CHAPTER V . 
HOW TO PUNT. 
A GARDEN should not be planted until the soil is thor¬ 
oughly prepared. It is better to plant a few days late 
than to put the seed or plants into poorly prepared soil. 
A sandy loam can be planted a week earlier than a medium 
or heavy loam. A southern slope of 45 0 to 6o°, increases 
the earliness of the soil a week over the same kind of soil 
on level ground. 
Thus radishes, which should be planted about May 
1st, in medium or heavy loam in the latitude of Hartford, 
could safely be planted on April 16th on sandy loam slop¬ 
ing to the south. Large seeds germinate quicker if they 
are soaked for a few hours in warm water at temperature 
not exceeding 120° F. They should not be soaked longer 
than twelve hours and the soaking of the seed should im¬ 
mediately precede the planting. With the land thorough¬ 
ly prepared, the plans decided upon, planting should be¬ 
gin as soon as the temperature is suitable. 
planting directions. 
Beans, Bush. Dwarf Horticultural Shell Beans, 
Cranberry Beans, Wax String Beans, and Giant Pod 
Valentine String Beans. 
These are among the best. These grow from 12 to 30 
inches high and have pods which enclose the seeds. In 
the Shell Bean varieties the seeds or beans are taken out 
of the pods and boiled and eaten alone, or with corn as 
succotash. The Horticultural beans are picked when the 
pods are striped with red. The pods of the string beans 
are eaten and should be picked before they become tough. 
A good way to tell when they are ready is to bend them in 
the shape of the letter U, they should snap. 
Plant all Bush varieties in rows not closer than two 
feet apart. Dig a furrow three inches deep and sprinkle 
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