86 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS 
until the seedlings are up. Thin to one or two inches 
apart and keep them well watered. In about six weeks 
transplant them to their permanent quarters. When 
freezing weather sets in, cover the bed with about three 
inches of straw bedding or leaves. 
The seeds may also be sown in boxes and transplanted 
to other boxes, two inches apart each way. Keep the 
plants in a cellar until spring. They should be moist 
but not too wet. One of the best methods of keeping 
pansy plants over winter is to set them in cold frames. 
Spring sowing. Prepare soil by screening and mixing 
equal parts of garden loam, sand, and manure. Place 
coarse drainage material in the bottom of a seed box 
and then fill the box to within half an inch of the top 
with the prepared soil. Press the surface of the soil 
smooth with a piece of board. Scatter in the seeds and 
cover to about twice their own thickness. Water through 
a cloth and place the box before a window, where it 
will get plenty of light. Keep the box covered with 
glass to retain the moisture and prevent the formation 
of a crust on the surface of the soil before the seedlings 
come up; remove the glass as soon as they make their 
appearance. Turn the box frequently, to give the plants 
an even distribution of sunshine and to keep those 
farthest from the window from growing weak and spin- 
dling. In about three weeks transplant the seedlings to 
other boxes, two inches apart each way. Spring sowings 
may also be made in cold frames in March. Set the plants 
in permanent places in April, six inches apart each way. 
