196 



GARDEN FARMING 



If only a few plants are desired, the seed may be sown in a 

 box or cold frame and the young plants, when I inch or I i- inches 

 high, may be transplanted and set I inch apart in rows 2 inches 

 apart. The advantages of transplanting are shown in figure 70. 

 The plants with large root systems were transplanted, the others 

 were not. 



If a large number of plants are desired, specially prepared cold 

 frames or seed beds will be required, and special arrangements 

 for watering and shading the plants must be made. Since it is 



FIG. 70. Celery plants 

 At the left, transplanted ; at the right, of the same age, not transplanted 



not practicable to transplant large numbers of plants, if hundreds 

 of thousands are to be grown, it is necessary to take extra pre- 

 cautions to make them strong and stocky. To this end the seed 

 should be scattered thinly in close drills or broadcast. It will also 

 help to make the plants stocky, without severely checking their 

 growth, if they are sheared or clipped. A small area can be 

 clipped with sheep shears or grass shears, but very large seed 

 beds are usually clipped by means of the field mowing machine. 



If the seed is covered at all, it should have only a sprinkling of 

 sand, but it is better to scatter the seed on a freshly raked surface 



