The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-04-24


Is by means Of shallow box placed
In 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 supply Of straw or loose ma
nnre on hand to throw over the bed
in case of extremely cold weather.
During bright days the hotbed will
heat very quickly from the sunshine on
the glass. and it will be necessary to
yentilate during the early morning by
slightly raising the sash on the oppo-
site side from the wind. Care should
be taken in ventilating to protect the
plants from 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 off 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 seed bed, a specially
prepared place for starting plants. con-
sists 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
~ rotted, but it 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 heap, stirring well with Il
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 he
uniform. The seed bed should be nei-
Their dry nor too wet.
Plants grown In a house, hotbed OF
cold frame will require to be hardened
off before planting in the garden
Hardening off is usually accomplished
by ventilaring 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 summe.
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 it is necessary either t.
break the crust with a steel rake Of
soften it by watering.
For protecting plants from cold IL
|
used. such as boards cloth. pin.
bonehs. straw. manure or leaves
There are a number Of crops Of Il trop
ical nature that may be grown fa
north. provided they are properly pro
tected during the winter.
Several of the annual crops can b.
mature1 much earlier in the spring i
they are planted in the autumn ant
protected during the winter A mulcl
Of manure, straw or leaves forms
good protection, but care should b.
taken that the mulch does not contain
seeds.
Frequent shallow cultivation shonl
be employed for most garden crops
and during dry weather the dept
should not exceed two inches. r
keeping the surface soil well stirre
what IS termed dust mulch
formed. and. while this layer of fine
ly divided soil will become quite dry
it prevents the escape Of moistur
through the pores Of the soil. A mule
consisting of fine manure, clipping
from the lawn or any similar materia
spread to distance of ten or lively
inches around the plants, will preserv
the moisture. but the mulch SHOULD nc
; lie so heavy as to exclude the mir.
4 crust forming over the soil after
rain or watering is detrimental
plant growth and should be broken II
as soon as the land can be worked. 7