38 dreer's garden calendar. 



Directions for the Sowing and Management of Flower Seeds. 



Provided the soil is in a proper state, flower seeds may be sown 

 in the open border, in the months of April and May ; the best cri- 

 terion is the state of the soil. The seeds should be sown as soon 

 as the soil becomes dry and friable, after the spring frosts have 

 disappeared. Care should be taken not to sow in a crowded bor- 

 der, as light and air are indispensable. They may also be sown 

 in prepared beds, to be transplanted to the garden. The former 

 is the more simple method, but not always satisfactory, as, during 

 the interval between the sowing of the seed and the period of 

 blooming, the ground occupied is not attractive. The most satis^ 

 factory way is to sow all line seeds under glass, in a frame, or in 

 the house, as the changes of climate, heavy rains and drying winds, 

 with hot sun, render the surface of the soil unfit for the germina- 

 ticn of small seed. As to the depth to which seeds should be 

 covered, the best general rule is to cover fine and light seeds very 

 lightly, just enough to protect them from th« sun ; and in ex- 

 tremely dry weather, a sprinkling of damp moss is very useful. 

 With very fine seeds it is best to sow on 'the surface, and press 

 them slightly into the soil. We are convinced that one of the 

 most frequent causes of failure is in sowing the seeds too deep, 

 and seedsmen are anjustly censured, when the fault lies alto- 

 gether in the bad management of the cultivator. 



The period of sowing has also much to do with the success or 

 failure — as a rule, we find the winter months, even with all the 

 appliances a skilful gardener can give, the most unsatisfactory. 

 A notable instance of which came under our own observation re- 

 cently. Being desirous of raising a stock of plants of the Wigan 

 dia Caracasana during the winter for our spring sales, we made 

 repeated sowings, but failed in every instance ; the same seed 

 sown in mid-summer produced a plentiful crop of plants. 



For sowing in pots, or seed pans, the best soil is a mixture of 

 equal parts of sand, leaf-mould, and loam, which should be 

 thoroughly mixed and passed through a coarse sieve ; then fill 

 your pots or pans within one-half inch of the rim ; press the 

 soil firmly and evenly. If the soil is dry it is best to water 

 freely before sowing the seeds, and after they are sown and cov- 

 ered slightly with fine soil, again^ carefully watered, to settle the 

 soil down to a uniform surface, using a fine rose on the watering 

 pot. 



The importance of uniform attention to watering may be best 

 learned by experience and observation, but the inexperienced cul- 

 tivator may be reminded that to omit a single watering and allow 

 the young plant-germs from seed to remain in a parched state; 

 or a too frequent indiscriminate watering, often leads to the event- 

 ual loss of the whole. As soon as the plants appear, they will re- 

 quire your careful attention, as the least over-watering may cause 

 them to "damp ofi"," and suddenly destroy all your hopes. They 

 should now have as much sun as possible, and when the weather 

 is pleasant, some air may be admitted. As soon as the plants are 

 large enough to handle, pick them out of the seed-pot ; in other 

 words, transplant them into another pot, placing them about one 



