3 68 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
“The soil is made firm and allowed to come slightly 
above the top of the boxes in the hotbed. It is then 
marked out in squares in such a way that the intersec- 
tion of the marks center the boxes. The seed bed is 
now ready. After putting in the seed, careful attention 
is given to watering, to ventilation and to keeping out 
weeds. A day temperature is maintained at first of 50 
to 60 degrees. As the time for transplanting draws near 
FIG. 88. STARTING MUSKMELONS IN FRAMES 
more ai; is given in order to harden off the young plants 
The seedlings are moved about in the beds to fill possi- 
ble vacancies, and by the time they are ready to trans- 
plant a perfect stand has been secured with one plant 
in a hill. (Figure 88.) 
“Several plans for watering are in successful use. A. 
common method is to mount a tank on trucks and drive 
along the hotbeds, watering through a lead of hose, pro- 
vided with a rosette. Some growers, whose beds are 
