Small Holding And Cottage Gardens: Instructions And Plans For - Planting And Cropping - Flower And Market Garden Produce - Profitable Fruit Culture - Three Year's Trading Accounts - Profitable Poultry Keeping

By John Godwin

Originally published in 1915, this book contains a detailed guide to small-scale fruit and vegetable gardening at home or at the allotment, including chapters on planning, plating, cropping, making a profit, and much more. With easy-to-follow instructions and simple explanations, this fantastic and timeless volume is highly recommended for all green-fingered readers. Contents include: “Bees and Bee Keeping", "Laying out a Small Holding", "Working the Land", "Arrangement of Fruit Trees", "Garden Plans", "Planting and Arranging Plots", "Cash Accounts", "Small Garden Plots", "Poultry Rearing and Keeping”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on market gardening.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: May 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781473383982

Book preview

BEES AND BEE-KEEPING.

As is fairly well-known, Bee-keeping is very profitable, and does not require a large outlay to start, and further, does not involve a lot of labour.

In 1874 the matter had become of so much interest that The British Bee-keepers’ Association was formed, and has been working ever since for the benefit of Beekeepers generally, but specially to help Cottagers and members of the rural population. Its main object has been to give information about the Nature, Habits and Wants of Bees, for without this knowledge Bee-keeping cannot be a complete success.

There are a number of County Associations affiliated to the Central Body and these Associations give lectures and demonstrations at Agricultural and Horticultural Shows as to the methods of Bee-keeping.

The subject is very fully dealt with by the Secretary of the British Bee-keepers’ Association in a well illustrated book entitled Bee-keeping Simplified for the Cottager and Small-holder.

Guidance for

Laying-out a Small Holding of about

an Acre-and-a-half,

which can be reduced or increased, according to circumstances.

IT has been found by practical experience that to work the ground to the best advantage is to grow and cultivate Market Garden Produce combined with Fruit and Flower Farming; and where there is plenty of scope and ground available, Poultry farming can be added (see page 53) with an increased profit, as it furnishes an outlet for the disposal of waste vegetables and unsaleable and small potatoes.

We now only touch on Market Gardening, Fruit and Flowers, as applicable to small holdings, and these industries if rightly managed, as we shall proceed to show, would give a profitable return in a reasonable time, and could be easily worked by one man, except with co-operative assistance during the planting and fruit-picking season and the early spring months. If the holding is worked with others on co-operative lines this should be of no extra cost to the small holder, as he in turn would do the same for his neighbours, and this movement would apply locally to all concerned, i.e., in buying and selling in combination amongst themselves at the best markets, without the intervention of agents or middle men.

The County Councils now make occasional advances of money at 5 per cent. to respectable men on the security of lease and stock, according to the character and requirements of the holding, and at the same time provide trained men to initiate the tenants into their management until such times as they are able to shift for themselves. An advance of money up to the amount of £105 would be required for plant, stock-in-trade and working expenses, but this, with 5 per cent. interest, as the accounts on pages 39 to 42 show, would be paid back in the three years,’ and then the holder would have his Stock-in-trade, Crops, Sheds, Tools, etc., free of all charge, valued at approximately £140, and further, this would be an improving and permanent asset.

The fruit trees at the sides of the walks and avenues are shewn on the plan on pp. 30 & 31; the market garden, roses and other crops are also shewn, besides spaces set apart for outbuildings, frames and sheds. It will be seen by plan that