THE PRACTICAL FLOWER GARDEN 



should be thoroughly moistened to the depth 

 of several inches, and the seed sown thickly 

 in drills about four inches apart; then the 

 seed should be pressed well into the soil with 

 the flat surface of the hoe and about an eighth 

 of an inch of soil sprinkled over the whole 

 bed. Over the bed and resting upon the tops 

 of the four stakes a screen made of lath 

 should be laid, to protect the young seedlings 

 from the too strong sun of the summer. In 

 natural conditions where the conifers seed 

 themselves, they are protected by the pine 

 needles and by the leaves, the underbrush 

 and the tall trees above them; hence, when 

 raising them in the nursery, we should give 

 them as nearly as possible the conditions that 

 they would naturally have. 



The first year, the little plants need no other 

 care than to be kept free from weeds and not 

 allowed to become too dry. After very heavy 

 rains the lath screen may be Ufted for a day 

 to enable the bed to dry out. In about three 

 weeks after sowing the seed the little plants 



102 



