When balmy spring breezes blow, gardeners begin to think of the days to come when the warm sun will beat down on their backs as they bend over, hoeing, cultivating, and taking care of their gardens this summer.

But before there can be a garden, there must be a lot of hard work done to prepare for such a practical supplement to the family larder.

In order to tell readers how they might best prepare for the coming garden season, a visit was paid to Wilfred Newell, head gardener of the University of Wisconsin, at the horticulture greenhouses in the college of agriculture. Newell, who has been with the university 29 years, was formerly employed for five years in the famous Kew gardens or Royal Botanical gardens, Kew, England, before coming to America. He also spent about five years with the New York State experimental station at Geneva, N. Y., and was a gardener on the estate o拢 Dr. Charles Mayo, one of the men who started the famous Mayo clinic at Rochester. Minnesota.

Describes Procedure

Newell described in detail, the procedure in the preparation of seed boxes, transplanting of seedlings, and general gardening tips for those gardeners who want to start their own plants or transplanting this year. First of all, you start with "soil," Newell said. But what is "soil"?

Each year, a patch of ground is set aside for the preparation of the "soil"' used in making the seed beds and seed boxes used in starting the thousands of plants used by university students in gardening classes and in experimental work at the college of agriculture. Newell explained. Layers of sod are laid down on the ground, then a layer of cow manure about 3 inches thick is placed on top of the sod. Another layer of manure and another layer of sod are placed and so on until the whole pile is about 5 feet deep and as big in area as is needed to get the right amount of "soil" for later use.

Sets Two Years

This pile of sod and manure is allowed to set for two years during which time both the sod and the manure heat through, decompose, and gradually blend together, to produce what is known as composted soil. When the gardeners want to use the material, they "slice" the pile from top to bottom thus getting a fair sample of each layer in one batch.

Such a compost pile can be made by the average gardener to be prepared each year for the starting of such plants as peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, celery, tomatoes, and various flower plants, indoors.

The same procedure as used why the U. W. horticulturists may be used by home gardeners, only on a smaller scale.

First, the gardener has a group of small "flats' square wooden boxes, about 1 foot square, about 2\2 inches deep and with a hole or two bored into the bottom of the box, to provide drainage for the box.

He then takes a square sifting screen, a box about 14 inches square, with a coarse wire mesh on the bottom. The "soil" that has been composted for use, is sifted through this screen. This takes out all of the hard, lumpy material that would otherwise prevent the formation of a firm, smooth seed bed, allowing the tiny seeds to push their way out quickly and easily.

The lumpy, coarse material is placed in The bottom of the seed box, providing a porous underbase, which allows good drainage of the box when the seed box is watered. Then the soil which has come through the coarse screen mixed with a small amount of pure sand, to provide a more pliable, easily worked soil for the seed box. This, after being mixed, is again sifted by a sieve with a screen.

This again sorts out the slightly larger particles of soil, allowing only the finest material to fall through. Then the fine material which went through the sieve is put on top of the coarse material in the seed box, filling the box to within an inch of the top. That soil is firmed gently with the finger tips, not packed into the box. The top of. the box is smoothed off so that the surface is perfectly level. This prevents water from settling or standing in any one spot on the box.

Since most seeds should he sown only several inches deep to speed germination, Neweil showed how a simple tool that anyone can make, can be used to get the rows in the box straight and yet have them at the right depth.

A piece of lath, long enough to just fit inside the small seed box, with a beveled edge, allows tree gardener to lay out straight rows at any desired depth, merely by pressing the beveled edge into the soil.

After putting the row of seed in, it is covered with sand in the row, rather than with the soil. That is to protect the seed against "damping off" fungus, which attacks small plants near the surface of the soil if that portion of the seed box doesn't dry rapidly after watering. The sand allows the water to go through to the roots but soon dries out at the surface area.

Wait for Leaves

When the seeds have sprouted, and when the plants have from two to four leaves, they are strong enough to be handled. They should be removed from the sprouting box and transferred to larger "flats." These are merely 2% inches deep.

The tiny seedlings should be set about 2 inches apart in these wooden boxes, approximately 21 inches long, 15 inches wide, and larger boxes. Again a simple tool to measure the distance and to make a straight row consists of a piece of lath, just long enough to fit into the lengthwise dimensions of the box, and marked in 2 inch intervals, used.

Transplanting the seedlings calls into use a third simple tool that anyone can make. It is a carpenter's dowel, a 4 or 5 inch long round piece of wood, about the size of an average pencil, and sharpened in the pencil sharpener to a blunt point. It is called a "dibble" or "dibber," and is user to poke small holes into the soil of the box, where the seedlings may be set with no trouble. In pressing the soil around their loots, the dibble again is used, putting the point against some soil just over the root and firming it into the soil, thus making close contact with the soil in the box.

Newell points out that there are two ways in which a seedling box should be watered for best results. It may be set into a larger container of water, allowing the water to soak up from the bottom of the box, although there is danger of too much watering, or the top of the box may be sprinkled with a mist-like spray until The soil is thoroughly dampened. A fine spray protects the tiny plants from damage, and the watering is more even and thorough.

Most seeds being started in advance of the outdoor season need temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, for best germination. In any case temperatures should not be below 60 degrees. The soil should be kept moist at all times but not wet or puddly.

Transplanting seedlings to the outdoor garden should not take place before the weather is sure to be free of freezing temperatures. Most gardeners can start, their indoor seedling boxes about the first of April. But since there is considerable variation between times of germination of various plants, gardeners should get directions before planting.

One of the serious diseases that attack the average plant at germination time is "Damping of fungus" which wilts the plant just above or immediately below the surface of the soil. It is caused by soils too wet and poorly drained. Two methods of control are effective in preventing it.

ONE. Don't have the soil in the seedling boxes too wet. Keep it just dry enough to sustain the life of the plants.

TWO: Use a disinfectant, either "Semi San" or "Arasan." Either one of which are effective if sprinkled on top of the seedling box, just enough so that it can be seen on the soil surface,

Newell cautions against getting young seedlings to warm damp as that causes the plants to get "leggy" tall, and spindly and they are thus not nearly as healthy for outdoor trans- planting.

When the seedlings are first planted in the outdoor garden, they should be protected from the hot sun for three or four -lavs with coverings of cheese cloth or papers.