ANNUALS. 39 



or, if the hull is carefully taken off with a penknife, so as not 

 to injure the germ, the object is effected, and it will imme- 

 diately vegetate. The seeds of Gomphrena globosa (Globe 

 Amaranth) is encased in a thick coating of woolly substance, 

 which greatly retards vegetation. This, with the hull, if taken 

 off, causes the germ to push immediately ; or, if the seed is 

 soaked in milk twenty-four hours, it will soon start; but, if 

 planted with the coating on, or without soaking, very few will 

 appear above ground. 



As a general rule, the depth of planting flower seeds is to 

 be governed by the size. For example, the Sweet Pea and 

 Lupine may be planted an inch deep, and so in proportion. An- 

 nuals have a pleasing effect when planted in masses, particu- 

 larly when the pleasure-ground is extensive. For this purpose, 

 the Verbenas, of various colors, Portulaccas, Nemophylla, 

 Chriseis, Phlox Drummondii, Coreopsis Drummondii, Candy- 

 tufts, and many other dwarf plants, are desirable. Beds of 

 any of these, or others of similar habit, in a well-managed grass 

 lawn, are very ornamental. The beds should be either round, 

 oval, starry, or irregular; but never square, diamond shape, or 

 triangular. Masses of annuals may be so arranged as to make 

 a grand display in the common flower-garden. We have seen 

 the walks of an extensive flower-garden deeply edged with a 

 wide border of crimson and scarlet Portulaccas ; and, throughout 

 the whole garden, all the annuals, and other plants, in fact, 

 were planted in masses. We have never seen a better managed 

 garden than this one. It contained about an acre of ground. 

 Not more than twenty or thirty kinds of annuals were cultivated 

 in the garden, and of this class of plants more than one half 

 of the ground was filled. They consisted of every variety of 

 Double Balsams, German Asters, Drummond Phlox, Coreopsis, 

 Amaranths, Verbenas, Portulaccas, Double China Pinks, Petu- 

 nias, Mignionette, Cockscombs, Gilliflowers, &c. 



