VEGETABLE PLANTS. 6 1 



off and become in good working order in 

 spring. Then, as soon in the spring as it is in 

 fit condition, it is ploughed and harrowed down 

 finely, and furrowed out in beds about three and 

 a half feet wide. The beds are then raked 

 down, or rather the stones and lumps raked out 

 into the furrows, which leaves the ground very 

 nearly level again. There should, if possible, 

 be ditches enough left so that the water from 

 sudden rains may be carried off, otherwise the 

 beds may suffer from washing during the fre- 

 quent rains which come at this season. What- 

 ever special manure we are to apply may be 

 sown upon the surface and harrowed in before 

 the beds are furrowed out, or, if the quantity 

 is limited and we desire to make it go as far as 

 possible, it may be sown upon the beds after 

 the first raking, which is usually done with a 

 four-tined potato-digging hook. It is then 

 raked again with a steel-toothed rake, care 

 being taken to rake the small stones and lumps 

 to the surface by a movement of the rake 

 lengthwise of the bed, so as not to rake the 

 fertilizer into the ditch, but to thoroughly mix 

 it with the surface soil. 



The bed is then ready for sowing the seeds, 

 which is readily accomplished with a common 



