144 



QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 



Stances never become pithy and tough till they reach a size undesirable 

 for table use. It is a mistake to wait for radishes to grow big, they should 

 be eaten small, when a little over one-half an inch in diameter ; then they 

 are bright, crisp, of good flavor and attractive. On poor, hard soil, or soil 

 infested with grub worms or fungi, they never can be expected to grow 

 fast nor to be good, either large or small. 



StartingSeeds 882. Q. How can I best start my seeds in the house to be afterwards 



for removed to the garden ? 



Subsequent 



Transplant- 

 ing. 



A. When it is desired to hasten the development of plants, they may be 

 sown in the conservatory or in boxes within the house. Those who have 

 greenhouses hardly need directions, but for those who have had less ex- 

 perience we drop the following hints : 



Procure shallow boxes, trays, or broad pots from two to four inches 

 deep. The bottoms open for the free passage of water, else the earth will 

 bake and become sour. Seeds will not germinate satisfactorily or thrive 

 in a wet soil. 



Prepare a mixture of one-third leaf mold cut fine, one-third clean sand, 

 and one-third finely pulverized stable manure, moisten the mixture 

 thoroughly, and fill into the boxes to within a half-inch of the top — gently 

 patting down the surface to a level. Upon this distribute the seed, and 

 cover just out of sight, by sifting over the seed the finest dust procurable, 

 settling the seed down with a fine spray of water shaken from a brush, a 

 heavier application baking the surface. 



Place the boxes where they will remain at a temperature of between 

 60° and 70°, applying water with a brush or fine rose when the surface 

 becomes dry. 



When the seedlings are half an inch high, they may be transplanted to 

 other boxes, placing the tiny plants about one to each square inch. When 

 these become so large as to crowd each other, they should again be trans- 

 planted to the garden, or to other boxes according to the season. 



883. Q. Give me some directions about sowing flower seeds in mj 

 FlowerSeeds. garden ? 



A. Flower seeds being usually small and delicate, the land to receive 

 them must necessarily be carefully prepared, otherwise the cost of pur- 

 chase and labor of sowing will be expended in vain. Large stones, clods, 

 and other material out of place, should be removed after the earth has 

 been deeply dug and fertilized ; but the earth should not be made so fine 

 as to become pasty under moisture. 



The best results will generally be obtained by the beginner by concen- 

 trating the crop, or sowing all the varieties in one plot or bed, or a portion 

 of ground, whatever its size may be, sufficiently large to hold all sorts 

 placed in parallel rows at one foot apart, and this concentrated plantation 

 can be carefully weeded, and otherwise attended to during the early stages 

 of growth. 



Afterwards, when one or two inches high, the young plants can be 

 removed, on a rainy or cloudy, damp day, to permanent positions ; here 



Sowing 



