GAINING TIME IN EARLY SPRING 



Never allow the flat to dry out after sowing 

 the seed but remember that very frequent wa- 

 tering of germinating seed has a tendency to 

 weaken its vitality. The flat is set in a warm 

 place until the seedlings appear, after which 

 they should be placed where they may get 

 plenty of sun. After the seedlings have de- 

 veloped from two to four true leaves they 

 should be transplanted to another flat, giving 

 each plant more room in order that it may 

 grow stocky and strong before it is planted in 

 the garden. 



Tomatoes are often taken from the flat and 

 placed in rich soil in strawberry baskets and 

 allowed to develop to quite a size before trans- 

 ferring to the open. 



Strawberry Baskets. There are certain 

 vegetables, such as summer squash and cucum- 

 bers, which will not survive transplanting if 

 their roots are disturbed. If a strawberry 

 basket is filled with one-half soil and one-half 

 decayed manure well mixed, the seed of these 

 two vines may be planted in it, four or five 



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