30 BEECK'S NEW. BOOK OF FLOWERS. 



pends upon the soil. In light soils, the seeds should be 

 planted deeper than in heavy ones; but the following di- 

 rections may be a guide in soils of a medium texture, viz. : 

 Sweet Peas, Lupins, Morning Glories, Four-o'clock, and 

 other large seeds, should be planted about one inch deep. 

 Balsams, Asters, Centaureas, etc., about one-half an inch. 

 Cockscombs, Amaranth, and many other seeds of like 

 size, one-quarter of an inch. Many of the very small seeds 

 should be sown on the surface with a little fine earth sifted 

 over them, just so as to cover the seeds, and then gently 

 pressed with a piece of board. Great care must be taken 

 with these minute seeds, to keep the surface of the ground 

 moist if the weather is dry, and watch carefully for the 

 first appearance of the plants, when they should be shaded 

 in the middle of the day by spruce boughs, or a gauze 

 covering, such as is used to keep oif the insects from cu- 

 cumber vines. They should be thus cared for until the 

 plants have acquired strength to resist the scorching rays 

 of the sun. 



Cypress Vine, Indian-shot, and many other hard-shelled 

 seeds, require a long time to vegetate in the open ground, 

 unless first prepared by pouring scalding water over them, 

 in which they should remain until the water is cold. 

 When planted, thus prepared, the last of May, these seeds 

 will appear above ground in about one week, if the 

 weather is warm. 



The Three-thorned Acacia seed will sometimes remain 

 in the ground a year before it vegetates, and I have known 

 Asparagus seed sown late in May, remain in the ground 

 until August, before the plants appeared ; but if treated 

 the same as recommended for the Cypress Vine, they will 

 vegetate in a week or ten days. 



Globe-Amaranth seeds, ( Qomphrena globosa) and some 

 other seeds enclosed in a cottony substance over a shell, 

 will not readily vegetate unless this outer covering is taken 



