THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



121 



Good sod placed in a heap with alternate 

 layers of cow manure and allowed to stand 

 and decay for about one year, makes a fine 

 compost for starting a hot-bed. In remov- 

 ing the soil from an old hot-bed, shovel out 

 some of the fermented manure with it each 

 year, this will keep it loose and in good me- 

 chanical condition. The poorest article I 

 ever saw used in a hot-bed was sand washed 



ger of running up spindling, transplant 

 again. 



In transplanting tomato plants, the stem 

 should .be set down well into the soil, and 

 will take root wherever covered. The ob- 

 ject sought is plenty of fibrous roots on a 

 short stocky stem. The temperature of the 

 beds must be closely watched, though it may 

 vary considerably. The mercury may run 



Fic. 2563- 



from the road, which it was thought would 

 be rich and nice, but it packed down so hard 

 that the whole bed was a failure. 



Soil should be placed on the manure to a 

 depth of from four to six inches, and the 

 glasses adjusted properly. After the soil 

 becomes warm, sow the seed in rows about 

 four inches apart and scatter them quite 

 thickly in the rows. Never sow broadcast, 

 as the labor of keeping free from weeds is 

 much greater. When the seedlings are 

 about three inches high, they should be 

 transplanted into rows, 3x6 inches, and as 

 soon as these need more room, or are in dan- 



HoT Bed, 



from 50 to 80 degrees, though the mean, 65 

 degrees, should be as closely kept as possible 

 for tomatoes, pepper, etc. Cabbage and 

 cauliflower plants require much less heat, 

 and should never be placed in the same bed 

 with tomatoes. In fact, very little or no 

 bottom heat is required to produce good 

 early cabbage plants. Fit a frame, as for 

 a hot-bed, except to omit the manure for bot- 

 tom heat, cover it with sash, and sow the 

 bed early in March, and better plants will 

 usually result than if bottom heat is used. 

 (See Fig. 2^62).— Tillinghast Manual. 



GINSENG CULTUKE. 



Sir, — Please give me full information on Gin- 

 seng Culture. 



Queenstown. W. B. 



To give detailed instruction would take 

 much time and space. We would, therefor, 



refer our correspondent to a small book en- 

 titled "Ginseng", by M. G. Kains, pub- 

 lished by the Orange Judd Co., New York 

 City ; or to the Dept. of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C, for the Farmers' Bulletin on 

 this subject. 



