LESSONS FROM THE WINNERS 261 



term of years ; and so have this year set apart a spot 

 never worked as a garden before. As it was very 

 rich I have not plowed under any manure. When 

 ready to plant in the spring I shall plow again and 

 use some commercial fertilizer for certain crops. I 

 find that no part of my farm yields more toward the 

 support of my family than my garden, and so 1 am not 

 very caretul to limit the extent of its bounds. 



I find that it does not pay to begin work in 

 the garden too soon in the spring, especially if 

 the soil be clay. I have seen some gardens spoiled 

 for the entire season by plowing when too wet. 

 The soil was heavy at plowing and made more 

 so by the heavy rains of spring and the sun- 

 shine. Of all discouraging places to work, a hard- 

 baked garden is the most so. But when the earth is 

 fairly dry and warm, I plow and thoroughly harrow 

 my garden. If the ground be old, a liberal supply of 

 commercial fertilizer should be harrowed in. We used 

 to plant some kind of vegetables, such as onions, rad- 

 ishes and beets, in square or oblong beds ; but we some 

 time ago learned that too much labor was required to 

 keep the weeds subdued, and have since put everything 

 into rows, so that the horse and cultivator may do the 

 work formerly done by hand. 



The preliminaries arranged, what shall we put in 

 our garden? With us, this plan prevails. Peas and 

 onions go in first. We aim to have new peas by the 

 latter part of June or the Fourth of July at the latest. 

 Then come early potatoes. Our favorites are Early 

 Vermont and Early Market. At first a couple of rows 

 are planted lengthwise of the garden, to be followed 

 in a week or two by another two rows. These furnish 

 new potatoes to go with the peas for the Fourth, and 

 our table supply all summer long comes from these 

 few rows in the garden. 



