THE VEGETABLE AND SMALL-FRUIT GARDEN. 383 



After planting the soil should be at once stirred on the 

 surface, drawing some loose earth around the plant to 

 lessen evaporation from the firmed soil below. 



Where pots are not at hand, many amateur gardeners 

 use fruit-cans, unsoldered and without bottoms, in their 

 place. The tins are held together by a wire around them. 

 In planting they are carried to the field in boxes, taking 

 care to keep the dirt from falling out, and in setting the 

 ball of earth is loosened by taking off the wire. With the 

 wire replaced the tins are set around the plants to protect 

 them from sun and wind. 



A cold-frame, in addition to the hot-bed is a great con- 

 venience. In the cold-frame the plants set out in " flats" 

 and in pots can be kept to better advantage for hardening 

 off, and the cold-frame is essential for such cold-blooded 

 plants as cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce until it will do 

 to set them out in open air. In the South the cold-frame 

 is used for starting all plants, as the heat from the sun 

 passing through the glass warms the soil to such extent 

 that ventilation is necessary. The cold-frame is also the 

 proper place to hold flats of transplanted lettuce, as shown 

 in Fig. 105. The cold-frame is identical with the hot-bed 

 frame (65), with the exception of a pit beneath for the 

 heating manure. 



388. Manuring the Garden. Few owners of private 

 gardens have any conception of the large quantity of 

 manure used to produce the great crops in the market- 

 gardens. Henderson says: "It is a grave blunder to 

 attempt to grow vegetable crops without the use of 

 manures of the various kinds. I never yet saw soil of any 

 kind that had borne a crop of vegetables that would pro- 

 duce as good a crop the next season without the use of 

 manure, no matter how ' rich ' the soil might be." Horse- 

 manure is best for garden use, and it should be prepared 



