no 



MONEY IN THE GARDEN FOR BOY AND GIRL WORKERS. 



do the domesticated cat of our households. On the 

 contrary, for the preservation of the animal its 

 keepers supply so far as possible the food and treat- 

 ment of its natural habitat. True, the progeny 

 may in course of time be brought to the content- 

 ment of our domesticated animals, and thrive under 

 similar care, as will plants under the influences of 

 propagation and hydrization. 



A good gardener will become familiar with any 

 contemplated work before it is begun, so we will 

 commence our task of seed sowing on paper before 

 it is time to begin operations in the garden. Last 

 month we told you how to make and prepare the 

 hot-beds. We learned that the prime object of the 

 hot-bed was to form a place where seed might be 

 germinated and plants raised long before the weath- 

 er would admit of the seed being put in the open 

 ground. The proper soil is most important, espe- 

 cially in growing from seed. While most plants v\ hen 

 large enough to transplant into the open ground 

 will do well in ordinary garden soil, either mod- 

 erately light or heavy, the soil in which the seed is 

 sown, either in the greenhouse, hot-bed or window, 

 should be light. Many beginners have bitterly 

 complained of poor seed, when as a matter of fact 

 they had so covered the seed with heavy soil that 

 it was utterly impossible for the tender seed shoot 

 to push through it and show its head above ground. 

 After expending its vitality in a vain effort to come 

 through the soil it " died back " and was lost. Of 

 course it is fully understood that all seeds do not 

 germinate, and that many times we are liable to ob- 

 tain worthless seeds. With the best of soil and all 

 the advantages which a greenhouse gives, we have 

 had quantities of seed that failed to germinate. For 

 use in planting seed, and especially under glass, we 

 have found that a soil composed of sod, manure, 

 loam and light sand thrown into a heap and turned 

 over and over several times during the year was the 

 best obtainable, but as every one cannot prepare 

 such a soil they must do the best they can with that 

 at command. Soggy or clayey soil should not be 

 used for seed-growing under any circumstances. 

 Produce soil as light as possible, and if it is inclined 

 to be heavy, mix sufficient sand with it to obtain the 

 desired lightness. 



It will be found a good plan to secure as an ad- 

 junct to the hot-beds, the kitchen windows which 

 we spoke of last month, for there are many plants 

 we may raise from seed, in the window, before it is 

 desirable to begin operation with the hot-beds. 



Oftentimes small pots are used in which to start 

 seeds, but we do not consider them so desirable as 

 shallow boxes. Such boxes may be easily made by 



cutting soap-boxes in half; or, if but few seeds are 

 to be raised, shallow cigar-boxes will answer the 

 purpose nicely. 



We must now consider whether we want to raise 

 more largely of flowering plants than of vegetables, 

 and this must be determined by the wants of the 

 people who are to be our customers. If the people 

 in the neighborhood are in the habit of buying 

 plants in the spring for summer blooming, of course 

 you want to supply the demand. The business 

 talent of our young gardeners will show in these 

 things, for all business is governed by the law of 

 supply and demand. We can easily see that it 

 would be folly to spend our time and money raising 

 vegetable plants to the exclusion of all else, when 

 the demand was almost entirely for flowering plants. 

 Bearing this in mind we must go deeper into de- 

 tails and, so far as possible, supply the particular 

 kinds for which there .is the greatest demand. This 

 is rather difficult to do at first, and indeed at any 

 time, for the plant and tree purchasing public are 

 capricious. Last year perhaps they may have 

 bought in one section almost entirely of petunias, 

 in another nearly all of verbenas. The coming sea- 

 son it is quite likely that they may want neither of 

 these species, but demand phloxes and asters. The 

 only way out of the difficulty is to grow and have 

 for sale a good stock of the standard kinds, and, if 

 you should secure a strain of some plant unusually 

 nice, say Phlox Drtunmondi, in a locality where it is 

 not generally known, you may by judicious talk in- 

 duce each of your customers to try a few plants of 

 that kind. 



Returning to our shallow boxes for the window, 

 they should be filled to within a half inch of the top 

 with the soil prepared as directed, and this soil 

 firmed down. In sowing the seed the depth of cov- 

 ering depends on the size of the seed. A good 

 general rule is to cover the seed about its own 

 depth. The beginner would perhaps do best if 

 guided by the directions printed on the seed pack- 

 ets. After the seed is sown the soil in the box 

 must be kept moist at all times ; if allowed to get 

 dry there is great danger of the seed being made 

 worthless. Panes of glass laid over the box will 

 assist in retammg moisture and in germination. 



When the young plants have grown so that the 

 first leaves are good and strong, the plant will then 

 be an inch to two inches high, and should be trans- 

 planted in light soft soil to pots or to other shallow 

 boxes, as preferred. These pots or boxes may be 

 set in one of the hot-beds, where if given proper 

 attention they will thrive nicely. 



This proper attoition consists mainly of the 



