284 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



should locate on land well suited to the purpose. But on the 

 farm he can often better afford to make the land what it should 

 be than to have his garden at an inconvenient distance from the 

 house. I would advise that where possible the farm garden be 

 at the rear of the house, near the kitchen, so that it can be 

 seen and be convenient, and that it be protected on the north 

 and west by a tight board fence or an evergreen hedge. If the 

 land is a stiif, cold clay, draw sand and black loam on it till you 

 get it in the right condition, or if a leachy sand, give it a coat of 

 clay. If you are starting a new garden, manure heavily and 

 plow under, and then top dress with manure. There is no dan- 

 ger of getting the land too rich; but after it is once well ma- 

 nured, it will not need so much, and a light top dressing each 

 year will answer. 



The garden must be thoroughly drained, and, in addition to 

 underdrains, you should always leave it in such shape in the 

 fall as to give good surface drainage, for you can not have an 

 early, mellow garden on land that the water has stood on through 

 the winter. I find fall plowing a great help in getting land in 

 good order for gardening, and the plan which has given the best 

 satisfaction on my farm is to plow in narrow lands, running with 

 the slope of the land, and then open the dead furrows so as to 

 leave them clear and unobstructed for the water. Pains must be 

 taken to provide an outlet for the water, so it will not stand in 

 the furrows and saturate the land. It is surprising how soon 

 land will dry off in the spring and be ready to plant, and how 

 mellow it will be when treated in this way. 



The beginner should not be discouraged if he does not suc- 

 ceed in growing large crops the first year, for it takes several 

 years of manuring and thorough culture to get land into the 

 best condition for growing some of our garden crops. By con- 

 stant, thorough, and clean culture and a dressing of manure each 

 year, the land can be brought to such a condition that there will 

 be little danger of failure of crops. All the manure for the 

 garden should be well composted, so as to kill any foul seeds it 

 may contain, and so that will be in a condition for immediate 

 use. It should always be kept in flat piles, as this will enable 



