68 GARDENING FOR YOUNG AND OLD. 



field culture, a good plan is to mark off the ground into 

 rows, four feet apart each way, then run a double mould- 

 board plow along the mark, botli ways. Put one or two 

 good forkfuls of well-rotted manure vhere these furrows 

 cross each other; then with a hoe, or potato hook, break 

 up the manure very fine, and work it into the soil. Turn 

 the soil back again on top of the manure with a plow, 

 going on both sides of the row lengthwise and crosswise; 

 follow the plow with a roller, going both ways of the 

 rows. By doing this, the hills will be four feet apart 

 each way, with manure underneath, and a bed of rich, 

 mellow soil for the seed. I find it desirable, after using 

 the roller, to go over the piece again with a four-foot 

 marker,, both ways, as this insures straight rows. Drop 

 ten or twelve seeds in each hill, and after the plants are 

 well up, and have got pretty well out of the reach of the 

 Striped -bug, gradually thin them out, until in the end, 

 you leave only four of the strongest plants in each hill. 

 The after cultivation consists simply in working the soil 

 with a cultivator or one-horse plow, both ways between 

 the rows, removing all weeds from the hills with a hoe, 

 at the same time pulling up a little fresh soil around the 

 plants if necessary. 



Another plan is, to mark off the land into rows four 

 or five feet apart, run the double mould-board plow along 

 the mark, spread the manure in the furrow, and cover it 

 up by running the plow on both sides of the row; then 

 roll, mark the land again, and drill in the seed in the 

 mark just over the manure. Some may think it unneces- 

 sary to go over the land the second time with the marker, 

 but it is very important to have the rows straight, as any 

 boy will find when he undertakes to run a cultivator 

 within an inch of the plants in the row. In drilling in 

 the seed, set the drill to drop a seed each two or three 

 inches, and to cover not over an inch deep. As the plants 

 grow, keep them well cultivated, and thin out until you 



