The garden yard : $b A handbook of intensive farmingHall, Bolton
Science
The garden yard : $b A handbook of intensive farming
Hall, Bolton
Vegetable gardening
How much land shall each one have, how much can he properly cultivate?
That depends on what he raises, and this governs his location and the
price of the land. With present methods, he will need 20 acres if
he keeps a dairy of ten cows; or, 10 acres if he raises vegetables,
small fruit, poultry and milk; or, four acres is enough for truck
and a horse and cow, while one acre is enough if he raises only
celery, asparagus or tomatoes. The price of land is influenced by
social conditions, speculation, proximity to and quality of market
and agricultural adaptability, all the way from $5.00 an acre to
$250.00. There is plenty of it not above the value of the public and
private improvements. It is useless to buy a farm of 160 acres for
one family. They cannot work it, it is a dead expense, they would be
lonesome, would starve and quit. But a colony, settling as neighbors
on well-chosen land for which they pay only when they have had time to
earn it, will have every opportunity to succeed.
Only in rare cases would I advise town dwellers to go singly to
the country; they are disqualified by their social and industrial
habits. A colony of friends or Co-operative Associations overcome the
difficulties and do in fact assure success to any one possessed of
industry and frugality.
By intensive cultivation is meant, not any particular kind of product,
but farming the land thoroughly, getting the best yield and the best
quality out of every acre, the best seeds and the best breeds and the
best way of disposing of the crop when you get it. The farm or garden
may be in the vegetable or small fruit or corn and hay or dairying
section. In either case, you can cultivate it intensively, which is
thoroughly.
The book will tell you in A, B, C style how to farm. I am asked to tell
what to do with the crop after you have raised it, how to buy what you
don’t raise, and how to make social substitutes for the city crowds and
sights.
_Associate!_ _Co-operate!_
You may not know it, but the world is turning from private trade to
co-operation at a fast rate. In some countries most of the farmers do
all their business by co-operation.
Co-operation is simple and sure and safe, when enough people want it
and are shown how.
I have practiced co-operation in my business for twenty-three years.
I have been intimate with it the world over for twenty-five years. I
have seen it grow and grow until it numbers its millions of workers in
some countries, and is doubling every five years in many countries and
states. Though I am a manufacturer, my chief occupation is to preach
and teach co-operation to farmers—at my own expense.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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