THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 287 



Pits and Frames. — Pot off intermediate stocks in good turfy- 

 loam, mixed with a liberal proportion of rotten manure and leaf- 

 mould. Sow Mignonette for late work, and thin that already up to 

 about five plants to each five or six-inch pot. Give abundance of 

 air to cuttings of bedding plants that are rooted, and draw the 

 lights off altogether when thoroughly established. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Planting Spring-Flowering Bulbs. — A Subscriber, Harrogate. — Although 

 very frequently done, it is not good practice to plant hyacinths, tulips, and crocuses 

 in the same bed, because they flower at different periods, and at one time the beds 

 present the appearance of pictures without frames, and at another frames without 

 a picture. Planting several classes of bulbs in the same bed is only advisable when 

 the arrangements of each class are made independent of each other. The bulbs can 

 be planted rather close together, and a distinct arrangement of hyacinths, tulips, 

 and crocuses may be made iii the bed. You would then have a display of crocuses 

 first, followed by the hyacinths and tulips. If this cannot be done conveniently, 

 plant each bed with a distinct class of bulbs. All beds intended to be planted with 

 spring-flowering bulbs should be planted with dwarf-growing plants, such as 

 Forget-me-nots, Arabis green or variegated, Alyssum saxatile, Daisies, and the 

 golden-tipped Stonecrop, for the purpose of giving them a bright and cheerful 

 appearance during the winter, and to bring out the flowers of the bulbous plants to 

 better advantage during the spring months. Those who have hitherto been accus- 

 tomed to beds of hyacinths and tulips planted in the usual manner, will be 

 astonished with the wonderfully superior effect produced when they are in bloom. 

 It is practically impossible to have all the bulbs mentioned in your letters in bloom 

 at the same time. 



Raising Pelargoniums from Seed. — An Amateur, Huddersfield. — The whole 

 subject was exhausted in a series of papers which appeared in the Floral World 

 for February, April, June, and July, I860. The numbers may be obtained from the 

 publishers, or through a bookseller. 



Weather Guide. — A. H. — We are much obliged by your offer, but are unable 

 to accept it. Judging from the forecast of the summer quarter, we are afraid you 

 will not do much towards proving " that it is possible to foretell the character of the 

 weather months beforehand." 



Banksian Roses.— D. — The simplest and safest way to deal with the young 

 plants is to leave them where they are until the early part of November, and then 

 plant them in their permanent quarter. 



Making New Lawns.— J". F".— Spergula will form a capital lawn, but it requires 

 careful management, especially when first planted, hence it is that it is seldom seen. 

 Lawns can be laid down with grass seed, and, in some cases, eventually surpass 

 those laid down with turf. The ground requires careful preparation, and seeds of 

 suitable grasses must be sown. The mixtures of lawn-grasses sold by respectable 

 firms are in every way suitable, and if you specify the size of the plot to be laid 

 down in giving the order, you will have the proper quantity sent. 



Seedling Auriculas.—^ Young Florist. —Seedling Auriculas that are now 

 strong should be potted separately in small pots, in a light mixture of loam from 

 retted turves two parts, clean leaf-mould two parts, thoroughly decomposed hotbed 

 dung one part, and silver-sand one part. In this mixture they will winter well, and 

 may be shifted into larger pots early in the spring, when they first begin to move. 

 A simpler way of wintering is to plant them out in a bed five inches apart, so 

 arranged that a frame can be put over them for the winter. Many will show bloom 

 in the spring, and the best of such may be potted to keep ; the worst are to be 

 weeded out and destroyed. If any of them throw up blooms this autumn, pick the 

 blooms out ; autumn blooming should never be allowed. Unless they are crowding 

 each other, it will be better to wait another week before potting them. 



