not then become packed and hard again by the heavy spring rains. For the first planting the ground should be plowed and planted as soon as it can be got in order; the hardier vegetables will even stand a light frost, and while adapting their growth to the weather, will be ready to take advantage of the first warm spring days. I shall speak of the time of planting and sowing in the chapters devoted to the separate treatment of the different vegetables.
The following simple test will be of use to the novice in determining not only when to plow, but also when to cultivate and hoc the ground. Take a portion of the soil in the hand and try to press it into a ball; if it makes a ball and sticks to the hand it is too wet, while if it crushes hard it is too dry. In both cases, if worked in this condition, it will be left in a hard and lumpy state, that will take a long time to bring into good order. To be in good working condition the soil should crumble easily and finely in the hand, and should leave no dirt adhering to the fingers. It will not only give the best results when worked in this state, but it can also be done in half the time. Sometimes we cannot wait until the ground is in the very best order, as in a drought in summer, when it is needed for the second crop. In such a case it must be brought into as fine condition as possible by repeated harrowing and rolling; the latter is an operation too frequently neglected in the ordinary garden; every farmer knows the value of having the soil firmly compacted round the fresh-sown grain, and it is of equal value in every variety of seed sown in the garden. Where there is not
