POTTED FLOWERING PLANTS 317 



with a glass and placed in a warm, shaded place. The 

 temperature for germination should average about 70. 

 The pans should always be kept moist and shaded. 



473. Culture. When the seedlings have developed 

 their true leaves, they should be pricked out. It is best 

 to put them into a small box, as they dry out less easily. 

 The seedlings are placed about one inch apart, using a soil 

 composed of three-fourths garden loam, and one-fourth 

 well rotted manure. If the manure is not well rotted, it 

 is better not to use any. When the plantlets are well de- 

 veloped, they are transplanted to small pots and to larger 

 ones as required, never allowing them to become pot- 

 bound. A very little manure and bone-meal is used in the 

 soil, which is made a little richer at each re-potting. 

 They should be put in their flowering pots just as the 

 flower-buds appear in the crown of the plant. The soil 

 for this re-potting should be well enriched, for the period 

 of bloom is a long one. If there is a yellowing of the 

 foliage, and an apparent weakening of the plant because 

 of lack of plant food during the blooming season, this 

 may be overcome by frequent applications of weak liquid 

 manure. The crown of the plant should not be placed 

 too deeply in the soil or it will decay ; neither should it 

 be too high or the plant will topple over. \Vhen first 

 transplanted, primroses are kept shaded and in a tem- 

 perature of about 70. Later they are given plenty of 

 air, full sunlight and never allowed to become dry. 



474. Outdoor primulas. Outdoor primulas are excel- 

 lent for cut-flowers for house decoration. The seed is 

 sown in January in pans as for indoor culture, and kept 

 in a cool, slightly shady place. The plants are put in the 

 coldframe in April and transplanted to their permanent 

 planting in May. They may be lifted in the fall, potted, 



