THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 137 



each tray. This cotton cover keeps cold winds off 

 the plants, and also assists in hardening the plants 

 before being set out in the field. 



" I prefer to water thoroughly, being careful to 

 see that all portions of the bench soils or flats are 

 evenly wetted. Water is run on with a half-inch 

 hose with no nozzle, not with heavy pressure, but 

 gently. When transplanting time comes, usually 

 about May 20, it is found very convenient to handle 

 the flats in a wagon, sending them to the field 

 quickly. 



" Before setting in the field after plowing the 

 soil, which is a light sand, and after using disk and 

 smoothing harrows, it is well to mark out straight 

 rows and plow furrows about 5 inches deep, in 

 which the plants may be placed after being care- 

 fully cut from the flats, giving them 3^ feet in the 

 row, and rows 5 feet apart. These furrows may 

 be filled in at once by a man or a boy following up 

 with a hoe and drawing the soil around the plants. 



VALUE OF FERTILIZERS 



" As soon as planting is all done about one ounce 

 of nitrate of soda is applied around each plant, care 

 being exercised that none is put on the plants, for 

 where it is so left it will burn them. When it is 

 all on, the tooth cultivator is put on, and the ground 

 cultivated both ways to mix the soda in thoroughly. 

 Cultivation is practiced twice each week, first one 

 way, then the other. Not much hoeing is required 

 if cultivating is done carefully. I generally hoe 

 but once, although no set rule will apply. I have 

 given as a test two applications of soda to find out 

 if it would increase the crop, and I find that there 

 is little, if any, advantage. 



