THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 227 
Place a finger on each side of the seedling and press the 
soil down gently, but exercise care in handling the stalk ; 
if that is bruised, the chances are that your plant will die. 
The soil must be close around the roots, so that the lower 
as well as the upper part of the hole is well filled. Ifa 
space is left below the roots, the plant will be unable to 
obtain either proper support or food. 
Watering. After all the seedlings have been put in 
place, water them with a sprinkler. Hold it a short dis- 
tance above the plants, so that the water will come down 
upon them with sufficient force to settle the soil around 
the roots. Keep the plants under a glass cover for at 
least a week (see Fig. 118). Tumblers may be inverted 
over plants in pots or cans. The amount of water they 
will need from time to time depends upon the condition 
of the room and the nature of the soil. It must be suffi- 
cient to reach all the roots; merely wetting the surface 
does little good. The holes for drainage must be kept 
open, so that the soil will not become too wet. If it fills 
with water, the plants will die for want of air. 
Light. The seedlings should be kept out of the direct 
rays of the sun for two or three days after planting; then 
they may be placed as near the windowpane as possible. 
Turn them daily, so that they will not grow one-sided. 
Cultivation. If the soil hardens, dig up the upper 
layer with a knife blade and crush the small clods with 
the fingers. A loose layer on top will admit air into 
the soil and help it to retain moisture. Water the soil 
in the evening and cultivate it the next morning. 
