70 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



These precautions are not required where it is not needed to 

 keep a record of the cross that is, the names of the pollen 

 and seed-bearing parents. Hybridisation may take place 

 at any season of the year ; but during the winter little is 

 done, owing to the absence of pollen. When fertilisation 

 has taken place, the flower begins to wither, and in about 

 eight or nine weeks the seed ripens. Care must be taken 

 that the seed is not lost by the seed-pods bursting. To 

 prevent this, the pods may be secured in tissue-paper bags 

 as they approach the ripening stage. Early spring is the 

 best time to sow the seeds, sowing them in pots or pans 

 in a compost of equal parts of loam, leaf-mould, and sand, 

 finely sifted. Take the precaution of sterilising the compost 

 to kill seeds of weeds, and insects. Sow the seeds thinly, 

 and cover them lightly with the compost. Do not water 

 with the watering-can, but plunge the pots or pans up to 

 the rims in water until it is seen to permeate to the sur- 

 face of the soil ; afterwards, stand them in the propagating 

 frame, and place a square of glass over each until germina- 

 tion takes place, which should be in a few days. Gradually 

 inure the young seedlings to the light ; grow them on a 

 shelf close to the roof glass ; exercise great care in watering, 

 and shade them from bright sunshine. When the seedlings 

 have made three leaves, prick them out, at about 2 inches 

 apart, in a similar soil to which the seeds were sown in, and, 

 later, pot and treat the plants much in the same way as 

 cuttings. As it is desired to prove the worth of the seed- 

 lings as soon as possible, they should not be stopped more 

 than once, and that when about 6 inches in height, allow- 

 ing the shoots which will follow to flower. The seedlings 

 having flowered, the most promising only should be re- 



