198 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
how thoroughly the contents of the jar may be sterihzed, 
if the rubber rings and tops are not appHed until the 
end of the operation, germs from the air may be intro- 
duced which will render all the work done useless. 
By the method above described, practically all veget- 
ables grown in the garden may be preserved indefinitely. 
Peas, beans, beets, okra, squash, tomatoes, asparagus and 
corn will all retain their chacteristic flavor, and if the 
jars are kept in the dark there will be but little loss of 
color. If failure results, it will be due to a disregard of 
the directions given relative to the time of exposure to 
steam, or the number of sterilizations, or carelessness in 
finally sealing the jars. The term "jar" has been used 
throughout this article because glass containers are more 
easily cleaned and sealed, but with proper precautions the 
ordinary tin can may be used as well. Of course, the tin 
top should be on the can from the first. The type of jar 
with spring attachment instead of screw top has the ad- 
vantage that after the final sterilization and cooling, be- 
fore the jar is put away for the winter, the results of the 
treatment may be tested. After standing for two or 
three days, if the spring be released and the jar carefully 
picked up by the lid. the top will come off if sterilization 
has been incomplete. Bacteria within will have produced 
sufficient gas and consequent pressure to overcome the 
partial vacuum produced by the heating. In such cases 
it will probably be sufficient to sterilize once more, al- 
though in some cases if the directions given have been 
seriously neglected, so that the contents have obviously 
fermented, time will be saved by throwing away the con- 
tents and trying again. 
The length of time for each steaming, namely, one 
hour, is designed for pint or cjuart jars only. Jars of 
larger capacity, because of the greater time necessary for 
the steam to thoroughly penetrate its contents, will re- 
quire more time — approximately double the time for a 
two-quart jar and four times as long for a gallon jar. 
It is hoped that this brief statement as to the funda- 
mental principles involved in the preservation of vege- 
tables, together with the simple means of accomplishing 
the desired result, will enable those having surplus prod- 
ucts from their gardens to make the best possible use of 
them. While the three sterilizations may seem a needless 
repetition, wide experience has demonstrated that it is the 
only method of insuring perfect keeping vmless an expen- 
sive api^aratus for applying steam under pressure can be 
resorted to. The extra time and labor involved will more 
than offset the loss which is almost certain to occur if less 
thorough methods are used. — From Missouri Botanical 
Garden Bulletin. 
Success in Seed Sowing 
T 
HE amateur who possesses only a cold frame, or 
possibly an unheated greenhouse, for the raising 
of seedlings is often discouraged. It may be that 
in former years failure has courted all his efforts, and 
instead of having a good supply of vegetable seedlings for 
planting out, the majority of his plants have never got 
beyond the seedling stage. That a little artificial heat is 
a great aid in the raising of such kitchen garden crops as 
tomatoes, no one will deny. Yet it is by no means in- 
dispensable. Indeed, seedlings raised in a cold frame 
or greenhouse by amateurs are usually more sturdy and 
better in every respect than those raised by inexperienced 
cultivators in artificially heated structures. 
The receptacles in which the seed is to be sown need to 
be selected with some care. Boxes or pans three inches 
or rather more in depth are preferred by many ; but wheie 
only a little seed of a kind is needed, an ordinary flower 
pot, five or six inches in diameter at the top, answers 
well, and does not take up a lot of room. \Miatever is 
used nuist be scrupulously clean and have ample outlet at 
the bottom for waste water ; stagnant moisture in the soil 
kills more seedlings under cool conditions than anything 
else. The boxes ought to have holes three-quarters of 
an inch or one inch in diameter in their bottoms, five 
holes not being too much for a box measuring 15 inches 
by 12 inches. Over these holes a layer of broken pots, or 
crocks as they are termed, must be placed, then some 
rough fibrous material, and, finally, the fine, sifted soil. 
For the majority of the seedlings that the average be- 
ginner is likely to want to raise, the following mixture 
will answer well : Good turfy loam, well chopped and 
passed through a one-inch meshed sieve, two parts ; leaf- 
soil, well decayed and sifted through the same sieve, half 
a part : and coarse sand, half a part. Retain the coarse 
material that is left in the sieve for placing over the 
drainage. In some localities it is difficult to procure turfy 
loam, but every endeavor to do so should be made, as 
there is no good substitute. With leaf-soil it is dift'erciu. 
Cocoanut fibre refuse or Hop Manure may well take its 
place. Having placed the drainage and soil in position, 
press the whole down gently. 
If there is one thing more than any other that the be- 
ginner needs warning against, it is thick sowing. No 
matter how often this warning is given, it is seldom fully 
accepted, and thousands of seedlings are wasted every 
spring by too thick sowing. Seeds differ very considci- 
ably in size, and it is not difficult to place the large ones 
separately. Very small seeds are difficult for the begin- 
ner, who may be excused for sowing them too thickly. 
As an aid to the thin sowing of these small seeds, mix 
them with some dry silver sand. This will make a great- 
er bulk and, if the mixing is well done, will ensure a thin 
and even distribution. 
After the seed is sown it must be covered. Here, again, 
there is a great deal of difference to be observed. Thus, 
very small seed will only need pressing into the soil, 
while larger seed will need a quarter of an inch thick 
covering of fine soil. The larger the seed the greater 
the depth of soil for covering is a good general rule to 
follow. Do not press down the covering soil except justt 
to make it level, and it is well to have rather more sand 
in it than is used for the mixture previously advised for 
sowing. 
It is no uncommon occurrence to find choice seed that 
has been carefully sown washed out of the seed-pans or 
boxes during the process of watering, or, if not actually 
washed out, carried all to one side, owing to the recepta- 
cle not standing level. Therefore, stand all seed-pans, 
boxes or pots as level as possible and use a fine rose on 
the watering can. Pots and small pans can be immersed 
nearly to their rims in a bucket of water, allowing the 
liquid to saturate the soil from below upwards. After 
the sowing and watering are completed, keep the frame 
or house fairly close until germination has taken place, 
after which ventilation must be afforded as freely as 
outside conditions will admit. Give water whenever the 
soil is at all dry, but avoid overdoing it. Remember, 
seedlings in an early stage do not want large quantities 
of water ; but, on the other hand, thev must not be al- 
lowed to become dry. — TJie Garden (English). 
