School Hom.,..Ga~den Cil'cular 6. Fehruary, IlJ1tJ. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF EDUCATION, WASHINGTON R.AISING VEGETABLE PLANTS FR.OM SEED' Adval1tages to be oainC(l.-The~·e are several ndvautagea in rais- jng from seeds such plants as lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. In the first place, it is much cheaper to raise the plants than it is to purchase them. Que ounce of any of the seeds men- tioned will usually produce enough plants for the home gardens in an entire school district. Again, ill purchasing plants there is danger of introducing into the garden soil certain diseuses, such as club root of cabbage or wilt of tomntoee. Both of these diseases are wide- spread, and care needs to be taken not to inoculate the garden soil with them, Once these diseuses become established, a long time is needed before the soil can produce a successful crop of the same vegetable. Infected plants may also introduce nematode worms into virgin soil. These worms live in the roots of lettuce, tomatoes, uud cucumbers; they cause swellings thnt interfere with the passage of water and stunt the growth of the crop. Another reason for raising plants from seeds is that select vm-ieties cnn be secured in this wn.y. There is also the ndvantnge of having the plants on baud when the garden soil is wnnn enough to receive them and the weather conditions [He favornble. Further, the gar- dener has the pleasure of watching the growing of the CI:OPfrom the time of planting the seeds to the time of harvesting the prod- ucts. This is n factor not to 00 minimized} for the successful gar- dener enjoys watching the growing plants and studying their cultural requirements lind harvesting possibilities. There is nlso fI, market for these plnnte. Individual school gardeners in Asheville, N. 0., and Obattnnooga, 'I'enu., sold surplus plants in 1915 amounting to from $5 to $8. Time of ,)lanting s6eds.-In cities having the same plnntiug sched- ule us Chattanooga the seeds of these crops can be sown from the middle of January to the first, of February in shallow pots, pans, 01' flats. The planting SCllSQIl 'is proportionately em-lier toward the south and Inter toward the north. i Prep(ll:~ espe<:I~Il)' for Ihe uee of gnrdeo tenChl.'r.'l III the South. ~Htl1.°_1(j 2 RAISING VEGET..tlliL'E PLANTS }'ROi\l SEED. p.reparation of fltd:8.-A flllt is a. box 3 to 4 inches deep by 12 inches wide and 16 inches long. It is filled with e layer 1 inch deep of led mold, topped with 2 to a inches of sifted. garden soil. The best soil to use. is made of one-third garden soil, one-third medium sand, end one- third leaf mold. These ingredients should be thoroughly mixed, then sifted to remove lilly stones. .A. soil sieve can be made by using the sides of a plug-tobacco box or any strong wooden box 8 by 10 inches both ways end ± or 6 inches deep, and by tacking wire mosquito netting or one-fourth inch galvanized-iron mesh over the bottom. To prevent drying up, the soil should be pressed down to within 1 inch of the top of the box. A flat board 4 by 6 inches cnn be used for the purpose. Planting and acre of /lat.-As soon na the nat is prepared, the seeds should be sown thinly in rows one-eighth of 1 inch deep uud 11 inches apart. 'I'he soil should then be leveled, a sheet of news- paper plnced on the surface, and luke-warm water poured on it. The paper holds the soil in place and allows the water to puss through gradually. The paper mny be left on the soil until the seeds have germinated, :for it serves to check surface evaporation and makes watering easier. The flnts may be kept in lUly warm room at home or school until the seeds have germinated. They should then be placed near 11 'Warm, sunny window nnd tau-ned CIHlh dny to prevent the plants being drawn toward the sunlight. 'Vate-ring should be done with u brush broom 01" It fine spruy, so as not to break or bend the tender plants. 1Vhen the plnnts have their first pair of true leaves and begin to crowd each ocher, they should be transplanted into other boxes. 'l''ransplantingof plants.-Tbe fundamental principles of trans- planting ure : (1) The plants should be lifted "with us much soil us possible) so the roots will become quickly established in the new soil. Watering the plants two hours before transplanting will insure sufficient soil adhering to the roots. (2) The hole must be deep enough to place the plant nt the same depth it was before, and large enough to spread the Toots out well. In transplanting, the soil should be placed u little ut a time around the roots, CUI'e being tnken Dot to get any in the crown ; it should be pressed down evenly, not squeezed against the stem of the plnut. Each transplanting prunes the long roots and causes the new ones to form in 11> close cluster. Tills makes the final taunaplanting into Lbe garden soil n safe 'Process. PL.