402 



VEGETABLE FORCING 



In New England and other northern districts the 

 plants are generally started in pots in greenhouses or hot- 

 beds, and transferred to coldframes late in the spring, 

 when the sash alone will give all the protection that is 

 needed. This method will produce a crop of cucumbers 

 four to six weeks earlier than is possible by planting seed 

 in the open ground. See Chapter XVIII for complete 

 notes on forcing cucumbers. 



Dandelion may be forced from seed sown in the frames 

 or from crowns which have been grown in the open and 



Fig. 143. Soil in coldframe, after sowing seed of dandelion, carrot, parsley, 

 etc., for the fall crop, is covered with salt hay to conserve moisture and to prevent 

 the soil from baking. When seedlings are up, the hay is removed. 



transferred to the frames. (See page 364.) Seed should 

 be sown about July 1. Sash may be placed over the 

 frame at any time during the winter, and if a little heat 

 is provided the plants can be forced to marketable size in 

 three or four weeks. If desired, the frames may be left 

 uncovered until March, when the sash alone, without 

 any artificial heat, will force a satisfactory growth. 

 The demand for dandelion is increasing, and with 



