130 AGRONOMY 



made to approach ideal conditions the better. If the garden 

 is to contain fruit trees, these should be placed along the 

 north line or otherwise disposed so that they will not shade 

 the growing crops. 



Preparing the soil. The best soil is a deep and moderately 

 light loam, but here, again, one must make the best of his 

 situation. Large stones should be removed, but small ones 

 may remain. Gravelly soils are early soils because during the 

 day the stones absorb much heat which they radiate at night. 

 If the soil is a stiff clay, it may be lightened by the addition 

 of sand, coal ashes, lime, stable manure, dead leaves, and other 

 litter. Sandy soils may be improved by digging into them 

 anything that will add humus, and any soil will be benefited 

 by the application of well-rotted manure. The soil should be 

 made mellow by plowing or deep spading, all lumps should 

 be broken up with the rake or hoe, and the surface finally 

 leveled with a rake. The care with which the seed bed is 

 made will be reflected in the crops. It is not economy to 

 plant until the soil has been properly prepared. 



The garden plan. Before planting, a plan of the garden 

 drawn to scale should be made. In this plan all paths and 

 permanent crops and the area devoted to each vegetable 

 should be indicated. By this means one can discover in 

 advance exactly how many plants he will have room for, and 

 can plant any part of his space without encroaching upon 

 that reserved for other things. Permanent plants, such as 

 raspberries, currants, asparagus, and rhubarb, should be re- 

 stricted to the borders where they will not interfere with the 

 cultivation of the other crops year after year. Many paths 

 should be avoided, but those that are maintained should enable 

 one to reach all parts of the garden expeditiously and should 

 be wide enough to permit of being traversed with a wheel- 

 barrow. It is no longer the custom to plant the smaller 

 vegetables in narrow beds. They should be planted in rows, 



