28o AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



number of paper pots, and after these are well up, thin them 

 out to not more than two. They should be given plenty of 

 light and kept as near the glass as possible so that they will 

 not become drawn and weak. A rich compost with a layer 

 of fine manure at the bottom, if used in the pots, will give 

 the plants a strong start in the few weeks' time they have 

 to get ready for their permanent position. 



When the plants are ready to be set, and a solid bed and 

 manure that is still actively fermenting — such as you would 

 use for a hot-bed — are available, a narrow trench with the 

 manure packed in tight at the bottom under the plants will 

 give them an extra start after transplanting. Where this 

 method is not practicable, make a generous hole for each 

 plant, enriching it well with either fine, short manure or a 

 good handful of a mixture of cotton-seed meal, bone-dust 

 and dried-blood or tankage. Keep the plants carefully 

 shaded for a few days after setting them out. Under these 

 congenial conditions, both tomatoes and cucumbers will 

 make a very rapid growth. Training should be attended to 

 carefully and constantly. All side shoots should be re- 

 moved from the tomatoes as soon as they are big enough to 

 pinch out and a large part of the foliage, where it interlaces 

 or shades the young fruit, may be cut out with advantage. 



For radishes, beets, and carrots the soil should not be 

 made too rich, especially in nitrogen, as this has a tendency 

 to produce rank growth of top and an inferior quality of 

 roots. I have foimd that a liberal dressing of unleached 

 wood ashes gives especially good results with these, and a 

 single pailful of ashes goes quite a way in the greenhouse. 

 All of these things will do well with a temperature the same 

 as that given lettuce. The radishes may be sown in rows 

 very thinly from 4 to 6 inches apart and the beets and 

 carrots from 10 to 12 inches. The beets are generally trans- 

 planted the same way as lettuce except that they are set 

 only 3 or 4 inches apart, but they may be grown directly 

 from seed if there is space enough for them. You can grow a 

 row of radishes between the rows of beets and carrots. 



