VEGETABLE GARDENING. 31 



shallow cultivation during the period of drought. The first 

 implements to use in the care of such crops as are generally 

 cultivated by hand are those that work the soil to only a very 

 slight depth, close to the plants. Such implements may be used 

 just as the seedlings are breaking ground. As soon as the 

 plants have gained some little strength, implements should be 

 used that will go deeper, until a depth of two or three inches 

 can be easily worked without endangering the safety of the 

 crop by covering the plants with dirt. It is doubtful if any 

 of our garden crops should ever be cultivated more than three 

 inches deep, and it is very certain that many crops are in- 

 jured by cultivating deeply very close to the plants, in which 

 case the roots are cut off near their upper ends and thus 

 wholly destroyed. Cultivation in a period of drought results 

 in forming a mulch or blanket of dry earth on the surface of 

 the land, which prevents the moisture from passing into the 



Figure 5.— Iron Age horse hoe. 



atmosphere, and a rather shallow dust blanket, say two inches 

 deep, accomplishes this purpose. A compact subsoil readily 

 transmits the water upwards to the surface soil in the same 

 manner that a lamp wick carries the oil to the flame. At the 

 surface the soil water is prevented from evaporating by the 

 blanket of loose earth, and is thus saved in the upper subsoil 

 and lower and middle parts of the furrow slice for the roots 

 of the crop. Loose surface soil is a good non-conductor of 

 water. During the growth of a crop the surface soil should 

 never be left long with a crust on it, but should be stirred 

 after each rain or artificial watering. 



Cultivation to Develop Plant Food. — Nearly all land in this 

 section contains immense quantities of plant food. Professor 



