20 PROPAGATION OF EASTER LILY FROM SEED. 



be placed over the litter to a depth of at least 6 inches. This should 

 be well firmed and raked smooth. The seed should be sown quite 

 thickly, as the seedlings have small, narrow leaves and occupy but 

 little space until they are ready for pricking off. After the surface 

 of the seed bed has been raked quite smooth the seeds should be sown 

 evenly over the bed, from 6 to 10 to each square inch of surf arc, 

 according to the quality of the seed. The seeds can be pressed into 

 the soil with the back part of a spade or a smooth piece of board and 

 covered with one-half inch of sifted and sterilized soil composed of 

 loam and leaf soil in equal parts. The soil, if sterilized, will prevent 

 the disturbance of the surface in removing weeds. The surface 

 should be pressed moderately firm and watered with a fine sprinkler 

 only when the soil appears to be on the dry side. The surface of 

 the bed can be kept in excellent condition for successful germination 

 by covering it with an inch of sphagnum moss, which should be 

 sprinkled occasionally, and the soil should be examined frequently to 

 ascertain its condition. 



The seeds require a considerable time in the ground before the first 

 leaf appears above the surface. Therefore, to provide seedling plants 

 for a large crop the seed beds will occupy a comparatively small 

 space. They will thus be easily tended, so far as watering, shading, 

 and weeding are concerned, until the seedlings have attained sufficient 

 size to warrant pricking off. If bulbs are planted and seeds sown 

 at the same time, the bulbs naturally can be flowered quicker than the 

 seedlinsrs, but only by a few weeks. Therefore, the seeds should be 

 sown early — say, during the month of June. When sown at this period 

 the seedlings will attain a fair size during warm weather, and will all 

 the better be able to withstand the lower temperature of the winter 

 months. 



With regard to raising seedlings in the Middle and Northern States, 

 there is little probability of success unless the seed is sown, say, during 

 the month of January indoors and the seedlings are transplanted to 

 outdoor beds as soon as the weather permits. For experiments of this 

 nature the seeds would necessarily have to be of the previous season's 

 crop, and in order to have them ripen late, so that as short a time as 

 possible would elapse between ripening and sowing, the seed-bearing 

 plants should be grown outdoors. 



PRICKING OFF THE SEEDLINGS. 



The seedlings will bear pricking oil' as soon as the seed leaves reach 

 full size. Nothing is gained, however, by undertaking the operation 

 at this early stage. It is more easily accomplished after the plantlets 

 have made two or three leaves. Thev should be transferred to beds 



