172 Journal of the Mitchell Society [February 



PLANTS GROWN FROM SEEDS. v 



When plants are grown from seeds it is necessary to begin the 

 germination of the seed early in the spring. This should be done 

 either in the house or under conditions where there is some pro- 

 tection. The seeds may be sown in flower beds in which the soil is 

 quite sandy, clean and free from organic matter which is likely to 

 cause mold. The seed should not be planted too deep, and should 

 be covered with glass so as to hold the moisture. The germination 

 period varies considerably. If quick germination is desired, the 

 simplest plan is to place the seeds in water for 24 hours ; or, if a 

 tough seed coat is being dealt with, germination may be hastened 

 by pouring hot water upon them, or some special treatment may be 

 given them, such as the use of dilute mineral acids. After the seed- 

 lings have a few leaves upon them they should be set out in suitable 

 boxes knoAvn as "flats." These boxes should be about three inches 

 deep and about two feet square, and the soil — which again should be 

 sandy — should have added to it a certain amount of nutriment. 

 Care must be taken to ward off the attacks of micro-organisms in the 

 soil. Some special method is necessary for overcoming this. 

 Dilute sulphuric acid has been utilized for this purpose by the De- 

 partment of Agriculture. The seedlings are allowed to grow in the 

 "flats" until they have developed a good root system and have three 

 or four leaves. Before putting them directly in the soil out of 

 doors, they may be hardened, if thought desirable, by placing them 

 in cold frames. This transfer should be made not later than the 

 early part of May. Practical gardeners are familiar with such 

 frames. When the plants are transplanted out of doors it is very 

 desirable that this be done as quickly as possible after the last frost. 

 The i^lants are arranged in rows sufficiently far apart for "weed- 

 ing" and working, so that the maximum crop per acre can be ob- 

 tained. Such plants as belladonna, hydrastis, and ginseng are easily 

 grown by this method. 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS 



This is a common method of propagatng plants. A "cutting" is 

 a severed portion of a stem, having one or more nodes or buds. 

 They are derived cither from above-ground shoots, as in geranium, 

 or from the root stocks, as in the case of hydrastis. In the case of 



