THE SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 205 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL 



is a matter of paramount importance. Many people have never learned to do 

 work thoroughly. They are hi a hurry, short of help, or worse yet, think it is 

 not worth the while to take very much pains in fitting the ground. A general 

 rule, with rare exceptions, is that proper care in preparing soil and in giving 

 thorough culture secures, as a requitement, good crops. Good yields are nearly 

 always more remunerative than medium or light crops ; i. e., the extra labor 

 required to produce a large yield is an expense which brings more than ordinary 

 remuneration. This has been demonstrated again and again in a great variety 

 of crops, in care of stock, and diverse occupations. We often excuse our own 

 shortcomings by saying, or thinking at least, that we dp as well as our neigh- 

 bors. 



It is best to fall plow gardens, especially if the ground is heavy. The 

 manure should be well rotted and fine, but if by any mishap it is not in this 

 well-prepared condition, it is well to jdIow it under in autumn and have it poked 

 into the furrow by some attachment to the plow, or by boys following the team. 

 For some early spring crops the ground need not be stirred more than four 

 inches in depth. A good cultivating will often answer the purpose. But for 

 most crops the ground should be carefully plowed after the manure is spread 

 upon the grounds, and should be sub-soiled at least every other year. 



The fine manure should be put on thickly, kept near the surface, and thor- 

 oughly incorporated with the earth. This can be done by plowing shallow both 

 ways, or harrowing several times in different directions. An implement called 

 a planer, constructed simply so as to smooth the ground, should be employed at 

 last to remove all little inequalities. If the ground is lumpy the roller, followed 

 by a light dragging, is good. If the ground is quite light I prefer to roll it 

 just before raking with a garden rake. The raking by hand seems to be a 

 tedious, costly process, but nothing pays better in raising a crop, for thus all 

 lumps may be removed; rubbish which may have been distributed Avith the 

 compost, and the distribution of manure is equalized and made thorough. 

 Strong commercial manures like guano and hen manure should be very evenly 

 and well mixed with the soil, or the result is liable to be disastrous. This was 

 demonstrated in several of our experiments last season. 



IN MARKING THE ROWS 



so as to get them perfectly straight, draw a stout garden line on the side where 

 operations are to begin, and by the side of this line run one tooth of the marker 

 as you carefully pull it, walking backward. Every few lines draw this line 

 again, so as to insure their continuance in right lines. 



Value received is the resultant of economic management in making rows 

 perfectly straight. If crooked the hand or horse cultivator must be set so 

 narrow as to require much more hand working ; and again, the cultivator may 

 accomplish as much going through a row once if straight as twice if the lines 

 are crooked. 



