RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 37 



in the flat and on top of that fill the flat to 

 within half an inch of the top with the fine, 

 screened soil. Pack the soil in the corners 

 and along the edges with your hands, because 

 if you do not, it will settle there more than 

 in the middle, and the waterings will wash 

 down the soil, uncovering and often taking 

 the seed with it. Firm the whole by means 

 of a damp brick or board. 



SOWING THE SEED 



Make drills about two inches apart using 

 a piece of narrow board as a marker, merely 

 pressing it lightly into the soil for a quarter- 

 inch or so. Sow the seeds thinly and evenly 

 in the drills, and cover lightly; the best way 

 to cover the seeds is to screen the soil on 

 them, using a screen which has a mesh about 

 the size of that in mosquito netting. A 

 good rule to follow when covering seeds is 

 to put on a layer of soil which is as deep 

 as the diameter of the seeds. Sand, dry 

 sphagnum, cocoanut fibre, or leafmould 

 which has been rubbed through a fine 

 screen, make very good coverings for seeds. 

 They never get hard or bake, making an 

 ideal covering — light, easily pushed through 



