l6o VEGETABLE GARDENING 



eggplants must be handled more cautiously, although 

 hardening is just as necessary for them. Millions of 

 plants are lost annually because they have not been 

 properly hardened. 



220. Pots, sods and other devices. As previously 

 stated (202), some plants, as melons, cucumbers, beans 

 and sweet corn, are difficult to transplant because they 

 contain so few fibrous rootlets. It is often an advantage, 

 however, to start them under glass, but their root sys- 

 tems must not be" disturbed to any great extent. This 

 may be accomplished by the use of earthen or paper pots, 

 sods, berry baskets, paper oyster buckets and dirt bands. 

 Earthen pots are highly satisfactory, but are expensive 

 when used in large numbers. Paper pots are becoming 



FIG. 43. PAPER POTS AND EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING THEM 



popular, and may be made with little expense. Figure 

 43 shows some pots and the necessary equipment for 

 making them. The operation is very simple. A rec- 

 tangular strip of paper of the proper size to make the 

 pots desired is folded around a square block bolted 



