1878.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



261 



soil. No definite rule respecting the proportions 

 can be given, except that the prepared soil 

 should hold moisture well, should have no ten- 

 dency to become hard, and should never crack, 

 even if in the sun. 



Fill the boxes carefully "with moist, but not 

 wet earth, and, with a small board, press the 

 soil evenly and closel}^ so that it will retain 

 moisture better. The board must be planed on 

 the under side, or the soil will stick to it, and it 

 will be found convenient to nail a little handle 

 on the upper side. Sow your seed broadcast, if 

 you are sure the soil is not weedy, and if you 

 will know the plants when they come up; but, 

 in general, it is best to sow in marked rows, in 

 all cases scattering the seed evenly. Now take 

 a sieve, made by tacking a square of one eighth 

 inch mesh wire netting to a light frame, and sift 

 light soil, which has been rubbed and well 

 mixed, over the box, until the seeds are just 

 covered. Take the little board again and press 

 the soil carefully. If any seeds are in sight, 

 sift a little more dirt on and press again. Small 

 seeds must never be covered more than their 

 own thickness ; the surface must be level and 

 firm ; keep it damp, but not dripping, and you 

 will succeed. Countless thousands of seeds 

 perish from too deep planting. The chief uses 

 of covering are to preserve moisture, and to 

 keep the seed in darkness during the germinating 

 process. Very fine seed must be sown on care- 

 fully sifted earth, which has been sprinkled 

 before the sowing is done. Cover the box with 

 a pane of glass, and if it looks dry, sjDray it with 

 a brush dipped in water and drawn lightly over 

 the edge of a stick. Be careful to wipe the 

 under side of the pane of glass occasionally, or 

 the moisture may be so much as to rot the seeds. 



The seed-boxes must be set level, for other- 

 wise the constant tendency is to wash the light 

 seeds all to the lower side, and destroy many 

 whilst sprouting. The soil must be equally 

 pressed all over, or else watering will cause 

 some portions to sink lower than others, and so 

 form little puddles, which drown part of the 

 seed. The watering must be done with a fine 

 rose held so that the soil does not wash away, 

 for this, too, is a fruitful cause of failure, and 

 the time for watering must be in the evening or 

 early morning. Still, if the boxes look dry at 

 any time, water them and shade from the sun, 

 which will harden the surface and slaughter the 

 hopes of the coming plants. 



(To be Coutinued.) 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Stuaktia YiKGiNiCA. — We have in this 

 country two species of Stuartia namely, pen- 

 tagyna and Virginica both exceedingly beautiful. 

 In the English Garden, for July 13th, there is a 

 colored plate of the Yirginica. Judging from 

 the remarks on the illustration, it appears that 

 there areas few specimens of Stuartia in Eng- 

 land as there are under culture here. The large 

 white flowers are very attractive, resembling 

 those of a single Camellia, in fact Stuartias and 

 Camellias belong to the same natural order. 

 The Stuartia was first brought to notice by 

 Catesby, a South Carolina botanist, who named 

 it in honor of John Stuart one of the Marquises 

 of Bute. 



Trees in Large Cities. — The time will 

 probably come when street trees will be a mat- 

 ter of public concern, and not left, as it is now, 

 to private enterprise. As it is now, the house- 

 holder feels the need of shade from the Sum- 

 mer's svm, and protection from wintery blasts, 

 and he plants or not, according as he may have 

 the money to spare, or feel such enjoyment 

 agreeable to him. But the public have an interest 

 as well as he. His trees shelter other people, 

 and the foliage is no mean element in securing 

 public health. Indeed, from our point of view, 

 the great public is much more benefited by street 

 trees than the property owner who plants them. 



It becomes, therefore, a question whether cities 

 should not take some share in the expense and 

 care of shade trees, as well as the owners of 

 property. In our opinion all cities should have 

 a department of public parks and gardens, the 

 whole under one central management, and street 

 trees to be considered as coming under their 

 charge, as ■v\P3ll as small open air spaces and 

 large public parks. 



At the present time too much is expected of 

 the citizen. He has to plant the trees, care for 

 them, guard them against all sorts of trespas- 

 sers, and protect them from everybody's horses, 

 and then after all have the trees killed by leaky 

 gas pipes underground, which the city officials 

 could make gas-tight as well as not. 



Primula Japotstica. — When this plant was 

 introduced a few years ago, it was supposed that 

 it would soon become popular. But of late it 

 has been neglected, evidently from a want of 

 knowledge in regard to the treatment it requires. 

 While on a visit to Mrs. H. Ingersoll, the writer 



