The Home Garden 



from the well. You would have to give up all 

 3^our time to it if you were to attempt this. 

 Generally more harm than good results. You 

 will apply only water enough to wet the surface 

 of the soil, and it is the roots down deep in the 

 ground that need moisture. Surface-watering 

 encourages the production of surface roots, 

 and you do not want that kind of growth. I 

 would prefer to let the plants take their chances 

 without such watering. But mulching is 

 practicable and profitable. 



Old straw or hay make a very satisfactory 

 mulch. It should be put on quite thick — thick 

 enough to thoroughly shade the ground and 

 prevent the escape of moisture from the soil 

 below. 



But the use of the cultivator should be de- 

 pended on to cotmteract the effects of drought, 

 more than anything else. Stir the soil so 

 frequently that it does not have a chance to 

 crust over. Keep it in a condition to absorb 

 every least little bit of moisture that may be 

 in the air. If this is done, most plants will 

 stand a dry spell without injury. 



As soon as the radishes are out of the way, 

 sow the ground they occupied to spinach or 



i8o 



