Little seeds are not always started, or planted, out of doors.
Instead, early in the Spring, seeds are often started in boxes in a sunny window, or in hotbeds. (See Chapter LVII.)
We’ll make a hotbed of our own one of these days, Mary Frances, but at present we’ll have to be satisfied with seed boxes.
Preparing the Soil
1. For starting seeds indoors, use shallow boxes, placed in a sunny window.
Cigar boxes are of a convenient size for children to use. The soil should be fine and rich in humus.
2. Sift some soil from the compost heap, or some leaf loam (soil from the woods), or some well rotted stable manure,[D] through a large mesh sieve (ash sifter) and mix with the same amount of fine sand.
3. Fill the boxes with this mixture; water it well with a fine sprinkler.