FLORICULTURE 487 



smooth and even by pressing it down gently with the bottom of 

 another pot; carefully avoid pressing it so heavily as to make the 

 surface hard. 



Set the pot in a dish containing water enough to come to within 

 an inch of the top of the pot and let it stand from one-half minute 

 to two minutes, or long enough so that the soil near the edge of the 

 pot will be moistened, but not so that it will be wet. Cover the pot 

 with a bit of clean glass and let it stand in a warm ; light place about 

 forty-eight hours ; then lift the glass, place on the edge of the pot a 

 burnt match, and replace the glass. About three days later sub- 

 stitute a lead pencil for the match, and after three days more remove 

 the glass altogether. During this time, if the soil seems dry, im- 

 merse the pot up to within an inch of the top in tepid water until 

 the soil near the edge of the pot is moist. The object of the glass is 

 to prevent the soil from drying out ; that of the match and pencil to 

 hold up the glass to admit air to prevent the plants from becoming 

 "drawn" or spindling from want of air and light. The time when 

 the changes should be made will be determined by conditions and 

 can not be stated for all cases. They may not be needed as early as 

 suggested, or it may be necessary to make them sooner. This can 

 only be determined by the appearance of the plants. The match is 

 not needed at all until the plants begin to come up, and the changes 

 should be made so as to prevent the plants from becoming more 

 than three to five times as high as wide. 



When the plants are one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch high 

 they should be thinned out so as to leave from 25 to 36 of the small- 

 est growing plants, like lobelia, and 1 to 9 of the larger ones to the 

 square inch, and after they have recovered from this it will be safe 

 to water them by pouring water on the surface instead of dipping 

 the pots in water. When the plants are from one-half to 1 inch 

 tall they should be transferred to the pots in which they are to bloom ; 

 6 or 7 inch pots are best for this purpose. One to three snapdragon, 

 nasturtium, or petunia plants are sufficient for a pot of such a size, 

 but from 5 to 20 candytuft, sweet alyssum, lobelia, ageratum, or mig- 

 nonette plants can be used. 



Many will prefer to use window boxes, and they may be very 

 effectively filled with plants raised from the seeds of this collection. 

 They should be not less than 4 nor more than 10 inches deep. 

 Half-inch holes 6 inches apart should be bored in the front side, 

 close to the bottom, or in the bottom itself, and there should be at 

 least an inch of broken crocks placed in the box before the earth is 

 put in. In our dry climate such boxes need a great deal of water, 

 and except in continued dark or rainy weather this should be given 

 every day. 



If time is more abundant than money and it is necessary to use 

 the least possible amount of cash, tin cans or wooden boxes can be 

 used in place of pots. If cans are used, holes about half the size of a 

 lead pencil and 2 inches apart should be punched around the can as 

 close as possible to the bottom, and into the bottom of the can 



