House Plants. 81 



If such ground is worked while too wet, it will puddle and later bake 

 in the sun and wind. 



For a window box indoors get some good garden soil. If con- 

 venient, also secure a little soil from new land, that is, land which has 

 been broken up only a couple of years, and mix this with the garden 

 soil, using equal parts of each. If the soil is heavy, add some sand. The 

 sand will keep it from becoming soggy if overwatered and from becom- 

 ing hard when dry. A little fine manure added to the soil will also help 

 wonderfully. A good soil for window boxes is made by mixing equal 

 parts qf garden soil, sod, sand and fine manure. The boxes should be 

 at least four inches deep and are better six or eight, since they will not 

 dry out so quickly if they contain a good depth of soil. Sift the soil 

 if possible, putting the coarser parts in the bottom of the box for drain- 

 age. For starting cuttings, or slips indoors, pure sand is better than any 

 kind of soil. 



Sowing Seeds, Setting Plants, Etc. 



Many vegetable and flower seeds may be sown very early in the 

 spring just as soon as the ground can be worked. Some of them, indeed, 

 like Phlox, Poppies, Portulaca, Astors, Verbenas, Petunias, Calliopsis, 

 Lettuce, Spinach, etc., come up early in the spring, from seeds self sown 

 the fall before. Of the vegetables which should be sown early in the 

 spring may be mentioned Onion, Salsify, Parsnip, Radish, and Lettuce. 

 Carrots and beets are usually sown somewhat later, though they may 

 be planted early. Turnips also do well when planted very early, though 

 when grown for winter use they are not planted until midsummer. 

 Some of the vegetables which should not be platned until the ground 

 has become thoroughly warm are Beans, Cucumbers, Squash, Pumpkin, 

 Melon, Tomato, Egg Plant, Pepper, Sweet Corn, Pop Corn, and Sweet 

 Potato. Common potatoes are usually planted before frosty weather 

 is past, but their tops are easily killed by freezing weather. 



Care must be exercised not to cover small seeds too deeply. For 

 the smaller vegetable seeds, one-half an inch is deep enough. Of the 

 larger seeds, Peas can be planted three or four inches deep, w^hile Beans 

 are best not covered more than an inch or so. (The children should watch 

 the Beans and Peas while they are germinating; they may be able to 

 tell why Peas can be planted deeper than Beans). Some of the finer 

 flower seeds, such as Petunia, should be covered very lightly, just a 

 little earth being sprinkled over them. It is important that the ground 

 be firmed about seeds so that they can absorb moisture better and 

 germinate promptly. 



