98 Home Vegetable Gardening 



row. The best implement I have ever seen for this 

 purpose is the disc attachment of the double wheel 

 hoe — see Implements, page 35. An ordinarily- 

 good garden loam, into which the desirable quantity 

 of short manure has been worked, will give little 

 trouble by raking. In a clay soil, it often will pay, 

 on a small scale, to sift leaf mould, sphagnum moss, 

 or some other light porous covering, over the rows, 

 especially for small seed. The special seed-bed, for 

 starting late cabbage or celery, may easily be shel- 

 tered, as shown facing p. 70. In very hot, dry 

 weather this method will be a great help. 



SETTING OUT PLANTS 



The reader has not forgotten, of course, that 

 plants as well as seeds must go into the well man- 

 aged garden. We have already mentioned the 

 hardening-off process to which they must be sub- 

 jected before going into the open ground. The flats 

 should also be given a copious watering several 

 hours, or the day before, setting out. All being 

 ready, with your rows made straight and marked 

 off at the correct distances, lift out the plants with a 

 trowel or transplanting fork, and tear or cut them 

 apart with a knife, keeping as much soil as possible 

 with each ball of roots. Distribute them at their 

 positions, but not so many at a time that any will dry 

 out before you get them in place. Get down on your 



