l62 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



field. Because of its hardiness, rapid growth and 

 hard-heading habit, it is, in our experience, un- 

 equaled. For second early, we grow the large or 

 Charleston Wakefield, Henderson's Early Summer 

 and Early Dwarf Flat Dutch. The seed is sown 

 for the first early in September in well-enriched 

 beds and when the plants are 2 to 3 inches tall they 

 are pricked out into cold frames, protected with 

 oiled muslin or glass or in the open ground in a 

 place protected from the north and west winds. 



" The objection to these wintered-over plants is 

 that, on account of age, many will go to seed. We 

 prefer and have better success with spring plants. 

 These are started in a hotbed under glass in Feb- 

 ruary, and when 2 to 3 inches tall are pricked out 

 into cold frames, and if not too thick in the seed-bed 

 rows, will be ready to transplant in the field by 

 March 15 to April i, or later. These spring-grown 

 plants will head up earlier and make more heads to 

 the acre than wintered-over plants. The best soil 

 is a good sandy loam that is well supplied with 

 humus, from the growth of former crops of clover 

 or other legumes — a soil that is friable. 



" This should be thoroughly pulverized and 

 leveled to prepare it for planting. We use a potato 

 planter, making the rows 3 feet apart, distribute 

 the phosphate in the rows, and make the ridge for 

 the plants at one operation. With the machine, we 

 can do the work very cheaply and rapidly. The 

 ridges are leveled down with a plank drag, which 

 covers two rows at once 3 inches deep. The fer- 

 tilizer is applied at the rate of 1,000 pounds to the 

 acre, and is home-mixed, medium high grade, 

 analyzing 4 per cent nitrogen, 7 per cent phos- 

 phoric acid, and 6 per cent potash. We want strong 

 plants with good root system. They are set 18 



