12 ON THE CULTURE OF MIGNONETTE IN POTS. 



After four years' sowing, without the least failure, I consider my 

 system established, and by it, without the least variation, Mignonette 

 in flower by Christmas, and as strong as border Mignonette. On 

 the 20th of August I sowed one hundred pots of thirty-twos, filled 

 with the following compost : half sandy loam, the other half made up 

 with leaf mould and road sand, not sifted, but very dry when used, 

 and pressed into the pots to the brim. When the seeds are sown, a 

 little of the compost is sifted over them ; the pots are then put into 

 a pit or frame, and set very near the glass. The lights are kept off 

 at all times, except during rainy weather, when they are always put 

 on, as above all things a drop of rain must never fall upon the pots, 

 for several reasons. The first of these is, because rain is often very 

 heavy, and washes the seeds out of the pots. Secondly, the rain is 

 often too little and only moistens' the surface. And, thirdly, after 

 the 1st of October, rain is too cold. I water the plants with a very 

 fine rose, and always twice over, but never until they are on the 

 point of nagging. After the 1st of October I either warm the water 

 or use it out of the stove. I remove the Mignonette to the front of 

 the greenhouse about the 1st of November, for fear of damps. If a 

 succession is wanted, I cut down as many as may be necessary about 

 the middle of December, and these make a better blooming and 

 thicker pot of Mignonette than a second sowing. I leave only six or 

 seven plants in each pot. I do not vary in any way from the above 

 now, excepting it is kept in pits all winter, instead of the front of an 

 airy greenhouse, and I have at this time (December 10th) about one 

 thousand pots, and I do not hesitate to state that better Mignonette 

 is not in the neighbourhood of London, which will be in full flower 

 by February and March. 



I have flowered Smith's scarlet Geranium with seven trusses upon 

 it. Your old subscriber must give it plenty of room, and good rich 

 lio-bt mould to grow in. I have got a quantity of what is called 

 Compactum, a light scarlet ; the trusses are nearly as big as Smith's, 

 and is by far the finest blooming one of all the scarlets. I sent a 

 plant to the South London Horticultural Society's Show, with 

 eighteen large trusses upon it. It is hardly known, excepting with 

 a few round London. A clump planted with the above must be 

 splendid. 



