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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



February, 19 13 



1 . Place rough material in the bottom of the box before putting in the soil. 2. Scatter seed thinly and evenly in rows two or three inches 

 apart. Fine seed is simply pressed into the soil. Note the seed board and dibber at end of the flat 



is given to each of the several varieties of fine-seeded flow- enough moisture will soak up from the saturated dirt below. 



ers, and which can be looked after with special care, will SOWING THE seeds 



answer the purpose. Cigar boxes are sometimes used, but In the seemingly simple operation of sowing the seeds 



they dry out very quickly. there are two things to be guarded against. The first is 



preparing the BOXES putting them in too thickly; sow thinly, and then if there are 



So important is the matter of thorough drainage that, any seeds left over, throw them away or keep for a second 



besides having a porous soil, and open-<bottomed flats, still planting; if the seedlings come up crowded they cannot 



further precaution is taken by filling the flat about one third make good, stocky plants, and are much more subject to 



full of some coarse material, such as screenings, excelsior, "damping off." All but the very finest seeds I sow in rather 



or sphagnum moss, before putting in the dirt, which should broad rows two or three inches apart; this insures some 



come just a little below the edges of the box, so that when light and air to every plant, and makes it much easier to get 



water is applied later it will not run over the top. In the at them for transplanting. 



corners and along the sides the soil should be pressed down The second thing to be guarded against is too deep cov- 



firmly with the fingers, and made level and firm on the ering. Such fairly large seeds as cabbage and lettuce may 



surface. be covered an eighth of an inch or so; small flower seeds 



Plenty of moisture in the soil is necessary to insure good should be pressed into the soil with a smooth, flat piece 



germination. The usual way of applying this is to get of wood, and barely covered from sight with the lightest 



everything ready, sow and cover the seed, and then give covering possible, such as cocoanut fiber (which may be 



the box a thorough watering on the surface. A better way bought of the florist) or sifted leaf-mold, or sphagnum 



is either to give the flat of soil a soaking the day before moss — the latter may be had for the gathering in most 



planting, or to place it in a sink or tub, after planting, and woody swamps. 



put in just enough water to let it soak up through the soil getting a good stand 



from the bottom, until the first signs of moisture, indicated When the little seeds have been thus snugly put to bed, 



by the soil turning a darker 

 color, show on the surface. 

 Then let the box drain until 

 it stops dripping before pla- 

 cing it in heat. If no sink or 

 tub is available for this sub- 

 irrigation method, the same 

 result may be had by filling 

 the box not quite full, water- 

 ing it until it is soaking wet, 

 and then put on the rest of 

 the soil, through which 



the next problem is to get 

 them to come up "strong" 

 in due course of time — 

 which should be from three 

 days to nearly three weeks, 

 according to variety. The 

 surest way of doing this is 

 to find some way of supply- 

 ing "bottom-heat," as the 

 florists term it. Where 

 steam, hot-water, or hot-air 

 radiator is available, this is 



1. Little seedlings just breaking ground. 2. When ready for transplanting remove the soil with the seedlings in small chunks and then carefully 



separate the plants to keep the roots intact. 3. Critical stage of the plant growth 



