January 25, 1877. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDEIJEB. 



61 



aoou as they are ready, and when yon have taken as many as 

 are wanted throw away the old plants if not required, and for 

 the small cost of growing the young plants from now till May 

 yon will be more than compensated during the dark and foggy 

 days of November. — J. W. Moobman. 



FLOWEES WORTH GROWING FOE CUTTING. 



Ageratum Imperial Dwarf. — Lavender, half-hardy annual. 

 Seed should be sown in a hotbed in March, the seedlings 

 potted-off singly in 3inch pots when large enough to handle, 

 and be grown-on near the glass in gentle heat, hardening-off 

 thoronghly before planting-ont in May. The soil requires to 

 be rich and light, an open yet sheltered position, planting 

 three rows in a 4-feet bed, or plant in rows 1 foot apart, omit- 

 ting every fourth row. Water freely in dry weather, and 

 oooasionally with liquid manure after the plants commence 

 flowering. 18 inches. 



Aster. — Victoria and Improved Pceony Perfection, those 

 being best had in ooUeotione, or if only a few are wanted 

 mixed packets will serve. If but one kind is wanted the Vic- 

 toria is very much the best; and of the Dwarf Bouquet the 

 Boltze Aster is superb. Sow in March for early bloom as de- 

 scribed for Ageratum, and for a late bloom early in April in a 

 cold frame, keeping close until the plants just show through 

 the soil, then admit air freely, avoiding frost. The plants will 

 be very stocky, and should be planted-out late in May or early 

 in June. The Victoria and Picony Asters should be planted 

 in rows 18 inches apart, omitting every third row for an alley, 

 and the Bonqaet Asters in rows a foot apart, omitting every 

 fourth row. The soil can hardly be too rich for these plants, 

 and the plants are the better if mulched with short manure, 

 and have weak liquid manure after they " button." 



Centaurea Cyanm major. — Various-coloured, mostly blue and 

 white, or light shades of colour ; one of the finest of all cut 

 flowers. Hardy annual. Sjw during early April in light rich 

 soil in an open yet sheltered situation in rows a yard apart, 

 thinning-out the plants to C inches apart. I like a double row, 

 the rows being about G inches ap>rt, and the plants that dis- 

 tance in the rows. The dwarf — ;' t'., minor, is not nearly so 

 good as the tall variety. Sow early in September in a sheltered 

 border to stand the winter for early summer bloom. 3 feet. 



Chrysanthemums. — C. Dunnetti flore-pltno (double white), 

 C. Daunetti aurea (double golden), and G. carinatum hybridum 

 flore-pleno (various-coloured), are useful hardy annuals. Sow 

 in March for early blojm in gentle heat, treating the same as 

 Asters ; and sow oat of doors early in April in rows a foot 

 apart, thinning the plants to 9 inches. 2 feet. 



Marigolds. — These are neglected far catting. Why ? They 

 really are very beautiful. The great African Orange and Lemon 

 Marigolds are really superb by candlelight when arranged with 

 the feathery spray of Celosia pyramidalis cocoinea or dark 

 Fuchsias, whilst the Striped French Marigolds have the finest 

 marking. Sow during early April in gentle heat, keeping near 

 the glass to prevent the seedlings from drawing, potting-off 

 singly or pricking-o£[ m pans or boxes 2 or 3 inches apart, 

 airing well so as to have stocky plants well hardened-off by 

 the middle of May. They like good rich soil and the distances 

 mentioned for Victoria Asters are suitable. 2 feet. 



Mignonette. — Large-flowered Pyramidal (Reseda meliorata 

 gigantsa pyramidalis), surpasses all others. Sow on a warm 

 border in March for early bloom, or in pots, planting-out in 

 May after hardening the plants well off, and early in April 

 sow in drills 18 iocbes apart, thinning the plants to 9 inches 

 apart. Mignonette likes a free, open, rich soil. I sow mine 

 in bordeis like Parsley. Enoaah seed may be had for a shil- 

 ling to form a row more than 100 yards long 18 to 2i inches 

 wide, no plant for the money affording so good a return in 

 delicate fragrance. 



Sweet Peas. — These are unquestionably unapproached by 

 any annual for cutting, for which purpose they are best grown 

 in separate colours, but for effuct the colours should be mixed. 

 It is surprising what a quantity of flowers a row 20 yards long 

 will give, and everybody should have a loug row of these 

 Sweet Pea blooms. For early flowering seed may be sown in 

 pots or on reversed strips of turf and grown in a cold frame, 

 planting-out in & pril or early in May in a warm situation, sow- 

 ing outdoors early in April, and for succession early in May. 

 They require sticking like edible 1 eas, and grow feet high. 

 Afford them rich soil, and liquid manure after commencing 

 flowering. 



