THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 299 
Diseases. Use Bordeaux mixture for leaf diseases. If the 
roots are subject to rot, do not use the same land next year. 
Pests. Kill cutworms with poisoned bait. Use Bor- 
deaux mixture and arsenate of lead for the flea beetle. 
THE ToMAtTo 
Plants. Tomato plants should be started in window 
boxes or under glass about the fifteenth of March or the 
first of April, so that they will be ready for the garden 
when all danger of frost is over. The soil should consist 
of equal parts of sand, well-rotted barnyard manure, and 
loam. The seeds should be covered with about a fourth 
of an inch of soil. After covering, water them through 
a cloth and cover the box with a pane of glass. Keep 
the box in a warm place for three or four days; then 
place it in a sunny window, as near the glass as possible. 
Turn it daily to keep the seedlings from growing to one 
side, and move it away from the window on cold nights. 
After the second leaf makes its appearence, transplant 
to another box, placing the seedlings two inches apart 
each way, or put them in four-inch flowerpots. One 
strong plant should be put in each pot. Set them 
deeper than they stood in the seed bed, as shown in 
Fig. 128. The soil should contain considerable coarse 
manure. To make the stem stronger, pinch out the top 
bud when the seedlings are four or five inches in height. 
If the plants growing in boxes are to be planted late, 
on account of succeeding other crops, they may be 
