132 



Nature-Study Agriculture 



Plants 

 to each 

 hill 



Securing 

 an early 

 crop ' 



Thinning, after the plants are well up but before 

 they have begun to run, is very necessary. To insure 

 a good stand, ten or twelve seeds are often planted in 

 each hill; but this number must be reduced to two or 

 three before the plants begin to crowd each other. In 

 the case of watermelons, one vine in a place is better if 

 large melons are wanted. 



In order to secure an early crop that will bring a higher 

 price, the young plants are sometimes raised in a hot- 

 house and then removed to open ground. But since 

 they are very difficult to transplant, they cannot be 

 handled like tomato and cabbage plants. They must 

 be raised in little pots, berry boxes, or on small squares 

 of sod, and they must be moved without disturbing the 

 roots (Fig. 1 08). 



W. T. 



FIG. 108. Cucumbers planted in a berry box. 



