GROWIXG E.IELY PLANTS 



191 



and in transplanting, there will not be the loss that there will if 

 plants in one part of the flat are large, perhaps over size, and others 

 so small that one can hardly feel justified in transplanting them. 

 If one is smaller than the other, it does not have a chance for life. 

 Light, heat, everything is against it, and it wiU not grow as it should. 



CARE AND TRANSPLANTING 



The growing of these small plants is of great importance, and if 

 we want plants that will produce the greatest amount, care must be 

 given them, not allowing anything to stop the growth from now on, 

 but msuring a steady gro^ili which will give good color and good 

 plants. Hotbeds may be used at a good advantage to finish the 

 gro\\i:h of celery, tomatoes, lettuce, and some others. Cabbage and 

 cauliflower plants may be set in rows placed thickly in the open 

 ground for flnishing, if night protection is gi^'en them. We feel 

 justified in saying that all plants should be transplanted at least once, 

 to increase the root system. 



All plants should be producers. Xo blanks should appear in 

 the garden and may be avoided by carefully looking at and discarding 

 all ill-shaped plants before setting in the open fields. We might 

 speak of potted plants, but unless very carefully grown. I believe these 

 will seldom produce as much as those that have been re-set and 

 pruned. 



The fruit growers of today advocate the pruning of all large roots, 

 which will cause the throwing out of smaUer ones, and thus increase 

 the feeding system. If you doubt this, take a strawberry plant 

 ^\-ith long roots, and cut from one side about one-third of the roots, 

 leaving the remaining ones at the usual length. Set this plant and 

 watch it for three or four weeks. Dig it up as often as you choose. 

 You will find that on the side that has been pruned it is full of very 

 small roots that have been caused by cutting, which makes more 

 feeders than providing the roots were left at their usual length. 



PLANTS FOR SALE 



We will suppose what plants are grown by this method are to be 

 used by the gardener himself, but a considerable amount of income 

 can be received by adding flowering plants, such as asters, petunias, 

 verbenas, zinnias, pansies. and possibly a few other bedding plants, 

 to sell in addition to the vegetables such as tomatoes, celery, cab- 

 bage, and cauliflower, for the local trade. However, we must renieni- 



