If fruit trees be planted, vegetables may be grown in rows. As soon
as the early vegetables mature they are removed, and a midsummer
crop planted. These are followed by a fall or winter crop.
Radishes, lettuce, and cabbage grow at the same time and on the area
formerly used for one crop. Early potatoes and early cauliflower are
followed by Brussels sprouts and celery, two crops being as easily
grown as one by intelligent handling. The best beans are grown among
fruit trees.
The principles of "double-cropping" are summarized by Professor
Thomas Shaw, in _The Market Garden._
"Onion sets may be planted early in the season and onion seeds may
then be sown. Between the rows cauliflower may be planted. Later
between the cauliflower, two or three cucumber seeds may be dropped.
The onion sets up around the cauliflower may be taken out first, and
the cauliflowers in turn may be removed in time to let the cucumbers
develop.
"Midway between the rows of onions grown from seeds, we can plant
radishes, lettuce, peppergrass, spinach, or some other early relish,
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 crops.
When the onions are well grown, turnips can be sown midway between
their rows."
So we get two crops of onions, besides cauliflowers, cucumbers, and
turnips off the same place. Weeds won't have much chance in soil
treated like that.
"Multum in Parvo Gardening" (Samuel Wood) claims L 620 ($3100)
from one acre by the expenditure of considerable capital in growing
fruit against brick walls--it cost over $3100 to prepare the land,
of which the walls cost $2300. In this system the fruit trees are
pruned and trained till they look like firemen's ladders.
"In the suburbs of Paris, even without such costly things with only
thirty-six yards of frames for seedlings, vegetables are grown in
the open air to the value of L 200 per acre." ("Fields,
Factories and Workshops," page 80.)
"At the present time, for fully 100 miles along the Rhone, and in
the lateral valleys of the Ardeche and the Drome, the country is an
admirable orchard, from which millions worth of fruit is exported,
and the land attains the selling price of from L 325 ($1625) to
L 400 ($2000) the acre. Small plots of land are continually
reclaimed for culture upon every crag." (Same, page 133.)
In California we hear (from George P. Keeney) that while good truck
and fruit lands usually sell for $25 to $350 per acre, the land with
full-bearing fruit or nut trees often sells at $1000, and even up to
$2000 per acre. There is no reason why any intelligent persons
should not make their land increase in the same way.
The London Daily News reports that in one year, which was not a good
season for all crops, on a half acre of land, Mr. Henry Vincent, of
Brighton, England, raised the following products:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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