The public ledger., 1918-01-04


can be narrowed and planted sooner.
(4) Work done In the fall relieves the
necessity Of doing It In spring, at
time when a person is liable to be
buster. (5) Fall plowing exposes
many insects to unfavorable climatic
conditions, causing death in the
spring (6) Sod land especially
should be turned In the fall II such Is
at all possible. The ground should
be left rough until spring.
If plowing or spading Is delayed un-
til spring, It should be done at the
earliest possible moment remember
ing however, that soil which Is liable
to become hard and stiff must not be
worked when too wet
The depth Of blowing or spading
may raise a question. In general, the
deeper the better but where the sub
soil Is stiff and heavy not more than
an inch Of 1t should be broken and
mixed with the top soil and any one
year. If the top soil is shallow, the
depth Of plowing or spading should be
increased gradually.
Manuring
Garden crops require for best de-
velopment plenty of soil fertility. One
of the best ways of obtaining this is
by heavy applications Of manure. Ma
nure not only contains important ele-
ments Of plant food but it contains
them in form easily taken up by
plant roots. In the second place, ma
nure when worked into the soil loos-
ems it up and gives it better physi-
cal condition both for working and
for the growth of roots. Further
more, manure contains bacteria, a
class of organism, which change and
make available for growing plants GER
tain forms of plant food which other
wise would be useless to the vege-
tables even though already found in
found in the soil.
Manure may be applied to the soil
and mixed with it when the soil is
turned. 1t may be put on after the
soil has been plowed or spaded and
worked under in the spring with cul-
tivating tools. If applied in fall or
winter or any time long in advance
of the growing of the crop it must not
be left in piles. The plant food being
readily available is easily and quick.
ly leached into the soil, and as re.
suit few spot receive large sup
, ply of fertility at the expense of the
e remainder of the garden. More bene'
fit will be secured to the garden by
Q spreading whatever amount is obtain
l. able over all the area than by cover
l ing a portion thickly and leaving thu
remainder bare
If the manure which is available
contains large amounts of straw ant
y litter the sooner 1t is applied ant
y turned under the better.
Fertilizers
: Among the thirteen chemical ele
: ments needed by plants for growth
u the principal ones are nitrogen, phos
: porous and potassium. The first ant
e the third are supplied considerably Il
0 manure, but even after using as man,
s as fifty tons of it to the acre marke
gardeners feel that they can still affor,
to buy and apply liberal quantities o
commercial fertilizers. containing nj
trogen and potash. 1t is we'll to sa,
here that at the present time due t
the fact that the potash mines Of Ger
many have not been within the trad
lines of world commerce for the pas
three years, that material is not to b
had. We are getting along with wha
. we have in our soils and what we ca
obtain from minor sources. Heav
applications Of manrne will suffice t
supply this material for the amateu
7 gardner.
!, Nitrogen stimulates growth.
q things are backward the weather col
lor the leaves pot ia good color nj
Srogen will y Ne remedy in mos
'"o" Eops particularly sue
Ege, caulifiower kal
large quantities
rhasten materia
prdners use
Nitrogen b'
pal manure
AQf nitrat
Aamoni
per