VEGETABLE FORCING 



Journal, comments as follows about the use of hot water 

 in sterilizing soils : 



"We have some progressive growers who have done good work 

 with hot water and are becoming advocates of this method when 

 properly used. The plan is to force the water into the soil under 

 pressure, with more or less live steam combined with the water. A 

 gas pipe about 4 feet long is placed on the end of a hose and the 

 pipe is forced into the soil to a depth of 6 or 8 inches. This puts 

 the water down quite deep where the heat is held and warms the 

 soil downward as well as upward. This necessitates very thorough 

 work, the pipes being forced into the soil every inch or two back 

 and forth across the beds and thus thoroughly saturating the soil 

 with boiling water. The ground seems to be heated to a depth of 

 10 or 12 inches and cucumber growers have succeeded in eliminating 

 trouble from nematodes very much more successfully by this method 

 than by any other. Sterilizing for other common diseases of let- 

 tuce, cucumbers and tomatoes is easy compared with nematode de- 

 struction." 



