Rural School Leaflet 1063 



and press it firmly around them; fill in more soil, pressing it down now 

 and then, until the level of the ground is reached. The secret of the 

 operation is to transfer the plant to a new place without exposing the roots 

 to the air for any length of time, and to see that they are closely covered 

 when reset. 



Cultivation, or the stirring, of the soil has two functions : it kills weeds, 

 and it helps to hold moisture in the soil. Weeds should never be allowed 

 to get a start. Natural moisture is better than water put on with a hose 

 or from a watering pot. Any loose material lying on the surface of the 

 soil will prevent the moisture from evaporating in the heat of the summer 

 sun. You can make the top layer of soil act as the protective covering 

 by keeping it loose and crumbly. After each rain, as soon as the soil can 

 be stirred, take a rake and break up the surface soil. This will soon dry out, 

 and, to one who does not know, will seem too dry. But if this layer of 

 an inch or so of dry soil is brushed off, firm, moist soil will be found under- 

 neath, and it will remain moist even during a long drought. Whether 

 there are weeds or not, you should cultivate whenever the surface becomes 

 packed, in order that at all times the surface soil, or "soil mulch," as it 

 is called, may protect the under soil and save moisture.- 



If watering becomes necessary, do it thoroughly. Do not merely 

 sprinkle the surface of the soil, for the moisture will evaporate in a very 

 short time and leave it baked. Soak the ground well, and, as soon as 

 the surface begins to dry, stir it into a mtdch as you would after a rain. 



There will be injurious insects and diseases in the garden ; but the better 

 kept the garden is, and the healthier the plants are, the less the danger 

 will be. If the trouble is serious, find out what causes it, and ask some one 

 who can help you what to do to control it. See page 1066. 



In the fall the garden plot should be cleared and left in good condition 

 for the winter. All vegetables that are usable should be carefully harvested 

 and stored where they will keep. The vines and the plants should be 

 pulled and piled, the sweet com should be cut and shocked, and the garden 

 should be cultivated and raked until it is free from weeds and is in good 

 order. If the soil is heavy, plow or spade it in the fall. 



All that is written here, and much more that might be written, is of 

 little value compared to your own personal study and care of the garden. 

 There are a few general rules for gardening, but there are, in addition, 

 hundreds of detailed practices that will come to one who watches intelli- 

 gently and who loves to make things grow vigorously and well. The 

 rules we have tried to give; the details you must find out for yourselves. 

 If you have a garden that is worth while this summer, if you plan it thought- 

 fiilly, and if you care for it faithfully, you will find one of the real pleasures 

 of life. In years to come, no spring will approach without finding you 



