OTHER PROPAGATING APPLIANCES. 165 



pose of admitting fresh air. The main bed will soon com- 

 mence to heat, as well as the earth in the box. Great care 

 must now be taken for a few days, otherwise the contests 

 of the boxes might become too warm, which would cause 

 the young plants to grow tall and spindling, thereby ren- 

 dering them almost worthless. This can be easily obvi- 

 ated by lifting the boxes and placing under them an inch 

 board, or a few bricks. On a cold night vary the boards 

 or bricks as occasion may require. In a few days your 

 plants will be up nicely, the heat of the bed will gradually 

 grow less, and the plants "will naturally favor themselves 

 to the change. You will soon have what is termed a 'cold 

 frame, ' and your plants will grow strong and stocky, pro- 

 viding care is taken to cover them during severe storms, 

 as well as in cold days and nights. When they are yet 

 small, and commence to crowd each other too much, trans- 

 plant them to an open, sheltered, raised bed, where they 

 can be cared for until ready to set out in permanent beds 

 or rows." 



A Warm Heap. Another of Mr. Adams ' arrangements 

 to give his seed boxes just as little heat as suits the pur- 

 pose, consists in simply throwing up a heap of fresh horse 

 manure, etc., under an old shed, and placing the seed- 

 boxes on top of the heap. Great care must be taken for 

 some days at least, as it becomes necesary to raise the 

 boxes sometimes by placing them on a piece of board or 

 bricks or to press them down a little into the heap, owing 

 altogether to the amount of heat generated. A little too 

 much is worse than not quite enough. After the plants 

 get a few inches high they can be transplanted into open 

 beds somewhat sheltered from the north winds, where 

 they can remain until spring weather fairly opens, when 

 they can be again removed to the garden. 



Watering. In growing plants with heat, moisture, 

 conditions must be especially regarded. Too great mois- 

 ture and "damping off" of seedlings is largely prevented 

 in common vegetable seedlings by adequate ventilation 

 which has already been emphasized in connection with 



