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Show Straight Lines Make Best Design for Vegetable Plot e v.-- "-v. v X'l - - ' .- f'- " s Garden Hows Should Be Straight and Parallel for Efficient Production. If you take pride in the appearance ap-pearance of your home grounds and all gardeners should then make your vegetable garden layout precise. The ideal shape la oblong with the short dimension dimen-sion running north and south, the way your rows should run for even distribution of the sunlight. sun-light. With short rows you are seldom tempted to sow more of j a variety than you can use, just j to empty the seed packet. They are easlerto cultivate by hand, and facilitate the division of your land among many different crops. Square up the corners of the boundary line and make the rows exactly parallel with the sides. An exception to the rule for straight rows may be made in hilly country, where the wash of soil may be checked by contour con-tour planting. Here rows should run at right angles to the slope, but they should still be parallel, though on rounded slopes they will be curved. Serpentine, slanting or un-" un-" even rows will double the work of cultivation, and give an appearance ap-pearance of incompetence to the garden. Rows are spaced with varying vary-ing distances between them, depending de-pending on two factors: The needs of the crop, and the con- venience of cultivation. In rich soil vegetables may be spaced more closely than in poor; but when spaced too close together, it is difficult to cultivate between the rows. For crops growing twelve inches tall or less, rows may be spaced 10 inches to a foot apart and cultivated with hand tools. For cultivation with a wheel hoe, eighteen inches is likely to be found a minimum distance, since It is necessary to avoid disturbing disturb-ing the roots of the vegetables, whatever tool is used. Taller vegetables, and thosp that make vines, large bushes, r have a sprawling habit, must 1 given more distance betwc rows. In small gardens, 4 fc, will usually be the maximum distance, dis-tance, given only for such crops as bush squash and cucumbers. First, decide on the crops you will grow, which should be those that your family likes, or ought to like. Next, determine the quantity quan-tity of each which you will try to produce, which should be the .imount you will eat in the fresh state, plus what you will put up for next winter. In the case of the short-harvest crops, plan for several plantings of each, spaced so that one harvest harv-est will follow another throughout the season. |