402 VEGETABLE FORCING 
In New England and other northern districts the 
plants are generally started in pots in greenhouses or hot- 
beds, and transferred to coldframes late in the spring, 
when the sash alone will give all the protection that is 
needed. This method will produce a crop of cucumbers 
four to six weeks earlier than is possible by planting seed 
in the open ground. See Chapter XVIII for complete 
notes on forcing cucumbers. 
Dandelion may be forced from seed sown in the frames 
or from crowns which have been grown in the open and 
Fig. 143.—Soil in coldframe, after sowing seed of dandelion, carrot, parsley, 
etc., for the fall crop, is covered with salt hay to conserve moisture and to prevent 
the soil from baking. When seedlings are up, the hay is removed. 
transferred to the frames. (See page 364.) Seed should 
be sown about July 1. Sash may be placed over the 
frame at any time during the winter, and if a little heat 
is provided the plants can be forced to marketable size in 
three or four weeks. If desired, the frames may be left 
uncovered until March, when the sash alone, without 
any artificial heat, will force a satisfactory growth. 
The demand for dandelion is increasing, and with 
