Of the large gardens that were cultivated at Mardell and Cooperstown in 1883 and 1884 the Cooperstown Courier says:

"A few months ago the Courier had occasion to speak of Meadow Brook Farm, the model plantation of Dakota. Mr. Jack N. Brown's garden covers two acres of land, and not withstanding this has been a dry season, we there found in abundance, peas, beans, squash, radishes, lettuce, beets, turnips, rutabaga, pumpkin, cucumbers, melons, cabbage, green corn, salsify, and several kinds of 'truck'.

"The Mardell Gardens contain 1000 heads of cabbage and cauliflower, 1,000 dozen sweet corn, 10,000 pounds of different varieties of beets, 4,000 pounds carrots, 50 bushels vegetable oysters, 150 bushels of onions, 5 bushels navy beans, 20 barrels onion sets, 209 hills of tomatoes, and very thrifty plants. Peas, butter beans, sugar pumpkin, all varieties of squash, cucumbers, lettuce, radish, spinach, horse radish, pie plant and peppers are grown here. Two barrels new size potatoes, the seed of which cost 69 cents per pound.

"These vegetables can be procured at the garden for a moderate price. Area of vegetable garden 2 acres, including larger plant of potatoes of 3 acres."

Source: Cooperstown, North Dakota 1882-1982 Centennial Page 128