THE SCHOOL GARDEN 277 



ened by proper ventilation or gradual transplanting to cold- 

 frames. But for forcing early vegetables and flowers the hot- 

 bed is very useful. Hot-beds and cold-frames should be 

 placed in sunny situations, on the south side of houses or 

 walls. Start a hot-bed in the middle of February or in 

 March. 



Transplanting: When the danger of frosts is over, 

 seedlings of flowers, lettuce, cabbage, tomato, etc., started 

 indoors or in frames, should be transplanted to the garden 

 beds. Transplanting should be done, if possible, on a cloudy 

 day or toward evening. Dig up carefully a seedling with 

 a good cluster of roots damaged as little as possible. Do 

 not shake off the earth on the roots, and do not pull the 

 seedling up. Place it in the ground at the same depth as it 

 grew before. Press the soil tightly around the roots and 

 water well. If necessary, protect from wilting by sticking 

 in shingles on the south side, or set a board on edge along 

 the south side of a row, or flat on pegs over the row, if 

 north and south. A cloth shade on sticks, or even a news- 

 paper pegged down over the plants, will answer for a few 

 days till they recover from the shock. 



Some kinds of plants, such as the morning-glory and 

 cucumber, do not bear transplanting well. They may be 

 started in berry-boxes lined with paper, and the boxes 

 may be gently broken away and the plants set into the 

 ground without injury. 



It would be well to put a few of the late flowering plants, 

 such as chrysanthemum and salvia, and the late maturing 

 plants, such as cotton, into pots, pails, or boxes that could be 

 taken up when cold weather comes, so that the plants may 

 continue to grow in the house. Such vessels can be sunk in 



