38 MARKET GARDENING 



The home garden should be thoroughly prepared and 

 well fertilized for the best results. A heavy dressing of 

 manure is always essential and will often be the only fer- 

 tilizer necessary, but a dressing of chemical fertilizer will 

 give returns far greater than the investment necessary for 

 its use. Frequent and thorough cultivation should be given 

 and, as conditions may require it, some form of irrigation 

 should be practiced. Frequent cultivation largely elimi- 

 nates the necessity of irrigation as the cultivation maintains 

 a dust mulch which acts as a conserver of the moisture 

 already in the soil. 



Such crops as carrots, beets, turnips and parsnips are 

 easily stored either in the ground or in a cool cellar. When 

 the house cellar contains a furnace, one end of the cellar 

 may often be partitioned off so that the air in it is constantly 

 cool and fresh. Root crops stored in cellars should be buried 

 in moist sand and kept as cool as possible without freezing. 

 When there is no cellar available for storing the root crops, 

 pits may be used to advantage. The location of the pit 

 should be on well-drained soil. A sandy soil is best for this 

 purpose as it affords good drainage. The pit should be 

 about three feet deep and the roots should be covered to a 

 depth of from six to eighteen inches, depending upon the 

 locality and the season. Ventilation should be provided 

 by placing short lengths of tile in the pit, slanted away 

 from the prevailing winds. The tile should extend at least 

 two inches above the surface of the pit. The soil thrown 

 over the pit should have sufficient crown to cause it to shed 

 water easily. Cabbage may be stored in a pit or in a cool 

 cellar when placed on shelves or in small well-ventilated 

 bins. 



42. School Gardens. As the excellent custom of plant- 

 ing and caring for vegetable and flower gardens as a part of 



