40 



HIGGLE GARDEN BOOK 



Don't blame the seedsman if you sow tender things, like 

 peppers, tomatoes, etc., too early in hotbeds with insufficient 

 heat, and then find that most of the seeds rot. Nor do not 

 blame him if seeds sown outdoors rot because the soil 

 is too cold or wet; nor because insufficient moisture in the 

 ground fails to cause germination. Buy the best seed and 

 place your order early. 



Hardiness of Vegetables: Beans, melons, cucumbers, 

 corn, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, eggplant, 

 peppers and okra are all very "tender" and easily harmed by 

 a slight frost; they should not be set outdoors in the North 

 until the weather is warm and settled. Other vegetables, 

 properly handled, will endure more or less frost and cold, 

 and are therefore called "hardy." Some of the latter, how- 

 ever, are more hardy than others — onions and peas are espe- 

 cially proof against cold. 



The seeds of some vegetables possess greater vitality than 

 others. The pioneer gardener, Peter Henderson, claimed that 

 peas, beans, peppers, carrots, corn, eggplant, okra, salsify, 

 thyme, sage and rhubarb are safe for only about two years; 

 asparagus, endive, lettuce, parsley, spinach and radish are 

 safe for about three years; broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, 

 celery and turnip are safe for perhaps five years, while the 

 beet, cucumber, melon, pumpkin, squash and tomato may 

 retain their vitality for six years or more. 



Three important objects are gained by transplanting to 

 coldframes before setting in the field: The plants are hard- 

 ened or accustomed to a lower temperature; and, second, 

 their roots are toughened by the move, and so suffer less 

 when the final move is made to the open field; and, third, 

 they are given, in the coldframe, more room to grow wide 

 and stocky. Growers who want extra-large, stocky tomato 

 plants, etc., sometimes transplant them several times, each 

 time giving them more space in the frames. 



**In field culture, the most important matter in the 

 germination of seeds is the supply of moisture," says an 

 expert. "Satisfactory germination can not be secured with an 

 insufficient amount of soil moisture. Thorough preparation 

 of the ground is essential. It is also necessary to firm the 

 soil after sowing, drilling or planting. _A firm seedbed, 

 bringing the seed into intimate contact with moist soil, is 

 the secret of quick germination, provided the ground is 

 warm and the depth of covering not too great. The proper 

 depth depends upon the variety." (See chapters about vege- 

 tables, etc.) 



