188 The Principles of Vegetable- Gardening 



The ideal time to transplant is just before a rain. 

 Just after a rain is also a good time, particularly if 

 the weather comes off cloud3^ Cool and cloudj^ days 

 should be chosen if possible. When it is necesj^ary 

 to transplant in hot and dry weather, the late after- 

 noon or evening should be chosen, if possible, in order 

 that the plants may have time to straighten up during 

 the night. When, however, the land is thoroughly 

 prepared and the plants are well grown and not too 

 large, there will be little difficulty in transplanting 

 throughout the day. If the season is very dry, the 

 plants may be watered. It is a common practice to 

 have a boy follow with a pail and put a dipperful of 

 water about each plant. Or, in larger operations, a 

 tank on wheels is drawn through the fields. After the 

 water soaks away, the dry loose earth should be 

 drawn about the plant to afford a surface mulch and 

 to prevent the soil from baking. Transplanting ma- 

 chines drawn by horses are now becoming popular for 

 large-area practices, and these are supplied with a 

 watering device. In small gardens, it is practicable 

 to shade the plants for a day or two by setting a 

 shingle on the south side of them, letting it slant 

 over the plant. 



When transplanting, the plants must be kept away 

 from the sun when they are out of the ground, and 

 they should also be kept wet. It is nearly as essential 

 to wet the tops as the roots. The roots are wet to 

 prevent them from dying. The tops are wet to pre- 

 vent transpiration or evaporation of moisture. Pud- 

 dling, or dipping the roots in mud, is sometimes 



