360 VEGETABLE FORCING 



For the fall crop, it is common to sow in drills 10 

 inches to a foot apart, and to thin the plants to 2 or 3 

 inches apart. If space is an important consideration, it 

 is more economical to sow the seed in beds or flats, and 

 then prick out the seedlings into beds on the ground or 

 on raised benches. The beet is sometimes used as a com- 

 panion crop with tomatoes and cucumbers. Early varie- 

 ties, such as Egyptian, are the most satisfactory for 

 greenhouse culture. 



CARROT 



The carrot requires about the same cultural conditions 

 as the radish, except that a larger percentage of sand is 

 needed to grow smooth, regular roots. The small- 

 topped, early Short Horn type is the best for forcing 

 purposes. The seed may be planted in rows 6 inches 

 apart and the plants thinned to an inch apart. Sowings 

 made at intervals of three weeks will give a succession 

 of roots. It does best as a spring crop, though with 

 bottom heat it may be grown with entire success at 

 midwinter. 



CHINESE CABBAGE 



Some attempts have been made to grow Pe Tsai or 

 Chinese cabbage (Fig. 127) under glass, but with only 

 fair success. It seems to rebel against the artificial con- 

 ditions of the greenhouse. There is no difficulty in 

 growing the plants for several weeks, but specimens of 

 good size tip burn very easily unless unusual precau- 

 tions are taken. The transpiration of water from the 

 large, fleshy leaves is so rapid that the roots cannot 

 supply moisture as rapidly as it is lost from the leaves, 

 and tip burning necessarily results. It is thought that 

 a very rich soil and low temperatures for about 5 weeks 

 would cause the formation of an extensive root system, 



