i6o 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
eggplants must be handled more cautiously, although 
hardening is just as necessary for them. Millions of 
plants are lost annually because they have not been 
properly hardened. 
220. Pots, sods and other devices. — As previously 
stated (202), some plants, as melons, cucumbers, beans 
and sweet corn, are difficult to transplant because they 
contain so few fibrous rootlets. It is often an advantage, 
however, to start them under glass, but their root sys- 
tems must not be disturbed to any great extent. This 
may be accomplished by the use of earthen or paper pots, 
sods, berry baskets, paper oyster buckets and dirt bands. 
Earthen pots are highly satisfactory, but are expensive 
when used in large numbers. Paper pots are becoming 
FIG. 43. PAPER POTS AND EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING THEM 
popular, and may be made with little expense. Figure 
43 shows some pots and the necessary equipment for 
making them. The operation is very simple. A rec- 
tangular strip of paper of the proper size to make the 
pots desired is folded around a square block bolted 
