38 BIGGLE GARDEN BOOK 



board or barn floor, and regulate it to drop correctly 

 before using it in the field. 



VARIETIES TO PLANT. Every locality has its 

 favorite varieties. In a general book, such as mine, 

 it is not feasible to give long lists of varieties ; the 

 best I can do is to mention, in the different chapters 

 about vegetables, etc., a few standard varieties that 

 do well almost anywhere. Write to your state ex- 

 periment station and ask for a list of varieties best 

 suited to local climate and soil. As for new kinds 

 "novelties" go slow. Try a few in a small way 

 each season, but don't discard the time-tested varie- 

 ties until a novelty is proved to be better. 



TIME TO Sow. This varies, of course, in the dif- 

 ferent sections of the country. Consult the chapters 

 about vegetables, etc., where approximate dates suited 

 to the latitude of Pennsylvania are given. Allow 

 about five days' difference for each 100 miles north 

 or south of this latitude. 



ROTATION OF CROPS. Supposing that you were 

 a radish or a melon and had to grow up every sum- 

 mer in the same spot in the same little field, eat the 

 same food, and fight the same old bugs and fungous 

 diseases year after year well, wouldn't you get tired 

 and stunted and hungry for a change of air, scene 

 and food? Of course! Then don't forget to change 

 the location of the different crops each season. Fol- 

 low corn with potatoes, or beets, or something else, 

 but don't follow corn with corn, or potatoes with 

 potatoes. Systematic rotation of crops is a great 

 help in the fight against insects and fungi. 



"Puddling" means to dip the roots of dug plants 

 in thin mud, preliminary to transplanting into the 

 open field. In very dry weather this process helps to 

 keep the roots from drying. 



