ready1 on the stove1 a can or pail of boiling water4 #c4 ,place the vegetables or fruits in cheesecloth1 or in some other porous receptacle--a wire basket is excellent--for dipping and blanching them in the boiling water4 #d4 ,put them whole into the boiling water4 ,the ,commission gives a time-table for blanching4 ,after the water begins to boil1 begin to count the blanching time2 this varies from one to twenty minutes1 according to the vegetable or fruit4 #e4 ,when the blanching is complete1 remove the vegetables or fruits from the boiling water and plunge them a number of times into cold water1 to harden the pulp and check the flow of coloring matter4 ,do not leave them in cold water4 #f4 ,the containers must be thoroughly clean4 ,it is not necessary to sterilize them in steam or boiling water before filling them1 as in the cold-pack process both the insides of containers and the contents are sterilized4 ,the jars should be heated before being filled1 in order to avoid breakage4 #g4 ,pack the product into the containers1 leaving about a quarter of an inch of space at the top4 #h4 ,with vegetables add one level teaspoonful of salt to each quart container and fill with boiling water4 ,with fruits use syrups4 #i4 ,with glass jars always use a good rubber4 ,test the rubber by stretching or turning inside out4 ,fit on the rubber and put the lid in place4 ,if the container has a screw top do not screw up as hard as possible1 but use only the thumb and little finger in tightening it4 ,this makes it possible for the steam to escape and prevents breakage4 ,if a glass top jar is used1 snap the top bail only1 leaving the lower bail loose during sterilization4 ,tin cans should be completely sealed4 #aj4 ,place the filled and capped containers on the rack in the sterilizer4 ,if the homemade or commercial hot-water bath outfit is used1 enough water should be in the boiler to come at least one inch above the tops of the containers1 and the water1 in boiling out1 should never be allowed to drop to the level of these tops4 ,begin to count processing time when the water begins to boil4 ,at the end of the sterilizing period remove the containers from the sterilizer4 ,fasten covers on tightly at once1 turn the containers upside down to test for leakage1 leave in this position until cold1 and then store in a cool1 dry place4 ,be sure that no draft is allowed to blow on glass jars1 as it may cause breakage4 #aa4 ,if jars are to be stored where there is strong light1 wrap them in paper1 preferably brown1 as light will fade the color of products canned in glass jars1 and sometimes deteriorate the food value4 ,that's the whole trick4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,retail ,,cooperation ,,cooperation in buying supplies at wholesale1 in standardizing and shipping crops1 in keeping grain in elevators1 and fruit and some meats and poultry in cold storage has reached a high development among the farmers largely in the ,northwest1 much ahead of us city folks4 ,there are more than five thousand active ,farmers' ,cooperation ,associations in the ,united ,states4 ,minnesota alone has over six hundred cooperative creameries1 some of which have a laundry annex4 ,the associations have six hundred and sixty thousand members and do a business of nearly a thousand dollars a year for each member4 ,these are the people that we call hayseeds2 if we could plant some more such seeds1 it would be a good job4 ,but in cooperative retail domestic supply we are far behind ,england and other countries1 even behind ,russia4 ,that is partly because our better retail business methods leave less room for the savings4 ,a simple and easy but important beginning of cooperation was where each one took turns in delivering the milk and fetching supplies4 ,one farmer might do it all every day for a small charge4 ,the new ,south is developing a great business in this line4 ,when you go to ,new ,orleans look up the stores whose letter head reads3 ,,nelson ,,co-,,operative ,,association1 ,,inc4 ,food ,suppliers ,,office1 #ejf ,so4 ,,peters ,,street4 ,,creamery1 ,,erato ,,st4 ,,warehouse1 #eaa ,,so4 ,,peters ,,st4 ,,bakery1 ,,elysian ,,fields ,,ave4 #fa ,,retail ,,stores #d ,,meat ,,markets ,in ,august1 #aiag1 ,n4 ,o4 ,nelson of the above concern writes in answer to my request3 ,it does not take #bejj words to tell all ,i know about ,cooperation4 ,i trust the inclosed may be serviceable for your book1 and shall feel proud if it is4 ,i am doing my job here for two very practical reasons2 first1 the immediate service of reducing the cost of living to say #ae1jjj families1 