PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 93 



gether, must be rubbed in the hands with dry sand to in- 

 sure a more equal distribution in the drill. Others, like 

 the beet, are covered with a hard shell, and others still with 

 a tough skin. Both these may be soaked in water until it 

 is somewhat softened, and by notching into the latter, 

 germination is hastened. For broadcast sowing, very 

 small seeds are often mixed with fine soil in order to en- 

 sure their being scattered more equally. 



Among the other most frequent causes of failure in seeds 

 are being sown in too dry earth and sowing them too deep. 

 Excessive moisture is also to be guarded against, and giv- 

 ing them too much or too little bottom heat. M. AppeJius 

 observes that seedlings raised in hot-beds or frames fre- 

 quently cause disappointment from bad management. 

 Asters, Stocks, Phlox, Petunias, Pansies, etc., do better 

 in a very gentle hot-bed, and produce stronger plants less 

 likely to die off. When the dung of a hot-bed has given 

 off its first heat, it begins to absorb moisture from the 

 earth with which it is covered. And as the earth of the 

 bed generally slopes to the south, the greater part of the 

 water given runs off toward the front, and at the back of 

 the bed the earth in which the seeds are sown is often too 

 dry. Hence seeds that vegetate slowly and need constant 

 damp, as Phlox and Pansy, should be sown at the front 

 of the bed, and those that grow more readily at the top 

 or back. The time required for certain seeds to germi- 

 nate at a temperature from 52 to 65 is, according to M. 

 Appelius: garden cress, 2 days; spinach, 3; cabbage, 

 turnip, and lettuce, 4 ; peas, endive, poppy, melons, cucum- 

 bers, mustard, 5 ; lupine, lentil, horseradish, radish, onions, 

 (often also in 15 days), leeks, 6 ; barley, rye, maize, broc- 

 coli, beans, beet, 7; wheat, thyme, marjoram, and some 

 kidney beans, 8 ; marrowfat peas, 9 ; vetch, sugar beet, 

 tobacco, hemp, 10 ; tomato, sea-kale, scorzonera, carrots, 

 savory, basil, stocks, celery, 12 (turnip rooted celery some- 

 times 20) ; anise, fennel, 13 ; sunflower, artichoke, burnet, 



