32 PRACTICAL PLANT PROPAGATION 



which will keep the brick and soil continually moist, thus eliminating 

 the danger of washing out the seed or of letting the soil become dust 

 dry, as so often happens when using pots or boxes. 



"It is well, however, to guard against overwatering; therefore, if 

 the soil at times appears to be too wet, remove the brick from the 

 water for a few hours until it partly dries out."* 



WATERING 



Great care should be exercised in watering, not only because the 

 seed may be washed out of the drills, but excess water may cause 

 the spread of the damping-ofF fungus. This disease is especially 

 bad when the seedlings lack air. Small dribblings applied fre- 

 quently, rather than proper applications of water at needed intervals, 

 cause the formation of a crust which will interfere with the ease 

 of germination; later they cause an unbalanced and shallow root 

 system. 



TIME REQUIRED FOR GERMINATION 



Seeds vary greatly as to the number of days they require for ger- 

 minating. Many gardeners make a grave blunder by discarding a 

 seed bed before an opportunity has been given the seed to come up 

 under normal conditions. As new seeds will often germinate more 

 rapidly than older ones, when old and new seeds are mixed the seed- 

 lings may continue to appear for weeks. 



GERMINATION TABLE IN DAYS 



Days 



Abutilon 20 



Acroclinium 15 



African Golden 



Daisy 15 



Agapanthus 20 



Agathaea ccelestis . . .20 



Ageratum 5 



Alyssum 5 



Ampelopsis 15 



Anchusa 20 



Anemone, St. BrigidlS 



Antirrhinum 20 



Aquilegia 15 



Arctotis grandis ... 20 



Asparagus 30 



Asters 8 



Asters, Perennial . . 15 



Baby's Breath 20 



Ball of Fire 15 



Bachelor's Button. . f5 



Days 



Balloon Vine 25 



Balsams 10 



Begonias 15 



Bellis perennis 5 



Blanket Flower 20 



Blue-eyed Daisy 20 

 Blue Day Flower.. .20 



BlueSalvia f!5 



Boston Ivy 15 



Brachycome 8 



Brazilian Morning 



Glory 8 



Browallia 20 



Brugmansia arborealo 

 BushEschscholtzia. 8 



Butterfly Pea 15 



Cactus 30 



Calendula 10 



California Poppy ... 8 

 Campanula 8 



Days 

 Canary-bird Flower, f 



Candytuft 5 



Cannas f!5 



Canterbury Bells. .f!5 

 Cardinal Climber. . . 5 



Carnations 8 



Carnations, Per- 

 ennial 8 



Castor Beans 15 



Celosia 20 



Centaurea . f5 



Centrosema 15 



Chinese Bellflower. . 30 

 Christmas Orchid 



Flower 20 



Chrysanthemums. . . 5 



Cigar Plant t& 



Cineraria 5 



Clematis, Tuber- 

 ous f30 



* From Suggestions for Seed Sowing. Published by W. Atlee Burpee & Co. 

 t Indicates an[indefinite number of days. 