mostly poor2 second1 to introduce economy in retailing4 ,the readers of such a book as yours are well aware of the wasteful ways of retailing goods4 ,in every town and city there is a multiplication of stores1 advertising clerks1 teams1 and other incidentals4 ,likewise there is a lot of middle men and drummers1 the buyers at the producer's end1 the wholesalers or middle men at the consumer's end1 with speculator and landowner at both ends4 ,all of these have to be supported by the system1 and the dear consumer pays for it4 ,the ,cooperative store system1 which was started in ,england #gc years ago1 eliminates most of these waste expenses4 ,the system has kept spreading at an astonishing rate2 in ,great ,britain there are now #c #a_/b million members1 and more than a billion of sales a year4 ,other ,european countries are full of these stores4 ,many of the retail stores have from twelve thousand to fifty thousand members2 their sales run into the millions4 ,they are federated in a wholesale agency which buys for them and manufactures on an extensive scale4 ,by the economies thus introduced they are able to save regularly about #ae1 besides paying interest on the capital employed1 and accumulating a liberal surplus4 ,it is simply a question of people getting together 7all civilization is71 contributing their own money and their trade1 and thus avoiding all the waste expenses4 ,it is a very democratic plan2 anybody is welcome to join it2 every member has one vote and no more1 they elect their directors1 the directors elect the managers1 and the managers employ the clerks4 ,they sell at the market prices and every three or six months take account of stock and rebate the profits in proportion to each member's purchases1 with half rate to non-members4 ,it appeals to the economical sense of the ordinary housekeeper1 and to the ethical sense of those who want no advantage of their neighbor4 ,it prevents some from getting unduly rich and it helps to keep many from being unduly poor4 ,the same principle has spread into farmer's work1 especially ,creameries4 ,in ,cooperative ,creameries and ,stores ,russia has grown faster in the last #ae years than any other country1 having at last reports over thirteen million members4 ,this orderly getting together for common social needs has much to do with the orderliness of the ,russian ,revolution4 ,the ,united ,states has made large progress in producers' cooperative associations1 but not much in stores4 ,i have in ,new ,orleans a system of #fe stores on a modified system2 it is a cooperative association but we sell at as low prices as can be afforded1 for cash in hand4 ,the sales amount to about #b #a_/b millions1 the most of it in the winter4 ,the ,association owns a ,bakery1 a ,creamery1 ,condiment ,factory2 and ,coffee ,factory1 and a #aeej-;acre plantation4 ,we are able to undersell the market about #bj4 ,people anywhere can make a cooperative store if they take it seriously4 ,there should be about #bjj members and #bjjj in cash to start with3 then get an honest and intelligent manager2 start with a grocery1 buy and sell for cash1 either on the ,rochdale plan of selling at full market prices and dividing the profits periodically1 or on my plan of selling as cheaply as can be afforded4 ,in either plan it works out into producing a large part of the goods sold1 thus eliminating entirely the superfluous middleman4 ,three acres and ,liberty is the correct way of producing a living2 with the adjunct of a cooperative store to do the selling of the surplus produced and the buying of goods needed1 the small farmer is free from all the waste and trammels of trade4 ,now what's the matter with your helping your county and country and humanity by organizing those two hundred waiting buyers in your own town8 ,you can be the honest and intelligent manager at a decent salary4 ,if1 later1 the cooperators want another manager1 why you can easily organize another store4 ,the best information on this subject is the ,cooperative ,news1 ,manchester1 ,england2 subscription two dollars4 ,evidence is daily accumulating that the food and farm problem is not so easy as many thought it to be a few months ago4 ,this is made clear when economists say3 ,the really important question in the food problem is not distribution1 it is production4 ,it is unfortunate that this statement should gain belief at this time1 when those who prey upon the producer are watching for any support from whatever direction4 ,passing by the obvious fact that production must precede distribution1 notice that1 with all the energy that has been devoted to