400 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
ing lift it off with a thin piece of wood, a label is usually most 
convenient. 
Seedlings are ready for pricking off or transplanting, when 
the first set of leaves have formed, after the seed leaves. 
Very small seedlings such as Lobelia, Astilbe, Campanula, 
etc., are best left to grow until they are large enough to 
handle, before an attempt is made to transplant them. If 
seedlings grow too thick and begin to damp off, have them 
pricked off at once. An experienced boy will transplant 
some very small seedlings and they will grow too. 
Count on getting twelve hundred good seedlings from each 
box of seed sown and one hundred good plants from each box 
of seedlings, when they are ready for potting or planting out. 
For pricking off seedlings, use the same size boxes as for 
sowing seeds, they may be shifted about and fill all the space 
on the bench. 
A box 16" X 19" will hold, as a rule, ten rows of plants and 
twelve plants to the row or 120 plants. Plants from these 
boxes will stand potting into 2>^"and 3" pots, if intended 
for selling as pot plants in April and May. Some small 
seedlings can be planted more thickly, those with narrow 
foliage like Tritoma and plants with small foliage. Young 
plants can be kept growing in these boxes, in good condition 
for planting out in the open ground, a period of six to eight 
weeks. 
When room becomes scarce in the greenhouse, these boxes 
of plants may be placed under the benches for a short time, 
until the weather is favorable to shift them to the cold frames, 
where they should be left to harden off before planting out in 
the ground. 
After each box of seedlings is pricked off, set it on the 
greenhouse bench, where it is to remain while the plants are 
growing. Give a thorough watering with the can and fine 
rose, then shade with paper for a few days until the young 
plants begin to grow and can stand the sunlight without 
drooping. Shade a little later each day and uncover a little 
earlier, this helps the plants to become accustomed to the 
sun in less time. 
Weeds should be picked out as soon as they are large 
enough to prdl. Naturally the weeds grow best and if 
allowed a good start, a crop of weak plants is the result. 
Keep the surface of the soil loose by drawing an eight- 
penny nail, back and forth, between the rows of plants, this 
allows the water to settle through the soil, to the roots instead 
of laying on top. 
Much can be said in favor of growing plants from seed, in 
boxes until they are ready for planting out in the open 
grounds, especially if they are to be sold as field grown 
plants. 
They occupy much less room than if grown in pots, a large 
item when propagating stock in the greenhouse. The pots 
and all the time it would require to handle, in the operation of 
potting is saved. 
They are shifted from the greenhouse to the frames or 
place of planting in less and instead of hundreds of empt}^ 
pots to gather and store away in bins, there arc a few boxes. 
When planting they can be handled more readily than pot 
plants, if knocked out of the boxes properly, in one sod. 
Then as much as the planter can handle with one hand, is 
taken from the sod, the separate plants being broken off as 
they are placed in the trench. 
Each plant, if broken off with a little earth clinging to it, 
is in condition to commence growing at once. The soil will 
hold the fibrous roots in a natural position and keep the 
plants in good condition, long enough to establish themselves 
in their new quarters. 
When planting pot grown plants, the roots especially at the 
base of the ball must be loosened and the shoulder of earth at 
the top taken off, so the advantage of quick planting is in 
favor of plants grown in boxes. 
Coarse seed, such as Hollyhocks, Hibiscus and strong 
growing plants are best sowed out in the open ground in 
spring or fall. 
Sow in drills about one inch deep, the rows may be, from 
one foot, for Papaver orientale, to two and one-half for Holly¬ 
hocks as such plants grow very strong. 
The seedlings must be thinned out where they are growing 
too thick; either transplant the surplus or pot them and grow 
in the cold frames. 
These rows are far enough apart to work with the hoe or 
wheel hoc and the plants can be left growing until large 
enough for selling. 
A cold frame makes an excellent seed bed, dig in well 
rotted manure; after pulverizing the top soil, work it level 
with the back of a rake and it is ready for sowing seed. The 
frame must be level and properly drained and with glass sash 
and shades, seed can be given the same care as in the green¬ 
house. 
The seed may be sown broadcast or in drills about one 
inch apart, leave a space or lath between each kind of seed. 
Sow thin enough, so the seedlings can grow until large 
enough for potting into two inch pots. 
Begin sowing seed in April; these plants will be ready for 
selling in the fall and the next spring. The seed frame can 
be kept busy the year round. As seed ripens on the plants, 
collect and allow it to dry for a couple weeks before sowing. 
Seed is then in the best condition for germinating and the 
largest percentage of seedlings will mature if sown a couple of 
weeks after collecting. Seedlings grown outside, in the frame 
or seed bed are best potted until ready for planting out. 
The weather is less favorable for planting during the summer, 
than in spring and pot plants may be grown on in the cold 
frames until weather conditions are favorable for planting. 
Seedlings potted in late summer and fall are best kept in 
the frames over the winter and planted out in early spring. 
Seedlings too small for potting in fall should be covered with 
straw or a like material that will not hold moisture and left 
in the seed bed, over winter, they make sturdy little plants 
for potting or planting out in spring. 
Propagation by cuttings and division will be treated in a 
later issue. 
A HANDY BULLETIN 
Bulletin No. 7 of the Tennessee State Board of Ento¬ 
mology is a handy reference for nurserymen. It gives the 
Tennessee requirements in regard to the inspection and ship¬ 
ping of nursery stock in detail, also summary of the laws 
brought up to date of other states, Canada and Ontario. 
