336 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
hawthorns, hollies, loniceras, pyrus and other fruiting 
varieties, should be stratified in dry sand if not sown in 
late fall outdoors or in the greenhouse ; if outdoors they 
must be mulched. Freezing undoubtedly advances the 
time of germination of many seeds, but seed beds and 
pans will in many cases requn-e to be kept a second sea- 
son, as a large number will not start the first year. The 
longer seeds of this kind are kept in a dry state, the 
slower they will be in starting. 
On the other hand, many deciduous shrubs like bud- 
dleias, lilacs, deutzias, spiraeas and viburnums come very 
readily from seeds. Shallow flats or pans containing 
sandy loam seem adaptable to about all tree and shrub 
seeds except the members of the ericaceae family, which 
prefer a peaty soil. Elms, maples and lindens all come 
easily from seeds which can be sown either in fall or 
spring. There are some slow and fussy subjects 
amongst trees and shrubs just as there are amongst 
other plants. It would take too long to mention each 
specifically; as a general rule trees and shrubs- are not 
much more difficult to raise from seeds than are annuals 
and perennials. Clematis paniculata is better sown as 
soon as ripe, the seeds will then appear in abundance the 
following summer; if not sown until spring a large pro- 
portion will not appear until the second season. 
Lawn seeding is too often improperly done; it should 
be preceded, in the case of new lawns by very careful 
preparation of the soil, frequent raking being necessary 
to make a perfect seed bed. The seed being very light, a 
calm day should be selected for seeding. A common 
mistake made is in sowing too thickly. Heavily seeded 
lawns may look well at first and give a good immediate 
effect, but the individual plants being so terribly crowded 
lack vigor, and it is not by any means unusual during 
spells of hot, moist and dark weather to find rot setting 
in, this will not occur when seed is sown more thinly. 
As a general rule 40-50 pounds of lawn seed should 
suffice for an acre, but as quality is very variable this may 
sometimes prove insufficient. The best all-around grass 
for our New England lawns is Kentucky blue grass, to 
which should be added some red top and Rhode Island 
bent, and where clover is liked add a little white clover. 
The best time to do seeding is from mid-August to mid- 
September ; the next best period is from April 10 to 
May 15. To seed a lawn properly seed should be sown 
both lengthwise and crosswise ; there are then unlikely 
to be any bare patches. A thorough raking and rolling 
must follow seedings and this rolling can be advantage- 
ously be done several times through the season. In 
seeding bare patches on well established lawns, first 
scratch the spaces to be seeded and next mix some fine 
loam with grass seed and scatter over said bare spots. 
This is better than scattering the seed over the vacant 
patches and giving these a scratch with an iron rake. 
For permanent pastures August is far the best month 
to do seeding ; spring seeding is usually more or less 
of a failure. 
A point worth emphasizing is that seedlings of many 
garden plants possess much greater vigor and are more 
disease proof than the same varieties raised from cut- 
tings. Hollyhocks and verbenas were some years ago 
decimated by disease and their very extinction even was 
threatened owing to their persistent propagation from 
cuttings over a long term of years. Since seedlings were 
raised nearly all this debility has passed ; the same is 
true of cinerarias. Of late years antirrhinums have 
advanced tremendously in popularity both as an indoor 
and outdoor plant. Under glass it has been clearly 
proven that seedlings are more vigorous, more florif- 
erous, and vastly more disease resistant than plants 
raised from cuttings. Amongst vegetables there is 
simply no comparison in the vigor of tomatoes and cu- 
cumbers propagated from cuttings as compared with 
seedlings. Cuttings we know will always be necessary 
to secure fixed types of many plants, but seeds are and 
will be the principal means whereby plants of the ma- 
jority of garden plants are to be propagated and per- 
petuated. 
I must admit that I have omitted mention of a whole 
host of plants which can be raised from seeds, but this 
lecture has its limitations and I would not like to try 
the patience of my audience too much. To those about 
to purchase seeds I would say, secure the best, as they 
prove to be the cheapest in the end. Do not trust too 
much to free seeds from Washington ; a large percentage 
of these are old and inferior varieties. Free seed dis- 
t.':ibution would be a decided benefit if small sample 
packets of ne"w, choice, and really desirable varieties were 
sent out to be'tested; but as at present carried out, free 
seed distribution has little to recotnmend it, apart from 
benefits which may accrue to centain congressmen and 
their coiistituents, and the practice has for years been 
condemned by practically all horticultural and agricul- 
tural i)eriodicals and bodies in America. 
For past improvements in garden plants we owe debts 
of gratitude to many untiring specialists, and their con- 
tinued efforts will still further benefit us. Finality is 
unattainable in the plant world and this adds a wondrous 
charm to horticulture. Novelties we are getting year 
by year are ever welcome and should always be given 
a fair trial. Do not condemn novelties after one sea- 
son's test ; frequently a second year may greatly improve 
them. We nuist continue to depend for our supplies on 
tried and tested varieties which experience has taught us 
will succeed best in our special soils and gardens. By 
growing good varieties, growing them as well as we 
can, and adding novelties as they appear, we will have 
not only good produce in abtmdance but our gardens will 
year bv year furnish new points to attract and enthuse us. 
THINGS AND THOUGHTS OF THE GARDEN 
{Continued from page 328.) 
proposition to supply them. The hint may be thrown out 
that publishers are always willing to talk over or discuss 
book propositions, and if any reader of the G.xrdenres' 
Chkon'icle feels he can supply a want now existing in the 
world of horticultural books, he had better get busy and 
make his ideas known in the proper quarters. 
* * * 
Lately, at the estate of Mrs. McK. Twombley (Supt. 
R. Tyson), Madison, N. J., the new Japanese vegetable 
LMo ( .Vralia cordata), was seen growing luxuriantly in 
a prominent position in the flower garden, near one of 
the greenhouses. It struck the writer as being particu- 
larly handsome, and as its young shoots can also be 
blanched and used as a vegetable, it is a plant that cer- 
tainly deserves attention. The United States Department 
of .\griculture published an illustrated bulletin. No. 84 
(1914). dealing with this plant, and if copies can still 
he had it should be consulted. 
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 
ANNUAL CONVENTION 
Chicago, 111., 
December 4-5-6, 1917 
