i4°° The Cornell Reading-Courses 



for such planting as has been described. Planting machines open the 

 furrow, drop the seed, cover the seed with soil, press the. soil lightly on 

 the seed, and mark the next row for planting. They are of great assist- 

 ance in good gardening. 



TRANSPLANTING 



If tomatoes or other plants are raised elsewhere than in the garden — 

 as in a hotbed, cold-frame, or seed bed — they should be removed from 

 these places with the largest amount of root surface possible and trans- 

 planted to the garden, being placed at the proper distance apart in the 

 row. With a trowel, dig a hole larger than the plant roots need; in this 

 hole set the roots, slightly deeper than they grew; place dirt on roots; 

 press hard ; place other dirt on the roots, pressing now and then until the 

 level of the soil is reached. The plant will thus have been transplanted in 

 such a way as to have the best opportunity for successful growth. The 

 pressing firms the soil about the roots and aids them in their growth, 

 so that they may take water from the soil and pass it on to the leaves. 



LATER CARE 



Thinning 



If plants come up too thickly, they should be thinned in accordance 

 with the column headed " Distance apart of plants in row," in the 

 planting-table. Such thinning is necessary in order to give the remain- 

 ing plants the space needed for their best development. 



Cultivating 



Two conditions are necessary for proper cultivation: first, there 

 should be no weeds; second, the surface soil should be loose at all times. 

 The two conditions can be easily maintained by means of the hand, the 

 hoe, and the rake. Pull out weeds by the hand, hoe around plants, and 

 rake after hoeing. A wheel hoe is very desirable. It is a profitable 

 investment and aids greatly in the work of cultivation. Where rows 

 are far apart, so that horse cultivation is permitted, the work can be done 

 with an eleven-tooth one-horse harrow. The horse work, however, 

 rather increases the amount of hand work, as with horse tools it is not 

 possible to cultivate so close to the plants as it is with hand tools, and the 

 space remaining uncultivated by horse power must be gone over by hand. 



Watering 

 If the season is exceptionally dry, it may be necessary to supply water 

 in order to insure good growth. Hose, watering-can, or pails are useful, 

 but good cultivation from the beginning is the most important factor 

 in maintaining the water supply. At transplanting time it is often possible 

 to help the plant obtain a foothold in its new home by an application of 



