TO THE FLOWER GARDEN. 93 



cuttings or layers. The seeds should be sown in June in a 

 bed of light open soil ; and when the seedlings have formed a 

 pair or two of leaves they may be pricked out three inches 

 apart on a bed of light rich earth, in which they may grow 

 till autumn, and will gain strength for flowering. In Sep- 

 tember, or early in October, remove them with good balls of 

 eaith to the borders or beds where they are to flower. When 

 intended for beds, however, any convenient period of open 

 weather between September and February may be chosen for 

 transplanting them ; but they are best planted early in their 

 flowering situations. For beds this would be done annually, 

 the old roots being either destroyed after seed is secured, or 

 transplanted to the borders, or, in the case of new and striking 

 varieties, removed and carefully propagated. In borders the 

 old roots, if vigorous enough, may be left to bloom again. 

 Young jDlants reared from cuttings or layers may be treated 

 exactly like seedlings. The best soil for the blooming plants 

 is a sandy loam, well manured with decayed leaf-mould and 

 stable-dung. The varieties of difl'erent colours of Sweet- 

 william are now numerous, but they are hardly advanced 

 enough for selection by name. 



DICHILUS. [Leguminosae, § Papilionacese.] Greenhouse 

 evergreen shrub. Soil, sandy peat. Propagated by cuttings 

 in sand under a bell-glass. 



DICKSONIA. [Polypodiacese.] A genus of large-grow- 

 ing and handsome ferns. Soil, turfy peat. Increased from 

 the spores, or in some of the kinds by division. With the 

 tree-like species it is best to import good-sized trunks, as 

 young plants are a lifetime growing any considerable size. 

 This may be done thus : — Cut off all the fronds an inch or 

 two from the trunk, and without bruising it, a month or two 

 before the plant is to be shipped, and at the same time remove 

 the soil down to the roots, and cut these also clean through 

 at six inches from the stem : pack in a dry case. On its 

 arrival set the base on the soil of a three-parts-filled pot or 

 tub, which must be thoroughly drained : the soil should be 

 turfy peat, mixed with a nearly equal part sand. Keep it in a 

 close moist heat, but give no water until the young fronds 

 start and are nearly full grown. D. antarctica will sometimes 

 reach fifteen feet hi oh. 



