SUCCESSFUL GARDENING 
{Continued from page 3) 
Other advantages are. distribution of labor, better use of irrigation 
water, less disease risk, encourages the keeping of livestock, con- 
trols weeds and helps to minimize risk of hail, insects and low 
markets, Where available, a liberal coating of manure should be 
given the ground. This should be thoroughly decomposed so that 
its plant food soon becomes available and many weed seeds killed. 
The use of fresh, rank manure is especially undesirable when 
growing such crops as onion and parsnip, as this is liable to result 
in soft bulbs, scallions and branched or misshapen roots. 
Remove all refuse of previous crops as early as pos- 
TILLAGE sible in the fall. Spread the composted manure 
evenly and disc in before plowing, Fall plowing enables the gar- 
dener to be forehanded with his work, renders the land earlier in 
the spring and improves the physical character of the soil. Freez- 
ing during the winter slacks the lumps, making it easy to have a 
finely pulverized, mellow, deep seed bed. In irrigated countries, 
fall and winter irrigation is desirable. 

Truck with hoist picks up barrels of seed left by the threshers and haul to 
washing center. Bill Burrell (on truck). 
PREPAR ATION Many growers seem to think that good gar- 
: dening consists in killing weeds and bugs, 
but the best gardening is in not having them. The good gardener 
tills better and manages his land in such a manner as to prevent, 
rather than eradicate weeds. Disc the land thoroughly as early in 
the spring as it can be worked after which the entire surface 
should be made fine and level with a smoothing harrow. 
‘In the Rocky Ford district, the land is leveled by means of 
long narrow floats. These floats thoroughly pulverize the small 
clods in addition to picking up the soil on the high places and de- 
positing on the low places, permitting better drill operation and 
easier irrigation. The more the ground is worked over before sow- 
ing or planting the cleaner and better it will be. Care must be 
given never to work the ground when too wet or it will pack. 
COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER There is no infallible rule 
for determining what fer- 
tilizer to apply. The grower must study his conditions and judge 
4 D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 