production of farm products by the government experts1 it is clear that not only is there a shortage1 but that it has required all kinds of inducements1 from the ,president down1 to get the farmers to increase their output1 the most potent of all being the cry of patriotism4 ,some explain this by showing how land monopoly prevents men going back to the farms4 ,while this is perfectly true1 it does not answer the question why farmers now in possession of farms are not working them near their capacity4 ,the answer of the ordinary man to this is inefficiency on the part of the farmer1 and up to the present this idea has passed as sufficient to account for the situation4 ,the publicity given the whole farm question during the past six months1 however1 has to a large extent dispelled the inefficiency answer1 as the farmer has responded so completely to the call1 and the amateurs are beginning to realize that there is something in farming besides tickling the earth with a feather4 ,all the facts so far brought out show the farmer abundantly able to produce all the foodstuffs needed1 provided he has a reasonable certainty that he will be able to dispose of his produce at a price that will give him a fair return for his labor4 ,this being the case1 it is easy to see that putting more men back on farms would not remedy the condition we are now in2 but would rather increase the difficulty4 ,the fact is1 the two blades of grass theory has been exploded1 the increased production cry has been tried out1 carried to its logical conclusion1 and found wanting1 and the inefficiency explanation has been proved a falsehood on its face4 ,it is1 therefore1 obvious that with a proper system of distribution1 the entire question of production will take care of itself2 but just so long as the producers find it unprofitable to produce food1 just so long will they have to figure carefully not to grow too much1 or it would be better for them had they grown nothing at all4 ,the reason why we have such divergent ideas on this subject is that so many people write about it who have had no experience in farming1 while on the other hand there are few farmers who can state the case so the public can grasp the most obvious facts4 ,finally1 it is a question of the government doing what it ought not to have done and leaving undone those things it ought to have done4 ,it has granted to a few monopolies transportation and terminal facilities which enable them to hold up deliveries and thus control prices4 ,the remedy lies in seeing that the government attend to its own business1 which is securing equality of opportunity for all1 and special privileges to none4 ,it follows that cooperation should not stop either at production or at distribution4 ,it must embrace the source of both1 nor even stop at governmental plans of small holdings4 ,as a business enterprise1 combining philanthropy and percentage1 capital has an opportunity4 ,accordingly an option should be secured upon a large piece of land not over forty miles from a large city1 near a railroad station4 ,the transportation at first is not important1 as the new commuters will make a demand for it1 and cheap autos will largely fill the gap2 it will improve rapidly4 ,if possible it should have a lake or a fair stream on it for irrigation and small water power2 the soil should be examined by experts1 to see that it is suitable for trucking and market gardening4 ,the object should be to make a sort of vacant lot gardening plan on a grand scale4 ,heretofore the trouble has been that we have been unable to get land where there was any assurance that we could have it again the second year1 and that the limited amount of land makes it impossible to give the men as much as they ought to have4 ,they do not need much land1 because a man working at intensive culture with only the rough plowing done for him cannot take good care of much more than one acre of land4 ,he will probably make as much money out of one acre of land as he will out of two4 ,those who are willing to work should be given one acre of land1 with the assurance that they can have it as long as they work it faithfully and comply with the simple rules which we have found so effective in the ,vacant ,lot ,gardening work1--which are practically1 that a man should attend to business and not annoy his neighbors4 ,no contract or lease should be given the men1 or indeed the women1 for both work such gardens1 as they have been doing for the past twenty years in several large cities1 making at least a living upon the land and often a very large return4 ,there must be a