THE HOME GARDEN 287 



a sand ridge; cucumbers and celery prefer the low, damp 

 ground. 



The mechanical preparation of the garden soil. The ideal 

 garden soil preparation is to manure and plow the land in 

 the fall. This practice will aid in rotting the manure and 

 any other organic matter that might be turned under. It 

 also helps to destroy injurious insects, diseases, and weeds, 

 and to improve the physical texture of the soil. If 

 the land is naturally loose, it need not be plowed again in 

 the spring, especially for the early short-season crops. In 

 such case, disking or deep cultivation will be sufficient. If 

 the earth is tight, or even in the case of loose textured soil 

 which has become much packed during the winter, it is bet- 

 ter to plow again in the spring. 



The seed-bed. The best way to prepare a seed-bed is as 

 follows : first, disk and harrow ; then plow, disk, and har- 

 row in order, until the ground is thoroughly pulverized and 

 properly compacted. A drag should be' used if necessary 

 to convert the surface to a finely pulverized condition. In 

 this connection the compacting of the soil should be empha- 

 sized. Many people fail to work the soil sufficiently because 

 they fear it will become packed. This is a mistake, as most 

 plants need a somewhat compact soil in order to be able to 

 gain a foothold. The above method will insure a fine pul- 

 verization of the soil to the full depth of the plowing, and 

 a sufficiently compact soil as well. 



Some vegetables can not be planted until May or June. 

 In the case of land to be devoted to such crops, a shallow 

 mulch should be maintained until planting time. This will 



