i873-] POLYANTHUS. 103 



would not, I suppose, have been shown me, if I had not detected him in 

 an act of vice which would have cost him his situation if I had men- 

 tioned it. " Conscience doth make cowards of us all." And, conscience- 

 stricken, he became suddenly familiar with me, until he blindly supposed 

 from my silence with regard to it that my eyes and other senses had 

 been at the critical moment oblivious. Thus we madly parley with 

 sin till it gets the dominion over us. Thus we fondly deceive our- 

 selves that human eye is unconscious of our defects. Young men, be- 

 fore you grumble at your difficulties, and envelop yourselves in deceit, 

 reflect that others have their trials as well as you, and that cunniDg 

 may be detected by the penetration of the simplest ! 



One who has Whistled at the Spade. 



POLYAlSrTHirS. 



I SEND you the method by which I grow my Polyanthuses in beds. I 

 take the soil out of the bed 18 inches deep, and I put a thick layer of 

 old horse-dung at the bottom. Then I mix the soil from the bed with 

 old turf, leaf-mould, and good sharp sand, well mixed together in 

 equal proportions, and I put it on the horse-dung on the bed where 

 the plants are to flower. I put the horse-dung at the bottom of the 

 bed, because I find the plants always strike down to it, and they flower 

 much stronger. The situation that I always find the best is a shady 

 border under a hedge, where they are screened from the hot sun. 

 The Polyanthus is often killed with red-spider: to avoid which, as soon 

 as possible, I lift them from the frame with a good ball of earth, and 

 take care not to break the young roots off them. I plant them 10 

 inches apart. When in flewer, I shade them from the hot sun, and the 

 flowers consequently keep fresh much longer. Crossing for seed should 

 be done from 12 to 2 o'clock. Impregnation is more effectual when 

 done at this time. The plants that I save seed from are those that I 

 bloom in pots in a frame, and from which bees are kept. The best- 

 marked flowers, with the best tubes — such as Lord Lincoln, Beauty, 

 George IV., Kingfisher, C. AUsebrook, and President — are good to 

 breed from, as they seed freely. I am sure if any of my Polyanthus 

 friends will try those sorts, they will find them excellent. I have my- 

 self 2000 plants of seedlings to flower this spring, and something like 

 forty kinds to plant out to try again that were very promising last 

 spring. Some of them I expect to be fine. To raise a good stock I 

 make up a hotbed in my large frame and put G inches of leaf-mould 

 in it. Twelve days after, when the heat has subsided, I take my plants 

 up and divide them. The latter end of July is the best time for this 



