PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY SEEDS. 69 



vitality of the seeds ; hence very unsatisfactory results 

 follow this practice too often. 



For many years we have entirely discarded the use of 

 earthen flower-pots or pans for the purpose of sowing 

 seeds, and use shallow boxes instead. These we prepare 

 by cutting the common-sized soap-box in three pieces, 

 each one of a depth of about two inches. These boxes are 

 filled with the prepared soil to the depth of 1^ inch, which 

 is gently and evenly pressed, so as to give an entirely 

 level surface ; the seeds are then sown, and a light cover- 

 ing, from ' | 16 to 1 1 4 part of an inch thick, according to size 

 or strength of seed, is sifted over them, through a sieve 

 having a mesh only *[, part of an inch in diameter. The 

 covering is gently pressed, to prevent the air penetrating 

 the loose soil and drying up the seeds ; watering, which it 

 is well to avoid as much as possible, is thus rendered less 

 necessary. Be careful, however, not to let them suffer for 

 moisture, as in the weak condition of seedlings, most plants 

 are quickly injured by neglect of this kind, and, even with 

 all possible care, we experience serious losses. Many varie- 

 ties will " damp off," as we term it, just as the first rough 

 leaves are being formed ; this, however, is not the result of 

 excessive moisture, as it occurs just as quickly in a dry tem- 

 perature as a moist one. It is evidently caused by the same 

 insidious spider-web-like substance that is known among 

 gardeners as the " fungus of the cutting bench," and is 

 evidently one of the minute fungi of which we have so 

 many representatives. The best preventive of this dis- 

 ease, as it is sometimes called, is, just as soon as the seed- 

 ling plants can be handled, to take them from the seed- 

 boxes, and prick them out in boxes of similar mould, from J 

 to 2 inches apart, according to the variety. This is a much 

 better method than potting them off in flower-pots, as it 

 not only saves time and room, but they always do better. 

 In the flower-pots they are liable to be dried up, and 

 the tender roots of the seedling plant thereby quickly 



