Keep the hoe and cultivator busy in the vegetable garden. Frequent shallow cultivation is essential to prevent weeds from getting established, to keep the soil aerated and to conserve moisture in time of drought. The wheel hoe is a fine tool to help keep the garden in tip-top condition. Cultivate the garden after each rain, just as soon as the soil is dry enough to work without caking.
The efficiency of a gardener can be pretty accurately determined by the condition and location of his gardening tools. Dull, rusty tools resting in the garden usually mean a weedy, unproductive crop, while sharp, bright tools in their proper place are marks of a productive gardener. The necessity of keeping tools clean and sharp cannot be over-emphasized. Such tools require much less effort to use than those which are rusty and dirty.
Hoes to which earth is adhering will gather more soil each time they, go into the ground, causing increased weight, and additional work to operate. Sandpaper or emery cloth are OK for cleaning and polishing the blades of garden tools. A putty knife is a good scraper for cleaning off the accumulated soil. A handy scraper can be made from an old tablespoon by flattening the bowl and then cutting through the bowl in the center at right angles to the handle.
At the end of the days work, the hand garden tools may be wiped with an oily rag or thrust into a bucket of sawdust which has been impregnated with old crank case oil. A good-sized flat file and a carborundum stone should be kept handy. Remember, too, garden tools will last longer if used only for the purposes for which they are intended”not as substitutes for crowbars.
Evergreens planted in a location fully exposed to sun and wind may be protected from excessive loss of moisture by shading them with burlap tacked to stout stakes driven near the trees. Late planting of Austrian, Scotch. and white pines will be more successful if about one-half of the new “candle shape” growth is removed at the time the tree is dug. Have the holes ready for trees before the nursery digs them, so there will be very little delay in the process of moving.
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Interesting article on weeds in the garden.