The Garden Under Glass

CHAPTER XX FORWARDING PLANTS FOR VEGETABLE PLOT One good method of getting early vegetables is by for-warding them in heat during the early months of the year, and planting them out later, usually in April. In this way we may get much earlier vegetables in the way of onions, leeks, cauliflowers, cabbages, lettuces, sprouts, celery’ beet, marrows, peas, broad beans, runner beans, dwarf beans, potatoes, mint, parsley and tomatoes. The latter, though in reality a fruit, may for convenience be dealt with here, as it is the only thing in the fruit line which is forwarded under glass and afterwards planted out. For convenience also, and to avoid repetition, I will give directions how to get along those plants which are sown in boxes and tra.nspla.nted from them. The remarks will apply to onions, leeks, cauliflowers, cabbages, lettuces, sprouts, broad beans and parsley. All these may be sown early in the year, during January and February, and put into a temperature of about 50° to 550. The boxes should be covered with a sheet of glass, if possible, or a sheet of cardboard or paper until germination takes place. Before they become crowded prick the young plants off into other boxes at a distance of about three inches apart, using some sandy soil. The boxes should have the bottom covered with dry leaves and the soil should be passed through a half-inch sieve and made quite firm, allowing about half-an-inch of space at the top for water-ing. A small setting peg may be used for pricking off, but 200