competent superintendent1 for everything depends upon him1 who would show the men what land they should use1 what they should put in1 instruct them how to do it1 and market their products cooperatively4 ,experience in ,philadelphia1 and in some score of other cities where they have established ,vacant ,lot ,gardens1 shows that about ten per cent annually of the people prefer to work for others1 and consequently take places in the country after they have learned to do market gardening4 ,some others1 being dissatisfied with so little land1 and wanting to own their own place1 go off and buy land or lease it for themselves4 ,this makes a constant drain from the gardens1 leaving openings for others who will learn in time their trade2 it is possible to make in this way a steady drain out of the cities to the country1 and what is better still1 an automatic drain4 ,the land must be so near to a center of population that it may be possible to take a gang of men down there in the morning1 show them what it is1 and send back those who do not seem likely to make good1 or who are dissatisfied2 and that when men get their gardens successfully running1 they may be able to bring their friends there to see what they have done1 and say to them1 ,go thou and do likewise4 ,i have been at ,trudeau1 ,saranac ,lake1 and at ,stony ,wold1 the consumptive sanitariums1 and found there both by observation and by testimony that to send back the convalescents to the bench or the workshop from which they came is practically to repronounce upon them the sentence of death from which the sanitarium has offered them a reprieve4 ,the only practical thing to do with such convalescents1 and with such persons who are not capable of their ordinary avocations1 is to get them in some way upon the land4 ,there is a large demand for persons who understand the new intensive gardening1 and places can be found for more than we can hope to educate in that line4 ,there should be buildings upon the land sufficient to bunk one hundred to one hundred and fifty men2 accommodations could be made with the small timber for a considerable number4 ,many of these men would need some help1 but most of them would shift for themselves if only they could get the opportunity to build upon the land and to have a secure tenure of it4 ,a mere tenant knows that it is bunkum when he says ,our ,country4 ,it is perfectly practicable to sell about one half of the land in a year or two1 and have a thousand acres or more left free and clear1 which will cost the promoters nothing4 ,renting this out or selling it will repay the whole cost1 and probably bring a large profit besides4 ,this is no experiment1 it is only to do the thing that we have been doing under various conditions with various sorts of men in different localities for the past twenty years in the ,vacant ,lot ,gardens3 namely1 to give men the opportunity of living upon and cultivating land1 putting up their own tents1 shacks1 or bungalows1 and giving them such instruction and such help as does not cost anything more than the salary of the superintendent4 ,there are abundant men who can make good and shift for themselves under those circumstances2 the men who are available are single men1 such men as those for whom ,mr4 ,hallimond1 a clergyman working in the ,bowery1 has been finding rural employment in the past ten years4 ,also many families will come to us through the ,vacant ,lot ,gardens and the ,little ,land agitation4 ,people such as these will increase the land value1 for every decent man carries around with him at least five hundred dollars' worth of increase in land values which his presence adds to somebody's holdings of land4 ,the struggle to pocket this increase accounts for much of the human drift from the field to the factory4 ,god made the country2 man made the city--and the devil made the suburbs1 by the aid of the speculator4 ,alpha of the ,plough says in the ,london ,star3 ,i was walking with a friend along the ,spaniards-road the other evening talking on the inexhaustible theme of these days1 when he asked1 ',what is the biggest thing that has happened to this country as the outcome of the war8' ',it is within two or three hundred yards from here1' ,i replied4 ',come this way and ,i'll show it to you4' ,he seemed a little surprised1 but accompanied me cheerfully enough as ,i turned from the road and plunged through the gorse and the trees towards ,parliament ,fields1 until we came upon a large expanse of allotments1 carved out of the great playground1 and alive with figures1 men1 women1 and children1 some earthing up potatoes1 