THE 84 
GARDEN YARD 
washing or “leaching” away. But even this 
does not tell all of the advantages of drainage. 
It warms the soil and by making the ground 
more porous allows the roots to go deeper 
in search of their food and moisture. This in 
turn enables plants to withstand drought and 
hot weather better and makes returns more 
sure. It also permits working the ground 
earlier in the spring and after rains, because, 
the more porous the soil, the quicker it absorbs 
and stores moisture that comes in rain. 
There are germs in the soil which change the 
nitrogen into nitrates, the form in which nitro- 
gen becomes the real plant food, and drainage 
favors the development of these germs. You 
see how important good drainage is. 
Get the tools you need. You cannot afford 
to be without implements if you are cultivating 
intensively. That does not mean that you 
must get all the advertised garden tools, or 
even all that your neighbor has. Although a 
tool may be the best of its kind, that is not 
reason enough for buying it. You must have a 
use for it on your plot. Get whatever you have 
a use for, and get only the best. It pays in the 
long run. 
A list of tools and costs is given in “Three 
Acres,” and in “ A Little Land,” so it is necessary 
