THE 
GARDEN YARD 244 
Before you raise any crop you must know your 
soil, not by chemical analysis which is interest- 
ing and often helpful, but by finding out what 
it will grow by nature and what is the easiest 
way that nature can be helped; and the quicker 
you can find out these things the better for 
your prospects. The simplest and quickest 
method of finding out what fertilizers your soil 
needs to grow your crops, is by using the paraffin 
basket. This is a very pretty experiment and 
one in which you can readily interest the chil- 
dren so that they may get their knowledge early. 
The requirements are galvanized wire netting 
of one-eighth inch mesh; paraffin, which can be 
bought cheaply at any druggist’s; and a pair 
of scales which will weigh accurately to one- 
fourth of an ounce. 
Cut your netting into strips 10 inches long and 
3% inches wide; fasten the ends of strips to- 
gether by hooking the end wires into the mesh 
or with small rivets. Then cut the wire at the 
bottom of the cylinder so as to make lugs about 
a half inch deep and bend the cut pieces under 
to form a partial bottom. Cut a circular piece 
of netting that will fit inside and drop it in, thus 
‘completing the bottom of the basket. Melt 
the paraffin, and while hot dip the top of the 
basket into it for about one inch. Draw it 
