ON PLANT PROPAGATION. 



945 



an equal portion of dry sand, as the sowing is then more 

 regular. 



The period of sowing varies a great deal, and apart from the 

 time already mentioned, it is also sometimes necessary to sow 

 them according to the season at which the flowers, vegetables, 

 and fruits are Vv^anted — that is to say, when they are grown under 

 artificial conditions. 



Seeds are sown in various ways, mostly depending on their 

 origin, sizes, &c., and the soil or material in which they have to be 

 sown must more or less approximate to that on which they naturally 

 *grow. Many vegetable- and flower-seeds are sown on hot-beds, 

 which must be well drained, and formed of a light mixture of 

 loam, leaf-mould, and sand, carefully sifted so as to remove all 

 stones or big lumps. For tropical or sub-tropical plants seeds 

 may be sown in pans or pots, but boxes may also be used ; these 

 receptacles must be well drained and cleaned. In this instance 

 the soil must be lighter and more sandy, and the seedlings 

 must be kept in warm propagating frames. In the case of Fern 

 spores it is advisable to neutralise the soil intended to receive 

 them. This neutralisation, or sterilisation, is easily effected by 

 burning the loam or compost, and no foreign matters can in this 

 case have any effect on the young plants. This method may 

 also be applied to a multitude of fine seeds, which will require, 

 as soon as they have germinated, to be pricked off ; e.g.^ many of 

 the Begonias and the Gesneracece. The seeds of several hardy 

 plants or trees are sown quite naturally, as is the case with 

 many soft-wooded plants and numerous outdoor trees. Aquatic 

 seeds should be sown in the usual manner in pots or pans, 

 but they require to be submerged in water. This matter is, 

 however, fully gone into in the chapter devoted to those 

 plants. 



Seedlings in Pans or Boxes. — Seeds sown in pans or boxes 

 are those which are required to be removed from place to place ; 

 it is therefore preferable that the pans or boxes be all of the 

 same dimensions — ^square or rectangular — so as to prevent loss of 

 space. The depth of these receptacles varies : deep ones are 

 generally used for big strong-rooting plants, and shallow ones for 

 little seedlings, which soon have to be pricked off or trans- 

 planted. These receptacles must be well drained, so that no 

 excess of water is allowed. The compost employed ought to be 

 suitable to the kind of seeds sown. 



Seedlings in Pots. — This method of sowing is particularly 

 employed for large seeds, like those of many Palms, which 

 are too big to be sown in pans, or which suffer a great deal 

 when transplanted — Cocos nucifera^ for example. The pots are 

 placed on hot-beds, and as soon as the seeds germinate 

 they may be potted up if required. Such big seeds are often 



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