86 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS 



until the seedlings are up. Thin to one or two inches 

 apart and keep them well watered. In about six weeks 

 transplant them to their permanent quarters. When 

 freezing weather sets in, cover the bed with about three 

 inches of straw bedding or leaves. 



The seeds may also be sown in boxes and transplanted 

 to other boxes, two inches apart each way. Keep the 

 plants in a cellar until spring. They should be moist 

 but not too wet. One of the best methods of keeping 

 pansy plants over winter is to set them in cold frames. 



Spring sowing. Prepare soil by screening and mixing 

 equal parts of garden loam, sand, and manure. Place 

 coarse drainage material in the bottom of a seed box 

 and then fill the box to within half an inch of the top 

 with the prepared soil. Press the surface of the soil 

 smooth with a piece of board. Scatter in the seeds and 

 cover to about twice their own thickness. Water through 

 a cloth and place the box before a window, where it 

 will get plenty of light. Keep the box covered with 

 glass to retain the moisture and prevent the formation 

 of a crust on the surface of the soil before the seedlings 

 come up ; remove the glass as soon as they make their 

 appearance. Turn the box frequently, to give the plants 

 an even distribution of sunshine and to keep those 

 farthest from the window from growing weak and spin- 

 dling. In about three weeks transplant the seedlings to 

 other boxes, two inches apart each way. Spring sowings 

 may also be made in cold frames in March. Set the plants 

 in permanent places in April, six inches apart each way. 



