THE HANDLING OF THE LAND 99 
good and poor preparation of the land. Figure 93 is a section of 
land twelve inches deep. The under soil has been finely broken 
and pulverized and then compacted. It is mellow but firm, 
and is an excellent water reservoir. Three inches of the surface 
is a mulch of loose and dry earth. Figure 94 shows an earth- 
93. To illustrate good preparation of ground. 
noulch, but it is too shallow; and the under soil is so open and 
cloddy that the water runs through it. 
When the land is once properly prepared, the soil-mulch is 
maintained by surface-working tools. In field practice, these 
tools are harrows and horse cultivators of various kinds; in 
home garden practice they are wheel-hoes, rakes, and many 
patterns of hand hoes and scarifiers, with finger-weeders and 
other small implements for work directly among the plants. 
