88 
House & Garden 
I 
I Tested 
’ Seeds ^ * 
I James 
I Carter 
I & Co., 
I Raynes Park, Eng- 
i land, were among 
I the first if not the 
I first seedsmen to se- 
I lect and test seed 
1 with painstaking 
I care. 
i 
I For generations this 
I same effort has been 
I used to improve old 
I strains and to pro- 
I duce new varieties. 
1 Today Carters 
i Tested Seeds are 
I known as “The 
I Seeds with a Line- 
I age.” 
I In Europe, Great 
ij Britain and Amer¬ 
ica, Carters Tested 
Seeds are giving ex¬ 
cellent results. A 
trial in your garden 
will convince you of 
their worthiness. 
We will send free on re¬ 
quest our 1917 catalogue 
“Garden and Lawn.” It 
is profusely illustrated 
in color giving the exact 
reproduction of many of 
the varieties listed. 
Carters Tested Seeds, inc. 
127 Chamber of Commerce B'dg. 
BOSTON, MASS. 
Branch of James Carter & Co., 
Raynes Park, London, England 
^ctJCCU‘rjff 
\ iiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii I 
The Awakening of the Seed 
{Continued from page 86) 
which the seeds are covered is impor¬ 
tant as well as the amount. In the 
light, sandy soil of the table lands of 
higher Colorado, the Moqui Indians 
plant their seeds of corn from 13" to 
14" below the surface! A soil not 
only light hut one that will not crust 
or crack is desirable. The humus or 
leaf mold mentioned above is of this 
character. For this reason, as well 
as for its moisture absorbing qualities, 
it is useful in the soil for seeds. 
While a continuous supply of 
moisture is necessary, a surplus is 
likely to prove fatal. Ample drain¬ 
age should, therefore, be provided in 
the bottom of the flat or seed pan. 
Place a layer of sphagnum moss in 
the bottom of the pan or flat, with 
perhaps some broken crocks under it 
before the soil in which the seeds are 
to be sown is put in. The soil should 
he packed down lightly and Armed 
around the edge so as not to leave any 
air spaces. But in order that there 
may be a space between the pane of 
glass placed over the flat and the 
level of the soil in the flat, leave the 
soil 1" or so below the top of the 
sides of the flat. 
Small vegetable seeds and the me¬ 
dium size flower seeds should be 
covered YC' to 1" deep. Very small 
flower seeds may be sown in minia¬ 
ture drills or trenches made with the 
end of a lead pencil, or merely scat¬ 
tered on the surface, covered with a 
sprinkling of leaf mold or humus and 
pressed firmly into the soil with some 
flat object such as a bit of board. As 
the little seedlings will be transplanted 
as soon as they are large enough, they 
can be put in rows 2" or 3" apart. 
This is usually better than scattering 
them broadcast, although that method 
is all right if it is carefully done and 
the seed evenly distributed. Larger 
seeds—those the size of a pea or bean 
—-can be covered from YY' to 1" deep. 
Caring for the Seedlings 
The seed itself supports or forms 
the little plant until it has developed 
to where it is capable of supporting 
itself—provided sufficient moisture, 
light and heat are available—the char¬ 
acter of the soil greatly influencing 
the root development. If food condi¬ 
tions are favorable, the root system 
will develop vigorously; if they are 
not, the roots wdll start out in search 
of more favorable feeding ground. 
Plants which are to be transplanted, 
therefore, should not be started in a 
flat or pan in the bottom of which a 
layer of old, rotted manure or rich 
compost has been placed. A fairly 
rich garden soil, mixed with humus, 
will give good conditions for the im¬ 
mediate development of roots, mak¬ 
ing plants which will be ready to 
transplant early and easily. 
