CONSTRUCTION AND CARE OF HOTBEDS 



will be possible to transplant half of the plants in 

 the drills into fresh rows between the drills, a proc- 

 ess which will produce much better plants. How- 

 ever, it is easier to scatter seed thinly when sowing 

 it broadcast than in drills, and there is not so much 

 danger of crowding. 



Seeds sown under the protecting care of the hot- 

 bed do not need to be covered as deeply as when 

 sown in the open ground, as they are protected 

 from all changes of the weather, drying winds, 

 burning sun, and washing rains. If well covered 

 and the soil pressed firmly over them, that will be 

 all that is really necessary in the matter of planting. 

 An eighth of an inch of covering will be as much 

 as such seeds as tomatoes, cabbages, and cauli- 

 flowers require, providing they are never allowed 

 to dry out. Egg-plants may be planted at the same 

 time as peppers and tomatoes, but the same tem- 

 perature required for these would be rather high 

 for cabbage and cauliflower were it not for the 

 fact that by careful airing and shading of the beds 

 these last can be kept at a much lower temperature 

 than the former. 



Both egg-plants and peppers germinate very 

 slowly. Especially is this the case when the tern- 



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