io8 Soil and Fertilization 



the soil and kills the bugs. Water which has been 

 used for washing clothes or dishes will answer the 

 purpose just as well as fresh water. 



To prepare compost, secure fresh manure, either 

 fresh or partly rotted. Pile it up in a pile about 

 three or four feet all dimensions, moisten thor- 

 oughly, and let stand a week. Turn it over and 

 moisten again. Repeat several times until it 

 seems thoroughly rotted. This is a natural 

 fertilizer and there is nothing better for certain 

 vegetables. All artificial fertilizers try to imitate 

 the qualities of compost in a concentrated form. 



Composted manure should be spread on the soil 

 to a depth of two or three inches and thoroughly 

 worked in. The amount used must be determined 

 by the nature of the plants to be grown 



Be careful to remove all sticks, trash and stone 

 from manure before putting it on the garden. This 

 foreign material will not fertilize and will only 

 retard the growth of the roots and young plants. 



Commercial fertilizers are usually very strongly 

 condensed and should not be put on the soil too 

 heavily. As a rule, they should not be put on the 

 roots, but should be placed in the ground several 



