SYSTEMATIZING THE 
WORK FOR A BUSY MAN 
—THE LABOR-SAVING 
TOOLS—ECONOMY IN 
PLANTING—THE WORK 
MONTH BY MONTH 
T is difficult for a busy man 
to have time for the up¬ 
keep of even a small garden. 
A whole day given once a 
week to the work, or an 
hour’s work early each morn¬ 
ing or in the cool of the eve¬ 
ning, may least interfere with one’s daily routine; 
but the work must be so regular that the weeds do 
not get ahead. That is as discouraging as it is dis¬ 
astrous. Pulling up large-rooted weeds is as severe 
a strain upon the garden maker as it is disturbing 
to the roots of nearby vegetables. 
The germination and growth of weed seed are most 
rapid in warm, humid weather. Under such condi¬ 
tions a clean garden will develop a cover of tiny 
weeds within a few days after hoeing. Thus it is 
dear that garden work must be so apportioned that the whole 
garden's surface is stirred once each week. Weed growth and a 
crusty surface both become established in a longer interval. 
Economy of time depends upon one’s skill with his tools and 
labor-saving devices. A large amount of effectual work can be 
done with an ordinary hand hoe in a short time, but no one ought 
10 work without a definite notion of the extent and importance 
of the invisible part of the garden’s growth — the root system. 
The wheel-hoe is really safer than an ordinary hand hoe, as 
it is adjusted to the work and leaves little to the invention of the 
operator. 
I once saw a man clear a garden of weeds by scraping the soil 
from between the rows. At the end of each row lie accumulated 
a pile of dirt, which he carted away. A good top dressing had 
been applied in the spring, and before the summer was half over 
it was all removed. 
When using the hand hoe about vegetables, the soil is drawn 
lightly from between the rows toward the plants, smothering all 
the young weeds in the row. This saves hand weeding and gives 
support to the stems. (One should not cut into the soil closer than 
six inches to pea vines when they are half-grown, but merely work 
the soil over the crusty surface.) 
The work of removing weeds between the rows can be rapidly 
done by sliding the blade of the hoe beneath the surface, cutting 
every weed from its root. Passing down each row with a steel 
rake leaves the surface level and fine. 
The task of thinning vegetables, such as yellow and white tur¬ 
nips, carrots, beets, etc., may be shortened by the use of a sort 
of hoe, a piece of metal is cut in the shape of a triangle with 
edges 3j/2, 4 y 2 and 5P2 inches in length. The handle is fastened 
to the middle of this triangle. To use it for thinning vegetables, 
place the proper edge downward in the row and with one draw 
of the hoe remove the superfluous plants. Even though two or 
three plants are left where one is to stand, they can be removed 
quickly with the fingers. 
Planting so that cultivation may be quickly and easily done is 
an object. Radishes in little rows four or five inches apart are 
easier cleared of weeds than when sown broadcast over a bed. 
A narrow tool will easily do 
the work. 
For plant-setting a marker 
is convenient. Use a strip five 
feet long with the feet and 
half-feet indicated. At each 
end, at right angles to this 
strip, affix strips that are the measure 
of the distance between the garden rows. 
To rapidly define the proposed row, lay 
the rule with the cross-strips extending 
to the nearest planted row. The spaces 
for the plants can be quickly opened with 
a trowel or dibble. 
One or more boxes or baskets, durable 
enough to stand the weather, and kept 
for gathering vegetables in the garden, 
are of considerable value as time-savers. 
Weeding done early in the morning is not arduous, and up¬ 
rooted weeds will succumb by noon. Any watering of the garden, 
however, should be done in the evening. 
Working one hour each day, one can keep in order a small 
40 x 40-foot garden of the ordinary class of vegetables, weeding 
it with a common hoe and gathering and replanting vegetables. 
Of course, with a wheel-hoe one would accomplish the work of 
cultivation in about one-half the time. (Its blades, when set to 
kill weeds, earth up, or cultivate to a desired depth, do very 
effectual work.) 
Beginning April 1, after the manuring, plowing, harrowing 
and final raking has been done, and all preliminary work, such 
as preparing stakes, tools, plans, etc., have been accomplished, 
the garden work for a small garden, as mentioned above, may 
be achieved in hour-periods each morning, as defined in the 
following schedule: 
April 
First Week.—Mark off rows for early vegetables; drill in with 
seed drill peas, beets, carrots, turnips, radishes, lettuce, salsify, 
spinach ; plant round or Irish potatoes; set onions and cabbage 
plants. 
Second Week. — Set out cauliflower plants; plant seed for late 
cabbage; prepare hills for crookneck squash, sweet corn, melons, 
cucumbers, tomato plants, peppers, egg plants; set poles for lima 
beans and brush for pea vines. 
Third Week.-—Plant sweet corn, crooknecked squash, hardy 
beans, and stir the soil lightly between the rows of vegetables; 
replant any vegetables that have not come up. 
Fourth Week. — During the last week in April the garden’s 
surface should be deeply hoed between the rows of vegetables, 
to break up any hard condition. All hardy vegetables have been 
planted and most of them are up, if the weather has been favor¬ 
able. A second planting of peas, radishes, etc., should be made. 
May 
First Week. — Plant cucumbers, following three days later with 
( Continued on page 368) 
M. Roberts Conover 
343 
