CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY - ZetaTalk

232 THE .hTIJR,SERY-~‘11,4,~‘UA Lraised from seeds sown directly in the open ground, but. if earlierhlootn anal a longer season are desired the seeds may be started inthe dwc4ling hottst~, window-garden, hotbed or gl:ctenliouse, and thestiiall scccllings t IYillSpl~IlttXl to the garden. Whether the seedsshoulrl be started imloors depentls on the region, t,he hardiness ofthe species, the season in which bloom is desired. Small and delicatesretls slioultl ht* started under cover for protection from beatingruins ancl witttls, whatever the region, north or south. Theyoung plattts (II’ some species are so clf~liC%te ant1 tender as to(1c’tl1iLt1~1 protect ion from wind, hot sun and dryness. All tl1esetlcbtililS tlitl gardent~r 1tYLrIlS l)y experience. Hints on then1 arelilic4~~ to 1x1 found in see(l catalogues.,Sotttcbt itttes atltl ttais are class~~d as harcly, half-harclj: and tender,h:i\7itig rc4c~rt~ncc to frost, itIlt in pracfic~ applied to tirne of sowing.So wick ;irc tlict li1titU(lW in North Atllel’ic’i1, however, within thelitttits Of a single coutttry, that these distinctions are largely given upItcW. 11 ltard~’ itttntta! may be sown even before “ settled weather ”iLIlt When frosts are still esprctctl, as sweet pea, abronia, sweet,:t!)~:isititt; ilir5t.~ IliillliS arc’ usually sown directlqv in the open ground,sottictittkc~s 1J\‘t’tl in il.UtUi~ltl. The half-hardy MHIL&, i/s phlox,illOnSOa, pCtlltlii1, witlrst,ancl c~otisiderable hardship and may bcstarted incloors or sown in alie open l)efore the weather becomesvery hot. Tthntler annuals are sown late and are impatient of cold,and are sonietittk3 protectecl tinder glass or elsewhere all summer ;~Xilttl~lt’S arc tltiltl)~ i~OttltYitS iLtl(1 cucurbits, tnaurandia, torenia.Vet=>* ftw iI~tlU~llS I~looni ~~ontit~ttor~sl~~ frottt earl)’ to late. Whet1seeds begin to forttt, the l~looming usuully halts. The best result3are obtttined 1)~. rt~peated sowings at intervals, one crop being rettio\7t4from tltth MS wlten it he#ins to fail and a fresh crop of thesame or anotltrhr sp~Ges put in its place. Thu seedlings should betransplanttvl before they crowd in the pots or boxes, and careshould be taken t,hat they do not, become ” drawn.” Annuals areadaptalAr-, ;t nd t hq gi\re niuc~l~ satisfaction when one is willing tbtake suficicant pains in ptV~piqpt,tiotl.It, is sotnetitttes tlesirul)le to propagate :~n~iuals\,y other meansthan seecls itt otxkr to pcrpetuatc* particular strains or forms.For this purpose cuttings of vigorous young shoots may be takenlate in the sc’asot-I and the new plants carried o\xJr winter in thewindow-garden or under glass. Probably not all the annuals canbi; handkd sati5fai*torily by this ttic~thocl. The pfxennials that arecommonly treated as annuals, as verbena, are readily propagated