A YEAR'S CYCLE IN THE GARDEN 145 



dwarf peas, which do not require brush, the "lazy 

 man's pea," I am not sure that, in the very small 

 garden, they would not be the best, for they need 

 less space and less attention. 



Perhaps you will have some warm days at this 

 time, when you can clean up stones and rubbish 

 and prepare for the real garden-making later on. 



Manure. See if you cannot buy manure now, 

 and haul it, unless you are saving it from animals 

 of your own. In either case, arrange to keep it 

 sheltered from rain and snow, and fork it over 

 now and then. The more rotten and the finer it 

 becomes the better, and thorough mixing will help 

 break up whatever rubbish you can add to the 

 compost pile. Dry leaves, lawn cuttings, vegetable 

 waste from the kitchen, all such material will add to 

 the value of the manure. 



If you are buying it, be as liberal as you possibly 

 can. Get rid of the idea that you can put too much 

 good manure on your garden. You can make away 

 with five tons on a plot 50 x 50 ft. and if there is 

 any surplus, save it to make liquid manure during 

 the growing season. 



The First Planting. The very earliest vegetables, 

 to which I have referred above, can be planted 

 under glass, the end of this month, but they must 

 be given warmth and protection. The ideal place 

 is a green house, but a satisfactory substitute is a 

 bay window, in which is placed a stand or table 

 with its top at the level of the sill. Use "flats" 

 or wooden boxes about 24 x 12 x 4 in. with a fairly 

 loose bottom. First, spread about one inch of 



