82 Home Vegetable Gardening 



small quantity of each variety of seed, the flats will 

 be found much more convenient than sowing directly 

 in the soil — and in the case of their use, of course, 

 the soil on top of the manure need be but two or 

 three inches deep and not especially prepared. 



Where the seed is to go directly into the frames, 

 the soil described above is, of course, used. But 

 when in flats, to be again transplanted, the soil for 

 the first sowing will be better for having no manure 

 in it, the idea being to get the hardest, stockiest 

 growth possible. Soil for the flats in which the 

 seeds are to be planted should be, if possible, one 

 part sod, one part chip dirt or leaf mould, and one 

 part sand. 



The usual way of handling the seed flats is to fill 

 each about one-third full of rough material — screen- 

 ings, small cinders or something similar — and then 

 fill the box with the prepared earth, which should 

 first be finely sifted. This, after the seeds are sown, 

 should be copiously watered — with a fine rose spray, 

 or if one has not such, through a folded bag, as illus- 

 trated facing page 55, to prevent the washing of the 

 soil. 



Here is another way which I have used recently 

 and, so far, with one hundred per cent, certainty of 

 results. Last fall, when every bit of soil about my 

 place was ash dry, and I had occasion to start im- 

 mediately some seeds that were late in reaching me, 



