SEPTEMBER. 177 



not be allowed to go on until the best bloom is past ; 

 but the finest flower on the finest plant should be 

 marked while in its full prime, at whatever season that 

 may occur. The plant should then have plenty of room 

 given it, a mulching of manure rf it be considered ad- 

 visable, and all the flowers not wanted for seed should 

 be plucked to give full strength to the few. A dry day 

 should be carefully chosen for gathering seed. As soon 

 as the seed is taken some Clarldas, Nemophilas, Collin- 

 sias and Candytufts may be sown now, and the plants 

 kept through the winter, as their seed never produces 

 such fine plants as when it is sown as soon as it is ripe. 

 Also sow Godetias, Lupinus Nanus, Gilia tricolor, Lep- 

 tosiphon androsaceus and Densiflora, and Viscaria ocu- 

 lata. Seed of Ranunculuses and the Cruciferse will 

 keep four years. Capsicum seed will keep good for 

 several years if kept in the pod, but will seldom grow 

 the second year if taken from it. Mignonette seed will 

 do several years old ; wallflower may be two years old ; 

 sweet peas and lupines should be used at one year old. 

 Larkspur will not do well after the second year. Princes 

 feather and poppies will keep several years. As a rule, 

 however, it is better not to depend on old seed. 



As the old hot-beds of the year are done with, and 

 done away with, put up good reserve heaps of com- 

 posts of different kinds, fit for all choice plants, for 

 potting, and for making cuttings, taking care to mix 

 them well, to turn them over to mellow, to pick out 

 grubs and wire-worms, and to shelter them from wet. 

 Much of the success of next year's flowers will depend 

 on having good stores of composts of various kinds, to 

 go to for their use. Do not forget a store of good 

 turfy loam. The making of cuttings for good stores of 

 plants must be actively carried on. Commence with 

 white, scarlet, and purple verbenas, taking nice stubby 

 side shoots. Lots of such cuttings may be taken with- 

 out materially interfering with the flowering plants. 

 Fill three-inch pots quite full of the cuttings, place them 

 on ashes or sand with a frame over them, and they 

 can be shifted into larger pots in January or February ; 



