290 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



and slightly pressed down, it will be about one-half inch 

 below the edge of the box. After sowing the seeds, 

 either broadcast or in rows upon the surface, fill up the 

 box with light, prepared soil, strike it off and press it 

 down. A wooden float of convenient size, with handle, 

 will be useful in sowing seeds. In this way, a uniform 

 depth of covering soil will be secured and the surface 

 will be sufficiently pressed to hold the water. With a 

 little practice, the depth can be adjusted for any 

 size of seed. 



When the sowing has been completed, the boxes should 

 be thoroughly watered, after which, as with plants in 

 pots, the seed boxes should not be watered until their 

 appearance indicates the necessity, and then enough 

 should be applied to thoroughly wet the soil. When 

 the boxes can be placed for a few minutes in a water- 

 tight bed, holding two inches of water, the soil will be 

 moistened without danger of washing the seeds, or of 

 causing the plants to damp off. 



As soon as the first true leaves show, the seedlings 

 should be pricked out, either in flats or small pots; for 

 many plants, the flats will be preferable for the first 

 transplanting. 



THE FORMATION OF NEW VARIETIES. 



While it is possible to obtain new varieties of many 

 plants by merely growing seedlings, others almost invari- 

 ably reproduce themselves, and with them we must 

 resort to artificial crossing, or hybridizing. In fact, 

 although some progress may be made in improving those 

 of the first class, by selecting the more promising seed- 

 lings, far better results can be obtained if we control the 

 parentage by artificial pollination. 



For any desired improvements, we should select as 

 parents two varieties that have the desired qualities well 

 developed, and transfer pollen from the anthers of one 



