of Plants by Setds. 



Extract from " Practical Floriculture," oy Peter Henderson. 



t, 



^j HE propagation of plants, of all kinds, by seeds, is a matter in which instructions can only to a eer- 

 ily tain extent he given. Long experience only can give the necessary knowledge for the full under- 

 | standing of the proper temperature aud humidity essential for the successful germination of the 

 different varieties. It may he laid down as a safe rule, however, that for the hardier varieties, a low 

 medium temperature is required, say from 45° to 60°, and for the tender species, a temperature from 75° 

 To 90°. 



If Pansy seed is sown in July or August, where the temperature in the shade averages 80°, no matter 

 how moist the soil is kept, if germination takes place at all it will he of so feeble a kind that the seedlings 

 will not continue a healthy existence; but if the same seed were sown in September or October, with an 

 average temperature of say 60° in the shade, a quick and healthy germination would be the result. The 

 same rule applies to Cinerarias, Calceolarias, Auriculas, Primulas, and all other plants of this half-hardy 

 nature. English, Scotch, and Irish gardeners, before they have had time for experience in this country, 

 are apt to fall into the common error of sowing all these seeds too soon. Though it is proper to sow these 

 seeds in July and August in England, with ns, in this section, it must be delayed to September or October, 

 and in warm latitudes still later, or failure is almost certain to follow. On the other hand, if we attempt 

 to germinate Portulacas, Balsams, Amaranths, Zinnias, or other plants of tropical origin, in the medium 

 temperature of 50°, they will either remain dormant nntil a higher temperature occurs, or perish. Ignor- 

 ance of, or inattention to, these conditions, is far of tener the cause of failure than want of vitality in seeds. 



Whether seeds are sown in the open border, in the window-garden of the parlor, in the hot-bed, or 

 green-house, the same conditions should be followed, as far as practicable. In the open border there is 

 not always a choice of soil, but if soil is to be prepared, let it be of a light nature; leaf mould from the 

 woods, and well pulverized muck from the swamps, are excellent to gift on as a covering; or, where it is 

 obtainable, the mould formed by decayed refuse hops is of great value as a covering for seeds. "We have 

 employed this exclusively as a covering for seeds of all kinds for many years, with results which have been 

 vastly superior to those we had when we did not nse it. 



It must be borne in mind, that at first seeds do not so much need a fertile soil as they do one having 

 the necessary mechanical condition; this is fonnd exactly in the light, moisture-retaining nature of hop- 

 mould. We can give no better rule than the old one of covering seeds to about their own depth with 

 mould, although something depends on the weight of the material with which they are covered. One- 

 fourth of an inch in depth of hop-mould or leaf -mould would be no more than equivalent to half that depth 

 of ordinary loam; hence the advantage in using it, as it gives the seed a moist, springy covering, through 

 which the tiny germ can freely push. 



We know it is a practice very common with amateurs, and many gardeners, when starting seeds in hot- 

 bed or green-house, to use flower-pots in their operations; they are generally two-thirds filled with pot- 

 sherds, overlaying which is an inch or two of soil, and on this the seed is sown. Any continuation of dry 

 weather necessitates almost daily watering of th 3 flower-pots; this bakes or hardens the surface, while a 

 day's inattention to them drys the soil, while it is in this condition, so as to injure the vitality of the seeds; 

 hence very unsatisfactory results follow this practice too often. 



For many years we have entirely discarded the use of earthen flower-pots or pans for the purpose of 

 sowing seeds, and use shallow boxes instead. These we prepare by cutting the common-sized soap-box 

 in throe pieces, each one of a depth of about two inches. These boxes are filled with the prepared soil to 

 the depth of V/ % inches, which is gently and evenly pressed, so as to give an entirely level surface; the seeds 

 are then sown, and a light covering, from iV to % part of an inch thick, according to size or strength of 

 seed, is sifted over them, through a sieve having a mesh only ~i L o part of an inch in diameter. The cover- 

 ing is gently pressed, to prevent the air penetrating the loose soil and drying up the seeds; watering, which 

 it is well to avoid as much as possible, is thus rendered less necessary. Be careful, however, not to let 

 them suffer for moisture, as in the weak condition of seedlings most plants are quickly injured by neglect 

 of this kind, and, even with all possible care, we experience serious losses. Many varieties will " damp 

 off," as we term it, just as the first rough leaves are being formed; this, however, is not the result of 

 excessive moisture, as it occurs just as quickly in a dry temperature as a moist one. It is evidently caused 

 by the same insiduous spider-web-like substance that is known among gardeners as the "fungus of the 

 cutting bench,'' and is evidently one of the minute fungi of which we have so many representatives. The 

 best preventive of this disease, as it is sometimes called, is, just as soon as the seedling plants can he 

 handled, to take them from the seed-boxes, and prick them out in boxes of similar mould, from y 2 to 2 

 inches apart, according to the variety. This is a much better method than potting them off in flower-pots, 

 as it not only saves time and room, but they always do better. In the flower-pots they are liable to be 

 dried up, and the tender roots of the seedling plant thereby guickly destroyed. 



