Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-05-24
Cultivate the Garden Early.

| When the seeds are sown and the
transplanting is mostly done In the fam
lily fruit and vegetable garden, one must
begin cultivation. 1t Is not best to wait
for the weeds to appear, for cultivation
should primarily be for other purposes
than destroying weeds. We should cul-
tivate to aerate the soil, and to make
use of the principle of capillary attrac-
ton, to bring up the water In the water
veins under the soil, where plants can
use It, We are learning more about
acid soils that are non-productive.
Many apply large quantities Of stable
manure to the garden plat year after
year, and it becomes less and less pro-
ductive. 1t is like the human body that
becomes clogged with waste material
which the excretory organs do not carry
off. | have used lime to correct this
condition, and while it is generally
beneficial, know now that its best use
is for plant food, and that soils rich in
plant food that are acid, need cleansing
to make them productive. Natures
greatest purifying agents are sunshine
and air. Soils need thorough aeration
that are frequently fertilized with animal
manures; then they will not so soon be-
come non-productive.
1t is not always best to change the To-
cation of the kitchen garden, as it may
be we'll fenced in and so near the house
as to be convenient. Aeration by means
of cultivation will make the same ground
serve from year to year. Only we'll
drained soils are in the best condition
for this frequent cultivation. There
must be no free water in the soil that
does not run out quickly after rain.
When the soil crumbles in the hand,
and does not pack, is the time to start
the cultivstor.
Spring and early summer cultivation,
where it does not disturb plant roots,
should be fairly deep. When going be-
tween newly planted crops, If possible
cultivate at first as deep as the soil was
plowed, and cultivate more shallow as
the roots grow out from the plants.
Cultivate with a cultivstor having small
teeth, close together, 80 as to break up
the soil into fine particles. use 12-
tooth horse cultivator for rows OF plants
not closer than eighteen inches. This
deep and fine cultivation is the best way
Of asrating the soil. With plants 10
check rows, so one can 60 though each
way, there need be but little Of the
soil the cultivator does not reach. In
rows and in mellow soil, the
hand wheel cultivators may be used,
but prefer to plan the garden so as to
do all the work possible with the horse.
Another purpose Of cultivation men
toned is to obtain underground moist
ure, or to raise the water table to the
roots of the plants. We know how wa
ter rises through a sponge dipped in
water, by the principle of capillary at
The same law causes water to
rise from the water-veins underneath,
when the soil Is 30 finely pulverized
by cultivation that it's porous. The
finer the particles, the more water rises
aud is retained. 1t will now be seen
that by the same process by which We
aerste long manured and cropped soils
and make them again fertile and pro-
ductive, we are able to use the water in
the soil nature has provided in her IN.
foreground reservoir for our plants, so
they are not without needed water in
times of drouth. This ia kind Of irri-
CATION that is available to all.-Country