TO THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



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sprinkled all over the branches, and, when well grown, as 

 delicate as the most elegant artificial flowers. The petals are 

 stiff and dry, and, if gathered when in good order, the flowers 

 may be classed among those vulgarly called " everlasting." 

 The soil adapted best for its healthy culture is a compost of 

 loam, decomposed cowdung, turfy peat, and sand ; two parts 

 of the loam, and one of each of the rest, well incorporated, 

 and passed through a coarse sieve. In a shallow pan of this 

 compost, gently compressed by striking the pan on the table, 

 and levelled even with the edge, the seeds should be sown in 

 March or April very thinly and evenly ; with the hand 

 spread flat, press the surface gently all over, and then with 

 a very fine sieve shake enough compost over the seeds to 

 cover them, and no more. The pan may be placed in a hot- 

 bed or in the stove. When the plants come up let them 

 be thinned a little, drawing out any weeds that may come up 

 with them, and place them close to the glass. In a few 

 days they will be large enough to prick out four or six in a 

 three-inch pot; and as soon as they have taken root they 

 may be put into the greenhouse, and allowed to grow until 

 they nearly touch each other, but they must be kept near the 

 light, and have air in very mild weather. When they are 

 first pricked out they must be shaded a day or two. They 

 may next be planted singly in three-inch pots, and still kept 

 near the glass. In these pots they may continue growing 

 until the roots completely fill the space round the sides, when 

 they may be transferred to five-inch pots, in which they may 

 bloom. Continue to give them plenty of air, plenty of light, 

 and moderate waterings. There are few annuals that com- 

 pete with them for elegance of form, symmetry, and beauty 

 of flower. The supernumerary pots of five or six plants each 

 — that is, those not required for separate potting — should be 

 set aside and kept in the frames till the middle of May, when 

 they may be turned out into the borders in the patches 

 without being disturbed. Being dwarf, they must be kept 

 near the front. From those in the borders seed may be 

 expected. Be careful to gather it as soon as the flowers lose 

 their bright pink colour, for, as the seed ripens, the petals get 

 paler, and being a composite flower the seed is not within a 

 pod, and would easily be lost : pick off the flowers whole, and 



