1 64 THE SCHOOL GARDEN BOOK 



fork and raked until they are free from stones and lumps 

 of earth. 



In the cases of the hardy annuals much better results are 

 obtained by planting early, as soon as the ground is in good 

 workable condition. One of the plants in which this pre- 

 caution is of special importance is the poppy. A very com- 

 mon reason for failure in poppy culture is that of planting 

 too late in the season. This is especially likely to be true in 

 gardens where one must depend upon nature for rainfall to 

 keep the soil moist. The seeds are so small that the tiny 

 plants quickly wither under adverse conditions. The remedy 

 for this is to sow the seed early when there is an abundance 

 of rain and when the sun's rays are not so parching on the 

 surface of the soil. In the case of a later planting it will 

 often be necessary to water the soil artificially. 



Poppy seeds are so tiny that they require some care in 

 planting. One is sure to sow them more thickly than is 

 desirable unless the seed is first mixed with dry sand or 

 corn-meal, and it must be covered very lightly. Make a 

 tiny furrow and scatter the seed in it, then sprinkle it with a 

 watering-pot. This will generally cover the seeds to a 

 sufficient depth. When the plants are up, thin them from 

 time to time until there is room for each one to develop 

 normally. 



The garden portulaca, or sun plant, is a beautiful flower 

 of various colors, which is of special value as a bedding plant 

 in hot, dry situations where few flowering plants can be in- 

 duced to grow. It is very easy to cultivate, and it has lately 

 been found that the seeds may be sown in the poppy bed and 

 the young seedlings allowed to develop in the shade of the 

 poppies until after the latter have gone by. After the poppies 



