46 
THE LADIES’ MAGAZINE OF GARDENING. 
bottom of the pot, or if the pot be moist, the new earth put in will not 
turn out in a solid mass when the plants q-re to be shifted, but the ball 
will be broken, and the tender roots of the young plants torn and seriously 
injured. The seed-pots should be 48’s (that is, pots made 48 to the cast, 
which are 3 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep), as if large pots are 
used, however well they may be drained, they will hold too much moisture 
for delicate seeds, or indeed for any imported seeds, as they are very 
seldom in a vigorous state. More seeds are lost by being sown in large 
pots than most persons are aware of. 
The best soil for the seeds to be sown in, is a fresh sandy loam, with a 
little peat earth mixed with it; but if this soil cannot be readily procured, 
any kind of loam or clay not too stiff may be used, mixed with sand. 
The clay should be broken rather small, and mixed with a good deal of 
sand, according to its quality ; a poor, stiff clay requiring much more sand 
than a light free loam. The mixed sand and clay should then be passed 
through a coarse sieve, and the hard stony particles which will not pass 
through the sieve may be kept to put over the crocks used for drainage 
on other occasions. Several pieces of broken pots, or, as the gardeners 
call them, crocks, are then to be put into the bottom of each pot, (or some 
rough cinders, which are better), for drainage; taking care that the 
drainage is at least an inch deep. The pots for the seeds marked Nos. 1 
and 2 are to be filled with the compost (that is, the prepared soil) to 
within half an inch of the top, and the pots for No. 3 half full. A still 
finer compost must now be made by taking two-thirds of the prepared 
soil, and adding one-third of silver sand to it, after which the mixed soil 
must be passed through a very fine sieve, and part of it being used to fill 
up the pots for the smaller seeds, the rest must be kept for covering the 
larger ones. 
The next operation is the sowing; and this is performed with the 
larger seeds (No. 1), by strewing them over the surface of the earth, and 
then covering them with the finer soil, about the thickness of a sixpence. 
The medium seeds, No. 2, must be treated in the same manner, but not 
covered so deeply; but the pots for the small seeds, No. 3, should be 
watered before the seeds are sown, and the seeds should be scattered over 
the wet soil, and pressed gently into it, but not covered. The pots must 
then be removed to the hotbed or cucumber frame, still keeping the 
different classes by themselves, and placing No. 3 in the front of the frame 
where it will get least light. In hot sunny weather, a mat should be 
thrown over the glass to prevent the sun from drying the earth in the pots, 
as it is desirable to give the seeds very little water, and yet to keep the 
soil in a moist state. The larger seeds may be watered occasionally; 
