April. 1915 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
251 
d r o p p e d i n one 
place. Be sure that 
the seed is dropping 
regularly, and clear 
to the ground. A 
lump of moist dirt 
at the end of the 
seed spout may clog 
it up. Do not at¬ 
tempt to plant when 
1 SKELETON PLAN FOR THIS MONTH'S j§ 
PLANTING 
Cabbage . 2y> ft. > 
Cauliflower . 2^2 ft. I Plants to be followed by 
Beets .15 in. [ succession crops 
Lettuce.loin. J 
Lettuce . 15 
Beets . 15 
Carrots . 15 
Turnips . 15 
Kohlrabi . 15 
Spinach . 15 
Seeds to be followed by 
in. j other crops 
J 
Swiss chard.18 in. '| 
Onion sets.12 in. [_Seeds, crops remaining 
Onions.12 in. f until fall 
Parsnip .18 in. J 
g Salsify .IS in. 
|P Peas, dwarf.18 in. 
§ Peas, tall. 4 ft. 
M Potatoes, early. 2/ ft. 
l_Seed may be followed by 
late fall crop 
Preparing the seed-bed is one of those operations that 
must be done right; the work is simple enough — rake 
a piece of ground smooth and plant 
tile 
soil is wet and sticky; very fine 
seed, such as lettuce or celery, may be 
picked up by the roller. Be careful to 
keep the front or drive wheel accurately on the mark at all times, 
even when you are looking to see how the seed is dropping. 
Planting by hand does not require much attention from the 
gardener who owns a seed drill. But flower seeds, seeds sown 
in a short row for the seed border and such large things as peas 
and beans, especially lima beans, and tbe various vine crops, usual¬ 
ly are put in by hand. 
Small seeds can be sown from the packet, tearing off one corner. 
In sowing others, they can be carried in a small tin pail or dish. 
Take up only a small amount of seed at a time, and “feed” it out 
between the thumb and forefinger along the row or drill. After 
sowing, press the seed sown lightly but firmly into tbe soil, with 
a short piece of board or the back of a narrow hoe or the ball of 
the foot. This fills up the undesirable air spaces and packs tbe 
soil closely up against the seeds so that the latter are readily sup¬ 
plied with moisture. After covering the seeds with the hoe or 
wheel-hoe, tamp the soil along the top of it firmly, so a,s to restore 
the capillary action and to mark the row plainly. Make it a rule 
as each thing is planted, and before you put out anything else, to 
mark and put in its place a tag or a label — 8" garden labels can 
be bought for forty or fifty cents a hundred. 
Transplanting . — Next to seed sowing, the most important of 
early garden tasks is setting out the plants. Transplanting may 
seem to the beginner a very simple job, but most beginners, and 
frequently even experienced gardeners, fail to do it properly. 
A hat has been said in regard to the thorough preparation of the 
Usine the above plan—which shows but one rotb 
each of the various early-planted vegetables — as a 
guide, make up your own planting plan, showing the 
number of rows of each thing, and the varieties that 
you want. (Onion sets and spinach are placed on 
either side the Swiss chard row, to leave plenty of 
room to cultivate and gather it after they are har¬ 
vested. Radishes may be interplanted, or sown in 
the “seed-bed. ”) 
After sowing, press the seed down into the drill with the edge of a board or the 
back of a narrow hoe 
soil in connection with seed sowing applies equally well to the set¬ 
ting out of plants. While plants can be set out on a lumpy, ill- 
prepared surface, to get tbe best results, just as much care should 
be taken in the preliminary work as though it were expected to 
sow tbe smallest seed. The soil must be fine in order to be 
packed around tbe minute root hairs, which form again after the 
plant has been set out. And the soil must be fine on top to form 
a dust mulch, a condition in which it cannot be easily put after the 
plants are set out. 
The plant to be set out will have been grown in flats, in pots, or 
directly in the soil in hotbed or cold- 
frame. In any case, they should be 
given a thorough watering at least 
some hours previous to the time 
they are set out. Tbe flats, of 
course, can be loaded directly onto 
the wheelbarrow and taken out to 
the garden. The pots are not so 
easy to carry, and if there are any 
number of them, or if they have to 
be taken any distance, a good 
method is to knock the plants out 
of the pots and to pack them care¬ 
fully into an empty flat. Wrap 
each ball of roots in newspaper. 
The plants should be sheltered as 
much as possible from wind and 
sun. For this reason a cloudy, quiet 
day is preferable, but in the home 
garden, where the number of plants 
to be set out is usually small, it can 
be done late on any Saturday after¬ 
noon. In taking plants from the 
flat or frame, it is best to cut them 
out with an old knife, as a much 
better ball of earth and roots can be 
had in this way. The rows should 
be marked out before any plants 
are taken out. It 
is better to have 
two to do the 
work if possible 
-— one to drop the 
plants and one to 
set them, so that 
they may be got 
into the ground 
as soon as possi¬ 
ble after being re¬ 
moved. There are 
variou s small, 
hand tools which 
( Cont. on p. 296) 
