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Show CONSIDER THE COLD FRAME Did you ever see tomato or cabbage cab-bage plants which were set in the field directly from the hotbed, immediately im-mediately wilt and remain so for several days? Have you noticed that they gradually begin to stiffen up that growth began from one upper bud: of the plant, and that the lower low-er leaves remained wilted and oon died? Evidently the plant had received receiv-ed quite a severe shock and was bare ly able to live through the critical period of adaptation to new conditions. condi-tions. It is difficult for a native of Georgia to suddenly change his place of abode to the region of the North Pole, why is it reasonable to expect a little tender garden plant, accustomed accus-tomed to the warm moist atmosphere and rich, loose, moist soil in the hotbed hot-bed to unedrgo the abrupt change to the 'open field where the soil Is dry, the air dry, and the temperature alternately al-ternately extremely high and low, without dying outright, or at least wilting for a long period. How can we avoid the effects of this sudden change to extremely unfavorably un-favorably conditions? The answer is the cold-frame. What is the difference differ-ence between a cold-frame and a hotbed? hot-bed? Hotbeds and coldframes are constructed exactly the same except that the cold-frame has no heat supply. sup-ply. The- frame is merely set upon a bed of well prepared soil. , The cold-frame does not take the place of a hotbed, it supplements it. When a. gardner once learns the value and usefulness of the cola-frame, cola-frame, he will never again try to gel along without it. The cold-frame maybe may-be covered with glass sash or merely mere-ly a good grade of "factory'' clotn. The object of the covering is to give protection from snow, frost, not to force the plant, into a tender growth. When a plant has been growing for several weeks in the tropical conditions of a hotbed it becomes quite tender, and it id not peculiar that it should receive a severe shock when set in the field. If however, we could toughen this tender little plant, it would stand the change much better. We may accomplish this very thing by "hardening-off." By "hardening-off" is meant the gradual adaption of the plants to cooler, drier air and drier soil. This is oceomplished by first gradually exposing the plan's in the hot-bed. The sashes are open wider and wiser wis-er each day, until they uve left oft altogether during the daytime and also the night if there is no danger from frost. Then, about two weeks before time to set the plants In the garden, the plants are transferred to the cold-frame. Now, the cold-frame, having no heat supply, is nearer like tine outside field conditions; therefore there-fore the covers will have to be kept on for a day or two until the plants become accustomed to the new conditions. con-ditions. Then the sash or cloth may be gradually removed and water given giv-en only sparingly until the plants are growing under'conditions exactly the same as those in the field. j When the plants are changed to' the field, they will be quite accustom-j ed to dry soil, cold night air and hot! winds, and even though they may wilt for a few hours because some of their roots have been.broken off, they will quickly recover and will be1 many days ahead of those taken to the field directly from the hotbed. T. H. Abell Horticultuiist, Utan Agricultural Experiment Station. |