The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-04-12

The month that cheers,
The month OF tears"
as the old rhyme runs March was true
to her proverbs, and gave US taste Of
December and January combined, but
we hope for better things in this month.
New England is so far left out in the
cold," that we cannot do much gardening
in the open air at this season but we
can purchase our seeds and plant many OF
them in boxes, indoors.
An upper chamber, where the sun lies
warm most of the day, can be improvised
INTO miniature green house. If it has
a dormer window in the roof, so much
the better; place an old table directly
under it, and set your boxes upon it.
The soil for these boxes can be dug up
from the richest parts of the garden, and
baked in old pans or boxes in the oven
till it is thoroughly heated through. This
process kills all the minute worms and
Larvae, renders the soil friable and loose,
and makes it desirable for seed planting.
One-third of securing sand, to two-thirds
of garden loan is a good mixture for such
purposes. We listen yearly to COM
plants that the seedsmen " do not sell
fresh seeds their seeds will not grow,
ETC., CITE You must learn how to plant
before you indulge in murmurings and
complaints When your soil is prepared,
and it is an excellent plan to siit the
earth, for then there are no Jumps to sti.
ile the young life Of the seed fill the
boxes. Old raisin and cigar boxes are
the easiest to handle; but starch and
soap boxes will hold the most seeds. Fill
them up to the top with the baked earth
press down the soil firmly with trowel
or the fingers; and sprinkle the seeds
sparsely over the place thus made ready.
If the seeds are very small like Petunias,
Lobelias and Portulaca, pressing them
into the soil with the hand will cover
them sufficiently. More than half the
failures to terminate these seeds, arise
from too deep planting. Tiny, little
mites, they cannot grow if covered half
an inch deep with soil. Sweet Peas,
Tropaolums and seeds similarly sized,
should be planted an inch dcep,-the for
mer flourish better if sown three inches
in depth and they can be planted as
soon as the frost admits Of bed being
dug for them. If planted early in this
month they will bloom early in June.
Eight weeks from the time the seeds are
sown, will often be time enough to pro-
duce the sweetest Of sweet flowers. They
make beautiful hedge to Il garden aud
will protect more tender flowers from the
cold winds. Frost does not often inlure
them. The new varieties are exquisite
The scarlet and whites are great additions
to every garden. None of us can have
too many Sweet Peas.
But to our planting. Sand is great
desideratam in seed planting 1t is Tho
lightest covering we can procure; it at
tracts the sun stimulates the growth
and no one can raise either cuttings o.
seeds in perfection without its aid.
pan Of it well warmed, must be place.
beside US, and be used to cover all tn,
seeds we plant. Asters Balsams, Tin
Mas, and all our pets must be planted
under the sand. The three flowers nance
above should be planted quarter of al
inch deep. When all our desirable seed
are slowed away, reserving from each pa
per about one-third of its contents t
plant in the open ground, for successio,
Of flowers, we must sprinkle the surfac
thoroughly. If there is not fine nos
watering pot at hand, We can improvise
summer shower with the aid of small
hand broom, dipped in quite warm water
The warm water must be daily used on
watering with cold water from pump o
aqueduct might kill the life of youn
seedlings. When the Loxes are all wat
cred, old pieces of flannel or cotton fan
mel dipped in hot water should be Tight
pressed over the surface of them, an
water the seeds through the cloths unit
they begin 10 germinate. If the seed
are very rare, cut holes for each tin
leaHet, and keep the fannels on until a
are started. By this process the mo
difficult seeds can be forced. 1t is nearl
equal to hot bed, and little fault wi
be found with the seedsmen, if our reade
adhere strictly to our directions.
Now our seeds are planted, and mar
of them sprouted, they will require d Il,
care. They must not be kept so war
that when the seeds sprout they look
though grown on stills they must ha'
fresh air daily an hour between twel'
and one o'clock, if the sun shines fair
upon them, will be none too much, al
when the plants have put forth the Sc
opd and third row of leaves they can
safely stimulated with very weak gual
water; one teaspoonful to three quar-
of warm water will hasten their growt
if it seems to require it.
All ANNALS, excepting the tap-root,
varieties, like oIignonette, Larkspur,&
require transplanting, and produce mu
finer flowers by such treatment. As so
as they show the second leaves well
veloped, they should be transplantod in
small pots /; four plants can be plac
around the outer edge, and one or t,
in the middle. By transplanting, gre
ter growth Of fbrous roots is produce
and if the operation is performed
night, the plants do not seem to be ava
Of their change Of base. Last year
transplanted from necessity, large nu
Der of plants after six o'clock, p. m. /; /
one withered.
We would advise our readers to pli
biennisls and perennials, as we'll as
nusls, To bs sure, ths first named DC