PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 85 



part of an inch. In the absence of Moss or Cocoanut 

 fiber, dry refuse hops or leaves will answer, prepared 

 in the same manner, the great object being to use 

 a material light in weight, having non-conducting proper- 

 ties, and that will thus hold the moisture uniformly. Of 

 all these, we now think Cocoanut fiber the best, and use 

 nothing else, as its sponge-like character keeps just the 

 right degree of moisture wanted. 



These seed boxes should be placed in the open 

 sunlight, in the windows of the dwelling room, in 

 the hot-bed or green-house, and never shaded, in a 

 temperature running from 55 to 65 at night, with 10 

 higher during the day; and if a proper degree of moist- 

 ure is applied, say a light sprinkling once a week, if there 

 is life in the seed, germination is certain. As soon as 

 the seeds have grown so as to attain the first true 

 leaves, (that is, the first leaves that show after the seed- 

 leaves,; they must be " pricked off " carefully in soft, 

 light soil, similar to that used for the seeds, at from one 

 to two inches apart, according to the kind. This will not 

 only prevent them from damping off, as many of them 

 are very apt to do, but they will be much stronger and 

 suffer less when put into flower pots or replanted in the 

 open ground. We prefer to replant the seedlings in the 

 shallow boxes already described. And here we again 

 find, that if the soil is mixed with half its bulk of sifted 

 Cocoanut fiber or Sphagnum, we get a far better devel- 

 opment of fibrous roots. They are more portable if 

 planted in boxes than if planted in the soil of the 

 hot-bed, or bench of the green-house, though, of course, 

 after planting in the boxes these are put again in the 

 hot-bed or green-house. After the seedlings have been 

 planted in these boxes, lightly water them and shade for 

 two or three days. 



