THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 11 
and other plants. Many combinations of 
this kind may be made to good advantage. 
Fig. 11 — Beans planted at proper depth. 
once a week than to sprinkle every day. 
Late afternoon is the best time to sprinkle. 
Fig. 12 — Lima beans, planted properly, with eyes down. 
FOR CONTINUOUS CROPS 
With some of the important vegetables a 
series of plantings is desirable. Of string 
beans, lettuce, radishes, spinach, sweet corn, 
peas, beets and carrots there should be several 
successive plantings, two or 
three weeks apart, to provide 
a fresh and continuous supply 
all season. 
DEPTH OF PLANTING 
Do not plant too deeply. 
The old rule is to plant to a 
depth of 5 times the thickness 
of the seed. This, however, 
is not an absolute rule and 
is not safe in all cases. 
Consult planting table on 
page 23 for depth. 
HOEING 
When the green rows ap- 
pear it is time to start 
hoeing or cultivating. Never 
hoe or cultivate deeply — an 
inch or two is deep enough — 
but stir the ground frequent- 
ly, and always after rain or 
watering, as soon as it is dry 
enough. The hoeing must 
not be done after rain or 
watering when the ground is 
still so wet as to cause the 
muddy earth to pack like 
cement, as this causes the 
earth to cake and dry out 
altogether too rapidly, which is undesirable. 
Frequent hoeing causes the formation of a 
dust layer which prevents the soil underneath 
from drying out. The garden should always 
be kept free from weeds, as these, if permitted 
to grow, consume plant food and moisture 
needed by the plants. 
WATERING 
A plentiful supply of moisture is essential. 
If there is not sufficient rainfall the moisture 
should be provided by watering the garden. 
In doing this it is better to soak the ground 
To moisten the surface is not enough. 
There must be a thorough wetting. If pipe 
connections are available a garden hose is 
the best means of watering. One of the 
most satisfactory methods is to open small 
furrows between rows and 
allow water to run into these 
trenches, raking the earth 
back into place several hours 
later and making a mulch, 
after the water has thor- 
oughly soaked in. The 
sprinkling pot will serve if 
hose is not available, but it 
is more laborious. Overhead 
sprinklers are very satis- 
factory. They consist of 
pipes mounted on supports 
extending the length of the 
area to be watered. Holes 
are drilled at intervals of 3 
to 4 feet and small nozzles 
are inserted which yield a 
spray-like misty rain when 
the water is turned on. By 
turning the pipes and also 
changing the position of them 
it is possible to water an area 
of any size. 
In home gardens proper 
drainage is often disregarded. 
Drainage improves the soil 
by allowing air to enter; by 
raising the temperature of 
the soil; by rendering the 
soil more porous and granu- 
lar; by enabling the roots of 
plants to grow deeply into the soil and by 
allowing earlier cultivation in the spring. 
Blind ditches, partly filled with stones or 
other material covered with soil, or open 
ditches, will be found satisfactory for the 
home garden. They should be along the 
lowest level of the garden, and have suitable 
outlet. Lacking an outlet, lay tile 12 inches 
below surface of garden, slanting toward a 
hole 10 feet deep and 5 feet across, in center 
of garden. Fill this, two thirds to top, with 
stones, covering stones with clay and covering 
the clay with loam. 
Fig. 13 — A small potato planted 
whole. The depth of planting here 
shown is approximately 43^ inches to 
the center of the potato. This is the 
depth for late potatoes. Early po- 
tatoes are planted 2 inches nearer 
surface of ground. 
