CHAPTER XI. 

 PROPAGATION AND PLANTING. 



From what has been said of the favoring conditions in Cali- 

 fornia for open air work and freedom from low temperatures, it 

 may be rightly inferred that the higher arts of propagation involv- 

 ing the use of acres of glass and the most approved heating devices, 

 are not to be found in California. The forcing of vegetables which 

 is now commanding such wide effort and investment at the East 

 is only undertaken to a limited extent, and although it is increasing 

 with our advance in population and wealth, it will always be men- 

 aced by the open air work, both in average situations and in f rostless 

 localities which are, at present, only worked up to a fraction of their 

 capacity. Forcing is, however, accomplished with much less ex- 

 pensive structures and heating arrangements than at the East be- 

 cause only slight drops in temperature are to be overcome. We 

 have also a decided advantage in the large percentage of winter 

 sunshine. Forcing is, therefore, relatively cheaper than in wintry 

 regions and there may be, ere long, an important industry. Of 

 course the same general conditions which discourage forcing with 

 us also make elaborate and expensive arrangements for growing 

 tender plants for subsequent planting out, unnecessary. Not only 

 do hot-beds of the scantiest construction and covering answer local 

 purposes, but even their heating materials have to be toned down 

 by more slowly fermenting intermixtures and by freer entrance of 

 air, lest the growths be overforced. Often, as will be described 

 presently, a little bottom heat, with very slight covering above, is all 

 that conditions require to bring forward and protect tender seed- 

 lings until it is safe for them to take their chances under kind skies. 



TESTING SEED BEFORE PLANTING. 



One should know the viability of seed before risking his labor 

 upon it. The following is a current account of a simple test suited 

 to the needs of amateurs : 



Take two dinner plates and pieces of cotton flannel. Boil them both to 

 destroy any mold spores or fungi they may contain. Upon an up-turned plate 

 place a layer of moistened cotton flannel. On this lay the seeds to be tested, 

 of the small seed say a hundred, and half the number of large seeds will do. 

 Over this place another moistened strip and cover with a similar plate. If 

 more than one variety of seed is to be tested at one time another strip may 

 be laid on top of the first set, the seed placed and covered as before, using two 

 pieces of cloth for each variety. This gives the seed an aerated and more or 

 less sterilized germinating bed. Set the plate in a somewhat darkened place 

 where temperature of 70 to 80 degrees F. during the day and, if necessary, 

 less than 50 degrees F. during the night, may be maintained. The length of 



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