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HOW? WHERE? WHAT?  §¢assel’s Handy Hints 

) THE FOLLOWING PAGES WILL ANSWER 
SOME BASIC GARDENING QUESTIONS on How to Plant It 
: Indoors... 
INFORMATION 
@ CULTIVATING 
Stirring the surface soil during the period 
of growth kills weeds, loosens the ground so 
“IT'S GOOD BUSINESS TO as to encourage root development, allows air 
DO BUSINESS WITH to conserve moisture. Cultivation may be 
STAFFEL’S” deep at first, but as plants grow it should be 
more shallow to avoid injury to the roots. 
No truer words have been @ WATERING ae : 
spoken. You'll always be When plants need artificial watering, the 
pleased when you buy from a reputable Seedsman. best hours of me day ie it are early Tees 
We've been in business for 60 years and every oa icra Mac ee sane sa i rea 
year brings us new knowledge on how fo fill your ka Savion Senge BNE PEISIOF 
| gardening needs. These new tips combined with be 
our permanent policy of Fair Dealing, Good Serv- @ STARTING PLANTS INDOORS 


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SEEDLINGS SUCCESSFULLY 
Place seedling carefully in 
the hole and just as care- 
fully firm the soil around 
the rcots so that they can 
take hold securely. Keep 
in mind that too much 
tamping will harden the 
soil and endanger the 
seedling. Soil which is 
hard-packed will choke 
out normal plont growth 
and loosely packed soil, 
except in certain cases, 
will encourage toppling 
of plants. 

Firming the soil around 
the roots is important. 
Care should be taken to 
use the same soil in 
transplanting as the one 
in which the plant made 
its original stand. Do not 
try to transplant seed- 
lings when too small; two 
or three inches high is 
sufficient. When trans- 
planting from indoors to 
outdoors it is a good idea 
to harden the young 
plants to outdoor con- 
ditions by setting the 
boxes outside in good 
weather before trans- 
planting. 
Seedling plants may be grown successfully 
in spring in shallow boxes of soil placed in 
south or east windows. The preparation of 
the seed box is simple but it needs care. 
Whether it is a cigar box or larger “flat,” 
holes should be bored in the bottom—about 
six inches apart in larger boxes and about 
three inches apart in one of cigar box size. 
Over the bottom of the box spread pieces of 
broken flower pots or crockery, or small peb- 
bles, then coarser soil, and last of all finely 
sifted garden soil. 
Firm the soil and sow the seed thinly in 
rows. The general rule for depth of planting 
is about four times the diameter of the seed. 
Thin sowing is economy. The tiny plants crowd 
each other when planted too thickly. 
Cover the seed box with a damp cloth or 
paper until germination starts and place a 
pane of glass over the top. Remove the paper 
or cloth as soon as the first sprouts break 
through the soil. Wipe off the glass when wa- 
ter collects on it from evaporation. This will 
prevent moisture from dripping on the little 
plants and perhaps causing “damping off.” 
During the day prop up one edge of the 
glass covering for ventilation. 
Keep the seed box moist but not wet or wa- 
terlogged. The best way to water is from be- 
neath by setting the seed box in a pan of wa- 
ter or in shallow water in a sink. 
When seedlings are two or three inches 
high, they are ready to be transplanted, either 
to individual pots or out-of-doors. 
PAGE THIRTY-FIVE 
