THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 15 



In very poor or sandy soil it is sometimes difficult to maintain a 

 supply of cauliflowers. When this is the case, a planting should 

 take place about the first week in June, in some cool shady spot upon 

 a north border ; this will generally furnish a supply when it would be 

 difficult to get them in open exposed situations about the end of 

 August. 



I may remark here that should any mishap occur that tlie plants 

 are lost which were intended to stand the winter, a great deal may 

 be gained by sowing a pinch of seed in a large seed-pan in heat 

 early in T'ebruary. When these are well up they may bo pricked 

 off into pots or boxes, and be nursed on until April, when they 

 should be hardened off preparatory to being planted out. These 

 will be about a month later than autumn-sown plants, but if it is a 

 good growing season, they will be sure to come in usefully when peas 

 are beginning to fail. 



BALSAMS AND THEIR CULTTJEE. 



BY JOKP;r F. m'eleot, 

 Head Gardener at Moray Lodge, Campden Hill. 



PEW years ago, and like early cucumber growing, what a 

 laudable rivalry existed among neighbouring gardeners 

 as to who should excel in obtaining balsams in the best 

 possible perfection, cherishing as they did, with some 

 degree of jealousy, the seed of their favourite varieties, 

 which were famous for some peculiar superiority either in the size 

 or substance of the flower, or else in the habit or symmetry of the 

 plant. It is to be regretted that the cultivation of this once popular 

 flower has been, to some extent, on the decline of late vears ; thouf^h 

 we are pleased to observe, at some of our floral exhibitioES, that 

 Messrs. E. and A. Smith, of the Dulwich nurseries, have,' by atten- 

 tion to their improvement, produced some most excellent varieties. 

 So also Mr. Williams, of the Victoria Nursery, Holloway, devoted 

 his attention of late to the carefal raising of some superior sorts, a 

 stand of which blooms was exhibited at the exhibition in the Eoval 

 Botanic Gardens, in July of 1866, and elicited the admiration of 

 numerous visitors. 



Our Continental neighbours, likewise, have been successful in the 

 production of fine varieties, many of which are remarkable for size 

 .of flower. Although they describe a great many colours and shades 

 of colours with the greatest minuteness, yet I think, on close ex- 

 amination, that there might be a considerable reduction made in 

 their number, as when compared with each other it requires a decree 

 of nicety few people possess to distinguish them., so closely are the 

 shades allied. In their description of the habits of the plants, there 

 may prevail such difftrences as they describe, but their enumeration 

 of colours is extravagant. In looking over some of the catalogues, 



