Journal of Agriculture. 



[8 Jan., 1908. 



grow. Seeds should be sown in early autumn or spring in light soil. 

 Thev may be sown in boxes or pots or in a specially prepared patch of 

 light well-tilled soil. When the young plants are large enough to handle 

 they should be potted or grown on in boxes until strong enough to plant 

 in the borders. Snails and slugs should be prevented from attacking the 

 young plants. Seeds can be obtained from the various seedsmen or the 

 grower can save his or her own ; the finest varieties only should be selected 

 to save seeds from and the flowers should be fertilized. Any indifferent 

 varieties, especially those bearing purplish coloured flowers, should be cut 

 down before the process of cross-fertilizing is started. 



TYPICAL PENTSTEMON SEEDLINGS. 



A number of varieties of pentstemon are catalogued by nurserymen. 

 The following are a few of the best: — Alba, White Beauty, Perle, Stan- 

 stead Rival, Georges Sand, Sculpteur Bartholdi, Bertha Koch, Cratere, 

 Kamm, Neron, Jupiter, Diane, Emblem, Gauiois, Lamartine. 



Flow^er Garden. 



The importance of a proper preparation of the soil prior to planting is 

 apparent at this season of the year. In gardens where the beds and 

 borders have been deeplv worked, drained, and manured, the plants 

 generally grow satisfactorily without watering, while in poor and shallow 

 soils frequent soakings of water are necessary to keep them alive, although 

 the natural conditions are practically identical. The most important task 

 at present is the maintenance of coolness and moisture in the soil, com- 

 bined with healthy foliage on the plants. Watering, mulching, and culti- 

 vating are means to promote the former, while materially assisting the 

 latter. 



