Vegetable Gardening 



121 



manure to an acre. This would be at the rate of about 

 two pounds to the square foot. < 



Artificial fertilizers are also much used. From one 

 thousand to two thousand pounds of any high-grade 

 " complete fertilizer " may be applied to each acre. 

 A complete fertilizer is one made up of potash, phos- 

 phates, and nitrates. Special fertilizers are sold, con- 

 taining these ingredients in proportions suitable for 

 particular crops as potatoes, strawberries, etc. The 

 potato crop, for example, needs a large amount of potash. 



Garden seeds are so small and the plants, as a rule, are 

 so much more delicate than are those of field crops, that 

 the soil needs to be finer and the surface smoother than 

 is necessary in the fields (Fig. 98). The plowing or 

 spading should be deep in order to give the roots plenty 

 of room in which to search for water and nourishment. 



A complete 

 fertilizer 



Why 

 careful 

 preparation 

 of soil is 

 necessary 



W. T. Stilling 

 FIG. 98. Keep a furrow when spading, and rake while the clods are soft. 



