April, 1919 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



121 



seedlings, and perhaps even kill them. The best 

 plan is to fill the boxes (pressing the soil firmly 

 and leveling with a piece of board), and place 

 them in the hotbed for a day or two to warm 

 up. 



In watering the seedlings use water the same 

 temperature as that of the hotbed. Do the 

 watering early in the morning or after three 

 o'clock in the afternoon. If it should be neces- 

 sary to water any of the seedlings in the middle 

 of the day on account of wilting, shade the frame 

 by laying sacking on top of the glass. Do not 

 transplant the seedlings when the soil is very dry; 

 nor leave them in the sun after transplanting. 

 Watering the boxes a day before using them 

 will put the soil into ideal condition for receiving 

 the seedlings, and the drainage will be settled. 



The kind of soil to be used will depend upon the 

 kind of plant to be transplanted. Garden soil 

 (if not too rich or full of weed seeds) can be used 

 but a plain loam is to be preferred. A rather 

 poor soil is generally better than rich soil for the 

 first transplanting, although some strong feeders 

 do best in very rich soil. A rich soil is likely to 

 cause "damping off" especially if allowed to get 

 too wet. 



A good mixture for general use is two thirds 

 loam, one third leaf mold, one eighth silver sand. 

 In a soil composed of old rotted manure, well 

 broken up and sifted, celery and Lobelia would 

 grow rapidly, and tomatoes would make a strong 

 growth but would not be desirable for trans- 

 planting. Tomato plants grown in a plain loam 

 are stronger and more compact. Cauliflower 

 would very likely damp off in rich soil when 



small but sometimes may be taken safely through 

 that stage (Fig. 30). 



To lift the seedlings from the boxes use a small, 

 sharply pointed stick (Figs. 13, 14, 15, 16); likewise, 

 when raising a bunch of seedlings (Fig. 4). A 

 wooden peg comes in handy when transplanting 

 (Fig. 12). It is not always the largest seedlings 

 (Fig. 2 A) which make the best plants for trans- 

 planting (Fig. 2 B). A pan of tomato seedlings 

 ready for first transplanting is shown in Fig. 1. 



Tomato seedlings should be one and one half 

 inches apart in the first transplanting (Figs. 5 and 

 6). In the second transplanting place the seed- 

 lings three inches apart (Figs. 8, 9). Tomato 

 seedlings may be put in three-inch pots (Fig. 10). 

 One great advantage when transplanting from 

 pots is that the plants may be set outside and will 

 not be checked even in dry weather (Fig. 11). 

 Some English gardeners sow three seeds in a 

 three-inch pot, retaining only the strongest (Figs. 

 17, 18, 19). 



Celery seedlings ready for transplanting (Fig. 

 20). Transplant the celery after two rough 

 leaves have formed past the seed leaf (Fig. 21). 

 Lift the seedlings very carefully from the box 

 (Fig. 26) and place one inch apart in the first 

 transplanting (Fig. 22), and two and one half 

 inches apart in the second (Figs. 23, 25). In a 

 short time they will be ready for transplanting 

 outside (Fig. 24). 



Cauliflower seedlings ready for first transplant- 

 ing (Fig. 27); a good seedling (Fig. 28). Trans- 

 plant one inch apart (Fig. 29). Cauliflower 

 damps off very easily and must be grown as cool 

 as possible. An early cauliflower ready for trans- 



planting outside (Fig. 30) either in a shelter or in 

 the open. Early cauliflower can be transplanted 

 from pots without checking (Fig. 31); and will 

 not need watering if the weather is dry. A plant 

 from a pot (Fig. 32) and from a box (Fig. 30). 

 Late cauliflower, celery, tomatoes, cabbage, etc., 

 can be potted up to follow early crops of peas, 

 etc. 



Make the hole for inserting the plant (Fig. 

 33) with the planting peg (Fig. 34); press the soil 

 firmly around the base of the plant with the blunt 

 end of the peg (Fig. 35), and withdraw the peg 

 leaving a depression to be filled up with water 

 (Fig. 36). Reverse the peg and repeat the pro- 

 cess (Fig. 37). This work can be done very 

 quickly by experienced gardeners; some trans- 

 planting as many as three or four thousand in a 

 single day. 



Sometimes a box of seedlings will begin to damp 

 off before large enough to handle. If this hap- 

 pens sprinkle a little sand over the surface; but if 

 the damping off does not stop transplant in 

 bunches (Figs. 28, 29) and transplant again separ- 

 ately when large enough to handle. This is a 

 good way for growing Lobelia and other very 

 small seeds. 



In order to protect the seedlings lay planks on 

 the edge of the box; and on cold nights lay strips 

 of wood over the top, covering with sacking (Fig. 

 40). Most flower seedlings are transplanted 

 in boxes (Figs. 22, 23). 



A dull day is the best for transplanting seedlings 

 in the open; if planted under glass, water them as 

 soon as they are set, and shade from sun till growth 

 has started. 



