STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 105 



a box more than three inches deep, except the cabbage, which 

 demands four or four and a half inches. For transplanting either 

 to boxes or to the open ground, a common steel table fork is a very 

 good tool for making holes and packing earth firmly about the roots 

 of the seedling. We, however, prefer a wooden dibble, which can 

 be easily whittled from any hard or soft wood. Take a piece of 

 wood six inches long and three-fourths inches square and from the 

 middle taper it to a point at one end, smoothing off the other half 

 for a handle. 



HARDENING. 



As the time draws near when the seedlings must be removed to 

 the open ground the hardening off process must be employed which 

 renders them capable of withstanding the vicissitudes and severities 

 of open air growth, — the chill of night and the burning sun and dry- 

 ing winds of day — and all those variations incident to our New 

 England climate, so well described b}- Mark Twain and which the 

 State of Maine realizes to a superlative degree. 



This operation consists of exposing the plants to sun, wind and 

 cold air to as great an extent as safety to the plants will allow. A 

 veranda is a good place for this work as is the lee of a fence or 

 building. The cold frame is also a perfect place for the process. 



From the first I have not expected to dwell at length on the 

 special culture of different varieties, but it may be deemed proper 

 to make an exception of celery, a luxury which is so fast finding its 

 way into the home gardens, and the market demand for which is so 

 rapidly increasing. In the first place the common error of expos- 

 ing the seed box to the direct rays of the sun for any considerable 

 portion of the day should be studiously avoided. The box may be 

 placed in good light but much sun is quite sure to make mischief as 

 the seeds must be covered with little earth and may very easily 

 become what Peter Henderson has designated as "killing drj'." 

 After sowing the seed broadcast and covering lightly, a little water 

 and a good deal of patience will be required of the planter, but if 

 good seed has been used he may expect to see at the end of three 

 or four weeks a good stand of half inch high celery. 



As soon as these tiny plants have made three or four leaves the 

 first transplanting must be done and this operation will present 

 itself in a very unfavorable light to the bungling fingers of most 

 men and the probabilities are that after a few dozen plants are 

 pricked out the good lady of the house will have a cordial invitation 



