CHAPTER X 



THE GROWING OF THE VEGETABLE PLANTS 



A VEGETABLE garden is admittedly a part of any home place 

 that has a good rear area. A purchased vegetable is never the 

 same as one taken from a man's own soil and representing his 

 own effort and solicitude. 



It is essential to any satisfaction in vegetable-growing that the 

 soil be rich and thoroughly subdued and fined. The plantation 

 should also be so arranged that the tilling can be done with 



291 Cultivating the backache 



wheel tools, and, where the space will allow it, with horse tools. 

 The old-time garden bed (Fig. 291) consumes time and labor, 

 wastes moisture, and is more trouble and expense than it is worth. 

 The rows of vegetables should be as long and continuous as 

 possible, to allow of tillage with wheel tools. If it is not desired 

 to grow a full row of any one vegetable, the line may be made up 

 of several species, one following the other, care being taken to 

 place together such kinds as have similar requirements; one 

 long row, for example, might contain all the parsnips, carrots, 

 and salsify. One or two long rows containing a dozen kinds of 



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