SECTION IV 

 THE REAL GARDEN 



CHAPTER XXIV 



STARTING THE OLD GARDEN 



IF one has an old garden, which other members of the fam- 

 ily have worked in previous years, or if one even has a garden 

 which was dug last fall, so that the frost has been mellowing 

 the ground all winter, then the work of beginning the outdoor 

 garden year is not very difficult. 



The first thing to do is to watch until the frost is out of the 

 ground. From time to time we test the soil with a fork, or 

 with a crowbar. As the days pass and the sun grows stronger, 

 the tool will go deeper and deeper, until at length the time 

 arrives when the fork can be thrust into the ground to the full 

 depth of its tines. Then the real work of the garden is almost 

 upon us. 



It is not wise, however, to dig the garden until by a few 

 experiments we make sure that the ground is dry enough to 

 be worked. Wet or clayey soil will lump or puddle unless 

 we wait until it is sufficiently dry to crumble when lifted with 

 the fork. 



But when the time comes, then all the open garden may be 

 dug. First the bare ground is spaded ; it will be ready first. 

 Spade next the ground which last fall was in sod. Get out all 

 the living roots of witch-grass or perennial weeds such as 

 sorrel. The frost has killed many of them ; be sure you get 

 the rest. Finally spade in the cover-crops, taking care to 



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