ON THE CULTUBE OK SALVIAS AS BORDER PLANTS. 99 



discharged in the air, so that the water may fall lightly on the 

 surface. I put the boxes under a north wall, and protect them 

 from heavy rains. The best times of sowing are the middle ot 

 October, or early in January ; the seed will come up in a month 

 or five weeks. They should be put in a cold frame in frosty 

 weather, but, at all other times, should have constant exposure to 

 sun and air. Clean the boxes from green moss in February, and 

 top-dress them with dry mould. About the second week in May, 

 plunge the boxes up to the edge in the open ground, where they 

 have only the morning sun; water them daily until the grass 

 withers, then let the boxes become quite dry, and about the middle 

 of July take them up, dry them gradually, and keep them in a 

 box in dry sand. I plant them in February, and treat them as I 

 do the old roots. They will flower in great profusion in the fol- 

 lowing J line. 



I am confident that, if florists would adopt this method, more 

 than half the old flowers would soon be thrown into mixture. 

 Much has been done in raising seedling Tulips, Carnations, Pinks, 

 Auriculas, and Polyanthuses ; yet comparatively little has been 

 done in the culture of the Ranunculus, though it excels all other 

 flowers in the symmetry of its shape, and in the brilliancy and vari- 

 ety of its colours. A bed of choice Ranunculuses presents one of 

 tlie most attractive objects Nature can exhibit in her gayest mood. 

 There you behold black, purple, and violet of every shade, mingled 

 with others as white as snow. There you see crimson, red, and 

 of various tints ; orange, yellow, and straw, of every dye. 

 Many are striped as distinctly as the Carnation: some are red 

 and white, and others scarlet and gold. Numbers are edged like 

 tin- Pieotee, having white, buff, or yellow grounds : others are 

 ■haded, spotted, or mottled, in endless variety. The sight of such 

 I (olle.tion instantly fills the spectator with admiration and delight. 



WaMimqfori, Feb. \Uh, 1834. Joseph Tyso. 



ARTICLE II.— On the Culture of Salvias as Border 

 Plants. \\y A JERSEY GARDENER. 

 \ there hat been bnl little said, in the Florist's MagAtbtf, on 

 ""• culom "i ile various kinds of Salvias as bonier plants, I 



