THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



perature of the hotbed is not sufficiently high, and 

 much care is required to so regulate the sash as 

 to afford sufficient air without at the same time 

 unduly lowering the temperature. When all the 

 seeds are sown, pressed down, and labelled, the 

 soil should be sprayed lightly with a rubber sprin- 

 kler or the fine rose of a watering pot, covered 

 with newspapers, the sashes closed, and the seed 

 left to germinate. The beds must be examined 

 every day to note if the soil is becoming dry, in 

 which case it must be watered carefully as before, 

 or if too wet and moisture gathers on the glass, 

 the sash must be raised a little to allow the exces- 

 sive moisture to pass off. 



When the first plat of seeds germinates and the 

 tiny green leaves appear above the soil, the paper 

 should be lifted from that much of the bed and 

 placed on top of the glass, directly over the plat. 

 This shields the plants from the direct rays of the 

 sun, while allowing sufficient light to reach the 

 plants indirectly for their proper growth at this 

 stage. 



Many seeds have a tendency to come into the 

 world heels up, and unless this penchant is cor- 

 rected by turning the youngsters over into the 



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