202 The PrincipUs of Vegetable -Gardening 



This is good advice when one is filling the hotbed or 

 the greenhouse benches. The soil in permanent seed- 

 beds — as in hotbeds and houses — can be sterilized by 

 heating it. W. W. Rawson gives his method of steri- 

 lizing soil in which greenhouse or winter lettuce is to 

 be grown : " Have two large boxes that will hold a 

 cart-load each — 5 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3 feet high. 

 Place in the bottom pipes laid 6 inches apart with 

 holes -3 inches apart on both sides, and open at the 

 ends. Connect these with the steam pipe from the 

 boiler. Fill the box with soil and let on steam, with 

 a pressure of 50 lbs., to one box at a time. When the 

 temperature of the soil has reached 200°, shut off and let 

 in to other box. Let each box stand for an hour, so 

 as to thoroughly cook, then take out and put where de- 

 sired to be used. Bring back soil to take place of this, 

 and by that time the other box will be ready and the 

 steam can be again let into the first box; then empty 

 the other box. In this way two men will be kept 

 busy with a horse and cart all day, if needed, and will 

 sterilize 20 cart-loads." 



6. Insects and fungi can be killed. Nowadays, 

 spraying is the economical means. The gardener should 

 know what insects and diseases are likely to appear 

 on any crop and then be prepared to fight them. 

 The time to make this preparation is before the crops 

 are planted. In the winter season he should secure 

 his pumps and nozzles, buy the materials for the vari- 

 ous mixtures, and inform himself as to what difficulties 

 will be likely to confront him. He is then forehanded 

 and knows immediately what to do when the trouble 



