THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 11 



and other plants. Many combinations of 

 tliis kind may be made to good advantage. 



once a week than to sprinkle every day. 

 Late afternoon is the best time to sprinkle. 



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Fig. 11 — Beans planted at proper depth. 



Fig. 12 — Lima beans, planted properly, with eyes down. 



FOR CONTINUOUS CROPS 



With some of the important vegetables a 

 series of plantings is desirable. Of string 

 beans, lettuce, radishes, spinach, sweet corn, 

 peas, beets and carrots there should be several 

 successive plantings, two or 

 three weeks apart, to provide 

 a fresh and continuous supply 

 all season. 



DEPTH OF PLANTING 



Do not plant too deeply. 

 The old rule is to plant to a 

 depth of 5 times the thickness 

 of the seed. This, however, 

 is not an absolute rule and 

 is not safe in all cases. 

 Consult planting table on 

 page 23 for depth. 



HOEING 



When the green rows ap- 

 pear it is time to start 

 hoeing or cultivating. Never 

 hoe or cultivate deeply — an 

 inch or two is deep enough — 

 but stir the ground frequent- 

 ly, and always after rain or 

 watering, as soon as it is dry 

 enough. The hoeing must 

 not be done after rain or 

 watering when the ground is 

 still so wet as to cause the 

 muddy earth to pack like 

 cement, as this causes the 

 earth to cake and dry out 

 altogether too rapidly, which is undesirable. 



Frequent hoeing causes the formation of a 

 dust layer which prevents the soil underneath 

 from drying out. The garden should always 

 be kept free from weeds, as these, if permitted 

 to grow, consume plant food and moisture 

 needed by the plants. 



WATERING 



A plentiful supply of moisture is essential. 

 If there is not sufficient rainfall the moisture 

 should be provided by watering the garden. 

 In doing this it is better to soak the ground 



Fig. 13 — A small potato planted 

 whole. The depth of planting here 

 shown is approximately 43-2 inches to 

 the center of the potato. This is the 

 depth for late potatoes. Early po- 

 tatoes are planted 2 inches nearer 

 surface of ground. 



To moisten the surface is not enough. 

 There must be a thorough wetting. If pipe 

 connections are available a garden hose is 

 the best means of watering. One of the 

 most satisfactory methods is to open small 

 furrows between rows and 

 allow water to run into these 

 trenches, raking the earth 

 back into place several hours 

 later and making a mulch, 

 after the water has thor- 

 oughly soaked in. The 

 sprinkling pot will serve if 

 hose is not available, but it 

 is more laborious. Overhead 

 sprinklers are very satis- 

 factory. They consist of 

 pipes mounted on supports 

 extending the length of the 

 area to be watered. Holes 

 are drilled at intervals of 3 

 to 4 feet and small nozzles 

 are inserted which yield a 

 spray-like misty rain when 

 the water is turned on. By 

 turning the pipes and also 

 changing the position of them 

 it is possible to water an area 

 of any size. 



In home gardens proper 

 drainage is often disregarded. 

 Drainage improves the soil 

 by allowing air to enter; by 

 raising the temperature of 

 the soil; by rendering the 

 soil more porous and granu- 

 lar; by enabling the roots of 

 plants to grow deeply into the soil and by 

 allowing earlier cultivation in the spring. 



Blind ditches, partly filled with stones or 

 other material covered with soil, or open 

 ditches, will be found satisfactory for the 

 home garden. They should be along the 

 lowest level of the garden, and have suitable 

 outlet. Lacking an outlet, lay tile 12 inches 

 below surface of garden, slanting toward a 

 hole 10 feet deep and 5 feet across, in center 

 of garden. Fill this, two thirds to top, with 

 stones, covering stones with clay and covering 

 the clay with loam. 



