40 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



light enough so that any seedlings can push up through 

 it readily, and as free as possible from weed seeds. Such a 

 soil is hard to find — but not difficult to make. Leaf mold 

 or chip dirt rubbed through an ordinary ash sifter, or cocoa- 

 nut fiber mixed with a clean, light, sifted soil, with the 

 addition of sand, if it is necessary, to make the whole 

 slightly gritty, will give the desired results. FiU the fiats 

 not quite to the top. Be careful to pack the soil firmly in 

 the corners and along the edges. 



Careful Watering at All Stages 



It is important to have the soil in just the right condition 

 of moisture when the seeds are planted. To be sure of 

 this, water thoroughly the day before planting, or set the 

 flat in a pan of water so that it can soak up moisture from 

 the bottom, or water the flat thoroughly when it is about 

 two-thirds filled with soil, putting on the surface layer 

 afterward — in which case it wiU become moist clear to the 

 surface without getting muddy or sticky. 



Make tags for the various things you expect to plant. 

 Then you will be in no danger of getting them mixed up. 

 Mark off very shallow furrows about two or three inches 

 apart. Most of the vegetable seeds go in about a quarter 

 of an inch deep; most of the flower seeds, which are very 

 small, should be barely covered. Very smaU seeds, Hke 

 those of the begonia, nicotiana, mignonette or portulaca, 

 should be merely pressed into the surface of the soil with a 

 small piece of board and covered with a few pieces of 

 shredded moss or leaf mold laid upon the surface to shade 

 them until they are up. Sow the seeds as evenly as possible 

 and not too thick, even if you have some left over in the 

 packet. Then press them into the soil lightly with the 

 forefinger or the edge of a thin board, and cover them lightly 

 with soil, pressing it down firmly but not hard. If the soil 

 has been prepared as suggested, watering immediately 

 after planting will not be necessary. If watering is required, 

 either right after planting or at any time before the seeds 



