FERTILIZING AND 
PREPARING THE SOIL 3 
You’ll reap dividends from the time and effort given to proper preparation of the soil 
for planting. If you didn’t plow under your garden last Fall, mixing with it some material 
from the compost heap, then make a note to do so at the end of this season for your 
soil will be richer when Spring rolls around again. 
First dig up the garden to a depth of six or eight inches, using a spading fork which is 
better for this work than a spade, being lighter and slicing the clods into small particles 
which is what you desire. Next use a steel garden rake to make finer the turned up 
soil to a depth of two to three inches and to smooth the surface for sowing or planting. 
The ideal type of soil for successful production possesses sufficient clay to retain for 
the plants life-giving moisture, still is loose and sandy enough to allow that moisture 
to penetrate to their roots and to properly drain—a soil that contains natural rich plant 
food to give fertility. While your soil may not meet entirely these qualifications, don’t 
be discouraged, for you can readily improve it in any or all ways it may be deficient. 
If too sandy you can work into it clay, humus or stable manure. If too heavy, it can 
be lightened with coarse sand, lime, manure or ashes. If the soil, because of poor 
drainage, starvation or incorrect fertilizing, has become acid and unsuitable for the 
growth of most kinds of plants and beneficial soil bacteria, it usually needs drainage 
and the application of lime, well worked in. You can test your soil through use of blue 
litmus paper. When placed in contact with moistened soil the paper will turn pink or 
red if soil is acid. 
Remember, no matter how good your plants and seeds, no matter how much you 
cultivate, spray and water, your results can be improved, growth hastened, yield 
increased through fertilization. Both fertilizer and manure are useful. Prepared 
fertilizers are more easily obtained and applied, pleasanter to handle, have 
uniform strength and produce fewer weeds. They are really not expensive. 
Let us help you to get the best results from your garden by use of fertilizer 
suited to your soil. We have different kinds of fertilizer and will be glad 
to make recommendations. Proper drainage is important for it permits a 
deeper layer of top soil and enables plants to increase and deepen their 
root systems. The soil becomes firmer, permits a better circulation of air 
and is much warmer. If you find surface water collecting, it will be neces¬ 
sary to make a ditch on each side of the plot, connected by smaller ditches 
to carry the excess water away. 
oaMla ttok 
SHARPENING 
STONE 
WTlijto 
For strong, 
healthy 
plants 
No. HB~45 | 
“Keeping the edges of your 
garden tools properly sharp¬ 
ened pays and here’s the 
stone I use,” says Henry. 
You'll find it just as useful 
for sharpening household 
tools too. Coarse grit on one 
side for fast cutting, fine grit 
on the other side for finish¬ 
ing. Size 6V 2 x P/ 4 x % ins - 
PLANTABBS^af 
ODORLESS PLANT FOOD 
All the chemicals neces- 
sary to give the soil in £ 
pots the garden 
strength and vitality for 
greatest plant growth in 
clean, easy-to-use, odor- 11 
less, tablet form. 
10 TABLETS 30 TABLETS 75 TABLETS 
10« 25 c 50 c 
Carti cflcrorttfundt 
Keep lawn mower blades 
\ and garden tools 
y\ \ sharp with a 
\\CARBORUNDUM 
V\ \harpener 
\\ \ No. HB—46 
“A needed \ \ \ 
tool about \\ | 
home and gar- \ \ ^ 
den,” says \\ ^ 
Henry. This \\ 
handled, 4-sided \ ^ 4 
file of Carborundum is for^X 
sharpening lawn mower 
blades and all garden and 
household tools. Beveled sides. 
Length 13 inches. 
Page 75 
