266 THE beginner's garden book 



proper distances and depths, cover, pack down, mulch, and 

 leave them. This leaves at each spot several seeds crowded 

 together where but one, or a few, are to stand. 



A much better way is to loosen the earth afresh at that 

 point, and then to take out the upper few inches. Into the 

 soil thus uncovered, dig fertilizer, or (since plants that are 

 to go in hills need food to grow vigorously) a generous spade- 

 ful of compost or well-rotted manure. Cover with a little 

 earth, and plant the seed, not close together, but over a 

 circle as large as a dinner plate. To guard against accidents, 

 plant twice as many as you will need. Cover the seed, firm 

 the earth, and mulch the place. 



The planting of flower seed may sometimes take different 

 forms from any of this. Some flower seeds are very tiny, 

 and need to be merely scattered on the soft earth, pressed in, 

 and mulched. The distances are seldom to be measured 

 exactly, but with the aid of the plan may be spaced by the 

 eye. The depth should be carefully studied and accurate, 

 and food of some sort should be placed beneath, unless you 

 are sure your garden is very rich. 



One thing should always be remembered in the planting 

 of seed, and that is that the spot should always be marked. 

 At the ends of rows set stakes or labels, on one of which 

 should be marked the name of the plant, and the date of sow- 

 ing. I prefer to do this in pencil on a common shipping 

 tag tied to the stake ; the writing will last all summer ; but 

 the envelope on which the seed came may be used for the 

 purpose, if only it is secured against blowing away. This is 

 in case stakes are used. With real labels, write on the wood. 

 These memoranda will not only remind us of the kind of seed 

 planted, but will serve as a guide and a warning when we wish 

 to work in the garden before the seedlings are up. 



The planting of tubers, such as potatoes and dahlias, is 



