| The first thing in garden making is the selection of a | | | | straight course to follow. Cut the edges with the |
| spot. Without a choice, it means simply doing the | | | | spade all along the line. If the area is a small one, say |
| best one can with conditions. With space limited it | | | | four feet by eighteen or twenty, this is an easy |
| resolves itself into no garden, or a box garden. Surely | | | | matter. Such a narrow strip may be marked off like a |
| a box garden is better than nothing at all. | | | | checkerboard, the sod cut through with the spade, |
| But we will now suppose that it is possible to really | | | | and easily removed. This could be done in two long |
| choose just the right site for the garden. What shall | | | | strips cut lengthwise of the strip. When the turf is |
| be chosen? The greatest determining factor is the | | | | cut through, roll it right up like a roll of carpet. |
| sun. No one would have a north corner, unless it | | | | But suppose the garden plot is large. Then divide this |
| were absolutely forced upon him; because, while | | | | up into strips a foot wide and take off the sod as |
| north corners do for ferns, certain wild flowers, and | | | | before. What shall be done with the sod? Do not |
| begonias, they are of little use as spots for a general | | | | throw it away for it is full of richness, although not |
| garden. | | | | quite in available form. So pack the sod grass side |
| If possible, choose the ideal spot a southern | | | | down one square on another. Leave it to rot and to |
| exposure. Here the sun lies warm all day long. When | | | | weather. When rotted it makes a fine fertilizer. Such |
| the garden is thus located the rows of vegetables | | | | a pile of rotting vegetable matter is called a compost |
| and flowers should run north and south. Thus placed, | | | | pile. All through the summer add any old green |
| the plants receive the sun's rays all the morning on | | | | vegetable matter to this. In the fall put the autumn |
| the eastern side, and all the afternoon on the | | | | leaves on. A fine lot of goodness is being fixed for |
| western side. One ought not to have any lopsided | | | | another season. |
| plants with such an arrangement. | | | | Even when the garden is large enough to plough, I |
| Suppose the garden faces southeast. In this case the | | | | would pick out the largest pieces of sod rather than |
| western sun is out of the problem. In order to get | | | | have them turned under. Go over the ploughed |
| the best distribution of sunlight run the rows | | | | space, pick out the pieces of sod, shake them well |
| northwest and southeast. | | | | and pack them up in a compost heap. |
| The idea is to get the most sunlight as evenly | | | | Mere spading of the ground is not sufficient. The soil |
| distributed as possible for the longest period of time. | | | | is still left in lumps. Always as one spades one should |
| From the lopsided growth of window plants it is easy | | | | break up the big lumps. But even so the ground is in |
| enough to see the effect on plants of poorly | | | | no shape for planting. Ground must be very fine |
| distributed light. So if you use a little diagram | | | | indeed to plant in, because seeds can get very close |
| remembering that you wish the sun to shine part of | | | | indeed to fine particles of soil. But the large lumps |
| the day on one side of the plants and part on the | | | | leave large spaces which no tiny root hair can |
| other, you can juggle out any situation. The southern | | | | penetrate. A seed is left stranded in a perfect waste |
| exposure gives the ideal case because the sun gives | | | | when planted in chunks of soil. A baby surrounded |
| half time nearly to each side. A northern exposure | | | | with great pieces of beefsteak would starve. A seed |
| may mean an almost entire cut-off from sunlight; | | | | among large lumps of soil is in a similar situation. The |
| while northeastern and southwestern places always | | | | spade never can do this work of pulverizing soil. But |
| get uneven distribution of sun's rays, no matter how | | | | the rake can. That's the value of the rake. It is a |
| carefully this is planned. | | | | great lump breaker, but will not do for large lumps. If |
| The garden, if possible, should be planned out on | | | | the soil still has large lumps in it take the hoe. |
| paper. The plan is a great help when the real planting | | | | Many people handle the hoe awkwardly. The chief |
| time comes. It saves time and unnecessary buying of | | | | work of this implement is to rid the soil of weeds |
| seed. | | | | and stir up the top surface. It is used in summer to |
| New garden spots are likely to be found in two | | | | form that mulch of dust so valuable in retaining |
| conditions: they are covered either with turf or with | | | | moisture in the soil. I often see people as if they |
| rubbish. In large garden areas the ground is ploughed | | | | were going to chop into atoms everything around. |
| and the sod turned under; but in small gardens | | | | Hoeing should never be such vigorous exercise as |
| remove the sod. How to take off the sod in the | | | | that. Spading is vigorous, hard work, but not hoeing |
| best manner is the next question. Stake and line off | | | | and raking. |
| the garden spot. The line gives an accurate and | | | | |