56 THE BOOK OF THE GREENHOUSE 



are particularly small and need care. In July a seed 

 pan should be drained and rilled with a mixture of 

 loam and leaf mould in equal proportions, together 

 with a liberal sprinkling of sand. This should be 

 pressed into the pan perfectly level and with some very 

 fine soil on top. Water the soil through a very fine 

 rosed water pot until it is well moistened throughout ; 

 on it then distribute the seed as equally as possible and 

 cover with the merest sprinkling of very finely sifted 

 soil and sand. So slight must be this covering that 

 many growers do without it altogether and trust to the 

 seeds finding their way into the soil sufficiently to 

 germinate. Put the pan under a hand light or large bell 

 glass in a damp, shady corner out doors. It is advisable 

 to raise the pan on an inverted pot with its rim stand- 

 ing in a saucer of water ; this will prevent slugs from 

 getting at it and is a wise precaution. Keep without 

 air till the seeds germinate, as by keeping close we 

 prevent evaporation and the necessity for watering, 

 which is a dangerous operation with such tiny seeds. 

 If the surface does, however, get dry, dip the pan into a 

 tub of water, holding it level and high enough to 

 prevent the water from breaking through the surface, 

 for a few minutes, when it will have absorbed sufficient 

 for its needs. When the seedlings show, give air daily. 

 When large enough, prick off in soil containing, in 

 addition to that advised for seeds, some decayed cow 

 manure. Pot off into three-inch pots when big enough, 

 and the larger plants will need one more potting before 

 winter, going then into five-inch pots. In February, pot 

 in the flowering pots, which may vary in size with the 

 strength of the plants, but should not be less than seven- 

 inch. Careful watering, never letting the soil become dry, 

 is necessary, and so too is shade at all times. Fire heat 

 these plants abhor, and they are often grown in cold 

 frames throughout, but must be protected in some way 



