PROPAGATING 71 



much as for the cuttings I have alluded to, being 

 careful to employ the moss to keep the drainage open 

 and to have at least one third of the pot full of crocks. 

 When the soil is nice and level, I sprinkle the seed on to 

 it, from a piece of paper, which I crease down the centre, 

 thus forming a sort of gutter or scoop. Great care is 

 taken to sow thinly and evenly, and this is best accom- 

 plished in some place protected from the wind. I then 

 lightly sprinkle about one-sixteenth of an inch of fine 

 dry silver sand on the top of the pot, increasing the 

 depth for the larger seeds, the aim being to entirely 

 cover them and no more. 



I prepare my wooden labels before hand, noting on 

 them the place of origin of the seed, its name, and 

 date of sowing, and this I firmly place against one edge 

 of the pot, before the seed is spread upon it. When 

 the pots are so far finished, I transfer them to a seed 

 frame I specially made for them as follows : The 

 frame is three feet six inches by four feet six inches 

 and fifteen to eighteen inches deep. I bricked up the 

 sides and made it quite watertight with cement, the 

 floor sloping towards the front. 



Half-an-inch from the bottom of the frame and at the 

 front, supported by pieces of tile, to keep it clear from 

 the bottom, I placed a lead pipe, perforated along its 

 whole length, with one-sixteenth of an inch holes, at 

 intervals of one inch. These holes were pointed down- 



