70 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 
These precautions are not required where it is not needed to 
keep a record of the cross—that is, the names of the pollen 
and seed-bearing parents. Hybridisation may take place 
at any season of the year; but during the winter little is 
done, owing to the absence of pollen. When fertilisation 
has taken place, the flower begins to wither, and in about 
eight or nine weeks the seed ripens. Care must be taken 
that the seed is not lost by the seed-pods bursting. To 
prevent this, the pods may be secured in tissue-paper bags 
as they approach the ripening stage. Early spring is the 
best time to sow the seeds, sowing them in pots or pans 
in a compost of equal parts of loam, leaf-mould, and sand, 
finely sifted. Take the precaution of sterilising the compost 
to kill seeds of weeds, and insects. Sow the seeds thinly, 
and cover them lightly with the compost. Do not water 
with the watering-can, but plunge the pots or pans up to 
the rims in water until it is seen to permeate to the sur- 
face of the soil ; afterwards, stand them in the propagating 
frame, and place a square of glass over each until germina- 
tion takes place, which should be in a few days. Gradually 
inure the young seedlings to the light; grow them on a 
shelf close to the roof glass ; exercise great care in watering, 
and shade them from bright sunshine. When the seedlings 
have made three leaves, prick them out, at about 2 inches 
apart, ina similar soil to which the seeds were sown in, and, 
later, pot and treat the plants much in the same way as 
cuttings. As it is desired to prove the worth of the seed- 
lings as soon as possible, they should not be stopped more 
than once, and that when about 6 inches in height, allow- 
ing the shoots which will follow to flower. The seedlings 
having flowered, the most promising only should be re- 
