SEED-SOWING 53 



put into its place and made firm with the fingers. 

 The French gardener literally carries a dibber at 

 the tips of his fingers, and he nearly always inserts 

 the plant right up to lower leaves or seed-leaves. 



TRANSPLANTING. Sometimes as will be noted from 

 time to time in the following pages seedlings are 

 moved a second time before they are placed in their 

 final positions. In such cases, however, they are 

 considerably larger, and the roots will have branched 

 further into the soil in all directions. Under these 

 conditions, each plant is carefully lifted with a " ball 

 of soil " attached to the roots. It is then placed in 

 position with the aid of a trowel the lower leaves 

 just on the surface of the ground and the new soil 

 is pressed firmly round the base of the plant and 

 the roots. 



SHADING AND VENTILATION 



These two operations almost go hand in hand, 

 and a good deal of common sense is necessary to 

 enable the gardener to know exactly when to do one 

 or the other or both. 



As a rule, young seedlings that are just pricked 

 out or transplanted are shaded from strong sunshine 

 by covering the lights or cloches with mats. At this 

 particular period, when the plants have been more 

 or less injured at the roots by lifting, it is advisable 

 to check the evaporation of moisture or vapour from 

 the millions of minute breathing pores on ithe surfaces 

 of the leaves. As evaporation goes on more rapidly 

 in sunlight and in a dry atmosphere than it does 

 in the shade and in a moist atmosphere, it is obvious 



4* 



