42 FLOWER GARDENING 



After the sowing in rows, fill in with soil and 

 then in broadcast sowing as well press firmly 

 and evenly with a bit of board. Cut a piece of 

 white cotton cloth large enough to fit the surface 

 of the soil, lay it down smoothly and do all the 

 watering, with a sprinkler, through this until the 

 plants begin to show above ground. 



If the stand is good, thin out rigidly. When the 

 first two true leaves appear thin out the weaker ones 

 or, if a large stock is wanted, transplant to an- 

 other frame. Seedlings that are so close together 

 as not to be easily separated by dividing the soil 

 with a small trowel or knife may be lifted in 

 clumps and dropped into a shallow pan of water. 

 There the soil is turned to mud and the seedlings 

 will pull out with no injury to the rootlets. 



At the end of May the annuals will be large 

 enough to move to their permanent place in the 

 garden, either by themselves or as fillers among 

 hardy plants. The perennials may remain in the 

 frames, to grow on, until summer, autumn or the 

 following spring. 



May weeding is the salvation of summer, when 

 garden work is less invigorating. Go over the 

 garden carefully and between times pull up every 

 weed within easy reach as you walk about. Loosen 

 with a trowel any weed or bit of grass that does 

 not yield at once, so that no roots may be left 

 behind. In May also dirt walks will need hoeing 

 and lawn edges of borders another very careful 

 clipping, 



