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CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



that the pullers use judgment in preparing the plants. Unless the 

 plants have been recently clipped in the bed, both tops and roots 

 need clipping when pulled, so as to leave the main or taproot about 

 two and one-half or three inches long, and the tops clipped of the 

 surplus leaves. They are usually put in large-sized milk pans, the 

 roots kept wet and delivered to the planters in the pans. The spacer 

 makes the holes for the plants just ahead of the planter. Both the 

 furrows and holes for plants should be freshly made so as to have 

 no dry dirt to hinder the planters, who should be careful and pains- 

 taking, as the plants need to be put in the proper depth, the roots 

 straight and the soil well firmed around each plant and no unfilled 

 space beneath the plant to dry out. A crew should plant from an 

 acre to an acre and a half per day, according to the condition of the 

 land and the proper oversight of the force. This mode of planting 

 leaves the plants from four to six inches below the general level. 



Crowding. The next operation is called crowding, which is 

 done by a tool made as follows : Take a common iron or steel culti- 

 vator, take the standards and shovels all off, then take two pieces 

 of steel one-fourth of an inch thick, six inches wide and four feet 

 long. Sharpen one edge of each piece and bolt to the outside frames 

 of the cultivator so that the tops of the steel bars are about even 

 with the top of the frame and on top of the rear half of each, add 

 eight or ten inches of heavy sheet iron. The front of these blades 

 should be from five to six inches apart and the rear about thirty 

 inches. In a week or ten days after planting, hitch two steady 

 horses to this tool and crowd the dirt away from each side of the 

 rows. This kills the new weeds just starting and covers up all 

 in the middle of the rows and leaves a ridge of loose soil. Follow 

 this by going over each row and filling in all the missing plants with 

 strong vigorous ones and uncover any plants covered by clods or 

 loose dirt; then take a light, narrow hoe and draw between each 

 plant. When plants get larger, work the soil back to them to prevent 

 spreading. Keep well tilled, and soil moist by irrigation if necessary. 



Rolling. The handling of the soil after "crowding" is described 

 by Stanly S. Rogers in this way: The earth between the rows of 

 plants is left in a ridge after the plants have been "crowded." A 

 large wooden roller which extends across several rows is now used 

 to flatten down these ridges and pack to soil more firmly. The roller 

 is used only when the plants are small, otherwise they would be in- 

 jured by being crushed. When the plants have grown sufficiently 



