MAKING THE GARDEN 



handle of the rake up straight and pounding with 

 the flat of the rake helps break lumps beautifully^ 



Now you will find you have scattered loose earth 

 all over your paths, and the lines of your beds have 

 grown very crooked; this is where Mr. Hoe helps. 

 Stand opposite the line you wish to straighten and 

 draw the earth from the path on to the bed. The 

 back or smooth edge of the rake would do this too. 

 This part of the rake is often used to give the final 

 touches to nice garden work. 



If you are making a border bed such as we just 

 spoke of you cannot stand opposite the edge of the 

 bed to draw loose earth in, so you use the back of 

 the rake and push it until you have a straight line. 



I presume you think your garden is ready to 

 plant, but no indeed ! You would be sowing seeds 

 in a down quilt and there would be so many puffy 

 air pockets in the soil your poor seed babies could 

 never get a firm foothold. 



If your garden is large and you can get the use 

 of a lawn roller, put it on your bed (and paths too 

 if you wish). This will press the earth particles 

 together and squeeze the air out. If your garden 

 is a heavy clay soil it will need only a little rolling, 

 if a light sandy loam it will need more. I presume 

 very few of you will use a roller, as they are not 



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