MARCH: SECOND WEEK 6? 



If you have been bothered before by green plant lice, use 

 tobacco dust freely round the foKage and the soil before 

 they appear. If they get a start spray thoroughly with a 

 nicotine solution, or fumigate if you can make the place 

 tight. If you haven't a compressed-air tank sprayer buy a 

 substantial brass hand spray, which can also be used for 

 many side jobs in the small garden. 



Transplanting and Hardening Off 



In transplanting get everything ready before you begin 

 work. Have the soil in the fiats moist but not wet enough 

 to be sticky, and that in the flat from which the plants are 

 being taken slightly dry, so the roots may easily be dis- 

 entangled without being left bare. Take the small plants 

 out in chunks and separate them carefully. Place them in 

 pots or flats deep enough so that they will stand up sturdily. 

 Plants with long stems, such as beets, cabbages and cauli- 

 flower, can be cut down nearly to the first leaf. Tomatoes, 

 peppers, eggplants, and all flowers that are started early 

 should be given a second transplanting, preferably into 

 pots. Paper pots are much cheaper and are easily kept 

 watered. If clay pots are used they should be sunk into 

 soil or ashes or moss to prevent their drying out too quickly. 



Potted plants for the flower garden may need two or 

 three shifts before they are as large as wanted. The time 

 for changing them will be indicated by the roots' forming a 

 network upon the outside of the ball of earth. A shift 

 should be given while these roots are still white and active. 

 If left too long and allowed to become tough and woody the 

 plant will be severely checked if not permanently injured. 

 In transplanting and repotting, water thoroughly after the 

 operation and then keep the plants shaded from the hot 

 sun for a few days. Water sparingly — oifly to moisten the 

 foHage. 



All hardy plants, such as beets, cabbage, cauliflower, 

 lettuce and kohl-rabi, and the early flowers, such as pansies, 

 daisies, pyrethrum and so forth, should be hardened off 



