98 PRIZE GARDENING 



is used as seems most convenient. It is mixed with 

 ten parts of air-slaked lime and shaken on the plants 

 with a tin box with holes punched in the lid, or used 

 in water, a tablespoonful to two gallons, and sprinkled 

 on with a watering can. A knapsack sprayer has 

 entirely superseded the old hand and foot pump 

 sprayer. 



Corn and lima beans are planted in a cold frame 

 as follows : Fruit cans are thrown on a bonlire until 

 the ends are melted out, when they are tied together 

 with twine. About four inches of earth is removed 

 from the cold frame, small pieces of board are laid in 

 the bottom, and the cans put on them close together. 

 The earth is then put back in, filling the cans and inter- 

 stices. Three seeds of corn and two of beans are 

 planted in each can. When danger of frost is past, 

 the plants are removed to the garden. A small hole is 

 dug, the twine cut^ the can removed and the earth 

 drawn up to the plant. I frequently gain two or three 

 weeks' growth in this way. 



How the Work Was Done. — The following ex- 

 cerpts from the daily register will show that the 

 methods learned in a business training were followed 

 in the garden : March 8, ordered seeds of Burpee & 

 Co. to the value of three dollars and fifty cents, mostly 

 in packets, ounce, pint and quart packages. March 

 13, the seeds arrived by mail; checked them off with 

 order and put away in seed box, which is an old tin 

 cracker box, mouse proof. March 20, set two barrels 

 with both heads out over rhubarb plants in the row, 

 banked manure around them and threw some old bags 

 over the tops to get a few extra early shoots. April 

 I, with a whitewash brush Lyman smeared all the 

 grapevines from the ground to the outer ends of the 

 stems with the blue vitriol solution with enough lime 

 in it to show quite white ; he also did the trunks of the 



