300 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
is an old axiom which says that in order to have seeds 
germinate well they should be covered with twice their 
own diameter of soil. This is hardly correct. It is true 
that the majority of seeds might germinate well if 
treated thus, but in the case of outdoor crops much de- 
pends on the time of year seeds are sown. For instance 
^taking vegetables first — garden peas when sown very 
early should not be covered more than I-Zyi inches, 
successional sowings should go an inch deeper, and late 
sowings, made from Alay 20 to June 15, from 4J/S to 5 
inches deep. When the soil is very dry it materially 
hastens germination to run a watering can along the 
drills and dampen the seeds well; this is preferable to 
soaking the seeds over night. The latter plan, good in 
many ways, has some drawbacks. There is always 
danger of soaking rains rendering the soil unfit for seed 
sowing at the time the peas should go in. A point worth 
remembering about peas is, that they are the most 
nutritious of any vegetables; they extract a great deal 
of nourishment from the soil and for that reason they 
should, if possible, be given a piece of ground well 
manured for some crop like celery the year previously. 
If the fertilizing element is placed too near the seeds the 
plants do not root freely, hence the desirability of keep- 
ing it some distance away, incorporating it well with 
the soil, and thus make the roots more active. Peas are 
the most important pecuniarily of all garden vegetables, 
seed sales of them exceed that of the three next most 
important vegetables combined. 
Root crops such as carrots, beets, parsnips, salsify, 
turnips and scorzonera should be sown on land on which 
no fresh manure has been used, if clean roots are de- 
sired; ground well manured the previous year will suit 
them to a nicety. Carrots and turnips are easily sown 
too thickly ; this entails a lot of additional work at thin- 
ning time. For the later sowings be sure to firm the 
soil well if the ground is very dry. It is not unusual 
in a dry season for seeds of root crops to lie dormant 
for a number of weeks. If seeds of the various root 
crops are covered an average of one inch it will be found 
about right. 
Hot-beds or cold frames are invaluable for startmg 
many vegetable and flower seeds in; even a very small 
garden should contain one. It is best to excavate it to 
a depth of 12-18 inches, place warm manure mixed with 
leaves in this, watering it if at all dry, and then thor- 
oughly tramping it ; over this place 4 inches of soil con- 
sisting preferably of loam and very old, well-rotted and 
pulverized manure, use some leaf mold if soil is at all 
heavy, screen at least the upper half of the soil, draw 
shallow drills and in them sow seeds, very lightly cover, 
of earlv cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, tomato, egg plant, 
celery and pepper. It is well to remember that seeds 
sown in cold frames, or in flats or pans in a greenhouse, 
need much lighter covering than the same varieties of 
seeds sown outdoors. 
Do not sow vegetables or flower seeds broadcast in 
the frames, nor outdoors; if in drills it is possible to 
cultivate between them, also weed and thin thern ; for 
seeds of slow germination broadcasting is permissible, 
but it is a slovenly system for outdoor crops which make 
quick growth and will yield at best but half a crop. It 
is a system which can safely be commended to the lazy 
man who would be satisfied with a fraction of a crop. 
If birds or rodents trouble peas, beans, squash, sweet 
corn and other crops, roll the seeds in a mixture of coal 
tar and lime before sowing, one taste usually suffices 
for either feathered or furry foes. The coating of tar 
and lime will not afifect the germinating qualities of the 
seeds treated. Mice are sometimes very troublesome 
where lettuce, tomato, endive and other small vegetable 
seeds are started under glass ; traps and ceats are useful, 
but a little white arsenic mixed in toasted cornflakes 
which have been slightly moistened acts even more 
effectively. 
Success with onions is more certain if the same ground 
is used for them each year, and if it is thoroughly firmed 
before drills are drawn at all. In choosing a seed l;ed 
for cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and savoys 
be sure to select one which is free from club root, or 
better not sow at all ; this disease annually destroys many 
of the Brassicas and its presence shows an over acid 
condition of the soil, which a liberal dressing of lime in 
the fall will help to remedy. Always sow seeds of this 
class of vegetables thinly in the drills ; if not you must 
thin while small or plants will be pure weaklings. Re- 
member that leafy crops such an spinach, Swiss chard, 
lettuce, endive and rhubarb should have a soil rich in 
nitrogen, the best form of which is good barnyard ma- 
nure, and that fruiting varieties such as tomatoes, egg 
plants and peppers like considerable potash in the soil. 
If you like sweet corn sow an early batch an inch deep 
about April 20. later sowings two inches deep, and as 
late as July 4 for an average season. No garden can be 
called complete without its patch of herbs ; sow any of 
these from May 1 to 15; cover such fine seeds as thyme 
and sweet marjoram very sparingly ; summer savory, 
dill, fennel, sweet basil, lavender, borage and other sorts 
can be covered one inch. 
I have only touched on some vegetables, but must now 
turn to flowers ; these on the whole need much more 
careful covering than vegetables. Of the better known 
and hardier annuals, quite a number are better started 
in a hot-bed or greenhouse ; this includes such popular 
subjects as asters, stocks, salpiglossis, salvias, zinnias, 
marigolds, nemesias, verbenas, petunias, vincas, lobelias, 
phlox drummondi, snapdragons and balsams. The ma- 
jority of these may also be started outdoors, but it is 
much more satisfactory to start under glass. Petunias 
and lobelias have very small seeds and should be sown 
in pans which should be well drained, some moss placed 
over the drainage, a little coarse soil over fhis, and the 
balance should consist of equal parts loam and leaf mold 
with a good dash of sand through it; this should be 
passed through a fine screen, then pressed firmly in the 
pans with a piece of board, watered with a watering pot 
with a fine rose, dusted with sand, and the fine seeds 
scattered over this. Take a pinch of seed between the 
forefinger and thumb and distribute it as evenly as pos- 
sible over the surface and do not cover the seed at all. 
To prevent seed washing to the side of the pans cut a 
piece of tissue paper and lay over the surface of the pans 
and water over this ; it helps to prevent drying of the 
soil and stops seed washing ; it decays and allows seed- 
lings to push through it readily. This plan is not neces- 
sary where experts are sowing and caring for seeds, but 
it will prove useful to amateurs sowing such small seeds 
as petunias, lobelias, begonias, gloxinias, mimulus, etc. 
Such well known annuals as bachelor's buttons, mig- 
nonette, candytuft, lupines, poppy, sweet alyssum and 
godetias can be sown as soon as frost has left the ground 
and it has dried sufficiently to be workable. Sweet peas 
cannot be sown too early after frost has gone ; the roots 
will go well down into the cool, moist earth before the 
growths appear : cover two inches deep, but never hill 
up, as too many catalogues and magazine writers recom- 
mend, or you will regret it. 
Sow that splendid aniutal hunnemannia or Mexican 
poppy about May 10, which is also a safe date to sow 
salpiglossis. one of our most beautiful annuals, and 
others which are more or less tender. Such annuals as 
scabious, brachycomes, gypsophila, sweet sultan, clarkia. 
