Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-28

as it is the satisfaction OF being able 10
say that this is of my own raising. Such
plants are usually more valued than the
highest priced plants purchased from
, the florist. OF late years the methods
OF raising plants from seeds and cuttings
have been so simplified that even the
inexperienced amateur of to-day ia usual
ly more successful than the average pro-
iessional OF twenty years ago. The rails.
ing OF plants from seeds can be done
nearly as well III the window Of Oh ordi-
nary sitting as in II greenhouse. if
the following directions be carefully
complied with
Seeds should be sowu in shallow boxes
OF depth not to exceed three inches
with open seams Mt the bottom to permit
the water to pass of rapidly. These
boxes should be flied within half an inch
or so Of the top with light rich soil.
This Is composed of old rotten manure
and soil that is formed from sods, the OBJ
lect beng to get soil that is friable.
through which the water will filter quick.
ly' This soil should be run through Il
SIEVE as line as mosquitoe wire, at least
that portion on the top which is to receive
the seeds. The soil should then be made
as level IN the boxes as it is possible to
make it.
When the boxes have been prepared i'll
the manner described the seeds should
then be sown quickly and evenly over the
surface and pressed down by smooth
board In the soil, so that the seed. be it
large or small, will form level surface
with the soil. This being done the same
material of soil should be sifted over the
top, inst enough to cover the seed.
Again press this lagger of soil which has
covered the seeds gently with the smooth
board,
This method of sowing seeds has been
our usual practice for over twenty Years.
A few years ago, however, we discovered
that 1t was great help to the seeds to
have the surface again covered with a
light material that would hold moisture
and for that purpose we have used dry
moss, which we lut through the same
mosqnlto-wire sieve or leaves from CO.
chnut fibre may be made fine in the same
way, and Will onswer the purpose equally
well. Both Of these materials are ex-
ceedingly light, and at the same time are
OF that spongy nature that will hold
moisture; aud experience has shown that
when slfted over the seedboxes, lust
thick enough to cover the soil mot more
than one-sixteenth part of an incAJ, they
arc greatly beneficial in the germination
OF the seed, as with such top dressing
one watering with fine rose Watering
pot will keep the soil moist enough usu-
ally until the seed come up. 1t Is o
great mistake to be continually watering
seeds after they have been sown. The
rule in all these things is never to
water until the surface indicates that the
soil is dry, which will be shown by its
getting winter
After the seeding plants have come up
they should be transplantei or "pricked
oil, as it is technically called, at distances
OF half an inch apart, in box OF soil
prepared exactly in the same way as that
i'll which they We're sown. After being
pricked of they should be shaded if the
sun is out for n few days until they begin
to root after which they shonld be grad
ually exposed to the light
OF course much depends on the seeds
that have been sown to determine
the suitable temperature, and i'll a paper
OF this kind we can not enter at length
into specific directions for the many var
ieties of plants. For plants in general,
however, the safe average temperature
would be sixty-fve degrees. Ii the plants
are Of n tropical nature the temperature
may be ten degrees higher if of hardy
nature, ten degrees lower. Plants of a
hardy nature for that reason may be sown
any time during the months of January,
February, and March, while all plants OF
a tender nature, such as Coleus, Cannas,
Balsems, Begonias, Salivas, etc. should
not be sown before April, and in most
cases would be better IN May, in the lati-
tude OF New York.