Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-31
Sowing Flower Seeds.

While transplanting n quantity OF
ANIMALS to-day l thought how many per-
sons there are ut this moment who are
complaining of bad seeds and swindling
seedsmen. The small and delicate seeds,
such as mignOnette, lobelia, and pOrtu-
lacca, which were undoubtedly sown in
the open ground weeks ago, have pGobab-
ly not as yet made their appearance above
ground and of course the seeds were bad
and the seedsmcn to blame for these fail
ures. presume there are seedsmen who
do mix old seeds with the new and cheat
their customers in various ways, but they
are rare exceptions. purchase and sow
variety of flower as well as vegetable
seeds every season, and many of them are
of the small and delicate sorts, but sell
dom obtain any that fail to grow except
when grossly neglected.
Long ago | learned that sowing the
seeds of our more delicate ANIMALS and
perennials indiscriminately in borders and
flower beds, resulted in more or less fail
ures, even if the seeds were fresh and
good, because it is difficult to give them
the proper amount of moisture in time of
droughts. Such seeds must not be sown
very deep, consequently few dry, hot
days, even after the seeds sprout, is likely
to destroy the plants; and if water is ap-
piled, the chances are we do more harm
than good by merely wetting the surface,
causing il To bake so hard that young
seedlings cannot break through
To avoid failures, | SOW everything of
the kind in shallow boxes; say about
twelve to eighteen inches square and
three inches deep. The soil in these boxes
is made very rich, and of such light, fra
BILE materials that it will not become hard,
no matter how much water is applied.
The surface Of the soil in these boxes is
made perfectly level by using a small
piece Of board pressed firmly upon it at
the time of filling. The seeds are them
evenly scattered over the surface, or sOwn
in narrow drills; then soil is sifted over
them, not thrown on with the hand or
garden trowel. The boxes are then placed
in the greenhouse, hot-bed, or in any
warm protected situation where the dry
winds cannot sweep over the surface, car
rying off the moisture almost as fast as it
can be applied. Copious applications Of
water are given every evening, applied
with watering pot having a fine rose.
When the plants appear they are thinned
out if too thick, and if desirable to save
all, then transplant into similar boxes,
and set in the shade until new roots are
produced.
AS soon as the plants are large enough
TO go into the outside borders and beds,
they are removed from the boxes. Those
kinds which are very sensitive to any dis
turbance Of roots las many are) may be
lifted in clumps, provided the soil is well
soaked with water before attempting to
remove them. i have sown all my an
nuals in this manner, and not variety
has failed this season; but dare say the
scotsman from whom / purchased the
seeds has been blamed more than once
this season tor the failure of seeds taken
from the same packages 1t costs but
little to make few boxes of the kind
have named, and if put away when not
in use they will last for many years.
use the same form of boxes for my
vegetable plants raised in hot beds, and
find them very convenient for carrying
plants into the field, which can be done
without disturbing or exposing their
roots. The ladies who have such poor
success in raising verbenas and similar
plants from seed should certainly try the
box system of seed beds.--D. II. H., tn
Rural NeD Yorker.