A SELF-SUPPORTING HOME 



from the natural desire of the amateur to 

 get to work. Earth ploughed, dug, or hoed 

 when wet or soggy will bake and crust all 

 summer. The right consistency can be as- 

 certained by picking up a handful and squeez- 

 ing it. If it remains a solid lump, it is too 

 wet; but when it presses together easily 

 and as readily falls apart when released, it 

 is just in the right condition to work, will 

 turn a clean furrow, and will readily crumble 

 under the harrow. 



Flower and vegetable seeds planted in the 

 nursery boxes last month will need watch- 

 ing from the middle to the end of this month ; 

 for what is called "damping off" is very apt 

 to appear. It can be easily detected by the 

 sickly appearance of the seedlings, followed 

 by a shrivelling or burning of the stem close 

 to the earth. The moment the danger sig- 

 nal is noticed, prick out into fresh boxes of 

 corresponding size, or a trifle deeper. The 

 seedlings need not be planted more than 

 half an inch apart. Prepare the. mould in 

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