FRUITS. 523 



against a shed or board fence, with its face to the southeast or 

 south. Horse manure is the best to use for this purpose. 

 Make a frame of boards or planks, as large as desired, and a 

 foot and a half higher at the back than at the front, so as to 

 furnish a slanting support for the glass to rest upon. It should 

 be two feet high ki front. Place the manure in the bottom, to 

 the depth of a foot and a half. It should be well fermented 

 and warmed. Over it spread a few inches of good garden soil, 

 in which is a fair mixture of sand. Cover the bed with the 

 window-sash, and let the sun blaze in upon it through two or 

 three bright days, having taken the precaution to bank the bed 

 on the outside with soil and manure. Plant the seeds in rows, 

 with labelled sticks between the different kinds. Sprinkle 

 warm water over the bed, with a garden sprinkler, and adjust 

 the sashes. Give the bed fresh air at noon on every fair day, 

 and see that the young plants do not suffer for water. When 

 the plants come up, they will soon tell you all about air ; for, 'if 

 they have not had enough, they will draw up long-legged, and 

 will have small seed-leaves. Indeed, if they are too much 

 deprived of air, they will droop down and die. Take care in 

 time to prevent this. Let them grow strong rather than tall. 

 Short stems, broad seed-leaves, very green, these are the 

 signs of good plants and proper management. When necessary 

 to water, take off a light at a time, and water with a watering- 

 pot that does not pour out heavily. Water at just about sun- 

 set, and then shut down the lights : the heat will then rise, and 

 make the plants grow prodigiously. 



Saving and Preserving Seed. This is a most important 

 branch of the gardener's business. As to the saving of seeds, 

 the truest plants should be selected ; that is to say, such as are 

 of the most perfect shape and quality. In the cabbage, seek 

 small stem, well-formed leaf, few spare, or loose leaves ; in the 

 turnip, large bulb, small neck, slender-stalked leaves, solid flesh 

 or pulfj ; in the radish, high color (if red or scarlet), small neck, 

 few and short leaves and long top. The marks of perfection 

 are well known, and none but perfect plants should be saved for 

 seed. They should stand -till perfectly ripe, if possible. They 

 should be cut, or pulled, or gathered, when it is dry ; and they 

 should, if possible, be as dry as dry can be, before they are 



