234 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



of the garden every five years with clover and plow that under as 

 a green manure crop. By this means of getting humus into the 

 soil, we would be able to use more commercial fertilizers, thus 

 avoiding the seeding of the garden with weed seeds in the barnyard 

 manure. 



As soon in the spring as the ground will permit, we commence to 

 stir the soil, using first, some deep working harrow, such as the 

 spring-tooth, and later, a smoothing harrow to fine the surface. 

 After planting has commenced, a weeder may be used to good ad- 

 vantage. 



From the opening of spring until the garden is harvested, cultiva- 

 tion must be thorough and often to keep the weeds under control 

 and the soil in a fine mellow condition and to conserve moisture. 



In selecting garden seeds, we find that the best obtainable are 

 the cheapest, and that it is the most satisfactory to depend upon 

 some reliable seedsman for our seed. 



Our experience is that by planting everything in rows, running 

 the entire length of the garden and three to three and one-half feet 

 apart, so that we can use a horse cultivator, we get very satisfactory 

 results and lessen the hand work very much. With us, in the north- 

 ern part of the State, about the middle of April is as early as we 

 can commence to plant. 



If the soil is dry enough and the weather warm, at that time, we 

 plant a few early potatoes and peas, planting them in furrows 

 thrown out with a shovel plow, putting in some manure or commer- 

 cial fertilizer, and covering rather shallow. If, after coming up, 

 there is danger of frost, the plants may be covered with dirt until 

 the danger is past. 



For early potatoes we use the Stray Beauty and Maull's Thorough- 

 bred; the former is an early variety but a light yielder. With peas 

 and sweet corn we make two or three plantings, so as to have them 

 ready for the table at different times through the summer. For a 

 trellis for the pea vines, poultry netting twenty inches wide stretched 

 along the row will be found practicable, cheap and durable. 



The smaller vegetables are planted in rows the same as the larger 

 ones, first marking out the ground, then with a shovel plow throwing 

 out a furrow just where the row is to be. This furrow is filled with 

 manure nearly to the top of the ground. The dirt is then hoed back 

 into the manure, making a ridge; this ridge is raked down, using 

 first a potato hook with long tines and then a garden rake, so that 

 when the ridge is ready for the seed the top of it is down nearly 

 on a level with the surface and we have a fine, mellow seed bed. 

 The seed is planted by hand, the soil being firmed by tamping with 

 the back of a hoe. I suppose that the superiority of different varie- 

 ties of vegetables varies much with localities. With us, however, 



