Cultivation
Cultivation should begin as soon as plants are set and when soil conditions will permit, should be continued every week or ten days throughout the entire growing season. Never cultivate when the soil is wet but cultivate as soon as the ground can be worked after each rain. Stir the soil to a depth of about two or three inches going as close to the rows as possible and complete the cultivation by hoeing shallow directly around the plants and in the rows where the cultivator teeth do not reach.
Thorough cultivation prevents the formation of crust, keeps the ground free from weeds and promotes plant growth. During dry periods repeated shallow cultivation will prevent the escape of moisture and thereby bring the plants through a long period of drouth in good condition. You will experience very little loss from drouth if you put these instructions into practice.