118 THE BEGINNER'S GARDEN BOOK 



flats, however, we need use only coarse material of some 

 kind or other, that will let water quickly through. 



All this should be done neatly. The nails or brads that 

 are hammered in should go straight, the sawing off of the 

 tops of boxes should follow carefully the pencil lines that 

 are drawn from corner to corner, the rough edges should 

 be smoothed off with knife or plane or sandpaper. To be 

 sure, when we have made enough flats to cover our window 

 sill or table, we may have a mixed lot of boxes of different 

 sizes and colors, some showing the advertising lettering of 

 soap or starch ; but we need not let this trouble us. It 

 would, of course, be pleasant to make all our flats alike, of 

 fresh wood ; but as we shall learn before many weeks, it is 

 not the prettiest boxes that surely grow the best plants. If 

 we wish to be very neat, we can paint the flats. 



So much for our flats and the drainage of them. Be care- 

 ful about the latter, for lack of draining may spoil a good 

 stand of seedlings. Now for the earth that we should use. 

 If we have been careful to provide for it months ago, we 

 shall not have to go out in the dead of winter and hack at 

 the frozen garden. Besides, we shall have better earth, for 

 we shall be able to make it to suit us exactly. Just what 

 sort of earth do we need ? 



In potting plants and bulbs we made the earth rich and 

 full of humus. We had it fine as well, in order to hold much 

 moisture. Such coarse things as vegetables may have a 

 similar soil. But for the sprouting of flower seeds we may 

 well have the earth different : not too rich, or the plants 

 will grow too tall and thin ; not too full of humus, for much 

 the same reason ; and not too fine, for a moist soil is cold 

 and "slow." Let us mix a soil which shall be proper for 

 the tiny seeds of most flowers. It should be light, porous, 

 and warm or "quick." For this mix together two parts of 



