34 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



stand drought. This is accomplished by frequent shallow culti- 

 vation during the period of drought. The first implements to use 

 in the care of such crops as are generally cultivated by hand 

 are those that work the soil to only a very slight depth close to 

 the plants. Such implements may be used just as the seedlings 

 are breaking ground. As soon as the plants have gained some 

 little strength, implements should be used that will go deeper, 

 until a depth of two or three inches can be easily worked with- 

 out endangering the safety of the crop by covering the plants 

 with dirt. It is doubtful if any of our garden crops should ever 

 be cultivated more than three inches deep, and it is very certain 

 that many crops are injured by cultivating deeply very close to 

 the plants, in which case the roots are cut off near their upper 

 ends and thus wholly destroyed. Cultivation in a period of 

 drought results in forming a mulch or blanket of dry earth on 

 the surface of the land, which prevents the moisture from pass- 

 ing into the atmosphere, and a rather shallow dust blanket, say 

 three inches deep, accomplishes this purpose. A compact sub- 

 soil readily transmits the water upwards to the surface soil in 



Figure 5. — Iron Age horse hoe. 



the same manner that a lamp wick carries the oil to the flame. 

 At the surface the soil water is prevented from evaporating by 

 the blanket of loose earth, and is thus saved in the upper sub- 

 soil and lower and middle parts of the furrow slice for the roots 

 of the crop. Loose surface soil is a good non-conductor of water. 

 During the growth of a crop the surface soil should never be left 

 long with a crust on it, but should be stirred after each rain or 

 artificial watering. 



