Early Plants for the Home Garden. — 93 



hot water from a fine rose sprinkler, and as often afterwards with 

 tepid water as the soil becomes dry, and needs it. Thus treated 

 the young plants should make their appearance in about a week's 

 time. A few cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce plants may be 

 grown in a similar way, but the box should be set in a colder 

 room, or in a less sunny exposure. It generally falls to the lot 

 of the good housewife to care for such plant boxes, and in most 

 cases she will enjoy the task. The chief aim must be to make 

 the plants strong and stocky by giving each sufficient space, and 

 thin out the surplus at an early stage of development. Tall, 

 over-grown things are not desirable. Where there is sufficient 

 window room, and if possible, any way, the plants should be 

 transplanted once or twice, and more space given at each time. 

 Nothing is more serviceable than empty tomato cans (with a hole 

 punched in the bottom) for setting 

 in tomato and egg plants, one in 

 each, from there to be trans- 

 planted to the open ground. 

 The true lover of a good garden, 

 and the man who has a large 

 family to supply with vegetables, 

 will sorely miss the convenience 

 and aid of a hot-bed, and the best 

 thing for him to do is to invest 

 the amount of ^4.00 or $6.00 

 in sashes, and put up a little 

 frame. The excavation may be 

 made for only one-half or two- 

 thirds of the bed, if this is three 

 sashes in size, so that a part of it 

 is managed as hot-bed, and the 

 other as cold frame. Plants must 

 be ranged according to their 

 degree of tenderness, and begin- 

 ning at the hot-bed end, as fol- 

 lows : egg-plant, pepper, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce; 

 and ventilation given more freely and frequently on the cold 

 frame side than on the other. For directions as to general 

 management I can only refer the reader to Chapters X and XI. 

 The well-to-do home gardener who can afford to spend a 

 little time and money for the privilege of running a miniature 

 green-house or forcing pit, which will not only give him an 

 abundance of plants such as he may desire, but also a chance to 

 raise a few nice, crisp vegetables in the winter months, may 

 construct a building, answering one of the two sections of the 

 forcing pit described in preceding chapter. Such structure is 

 here shown, and will need no detailed explanation. Hot water 



Plant liox in Window. 



