FERTILIZING THE SOIL 



As a rule, a garden needs 

 all the fertilizer the owner 

 can secure. 



For your garden patch, 

 buy a load of well-rotted 

 horse manure, or horse ma- 

 nure and cow manure 

 mixed. Fresh manure is 

 not so good; it. contains 

 weed seeds and causes the 

 soil to dry out. Spread the 

 manure evenly with the 

 spading fork. Cover the 

 garden plot from 2 to 4 

 inches deep. 



Throw all kinds of plant 

 materials, as sods, grass, weeds, leaves, and stalks, into 

 a pit or in a pile near the garden. Cover them with earth 

 and allow them to remain till rotted. Material of this kind 

 is called compost. Another summer it will help fertilize 

 your garden. 



Commercial fertilizers may be used to help out if you 

 cannot get enough good manure. In using these fertilizers, 

 follow the directions that are sent with them. 



If the soil is heavy or sour, use 2 pounds of air-slaked lime 

 to every 5 square yards of garden. Spread it over the sur- 

 face of the soil after the spading is done, and rake it in. Ask 

 an experienced gardener whether he thinks your soil needs 

 lime. Heavy clay soils and poorly drained soils are es- 

 pecially likely to be sour. 



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