392 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1898. 
capable of absorbing water, but should not, even when very wet, be capable of 
sticking together like clay or putty. You often see seeds sown in earth which 
you can mould with water into any shape. This will not do. 
Then the receptacle. An ordinary fruit box with the side knocked out, 
and which can be got at any fruiterer’s for 1d. or 2d., makes as good a receptacle 
as any, and needs no boring or drainage holes. On a large scale the boxes in 
which corrugated iron is imported are capital, and they may be raised on trestles 
or stakes, so as to do away with the tiresome necessity for constantly stooping, — 
Close by the shade-house, of which an illustration is given, stands another, 24 
yards long by 14 yards wide, and all around it is a stage of these cases. 
arranged like a long table. In these myriads of plants can be raised, and they 
are also useful for plants in the second stage, when they are “ pricked off.” 
You put in the bottom of the box a layer of cinders, rough charcoal, or 
potshreds ; then put in a layer of the rough stuff; then fill to within an inch — 
and a-half of the top with the bulk of your material; then make all level 
with a light coating of the finer stuff, and sow your seed. You must do this 
evenly. You should practise sowing small seeds on a piece of white paper. 
You will soon learn the “knack. You can shade at first with unbleached 
calico, stretched on light lath frames, which you can easily tack together. Let 
your seedlings have light as soon as they appear. Do not delay too long about 
pricking them off. Let there be plenty of leaf soil in the bed into which you 
do this, and finally plant them into the places where they are to flower. Do 
not leave them long in the pricking-off bed. Remember that they have to 
bloom and perfect their seeds, and cannot afford to wait for you. You may 
broadly class the plants to be sown now with those which require the above 
treatment, and those which are better sown where they are to bloom. 
One of the gardeners here (Mr. C. Mitchell), who has had charge of these 
plants, has made the following lists of those which are found to do well here :-— 
1. Those requiring the treatment above deseribed.—Asters.  Asperula 
azurea (Woodrutt). <Arnubia cornula; the flowers last well. Amaranthus 
(Jacob’s coat), very showy; do not plant in rich soil. Antirrhinum (Snap- 
dragon), very showy and easily raised. Aquilegia (Columbine), an old country 
favourite. Balsam, usually planted during summer. Ohrysanthemum tricolor ; 
splendid for cutting for house decoration. Clarkia elegans, pretty dwarf 
annual. Cosmia, one of the best of all; makes beautiful masses, and is most 
beautiful in irregular groups. Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower), beautiful blue 
flowers, but often white and pink; lovely for, bouquets. Campanula media 
(Canterbury bells). Coreopsis, one of the best of annuals. Candytuft makes 
beautiful masses ; there are some very beautiful varieties of this old favourite. 
Dianthus Heddewigii ; very fine flowers like cut velvet, likes a good soil and 
water, but repays you for alltrouble. Geum coccineum. Gomphrena (Globe 
Amaranth), everlasting flowers. Glodetia ; several varieties, are most beautiful. 
’ Gaillardia picta should have a place in every garden; flowers bold and 
striking, beautiful for vases. Helipterum corymbiflorum, pretty eyer- 
lasting. Hibiscus africanus, beautiful in masses. Helichrysum bracteatum ; 
brilliant everlasting flowers, good for preserying for indoor decoration. 
Ipomopsis elegans. Lupinus; blue flowers, graceful plants; soak the 
seeds of these, and all very hard seeds, in hot water before you 
sow. Lobelia, Mimulus (Monkey-flower) ; water these freely. Martynia 
Jragrans ; the young seed-pods of these are good to pickle. Marigold; 
old and very general favourite. Memesia floribunda; edging plant, very 
pretty. Phlox Drummondi; many varieties, most beautiful. Pansy (Viola 
tricolor maxima); to have this family really fine the ground must be 
deep and rich with o/d manure; the plants turn sickly and often die if new 
manure is used; they should be planted in rows 12 inches apart, and 9 inches 
apart in the rows; a cool, rather moist, partially shaded position is best for 
pansies; the first bloom should be picked off as soon as they appear, as, if 
they are allowed to flower too soon, they will soon wear themselves out. 
