TILLAGE TO RECEIVE MOISTURE 67 



ways and times of tillage to assist in the escape of surplus moisture 

 is, of course, known to those who have this work to do, but the 

 area in which such acts are called for is comparatively small. It 

 is quite important, however, that the vegetable grower should have 

 it in mind and it will be mentioned later. 



All soil-stirring should be undertaken, as nearly as possible, 

 when the soil is in best condition to receive it that is when it 

 crumbles best. A rough determination of this is to lift a spade full 

 to an adjacent surface and strike it with the flat of the spade. If 

 it crumbles well it is in working condition. In the case of raking 

 or cultivating the crumbling of surface clods indicates similar con- 

 ditions. 



TILLAGE TO RECEIVE MOISTURE. 



This involves both time and method. The importance of early 

 work in the garden has been incidentally mentioned and will be 

 further urged hereafter. With the rainfall-vegetable grower, early 

 plowing of the land, or early digging of the small garden, is the 

 first of a series of timely acts which are neglected at great peril. 



Summer Fallow as Preparation for Vegetable Planting. The 

 best way to be early with one season is to begin in the previous one, 

 if possible. A bare but frequently-stirred summer fallow is the best 

 preparation for a garden. A piece of stubble or new land deeply 

 plowed and subsoiled and left unharrowed in the fall or early win- 

 ter, cross-plowed in the spring, and then worked with a cultivator 

 once a month during the dry season, is brought to the opening of 

 the rainfall garden season in good condition from at least three 

 points of view : first, it has been cleaned of many weeds ; second, it 

 has been improved in tilth and fertility and, third, it has a storage 

 of moisture from the previous season's rainfall. Such a piece of 

 land can be deeply plowed at the opening of the rainy season, and 

 can be at once planted with vegetables for winter use which are 

 hardy in the locality and will carry them along well with its content 

 of stored moisture, even if there be very little rain during the early 

 fall months. Because of its deeply stirred surface, freedom from 

 hardpan from previous cultivation, and moist subsoil, it is in its best 

 absorptive condition and by subsequent shallow working as each 

 vegetable is disposed of, rotation or succession can proceed on the 

 same ground and with the advancing winter and its added rainfall, 

 planting of less hardy vegetables can be made until the frost-free 

 period arrives and the garden will go out into the spring and sum- 

 mer growth of nearly the whole list of hardy and tender plants with 

 ample moisture to carry them to perfection during the dry season 

 if the local rainfall is adequate. 



Early Beginning for Work the Same Season. But it is not 

 always possible to give the year of rest and cleaning and moisture- 

 saving, desirable as it is. In that case the plowing must be done 

 dry or the land deeply irrigated before plowing, or the plowing 

 deferred until the rains sufficiently moisten the soil for deep plow- 



