The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-19
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
asATTERs OF INTEREST TO AGRI-
CULTUREST AND HOUSEWIFE.

Making Strong. Stocky. NeII-ROoted
Plants by Previous Transplant-
ing Before Transferring TO Open
Ground.
The advantage gained in transplantiug
certain plants once or twice before final
transferring to the open ground is so con
siderable it is a pity it cannot be more
generally practiced. This extra trans
planting secures such strong and stocky,
well-rooted plants and at the same time
secures the rejection of all Imperfect
plants so that when an acre is finally set
one may feel the consciousness that che
start is made under the most promising
conditions possible.
There are several crops Of such intrinsic
value and are planted on such small
scale comparatively the extra transplant
ing should not be neglected on the score
of tediousness and want Of lime. These
crops are caulllowers and eggplant. Gel
cry is crop also that will pay, though
in a lesser degree than these two prob
ably.
When there is reasonable supply OF
labor it viii always pay 10 give al least
one transplanung to cabbage and toma-
10 plants also.
Il is tedious work, but it is work that
can be done when but little other work
is pressing. Presumably It is done abour
three weeks before the time il is safe to
put plants out in the open ground, and
for the tender plants eggplant, pepper, to-
mato and caulihower, the transplanting
one cold frame TO another
The harder plants, like cabbage and
celery. may be transferred to an open Dor
der from the frames, and If there is a pos
sibility of a beated cold wave a load of
straw or other material that can be used
for covering the plants should be provided.
In this first transplantins the littie plants
are set TWO inches apart each way, and
a large number are very readily covered
with straw in an hours time. The straw
is put on lightly-just enough 10 hem the
plants and protect from the suns rays a
day or two after the cold had moderated.
A freeze severe enough 10 heave out the
plants under such covering is not likely
at the time this work is appropriately
done.
Cloth-covered cold frames answer the
purpose fully to protect plants thus trans
planted late in winter or early in spring,
and these can be had so cheaply there
should be no stint of them, either in the
garden of the amateur or the professional
grower. For this special purpose il is well
90 have on hand lot of rough frames,
made out of six-inch plank, with cloth
tops ready for use. These can be set just
anywhere where il Is most convenient for
the time, on any soil that will not be
planted, for a month or two. for instance
Ia is only intelligent, painstaking gar
1gr ,~HTfs L vrfs4l
themselves of this method Of increasing
the yield of their crops. Many, perhaps
may deny, even after one trial, that there
is sufficient compensa ton for the extra
labor. There are many thriftless lazy
gardeners, as well as farmers, who do the
work of the year with the least
expenditure of vital force possible. Care
fulness and painstaking is altogether for
eign to their nature. They do things with
a rush generally and oftener than not are
behind with their work. They imagine
thai they have no time for those little
extra tricks" that the energetic, persis tent
though ploddng worker finds time TO use
and greatly to his advantage. This rushing
kind cannot find time or see the advan-
tage even Of pudding the roots Of
plants that are set out in dry weather
another little trick" that the sensible.
plodding farmer, as well as gardener, is
apt to avail himself of.
In that work of the garden that makes
the start in the open from plants rather
than from seeds the rules for success may
be tersely elaborated in the one para
graph:
Strong. stocky. well-rooted plants
grown timely in cold frames from selected
seeds of choice variety, set in sol that
has been well prepared with plow, har-
row and roller, and cultivation shallow
prompt and frequent to the full needs Of
the crop"
We are never at loss to account for
the superior success of the steady, plod-
ding German gardener over that Of the
native born American, who does his work
in the helter-skelter, do-it-in-a- minute
style that is peculiar to the Individual Of
the newer country