Soldiers' Gardens

USA / Minnesota / Mendota /
 garden, historic site
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To make the fort as self-sufficient as possible, the garrison planted crops in nearby fields. Soldiers spent most of their time cultivating and harvesting approximately 400 acres of corn, wheat, hay, and vegetables. Weather, flooding, and pests (specifically blackbirds) were the greatest threats to the fort’s crops. The military had so much trouble with frontier agriculture that in 1833 a general order was issued which disbanded the practice of requiring forts to grow their own food, with the exception of keeping vegetable gardens. However, officers were allowed their own personal gardens, which may have been worked by enlisted soldiers as well as by servants or slaves.
www.historicfortsnelling.org/plan-visit/what-do/soldier...
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Snelling
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Coordinates:   44°53'33"N   93°10'54"W
This article was last modified 12 years ago