346 Upon raising Coniferous Plants from Seed, 



healthy plants. The seeds were sown in pans filled with Loam 

 only, and were covered nearly half an inch deep ; care was taken 

 that the Loam was pretty dry when the seeds were sown, and little 

 water was given until after they began to vegetate. Wet or damp 

 is very injurious to fresh sown Fir seeds before vegetation com- 

 mences, particularly if, like those I am speaking of, they have re- 

 ceived any injury. 



If Fir seeds are sown late in the autumn, in winter, or early in 

 the spring, the pans or pots should be placed over the flue of the 

 hothouse, or other place, where there is a strong dry heat which is 

 not too violent ; but if they are sown late in the spring, or in 

 summer, they may be placed in a much cooler place ; still great 

 care must be taken that, directly vegetation commences over the hot 

 flue, the seed pans are removed to a much cooler place, where 

 there is plenty of light and air to harden the seedlings by degrees ; 

 water must still be given sparingly, and finally they may be 

 removed to a cold pit, where they can be kept free from frost the 

 first Winter; as damp is particularly prejudicial to them, they 

 should be exposed to the open air every fine day, and when large 

 enough, they may be potted off into small pots ; no Peat should on 

 any account be employed in the mixture in which they are potted, 

 but if the Loam is stiff, a little Sand may be used, not much how- 

 ever, for I find if there is much Sand in the compost the plants 

 become weakly. 



In conclusion the rules I have to recommend for raising Conifer- 

 ous seeds are the following : 



1. Always to sow the seeds directly they are received, whether 

 in midwinter, or midsummer, or any other time of the year. 



2. Always to sow the seeds in pure Loam, not to use the 

 least particle of Peat, and as little Sand as possible. All the seeds 

 experimentally sown in Peat, or any mixture in which it was used, 

 damped off, especially when there was more Peat than Loam used 

 in the mixture. The only chance of saving young plants raised in 



