QUANTITY PRODUCTION 293 



the earth to the soil in the boxes and to the tender 

 plants. 



When the slat covering is kept over the frames 

 for five to twenty days, according to the season, 

 the little plants will have adjusted themselves to 

 their new environment so that the slats can be 

 removed. 



After a few more days of growth they will 

 probably be strong enough to be removed to the 

 open ground. 



Running the Gauntlet 



Many tiny seeds, just as they are germinating, 

 may be destroyed in a short time by a cold dry 

 wind, or they may be killed even more quickly by 

 too much moisture and too little air. 



Young seedlings may be killed by a common 

 fungus which causes "damping off." This is very 

 destructive where plants are grown too thickly in 

 the seed boxes especially in a close atmosphere 

 before transplanting. Sometimes a whole box 

 containing thousands of valued seedlings will 

 be destroyed in this way in a few hours, the 

 trouble generally commencing in little spots 

 or patches from which it rapidily spreads in 

 all directions. 



The tiny plants may most often be saved after 

 the fungus starts by apphang a dusting of sul- 



