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How to "lay
off" land.
1. Headland 6 to 10 ft. wide at each end.
2. Stakes set about 15 ft. from one side at each end at outsides of
headlands.
3. Tractor plows first furrow toward stake at other end
4. Tractor turns to right on headland after
plowing first furrow, plow lifted out of the ground.
5. Tractor plows second furrow, right wheel just on edge
of dirt of first furrow.
6. Direction arrows showing successive furrows
Planning Your Garden
Careful planning before the first guide stake is driven
conserves time and energy throughout the gardening season. Follow these
easy steps
STEP I - Choose Kind and Amount of Garden Crops
Check the vegetables listed in Table, Step I,
and determine the length of rows needed for each crop you have selected.
STEP II - Plan the Garden Arrangement
Draw your garden area to scale on a piece of graph paper, letting one
1/4-inch square equal either 3 ft. or 6 ft. With 36-inch row
spacing, crop rows will fall on each 1/4-inch line, using the 3-ft.
scale. Leave 6 ft. to 10 ft., at end of rows for turning tractor
equipment.
Lay out the rows and placement of crops as follows:
1. Space Rows 36 Inches Apart. This makes it possible to straddle the rows
of small crops and to cultivate between rows as crops become larger. In
small garden areas, the 36-inch space may be subdivided with quick-growing
crops planted between rows. Vine crops should be spaced at six feet.
2. Group Perennial Vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb, along with
raspberries and other small fruit on one row.
3. List Early-Planted Crops, starting from one side (preferably south),
then list the later warm-season crops. Save time by working up a
strip of ground, planting it, then working up the next strip as needed.
4. Avoid Shading Smaller Crops. Put tall plants on the north side,
if possible. Where rows run north and south, place tall crops on either
side, and vine crops with six foot spacing next to the last planting.
5. Allow Space for Successive Plantings. Garden tractors make repeated
plantings more practical because of the ease of working the ground.
6. Limit the amount of Swiss chard, parsley, radishes and other crops
where small quantities go a long way.
STEP III - Order the Right Kind and Amount of Seed.
Check the Seed Order Guide (Table, Step III),
reliable seed catalogs, and bulletins and circulars published by your
State Agricultural College.
[Source: Gardening Supplement to Owner
Manual, date unknown, courtesy of Mark Waite
& Joel Wicker]
