20 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



such as tomatoes, egg plants, and peppers like considerable potash 

 in the soil. If you like sweet corn sow an early batch an inch deep 

 about April 20, later sowings two inches deep, and as late as Jul}^ 4 

 for an average season. No garden can be called complete without 

 its patch of herbs; sow any of these from May 1 to 15; cover such 

 fine seeds as thyme and sweet marjoram very sparingly; summer 

 savory, dill, fennel, sweet basil, lavender, borage, and other sorts 

 can be covered one inch. 



I have only touched on some vegetables but must now turn to 

 flowers; these on the whole need much more careful covering than 

 vegetables. Of the better known and hardier annuals, quite a 

 number are better started in a hot-bed or greenhouse; this includes 

 such popular subjects as asters, stocks, salpiglossis, salvias, zinnias, 

 marigolds, nemesias, verbenas, petunias, vincas, lobelias, phlox 

 drummondi, snapdragons, and balsams. The majority of these 

 may also be started outdoors but it is much more satisfactory to 

 start under glass. Petunias and lobelias have very small seeds and 

 should be sown in pans which should be well drained, some moss 

 placed over the drainage, a little coarse soil over this, and the 

 balance should consist of equal parts loam and leaf mold with a good 

 dash of sand through it; this should be passed through a fine 

 screen, then pressed firmly in the pans with a piece of board, 

 watered with a watering pot with a fine rose, dusted with sand, and 

 the fine seeds scattered over this. Take a pinch of seed between the 

 forefinger and thumb and distribute it as evenly as possible over the 

 surface and do not cover the seed at all. To prevent seed washing 

 to the side of the pans cut a piece of tissue paper and lay over the 

 surface of the pans and water over this ; it helps to prevent drying 

 of the soil and stops seed washing; it decays and allows seedlings 

 to push through it readil}^ This plan is not necessary where 

 experts are sowing and caring for seeds but it will prove useful to 

 amateurs sowing such small seeds as petunias, lobelias, begonias, 

 gloxinias, mimulus, etc. 



Such well known annuals as bachelor's buttons, mignonette, 

 candytuft, lupines, poppies, sweet alyssum, and godetias can be 

 sown as soon as frost has left the ground and it has dried sufficiently 

 to be workable. Sweet peas cannot be sown too early after frost 

 has gone; the roots will go well down into the cool, moist earth 



