1S70.] THE PHLOX. 163 



cultivation which I give is not put forward as the only one by which 

 success may be reached, but simply as one which I have proved to be 

 good, or seen others successfully practise. The experience of an 

 amateur may be of use to many a brother amateur with boundless love 

 for his floral beauties, but wanting skill to make them display all their 

 charms to him. I sometimes wonder that amateurs do not give their 

 experiences oftener than they do. I recollect my own difficulties when 

 I began to grow flowers, and more especially when I began to mea- 

 sure my strength with others on the exhibition table ; and if any 

 information which I can give will help a brother, I shall indeed be 

 glad to impart it. 



Like most florists' flowers, the Phlox is best grown in beds, so that 

 all the plants may have the same treatment and attention in the most 

 handy way. Any light garden-soil of fair quality will suit them. It 

 is said that they grow best when there is peat in the soil. On this 

 point I can give no opinion, but I know that they will grow very well 

 without it. To make a good beginning, prepare the beds about the 

 middle of March, or it may be later, by digging in a very liberal 

 quantity of well-rotted manure, and breaking up the soil thoroughly. 

 To do the Phlox justice, the plants must have room. Plant them, 

 therefore, 15 inches apart each way. As the young plants destined 

 for the beds will likely have commenced their growth in a frame, or 

 w T ill have been newly bought from the nurseryman, they will require 

 the protection of pots for a short time after planting out, or they will 

 suffer from the keen winds of spring. Give them early in their 

 growth the support of neat stakes, so that their great enemy the wind 

 may not injure them. Yet it sometimes happens, notwithstanding 

 the greatest care, the wind will whip the top off a shoot as clean as if 

 it were cut with a knife. Snails are very fond of the young shoots, 

 and will do much damage if a close watch is not kept upon them for 

 a time. 



That the Phlox is a greedy and exhaustive feeder, is shown by its 

 hundreds of rootlets matted closely together. It has also a trick of 

 pushing its roots above ground, and to supply these, each plant may 

 be mulched with a quantity of good manure sprinkled with earth. 

 The Phlox likes water, and in a dry time will take a good soaking 

 every two or three days. If the young plants are strong, good spikes 

 may be got the first year, but it is during the second season that the 

 strength and glory of the Phlox will appear. The bed may either be 

 again manured and dug in the spring, letting the plants remain in 

 their places ; or, if the circumstances of the garden will permit, the 

 plants may be carefully lifted and planted in another bed prepared 

 as at first ; or, if room is not available, the plants may be lifted and 



