140 VEGETABLE FORCING 
Flats are a great convenience in shifting the plants 
about the premises and in utilizing space. (Fig. 46.) 
They may be easily carried or carted here and there, to 
provide the best conditions for growth, or to supply 
young plants to the workmen as they transplant into the 
permanent beds. It is possible to control soil moisture 
conditions more perfectly in flats than in beds, which is 
a most important factor in growing good plants. 
Finally, plants grown in flats, especially if an inch of 
rotten manure has been placed in the bottom of the boxes 
before they are filled, may be shifted and transplanted 
with more soil adhering to the roots than is usually 
possible with bed-grown plants. 
Flats should be made in such dimensions that they may 
be placed on beds or benches without the loss of any 
space. Their exact depth does not seem to be of special 
importance. It has been demonstrated that just as good 
Fig. 47.—Flat with wire-mesh bottom. 
plants can be grown in boxes only 2 inches deep as in 
those of twice that depth. Deep boxes require more soil 
and they are heavier to handle. It is more difficult, too, 
to remove plants from them with a large quantity of soil 
adhering to the roots. Perhaps the only important ad- 
vantage in favor of deep flats is that they do not 
require such close attention in watering as do boxes 
that are only 2 inches deep. Some growers use 
