INTRODUCTION xiii 



plants. Such seeds need only to be dusted over with 

 fine soil, or when sown in pots merely gently pressed 

 down with a flat piece of wood. 



Never to sow fine seed on a windy day is only 

 common sense, nor when the ground is sodden with 

 much rain, as it sticks to the implements, and cannot 

 be properly raked over. Nor attempt it when frost 

 has made the ground hard. Choose a fine day when 

 the soil is in nice workable condition. As Half-hardy 

 Annuals are sown in frames or in pots in a greenhouse, 

 weather is not of so much consequence ; but see that 

 the pots are well cleaned and brushed out, as if they 

 are left in a dirty condition they not only harbour vermin, 

 but the seedlings are afterwards difficult to turn out 

 without greatly disturbing the roots. 



Thinning Out. — By this is meant that when seeds 

 have been sown too thickly — and this is invariably the 

 case — many of the seedlings have to be pulled up, 

 particularly in the case of fine seeds. It is no 

 good only half doing it, it must be done almost 

 ruthlessly with a hardened heart. Each seedling 

 must be allowed plenty of room to grow and expand, 

 and when the size of the full-grown plant is known, 

 it is easy to judge how far apart to leave them. 

 Special note should be made of this in the case of 

 low- spreading things, like Nemophila, for instance. If 

 thinning out is neglected, nothing but disappointment 

 will be the result. The plants will grow tall, attenuated 

 and weak, throwing very little flower, instead of being 

 comely, bushy, and free-flowering. 



Staking for climbing plants, like Sweet Peas, 



