CHAP. X VILLA GARDENINCt 197 



shades of colour between crimson, white, and yellow, their value 

 for cutting being very great, the cost of the seeds being repaid 

 many times over by the value of the cut flowers. La Belle, Prince 

 of Wales, Exquisite, White Swan, Prince of Orange, Irona, La 

 Favori, Covent Garden Scarlet, Souvenir de la Malmaison, Duke 

 of Wellington, Proserpine, Princess Christian, Favourite, and Miss 

 Jolliffe are good varieties. Some of the best growers, such as La 

 Belle, for instance, are quite at home trained on a wall in a light 

 house ; they flower freely in such a position — becoming, in fact, 

 valuable clmbing plants. 



CHAPTER X 



Greenhouse Annuals — The Balsam. — A mistake is made in 

 sowing these too early, before other things, of which such numbers 

 are now annually required, are sufliciently out of hand to permit 

 of justice being done to them ; and if such things as Balsams and 

 Cockscombs are starved at the beginning, the Balsam at least never 

 gets over it. If sown about the first or second week in April, 

 pricked oft" when large enough to handle, and grown on close to the 

 glass, nice bushy plants will be obtained. In the early life of the 

 plant it is important that a good foundation be laid, which can only 

 be done by keeping them in a light position near the glass. If the 

 pots are partially plunged in a mild hotbed, so that the foliage is 

 near the glass, a strong sturdy base will be formed, which may 

 afterwards by high feeding be converted into very fine specimens. 

 They must never be permitted to become pot-bound till they are 

 required to flower, and all the first flower buds should be picked 

 off". 1 1-inch pots will suffice for good-sized specimens, as they will 

 take very large and strong doses of liquid manure. Abundant 

 ventilation is necessary at all times, but especially as they approach 

 the flowering period. The syringe may be used beneficially on the 

 afternoons of fine days. 



In potting, at every fresh shift an eff"ort should be made to sink 

 the i^lants lower in the pots ; this tends to dwarf the plants by 

 burying the stems ; it also adds to the root force, as the buried 

 stems soon throw out roots, which spread rapidly and prove most 

 useful. The soil should be rich, but not too light. As the roots 

 want something substantial to lay hold of, good sound loam, rather 

 adhesive, and old hotbed manure, about half of each, will grow 

 them to perfection. To save seeds, gather the plants which are 

 producing the best marked, the most distinct, and most perfectly- 

 shaped flowers altogether at one end of the greenhouse. Usually 



