192 The Principles of Vegetable -Gardening 



at an expense, in the flat, of about 85 cents per thou- 

 sand. These forms are nested in the hotbed or cold- 

 frame, filled with earth, and four or five seeds planted 

 in each. They are readily moved by running a spade, 

 flat trowel or shingle under them. A box will make a 

 hill of plants. If one has a greenhouse equipment, he 

 may use 2 -inch or 3 -inch pots (Fig. 45) ; but unless he 



has the pots on hand for 

 other uses, it would not pay 

 to buy for this particular 

 purpose. One of the best 

 ways to handle cucumbers 

 and melons is to plant 

 them on sods, which are 

 laid bottom up in the hot- 

 bed. They are cut into 

 squares of about four 

 inches. A little fine earth 

 is sifted over and between 

 them, in which the seeds 

 are planted. With the heat 

 and moisture of the bed, 

 these sods decay and the 

 plants thrive; but they will hold their shape for a 

 month or more (Fig. 45). Old tin fruit-cans are some- 

 times used for this purpose. The cans are thrown 

 into a fire, when the tops and bottoms melt off, and 

 the sides are then fastened together with a tack or a 

 bit of wire and are used as forms in which to grow 

 plants. One difficulty with them is that they are too 

 large and take up too much room. They are rela- 



Fig. 44. Form in which to start 

 melons. The flat is 14 inches 

 long, and 3 % inches wide, mak- 

 ing a form or box 3 inches 

 square and 3 % inches deep. 



