A GARDEN OF ANNUALS 17 



still late in February. Put sheets of glass over the boxes 

 till the plants appear, and be sure to sow the seed thinly. 



Good subjects to start with are Giant Red Mignonette, 

 Godetia Schamini fi. pi., Clarkia elegans and integripetala, 

 and Convolvulus minor. Other suitable annuals will be 

 named in the next chapter. 



As soon as the seed has germinated, put the boxes on a 

 light airy shelf near the glass and grow on as quickly as 

 possible. When about 2-3 ins. high, pot separately in 

 thumb pots of light loamy soil, putting the pots on a shelf 

 close to the glass. Be careful neither to under or over water 

 the pots, for no check must result. 



When the plants are nearly 6 ins. high pinch out the tops, 

 and turn a plant or two out of its pot to see what amount 

 of root it is making. If the pot be full of roots, transfer 

 the lot to 2 or 2$ ins pots and return to greenhouse for 

 a short time. In early May or late April put the pots in a 

 cold frame and harden off very thoroughly. 



Now get ready the soil out of doors if this has not been 

 done. It should be dug 2 ft. deep. Put in plenty of horse 

 manure, but do not let any come within 9 ins. of the surface. 



In late May turn the plants out of their pots and plant 

 them 2-2 ft. apart each way. Grow on as rapidly as 

 possible, supplying water whenever it is needed, and spray 

 the plants with warm water in the early morning. The 

 first pinching will have induced several shoots to appear ; 

 and when these are a few inches long pinch again. 



As the weeks go by shoots carrying flower buds will 

 appear. But June and July are not the months to permit 

 these plants to flower. Their glory should be reserved for 

 August and September. So all the flower buds should be 

 pinched out, and every shoot pinched as it grows unmanage- 

 able. " Specimens " require very careful staking: half a 

 dozen sticks are often needed for each plant. 



Throughout the summer it is very important that the 

 ground between the plants should be kept well hoed, and 

 the plants should be soaked with water every evening if 

 the weather is dry. 



C 



