OMITTED IN DECEMBER 547 



inches of fine earth, laid all over the bed, to kc-ep down the steam. 

 Provide a box, or boxes, about five or six inches deep, with several 

 holes on the bottom, fill it with compost, and gently shake and 

 strike it against the ground, till the earth settles a little ; make the 

 surface perfectly smooth and even, and sow the see.cl with the utmost 

 regularity ; then sift through a fine wired sieve, a little compost or 

 willow mould upon it, sufficient only, to just cover the seed, and 

 place the box in the frame on the sut face of the bed ; the glass 

 must be set on immediately and the bed so managed as to pre- 

 serve a moderate and equal degree of warmth, both day and night, 

 but must be occasionally opened, or the light raised up at the higher 

 end, to admit fresh air, and to suffer the exhalations from the bed to 

 pass away, which is a very essential point. 



The earth must always be kept moderately moist, both before 

 and after the plants appear, but never wet ; the best method of 

 watering it, is by means of a hard clothes-brush, dipped into soft 

 water, which has had its chill taken off, by standing for some time 

 in the sun, or in the frame; the hair side being quickly turned 

 upwards, and the hand rubbed briskly over it, will cause the water 

 to fly off in particles almost as fine as dew ; a sufficient watering 

 may in this manner be given in a few minutes. If it is found 

 impossible to preserve a due heat in the first bed, till the seed 

 has all vegetated, it will be proper to prepare a second, into which to 

 remove the box ; but if there are cucumber frames, Sec. at work 

 the box may be removed into any of them that supports a good 

 temperate heat. 



At the expiration of four or five weeks, if well managed, the 

 young plants will have all made their appearance; it then becomes 

 necessary to give them, very gradually, more air, in order to harden 

 and render them fit, in due time, for an entire exposure to itl In 

 the month of March the plants if forward, should be fully exposed 

 to the open air, for a few hours in the middle of mild days, when the 

 sun is not too powerful, but particularly to light warm rains. As 

 to their subsequent treatment see the Flower-Garden for jifiril and 

 the months following. 



If you are apprehensive of the young seedlings being attacked by- 

 snails, &c. which they are very subject to, place a hair band round 

 the box, when you sow the seed, as directed in page 152. 



Polyanthus seed and seedlings, are to be treated exactly in the 

 same manner as those of Auricula. 



Cyclamen seeds, of every kind, may be sown in boxes, during 

 any of the autumn or winter months, even to the middle of February, 

 but when kept out of ground much later, most of them will not 

 vegetate till the spring following ; they may be treated generally 

 as directed in page 409, observing always to protect them from 

 frost. The Cyclamen indicum, being a hot-house plant; its seed 

 must be treated accordingly: this species differs from the others, in 

 not having the divisions of the corolla or flower reflexed, or turned 

 back, but hanging down, and in the whole coralla being much larger, 

 tiia" 1 either of the Persian, or European kinds. The former kinds 



