House and Garden 
TRANSPLANTING 
Plants from the hotbed or cold frame should be 
transplanted soon after the formation of the first 
true leaves. The ground into which the plants are 
to be set should be in the best of condition and the 
weather cloudy. The earth should be pressed 
closely about the roots of the plants in their new 
place. In removing plants from place to place 
preserve as near unbroken as possible the mass of 
dirt about the roots. If the leaves of the young 
plants are clipped off about half-way back from the 
tips, the evaporation from them will be lessened 
that much and the roots will have an opportunity 
to establish connection with the soil and secure ample 
moisture before the full demand from the leaves is 
renewed. By this process the plants’ chances for 
living will be materially increased. 
CULTIVATION 
The chief purposes of cultivation are to keep down 
the weeds and to maintain in the soil a supply of 
air and moisture favorable to plant growth. The 
moisture in the soil about a vigorous plant is rapidly 
carried away by evaporation from the leaves. As 
long as the ground contains an ordinary water 
supply for several feet below the surface a steady 
flow of moisture goes upward through the minute 
spaces between the soil grains. The upper layers 
of soil are kept from becoming dry by this flow. 
But when the rainfall is scant the moisture in the 
lower soil also becomes exhausted and the plant 
curls up and dwindles. The gardener must provide 
against the occurrence of this condition. It is not 
enough to remedy it; he must prevent it. One of 
the most efficient means is a mulch, which is most 
conveniently made of the surface soil. 
TIME FOR THE SOIL MULCH 
Usually as soon as a rain is over the atmosphere 
is free of moisture, and evaporation from the soil 
sets in. The water that has just soaked in comes 
up through the little pores between the soil grains 
and passes off from the surface of the soil into the 
air. 
The gardener’s aim with the mulch is to save 
this moisture and send it through his plants. If the 
little pipes or tubes formed by the pores of the soil 
are broken, the flow through them is checked and 
evaporation from the ground is much lessened. It is 
only necessary then in order to save the moisture 
for the plants, to break up the surface of the soil 
with a rake or other implement. 
It is a serious mistake to suppose that so long as 
the surface remains moist the soil below is well 
supplied with water. A damp surface may mean 
only that moisture is rapidly evaporating into the 
air. As often as the surface becomes solid it should 
he stirred with a rake or hoe. As a rain or even a 
shower compacts the soil at the surface, the common 
notion that it renders raking or shallow plowing less 
necessary is precisely contrary to the fact. It is then 
especially that the surface should be broken. The 
same is true after irrigation. The raking or plowing 
should be done as soon as the soil will not cake 
when squeezed in the hand. 
IRRIGATION 
Frequently dry weather continues so long that it 
is impossible to preserve sufficient moisture by tillage 
or any sort of mulching. It then becomes necessary 
to water the garden. Where there is connection 
with city water works the supply is ample and easily 
reached. In other locations various forms of 
cisterns and reservoirs are employed. 
In watering, the earth should be thoroughly wet, 
so that the moisture will get to the lower and outer 
roots of the plants. In order to check evaporation 
after sprinkling, the surface should be broken as 
soon as dry enough to work. The watering should 
be repeated when it is evident, upon careful watching, 
that more moisture is necessary. It must be remem¬ 
bered that the small, active roots, which take up 
moisture and plant food, are most numerous at the 
extremities of the large roots and at a distance from 
the stem. 
The water must be so given as to reach these 
small roots. Water at any time when the plants 
need it, and water thoroughly. It may be well 
to keep in mind, however, that in the spring 
the best results are obtained by watering in the 
middle of the day, because the mornings and even¬ 
ings are cool; in the summer, at evening because the 
days are hot and a great part of the water given 
would be evaporated immediately. 
CONCLUSION 
There doesn’t appear to be any reason why the 
suburban dweller should not have a home garden 
affording at once both healthful exercise and profit. 
An instance is in mind where a quarter acre garden 
in a suburb of Washington City was made to supply 
a family of six persons with fresh vegetables all 
through the season, and in addition to which was 
sold to neighbors, at current market prices, vegetables 
to the approximate amount of sixty dollars. The 
amount received from the sales alone more than 
doubled the cost of the work hired done, the fer¬ 
tilizers, and seed used in making the garden. 
184 
