Sow seed of cauliflower in May or June 
and let it follow some early crop 
Sow pole beans about May 15 to June 10. These are 
of the Long Stringless variety 
Start early cabbage in the seed-bed’now, 
following with a late variety outdoors 
Grow Your Own Vegetables 
III. GETTING THE GROUND IN PROPER CONDITION TO RECEIVE THE SEED OR SEEDLINGS 
—FERTILIZERS AND HOW TO APPLY THEM — GARDEN TOOLS THAT PAY THEIR WAY 
by F. F. Rockwell 
[This is the third of a series of articles which will cover in a thorough and practical way the subject of amateur vegetable gardening. The aim is 
to furnish information covering every detail of what to do and in such a form that it will be clear to the very beginner just how to do it. Each article 
and its tabular data will give the information needed at the time of its publication, so as not to confuse the home-gardener with an overwhelming quantity 
of detail; that is, the reader will learn what is to be done at the proper time for doing that particular thing. Those who follow the suggestions made, 
from the selection of seed to the storing of winter vegetables, may confidently expect a successful garden — Editor.] 
T HE suggestions already given in the February and March 
issues, if followed out, will have left the prospective gar¬ 
dener with his garden carefully planned for the most satisfactory 
results, and a supply of thrifty, stocky, and well hardened-off 
young plants of cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, etc., on hand, and 
his boxes of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and other tender 
vegetables nicely under way. 4 
With these preliminary results of his efforts already visible, 
and full of promise of good things coming, the beginner will be 
watching anxiously for the first signs of 
spring, when the more extensive and 
absorbing work out-of-doors may be be¬ 
gun. He will have selected a spot in as 
sunny a place as possible, sloping slightly 
to the south or east if he can find one, or 
sheltered to the north or west. He will 
have looked also for the kind of soil 
known as “light sandy loam’’—the sort 
that crumbles up nicely in the hand with¬ 
out sticking to it. But he should not be 
discouraged if, from the necessity of mak¬ 
ing the garden near his home, he has 
had to be satisfied with a different soil. 
If it is rather heavy, cultivation the year 
previous, or ploughing the fall before, will 
have helped it greatly. Such a soil will be 
improved mechanically by the applica¬ 
tion of stable and barn yard manure, 
wood, or even coal ashes, or any rotted 
vegetable matter. 
As soon as the frost is out, and the 
ground can be worked without becoming 
“sticky,” operations should be begun 
without a moment’s delay. Every day 
missed means some garden opportunity gone — irrevocably. If 
the garden is a very small one, it may be broken up with a 
spade or a flat-tined fork, but if there is room enough for a horse 
to turn around in it, by all means have it ploughed. A plough 
will lift, turn up, and break up the soil as no hand digging can. 
If the job has to be done by hand, see to it that the soil is dug 
as deep as possible, and each forkful turned completely upside- 
down. It should be stirred, whether by plough or spade, down 
to the sub-soil (the layer of earth underlying, and usually harder 
than, and of a different color to, the rich 
top soil). If the land is not naturally 
well drained, and you can get a man 
who understands the work, have it “sub¬ 
soiled” at the time of ploughing. This 
breaks up the hard second surface, and 
provides additional drainage; and thor¬ 
ough drainage is one of the most impor¬ 
tant requirements of a good garden. 
When having the ploughing done, be sure 
to get someone who understands the 
work, even if at some inconvenience. If 
you begin operations with a poorly 
ploughed piece, you will work with a very 
serious handicap. 
Before taking up the preparation of 
the seed-bed, the question of fertilizers 
requires attention. If you want the 
ground to feed you, you must first feed it, 
and in proportion as you do so are the 
results likely to prove satisfactory. And 
with such a small family of vegetables as 
you will have to feed in the home gar¬ 
den, there is no excuse for stinting. 
What will they need ? Nitrogen, phos- 
Follow the planting instructions given so that 
you can gather fresh vegetables all summer 