Phlox Drummondi. — It is best to obtain a collection, the 



colours are very rich and varied, and the flowers are very 

 durable in a cut state. Sow in March in gentle heat, prick-off 

 in pans or boxes about an inch apart, hardening the plants 

 well off before planting-out during May, in an open sitnation 

 in light rich soil, the rows to be a foot apart, omitting every 

 fourth row. Water freely in dry weather. 18 inches. 



Scabious (Double Dwarf). —The colours of theflowers are rich 

 and showy, and possess a delicate fragrance. This old plant, 

 especially in its newer dwarf form, is not nearly so common 

 as it deserves. It is also very enduring in a cut state. It is a 

 biennial, and may be sown in Jane outdoors in an open 

 situation, pricking the seedlings out in a sheltered place during 

 September, and planting them out in spring, or they may be 

 left to flower where put out in late summer ; but it flowers 

 the first year grandly if sown in March in gentle heat, the 

 plants being hardened-off before planting-ont in May. I have 

 sown in a cold frame in early April, and had good plants to 

 put out in May, flowering finely in August until severe frost. 

 They require the distances named for Victoria Asters. Scabious 

 ought to be in every garden. 



Stocks. — Large-flowering German Ten-week, secure a collec- 

 tion and sow in March in gentle heat, pricking off the plants 

 when large enough to handle ; but they well repay potting-ofi 

 singly in small pots, and after being hardened-oS planting ont 

 in May in rich soil. The rows should be a foot apart, omitting 

 every fourth row. They will bloom splendidly in July. Sow 

 again early in April in a cold frame and plant out at the end of 

 May or early in June, and they will bloom in August and con- 

 tinue until frost. Intermediate Stock is best represented in 

 East Lothian, purple, scarlet, and white, which should be sown 

 in July or early in August, established in pots before winter, 

 wintered in a pit or frame with protection in severe weather, 

 shifting into larger pots in February any which are intended 

 for greenhouse decoration, planting out the remainder after 

 the weather becomes mild. For late summer sow during March 

 in gentle heat and plant out during May. The soil for Stocks 

 should be rich and light. 



Sweet Sultan, purple, white, and yellow, yields sweet and 

 showy flowers. It should be sown in rich light soil early 

 in April where the plants are required to flower, in rows 

 18 inches apart, the plants allowed to stand in a double row 

 about 6 inches apart. 2 feet. So win early September for early 

 flowering — in fact, autumn sowings give the finest flowers. 



Wallflowers. — Harbinger is the earliest variety, flowering 

 finely in autumn from seed sown in March or early April, and 

 continuing through the winter when mild. It is a brown or 

 reddish brown. Belvoir Castle, dwarf yellow, is very flori- 

 ferous, and it with Blood Bed will meet every requirement in 

 the single-flowered section, and of the double German varie- 

 ties a collection must be obtained to secure good flowers. Sow 

 in May or early in Jane, pricking-off the seedlings when large 

 enough to handle in rows 6 inches apart and that distance 

 between each plant, and in September take out every other 

 row and every other plant in the rows left, and plant a foot 

 apart where intended to flower. The soil for Wallflowers 

 should only be moderately rich and the situation sheltered, 

 the ground being open in character though firm, so as to in- 

 duce a stiff well-ripened growth, for whan the soil is rich and 

 loose the plants are so succulent as to be cut by frost. 



Branching Larkspurs give a number of side shoots that are 

 very useful, especially the blue or purple shades of colour. 

 Sow during early April in an open situation in rows 2 feet apart, 

 omitting every third, thinning the plants to 6 inches apart. 

 2J feet. Sow in September for early summer cutting. 



The Perennial Larksjmrs or Delphiniums if sown early, or 

 during March in gentle heat and the plants prieked-off 2 inches 

 apart in pans or boxes when they show the second loaves, and 

 grown-on, hardening well oft' and planting out during May in 

 rich soil in an open situation 18 inches apart, will flower in late 

 summer, and being mostly blue shades of colour are very desir- 

 able. 3 feet. The French hybrids are very good, a packet 

 usually giving some variety. D. formosum is fine, and D. nudi- 

 caule (scarlet), D. chinensis (deep blue), and D. grandiflorum 

 ccelestinum (tky-blue) are all worthy of cultivation. 



Rockets are very free-flowering and sweet. The purple (lilac) 

 and white are good, but the brown or sweet (Hesperis tristis) 

 is most perf nmod. Sow in May or June outdoors, pricking the 

 plants off when large enough to handle, and plant ont during 

 September 18 inches apart in light soil. 2 to 3 feet. They 

 flower in early summer. 



Jacobtea (Senecio elegane) in double crimson, lilac, purple, 

 red, and white, give an immensity of flowers which are often 



