The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-05-23
Plant Cultivation.

In order to obtain good plants, espe-
cially those for the vegetable garden,
it is absolutely essential to raise them
from seed, for those offered for sale in
the markets are grown for sale and are
neither healthy nor robust. If, how
ever, there are no facilities for seed
propagation and the purchase of
plants becomes unavoidable, the fol-
lowing instructions will be found valu-
able:
Select those that have short, robust
stems, for a long or slender stem indi-
Gates that the plants have been rapid
ly forced by artificial heat, or were
grown too close together, in which
case the sides and underground have
been excluded from the light and air,
and the plants have, as it were,
stretched their necks in their efforts to
reach the light. II a plant has a small
amount of root in proportion to the
foliage, it is weakly from having been
forced too quickly or under too great a
heat. The more root, the stronger and
the greater the growing capacity of the
plant. If the leaves are of yellow
cast, it may occur from an unhealthy
condition caused, in all probability,
from having been but recently taken
from the hotbed or forcing-housA, from
having been taken from the plant-bed
too long, and, in some cases, from
there being insects or grubs at the
roots. If the roots are very short, it
shows that they have been carelessly
taken from the beds and the ro0tlets
have been broken off. A short or stub
by root is always detrimental to the
plant, while if the root is long and
tibrous it is of little consequence if the
foliage is small or short, providing that
it has a deep-green. vigorous appear
ance.
The object Of transplanting is to
check the growth of the foliage and pro-
mote that of the root, and this is best
done while the plants are young, so
that, when they are finally planted out,
there will be sufficient root to support
a vigorous upper growth. As soon as
the plants are well above the surface of
the soil they should be thinned out;
that is, the weaker ones should be re-
moved. so that those left may have free
0CCCSS W tuc dlE StIlu HUI Uc CTOWuCU.
In thinning out, leave the shortest and
strongest plants. keeping them as near
ly as possible an equal distance apart
and with small space between the
leaves of one plant and those of the
next. As soon as the plants have six
visible leaves the first transplanting
(called the pricking out) should be per-
formed. First the seed bed should be
watered, and about an hour afterward
the plants should be removed to an
other bed, prepared of rich, light soil.
In removing the plants from the old
bed it is of great consequence to pre-
serve the rootlets, and to this end a
three or four pronged fork should be
employed, lifting the plants gently and
handling them carefully, planting them
nearly up to the leaves in the new bed,
placing them three or four inches apart,
and pressing the earth very lightly
about them, and finally lightly sprin-
king them with water. The bed in
which they are transplanted should he
prepared rather dry, and if out of doors
just before shower of rain is the best
time. Plants that have been thus trans
planted not only grow to greater per-
lection, but are more hardy and will
stand protracted drought much bet
ter.-Scsessttfc american.