Planting 61 



Clearing the land. 



In making a beginning in vegetable-growing, it is best 

 to start aright. The greater part of our unimproved land 

 has to be cleared, and this should be done thoroughly; 

 every stalk, stick, or chunk should be removed from the 

 field. It is a waste of time and money to go into vegetable- 

 growing as a temporary vocation; it is as deserving of 

 and demands as constant and careful attention as any 

 other branch of horticulture. Therefore if one can only 

 half clear ten acres, it would be better completely to clear 

 five acres. It has been seen repeatedly that a small 

 piece of land well taken care of brings a greater return than 

 double the amount poorly cared for. The familiar adage, 

 "What is worth doing, is worth doing well," has full force 

 in vegetable-growing. 



Plowing. 



If the soil is light and sandy, deep plowing may prove 

 detrimental to a field that is to be planted immediately, 

 but some time during the year it should be stirred deeply 

 and well. The subsoil is often so hard that the roots of 

 the plant cannot enter, and so must remain near the sur- 

 face and be at the mercy of any short drought that may 

 occur; whereas, if the soil were twice as deep, it could 

 stand a much longer drought. Many subsoils do not 

 allow the water to soak through them ; other subsoils 

 let the surplus water through slowly. In either case, 

 the mechanical condition of the soil would be improved 

 by an occasional deep plowing. Besides giving the roots a 

 greater feeding space, the tilling of the soil acts as a kind 