Moisture is as necessary for con¬ 
tinued growth as it was for germina¬ 
tion. How'ever, the less frequently 
one has to water to keep the soil 
moist, the better. Having the foliage 
and the surface of the soil wet is one 
of the causes of that heie noire of gar¬ 
deners, the “damping off” or mysteri¬ 
ous death of seedlings. Unless the 
watering is very carefully done, the 
little seedlings may be more or less 
knocked down in the process. The 
safest way is to have a large pan in 
which the flat or seed pan can be part¬ 
ly immersed, the soil getting wet from 
the bottom up, until the moisture just 
begins to show on the surface. In 
this w'ay the soil can be much more 
thoroughly soaked than from above, 
and there is no danger of injuring the 
seedlings. Care must be exercised, 
however, not to overdo this watering, 
as the soil should not be allowed to 
get soaking wet. 
Short Cuts to Germination 
Some seeds, as we have already 
seen, have hard casings or shells. 
Mature, who does not have to be in 
a hurry, takes care of these in her 
own way, but the impatient gardener, 
anxious for immediate results, takes 
a short cut by using a knife or a file 
to start the process before he plants. 
Cannas and other hard seeds will ger¬ 
minate more quickly if they are care¬ 
fully slit or filed part way around so 
that the expanding seed within can 
readily force them open. In doing 
this he careful not to touch the “eye” 
of the seed. Soaking in warm water 
for several days before planting will 
also speed up germination. This is 
done with slow germinating seeds 
such as celery and parsley, as well as 
with the hard shelled ones. 
While light is not essential to the 
process of germination, the little 
plants, as soon as they reach the top 
of the soil, should at once be put 
where they will get all the light pos¬ 
sible. Otherwise they will grow up 
tall and spindling, and in a short time 
he w'orthless. To keep them growing 
rapidly and to have them strong and 
stocky, the soil should not be allowed 
to get dry, and the more fresh air 
that can be given them the better, so 
long as the temperature is kept up to 
that required by the kind of plant 
being grown. Where it can be fol¬ 
lowed, the method of sub-watering 
already described is far preferable to 
the use of the ordinai-y watering can, 
until the plants are large enough to 
transplant. 
If plants are started near a window 
they should be turned occasionally to 
keep them from becoming lop-sided. 
If they have come up so thickly that 
they begin to crowd at once, they 
should he either thinned out immedi¬ 
ately or the surplus snipped off with 
a small, sharp pair of scissors, so as 
to leave plenty of room for the others 
to develop. A dozen good plants will 
be of more use to you than fifty poor 
ones that have been crowded. 
With plants that have grown 
strongly and rapidly in the first few 
weeks of their existence, the task of 
getting the finest of stock to set out 
in your garden will be more than 
half done. 
1 IRON and WIRE FENCES | 
your iron and wire 
fence and gate prob- 
I_ lenis right up to us. 
One of our Service experts 
will give them his personal at¬ 
tention and suggest the logi¬ 
cal solutions, as based on our 
years of fencing experience. 
We make indestructible 
fences and gates for every 
place and purpose. 
American Fence 
Construction Co. 
too CHURCH ST.. NEW YORK CITY 
FAB-RIK-O-NA 
INTERWOVENS 
The newest addition to the famous FAB- 
BIK-O-NA line of woven WALL COVERINGS. 
Durable, economical, daintiest, most service¬ 
able. Colors and patterns for all tastes. They 
add value to a house. 
Samples free. Our service department 
will help with your decorating prob¬ 
lems and put you In touch with dealers. 
H. B. Wiggings Sons Co., 397 Arch Si., Bloomfield, N. 
This Book 
On Home 
Beautifying 
Sent Free 
\j Contains practical 
suggestions on how 
to make your home artistic, cheery 
and inviting. Explains how you can easily 
and economically keep the woodwork, piano 
and furniture in perfect condition. 
Building? 
This book will tell you of newest, most at¬ 
tractive color combinations for interior dec¬ 
orating. It gives complete specifications for 
finishing inexpensive soft woods so they are 
as beautiful as expensive hard woods. We 
will send you this book free and postpaid. 
S. C. JOHNSON & SON, Dept. HG, Racine, Wis. 
“The Wood Finishing Authorities" 
