378 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



Tillage and Tools. — The importance of thorough tillage in the pro- 

 duct ion of vegetables cannot be over-emphasized. It counts for high yields 

 as well as high quality. The conservation of soil moisture should be kept 

 constantly in mind. Vegetables are composed largely of water and enor- 

 mous quantities of it are required in their growth. Fall plowing is often 

 advisable, especially in clay soils which are to be planted early the follow- 

 ing spring. Early spring plowing, followed by immediate harrowing, is 

 favorable to the retention of moisture. 



The prudent garden maker will possess at least a small assortment of 

 carefully selected modern tools or implements. Of the hand tools, the 

 hand seed-drill and hand wheel-hoe are great time and energy savers and 

 should be employed in all market gardens and in most home gardens. A 

 variety of hand hoes and rakes should also be available. 



Stable Manures. — All classes of vegetable growers recognize the value 

 of stable manure. It not only supplies plant food, but adds humus to the 

 soil, thus making it more retentive of moisture and more favorable to 

 chemical and bacteriological changes which are essential to plant growth. 

 Horse manure is most universally employed. Market gardeners nearly 

 always compost it in large piles, winch are kept moist and turned one or 

 more times before the manure is used. If the piles have rectangular sides 

 and are kept moist there will be practically no loss of fertility during the 

 process of composting. From four to six w r eeks of composting will kill all 

 weed-seeds and leave the manure in the finest state of texture. Cow manure 

 is most excellent for all classes of vegetables, but it is slower in action than 

 In use manure. Sheep and poultry manures are rich in nitrogen and their 

 texture makes them particularly desirable for vegetable gardening. 



Cover Crops. — In vegetable gardening it is absolutely essential to 

 maintain the supply of vegetable matter in the soil. If stable manures are 

 not available, cover crops must be produced for mammal purposes. The 

 legumes, such as vetch, cowq3eas, soy beans and the clovers, are most 

 desirable, provided they can be grown satisfactorily, because they mate- 

 rially add to the supply of soil nitrogen. Rye, oats and buckwheat, how- 

 ever, can often be used to great advantage. The usual practice is to sow 

 the seed of cover crops before the last cultivation of vegetables which 

 mature and are harvested during the fall months. 



Commercial Fertilizers. — Commercial vegetable growers are seldom 

 able to obtain, at reasonable prices, all the stable manure that they need 

 for the maximum production of crops. In many instances they rely wholly 

 upon green crops for humus, and purchase commercial fertilizers to supply 

 plant-food. There is the most varied practice with reference to the kinds 

 and amounts of fertilizer applied for the various crops. The character of 

 the fertilizer depends upon the crops to be grown, nature of soil, previous 

 treatment and seasonal conditions. If stable manures have been used in 

 liberal amounts, say twenty to forty tons to the acre, and for truck crops 

 like cabbage and sweet corn, it is seldom necessary to use more than half 



