206 Subtropical Vegetabk-Gardening 



depth of about f inch. Before the seedlings begin to be 

 spindling, they should be transferred to another bed, 

 this time planting the seedlings 3 by 3 inches. 



A successful and convenient way is to make use of 2^- 

 inch, 3-inch, and 4-inch flower-pots in respective order. 

 When these flower-pots are used, the soil should be the 

 same as in hotbeds without flower-pots. 



The seed should be sown from forty to sixty days before 

 the average time of the last frost. The rapidity with which 

 the seedlings come along will depend upon the amount of 

 sunshine and warm weather, and also upon the attention 

 of the gardener ; consequently a statement as to the time 

 required for the seedlings to grow to planting-out size 

 cannot be made more definitely. In frostless countries 

 the seeds are sown thinly in shaded seed-beds, and the 

 seedlings thinned out before setting out. Or they may 

 be sown like eggplants, in bamboo pots. About eight 

 weeks should be allowed from the time of sowing to the 

 time of setting out. 



Soil and preparation for the pepper. 



A warm sandy loam that retains moisture in the subsoil 

 will be found excellent. In preparing land for peppers, 

 care should be taken to remove all decaying matter and 

 rubbish from the field. The rows are laid off 2 or 

 2| feet apart and the plants set from 1 to if feet distant 

 in the row. The variation in the distances in which 

 they are planted should depend on the conditions of the 

 land and the varieties which are being fruited. The 

 larger or sweet kinds require more room than the small 

 hot ones. 



