226 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



sown in drills. For peas or beans a deeper drill may be made with 

 the plow attachment of a wheel hoe. After the seed is dropped, it 

 is covered with a rake, or in the case of deep planting, with a hoe, or 

 a wheel hoe. The soil is firmed over the seed by the use of the feet, 

 the back of a hoe, or a garden roller. Whatever the means em- 

 ployed, the firming must be thorough, especially in light soil or dry 

 weather ; for unless the soil is brought in close contact with the seeds, 

 they will not germinate. (U. 111. B. 154.) 



Cultivation. By the proper cultivation of the garden there is 

 accomplished three things : (1) The weeds are kept out so that they 

 do not shade or take away valuable plant food and moisture from the 

 plants which one desires to perfect. (2) The surface soil is brought 

 into the best condition to resist drouth ; that is, into the best condition 

 for availing itself to the utmost of the stores of water in the subsoil 

 and to prevent the evaporation of this water from the surface soil. 

 (3) The stores of insoluble plant food are made soluble by the 

 chemical action and fermentation, which are increased by loosening 

 the soil, thereby letting in the air. 



Keeping Out the Weeds. The methods best adapted for keeping 

 the weeds out of the garden are many and varied, and depend much 

 upon the condition and kind of soil in which the weeds grow; upon 

 the kind of crop and upon the habits of the weeds themselves. The 

 most important step in making easy the prevention of weeds in the 

 garden is the harrowing or other thorough cultivation of the land 

 just before the planting of the seed, to kill the young weeds. If this 

 is done thoroughly, the weeds do not have a better chance than the 

 crop. If this is not done, the weeds will be ahead of the crop in 

 growth, and if started even ever so little when the crop is planted, the 

 result generally is that the crop is seriously overgrown by them before 

 it is large enough to be cultivated. This is a common mistake, and 

 is, perhaps, responsible for more failures in the garden than any 

 other factor which enters into the consideration of this subject; and 

 it is a very simple matter to prevent any trouble from this source 

 if a little foresight is exercised. 



Early Cultivation to Kill Weeds. The next most important 

 factor in the prevention of weeds in the garden is early cultivation. 

 In the case of seeds that require a long time to germinate, it is an 

 excellent plan to lightly rake over the land with an ordinary fine- 

 toothed rake, even before the crop appears above the ground, pro- 

 viding the work is so carefully done as not to disturb the seeds. 

 When the seed is sown with a drill, the line of the row may be 

 plainly seen even before the plants come up, thus making it easy to 

 commence cultivating it in advance of the weeds. In case of such 

 crops as carrots, onions, parsnips and beets, which are quite delicate 

 when young, cultivation should begin with some hand garden culti- 

 vator, even if it is intended later on to cultivate with a horse, and 

 the crop is planted with this purpose in view. Such close and care- 

 ful work cannot be done with any horse implement now in use as 

 with the best hand implements. With proper tools, the work may 

 be done nearly as quickly by hand as by horse power, and far more 