some weeding onion beds1 some thinning out carrots1 some merely walking along the patches1 and looking at the fruits of their labor springing from the soil4 ',there1' ,i said1 'is the most important result of the war4' ,he laughed1 but not contemptuously4 ,he knew what ,i meant1 and ,i think he more than half agreed4 ,and ,i think you will agree1 too1 if you will think what that stretch of allotments means4 ,it is the symptom of the most important revival1 the greatest spiritual awakening this country has seen for generations4 ,wherever you go1 that symptom meets you4 ,here in ,hampstead allotments are as plentiful as blackberries in autumn4 ,a friend of mine who lives in ,beckenham tells me there are fifteen hundred in his parish4 ,in the neighborhood of ,london there must be many thousands4 ,in the country as a whole there must be hundreds of thousands4 ,if dear old ,joseph ,fels could revisit the glimpses of the moon and see what is happening1 see the vacant lots and waste spaces bursting into onion beds and potato patches1 what joy would be his6 ,he was the forerunner of the revival1 the passionate pilgrim of the ,vacant ,lot3 but his hot gospel fell on deaf ears1 and he died just before the trumpet of war awakened the sleeper4 ,do not suppose that the greatness of this thing that is happening can be measured in terms of food4 ,that is important1 no doubt1 but it is not the most important thing4 ,i am confident that it will add more than anything else to the spiritual resources of the nation4 ,it is the beginning of a war on the disease that is blighting our people4 ,what is wrong with us8 ,what is the root of our social and spiritual ailment8 ,is it not the divorce of the people from the soil8 ,for generations the wholesome red blood of the country has been sucked into the great towns1 and we have built up a vast machine of industry that has made slaves of us1 shut out the light of the fields from our lives1 left our children to grow like weeds in the slums1 rootless and waterless1 poisoned the healthy instincts of nature implanted in us1 and put in their place the rank growths of the streets4 ,can you walk through a working-class district or a ,lancashire cotton town1 with their huddle of airless streets1 without a feeling of despair coming over you at the sense of this enormous perversion of life into the arid channels of death8 ,can you take pride in an ,empire on which the sun never sets when you think of the courts in which1 as ,will ,crooks says1 the sun never rises8 ,and now the sun is going to rise4 ,we have started a revolution that will not end until the breath of the earth has come back to the soul of the people4 ,the tyranny of the machine is going to be broken4 ,the tyranny of the land monopoly is going to be lifted4 ,yes1 you say1 but these people that ,i see working on the allotments are not the people from the courts and the slums2 but professional men1 the superior artisan1 and so on4 ,that is true4 ,but the movement must get hold of the intelligenzia first4 ,the important thing is that the breach in the prison is made2 the fresh air is filtering in2 the idea is born--not still-born1 mind you1 but born a living thing4 ,it is a way of salvation that will not be lost1 and that all will travel4 ,we have found the land1 and we are going back to possess it4 ,take a man out of the street and put him in a garden1 and you have made a new creature of him4 ,i have seen the miracle again and again4 ,i know a bus conductor1 for example1 outwardly the most ordinary of his kind4 ,but one night ,i mentioned allotments1 touched the key of his soul1 and discovered that this man was going about his daily work irradiated by the thought of his garden triumphs4 ,he had got a new purpose in life4 ,he had got the spirit of the earth in his bones4 ,it is not only the humanizing influence of the garden1 it is its democratizing influence too4 ,when ,adam delved and ,eve span ,where was then the gentleman8' ,you can get on terms with the lowliest if you will discuss gardens4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,,summer ,,colonies ,,for ,,city ,,people 7,condensed from the ,annual ,report of the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of the ,interior of the ,commissioner of ,education4 ,vol4 #b1 now out of print47 ,,berlin has not been boastful of a new sociological feature which it has developed within the last fifteen years1 a feature so revolutionary in its bearing upon education and upon the general health of future generations1 that it should be made known to the world4 ,as yet little has been said about