Title: American gardening
Identifier: americangardeni131892newy (find matches)
Year: 1892 (1890s)
Authors:
Subjects: Gardening; Horticulture
Publisher: New York : Rural Pub. Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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DIFFICULTIES IN HOT-WEATHER GARDENING. 407 faucets to which we can attach hose or gas-pipes, as we see fit, and in this way reach any spot in the garden. A sprinkler is attached to the hose at the time for watering. Last season we had the most severe drouth ever known here, and we arranged to have the hose started about 4 o'clock A, M., and run until about 8:30 p. m. Each hose would distribute about 1,000 barrels of water dur- ing a 16 hours' run. It requires one man and a boy 12 or 14 years old to attend to each hose. This irrigating- plant costs about $1,000, and it paid for itself twice over last season. During the season of 1890, we did not turn a faucet in any part of the garden, except to get water while setting out plants. The crops most in demand in July and August are late strawberries and raspberries and currants. The demand are to such points. If I am not already acquainted with some good and reliable firms in these localities I make such acquaintances speedily. By so doing I am almost invariably enabled to sell my produce in car-lots, for \ery much more than I could get at or near my own home. I have sold produce in New York city, Phila- delphia, St. Louis, Kansas City, Leavenworth, and many other places. — J. M. Smith, Wisconsin. T. V. Munson's Methods. Few vegetables are planted in Texas during July and August, as the dry, hot weather usually destroys young plants, even if seed can be induced to germinate. The Irish potato is an exception ; it is often planted in July. When the first crop is dug, the unmarketable tubers are
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West Gate of Towtr Grove Park, St. Louis. (See page 403.) is good for early cabbage, peas, beans, cucumbers, bunch-onions, sweet-corn, early potatoes, etc. Cabbage generally sells better during these months than any other crop. Marketing is a business in itself, and often requires more care than the growing of produce. In the last 20 years there has not been a time when our crops, if thrown upon the home market, would not have brought prices down so low that the produce would not have paid for harvesting and hauling it. Hence, we sell most of our crops in distant markets. During the summer and early fall our best market is in the large lumber and iron districts of the north. During the fall (if I have larger crops than the market north of us cares for) I learn where there is a deficiency in any of the kinds of prod- uce thit I have to sell, and what the rates of freight at once planted in good moist mellow soil, being covered deep with a plow. In two or three weeks they are up, and if the heat and drouth of August are not too severe will live, but grow little until the cool nights and moist weather of September and October arrive—then fine growth begins, and frequently a good crop of potatoes matures early in November. This crop will keep here all winter far better than the northern potatoes shipped in. During midsummer, irrigation is necessary to insure prompt germination of seeds that require no freezing, and, with moisture, will sprout in a few days or weeks. They are planted in loamy soil, under screens, watered thoroughly from a fine rose nozzle every evening, or every other evening, according to dryness of the atmos- phere. All such seeds as tomato, strawberry, blackberry.

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