114 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



transplanting for weeks, awaiting a rain. If the land 

 is in perfect readiness, as soon as the plants are large 

 enough, which will be in six to ten weeks after sowing, 

 they can be set out. The time to transplant is when the 

 leaf-stalks are from 3 to 6 inches long. The distance 

 between the rows is about 3 feet or more, according to the 

 variety, putting the plants 3 inches or more apart in the 

 row. The smaller distances will give between 50,000 and 

 60,000 plants to the acre. The surface of the land should 

 be even and level, and the soil mellow and deep. A line 

 should be stretched and a dibber used for planting. The 

 plant is placed into the hole made by the dibber, and the 

 ground pressed around it firmly. Another method of 

 setting out that is being practiced largely is to set two 

 rows 6 to 10 inches apart, placing the plants 6 to 8 inches 

 apart in the row. The plants in the second row are set 

 so as to come opposite to the spaces in the first row. This 

 allows one to set nearly twice as many plants to the acre 

 as the single-row method, and makes a great saving in 

 lumber at the time of blanching. In setting out, the bud 

 is placed even with the surface of the ground. The work 

 of setting out can be facilitated by cutting the roots 

 and leaves to the proper size before taking to the field. An 

 active boy may be employed to drop the plants for the 

 man doing the setting out. (See upper figure, Plate IV.) 

 After setting, the plants must be watered, unless the 

 setting out is done immediately after a rain. After 

 watering, as soon as the water has soaked into the ground, a 

 thin layer of dry soil is raked over the soil which has been 

 moistened. If it is after a rain, the ground should be 

 worked lightly to give some loose soil on top. These 



