MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 191 



Miller reports that" he has obtained good results in the case of belladonna by 

 placing the seeds for thirty or forty seconds in concentrated sulphuric acid. 

 The germination of seeds may also be hastened by certain mechanical means. 

 This is used when the seed coat is particularly thick and not easily penetrated 

 by the moisture, when, if they are large, they are filed in one or two places. 

 If they are small they may be shaken with sharp angular sand until the 

 exterior is somewhat roughened. 



After the seedlings have a few leaves upon them they are then set out in 

 suitable boxes known as "flats." These are about three inches deep and about 

 two feet square and the soil used should be of a sandy character, containing a 

 certain amount of nutriment, however. The plants must be watched at this 

 point to see that there is no damping off and loss by reason of the attacks of 

 micro-organisms in the soil. 



Should there be a damping off and loss of seedlings, then one must study 

 methods for overcoming this. Recently the Department of Agriculture has 

 utilized dilute- sulphuric acid for this purpose which I have shown is the 

 active prhiclple produced whenever sulphur is u^ed in the greenhouse. It is 

 one of the most effective agents for the destruction of insect pests as v\ell as 

 the blights due to fungi and other micro-organisms. 



The seedlings are allowed to grow in the "flats" until they have developed 

 a good root system and have three or four leaves. Before placing them 

 directly in the soil out of doors they are acclimatized or hardened by placing 

 them in cold frames. This transferral should be done not later than the 

 early part of May. The structure and use of the cold frame is perfectly 

 familiar to the practical gardener. Information regarding the construction 

 of this accessory to the garden can be had of any of the seedsmen. In fact, 

 in many instances, they publish small booklets entitled "Vegetables under 

 Glass" giving information on the tilling of soil during the entire year, and 

 these booklets can usually be had at a very moderate figure. Sometimes the 

 plants are removed from the flats and placed directly in the soil in cold frames. 

 This may give a temporary setback to the plants as the roots are more or less 

 disturbed by the operation but if one wishes to continue the experiment in 

 the cold frames, later removing the sash, considerable time will be saved. 



If the plants are to be transplanted out of doors it is very desirable that 

 this should be done as soon as possible after the last days of frost are likely 

 to occur in the given locality. The plants are arranged in rows and set suffi- 

 ciently far apart so the maximum crop per acre can be obtained. Usually 

 they are so arranged that weeds may be pulled out and the ground worked over. 



The above outline may be used for the propagation of most plants by 

 seedlings, but they must be carefully cared for if one wishes to get maximum 

 results. Some plants are rather ea.sily grown if care is taken with their cul- 

 ture, as digitalis and belladonna. Other plants like hyoscyamus, are cultivated 

 with some dilBculty, and very few persons are uniformly successful in growing 



