The Home Garden 



the ground first is not the one who is surest of 

 growing the earliest or the best crops. 



The soil of the garden should be in a condi- 

 tion to pulverize readily before anything is 

 sown in it. Lumpy soil means the failure of 

 a good deal of seed to grow. 



I have already spoken of the use of the har- 

 row, after plowing, to level the surface of the 

 ground. We will suppose that this has been 

 done, and that the soil is warm and dry enough 

 to warrant us in getting it ready for seed. The 

 first thing to do is to bring out our diagram and 

 lay out our garden. Provide yourself with a 

 line to stretch lengthwise of the rows, and 

 insure getting them perfectly straight. Never 

 plant "by guess." Of course vegetables grown 

 in crooked, straggling rows will be just as satis- 

 factory in quality as those grown in straight 

 ones, but they never look as well while grow- 

 ing, and the true gardener will take quite as 

 much pride in the appearance of his garden 

 as he does in what he grows in it. 



Set a stake firmly at each end of the row, 

 draw your line tautly, and mark out the row 

 by it. Then go over each row marked out 

 with the cultivator, or, if you do not have one 



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