90 MARKET GARDENING. 



directly into the garden. Eighty feet square of hotbed 

 surface drilled in rows at five inches apart should pro- 

 duce enough plants to cover one acre of ground. Toma- 

 toes grown in open air outside beds should plant one 

 acre to each one hundred and fifty square feet. Seed- 

 lings grown in outside beds need not be transplanted 

 before removal to a permanent position in the field. At 

 Bloomsdale, plants set out May 10th to 20th ripen fruit 

 by July 4th. 



During the operation of transplanting, the newly 

 planted bed should be shaded and watered as the work 

 progresses, keeping the shade on for two days, removing 

 it in the evenings or during rainy weather, after which 

 the plants may have the full benefit of the sun's rays. 

 In the evenings water sufficiently to keep the soil moist, 

 and give plenty of air, while avoiding chilling them, 

 and in a couple of weeks the plants will be ready to 

 remove to the field. Egg plants take more heat than 

 tomatoes, but they need as much ventilation and should 

 have more room. 



Cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce sow broadcast, firsi 

 raking the surface soil to the finest tilth, distributing 

 the seed so that about ten seeds will fall to the square 

 inch ; this many, to allow for unvital seeds, for too deep 

 or too shallow covering, and for insect depredations. 

 Rake as lightly as possible, so as not to cover more than 

 one-eighth of an inch ; water, using a watering pot with 

 a very fine rose nozzle, or dash on water with a broom, 

 and put on the sash. 



Tomatoes, egg plants and peppers should be sown 

 in rows, raking the surface soil to the finest tilth, and 

 with a triangular stick of a length equal to the width of 

 the box, press the sharp edge down into the fine soil, 

 making straight parallel rows, or trenches, three inches 

 apart, and not over one-half inch in depth. Drop the 

 seeds in the row, five to eight seeds to the inch, of egg 



