1914: A Town Vegetable Plot in Minneapolis
It Fed Six Persons and Paid $196 Besides
By H. W. Darr
The Country Gentleman
1914
Many of us, I think, plan to go back to the farm someday. But while that time is still far off, I have found that a nice garden in the city helps very much to satisfy the desire that seems to be in every man to dig in the dirt. Besides that, in my own case, a garden seems pretty nearly to solve the problem of what a teacher may do during summer vacation for health and a living, to say nothing of pleasure.
For a number of years, I have been able to have a garden, but until we built our home on the outskirts of the city I did not have a very large one, and not until the last two years have I attempted to make any money from the sale of produce in addition to supplying our family table with fresh vegetables. During the summer of1912 I sold about $70 worth of truck. A year ago, I started with a resolve to double it at least in 1913, and my gross sales came close to the $200 mark, not including what the family, consisting of three adults and three children, used during the summer, nor potatoes, cabbages, squash, popcorn, beets, and so on, stored for winter use. I should say that $50 was a very low estimate of the value of what we used in this way.
In every city there are vacant lots that usually go to weeds. Adjoining our property are four lots 80 by 150 feet and two smaller ones. I was fortunate enough to secure the use of these—about an acre and a quarter in all—for little or no outlay of money. These lots were plowed in fall, and disked and harrowed as soon as the soil was dry enough in spring. I have found it hard to get my plowing done in the proper manner in the city. Many teamsters know little about the work, and perhaps care less, and their usual charge is a dollar an hour from the time of leaving the stables to the time of returning. For these reasons I have tried to do my own soil preparation and, as my business affords considerable time before and after hours and on Saturdays, I can safely undertake that part of the work.
It Satisfies the Desire to Dig in the Dirt
The Garden Diagram a Time Saver
During the winter I made a careful study of my soils, principally as to location and slope. After I had decided upon what should be planted and after the lots had been measured exactly, a very definite map of a planting plan was drawn. Every row was shown and marked to indicate what vegetable was to be planted, together with the variety and quantity. With this plan worked out it was possible to purchase seeds in just the proper amount and all at the same time, thus securing lower prices. I carried this diagram right out into the garden at planting time and it was a great time saver.
I found it necessary during the planting season to get into the garden by four or five o’clock in the morning and to make every moment count. When each kind of seed was planted there remained only to mark on the chart the date of planting; then my record was complete. At harvest time in the summer or fall it was a simple matter to indicate on the diagram what varieties were most profitable and should be retained again next year, and what were undesirable and to be discarded.
For illustration: I planted seeds of several varieties of onions; one was said to be an especially long keeper, another a rapid grower. Both were disappointing-one continued to grow after pulling and the other sent out new tops before the onions were pulled, and after the old tops were apparently dry. What to plant for a profitable crop depends to some extent upon the kind and quality of the soil, but perhaps more upon location and demand. If you hope to sell directly to the consumer you should plant a great variety of vegetables. If the crop is to be sold to grocers, or at wholesale, you may concentrate your efforts on fewer varieties. Experience and knowledge of your home markets will very materially aid you in deciding what to plant. No fertilizer was used on any part of my garden. The whole plot was planned and cultivated with the idea of making it attractive as well as utilitarian.
My first harvest was a crop of radishes. Radish seeds were thinly mixed with onion seeds and drilled at the time the onion seeds were planted. The radish plants were soon up and marked the rows so cultivation could be started before the onion seeds were up. In this way weeds were easily kept under control until the onion plants were well started. By the time the onions were large enough to need the space the radishes were out of the way. The $7received from radishes was nearly all profit. Bunching and tying required time, of course, but three youngsters were paid a small commission to do that work.
For the amount of space required string beans proved the best-paying vegetable. Four rows averaging 125 feet long and 15inches apart produced $21.45 worth of beans. They were planted early, at considerable risk of frost, but to get the earliest crop it is worth making the venture. Except for the last few pickings I received$2.50 a bushel for my beans. They grew so abundantly on the vines that it took but a few minutes to pick a bushel.
Three double rows of peas, each row 150feet long, yielded as high as five bushels at one time. Sales from these rows amounted to $23.25.
Tall-growing varieties were planted and were supported by ordinary binder twine held up by stakes set about fifteen feet apart down the middle of each double row. After the first crop of peas was off, early bunch peas were planted, but the vines were attacked by mildew in the soil, which had been contaminated by the first crop. The first crop had not been sprayed. Bordeaux mixture would have prevented mildew and would have prolonged the production of the earlier crop.
Grocers Took the Produce
I raised few potatoes for market, but gave enough space to them to supply the family for the winter. From the sweetcorn patch I sold 223 dozen ears for $20.85. Perhaps we ate seventy dozen. The demand for Golden Bantam was so great that we could have sold hundreds of dozens more if we had had them. Twenty-four rows of popcorn, each row 160 feet long, produced fifteen bushels. Some of this was disposed of to families nearby at five cents a pound. Some was sold to grocers. On the reputation this popcorn established I have contracted for practically all I can raise this year.
As a general rule onions are a profitable crop. I had never tried to grow them from seed to any extent until last year. I raised thirty-five bushels in all, and one strip 20by 100 feet netted $20. Some of the onions were as large as Bermudas. The white and yellow varieties were sold as soon as they were ready to pull. The red ones were held for higher prices and were sold later in small lots.
My memorandum book shows the following vegetables grown and the sales of each, the amounts being the total for the season:
Squash . $ 3.20
Parsnips . . $ 2.08
Tomatoes 16.95
Potatoes . 6.15
Radishes . 7.07
Beets . 6.57
Peas 23.25
Beans . 21.45
Pop corn. 15.00
Melons. 7.60
Pumpkins 1.20
Sweet corn 20.85
Cucumbers . 6.95
Lettuce 3.60
Onions 28.00
Carrots 7.09
Cabbages. 6.35
Miscellaneous 13.45
The miscellaneous account was made up by such vegetables as peppers, eggplant, chard, and so forth, of which not enough was grown to entitle each to separate recognition.
The garden was cultivated by hand, except that a horse was hired twice to plow the corn and potatoes. I employed no extra help except to weed onions. I was assisted in this work by three children. I did not solicit private custom, but generally sold in quantities to grocers at wholesale prices.
Our own grocers usually called for what I sold to them. Delivery made to other grocers was by means of a wheelbarrow, as we have no horse and wagon. Sold at retail, my crop would easily have netted $300. With a wagon a fine private trade might easily be worked up, but it would require a second person to take care of theselling.
