CHAPTER XXIV. 



THINNING AND TRANSPLANTING. 



" CROWDED CRIPPLED ! " 



HE liberal use of seed gives us the desirable full 

 stand; but also the less desirable feature of a 

 great surplus of plants. Every plant, not required 

 for making the crop, is practically a weed, as it 

 deprives those that are to remain of moisture, 

 food and room. To remove the superfluous, 

 useless eaters and drinkers at an early period of 

 development is just as essential as the early 

 removal of weeds. Uniformity of vegetables-radishes, beets, onions, 

 etc., and an even development cannot well be obtained except 

 by giving each plant in the row a uniform and reasonably large 

 amount of space. The annexed figures illustrate the contrast 

 between a section of rows where the crop (onions) was thinned at 

 an early stage of growth, and one where thinning is neglected. 

 The market gardener whose aim is in the direction of an early 

 crop of beets, radishes, etc., which he can gather all at once, 

 clearing the rows as 

 he goes along, and thus 

 having them ready for 

 a successive crop has 

 no other way but thin 

 early and thoroughly. 

 The home gardener 

 may do this work grad- 

 ually with best results. 

 So for instance in case 

 of table beets. Instead 

 of thinning all at once 

 to the generally recom- 

 mended distance of 4 

 to 6 inches apart, the 

 plants may at first be 

 left 2 or 3 inches apart ; and when the roots have grown of some 

 size, and begin to crowd each other in the row, every other one 

 be removed, giving the choicest young and tender table beets, 

 greens, etc. A similar course can be adopted with lettuce, and 



(121) 



Onions properly thinned. 



