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raise. Much is to be gained with the majority 

 by sowing as soon as the seeds are ripe, and 

 wintering the slow-germinating kinds in a cold 

 frame, pricking off when large enough, and 

 planting out subsequently in their proper places. 

 Not a few perennials spare us this trouble by 

 sowing themselves ; many bloom the first year 

 where sown early ; a large portion germinate 

 slowly. In all cases, fresh seed insures the best 

 results. Sow in light soil in shallow boxes, cov- 

 ering with a light layer of moss to retain moist- 

 ure, and wintering in the cold frame such spe- 

 cies as do not develop sufficiently to plant out in 

 autumn. Perennial seeds one should not de- 

 spair of until well on to the second year after 

 sowing. Many of them are in the habit of lying 

 dormant for a year, In England seed-pans are 

 usually kept dark, being moved into the light as 

 soon as the seeds are up. Lichens, which clog 

 the surface of the soil, do not grow in the dark. 

 Annuals germinate readily, and cause little 

 trouble. 



Another mode of propagation is by cuttings. 

 These, taken from the plants just when growth 

 begins, or after blooming, should be inserted in 

 boxes or pots filled with a mixture of leaf-mold 

 and sand, keeping them in a shaded frame until 

 rooted ; then pot singly in three-inch pots, plant- 



