46 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



seed drill which has a wheel for Srming the soil, I have fre- 

 quently, and to advantage, walked the rows with the heel of one 

 foot close to and in front of the toe of the otber, pressing 

 down on the row. 



Thinning. — It is generally best to sow the seed of most gar- 

 den vegetables much more thickly than the plants should stand 

 when mature. This is done to make sure of having enough 

 plants to stock the land, and it is a good practice. It is im- 

 portant, also, to let every young plant in the garden have room 

 enough for perfect development, and this can only be secured, 

 where thick seeding is practiced, by thinning out. It is a very 

 general fault of beginners in gardening that they try to grow 

 too many plants on their land. This is a common mistake 

 and is no better in result than permitting weeds to grow. Every 

 plant in excess of what can properly mature on the land is in its 

 effect a weed and should be treated as such. In the home gar- 

 den, where the thinnings are valuable, as in the case of beets, 

 lettuce, etc., the work of thinning need not be done all at once 

 but as the plants need room. In the market garden it is best 

 to thin out the full distance at one time. Do not allow the 

 seedlings to get drawn and spindling before thinning, but do 

 it while they are young and before they crowd one another. 

 The proper distances between plants seem very large when the 

 plants are small, but it must be remembered that later on any- 

 thing less than the proper distance injures the crop. One must 

 have determination enough to throw away many nice plants in 

 order to make room for those that are to mature. It is better 

 to give too much than too little room to plants. 



Protection to Newly Planted Seeds against insects and 

 birds may often be given by slightly moistening them and then 

 stirring in red lead until all the seeds are thoroughly coatei. 

 The seed should be dried before sowing. 



Crows and Gophers May be Kept From Eating Corn by coat- 

 ing it with coal tar as follows: Wet the corn with hot water 

 and drain off all surplus. Spread it out about four inches deep 

 on the floor of a warm room and sprinkle it with hot coal tar 

 using about a tablespoonful to a half bushel of corn and stir 

 thoroughly until every kernel has a thin coat of tar on it. Then 



