THE VEGETABLE GARDEN I3I 



BREEZY NOTES BY WOMAN GARDENER 



" Truckers say that after seed is sown we should 

 either roll, slap, or tramp the ground," says Mrs. 

 Preston Kuntz of Pennsylvania. " I never do that 

 This method should be used only on dry and sandy 

 soil. I gently pat with my hand or the hoe; this 

 is sufficient to settle the ground. If a dashing rain 

 comes I loosen the ground with a rake as soon as 

 fit. A heavy soil should not get even the gentle 

 pat. In setting plants I give the soil only a gentle 

 squeeze. I open chicken eggs at the small end, 

 use the eggs and save the shells. In these I sow 

 watermelons, lima beans, etc. When signs of life 

 are showing, I open the other end of the shell to let 

 out the roots. I set them in old calico bags, made 

 about the size of a 5-cent salt bag. When the 

 weather permits I set them in the garden. The 

 bags soon decay. 



" I sow onion seed in rows 2 feet broad and 50 

 feet long. I do not wait for weeds to sprout in 

 hotbed or garden before sowing. Weeds are a 

 blessing. Millions of them come up, but I soon 

 remove them when they are the size of a pin. This 

 loosens the ground around the onions and encour- 

 ages quick growth. A man could not do this. He 

 is too clumsy. It requires deft fingers. Methods, 

 like authorities, are guides. One must use his own 

 judgment and select what is most suitable. 

 Through my hotbed runs a cement walk. Tender 

 plants started in the house in boxes are placed on 

 the walk during the day and kept in a living room 

 at night. After my garden is plowed there is about 

 2 feet of ground along the fence left unturned. 

 This I plant to strawberries to save spading. Melon 

 vines are delicate. Flour will kill them, so will a 



