FLORICULTURE 507 



strings can be removed in transplanting and the ball of earth pre- 

 served intact. Another device is: Instead of planting seeds in the 

 seed bed as previously described, long, narrow, trough-like boxes or 

 trays can be sunk in the earth side by side and each be made to con- 

 tain one row. Correct spacing of rows can be had by their use. To 

 have these serve the intended purpose plants must be thinned to 

 spaces of about two and one-half to three inches in the row. When 

 the time comes for transplanting, the troughs can be carried to the 

 place of planting and the use of a sharp garden trowel will enable 

 one to take up each plant without breaking the soil about the roots, 

 and shift to the open ground with almost the advantage secured by 

 the use of pots. Troughs are recommended three and one-half inches 

 deep, three inches wide inside at the top, and a little less at the bottom 

 to make them flare. The bottoms should be covered with stiff gal- 

 vanized wire netting of quarter inch mesh. The use of three-quarter 

 inch lumber serves the purpose well for sides and ends. Three of 

 these trays to display bottom-, top, side and ends and their manner 

 of construction may be used. 



A good serviceable covering for late-prepared hotbeds is heavy 

 muslin to take the place of sash. To render the cloth impervious to 

 water, and durable, it should be coated with boiled linseed oil, ap- 

 plied with a paint brush. Narrow strips of boards to which are tacked 

 the long margins of the cloth, serve to stretch the cloth over the 

 frames and render handling a convenient operation. During cold 

 days and nights beds with cloth coverings need the additional pro- 

 tection of board shutters made solid and in sections to lay over the 

 cloth. Such shutters are very practicable also for use over glazed 

 sash where beds are planted very early and severe cold weather 

 follows. 



A good substitute for early hotbeds is the use of shallow boxes, 

 called "flats," in which seeds are planted, and afterwards the young 

 plants may be shifted to late prepared hotbeds. Flats can be handled 

 with good success in an ordinary room with a night temperature 

 maintained at not below fifty degrees. They should be prepared with 

 good soil and always be kept reasonably moist. Good means of drain- 

 age at the bottom is important unless great care is observed in water- 

 ing. Before the soil is put in, a cloth is laid over the bottom to pre- 

 vent leakage. The open bottom as shown insures perfect drainage 

 and admits the air to keep the soil pure and free from fungus dis- 

 eases. Provision is made for glass over the top to save the rapid evap- 

 oration of moisture over the germinating seeds, which will occur in a 

 dry room if the top is left open. About two inches of soil is sufficient 

 for the germinating process, although a little deeper soil will hold 

 moisture to better advantage. 



Plants should never be allowed to suffer a check in their devel- 

 opment from the time they appear until they become well estab- 

 lished in the garden. The time of maturity may be hindered several 

 weeks by a single period of neglect. Keep plants growing thriftily 

 at ail times is the best safeguard to success. (Idaho E. S. B. 17.) 



