262 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



the garden and not disturbed by plowing for the annual crops. 

 Salad plants include such crops as lettuce, kale, cabbage, cauli- 

 flower, celery, cress, endive, parsley and sometimes spinach. If 

 grown in hot weather they are much benefited by shade, or by a 

 wind break which keeps off the hot, blasting winds from the south- 

 west. They also require similar soil treatment and are much 

 improved by plenty of organic matter in the soil and a good 

 supply of nitrogen, because a strong leaf growth is desired. 



FIELD AND LABORATORY EXERCISES 



1. Manure for Garden. With a fork or spade, compare well rotted com- 

 post with fresh manure, and report which is more suitable for use in the garden. 



2. Prepare a mixture of commercial fertilizers, using the ingredients rec- 

 ommended in this chapter for a market garden. The amounts may be reduced 

 to ounces or grams instead of pounds if the exercise is to be carried on in the 

 laboratory. 



3. Making a Hotbed. Students should make a hotbed by constructing 

 a frame about 6 by 6 feet and using two pairs 'of sash or two regular hotbed 

 sashes as a cover. Properly install the manure and soil and as soon as ready 

 begin garden projects suitable to the season. 



4. Make a muslin-covered coldframe of suitable size for growing some of 

 the early garden crops, such as the starting of sweet potato plants. 



5. Transplanting Seedlings. A suitable exercise for one laboratory period 

 is to transplant into tin cans or pots a number of seedlings that have been 

 started in the hotbed or coldframe. Young tomato plants, cabbage plants 

 and others may be used. 



6. Garden Seeds. Procure seeds of the types of garden plants mentioned 

 in this chapter, and start at least some of each lot in the garden at the proper 

 season. 



7. Home projects in growing vegetable crops should be started by all 

 students. Notes should be kept covering cost and time involved in "each 

 crop. Records of yields and income should be also reported. 



8. Canning Vegetables. Exercises in canning vegetables should be car- 

 ried on at the school as practice. Materials for this, including cans and prod- 

 uce may be provided by members of the class or parents in the vicinity. The 

 value of the canned produce should more than compensate for this. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Discuss good soils for gardens. 



2. Describe the making of a compost for garden soil. 



3. Give the composition of good commercial fertilizer to be mixed at home for 



garden use. 



4. Give the advantages of having a hotbed for the home garden. 



5. Give directions for the construction of a hotbed. 



6. Distinguish between a hotbed and a coldframe. Tell how the latter is 



heated. 



7. How are plants hardened off and why? 



8. Give a list of garden vegetables that can stand the spring frosts. 

 References. United States Farmers' Bulletins: 218, The School Garden; 



255, The Home Vegetable Garden; 359, Canning of Vegetables in the Home; 

 460, Frames as a Factor in Truck Growing. 



Manual of Gardening, Bailey, The Macmillan Co., N. Y. Vegetable 

 Gardening, Watts, Orange Judd Co., N. Y. Garden Farming, Corbett, Ginn 

 and Co., N. Y. Productive Vegetable Growing, Lloyd, J. B. Lippincott Co., 

 Philadelphia. 



