But we are away ahead of the story, for we have planted and sold lettuce
before Jack has had a chance to really make his garden. The soil in the
backyard was very poor, so Jack decided to cultivate only a strip twenty
feet long and eight feet wide. He dug out all the soil to the depth of
two feet. His father lent him the use of a horse and wagon, and gave
him from the barns whatever fertilizer he needed. The digging was a
long, tedious piece of work. It was hard, too; but the boy kept at it.
Any piece of land can be used if a boy has a mind to work hard over it.

Some of the poorest of the soil was carted off, then into the top of the
remaining soil he mixed the old manure. Then into the garden space six
inches of manure was spread, and over this was filled in the old top
soil and fertilizer, that mixture which he had previously prepared.
About one foot of this was put in. Jack's father lent him the horse
again and the services of a man. They drove to the Longmeadow Farm and
got a load of top soil. Old Mr. Mills said he would give the soil if
Jack could answer three garden questions correctly.

"All right," said the boy, "you'll probably knock me over, for I don't
know much about gardening, but I'm trying hard."

"Question number one: suppose your backyard had been clay soil--what
would you have done with it then?"

"I should have mixed in sand, using about one-quarter the amount of sand
as I had of clay."

"Good! Question number two: suppose you had no sand--what then?"

"I'd have used ashes; old clinkers I guess would be best. Everyone has
ashes."

"Question number three: what is the object of mixing sand or coal ashes
or clinkers with clay."

"The reason is to break up the clay. Clay bakes hard, becomes sticky,
and little air or light gets into it. Ash or sand breaks it up. I think
that's about all I know about this."

"The soil is yours, young man, I shall be around to see your garden some
day. Remember good gardening means working your muscles hard."

"Thank you, Mr. Mills. By the way my arms and legs ache, I guess I know
about muscles."

"And remember too," continued Mr. Mills, "that certain vegetables are
very closely related and will intermingle. For example, do not plant
different kinds of corn close together. The pollen from one kind will
fertilize another kind and so you get a crossing which results in a
mongrel sort of corn. Melons and cucumbers will do the same thing. And
so care must be take