THE SOWING OF SEEDS 9 



plant, although the top continues to look green and 

 fresh for several days afterwards. Excessive moisture 

 of the surface of the soil, overcrowding, and insufficient 

 ventilation seem to be the conditions which favour the 

 growth of the fungi to which " damping off" is due. 

 Once a plant is attacked treatment is practically hope- 

 less. The only thing to do is to provide more air, and 

 to prick out the healthy plants into fresh soil, under 

 more airy and healthy conditions. 



The seeds of all but hardy plants require, in this 

 climate, a certain amount of artificial heat for their 

 germination. Bottom heat is the form in which this is 

 best supplied, and either a hot bed or moderately cool 

 pipes in a greenhouse answer this purpose admirably. 

 The correct temperature varies with the kind of seed, 

 but as a general rule it may be said that no greater 

 heat should be employed than is really required. For 

 indoor sowing, pots or small boxes are usually employed. 

 Shallow boxes or earthen seed-pans are generally to be 

 preferred to deep pots. Thorough drainage should be 

 provided by means of a layer of broken potsherds placed 

 along the bottom of the box. Over this it is a good 

 plan to place a thin layer of peat, and on this should be 

 placed the sifted soil which is to form the seed-bed 

 proper. Good garden loam, to which a little old leaf- 

 mould and a good quantity of sand has been added, 

 constitutes a good soil for indoor seed beds. A useful 

 test for the texture of the soil for seed-sowing is to 

 press a damp portion of it in the hand and then relax 

 the pressure. If unsuitable the soil will remain in a 

 solid cake ; if suitable it will crumble and fall apart. 



There is one supreme rule in seed-sowing, applicable 

 to large and small seeds alike — it is the rule perhaps 

 most commonly neglected. This rule is to sow thinly 

 so as to allow ample room for the development of each 

 individual seedling. 



