THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 193 



capillarity in much the same way the oil rises through a 

 lamp wick. 



Now if something can be done to break up these pores 

 at the surface, the water will be kept within the soil. If the 

 soil is stirred the pores are too large and discontinuous to 

 carry the water to the top. Thus the loose soil on top 

 (mulch, it is called) forms a blanket which keeps the water 

 in the soil. When the ground becomes hardened, as after 

 a rain, the soil packs again, so that the garden should be 

 hoed as soon after a rain as the soil becomes dry, and in 

 general it may be said that the soil should be stirred about 

 once a week. It is literally true that one of the best ways 

 to water a garden is to hoe it. It is seldom necessary to 

 pour water on the garden except in the very driest times. 



Enemies of the garden. Weeds. In nearly every garden 

 there are two enemies that one must meet, weeds and insects. 

 Most soil is filled with seeds of weeds, some of which may 



Rough pigweed Purslane 



FiG. 66. Two common weeds of the garden. 

 O 