\NT FRA:lf:ES. By the nl-st of Marcil the plants ITIlly be tt'nnspltillted into plllnt frames where soil moisture and tempe-ratmel as walins ntmospheJ.'ic conditions, ma.y be partially controlled. RAISING VEGETAllLE PLANTS FROM SEED. Each school gardener should have the plant frame ready for use by the first of Murch, for by this time the plnuts lu:e large enough to crowd each other in the boxes and need to be trnnsplnuted again. The weather is also warm enough for the plants to grow outdoors under protection. Location.-These frames should be located where they will not interfere. with the regular garden operations, but where they will he protected by 11 hedge or building from the cold winds, find where they will receive the maximum amount of sunlight and have sufficient drainage. 007lstruotion.-The size of 11 frame will depend upon the number of plants needed for the garden and the kind of sash used-whether a window sash 01' a. rcgulnr hotbed sash, 3 by 6 feet. The fmme is made of 2-inch boards, well sensoned. It is 12 to 15 inches high on the north side und 8 to 10 inches high on the south side. The slope insures removal 0'£ ruin water and allows sunlight to reach more PUI't-S of the frame. The length and width of the frame depend upon the siae of the sash secured for- covering. The exoevntion is 18 inches deep, with 11 length and width corresponding to the inside measurements of the frame. T·he frame should be placed on top of the pit and the subsoil spaded up, The pit is filled as follows: 3 inches of coal cinders, 2 inches of leaves, 8 inches of fresh horse manure thoroughly packed and well watered, another 2-inch layer of leaves, 6 inches of rich garden soil, well packed and watered. The conl cinders and first lnyer of leaves provide drainage and prevent the filling resting on the cold subsoil The decaying manure will furnish the bottom heat needed to make the plants grow. The second layer of leaves helps distribute the heat. The ensh should be placed on the frame and allowed to remain three or four- days. The frame will then be ready for use. (A. fuller discussion will be found in School Home-Garden Circular 5,) M anage'llwnt.-In the plant frame, the plants should be placed 4 inches npnrt in both directions. A piece OT shingle 11 inches wide is II. good tool to make a soil mulch. An occasional thorough water- ing is far better than a sprinldlng each day. Ventilation is the. big problem. A beginner is likely to keep tJie frame covered too much. A st~fe rule is never to allow moisture to collect on the inside of the glass. At first, the north end of the sash should be propped up dur- ing the sunny part of the day. The height of the propping stick should be grudunlly increased until finally the plants are covered only on cold nights and mornings 01' during a drenching ruin. Hardy plants stand transplanting better. On cold flights it may be necessary to COVOt· the sash with leaves and burlap. J.''l'uns7>lanting into the g(Ll'den.-li'requcnUy the gnrdeu soil is too dry for successful transplanting. Under such conditions it i:.i / , / "BAl8ING VEGETABLE PLANTS lTROl\1 SBED. i better, first, to put the water in the hole and then put in the plant, rather than to pour the water on after the plant has been trans- planted. Weather conditions may delay transplanting into the gar- den until the plants are very large ; this is frequently the case with tomatoes. Large tomato plants should be put in a trench and covered with soil, leaving only the upper 4 inches of the stem uncovered. Plants for the ea1'Vy t?op.-A few plants of the earlier varieties of each vegetable may be transplanted into small flowerpots f(l!' the early crop: If these pots arc kept in n warm, sunny window and given special care, then transplanted into a protected section of the garden as soon as outside temperature will permit, they will mature two to three weeks earlier thnn those started in the ordinary way. A gardener in Hartsville, S. C., planted seeds of Langdon's Em-liann and Bonnie Best tomatoes in boxes in the house on January 1. When tho plants had four to six leaves they were transplanted into larger pots. By April 1 they were in blossom and were transplanted into the garden. On June 1 ripe tomatoes were gathered. The gardener realized $54.25 from three rows 250 feet long, in addition to the amount consumed by two Jnmilies. Furtll,er 'Useof frame8.-In the fall the frames can be vBry suc- cessfully used in growing winter vegetables. Lettuce, onrrots, beets, onions, and cress can be profitably raised end marketed before the frames are needed for the growing of spring garden crops. This is also true of some of the flowers, especially pansies. REFEJlElNOES. United SUttee Department of Agriculture, wnshlngton, D. C. Fnrmers' BUl- letlus : 256. Home Vegetable Garden. 047. Home Garden In thee South. amte Experiment Stanou Bufletfna : Cornell UnIversity Agricultural Experiment Statton, IthncH, N. Y.: Vol. II. No. 30. Bot-bed construction lind mnnngemeut. No. 83. vogetuble gardening. No. 34. Home-garden planting. Virglnla Truck Experlment Statton, Norfolk, VII.: The. Home vegetable Ourrten. Qeor$"iltExperiment Stnuon, Experiment, ua.: Vegetable Gardenlug. WA.6ll11\"Il'l'OS: OOI'EHSM,,1I"'I! "'IlS1'rso Ol'l"I"'E: UIIG