CHAS. C. NAVLET CO. 
1885-1935 
SEEDING 
Generally Speaking, most of the garden annuals, biennials and perennials are very easily raised from seed. 
Certain essentials of course must be considered and we call them to your attention in the following paragraphs: 
The soil for all seeds should be loose and porous, to allow the excess moisture to escape and the warmth to 
penetrate, but should be firmed directly over the seeds to induce an upward flow of moisture. It should not 
contain fertilizer of any sort, and must be free of injurious bacteria and soil pests. Saturate with boiling hot 
water the day before planting. See “Pest Control Chart” for “Damping-off”. The usual compost soil for seedage 
consists of equal parts of light garden loam, imported peat moss and river sand. 
Always keep seed pan, box, etc., in a warm, sheltered place where the temperature is more or less uniform. 
Until seed germinates, conserve moisture by covering with paper and glass, muslin or burlap. 
Watch germination moisture carefully. Too much is just as bad as too little. 
There is a great difference in the number of days required to germinate flower seeds. Fortunately, most of them 
will usually be through in about 15 days, but some take months, and some years. Bear this in mind when you 
are tempted to discard a planted box or pot in disgust. See “Seed Sowing Table,” Page 57. 
One of the most common mistakes is sowing all kinds at the same time without regard to the season, thus 
causing a failure with some, while others grow freely. Another common mistake is to sow all of the seed con¬ 
tained in a packet at one time, better divide into several parts and sow at intervals. In many instances, the varia¬ 
tion in germination will prove astonishing. See “Seed Sowing Table,” Page 57. 
Seeds of tender plants should be sown broadcast only when the ground has become thoroughly warm. 
Seeds of hardy plants may be sown broadcast any time the ground is in good tillable condition and not wet. 
Cover the greater number of kinds of seed about twice their thickness, but in many plants of a naturally short 
season of bloom or growth, examples of which are the garden pea and sweet pea, it is advisable to sow them deeper. 
In Sowing very minute seeds, as Petunia, Begonia, Calceolaria, Snapdragons, etc., indoors, care should be 
taken to place them only under the surface of the soil—simply pressed down with a smooth surface and dusted 
with finely divided charcoal or screened soil, or silver sand. It is good practice to mix these very fine seeds with 
sand, or other inert material, to allow of more uniform distribution. 
If seeds are sown in a Capillary Seed Germinator, a Seed Pan, or a Seed Box, the seedlings must be trans¬ 
planted before they begin to crowd or become “drawn”. This operation the Gardener calls “pricking out”. This 
means taking the young plants out as soon as they are large enough to be handled—usually when the first 
“rough” leaves have developed—and replanting them in boxes or pots at least 1-inch apart. 
Transplant to the open ground on a dull or cloudy day. Plants usually “take” quickly if transplanted in 
freshly spaded ground. Shade if necessary for a day or two, but do not cover closely. 
TREATMENT OF RUST-PROOF SNAPDRAGONS 
(1) From one to two weeks before the seedlings of rust-proof strain are ready to be transplanted for the first 
time, wet them down thoroughly with a fine spray of water. Use an ordinary garden sprayer or atomizer. 
(2) Immediately after wetting, take branches of heavily rusted plants and shake over wet seedlings. The 
diseased branches may even be rubbed gently over the tops of the young seedlings. Another good method is to 
allow leaves covered with rust to rest on the tops of the young seedling plants. Any of these methods will spread 
millions of disease spores on the seedlings. 
(3) The seedlings should be sprayed with water at intervals for several days after inoculation. Twice a day— 
preferably once in the early morning and once in late afternoon. This is necessary, for without water the small 
disease spores will not germinate and enter the young leaves to infect the plant. 
(4) Within a week to ten days, the 25% susceptible plants will break out with the disease. These can then 
be discarded. 
THE CULTURE OF VIOLAS AND PANSIES 
They will thrive in almost any average garden loam 
without special treatment, but there is hardly a plant 
that will show a greater response to good culture. 
Seeding. See above. 
Dibbling-off. As soon as the seeds begin to sprout, re¬ 
move the covering, except when the sun is shining, and 
gradually tilt the glass to admit air, finally removing it 
when the seedlings are well through the soil. 
As soon as the third leaf forms, transplant the seed¬ 
lings an inch apart in boxes filled with light soil. Water 
very carefully, giving only sufficient to keep the soil 
moist. 
When the seedlings are rooted and growing nicely, 
transfer the boxes to an outdoor protected position to 
harden. 
A position neither too much exposed to the mid-day 
sun nor over-shadowed by trees, should, if possible be 
selected. (In hot, dry positions the plants are short-lived 
and produce flowers of poor quality.) 
Preparation of the Soil. Contrary to the generally ac¬ 
cepted idea, the Pansy and Viola are deep-rooting sub¬ 
jects and need soil that is very deeply dug and well en¬ 
riched and lightened with peat moss. Deep planting 
places the roots in a much cooler and more moist medium 
than if they are near the surface. 
Planting. It isn’t a bad idea to prepare a box of nicely- 
prepared compost made up of equal parts loam, coarse 
sand and peat moss. Dig a very large hole, and plant so 
the collar of the plant is just level with the surface of the 
soil. Use the compost around the roots of each plant as 
it is taken in hand, and if the soil of the garden be pressed 
firmly all around, and the surface finished off neatly, it 
is safe to anticipate that the plants will speedily take hold. 
Do all transplanting only in cool or cloudy weather. 
As the plants come into flower interest in them will, 
of course, continue to increase, and, that they may be 
maintained in a thoroughly satisfactory condition, it will 
be necessary to remove all spent blossoms before they 
have an opportunity of developing into seed pods. 
During the summer months, when the weather is hot 
and dry, hoe the surface of the soil, and then in the Eve¬ 
ning give a copious supply of water, followed immedi¬ 
ately afterwards with weak liquid manure applied once a 
week. Apply it between and not over the blooms. 
SOIL AND FERTILIZER HELPS 
The Manufacturers of Ammo-Phos supply the following: 
The capacity of a 4-in. Flower Pot is 1 pint. 
The capacity of a 6-in. Flower Pot is IV 2 quarts. 
The capacity of a 8-in. Flower Pot is 1 gallon. 
A standard 4-inch flower pot will hold approximately 1 
pound of the average fertilizer. A tablespoon will hold 
about an ounce. 
Better use half the recommended amount and make two 
applications at intervals, than to overstimulate by 
using in excess of recommended amount of fertilizer. 
Always soak the ground thoroughly after applying fer¬ 
tilizer. Plants can only use it in solution. 
Please include Sales Tax within the State of California 
Patches of green moss indicate a sour but not always an 
acid soil. Soils become sour when they are impover¬ 
ished and poorly drained. Cultivate and fertilize to 
overcome the condition. If a lawn, use “Lawn Spiker.” 
When soil that is moist will crumble when compressed in 
the hand, it is in good mechanical condition for plant¬ 
ing. Such a soil is easily made by adding sand and 
imported peat to a heavy soil, until the correct texture 
is arrived at. 
Heavy Clay and Adobe Soils expand when wet and shrink 
when dry. They are improved, made granular and 
friable by good drainage, a liberal supply of organic 
(Imported Peat) matter and Calcium Sulphate. 
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