The Home Vegetable Garden 
9 
May 15th 
(After danger of frost is past.) 
Plant in the field: 
Beans 
Sweet Corn 
Tomato Plants 
Melons 
Celery Plants (Early Crop) 
Cucumbers 
Spuashes 
Brussels Sprouts Plants 
SOWING THE SEED 
It is very essential in planting garden seeds that the soil be in 
the best possible condition for working. In order to germinate, 
the seeds must have sufficient moisture and must come in close con¬ 
tact with the soil particles. Therefore, the soil must be as free 
as possible from clods and not too dry. 
If the soil becomes too dry before planting, it will be neces¬ 
sary to irrigate in order to cause the seed to germinate. This 
should be avoided as far as possible, especially with the smaller 
seeds, but, if necessary, the water should be applied in a furrow 
slightly to one side of the row. 
In large gardens, there is an advantage in sowing seeds with 
a seed drill, but in the small garden it is more expedient to sow 
them by hand. Most seeds, the small ones especially, should be 
planted more thickly than the plants will stand later, because some 
of the seeds will fail to germinate. If too many come up, they 
are thinned out. 
Furrows for planting should be made as straight as possible, 
not only because they look better that way, but because cultivation 
and irrigation can be better and more satisfactorily done while 
the crop is growing. It is well to use a line in laying out the 
rows, if it can be done conveniently. For small seed, such as rad¬ 
ish, lettuce, onion, carrot and parsnips, the mark made by drawing 
the end of a rake or hoe handle along a stretched line is deep 
enough for planting. Beans, muskmelons, and cucumbers should 
be planted about an inch deep, while peas and corn may be planted 
at a depth of two or three inches. 
After the seeds have been covered, the soil over them should 
be slightly compacted to bring the soil particles in close contact. 
This may be done with the back of a hoe or rake, or by putting 
a long narrow board directly over the row and walking on it. 
Seed drills have a small wheel behind which presses the soil over 
the seeds somewhaf. 
