Evening star., 1915-03-07
GARDEN HINTS

r"ma,s ssei shoula 80 s.~b u, a,,a. ~
cold frame. 80 w na,s W ihs hrsss N
plants ar. desired fu sssls fohiias
plreuticn. fw rFersries ~. -,n hs
growing tomato ani w,hrf Isiah,s ~s'~
given In this column lac, SUNDAY Ess
plants and cabbage piams fot eafls sum
m,r maturing should also h. %n~p lni'
mediately The plants must not hs psr
mitted Ia suffer u check dutinH the sarii
weeks ~ their exirtenc.. ne they never
fully recover " once -tunt"i i'iaos ~"
fats In the sunni.st window available,
keeping the soil prop~rly moist. hut never
wet, and removing all weeds that spring
up. as we'll as all crooked or splndllng
plants. as the latter will never amount
to anything.
Attention OF the editor has been called
to the method OF raising tomato nnd other
plants in paper pots rather than IN open
f1ats. The pots are about four inches
high and two and half inches across
the top They are made OF paraiiin.d
paper and are rolled and fastened with
pins. The pots are to be filled with rich
soil and used for a single plant each
When 1t Is desired to set tho plants out
the paper is unpinned and unwra pped
from around the ball OF earth and the
latter is set into the hole prepared for A..
thus avoiding any disturbance OF the
roots of the plant. The pots are placed
in fiat during the propagating period.
water being supplied by pouring SUI
flcient quantity into the fiat instead OF
into the pot itself. The soil in the paper
pot draws up the water, the plant roots
strike down deep for 1t, this making a
vigorous root growth thing greatly to
be desired In tomato or other plants.
II one doesn't mind the trouble and
muss. few beans may be planted on
upturned sods. to be transplanted in
is warm enough. Bits of sod four
inches square and two inches thick
are to be used. The sprouting beans
must be kept warm. however, and on
the whole, the plan is more trouble
than it is really worth
Peas for an early crop may be sown
just as soon as the ground is in good
condition to work. Only the smooth
seeded varieties are suitable for extra
early planting. however. and these are
never as sweet and sugary as the
wrinkled sorts.
If you have a hotbed. sow a few
beets for extra early. AS beets are
very tender they will not do for cold
frame planting for several weeks yet.
Cantaloupes planted on pieces of up
beans. will, if properly handled, fur
nish plants that will supply you with
melons long before your neighbors'
melon patch has begun to produce
tender. and must be kept growing
right along until it is time to set them
out. In setting out the plants started
on sods. be sure all danger of frost is
past. Then make holes a foot deep.
fill them to within couple of inches
nf =
ted manure; cover this with an inch
or so of finely pulverized garden soil
and set the pieces of sod, with the
little plants. firmly in this. They will
and will como to bearing several weeks
earlier than If you wait until warm
weather and then plant the seed in the
garden.
Many farmers and gardeners plant
potatoes on st. Patrick9 day. March "a.
for earliest spring use. This seem
little like crowding the season, but
many such potato patches produce
tubers for use by the first week in
June, or even earlier.
Dip seed potatoes in a formalin solu
tion before planting. and thus avoid
danger of potato scab and similar dis
fifteen gallons of water makes solu-
tion of about the proper strength
The seed potatoes should be thorough
| ly soaked in this solution. which kills
the spores or scab. potato rot, etc.
The use of nitrogen-fixing bacteria
| on beans. peas, lima beans. etc, before
| planting. II properly done, brings about
| marked increase in the yield. The
solutions are made for use with differ
ent kinds of legumes: lima beans re-
| quire one kind. string beans require
another and peas still another. The
solutions are easily prepared and used
and are inexpensive, and they do bring
results.
Plan to SOW little rye, crimson
clover, vetch or a few cowpeas on
every spot of the garden that is tenn
porarily unused. When it is desired to
use such spots the growing stuff
spaded or plowed under, forms a green
manure that increases the fecundity OF
the soil to a marked degree. This
plan entails very little extra work or
expense and in a few years. if con-
scientiously followed brings up the