CHAPTER II. 
HOW TO PLAN THE GARDEN. 
T HE first thing in planning a garden is to decide upon 
the location. If there is sufficient land so a choice 
•can be made always select the best land with the most 
sunny exposure. If it has a southern slope it will be still 
earlier and warmer. 
Enrich it with rotted stable manure at the rate of ten 
•cords or more to the acre. In the absence of stable 
manure* use a liberal sprinkling of wood ashes, and bone 
•dust and apply a little nitrate of soda to the crops occa¬ 
sionally, especially to the leaf crops. If there is a board 
fence place the tall growing crops next to it, otherwise 
place them on the north side. 
Do not try , at first, to grow rare or uncommon things. 
Cover the fences with flowering vines, as nasturtiums, 
morning glories, cobaeas, Japanese hop, etc. Any un¬ 
sightly places may be covered with the above named vines 
or with wild cucumber, gourds, squash or pumpkins. 
Low flowers show best when planted along the path. 
Taller ones may be planted back of them. Give every¬ 
thing plenty of room. 
Rows of corn or potatoes should not be closer than two 
and one-half feet in the garden, or three or three and one- 
lialf feet in the field. Tomatoes should be three to four 
ieet apart, and hills of squashes and cucumbers should 
never be closer than five feet apart, although other early 
■crops may be planted within four feet of them. 
A crop of lettuce, radishes, spinach or onions, may be 
obtained from the spaces between the crops that are planted 
more than two feet apart. Different kinds of corn should 
not be planted in the same garden. Different varieties of 
*The street department will generally furnish plenty of street sweepings 
for the School Garden. 
IO 
