202 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



management of hot-beds will be found on pages 128-131.) 

 When the bed is made, put on the frame and stack fresh 

 manure all round it up to the level of the lights ; then put in- 

 side 4in. of light rich compost and plunge in a soil thermometer. 

 Put on the lights, leaving them open about lin. at the top to 

 allow for the escape of strong heat, and cover all up with mats 

 to ground level. For a few days the heat will probably rise to 

 a considerable height ; as soon as it has fallen to* 80 degrees 

 the seed may be sown. This may be done directly in the bed, 

 at 2in. apart, or separately in small 60's pots, well crocked and 

 half filled with soil. Both methods have their advocates. The 

 advantage of sowing separately directly in the pot consists in 

 the avoidance of any check which the seedling may receive 

 when it is lifted from the seed bed for potting up, but on the 

 other hand the seedlings generally grow stronger in a mass of 

 soil which maintains a more even moisture than is possible in 

 a pot. In either case the soil must be moist, so that no water- 

 ing is needed until after the seed has germinated. 



Management of the Young Plants. As soon as the seedlings 

 show give them all the light possible, removing the mats during 

 the day but replacing them at night. In eight or ten days they 

 should be growing strongly ; if they are in pots fill these with 

 soil to within half an inch of the rim ; if they are in the bed lift 

 them carefully without hurting the roots and pot them up to 

 the seed leaves in large 60's. The soil used for this purpose 

 should be moist and should have stood in the frame for a few 

 days previously so as to get to the same temperature. After 

 potting plunge the pots up to the rims in the same bed, water 

 with tepid water, and shut up closely. For a few days, until 

 the roots begin to work again freely, scatter a little light litter 

 over the lights to break the direct rays of the sun, after which 

 they must be grown in full light, near the glass, so as to keep 

 them dwarf and stocky. 



No effort should be spared to avoid everything which is 

 likely to check the growth of the young plants. A fine still day 

 should be chosen for the transplanting operations and a screen 

 of mats should be fixed round the frame to shield the plants 

 from cold draughts. If the heat in the frame is found to 

 decline below 65 degrees the manure stacked round the sides 



