CHAPTER XV. 



EARLY PLANTS FOR THE HOME GARDEN. 



VARIOUS MEANS AND DEVICES FOR EVERYBODY. 

 "A will a way." 



|OR the average-sized kitchen garden only a 

 comparatively very small number of early plants 

 are needed, so few, indeed, that people often 

 come to the conclusion it is cheaper to buy 

 them than to raise them, especially when plants 

 are to be had as cheap as they are now. Yet we 

 cannot always, nor even often, get what we want. 

 Professional plant-growers frequently are very 

 careless about the seeds they sow. The plants are for sale, and 

 a tomato plant will sell, if well grown, no matter what fruit it 

 will produce afterwards. So in the purchase of plants we 

 always run a risk, and at best have to deal with uncertainties. 

 Then we may wish to try a new tomato, or pepper, or egg- 

 plant, etc., and plants of high-priced novelties cannot often be 

 purchased. Furthermore, while poor plants, grown in crowded 

 hot-beds, and consisting of much stalk and little root, are 

 abundant and cheap, really first-class, well-grown, well-rooted 

 and well-hardened plants are generally rare, always dear, and 

 often not on sale. Take it on the whole, therefore, I think 

 every home gardener who takes the least interest in his garden, 

 will of necessity have to dabble in the business of plant growing. 

 He can go at it in a variety of ways. 



Where a sunny kitchen window is at disposal for the 

 purpose, some tomato, pepper and egg-plants can easily be 

 started in a box or in boxes placed in front of it, as shown in 

 illustration. A common soap box, obtained from the nearest 

 grocer will furnish material for two or three such boxes. Suitable 

 soil is prepared by mixing one-third of well-rotted compost and 

 two-thirds sandy loam or rich garden soil, and of course it should 

 be got in readiness in the autumn before the ground freezes. The 

 boxes are filled with this nearly to the top, and the seeds sowed 

 thinly in shallow furrows. Each variety should be plainly labelled, 

 or the name written on outside of box facing each row. Sift a 

 little sandy loam, leaf mould or pulverized dried peat moss upon 

 the seeds, pat it down gently to firm the seed, then water with 

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