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GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



pletely spoiled. But peas, beans, and other seeds, where 

 liable to insects, after they are well dried, should be put 

 in bottles well corked, and a few drops of spirits of tur- 

 pentine, of chloroform, or a bit of camphor, put in with 

 the seeds. Either of these is fatal to the insects. For 

 most seeds it is sufficient that they be gathered, when 

 fully ripe, in dry weather, and thoroughly dried before 

 they are threshed. If any moisture then appears, dry 

 them further, and store in paper bags where they will 

 be free from damp and vermin. In the first column of the 

 following table is given the time that certain seeds will 

 keep, according to Vilmorin; the second column gives the 

 earlier table of Cobbet. It is generally best to select 

 fresh seeds, as seeds lose their vitality very soon. 



The Time of Sowing all indigenous seeds in any 

 locality is most favorable when they naturally fall from 

 the plants. Hardy annuals, likewise, do much better if 

 sown in autumn, or quite early in the spring. If not in 

 the ground early, they flower late and badly. There are 

 some exceptions, as in the case of haws and cedar berries, 