this new agency4 ,it may be because it is not a governmental institution1 but the result of self-help and of the recognition of a plain necessity4 ,it may be assumed that if the summer colonies had been instituted by the government for the great majority who are poor it would not have succeeded so well as it has4 ,the teachers1 seeing that the horizon of their pupils was limited by brick and mortar 7for open park spaces are rare in ,berlin71 came to the conclusion that only by giving their pupils opportunity to live in the open air could they lay a sound foundation of knowledge of natural objects and processes as a basis for school studies4 ,the teachers of themselves1 however1 could apply only palliative remedies1 such as having sent to them1 from the botanical gardens1 thousands of specimens of plants1 twigs1 flowers1 fruit1 etc41 for nature study in the schoolroom2 planting flower beds around the schoolhouses2 also1 brief excursions into parks1 and hanging up before the class colored pictures of landscapes and rural scenery4 ,while in many cases1 especially in large cities1 the necessity was recognized of getting the children out of the great desert of brick and mortar into the open air and into companionship with life in the field1 the garden1 the brooks1 and the woods1 it had nowhere resulted in a systematic effort to aid the children of an entire city in that way until it was tried in ,berlin4 ,of course it is well understood1 not only abroad1 but in ,new ,york and in other large cities of this country1 that something must be done to alleviate the want of space and fresh air1 and so recreation piers and roof gardens are provided1 excursions of schools into parks are undertaken1 open-air playgrounds are instituted1 and similar efforts are made tending to mitigate the evil effects of city life2 but all these efforts are merely sporadic or temporary2 they do not attack the evil at the roots2 moreover they are only drops in the bucket when compared with that which is necessary4 ,this tendency to cooperative and collective action has resulted in this particular case in thousands of the children's ,arbor ,gardens round about the city4 ,it is an experience en gros1 one of such dimensions that cavil ceases and admiration rises supreme4 ,the ,german poor are very poor indeed1 but parents were induced to rent1 at a price of #d marks 7#a7 or about #bj cents a month from ,may to ,october for the summer season1 a patch of land in the suburbs of ,berlin unfit for farmland because cut up by railroad tracks and newly laid-out streets4 ,on one of these patches a family might erect an arbor1 or a small structure of boards with a wide veranda and a corrugated iron roof1 for housing themselves and children during the summer months4 ,the dwellings are of the most primitive kind and rather flimsy2 no permanent structure can be allowed1 for at any time the owner of the land may give notice to vacate for the purpose of erecting a row of houses1 railroad buildings1 or other permanent structures4 ,the tenants themselves build fences of wire or plant hedges to keep the different plots apart4 ,on these patches the children1 under the guidance of teachers1 parents1 and appointed guardians1 began to sow flower seeds1 plant shrubs1 vines1 and trees1 or raise kitchen vegetables1 each group or family according to its own desires and needs4 ,since the arbors are small they do not decrease the arable land of the allotments much1 and there is still room left for swings1 gymnastic apparatus1 and similar contrivances1 as well as bare sandy spots for little tots to play in4 ,the various allotments are mostly uniform in size and are reached by narrow three- or four-foot lanes1 on which occasionally are seen probationary officers or guardians who keep the peace and settle cases of disturbance4 ,the arbor gardens are established on every square rod of unused land round about the city1 on vacant lots1 far out to the borders of the well-trained woods and royal forests4 ,small tradesmen1 laboring men1 civil officials of low degrees1 etc41 have found it profitable to forsake their tenements in the city and move kith and kin into those arbor colonies4 ,the tenements in ,berlin are as bad as in our own big cities1 only better policed4 ,not all of these arbor gardens are occupied by families during the night4 ,thousands return to their city homes evenings4 ,some parents1 unable to free themselves from toil in town1 send their children under guidance of servants1 and spend only occasional ,sundays and holidays with them4 ,the people1 especially the children1 getting some