Directions fer Shed Sowing — 
‘Phe first requisite for seed beds and boxes is. preparation of the soil, which Sata 
be mellow and friable, a mixture of loam, sand and thoroughly rotted manure or leaf 
-Mnould. Annuals such as Eschscholtzias, Poppies,’ Mignonetie,’ ‘Centaureas, Candytutft, 
Calliopsis, Zinnias; -Marigolds, etc,, should be planted where they are to. grow, and 
thinned out when two or three inches high, so each plant may have room ‘to develop. 
Cosmos can be planted the same way and transplanted if too thick. 
Petunias, Pansies, Stocks, Asters, Carnations, Dianthus; Daisies, Browatts: Dahilias, 
Geraniums, Heliotrope and many. others are best sown in. carefully prepared . seed beds 
or cold frames, and transplanted when two or three inches high, Choose the afternoon — 
of a cool day; have the soil moist and- mellow, so that it crumbles fine in the hand. Do i ; 
not allow the air to dry out the fine roots, cover them with paper or cloth, as a moment 
or two of exposure may cause loss. See that the soil comes in between the roots,—use_ 
the fingers for this, do not pack them down all together. It is most important that the © 
soi] should be pressed down firmly after setting. out, so as, to hold the Seong ey. in the — 
ground, and also to keep out sun and air, 
Water carefully and deep, and when the eround settles, dee) earth over. the : 
wet ground to prevent soil from packing. The next day examine the condition of plants. 
and if necessary press the soil down firmly with the toe, as evaporation often leaves ‘it 
loose and porous. These directions apply to setting out any plants, large or small. 
In California, late autumn and early winter are most favorable for’ sowing Pansies, 
Poppies, Nasturtiums, Eschscholtzias, Stocks, and most perennials, as they love the cool | 
_ weather for developing their. roots, though they may be planted at intervals, most of the 
year and brought on in. succession, The most unfavorable oiea is Ju “August | and 
September. 
Sweet peas en all large needs: should be sown ie or thr ee inches deep, ote daeaa seo 
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 plants are well up. 
Fine seeds, like begonias and greenhouse plants; can be sown in cigar boxes with ~ 
holes in the bottom, which cover with gravel, or broken. pots. for drainage. Cover with — 
soil carefully prepared, press down level, and sow seeds on surface, sift 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 
shade: transplant when second or third leaves appear where plants are to grow. Shade. 
till well established, 
.. Petunia seed, though ‘ fine, does much better if grown in seed beds in a sheltered 
place in the garden; they require the lightest covering possible and thé watering must 
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. 3 
If the seeds of vines such as Ipomea “Heavenly Blue” and Mina Lobata, are Hawes i 
in 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 blooms’ season 
earlier. 
: These seeds if adetnned ana aruitcd in hand ground in the garden, “where their root 
room is curtailed by hardness or dryness of the soil, are sometimes found blooming 
when quite young which shows that starving the roots causes early geist which 
means earlier blooming. ; 
Watch out for slugs: They are death on young: La oe and do inate mischiee 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 sucecu- z 
lent vegetable, of which they are very fond; look out for them in the early morning: oF 
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 semperflorens types. The latter seed 
abundantly and are easily stove from seed; blooming with sae second or third 
leaves. 
| Hangin Baskets 
We make a specialty of pretty hanging baskets from $1.25 up to $2. 311 Among 
the most useful of these is Asparagus Sprengeri, which has more power of endurance 
than almost any other basket -plant. We have baskets of ferns, heeontas and assorted 
plants, and can ship them in good condition. es 
