State Agricultural Society. 281 



.RAISING THE PLANTS. 



PREPARING SEED BEDS. 



For seed beds select a piece of light, warm soil (rather sandy is bet- 

 ter) contiguous to water — a pond, slough, or creek, if possible — if not, 

 then to a well. If well water is to be used, let a tank or reservoir be 

 prepared, in which two days' supply can be stored. Well water should 

 be only used after one day's exposure to the weather. The best locality 

 for seed beds should be on the southerly slope of a slight undulation, 

 towards its summit; swales lying below the general level of the land are 

 commonly cold, and should a swale cross the land selected for beds, it 

 will be better not to make them on this portion of it; that is, skip the 

 swale. A fence or building on the north side of the beds will stimu- 

 late the growth of the plants, partly by the protection it affords from 

 the north, but more by the heat it reflects on the. beds. Should such a 

 structure be available, therefore, it is worth while to whitewash it. 



The beds are to run east and west. They are laid off three feet wide, 

 with two-foot paths between. At each one hundred feet of length cross 

 paths are to be laid off. This divides the beds into lengths of one hun- 

 dred feet, each of which ought to give thirt}^ thousand plants, coming on 

 in a succession over a period of six weeks. If it be desired to complete 

 the planting in less time, proportionally greater length of bed must be 

 sown. It is well enough, though not essential, to burn over the ground 

 in the Autumn, mainly for the purpose of destroying foul seed. The 

 best way to do this is to haul on the ground a lot of straw, as much as, 

 when settled, will give a foot in depth. On top of this throw a lot of 

 dry brush. Touch it off when in condition to burn quick, and it makes 

 a savage fire, heating the ground to a high point, and effectually de- 

 stroying the vitality of all seeds that lie within a depth of three or four 

 inches. If brush only be used it is difficult to heat the outer portion of 

 the ground effectually, and at least it will not be done uniformly. Seed 

 beds should be planted by the middle of Januaiy (or even by the first 

 of that month), in all localities where there is not a probabilit}^ of the 

 ground actually freezing after germination of the seeds has begun. 

 Mere frosts, however sharp, need not be regarded. In the southern 

 part of California, say about Los Angeles on the coast, and from King's 

 Kiver south on the interior plains, this work may be better clone in 

 December, and seed may there be sprouted (as hereafter described) for 

 planting about this time. 



Having lined off the land into alternate beds and paths, chop up the 

 surface of the beds well with a hoe to a depth of not over three inches. 

 The " plantation " pattern of tool, cast-steel, will be found more ser- 

 viceable than the common garden "gooseneck." Then, with rather a 

 long toothed garden rake, work out thoroughly all lumps and stones to 

 a depth of at least two inches, leaving the earth as fine as it can be 

 made. Work always from the north line of the bed, to the surface of 

 which a slight slope to the south will thus easily be given. The amount 

 of this slope should not exceed one inch in the three feet of width. 

 This slight slope will be found to sensibly increase the effect of the 

 sun's rajs in warming the soil and stimulating growth; proof of this 

 is furnished by the fact that some planters have made their beds 



36 — (agri} 



