STARTING THE PLANTS 



39 



grower. In case, however, one needs only a com- 

 paratively few hills for home use, the seeds may be 

 planted upon pieces of inverted sod. A tough blue 

 grass sod is cut about two inches deep and is then 

 cut into squares of about four inches each way. 

 These are placed bottom up in flats and about three 

 seeds are placed in the center of each piece. The 

 flats are then put into the hotbed and the seeds cov- 

 ered with fine soil and kept well watered. Many 

 of the small commercial growers practice this 

 method of starting seeds. 



Fig. 8. This is easier than watering by hand. 



" Several methods for watering are in successful 

 use. A common method is to mount a tank on 

 trucks and drive along the hotbeds watering 

 through a lead of hose provided with a rosette noz- 

 zle. (See Fig. 8.) Some growers whose beds are 

 near their windmills have pipe lines laid among 

 their beds with hydrants conveniently located for 

 watering with the hose, the pressure being supplied 

 by a tank in the windmill tower." Whatever 

 method of watering is employed, enough water 



