For Early Spring Flowers

It may seem to some along time towait between the coming of the annual seed catalogues 'and the warm season when seeds can be planted, but through modern devices the growing season is lengthened every year. Seed sowing time for the lover of flowers begins early in March now, and for some plants as early as the middle of February. Tlie desire to have flowers ready to bloom just as soon as the weather is warm enough outside bas led to many experiments. Plants tbat will stand transplanting are easily handled so that tbey will blossom in April and May, but the verv sensitive annuals, which die when moved from the soil in which their seeds germinated, have alvvays been diiiicult to manipúlate. Their seeds cannot bs planted in the open ground mach before the lOth of May, and their blosscms cannot be expected mach before July. This monlh and August are tlien so hot and dry tbat many flowers suffer. May and June are the two best months lor all flowers. One of the devices for handling the plants that will not stand transplanting after the seeds have been germinated in boxea inside is unique. A quantity of turnips are obtained, and vvith a sharp knife the lieart of the vegetables is dug out. In the holes thus made rich soil is packed. By running a knittiug needie througli the bottom oí the turnip perfect drainage is obtained. A few seeds of the tender plants are stood upright in rows in a shallow box. ïhe box is placed in a suuuy window and the seeds are treated just the saine as those raised in pots. The seeds will germinate and produce good sized plants by the lst of May. Th en if the weather is warm enough the turnips, each beariug one or two thrifty plants, are planted in the garden, and the soil brougln up around tliemso that evtery pare ia covered. The plants will not be disturbed and they will not be conscious of the cbange in surroundings. The turnips will soon decay and tlie roots of the plants will appropriate the matas food. Another method of securing the transplanting of the tender flowers without disturbing their roots is to use Binall woodeu boxes with a detachable bottom. These are made square and larger at the bottom than at the top. The bottom is fastened in with two strips of wood, which can be easily moved vvith a penknife. In ttiese boxes the seeds are germinated, and when ready for transplanting they are taken to the garden where holes are dug just large enuugli to receive theni. Tiien the bottom board is slip over, and a knife is run down on every side between the box and the soil, so as to looseu the masa. The soil will hold together, aud the roots of the plants will nut be disturbad at all in renioviug tlie box. Seed boxes for annuals that will bear transplanting iu the spring ure usuaüy home made ailaire, but the irade offers a variety of improved boxes. Thechief virtue of these purchased boxes is that they have a water tight saucer or long trough to catch surplus moisture that is sure to drip through the soil. A seed box that will not permit the water to escape is not a good arrangement. The soil at the bottom is sure to get muddy and sour in time, and this aots as a poison to the plauts, causing rot to begin on all the roots that reach down to it. "Wet f eet" for plants are almost as disastrous as for human beings, and the danger must be avoided. One ot the snrest vvays to prevent the soil from setting sour in . the bottom of the seed boxes or pots is to mix charcoal with the under layer. Sometiines a lavorof broken charcoal in the bottom of a pot helps the drainage, and at the saine time it absorbs a good deal of the surplus moisture and sweetens the soil. The simplestand most effectual way to flll seed boxes or flower pots is to make the bottom layer of potshreds, hroken into small, piecea, or of large pebbles ; then form another layer above this in very coarse sand, follovved by a mixture of fine pulverized charcoal and leaf mold or rich soil from the garden. The surfitce soil should be finely pulverized, the fineness being in proportion to the size of the seeds. Very fine seeds requiresurface soil thatis pulverized to a power, while large ones do a well in soil not so carefully worked. The condition of the soil at seed sowing is one of the open secrets of the trade,