The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-01

! to plant garden is stressed by spe
Cialists of United States Department
of Agriculture. 1t should be the aim
OF every home gardener this year tC
! grow a better garden by making the
| most intelligent use of the available
/ space, not only by employing better
| methods, but by planting seeds of the
highest quality. The first cost OF
| seeds is comparatively small, but it is
very important that the seeds planted
be the very best obtainable.
| Gardeners are advised to secure the
| catalogs of reliable seed firms and
| spend a little time in going over and
| checking up the seeds that will be
| needed for planting their gardens.
Stick to the Standbys.
Do not be misled by the highly
/ colored and muchadvertised novelties,
but stick to the standard, well-known
and proved varieties, advise the spe'
CialiStS. Good seeds are scarce and
none should be wasted, so figure care
fully upon the amount required and
place your order early before the
best stocks are exhausted. Perhaps
the seeds can be bought from local
dealers. If not, orders should go to
a seed house in some neighboring
city, so the seeds may be received in
ample time. When they are received,
unpack and check them TO see that no
part of the order has been overlooked;
! then store the seeds in mouse-proof,
ventilated cOntainer, such as tin
box or glass jar. They should be kept
in a moderate temperature, and where
they will not freeze or be exposed to
moisture.
You'll Want Early Plants.
Half the pleasure and profit of a
garden is derived from having some
thing to use just as early in the
springtime as possible. In many cities
and towns last year the local green
house men grew thousands of plants
which were sold to home gardeners at
reasonable prices. 1t often happens,
however, that home gardeners do not
have the opportunity to purchase we'll
grown plants, and must start their
own supply of early plants in the
house or in a hotbed if they desire to
have their crops mature early. Among
the garden crops that may De started
to advantage in this manner are to-
matoes, early cabbage, peppers, egg
plant, and lettuce; even cucumbers.
and sweet corn may be started in
doors by using flower pots, paper
bands, or berry boxes to hold the
soil.
Making Seed Boxes.
Where just a few tomato and cab
bage plants are desired, the seeds
may be sown in cigar box or in a
shallow tin pan with a few holes
A good plan is to saw off about )
inches of the bottom portion of a
soap bcX, thus forming a tray. If the
top has been saved, it can be nailed on
the box again sawed, forming a sec
ond tray. This will leave about 3
inches of the middle of the box, upon
which a piece of one-fourth-inch wire
netting may be tackled to form a
sieve for screening the soil used in
the trays. Any shallow box that may
be fitted into the windows of a living
room where there is a reasonable
amount of sunlight will answer for
starting early plants.
After filling the trays full of sifted
soil, stroke-off even with the top and
slightly firm down the soil in the
trays by means of a small piece of
board Use the edge of ruler or strip
OF this board to form little grooves
or burrows in the soil in which to
plant the seeds. These little rows
should be about inches apart and
one-quarter inch deep. Scatter the
seeds OF tomatoes, early cabbage. pep
pers, or eggplant very thinly in the
rows and cover them by sitting a
small amount of soil over the entire
surface. Smooth the top of the soil
gently and water very lightly.
Then the Growing.
The box should then be placed
where the temperature will remain at
about 70 degrees. If conditions are
kept right, the seedlings will appear
in five TO eight days after the seed is
planted. From this time on the plants
will need constant care, especially as
regards watering. Because the light
from a window comes from one side
only, the seedlings will draw toward
the glass, anQ the box should be
turned each day, so as to keep the
plants from growing crooked. Just as
soon as the little plants are large
enough to handle, they should be"
trans planted to other boxes and given
or inches of space in each direc-
ton
Using Hotbeds and Coidframes.
Where the required number of
plants is too great for growing in
window boxes, a hotbed or coldframe
may be provided. The usual method
Of constructing a hotbed is first to dig
a shallow pit to IS inches deep, ac-
cording 20 locality, and pack it full
Of fermenting stable manure. The
manure, before being placed in the
pit, should be turned over once or
twice III a pile in order to insure even
heating. 1t may then be packed into
the hotbed putt and tramped uniform
~. Standard hotbed sashes are feet
wide and feet long, and the size of
the bed should be made to suit the
number of sashes employed. A frame
work of boards Is to "a inches high at
the back and about II inches high
in front is placed over the manure