94 HEARTSEASE OR PAXSV. 



and descriptive characters of these " little gems" came first 

 from England to this country, we were almost induced to 

 believe they were exaggerated "pictures of fancy," till we 

 actually cultivated within these last two years in our own 

 parterre upwards of two inches in diameter. 



They delight in a situation partially shaded from the hot 

 rays of the sun, either fully exposed to the morning rays 

 till ten o'clock, or the afternoon sun from three o'clock ; a 

 soil composed of four parts good loam and one part tho- 

 roughly rotted manure, or three parts loam and one part 

 decayed leaves, not less than one foot deep : the soil must 

 not be more elevated than the surrounding surface, as they 

 like a good supply of moisture. If they are to be cultivated 

 from seeds they should be thinly sown about the first of the 

 month, or about the end of August or first of September, 

 and very lightly covered with fine soil, giving them very 

 frequent waterings in dry weather. Those sown now will 

 bloom in July, and very profusely in the autumn ; but those 

 sown in the latter period will not bloom till early the follow- 

 ing spring. When any very esteemed variety is raised, it 

 should be propagated, which is very easily done, either by 

 layers or cuttings, and sometimes by division of the root, 

 but the two former methods are preferable. The best time 

 for laying is about the first of September : an inch or two 

 of the soil may be removed all round the plant, the shoots 

 laid down in the hollow, and covered over with light rich 

 compost. The shoots will root more freely if they get a 

 gentle twist when laying them down. The best period for 

 propagating by cuttings is about the middle of this month 

 or September. Cuttings should be chosen from young 

 shoots about two or three inches long ; for'when shoots are 

 woody or hollow they will either not strike at all or produce 

 unhealthy plants. A shaded but airy situation is prefera- 

 ble, and if the soil is of a light sandy nature, the better 

 success will attend the operation : the cuttings should be 

 firmly inserted from one to two inches deep in the ground, 

 and covered with a glass, or where that convenience is not 

 at hand, they may be shaded during the day with oiled 

 paper, or any similar substitutes. In preparing the cut- 

 tings, care ought to be taken to cut close to a joint, a rule 

 which should be strictly attended to in making cuttings of 

 every description. When they have fairly rooted and 



