PLANT REPRODUCTION 153 



methodical flower-grower will have a definite time for sow- 

 ing certain seeds. The time depends, to a large extent, 

 on the character of the seed coat and the length of time 

 necessary to develop the plants. Most of the palm seeds 

 are imported, and they arrive at different periods of the 

 year, depending on the fruiting season in their native 

 habitat. They should be sown as soon as received to 

 prevent a hardening of the seed coat. Those which arrive 

 in January, such as the cocos palm (Cocos Weddelliana) 

 and the areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus hdescens), are sown 

 in January; while the kentia palms (Howea Belmoreana 

 and Howea Forsteriana) are sown in July. 



The blooming period governs the time of sowing many 

 annual plants. Seeds of cinerarias for spring-flowering 

 plants are usually sown about the last of June. As the 

 period of bloom of these plants is of short, duration, another 

 lot of seeds is sown in July for flowering later. Pansy 

 seeds are usually sown about the first week in August so 

 that strong plants may be ready for transplanting in 

 September. These plants will become established before 

 winter and be ready to flower with the first warm spring 

 days. 



Seeds of verbenas, centaureas, salvias and other annuals 

 which come to maturity slowly, are sown in January. This 

 gives large plants ready to bloom as soon as planted for 

 early summer effects. Seeds of biennial and herbaceous 

 perennial plants, such as larkspurs, foxgloves and holly- 

 hocks, which are to flower in July or August, are also sown 

 in January. Otherwise, they would not flower until the 

 second season. 



Most of the seeds of annual plants are sown the last 

 of March or the first of April. As soon as they have 

 developed sufficiently, they are transplanted into cold- 



