Chapter 



Starting ^>ec&si in jflats 



THERE are many choice seeds, especially 

 in the greenhouse varieties, that can- 

 not be handled successfully in the hot- 

 bed Begonias, Gloxinias, Cinerarias, 

 and Primulas among them. All seeds 

 too fine to be covered do better with house treatment. 

 For starting these the shallow boxes or flats, as they 

 are called, are used. Shallow cigar-boxes, or the 

 larger ones sawed in two and the lid nailed on for 

 the extra bottom, make convenient sizes for the finest 

 seeds. They may be used from year to year if care 

 is taken to store them away, at the end of the season, 

 where they will keep dry and ready for use. 



Holes for drainage should be bored in the bottom 

 and covered with bits of glass or broken crockery. 

 Fill with finely sifted leaf-mould to within an inch of 

 the top and shake the earth smooth and even. A 

 smooth piece of board, three inches wide and as long 

 as the inside width of the flat, with a handle that 

 can be easily grasped, is indispensable for pressing 

 down the soil, both before and after sowing the seeds. 



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