LOCATION FOR THE MARKET GARDEN 7 



tables do not root deeply but send their roots out quite 

 near the surface. The cultivation, if carried on too deep 

 close to the plants, is liable to injure the roots. The object 

 of frequent cultivation is to keep down the weeds and to 

 maintain a dust mulch for the consei'vation of the water 

 held in the soil. Cultivation lets the air and sunlight into 

 the soil thereby favoring the development of certain ben- 

 eficial bacteria and helping to make available the plant 

 food applied to the soil. 



Fig. 6. — Combined Hill and Drill Seeder and Wheel Hoe. 



For the use of the seed drill the soil must be in a smooth, 

 mellow condition, free from lumps or coarse material that 

 would interfere with the planting or with keeping the 

 rows straight. The Meeker smoothing harrow, Fig. 2, is 

 the best tool on the market for finishing the ground pre- 

 vious to drilling in the seed. This harrow consists of four 

 rows of small discs, placed close together, two rows of discs 

 in front and two rows behind with a smoothing plank in 

 the middle. This harrow will leave the surface in as fine 

 condition as though the ground had been hand raked. 



