A B C OF FLORIDA TRUCKING 41 



CHAPTER VII. 



SEED BEDS. 



To raise good crops, you must have good plants. There- 

 fore, it is very important to prepare the seed bed land in 

 the best manner possible. They should be on land that has 

 not been in cultivation for over two years on new land. Of 

 course, you can raise plants on the same land for five or ten 

 years, but you will not get the results you can from one- 

 or two-year-old land. Try and have the beds close to the 

 house or barn, as plants demand constant attention, and if 

 left to themselves for any length of time are apt to ruin; 

 also have them convenient to the well, as they require plenty 

 of water. Give the seed bed tract from one to two tons of 

 Canadian hardwood ashes, and from i,ooo to 1,500 pounds 

 of fertilizer to the acre. The fertilizers should analyze 

 about as follows : Ammonia, 6% ; available phosphoric acid, 

 8% ; potash, 2%. Always have the fertilizer you use on the 

 seed bed containing a high per cent, of ammonia, as plants 

 should be grown in a hurry. You will find some plants 

 require more fertilizer than the amount just given; for 

 instance, celery, which needs at least a ton to the acre. A 

 good rule to follow is to decide just how much fertilizer you 

 expect to use in the field where the plants are to be set when 

 taken from the seed bed, and put about half this quantity 

 in the seed bed, as you must always have the field richer 

 than the bed you take the plants from or the crop will not 

 pay for transplanting, much less for the seed and fertilizer. 

 Make the beds just wide enough to reach across, and as 

 long as you wish. You will find some of the most progres- 

 sive truck growers using about 500 pounds of castor pomace 

 to the acre, applying it as the beds are made up. This is 

 a cheap grade of fertilizer which is poison to the cut worms. 



