40 



Gardening Under Glass 



There is nothing" mysterious about a "flat." 

 It is merely a Hght box of convenient size and 

 two to three inches deep — two inches being 

 enough for starting most seeds, while three inches 

 is better for transplanting and for cuttings. An 



easy way to make 

 flats is to get a 

 supply of one-by- 

 two and one-by- 

 three-inch boards 

 for the ends, and 

 use ordinary build- 

 ing lath for the 

 sides and bottom. 

 Put on the bottom 

 strips about a 

 quarter of an inch 

 apart to allow for drainage. Or saw wooden 

 cracker boxes into strips and bore holes in the 

 bottom. You will find a few "seed pans" as 

 made by the potteries handy for starting in- 

 dividual varieties in small lots. 



To prepare the flat or seed pan for sowing, 

 first put in a layer of the coarse screenings left 

 from the leaf mould when it was rubbed through 

 the sieve or use sphagnum moss. The moss you 

 can gather yourself in most swampy places; or 

 it may be purchased from any florist. 



"Seed pans" are the things to start 

 small seeds in. Have an assortment of 

 sizes on hand. 



