1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARI^IER. 



245 



sent post-paid, for $6. So that ladies by 

 clubbin<x together coukl supply their borders 

 at a great reduetion of the usual prices. 



The custom of distributing seeds, bulbs and 

 ])lants by mail, is rapidly increasing in favor 

 among all florists, and is decidedly the most 

 advantageous for purchasers, who thus avoid 

 heavy express charges, which added materially 

 to the expense, and deterred many from or- 

 dering plants. 



In many localities in New England the sea- 

 sons are so backward that tender annuals will 

 not blossom early enough to show forth their 

 full perfection, imless they are raised in the 

 house or in a hot bed. A sunny kitchen win- 

 dow is very excellent for tlieir culture. 



Asters, Balsams, Zinnias, Petunias and 

 Pansies all do much better for being planted 

 early in this month, and then transplanted into 

 beds or borders after all danger of frosts is past. 

 Being fibrous-rooted plants, their strength 

 is increased by the transplanting, and experi- 

 enced gardeners often transplant them into 

 small pots before the final planting for sum- 

 mer blooming. 



We have given many directions, heretofore, 

 how to plant seeds, but will repeat a few of 

 them. The soil must be well pulverized, and 

 the best way is to bake it in the oven ; this 

 will kill all larvaj of insects, and destroy the 

 seeds of weeds. Mix a goodly quantity of 

 sand with the earth, thus making it warm and 

 friable, and not liable to bake down, and pre- 

 vent the germination of the seeds. 



Nearly all the complaints from amateur cul- 

 tivators of bad seed are owing to their igno- 

 rance of their culture. It is the seedsman's 

 interest to send out good seed, else he would 

 ruin his trade. His is not the fault of your 

 non-success. 



Tiny seeds should be mixed with sand, and 

 sprinkled lightly over the prepared soil. Pe- 

 tunias, Portulacas, &c., cannot germinate 

 under quarter of an inch of soil. They are 

 so minute that they require the slightest possi- 

 ble covering. Sweet Peas, Lupins, Balsams, 

 and all good sized seeds require an inch or so 

 of soil, and the former flourish better under 

 four or five inches. Asters, Stocks, &c., will 

 gej-minate more quickly under quarter of an 

 inch of earth. Verbena seeds are slow to 

 germinate — often from three to four weeks 

 will pass before they show their heads. If 

 soaked over night in water they come up better. 



If cigar or raisin boxes are used to plant 

 the seeds, they can be divided off into sections 

 with strips of pasteboard, cutting though the 

 edges of the strips that run across, to let in 

 the side strips. Put the skeleton boxes thus 

 made into the wooden box ; fill up with the 

 baked loam while warm to the hand and let 

 the edges of the pasteboard come above the 

 level of the box . Write the names of the 

 seeds on little sticks, so that when the plant 

 is in bloom you can know its cognomen, and 

 not be obliged to say "that red flower — this 



blue one, and the other yellow one," Press 

 the earth firmly upon the seeds with the 

 fingers ; cover the whole box with a thick 

 piece of old flannel well wet with warm water, 

 and always water the ^eeds through it until 

 they have sprouted. If the seeds are of 

 greenhouse varieties, keep the flannel over, 

 by cutting small holes for the tiny seedlings 

 until all have come up, then remove it alto- 

 gether. Panes of glass fitting tightly to the 

 boxes, will do as well after the first two or 

 three days, but thick flannel, if kept wet all 

 the time, supplies heat and moisture which are 

 both so essential to plant life. 



Great care must be taken not to keep the 

 young plants too wann, and cause them to 

 spindle up and look like potatoes grown down 

 cellar. In this fickle month we are liable to 

 severe frosts, and we must also guard against 

 the chilling of their tender life. 



If the night is cold, either remove the 

 boxes from the windows, or cover them with 

 several thicknesses of newspaper which will 

 protect them. After the fourth and fifth 

 leaves appear it is well to plant them in two 

 inch pots, this will cause them to strike deeper 

 root, and give them more life. Hot-beds are 

 a very desirable adjunct to every northern 

 household, and are so easily constructed that 

 the mai-vel is that every owner of a garden 

 does not possess one. A large dry goods 

 box will furnish the frame by sawing off the 

 sides a foot or more, leaving the back of the 

 boxes at least eight inches higher than the 

 front, and having the sides planed off in a 

 regular slope, sink it two feet in the ground. 

 Fill up one foot with fermenting horse ma- 

 nure, — if this cannot be obtained decaying 

 leaves will do ; for if the plants are well es- 

 tablished first in the house, they will not suffer 

 for want of bottom heat. Place over the 

 whole a window-sash which will fit tightly. 

 If a new one is needful, have it made without 

 side strips of wood, and lap the panes one 

 over the other. This gives better light, and 

 is less expensive. The sash can be fastened 

 to the back of the box with heavy, iron liinges 

 which can be raised up easily. Sand should 

 be plentifully scattered over the whole sur- 

 face. In such a hot-bed, costing but a small 

 sum, many plants could be raised, cuttings 

 struck, and tomatoes and melons started. 

 Permanent hot-beds are much more expensive, 

 draw more largely upon the contents of our 

 purses, and to those of us who possess but 

 little of the root of all evil, (though we think 

 many good things spring from that same evil 

 root,)the dry goods box offers a pleasant pas- 

 time, and an abundance of good things. In 

 another article, we will speak of bedding out 

 plants, nomen est legio ! Yearly they iocrease 

 m beauty and variety. 



We trust that we shall inspire all our read- 

 ers with a love for flowers, and induce many 

 of them to undertake their culture. They are 

 fraught with a blessing to many a heart, and 



