52 EXPERIMENTS IN BLUEBEEEY CULTURE. 



kalmia peat in fibrous form to insure good drainage. Over this was 

 placed the finely sifted soil of the seed bed. trodden down with the 

 whole weight of the body, the total thickness of the soil and drain- 

 age being 2.5 inches. 



The soil of the seed bed in this instance was a mixture of the 

 following, each rubbed througli a wire sieve with ,V;-inch square 

 openings: 



Kalmia peat 8 parts by bulk. 



Sand 2 parts by bulk. 



Live sphagnum 2 parts by bulk. 



Loam 1 part by bulk. 



AMiile this mixture gave good results, certain modifications in the 

 direction of simplicity have been found equally satisfactory so far 

 as growth is concerned, and more satisfactory with regard to the ease 

 of transplanting. These changes involve the omission of the loam, 

 which from other experiments is now regarded as never advanta- 

 geous and sometimes actually injurious, and the omission of the sphag- 

 num, which, although a good moisture-holding and aerating me- 

 dium, appears to be superfluous in a peat and sand mixture. The 

 sphagnum also interferes somewhat Avith the clean pricking out of 

 the seedlings in the first transplanting. From experience with vari- 

 ous other seedlings of blueberries a mixture of 2 parts of finely 

 sifted kalmia peat to 1 part of sand is regarded as satisfactory and 

 preferable. The peat should be well rotted and the sand clean and 

 free from lime. This matter is more fully discussed on page GO. 



After the seed bed had been prepared, as already described, the dry 

 seeds were scattered upon it and covered with about an eighth of an 

 inch of the same soil lightly sifted over it. The surface was then 

 sprinkled with water from a sprinkling pot provided with a very 

 fine rose. 



So far as moisture is concerned the ideal condition of the seed bed 

 is that the soil should be just damp enough so that it shall not be- 

 come dry on the surface. The drying of this peat is indicated by a 

 conspicuous color change, from dark brown to light browm. If ex- 

 posed directly to an ordinary greenhouse atmosphere, the tendency 

 of the seed-bed surface to become dry will necessitate frequent ap- 

 plications of w^ater, and the bed will be in danger of repeated periods 

 of sogginess. These conditions may be very much improved by cov- 

 ering the flat Avith panes of glass. An opening about an inch wide 

 should be left at either end to permit the circulation of air over the 

 seed bed. This ventilation will prevent the excessive accumulation 

 of moisture in a stagnant atmosphere and will also prevent over- 

 heating on sunny days, both of Avhich conditions are injurious to 

 seedlings. A flat thus covered may not require watering for inter- 

 vals of several days. The advantages of the glass covering are par- 



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