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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Native's gardens in Ozarks and Appalachia
  • Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 17:02:14 EDT

In a message dated 4/5/2005 3:14:43 PM Eastern Standard Time,
genegerue AT ruralize.com writes:


> Yes, some Zarkers do that, also. But cool-weather crops such as lettuce,
> spinach, chard and broccoli are not much in favor. The garden patch is
> mostly long rows of sweet corn, potatoes, beans and the like,

That's pretty much the practice here too. A neighbor who grew a couple rows
of magnificient cabbages each year was quite taken aback by the notion of
growing brocoli or cauliflower.



> Though I am not sure
> how to compare their tractor plowing, tilling and cultivating with my hand
> work.
>
>

On the way to the horse stable for another load of manure, I passed a fellow
with a monstrous tiller tilling up a plot that looked to be 20' x 30'. If
one
uses a tiller (or tractor) one gets one result, if one uses other methods,
one gets a different result. We 'hand work' folk aren't running breathlessly
in
the furrow behind a tractor trying to keep up with them. The very most
amusing exchange I've had with neighbor gardeners, and it's happened with at
least
four different people goes like this:

"Planted them cabbages too close, didn't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Heh, heh, planted 'em too close. No room to how between them."
"They're planted that way on purpose. When the leaves get large enough to
touch the next plant, it shades out the weeds."
"Oh. Well, I couldn't do that."
"Why not?"
"Couldn't hoe between them."
"But if there are no weeds, you don't have to hoe."
"No weeds, no, sure don't see any. Don't that beat all. But I still
couldn't do it."
"Why not?"
"No room in between the plants to hoe the weeds."

James




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