THE FEAST OF VEGETABLES 113 



is no longer the plan pursued; for careful tests 

 showed no superiority in the final product, and 

 there was a deal of back-breaking labor required to 

 do the filling properly. Hereafter I will use level 

 culture altogether, with all the manure in the soil 

 that will seem to mix with it. The little plants will 

 be carefully sorted as to size, and as carefully 

 trimmed in both root and top, so that the first 

 hard days may not require so much water trans- 

 piration. If Jupiter Pluvius favors us with a con- 

 venient shower, that will prosper the planting; 

 but Aqua Susquekanniensis applied through a 

 hose and by way of the notable ''lawn-mist" 

 sprinkler, that makes w^ater dust to float through 

 the air to the ground, w411 do nearly as well. There 

 are enough partly read daily newspapers to do 

 any needed shading service for a day or so, and 

 thus to justify themselves more completely of their 

 lurid news, which won't hurt the celery ! 



July is a berry month here. The first days see 

 the end of an abundant strawberry crop, usually, 

 though last year those fall-bearers; — but there, 

 I'm getting ahead of my story again ! There have 

 been more of those delicious Cuthbert raspberries, 

 and a great crop of blackberries. Both the latter 

 have done better, and are less cruel to the picker 

 with their thorns, since I have tied them down 



H 



