36 MARKET NURSERY WORK 



" very best " that the very best may be reasonably expected. 

 The small difference in the cost of the seeds is not worth con- 

 sidering, for the value received is many times that of the seeds 

 gathered promiscuously from an ordinary collection. When one 

 buys a " specialist's " seeds he buys with it the guarantee which 

 a reputation can give, and this is always something, for no specialist 

 is lightly going to jeopardise his reputation by supplying merely 

 ordinary goods. 



The seeds may be sown at any time between January and May, 

 but we fail to see any special advantage in sowing too early, seeing 

 that the seedlings do not bloom the same year, the object being 

 only to raise strong, vigorous plants for planting out in September. 

 To have a quantity of young seedlings to deal with in February 

 is to occupy space in the houses so badly needed at that time of 

 year for many other things. It also means that they have to be 

 carefully negotiated through the worst weather and so make demands 

 upon the growers' time and attention when he can less afford 

 to give them than, say, a month or six weeks later. In practice 

 we find that by sowing early in March we can get good, strong plants 

 for planting-out before the beds can be spared for them ; and if a 

 date be chosen for advantageously planting them we prefer not 

 to plant until the early part of September, unless exceptionally 

 favourable weather tempts us to plant a week or two earlier. 



SOWING THE SEED 



Supposing we intend to sow during the first week of March, 

 we mix a compost composed of one half sifted loam, one quarter 

 sifted leaf -mould, and one quarter sifted decayed vegetable refuse 

 such as may be procured from an old heap of decayed spear-grass. 

 With this we mix a sufficiency of coarse silver sand to keep it free 

 and open. We then clean and crock our seed pans, or, failing pans, 

 boxes not exceeding 2 inches in depth, fill them level full of the com- 

 post, pressing it down with a flat piece of wood, so that the surface 

 is perfectly even. A great bulk of compost is not needed, seeing 

 that the seedlings will occupy it for a very short period, and that 

 is why we recommend shallow vessels ; apart from this, it is far 

 more difficult to prevent the damping-off of seedlings in a deep 



