80 Nebraska State Horticultural Society. 



den planting it would pay even to use a line to make the rows by, in 

 order to have them straight. ' 



The taller plants are put at the back both to serve as a back- 

 ground of green for the smaller flowers in front and also to screen off 

 the vegetable gardeij and nursery from the general ornamental plant- 

 ings on the school grounds. 



Such small things as radishes and lettuce may be in rows not over 

 a foot apart. Salsify, Carrots, Beets, Parsnips, Onions and the like 

 should have the rows from a foot to eighteen inches apart at the least. 

 Bush Beans and Dwarf Peas will grow well with a space of eighteen 

 inches to two feet apart. Cabbage should have two to three feet be- 

 tween rows, and Tomatoes (especially of the larger kinds) four or five 

 feet. The flowers will grow well even if planted rathel^ thickly. The 

 individual plants, however, will be better and the blooms larger if the 

 plants have considerable room. Most of these things should be planted 

 rather thickly and thinned out after they are well started. The dis- 

 tances suggested here are for the general school garden. 



For individual gardens, especially if the children are situated so 

 they can use a horse cultivator in caring for the plants, the rows should 

 be farther apart. This will be found a great saving of labor not only 



in school gardens, but in most farm gardens as well. 



* 



The Preparation of the Ground for Gardens. 



The ground to be used for the growing of flowers, vegetables or 

 other small plants should be very carefully prepared early in the spring. 

 If it is where it will not be run over too much it would better be pre- 

 pared in the fall. If the plat is small, spading would be more satisfac- 

 tory than plowing. It should be spaded very deeply. If it is possible 

 to secure some fine, well rotted barnyard manure, a good dressing of it 

 should be applied to the ground and spaded in. Never use coarse stable 

 litter for gardens or flower beds, as this material is apt to keep the 

 ground so loose that it will dry out badly during the summer. If the 

 soil is heavy, fine manure will make it lighter and therefore more 

 easily worked. If the garden must be made in sandy land, the manure 

 will be needed all the more to add fertility and to increase the water 

 holding power of the soil. Care should be used to break up any lumps 

 that there may be. After spading, the garden should be thoroughly 

 raked until the surface is fine and mellow. It will not hurt to step on 

 the garden occasionally in raking. After deep spading it will be all the 

 better for some firming. Never disturb the ground with spade, rake, 

 hoe or cultivator while wet. This is especially important in heavy soils. 



