"That Cod once loved a garden 
We learn in Holy Writ. 
And seeing gardens in the Spring 
I well can credit it." 
—Winifred Mary Letts 
of each row for each member of the family. For example, if 
you have five people in your family your garden rows will be 
about 150 feet long. If you have six people the rows will be 
about 175 feet long, and so on. 
Of course, this is the ideal size. Everyone cannot have 
a garden this large, particularly folks living in the city. 
You should, however, plan your garden to be as near the ideal 
size as possible. You then will be more sure of getting all 
the vegetables your family will need both summer and winter. 
The width of your garden depends on how many rows you are 
going to have and how you are going to cultivate — with hand 
tools or horse-drawn equipment. If you are going to use a 
two-horse cultivator, plan your rows about 3b feet apart. Or, 
if you are going to use a hand or wheel-hoe, a space of 16 to 18 
inches is plenty. This is also suitable width between rows if 
you are going to irrigate your garden. 
"Now ’tis the spring, and 
weeds are shallow-rooted; 
Neglect them now and they’ll 
overgrow the garden.” 
—Shakespeare. 
2. Locate your garden where it will 
have PLENTY OF MOISTURE. 
There is hardly anything so important 
in vegetable growing as MOISTURE. If pos¬ 
sible, irrigate your garden. Or, that not 
being possible, try to lpcate it near some¬ 
what higher ground so the water running off 
can be directed through your garden. Yet, at the same time, be 
sure your garden plot is well-drained and does not hold water, 
keeping the ground cold and wet. The soil ’should always con¬ 
tain enough moisture so the vegetables can take up all they need, 
but the soil must not be kept wet, you must not have free water 
in the soil. Avoid planting near large trees because their 
roots run out many feet and rob the garden of needed moisture and 
fertility. 
If you live in a dry area and if you must plant your garden 
in a dry place where it will not receive much natural moisture, 
and if you cannot irrigate it, allow more space between the rows 
than is generally practiced. Each vegetable constantly is tak¬ 
ing water from the soil — the wider the space between rows the 
more moisture is available for each plant. 
If you live where hot, scorching south winds are common, 
plant your garden where it will have a good windbreak on the 
south.. If you live in a northern clime, however, where summers 
are fairly cool, a windbreak on the north is recommended. Some¬ 
times a grove, an orchard, a hill, a set of buildings, a board 
fence, or even a lot of corn stalks set along a fence—row will 
do the trick. 
3- Choose the best piece of g round you can .... 
....and the best piece of ground for vegetable growing is 
one of ^ deep, rich humus-containing loam. Soil like that holds 
the moisture well and it gives your plants the food they need. 
If you do not have such ground available build it up with 
we H- r °tt< e d manure, commercial fertilizer, or prepared plant food. 
