A YEAR'S CYCLE IN THE GARDEN 159 



Getting the Ground Ready. You can spread manure 

 this month, if the snow has disappeared and per- 

 haps the ground will be thawed enough for break- 

 ing up. On a quarter of an acre or more, it will 

 pay to hire someone to plow and harrow for you. 

 But in most backyard gardens, hand work will be 

 the most economical, and a little digging every 

 day will prove a fine "spring medicine" and ap- 

 petizer. Spread the manure thickly and dig the 

 soil deeply with a spade. This means at least a 

 foot or better still, two, and the soil must be broken 

 up thoroughly and the manure completely mixed 

 with it. 



Clay Soils. If your soil is clayey, and seems sticky 

 you will have to let it dry out more, as this kind 

 of soil can be spoiled for the whole season by being 

 worked when wet. When you can dig it up, add 

 some fine coal ashes, or sand, as well as plenty of 

 manure, and you will be saved a lot of trouble 

 next year. If the ground is low generally, an 

 application of air-slaked lime will be very beneficial, 

 and it is not too late to do it now. Use it plenti- 

 fully and you will avoid many battles with cut- 

 worms and maggots. 



The Seed Bed. After plowing or digging, as the 

 case may be, comes repeated harrowing (also to 

 be hired done), or several rakings. These leave the 

 surface level, the soil compact and finely broken up, 

 and the bed free from stones, sticks and unrotted 

 bits of manure. The latter can be thrown on 

 next year's compost-manure pile to advantage. 

 When your soil is in a fine, loose condition, a light 



