Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-22

To start your own garden plants IN
doors does not necessitate the con-
Venience of a greenhouse. or of hot
bed, even. A light, sunny window,
where room for a generous tabletop
or a shelf can be had, in place where
the thermometer does not go below
forty-five degrees or so on average
nights is all that is required. An oc-
casional drop below forty degrees will
not prove fatal, but every time it
occurs means that the growth of the
plants will be tnat much retarded.
and if too often repeated their quality
will be injured
The equipment for starting seeds
indoors is simple. Next to light and
warmth-as mentioned above-a light,
porous soil is the only necessity.
Many failures in seed-starting are
due to soil that is not fitted for this
purpose. Richness is no advantage
/ in fact, is a draWbacll-but physical
condition which will retain moisture
and at the same time let any surplus
water drain off at once, and Will not
tend to form a crust" is the most
vital factor in success with seeds.
Such a soil 1t is difficult to find at
hand, but it may be easily prepared
! by mixing equal parts of rotted 500
! (or in lieu thereof garden soil that
! Is well supplied with 'humus) and
! leaf-mold, or very old, spent manure,
such as may be taken out of a last
years hotbed. If you have not taken
the precaution, the fall previous, to
put away some dirt where it would
not freeze, the quickest way to get
your seeds started now will be to go
to some local florist and buy bushel
or two of soil from him. IF this can
not be done, however, you need not
give up. Get a pick-aXe and loosen
up a few good sized chunks of dirt
in the garden where the soil is light
est, and put it in the cellar near the
! furnace or in some other warm place
to thaw out until it is fairly dry.
Leaf mold can usually be got in the
woods, even in winter weather, down
under the surface layer of leaves In
! holloWs, back of a wall, or in any
other place where the accumulated
debris of years has rotted away; or
! chip dirt from the bottom of the wood
pile will serve as substitute. To
! this mixture of loan and leaf-mold,
/ add sand enough to make it slightly
gritty, to "cut" it so that 1t will
crumble and fall apart readily when
compressed i'm the hand. Having pro-
| yided the right sort of soil in which
to SOW seeds, you will find that the
| biggest part of the work" of seed
starting is over. From your grocer
YOU can get a few cracker boxes, and
these, sawed lengthwise into two-inch
sections, and bottomed so that mar
row spaces, say one-half inch wide
are left between the boards, or else
that several half-inch holes are bored
in each one, will provide you with the
"hats"-iust what you want for start
ing vegetable seeds and large flower
seed.
Drainage Is Important.
So important is the matter OF
thorough drainage that, besides haV-
| ing a porous soil and open-bottomed
flats, still further preCaution is taker
! by filing the fiat about one-third full
of some coarse material, such as
| screenings, excelsior or sphagnum
moss. before putting in the dirt, which
should come just a little below the
edges of the box, so that when water
is applied later it will not run over
| the top. In the corners and along the
sides the soil should be pressed dowr
| firmly with tho fingers, and made
| level and firm on the surface.
Plenty OF moustire in the soil is
| necessary to insure good termination
| The usual way of applying this is to
get everything ready, SOW and cover
/ the seed, and then give the box 9
/ thorough watering on the surface. A
! better way is to either give the tlat
of soil, soaking the day before plant
| ing, or to place it in sink or tut
after planting, and put in just enough
water to let it soak through the sol
| from the bottom, until tho first signs
of moisture, indicated by the sol
turning darker color, show on the
/ surface. Then let the box drain unit
/ it stops dripping before placing it il
/ heat. If no sink or tub is aVailabl,
| for this sub-irrigation method tn,
same result may be had by filling the
box not quite full, watering it unit
! it is soaking wet, and then put on the
rest of the soil, through which enough
moisture will soak up from the
saturated dirt below.
In the seemingly simple operation
Of sowing the seeds there are two
! things to be guarded against. The
first is putting them i'm too thiclSly
SOW thinly, and then if there are any
seeds left over. throw them away OF
keep for a second planting; if tho
seedlings come up crowded they can.
not make good, stocky plants, and
are much more subject to "dampint
off"
Tho second thing to be guarded
against is too deep covering. Sucl
fairly large seeds as cabbage anC
lettuce may be covered an eighth o
an inch or so; small flower seed:
should be pressed into the soil will
a smooth, fiat piece of wood. anC
barely covered from sight with tn,
lightest covering possible, such al
cocoanut fibre (Which may be bough