16 
from the pot and held by one corner, the water will run 
off quickly. If the glass is carelessly removed the large 
drops of water will splash fine seed in all directions. 
When the seed begin germinating the glass or paper 
should be raised slightly at one side to admit air, and 
after the seedlings begin pushing through, the box should 
be uncovered. A great many seedlings will be lost if 
the cover is left on too long. The close atmosphere un- 
der the cover is ideal for the spread of fungous growths. 
In the last few years various preparations have been 
placed on the market that will check and prevent fungous 
diseases associated with germinating seedlings. Figure 
2, plate 13, shows some of these materials. They may be 
used either dry or in liquid form. 
Eight operations in transplanting seedlings.—After 
the seedlings are up and are sufficiently large to handle 
they are ready for transplanting. Removing seedlings 
from their boxes should not be postponed too long. While 
seed should not be sown thickly they are always more 
or less crowded in the boxes or pots and should be sepa- 
rated from their neighbors as soon as possible. Plate 11 
illustrates the various stages of transplanting seedlings. 
The majority of seedling plants are sufficiently large to 
be handled with the fingers. They either have a leaf 
large enough to act as a handle or are strong enough to 
be held by the stem. Whenever possible a seedling should 
be held by a leaf, as then there is less danger of crushing 
the tender plant. Some seedlings, notably petunias, lobe- 
lias, begonias, etc., are so very small that it is impossible 
to handle them with the fingers. The last three figures 
of plate 11 show how minute seedlings are handled. 
The box into which the seedlings are to be transplant- 
ed should contain some drainage material and should 
then be filled up with a light soil. The box is leveled and 
tamped in the same manner as when the seed were sown. 
The surface should be finished with some finely sifted 
soil and tamped. If this is not done, especially when small 
seedlings are to be transplanted, the small lumps of soil 
will cause much annoyance. If the box of soil is very dry 
PUDOR’S, INC., PUYALLUP, WASH. 
