Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-18

hence the young plants must begin
to gather nOuriShment from the soil
very soon or they will die. 1t is self
evident that the small, fine rootlets of
very small seeds, which are scarcely
visible to the eye, cannot gather
much food from Jumps or clOdS or
big holes in the soil. A very small
hole in the soil, due to the fact that
it has not been properly compacted
or pressed together, may be tre-
mendously large hole to small gar
, den seed.
Seeds terminate and establish them
selves, therefore, when they are
| placed in a moist, friable soil in
which the grains are very fine. This
enables the little seed to come in
contact with, or touch large num-
Der of soil grains. When this init
mate relationship or pressure exists
termination takes place rapidly and
the little rootlets coming i'll contact
with the film of water around each
soil grain extracts from 1t the moIS-
ture and the atom of plant food they
need Thus the little plant is able
to establish itself in the soil.
If we have great deal of trash in
the soil or partly decayed organic
matter, then the land Will be loose
and open and full of holes and the
seeds will germinate poorly. Remem-
Der, therefore, that while a garden
soil must be fine and friable it also
must be compacted sufficiently to en-
able all the soil particles to touch
other and so insure the rapid germln-
alton of the seed which have been
planted.
Preparing Soil
AS to the method of preparing gar
den soils, their aeratiOn is desirable,
particularly if they are used year
after year. Frequently ploWlng Is
therefore a desirable practice. There
the area is small, digging or trench
ing by means of a spade will ire
quently be the best and most deslr-
able practice. The cost and amount
of hand labor involved, OF course,
must be considered in all garden OPP
erations as compared with the cost
and effectiveness of blowing the soil.
AS to the time when you should
prepare the garden, remember that
the proper firming of the land is de-
sirable in any event. Hence early
preparation is to be emphasized. ThlS
is particularly true in the southeast
ern states where we have a mild and
open season for the greater part OF
the year.
The gi.tden intended for spring
planting in this section of the. coun-
try should be ploWed in the fall. Late
November or early December is the
best time for. this work. The more
thoroughly the land can be broken up
the better. In this condition 1T Will
absorb more water than when the
surface is hard and compact. freezes
will also fine it to better advantage,
and as a matter of fact, a harrow run
over it in the spring will often put
it in excellent condition for planting,
whereas me might have to wait
weeks for the land to dry out to
sufficient depth to permit of it's being
plowed in the spring.
rElr,y,r Cot a n
is not broken at the right time than
for any other cause. Remember that
early breaking is of the highest i'm
portance and this applies whether
fall, winter, spring or summer grow
ing crops are to be planted. OF course
some type Of land may be prepared at
almost any season of the year. very
sandy soils, in which there is tend
ency to teaching and where the water
dries out rapidly, may be broken at
almost any time. The heavier the
soil the more important it is to'pre-
pare it we'll in advance so as to get
it in the most favorable condition for
planting at the right time. Sometimes
spring breaking of the garden which
has been fall ploWed is desirable. Oc-
casionally there arr very heavy rains
in the winter which pack the soil UNI
duly, and breaking it up, if the sea-
Sonal conditions are right, is an ad-
Harrow Soil o.ss..-
When undertaking to prepare land
at almost any season of the year, eX-
cept the fall, it should be narrowed
and pulverized as soon as it is
broken. This reduces the movement
of water to the surface, also main
tair1s a dust blanket and prevents the
escape of the water into the air and
insures the top soil being kept in
fine and friable condition.
ASs IN MIA nj garden. the
lier the seeding can be done the bet
ter. For many plants, therefore, one
should have a hot bed, as they can
be started in small paper pots or clay
pots and transrlanted therefrom d1-
rect1y to the soil.
tt is a very simple matter to have
a cold frame in any of the southeast
ern states. 1t cost so little to eStab-
liSh and maintain one that every gar
dener can we'll afford to have a. Struc-
ture of this character. He will hnd
it invaluable as a means OF PROVO
ing winter vegetables for the family
and for enabling him to plant his
crops several weeks earlier than
would otherwise be possible. by tnlS
[ mean that the plants started IN the
cold frame and from two to several
inches high will start Off growing
|. Immediately after they are putin the
field and will, therefore, mature sew
eraI weeks earlier than If planted IN
the open soil.
The methods of making cold frames
are sufficiently familiar to most OF
our readers to enable them to con-
str11ct a satisfactory one at a very
small cost In tranSplantlng dlrectly
to the garden it is important TO lay
the rows off evenly and uniformly
and to see that the young plants are
SET in tie fresh soil as soon as pos
sible. Exposing the roots to the air,
where they rapidly dry off is great
mistake. Remember that plants
should be set a Httle deeper than
they grew in the cold frame or Ihe
nots from which they are taken, Re-
member, also, that it is of the utmost
inheritance to see that the earth IS
messed firmly up against the foots
10 the lowest depth at when they
MANY people Sc out plants by
means of q dibble and they think that
If they press the earth around tne
growing stem they have done all that
IS necessary. There never was
greater mistake Sometimes plants
thus set out will die in droughty
spell, and frequently they will stand
for several weeks without making
any apparent growth On the other
hand, if the earth had been firmly
| pushed up against the roots to the
depth at which they were set In the
soil, contact with the earth would
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