Directions for Seed Sowing 



h* rrS? fiPSt r fT-*l\ e f ° r Seed beds aud boxes is Preparation of the soil which shotfa 



be mellow and friable, a mixture of loam, sand and thoroughly rotted manure c^r^. C 



mould. Annuals such as Eschscholtzias, Poppies, Mignonette cSrSf Sndvtuf/ 



t^7/ 1S ' ^T^' Mari S° lds ' etc,, should be planted where' they arc to Sw and 



thinned out when two or three inches high so each nlant mav h/ TO 1L, + ?' f 



Cosmos can be pianted the same way Jd'teLspSnteHf^oo thick "^ t0 deVel ° P " 



Petunias Pansies, Stocks, Asters, Carnations, Dianthus, Daisies Browallia Dahh^ 



nr'n^T' Hebotl \ op + e and many others are best sown in carefuUv'prep^ed^ seed beds 



l d f^mes and transplanted when two or three inches high. Choose the "fternoon 



ifnt^w^f '' T ?° SOil m ° 1St and mell ° W ' S0 that tt tumbles fine in the hand dS 



Ttl f the air t0 dry ° Ut the fine roots ' cover them with P^er or cloth, as am omen? 



thVw° *? °^ re "J* 7 CaUSe l0SS - See that the soil comes ta between the r^oS-Se 



* . ? g TL thlS ' d ° n0t PaCk them down a11 together. It is most important St the 



oroufd° U fl L af re f e t d ° Wn ? ^ aftGr Setting ° Ut > so as t0 hold the Plants nrmlv in he 

 ground, and also to keep out sun and air 



Water carefully and deep, and when the ground settles, draw earth over the 

 wet g round to prevent soil from packing. The next day examine the condition of plants 

 £L ne / essary pr SL s the soil dow * *™ly with the toe. as evaporation often leaves it 



IncJfZT,' lP e n directi T ™^ t0 ^tting out any plants, large or smal 

 Pnn^L xi + ?' late autumn and early winter are most favorable for sowing Pansies 

 ll^lT ^asturtiums, Eschscholtzias, Stocks, and most perennials, as thev lor! the cooi 

 ™r »LZ dev ^°P m S their ^ots, though they may be planted at intervals, most of the 

 September ^ m SUCCeSsion - The most unfavorable . time is July,' Augusfand 



.^/ W t et ? e 5f and aH large Seeds should be sown two or th ^e inches deep other seed * 

 cover about their own depth. Press soil down firmly with a board. Water with a fine 

 spray allowing it to soak in well. It is a good plan to cover seed beds with a light 

 shading to protect them from the hot sun and drying winds until the plant* are wel un 

 <h^ e + f G K S 'J lke be £ onias and greenhouse plants, can be sown in cigar boxes with 

 holes m the bottom, which cover with gravel, or broken pots for drainage Cove? with 

 soil carefully prepared, press down level, and sow seeds on surface, rift 'the lightest 

 covering of sphagnum moss over them. Water from below by holding box over a pan 

 of water, allowing the soil to absorb it. Cover with a piece of glass and keep in the 



tm wellestaS SeC ° nd ° P ^ l6&Ves EPpear Where PlantS are t0 gro ^ Sha ^ 



Petunia seed, though fine, does much better if grown in seed beds in a sheltered 

 place m the garden; they require the lightest covering possible and the watering mu«t 

 be done with a fine spray, so as not to dislodge the seed. Plants grown this way are 

 much more vigorous and not apt to damp off, as those grown in boxes. A cold frame' 

 which is a small seed bed with a frame around it, and a covering of cloth is very 

 suitable, where one has but a few seeds. Petunias transplant well when two 'or three 



inches high. 



If the seeds of vines such as Ipomea "Heavenly Blue" and Mina Lobata are planted 

 m small pots and allowed to fill up with roots and suffer a little for fresh supplies the 

 plant becomes hardened, or matures more rapidly and attains the blooming season 

 earlier. 



these seeds if dropped and sprouted in hard ground in the garden, where th-ir root 

 room is curtailed by hardness or dryness of the soil, are sometimes found bloomin- 

 when quite young which shows that starving the roots causes earlv maturitv which 

 means earlier blooming. 



Watch out for slugs. They are death on young vegetation, and do their mischief at 

 night. They leave their shining trails in greenhouse and gardens. They will often 

 destroy an entire bed of young plants in a single night, and do the most damage in late 

 winter and spring. They are from a half inch to five and six inches long the small 

 ones are equally mischievous. Set traps of carrots and cabbage leaves, or any succu- 

 lent vegetable, of which they are very fond; look out for them in the earlv mornin°- or 

 at night. To kill them drop them in dry salt or salt and water. 



Seeds of Begonias 



Very few varieties of begonias give seed without being hand fertilized Among the 

 few, Incarnata, Catalina, Smithii, Erfordia, and the semperfiorens types. The latter seed 

 abundantly and are easily grown from seed; blooming with their second or third 

 leaves. 



Hanging Baskets 



We make a specialty of pretty hanging baskets from $1.25 my to $4 or $5. Amorr 

 the most useful of these is Asparagus Sprengeri. which has more power of endur; 

 than almost any other basket plant. We have baskets of ferns, bego 

 plants, and can ship them in good condition. 



