CONSERVING MOISTURE 7 



since learned that if the plants in my borders can- 

 not take care of themselves for a few weeks, they 

 are little comfort to me. 



PREPARATION OF THE LAND 



Having now discussed the most essential ele- 

 ments of gardening, we may give our attention 

 to such minor features as the preparation of the 

 land, fertilizing, and the details of planting. 

 Almost any land contains enough food for the 

 growing of good crops, but the food elements may 

 be chemically unavailable, or there may be insuffi- 

 cient water to dissolve them. It is too long a 

 story to explain _ the philosophy of tillage at this 

 place, and the reader who desires to make excur- 

 sions into this delightful subject should consult 

 King on "The Soil" and Roberts on "The Fer- 

 tility of the Land." The reader must accept the 

 bare statement that tilling the land makes it pro- 

 ductive. 



THE SAVING OF MOISTURE. Proper preparation 

 and tillage also put the land in such condition that 

 it holds the water of rainfall. Land which is very 

 hard and compact may shed the rainfall, particu- 

 larly if it is sloping and if the surface is bare of 

 vegetation. If the hard-pan is near the surface, 

 the land cannot hold much water, and any ordi- 

 nary rainfall may fill it so full that it overflows, 

 or puddles stand on the surface. Upon land which 

 is in good tilth, the water of rainfall sinks away, 



