234 
Garden Work 
best of our showy summer -flowering greenhouse plants, 
are very easily raised from seed. From a small packet 
of mixed seed a great many plants may be raised of 
varying shades of colour. The seed should be sown 
early in March in a pot or pan well drained and filled 
to within i in. of the top with a compost of 2 parts sifted 
loam, 1 part of leaf mould, and a good sprinkling of sand. 
The surface should be made level, then watered, and 
allowed to drain, when the seed should be sown thinly 
(it is very small and requires careful sowing) and covered 
slightly with about -§■ in. of the fine soil. The pot or 
pan may then be placed in a slight bottom heat and 
shaded to prevent evaporation. When the seedlings 
appear, the pot or pan may be placed on a shelf near 
the glass to ensure sturdy plants being formed. As soon 
as they are large enough to handle they should be pricked 
out into boxes 1^ in. apart, or they may be potted singly 
into 60s pots, using the same compost as for seedlings. 
The loam in this case need not be sifted. The boxes 
or pots should then be placed on a shelf near the glass, 
again watering carefully. Any flowers which appear early 
should be nipped out. When these pots are filled with 
roots the plants should be moved into 5- or 6-inch pots, 
in which they may flower, using for their potting 4 parts 
of good fibrous loam, 1 part of leaf mould, 1 part decayed 
manure, and ^ part of sand. The pots should be well 
drained and f in. should be left at the top of the pot 
to ensure the plants being thoroughly watered when 
given. These plants require plenty of light, but they 
should be shaded from the direct rays of the sun. If 
space in the greenhouse is limited, many of the seedlings 
