28 
Garden Work 
Therefore, when seeds are sown, the soil should be in 
a proper condition to receive them, so as to ensure a 
free supply of air. Every living thing requires water, 
therefore seeds require water, but at first only a limited 
quantity, as it is only wanted to soften the skin and set 
in motion the substances which change into food for the 
young plant. If too great a supply is given, the air is 
excluded and suffocation takes place. Then, again, the 
seeds of all cultivated plants require a certain amount of 
warmth. For the ordinary outdoor garden crops there is 
usually sufficient heat in the ground itself in spring, early 
summer, or autumn to ensure germination. 
We now see that there are three necessary conditions 
for the germination of our seeds, viz. warmth, air, and 
moisture, and that should be an excellent guide to us as 
to when and how to sow our seeds. We must sow them 
when there is sufficient heat in the soil to allow them to 
germinate and to keep them growing. The hardier ones, 
such as peas, beans, and parsnips, may be sown in Feb- 
ruary or March, while the less hardy ones, such as onions, 
turnips, cabbages, savoys, &c., should not be sown until 
March. The tender seeds, such as carrots, beet, cauli- 
flowers, and most annual flowers, should be left until April. 
There is then sufficient heat in the atmosphere to keep the 
plants growing when they have come up. About this time, 
also, the superfluous water from the winter rains has either 
drained away or been evaporated from the soil. The 
spaces between the particles of soil are then partly filled 
with moisture, and partly with air, thus ensuring a plentiful 
supply of air as well as a sufficiency of moisture for the 
needs of the germinating seeds. When about to sow seeds 