information concerning the treatment of the crops from competent advisers in school and out in the arbor colonies1 derive great good from their horticultural and floricultural work4 ,families who are aesthetically inclined devote their space to flowers and trailing vines exclusively2 others1 utilitarians from necessity1 plant potatoes1 carrots1 turnips1 beets1 beans1 strawberries1 and the like4 ,the feeling of ownership being strongly developed in the children in seeing the results of their own labor1 the crops are respected by the neighbors and pilfering rarely occurs1 except perhaps in a case of great hunger4 ,several hundred or a thousand of such patches of land1 or gardens1 situated in close proximity to each other1 form an arbor colony1 which has a governor1 or mayor1 who is an unpaid city official4 ,he arranges the leasing of the land1 collects the rents1 and hands them over to the gratified landowners who don't even have to collect them4 ,there is always a retired merchant or civil officer to fill the office1 to which is attached neither title1 emolument1 nor special honor4 ,he is assisted by a colonial committee of trustees selected from the colonists1 who act as justices of the peace1 in case disturbances should arise4 ,if colonists prove frequent disturbers of the peace or are found incapable of living quietly1 their leases are not renewed4 ,of course there are such cases1 but they are rare4 ,since the size of an arbor garden is from about two sixteenths to three sixteenths of an acre1 say two or three ,new ,york ,city ,lots1 those forming a colony make a considerable community1 in which the authority of the committee1 or board of trustees1 is absolute1 and the few cases they have had to adjudicate have generally been caused by nagging women4 ,it is claimed in the press that these colonists are literally without scandals1 and that the life led by young and old is a most peaceful and happy one4 ,people who are hard at work are not likely to be quarrelsome3 good wholesome food1 much exercise in play and labor1 and an abundance of fresh air and sunshine are conducive to happiness1 especially as the clothing may be of a primitive kind1 or need not conform to the dictates of fashion4 ,a teacher remarked3 ,it is noticeable that since these school children are engaged in lucrative work which does not go beyond their strength1 and since they see with their own eyes the results of their labor1 a sense of responsibility is engendered which has a beneficial influence upon school work also4 ,respect for all kinds of labor and a decrease in the destructiveness so often found among boys are unmistakable effects of the arbor gardens4 ,it is not easy work which the children perform1 for spade and rake require muscular effort2 but it is ennobling work1 for it leads to self-respect1 self-dependence1 and respect for others1 as well as willingness to aid others4 ,the most beautiful sight is afforded when1 on a certain date agreed on by the members of a colony1 a harvest festival is held4 ,then flag raisings and illuminations and singing and music make the day a memorable one4 ,most of the families had not the means to buy the lumber and hardware to erect an arbor1 and yet they were the very ones to whom the life in the open would be of the greatest benefit4 ,hence philanthropy erected the structures4 ,the ,patriotic ,woman's ,league of the ,red ,cross built half of all the arbors of the colony found on the ,jungfernheide4 ,many colonies reach into the woods1 and naturally are of a different character from those in the open1 for there tents are used instead of wooden structures4 ,for protection during the night watchmen pace up and down the lanes2 this before the war entailed a cost of #g #a_/b cents a month to each family4 ,the season lasts from ,may #a to ,october #a4 ,the school-going population meanwhile attend their schools1 which used to be reached by means of the elevated cars or surface tramways for #b #a_/b cents and much cheaper if they have commuters' tickets4 ,many schools are near enough to be reached on foot4 ,the children do not loiter on the way1 but when school is out they hurry home to begin work in the garden1 or to sit down to a meal on the veranda1 which is relished far more than a meal in a city tenement house filled with fetid air and wanting in light4 ,nearly every one of these gardens has a flagpole1 and at night a ,japanese paper lantern with a tallow dip in it illuminates the veranda4 ,these1 with flags by day1 make a festive appearance4 ,the teachers find that city children who spend the five months in the open air