Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1913-11-21

InK 10 - r.
"a nv e of q shallow box placed
I'm a south window Of the dwelling.
After the plants appear the box should
be turned each day to prevent the
plants drawing toward the light.
The most common method OF start
ing early plants In the north is by
means of a hotbed. In the north the.
hotbed should be started IN February
or early in March. 1t is desirable to-
have a supply Of straw or loose ma
nure on hand to throw over the bed
In case of extremely cold weather.
During bright days the hotbed win
heat very quickly from the sunshine on
the glass, and 1t will be necessary to-
yentilate during the early morning BY
slightly raising the sash on the oppo-l
site side from the wind. Care should
be taken in ventilating to protect the
plants from a draft Of cold air. To-
ward evening close the sash.
Hotbeds should be watered on bright
days and in the morning only. After
watering. the bed should be well ven
tilated.
In the north the use of the cold
frame is for hardening of plants that
have been started in the hotbed, pre-
paratory to setting them In the garden
In the south the cold frame Is made to
take the place of the hotbed in start
ing early plants.
Good soil for a seed bed, a specially
prepared place for starting plants, con-
atsts Of one part Of well rotted manure,
two parts Of good garden loan or rot
ted sods and one part of sharp, fine
sand. The manure should be thorough
ly rotted. but 1t should not have been
exposed to the weather and the
strength leached out of 1t. The addi-
ton Of leaf mold or peat will tend to
make the soil better adapted for seed
bed purposes. Mix all the ingredients
together in a heap, stirring well with a
shovel. after which the soil should be
sifted and placed In boxes or In the bed
ready for sowing the seed.
Weed seeds and the spores Of fun
gous diseases may be killed by placing
the soil in pans and baking it for an
hour In a hot oven.
No definite rule can be given for the
depth to which seeds should be plant
ed. In all cases the depth should be
uniform. The seed bed should be nei-
ther dry nor too wet.
Plants grown in a house, hotbed or
cold frame will require to be hardened
off before planting in the garden.
Hardening off is usually accomplished
by ventilating freely and by reducing
the amount of water applied to the
plant bed. The plant bed should not
become too dry.
Some plants require protection from
the direct rays of the sun In summer
or from cold in winter, and there are
many that need special protection
while they are quite small. Seedlings
of many of the garden crops are un
able to force their way through the
crust formed on the soil after heavy
rains, and 1t is necessary either to
break the crust with a steel rake or
soften 1t by watering.
For protecting plants from cold In
winter several kinds Of materials are
used, such as boards, cloth, pine
boughs, straw, or leaves.
There are a number of crops Of a trop-
ical nature that may be grown far
north, provided they are properly pro.
tected during the winter.
Several of the annual crops a be
matured much earlier in the spring If
they are planted in the autumn and
protected during the winter. A mulch
Of manure, straw or leaves forms a
good protection, but care should be
taken that the mulch does not contain
seeds.
Frequent shallow cultivation should
be employed for most garden crops,
and during dry weather the depth
should not exceed two inches. By
keeping the surface soil well stirred
what is termed a dust mulch" Is
formed, and, while this layer of fine
~ divided soil will become quite dry,
1t prevents the escape of moisture
through the pores of the soil. A mulch
consisting Of fine manure, clippings
the lawn or any similar material,
spread to a distance of ten or twelve
inches around the plants, will preserve
the moisture, but the mulch should not
be SO heavy as to exclude the air.
A crust forming over the soil after a
rain or watering is detrimental to
plant growth and should be broken up
soon as the land a be worked. To