Amador ledger., 1906-04-27
rendered the use of a rake unadyis-

rendered the use of rake unadyis-
able for quite long period. There
are several varieties of hand planters
on the market, the best of which save
much labor when planting the coarser
seeds, but a drill or wheel hoe is un-
necessary in small garden.
Many suburban gardeners havewater
available. This is not an unmixed
blessing, for to spray plants in hot
dry weather is fatal mistake At
such times the foliage is not prepared
by nature to receive an artificial sup
ply of moisture, while if the plants
once become accustomed to it they
must have it regularly. Constant rak-
ing is far better than watering for IL
no crust is allowed to form on the
surface of the soil the plants will al
ways ind enough moisture, unless a
very long drought sets in. Even when
this is the case spraying should never
be resorted to-, the only safe course to
pursue being to block the outlet drain
and to place the hose so as to fill the
drainage system, but even this must
never be done until after sunset. Seed
should always be sown in dry soil but
Immediately after a bed has been seed
ed quicker termination can be secured
by giving the ground moderate soak
ing though after the young shoots ap-
pear they will not send their roots
down deeply if constantly watered,
and the rootlets that penetrate the
soil in search of moisture not only
find what they. are after, but a good
deal of useful plant food as well.
AS to fertilizers, a wagon load or
two or fairly coarse manure may be
used to good advantage during the
trenching process if it is carefully
stamped down on top Of the sod
thrown in the trenches, but afterwards
nothing but fine we'll rotted manure
should be used which should be at
least two years old in order to avoid
the danger of importing the seeds of
noxiouS weeds. This should be thor
oughly incorporated with the soil after
the crops have been gathered in the
| fall AS to commercial fertilizers,
outside lime and salt, though good in
their place, fancy amateur gardeners
are better without them. Really the
rake, besides being the best watering
pot, is the best fertilizer I know of,
| for it's constant use permits the air
| to reach the roots of the growing
plants and the atmosphere carries
more elements necessary for vegetable
life than can be supplied by any
chemical compound.
With regard to second crops. No
gardener worthy the name ever per-
mits any space to lie fallow, If it is
possible to raise a second crop on it.
The pea vines, as soon as picked over,
should be cleared away, and the space
they occupied sown with beans, quick
growing varieties Of which may be
planted with good prospects Of their
yielding crop as late as mid July.
The only preparation the bed will need
is loosening up, not turning over, with
a four tined stable fork, and then hoe
| ing in a barrowful of fine manure. The
| first beans ready should also be fol-
l lowed by second crop, early varieties
being chosen, and any ground that be-
comes vacant between the end of July
and the middle of August should be
| lightly sprinkled with turnip seed, and
1 we'll raked over. After that date
radishes are the only safe crop to sow.
If these simple directions are faith
fully followed, especially those relat-
ing to the first preparations OF the
! ground, any amateur gardener is
bound to raise a succession OF crops
which will go far towards supplying
the family with green delecacies, even
if his energies are confined to a very
| limited area PERCY TAYLOR.