Handling from the Beds 



357 



to another, or from bed to bed, as conditions may 

 require. 



Vegetables that do not transplant well, as melons and 

 cucumbers, may be grown in pots, old berry boxes, or on 

 inverted sods, rather than directly in the hotbed earth. 

 Pots are best. 



The following practice in the handling of muskmelon 

 plants from hotbed to field is the experience of a commer- 

 cial grower of the crop : 



Sow seed in flats in greenhouse about four weeks before 

 plants should be set out, saj^ April 20th for region of New 

 York, in flats 2^2 in. deep and with 2 in. of soil ; use sifted 

 soil, which should be rather sandy or leaf-loam, and cover 

 with burlap (if fertilizer bag is used, be sure to wash before 

 using) . Keep the burlap damp but be careful not to over- 

 water. As soon as the melons are up, say 1 in., take up 

 very carefully by using a little stick or an old table fork. 

 Sow plenty of seed and always throw away all poor plants 

 and have the plants uniform. Use 2i/^-in. flower-pots. If they 

 are dry, soak them in a tub of hot water to kill the germs. 

 Place the pots on the greenhouse bench or in a coldframe 

 with just a little hot manure sprinkled on the bottom and 

 a little soil or sand or sifted coal ashes. Level up and place 

 the pots level ; sift on some good earth, one-third soil, one-third 

 sand, one-third well-rotted manure; sift this carefully over 

 the pots and be careful not to pack the earth in the pots; 

 take a piece of board, say % in. thick, 2 in. wide, and 12 in. 

 long, and stroke off until you see the top of the pots. Now 

 begin to transplant. Put one good plant in a pot. If it is 

 cloudy you will not need to shade the plants, but if the sun 

 shines they should be shaded by day and the shading taken 

 off at night. Keep a temperature from 75 to 90 degrees to 

 start with ; then as the plants start nicely, give more ventila- 

 tion. As soon as the pot is full of roots, plants should be 



I 



