ANNUALS AS POT-PLANTS 29 



If annuals are to yield a succession of flowers, the seed 

 should be sown at intervals from the beginning of March to 

 about the end of August. The soil at the top should be 

 fine, smooth, and firm, but not hard. The roots of young 

 seedlings cannot penetrate hard soil, and unless they are 

 able to do so the plants will be stunted. Hence the import- 

 ance of sharp sand to render the whole porous. If, however, 



Fig. 12. — Pot containing Seed sunk in a larger one partly filled 

 with moss, which can easily be kept moist. 



the soil is not firm — if it is soft and spongy — it holds an 

 excessive amount of moisture ; and even when the plants 

 escape serious injury, they make soft and sappy growth w^hich 

 is unfavourable to the production of flowers. Five or six 

 seeds may be sown in a 3-in. pot (the measurement being 

 the diameter at the top), and just covered with soil, which 

 should be pressed down gently and then w^atered through a 

 fine rose. A piece of glass should be laid over each pot in 

 order to check evaporation, and on it, to exclude the light, 

 some brown paper. It is the worst possible thing to keep on 

 saturating soil which does not contain growing vegetation ; 



