42 FLOWER GARDENING 
After the sowing in rows, fill in with soil and 
then—in broadcast sowing as well—press firmly 
and evenly with a bit of board. Cut a piece of 
white cotton cloth large enough to fit the surface 
of the soil, lay it down smoothly and do all the 
watering, with a sprinkler, through this until the 
plants begin to show above ground. 
If the stand is good, thin out rigidly. When the 
first two true leaves appear thin out the weaker ones 
or, if a large stock is wanted, transplant to an- 
other frame. Seedlings that are so close together 
as not to be easily separated by dividing the soil 
with a small trowel or knife may be lifted in 
clumps and dropped into a shallow pan of water. 
There the soil is turned to mud and the seedlings 
will pull out with no injury to the rootlets. 
At the end of May the annuals will be large 
enough to move to their permanent place in the 
garden, either by themselves or as fillers among 
hardy plants. The perennials may remain in the 
frames, to grow on, until summer, autumn or the 
following spring. 
May weeding is the salvation of summer, when 
garden work is less invigorating. Go over the 
garden carefully and between times pull up every 
weed within easy reach as you walk about. Loosen 
with a trowel any weed or bit of grass that does 
not yield at once, so that no roots may be left 
behind. In May also dirt walks will need hoeing 
and lawn edges of borders another very careful 
clipping. 
