72 Commercial Gardening 



The plants may be had in blossom at almost every season of the year, and 

 seeds are sown at different times to keep up a succession. There are, how- 

 ever, two principal sowings early in August and early in March. The 

 soil used is light gritty loam enriched with well-rotted manure and a little 

 mortar rubble or, better still, a sprinkling of basic slag. - The seeds are 

 sown thinly in 5-in. (48's) or 6-in. (32's) pots, and when the young plants 

 are large enough to handle easily they are thinned out, leaving about half 

 a dozen in each pot. They are kept in frames or greenhouses, and given 

 plenty of air and light to induce sturdy growth. Cool treatment is best, 

 as the plants are not then inclined to go blind, but will come into blossom 

 in February and March. Too moist an atmosphere must be guarded 

 against; otherwise many of the plants are likely to damp off during the 

 winter. Besides thinning out, the young plants may also have the tips 

 of the main shoot pinched out to induce a more bushy habit and several 

 columnar spikes of bloom. Some growers allow only one plant to a pot, 

 pegging down the stems to secure several growths. Weak liquid manure 

 may be given when the plants are coming into blossom, as this helps to 

 make foliage deeper in colour and the flower spikes larger. Mignonette 

 raised from seed sown in spring may be treated in the same way, but will 

 come into flower more quickly than the autumn-raised plants. When 

 packing for market, two or three small sticks are inserted round the edge 

 of the pots, and a piece of raffia js tied round to keep up the shoots. 



Over twenty varieties of Mignonette are known, but the " Machet " 

 strains may be, regarded as the most generally useful. 



Monarda didyma. This North American perennial is well known as 

 the "Bergamot". It grows 2-3 ft. high, has four-angled stems, heart-shaped 

 fragrant leaves, and heads of bright-scarlet flowers in summer. It is easily 

 grown in moist garden soil, and may be raised from seeds or division. 

 There are a few fine seedling forms of it. 



Morina longifolia. A fine Thistle-like plant, 3 ft. high, with deeply cut 

 spiny leaves, and stout spikes of tubular pink and crimson flowers from 

 June to September. Other kinds are betonicoides, 1J ft., rose purple; and 

 Coulteriana, 1J ft., pale yellow. They are natives of the Himalayas, and 

 require warm sheltered spots in the border or rockery. They are best 

 raised from seeds sown under glass. 



Morisia hypoggea. A pretty Sardinian rock plant, 2 in. high, having 

 rosettes of deep-green cut and lobed leaves, and clear-yellow flowers in 

 April and May. Best raised from seeds. 



Muehlenbeckia. This genus contains a few kinds of curious creeping 

 plants with woody stems and small roundish leaves. They are useful for 

 old tree stumps, &c. The best kinds are adpressa, complexa, and nana. 



Myosotidium nobile. A fine perennial from the Chatham Islands, 

 1J ft. high, with large glossy-green plaited leaves, and clusters of rich- 

 blue Forget-me-not-like flowers. This plant is only hardy in the mildest 

 parts of the country, and is increased chiefly Toy division. 



Myosotis. See Forget-me-not (see p. 43). 



