



. GROWING FLOWERS FROM SEEDS 
All culture letters in the flower seed listings refer to the direc- 
tions given below. Please follow them carefully to be certain of 
good results. Where two or more letters are given, choose the 
one that you can most easily and accurately use. 
(A) Sow in the bed, border or row where the plants are to 
_ grow. The soil should be loamy, full of humus to the extent that 
it will easily pulverize; not dry out readily and crack. Make 
_ certain that you have good topsoil, not fill-in from the basement 
_ excavation. A load or two of good top soil hauled in and well 
_ fortified with humus—leaf mold, peat moss or well rotted manure; 
may mean the difference between pride of accomplishment and 
_envying your neighbors’ more attractive flower bed. Nearly all 
_ flowers do well in sunny locations; see page 97 for list of those 
_ that do well in partial shade. 
Spade to a depth of 6 inches, pulverize and rake smooth. Plant 
_ in rows or broadcast the seed. Cover lightly to a depth four or 
_ five times the seed’s diameter. Very small seeds may be merely 
_ pressed into the soil with a flat board and a very little soil and 
_ pulverized sphagnum or peat moss sprinkled over them. Larger 
seeds may be planted singly, well covered, but more thickly than 
plants are wanted. Firm the soil well over the seed. Watering 
now becomes of great importance. At no time should the soil 
be allowed to become hard and dry, yet excessive watering may 
' eause the seed to rot, sour the soil, or cause “damping off.” 
| Use a fine spray that will not wash out the seed. When the 
| plants appear, thin them out, allowing each to grow singly, with- 
| out crowding. The distance between them is governed by their 
ultimate size and spread. Excess plants may usually be moved 
to a new location. 
Cultivate shallowly so as to not damage roots. Crinkle Plant 
Covers (page 84) set close together over the seed row will give 
| protection and force growth of plants. 
(B) Sow in outdoor seed bed, to be transplanted. Same as (A) 
| except bed should be not over six feet wide for easy tending and 
_ always sow seed in rows. Cold frame as described on page 7 
will do nicely. Place in full sun, protect from winds and, in the 
/ case of perennial seedlings, provide a lath or cloth canopy for 
| shade during heat of summer. This should be removable in damp 
_and cloudy weather. Seedlings may be transplanted when they 
_ make true leaves, that is, when the second pair of leaves appear; or 
| they may be left until larger before being moved to their perma- 
‘nent location. Perennials should be moved from the seed bed 
'_to a nursery row, to grow until fall before being moved to their 
| permanent location. 
(C) Sow in cold frame or deep wooden soil-filled box (buried 
| to within 6 or 8 inches of top to form simple cold frame). This 
| method is used for slow germinating seed, some of which require 
' months to sprout. Plant as in (B) preparing soil as in (A). 
Description of cold frame is given on page 7. Place in a shaded 
' location, where there is free air circulation. During the spring, 
| summer and fall, water often enough to prevent soil from drying 
out. A mulch of peat or pulverized sphagnum moss will help retain 
|moisture. In winter to afford protection, cover with leaves. Have 
| patience with slow germinating subjects; do not disturb too quickly. 
| Any live seed will eventually grow if given time enough; provided 
| soil, moisture supply, etc., are right. When seedlings ‘ appear 
| and make true leaves, transplant to pots, nursery row or perma- 
‘nent location. If moss forms on soil surface, sprinkle fresh 
/ earth over top. 
(D) Sow indoors in boxes or flats (pictured top page 8). 
one should be of convenient size and about 3 inches deep. The 
soil used should be composed of about equal parts of leaf mold, 
(Continued on page 112) 
'D. V. Burrell Seed Grs. Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 119 
