PRACTICAL GARDENING 



sary to make this home comfortable for the 

 plant by supplying moisture, air and sufficient 

 food for growth. The foundation of success 

 in gardening is therefore the proper prepara- 

 tion of the soil before planting. 



The sod should not be stripped from the 

 surface of your new garden. It is the most 

 valuable kind of fertilizer, in that it not only 

 adds plant food but changes the texture of 

 the soil. Turn the sod under early in the 

 spring so that it has a chance to decay before 

 planting the seed. If the sod is turned over 

 and the rough, large clods are left exposed 

 to the elements, both the air and moisture will 

 hasten decay and after a week the soil may be 

 made fine in order to proceed with the 

 garden operations. The more decaying plants 

 you can incorporate into the soil in the form 

 of straw in manure and sod, the better chance 

 the plants have during a drought, for this 

 humus acts like a sponge in holding the mois- 

 ture and if the surface soil is kept fine the 

 moisture does not escape. 



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