THE VEGETABLE GAEDEN 243 



The crops in Plans I-V may be planted in the spring 

 as soon as the frost is out of the ground ; it will not 

 injure them if the ground freezes after the seeds are in. 

 In central latitudes, such as Boston, Chicago, and Kansas 

 City, these gardens may be planted from the fifteenth 

 of March to the first of April. Where there is sufficient 

 moisture in the soil, fall plantings may be made from 

 the fifteenth of August to the first of September. In 

 the Southern states, plant in February for early spring 

 crops, and from September to November for winter use. 

 Plans IX-XIV may be planted as a succession after the 

 crops in Plans I -III are harvested. 



Plants which mature at about the same time should 

 be kept together, so that the whole plot may be sown in 

 vetch or some other fall cover crop just as soon as the 

 crop is harvested. 



Planting the gardens. After the earth has been spaded 

 and raked over, stretch a line the entire length of the 

 plot, so that the rows in the small gardens will join to 

 form continuous rows in the large area. Plant the middle 

 rows first, then those outside. So far as possible, a row 

 should contain crops that require about the same atten- 

 tion and mature at about the same time. This method 

 will economize space and enable the student to learn 

 the use of the wheel hoe. 



Watering the garden. The land can usually be kept 

 moist by keeping a loose layer of soil on the surface. 

 After every rain cultivate the garden as soon as it can 

 be worked. During severely dry weather in midsummer 



