Show GIVE HOME GARDENS BEST OF ATTENTION dont put away rake and hoe too early in season surface of soil should be lightly stirred and kept mellow finely sifted manure scattered over seeds Is excellent alre prepared pared by the united state i department of agriculture here Is a message for the tillers allers of the thousands of home gardens already planted in cities and the smaller towns and other thousands thou sands in process of being planted pl antel let every gardener remember that his work of food production Is only begun many amateurs make the mistake of putting away the rake and hoe as soon as they have the seeds in ID the ground the surface of the ground should be lightly stirred with a rake and kept mellow before the seeds come up often a week or so of extremely dry weather comes after garden planting this is liable to cause many of the smaller seeds to fall to germinate or if they germinate they may not have enough moisture to keep them alive I 1 there are two or three ways of preventing loss one Is to use the sprinkling can and keep the surface lightly watered until the seeds are up another Is to fo lay jay a board directly over the tha row of seeds until they sprout and are just about ready to come through the ground it does not do however to leave the boards over the row too long as the little seedlings on coming up against the boards will be bent out of shape and weakened still another method Is to scatter a little fine sifted manure here also care must be taken that the covering Is not too heavy or the seedlings will be injured when they come th through ro ugh the ground A steel rake Is one of the best tools for cultivating the garden because it loosens the top inch or two of tile the boll BOH before the plants ore are up break the ever so gently over tile tows rows with the ruke after the plants appear use the rake frequently along aich lich side of the ilie row to keep the soil ose and mellow |