QUANTITY PRODUCTION 287 



the name, or the reference-book number, of the 

 seeds. After the seeds are planted, the surface is 

 pressed down with a flat piece of board until it is 

 level, smooth, and solid. 



Instead of watering the surface by any sprin- 

 kling process from above, the boxes are placed, 

 after the seeds are planted, into a square pan con- 

 taining water sufficient in depth to rise nearly or 

 quite even with the surface of the soil. In a few 

 minutes the water saturates the soil and entire 

 contents of the box, without disturbing the seed, 

 and without packing the soil in the least. The 

 boxes are then removed and tilted to one side so 

 that the superfluous water can slowly drain out. 



A thin layer of our Western green tree moss 

 sifted over and under the seeds acts as a non- 

 conducting blanket, equalizing the temperature 

 and retaining moisture. Sphagnum moss is not 

 nearly as good, for it makes an almost impervious 

 paperlike covering after being wet, yet if rather 

 finely ground when dry, it is better than none. 



A thin layer of moss on the surface protects the 

 seeds or young plants from being washed about 

 when they are watered from above, as they are 

 usually sprinkled after a few weeks of growth. 

 The thin covering of moss also wards off some 

 of the fungous diseases which afflict tender seed- 

 lings. All this may seem like unnecessary trouble, 



