PROJECTS 611 



rake it fine, then compact it with a lawn roller, and finally loosen a 

 shallow surface bed for the reception of the seed. 



Grass should be sowed in the late fall or the early spring. If 

 in the fall, September and October are the favorable months, de- 

 pending on the time when the fall rains set in. It is not well to do 

 the seeding during a dry period, unless one has at his disposal arti- 

 ficial means for watering. Fall planting has the advantage of allow- 

 ing a number of weeds to germinate and be killed by the frosts. 



In localities where there is low winter temperature and little 

 snow, fall planting is not so successful. In such cases, the soil 

 should be prepared in the fall so as to allow the weed seed to ger- 

 minate and the young weeds to be killed. Then sow to grass seed 

 as soon as the soil can be broken up in the spring and in time to 

 get the benefit of the warm rains of early spring. 



PROJECT XXXVI. How to Prepare Soil for the Home Vegetable 

 or Flower Garden, pages 307-339 



Loam is the best garden soil. It needs practically no modification 

 except the liberal addition of manure or artificial fertilizer. As 

 much as 600 pounds of manure a year may be applied with advan- 

 tage to a garden plot 20 feet square. Coarse manure should be 

 applied in the fall and thoroughly spaded under. In the spring, 

 fine, well-rotted manure should be applied just before spading. 

 This spring spading should work the soil to a depth of 10 or 12 

 inches. Carefully fine the soil as deep as possible with a rake and 

 smooth the surface for laying off into rows. Tomatoes, eggplants, 

 and other plants that require long growing seasons are materially 

 benefited by an application of well-rotted manure between rows 

 when the plants are about half-grown. 



But the back-yard gardener, cannot choose his soil. He may have 

 light, sandy soil or heavy compact clay instead of the desirable 

 loam. Much can be done in either case to improve the garden 

 plot. The sandy soil needs the addition of abundant manure to en- 

 rich it and to make it more retentive of moisture. If a supply of 

 moisture is lacking, the best substitute is compost. Every gardener 



