212 HOME FLORICULTURE 



started about the first of June often gets ahead of a 

 plant started the middle of May. The May plant lacks 

 the vitality and strength of the June plant, and falls 

 behind in the race, although it had two weeks' start 

 of the latter. The latter had the "staying qualities" 

 which the premature growth of the former had robbed, 

 or rather cheated, it of. 



It may seem to be a very unimportant matter, but 

 the fact is that the sowing of seed has a great deal to 

 do \vith the successful culture of flowers in the garden. 

 The soil must be warm, so that the seed intrusted to 

 it will germinate readily. It must be light and fine, so 

 that small seed will not be smothered under lumps 

 and clods. A warm, fine soil and moisture are con- 

 ducive to the successful germination of seeds, and if 

 you have those which you know to be good, and sow 

 them under the proper conditions, you may be reason- 

 ably sure of success. 



After making the beds, and raking the surface 

 over and over to thoroughly pulverize the soil, take a 

 smooth board and press it down all over them to make 

 the earth in which, or on which, you are to sow the 

 seed, firm. If this is not done the drying winds and 

 sunshine will soon extract the moisture from it, and 

 delicate seeds may fail to grow because of a lack in 

 that direction. It will not make the soil hard, but 

 simply compact, and fine roots will find no difficulty 

 in penetrating it readily. 



I prefer to sow seed on the surface of a bed 

 prepared in this way, and cover it by sifting on soil. 

 It is easy to cover to the right depth by this method, 

 while by the old one of drawing a stick along the beds 

 and making little furrows into which the seed is 

 dropped, one is very likely to get a portion of it 

 covered so deeply that it will be unable to prick up 

 through its covering. Fine seed requires but very 



