The Culture of Flowers from Seeds 



for if they get much drawn they cannot make robust pot plants. A 

 light, rich, perfectly sweet soil, containing a fair proportion of sharp 

 sand, is necessary to insure plants worth having. It is also important 

 to get them into separate small pots as soon as possible, and to shift 

 them on to larger and larger pots, until they have sufficient pot room 

 for flowering, after which shift no more. As soon as these pots are 

 filled with roots, give very weak manure water constantly until the 

 plants are in flower, and then discontinue it, using instead pure soft 

 water only. 



Hardy Biennials and Perennials. These are often sown in 

 pans or boxes, and are pricked off when large enough into other 

 pans or pots before they are transferred to beds or borders. The 

 system has certain advantages in insuring safety from vermin and 

 proper attention, for it is an unfortunate fact that too many cultivators 

 consider it needless to thin or transplant sowings made in beds or 

 borders. The plants are frequently allowed to struggle for existence, 

 and the result is feeble attenuated specimens which, with trifling care 

 and attention, might have become robust and capable of producing 

 a bountiful bloom in their season. Still, it should be clearly under- 

 stood that all the hardy biennials and perennials may be grown to 

 perfection by sowing on a suitable seed-bed in the open ground, 

 protecting the spot from marauders of all kinds; and by early and 

 fearless thinning or transplanting. As a rule, we advocate one shift 

 before placing the plants in final positions. 



ABUTILON 



Half-hardy greenhouse perennial 



HANDSOME plants, two feet or more in height, can be produced from 

 seed and flowered in a single season. They are useful for training 

 to greenhouse walls, and they may also be transferred to open borders 

 for the summer. When employed for the latter purpose, the plants 

 should be lifted and put into pots again about the end of August, 

 after there has been a penetrating shower. In the absence of rain a 

 soaking of water on the previous day will prevent the soil from falling 

 away from the roots. 



February and March are the right months for sowing seed, and 

 pots filled with any fairly light potting compost will answer. Prick 

 off the seedlings when about an inch high, putting the plants in down 



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