Preparing The Soil 
Be sure that the soil is prepared properly 
before planting seeds. A level, loose, moist 
layer of fine soil over a firm seedbed is im- 
portant for a good garden. In the small 
home garden this means careful raking 
before planting. Plenty of harrowing and 
smoothing will produce a good seedbed in 
the farm garden. 
Planting The Garden 
After preparing the seedbed for seeding 
or plant setting, lay out the garden in 
straight rows. This makes cultivation and 
spraying easier, and increases the attrac- 
tiveness of the garden. The use of a garden 
line is a convenient method for making 
straight rows. A shallow furrow, into which 
. 
small seed) (med. seed) (large s 
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Y, i 
Depth to plant seeds of various sizes 
the seed is placed, is made by drawing a 
hoe through the soil, using the line as a 
guide. The chart on page 10 shows the 
amount of seed needed for a 100 foot row 
and the approximate time of the year that 
different vegetables may be planted. 
Use of Fertilizer 
The use of commercial fertilizer such as 
Southern States Open Formula 10-10-10, 
9-10-5, 5-10-10, or 8-8-8, will help you 
Richmond, Virginia 
obtain greater yields from your garden. 
The amount of plant food contained in any 
fertilizer is told by the analysis which ap- 
pears on the package. For example South- 
ern States Open Formula 5-10-5 indicates 
by the first number that there is 5% ni- 
trogen. The second figure shows 10% phos- 
phoric acid, and the third 5% potash. As a 
rule, high nitrogen fertilizer is recom- 
mended for leafy vegetables such as lettuce, 
high phosphate for such vine crops as to- 
matoes, beans and squash, and high potash 
for root crops such as carrots. 
Usually it is advantageous to apply a 
generous amount of fertilizer just before 
planting. It can be scattered broadcast, 
using about a pound for each 50 square 
feet. It is important to distribute the fer- 
tilizer so that it will not come in contact 
with young plants. Some gardeners prefer 
to apply the fertilizer in the row either 
when planting or shortly after the seedlings 
have made their appearance above ground. 
Top and side dressings of a commercial fer- 
tilizer are particularly good in stimulating 
plant growth. 
ring of fertili 
Two ways of sidedressing growing 
plants with fertilizer. 
One of the best sources of organic mat- 
ter for the vegetable garden is stable ma- 
nure. It is often scarce and has become 
rather expensive. 
It is not as rich in food value as are 
the chemical fertilizers, but it is especially 
valuable as a source of humus for con- 
ditioning soils. An area 50 by 50 feet re- 
quires about a ton, spread on the ground 
in late fall if possible. If not, it can be 
59 
