Evening star., 1915-04-04

a flrst-class idea of what to do, as well
as what. not to do. Chief in the lat
ter category is, DO not try to plant
too much or too great a variety" A
few known and tested vegetables,
grown to the height of perfection, will
give far greater satisfaction than a
wide range that includes many un-
known novelties. none of which Is
making a garden is in having, let us
say, tomatoes, beans and corn that are
finer and of better quality than any of
ones gardening friends
In this section it Is desirable to start
plants of certain vegetable crops in ad-
vance Of the reg
Sto rfino p1onfe ular out-of-doors
planting season,
for Out of Doors. and before dan
ger of killing frosts has passed. The
simplest method of starting limited
number of plants, such as tomatoes.
cabbages, eggplants. peppers. etc, is
to SOW the seeds In shallow drills in
flats OF boxes to be placed in south
window Of the dwelling. After the
plants are up the flats or shallow boxes
should be turned each day. so that
the plants will not draw toward the
light and thus grow one sided. A more
satisfactory method. however, is to SOW
the seeds in hotbeds or cold frames. A
hotbed six feet long and six feet wide will
be large enough for the average sized
garden, and such a bed can be made
cheaply. In the section around Wash
ington some form of heat should be
supplied, and this can be done by US
ing fresh horse manure. Turn the ma
nure several times before placing 1t In
the bed, in order that 1t may be put
into uniform composition and mechan-
ical condition.
Make the excavation for the hotbed
about eighteen inches deep. and put In
fifteen to eighteen inches of fresh ma
nure. trampling 1t down thoroughly.
Arrange a frame over the manure SO
that the slope will be toward the
garden loan over the manure and then
cover the frame with hotbed sash or
heavy canvas. preferably the former.
The manure will heat rapidly for the
first few days. and during that time
the hotbed should be ventilated free
ly and frequently, to permit the gases
to escape and to lower the tempera-
ture. Plunge good Thermometer into
the top soil and manure, and when the
mercury shows a temperature Of 80 to
IS degrees the seeds may be sown, but
not before.
After the seeds have been planted
and seeds of many kinds Of vegetables
may be started in a hotbed, to be
transplanted to the open when danger
of frost is past-close attention must
ton Of the hotbed. The soil should
never be permitted to become dry, but
it must never be kept soaked. Moisture
is necessary for the termination Of the
seeds and for the growth Of the plants
themselves: but too much moisture
ha
development Of plant disease. particu-
larly that ailment known as damp
ing Off" Water should be applied ear
ly enough in the day to permit the
bed must be ventilated during the
! warmest part Of the day. but it must
be covered in time to insure that 1t
will warm up enough to prevent chilli
ing the plants during the night.
For best results plants grown either
in boxes, hot beds or cold frames
should be trans
Hardening Off planted as soon as
they have attained
Young Plants. a height of about
two inches. Transplanting tends to
produce better plants, with more
stockiness better root growth and
greater vitality. The seedlings may be
transplanted to other boxes or pots. or
to other rows in the hotbed or the cold
frame. They should be set to stand
about two inches apart each way. Some
growers transplant twice before set
ting the plants in the open ground
Plants grown in the house, in hotbeds
or cold frames. must he hardened
off, before they are transplanted to
NIT yI~Y.1 Il
by ventilation and exposure to outdoor
conditions during the day in good
weather. If the plants are in a hot
bed or cold frame the covers may be
removed during the day when the
nightfan. After danger Of frosts is
past the covers may be left off at
, night. BY the time the plants are large
enough to be transplanted to the gar
den they should be thoroughly accus-
toned to outdoor conditions. Such
plants usually Withstand the transfer
to the garden with little check and
few losses.
Before taking the plants from the
bed it should be thoroughly watered
and the wa
SETTING Plants ter allowed
in the Open Ground. the ground.
This will insure portion of the soil
adhering to the roots and will prevent
serious whiting or the checking Of
| growth. Take up the plants with a
trowel or spade and pack them in
boxes or baskets in which to carry
them to the field.
The land should pe in good condi-
tion and everything should be ready
fnr nfclx rxrha r,la In inn q
| arrives. Mark off the rows or dig the
holes for the plants just before plant
ing to prevent the drying of the soil.
If possible, set the plants on a cloudy
day or just before nightfall. When
| the soil Is very dry 1t is advisable to
use a little water in the hole. The
| water should be applied when the hole
| is partially filled with soil, and the
| moist earth should then be covered
| with dry soil to prevent baking. Plants
should be set a trif1e deeper in the
garden than they were in the plant bed.
Pack the soil thoroughly around the
plants. SO as to avoid air spaces.
Frequent shallow cultivation should
be given garden crops. BY keeping the
surface of the
The Cultivation soil stirred a dust
of Garden Crops. which prevents
, the loss of moisture through the pores
| in the soil and keeps down weeds.