are well equipped with elementary ideas in physical geography and astronomy4 ,their mental equipment is better1 indeed1 in all fields of thought1 their physical health is improved1 as well as their ethical motives and conduct4 ,to realize the full extent of these wholesale efforts 7for put children into close contact with nature and they will improve in all directions71 it is well to take a ride on the ,north belt line 7elevated steam railroad71 the trains of which start from the ,friedrich's street depot and bring one back after a ride of an hour and a half4 ,then one may do the same on the ,south belt line4 ,on these two trips one will see1 not hundreds1 but tens of thousands of such arbor gardens full of happy women and children at work or play4 ,the men come out on the belt line when their work in town is done4 ,the writer was riding through the city on an open cab1 and seeing hardly any children on the streets and in the parks1 he asked1 ,how is it that we see no children out8 ,ah1 sir1 was the reply1 if you will see the children of ,berlin you must go out to the arbor colonies outside of the city4 ,there is where our children are4 ,subsequent visits to these colony gardens showed that ,berlin is by no means a childless city4 ,to judge from the multitudinous arbors to be seen from the windows of the belt line cars there must be #ej1jjj to #ge1jjj of them4 ,as far as the eye reaches the flagpoles1 the orderly fences1 and the little structures can be seen2 and since the city has #b1jjj1jjj inhabitants1 it is very likely that an estimate made by a city official of several hundred thousands of children thus living in the open air1 is not excessive4 ,the most beautiful and best-arranged gardens are not found in the vicinity of railroads1 but several miles out toward the north and the south of the city4 ,here1 where the soil is better1 fine crops are raised4 ,if we turn our eyes homeward and contemplate the many thousands of small efforts made in this country toward the alleviation of city children's misery1 we can say truthfully that we in ,america are perhaps fully alive to the necessity which has prompted the people of ,berlin to action2 we only need to be reminded of ,mayor ,pingree's potato patches on empty city lots1 our children's outing camps1 our occasional children's excursions1 and the like4 ,still1 there is nothing in this country to compare with the thousands of ,berlin arbor gardens and their singularly convincing force4 ,like a circus1 all this is supposed to be for the children1 though it usually seems to need about two grown people to escort each child4 ,the elders enjoy the gardens even more than the circus4 ,the arbor gardens of ,berlin should not be mistaken for the numerous forest schools 7,waldschulen7 in ,germany4 ,these schools in the woods are for sickly children1 both physically crippled and mentally weak4 ,the pupils have their lessons in the open1 and the teachers live1 play1 and work with them2 long recesses separate the various lessons and a two-hour nap in the middle of the day out in the open is on the time-table of every one of these schools4 ,these special open-air schools for weaklings and defectives are now found in many parts of ,germany1 notably in ,charlottenburg1 ,strassburg1 and the industrial regions of the ,rhineland4 ,the example of ,berlin has been followed in other ,german cities1 such as ,munich1 notably in ,dusseldorf on the ,rhine1 where the arbor gardens are called ,schreber gardens in honor of the man who promoted their establishment4 ,there is a large colony of such gardens along the ,hans-,sachs street1 where ,lima beans1 peas1 lettuce1 cucumbers1 potatoes1 and many other garden vegetables are raised2 even strawberries1 raspberries1 and fruit trees are found here4 ,but the city being more lavishly provided with parks and open spaces than others of its size1 the necessity for open-air life has not made itself felt as forcibly as in ,berlin4 ,and think of the cleansing influence of all this4 ,light and air and labor--these are the medicines not of the body only1 but of the soul4 ,it is not ponderable things alone that are found in gardens1 but the great wonder of life1 the peace of nature1 the influences of sunsets and seasons and of all the intangible things to which we can give no name1 not because they are small1 but because they are outside the compass of our speech4 ,the ,god that dwells in gardens is sufficient for all our needs--let the theologians say what they will4 ',not ,god6 in gardens8 ,when the eve is cool8 ,nay1 but ,i have a sign-- ',tis very sure--,god walks in mine4'