A L C 



A L C 



about the middle of April, covering them in to too large for small situations, and their requiring 

 the depth of about half an inch. In performing tall stakes to secure them from hemg broken by 

 this business, it is the practice with some to sow winds. But in extensive grounds,^ where they 

 them thinly over the whole bed ; while others, are properly disposed, they make a fine show. As 

 from the seeds being of a large size, prefer their their spikes of flowers grow very long, there wdl be 

 beincT- deposited in shallow, flat drills, made asuccessionof them on the same stems, often for 

 abou° six inches apart, and half an inch in depth, more than two months ; those on the lower part 

 In these they should be sown in a thin and re- of the spike appearing tirst; and as the stalks ad- 

 gular manner, bringing the mould back over vancc, new flowers wdl be produced. When they 

 them, and then raking the surface of the bed are planted in good rich ground, their stalks 

 quite'smooth. In this method the plants, from often rise to a very great height, many feet of 

 their cominn- up more closely together, will re- each being garnished with flow crs, which when 

 quire to be transplanted at a more eariy period ; double, ai^d of good colours, make a fine display, 

 but they may be covered better, and be kept clean and produce a good effect ; especially where the 

 in their eariy growth with more ease and facility, various colours are properiy intermixed. 

 Jn eitlier way the plants generally appear in the From the tallness of their growth in most of 

 course of a few weeks. After the plants have put the sorts, they are best adapted to be placed to- 

 out six or eip-ht leaves, as about the beginni\ig of wards the back parts of borders or clumps in 

 July, they should be transplanted into other beds, shrubberies, lawns, courts, or other parts of plea- 

 and set out to the distance of a foot or more sure grounds. Some of the Dwarf Chinese kind 

 each wav, water being occasionally applied till may, however, have occasionally a situation more 

 they have taken fresh root. In these beds they towards the front in such places. 

 mav remain till the autumn, about the middle of Though the roots of these plants are perennial, 

 October ; care being taken to keep the ground and send forth stems for many years in succes- 

 cl can from weeds ;°when they may be "finally sion, they never flowerwith such vigour,or pro- 

 planted in the situations where they are to re- duce them of so large a size, so double, or of so 

 main for flowerinfr. good colours, as in the first two years. It is there- 



As the plants seldom produce any thing more fore necessary, in order to have good flowers of 



than root-leaves the first year, it is the practice this sort, to raise some plants annually from 



with some to suffer them to remain another good seed. This is the more easily effected, as 



year before the final planting out, in order that all the species and varieties, both double and sin- 



the goodness of the flowers may be ascertained, gle, are very productive in seed for the purpose. 



In this intention they should, however, be set From the plants being annual in their stem, they 



out at much greater distances in the beds. The must be cut off and cleared away every autumn, 

 former is probably the best method, as young 

 plants succeed with greater certainty than those 

 of older growths ; and where sufficient care has 

 been taken in collecting the seed, there will be 

 but few bad-flowered plants. 



The Dwarf or Chinese kind, as well as the 

 African species, may be raised from seed, either 

 by sowing it upon a hot-bed oron a warm border, 

 or in patches in the open ground, in the latter end 

 of March or the beginning of April. The plants 

 raised in the first and second method may be 



ALCUF.MILLA, Ladie.'i' Manfle, a genus 

 comprehending several hardy herbaceous perennial 

 plants of the ornamental kind. 



It belono-s to the class and order of Tetrandria 

 JSlunngrjiiia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Sentia)S(p. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a onc- 

 leafcd, tubulous, permanent perianthium, with 

 edge flat, divided into eight segments : no co- 

 rolla : the stamina have erect, awl-shaped, very 

 small filaments on the edge of the calyx, the an- 

 planted out about May or June, in places where therae roundish : the pistillimi has an ovate germ ; 

 they are to remain and flower. These mostly style filiform, of the length of the stamina, in- 

 flower the same year, and should of course be serted at the base of the germ : stigma globular : 



raised annually from seed. 



no pericarpinni, the neck of the calyx closing 



As most of these plants, though natives of and never opening: the seeds arc solitary, elliptic, 



warm countries, are hardy enough to thrive in and conipressctl. 



the open air in this climate and are'of tall growth, The species mostly cultivated are ; ]. A. rul- 



continuina; to flower for a great length of time, garh, Common Alchemilla ; '2. A. Allnna, Al- 



thcy have long been considered as highly orna- pine Digitate Alchemilla. 



mental in the garden and pleasure ground, in the In the first of these the stems are prostrate, fili- 



latter part of sunmier. Since they have become form, branched, and a little hairy. The root- 



connnon, thuy havenot however heenregardedso leaves roundish, and plaited; the stem-leaves 



much as they deserve, partly from their growing three- or-fi,e lobcd. The stipules opposite^ ovate, 



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