88 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



cover this with an inch of soil, sow a dozen and a half to a foot. If they 

 all germinate they may be thinned out to a dozen. They need much 

 moisture all the season through. Good, rich soil will root them 

 well, as this is necessary if we have good plants. There is a class 

 of plants which it will be of no avail to sow early, unless they can 

 be kept at a high temperature. They are of tropical origin and 

 need that the soil shall be thoroughly heated and kept so, for them 

 to start at all. Last year I planted some seeds in May ; concluded 

 they were not good and gave up thinking about them. July's hot 

 sun brought them all up, thriving and brilliant. In this class we 

 find Portulacas, Balsams, Amaranths and Zinneas. The soil in 

 which anv and all seeds are sown should be light and well pulver- 

 ized ; cover thin to about their own depth. Boxes are better than 

 pots for sowing seed. After they are sown and covered, press 

 down lightly upon the soil in the same manner as'you would if sow- 

 ing vegetable seeds. This is to prevent the air from drying the 

 seeds. If some particular variety of a class is desired, then we 

 must take cuttings. For example: If we wish a Petunia of 

 a certain kind and no other, we must take a slip. In tak- 

 ing a cutting, be sure that the plant is a healihy one. If 

 the slip snaps off then it is all right to root readily, if it 

 bends and does not break, it is too old, and although it may 

 root it will not do as well as the younger giowth. Among the 

 Geraniums they recommend the Zonal as the easiest for us to 

 manage in our climate as a summer bloomer. For winter, we 

 should root new slips each spring and keep them pinched back until 

 we wish them to bloom. There are some troubles coming to the 

 flower grower in the sweet heaven sent odor of the country even. 

 The rose slug is a great pest, they make an attack before we are 

 aware of it and strip our bushes leaving them looking like so many 

 brown sticks. The best of all insecticides, especially for these is 

 powdered white hellebore, dust it over the leaves while wet. 

 Mildew can be well treated with sulphur. In August we begin to 

 pot bulbs for winter blooming. They are imported yearly. As 

 soon as they can be gotten let us set one pot of Hyacinths and 

 Chinese Lilies for Christmas. One, two, three or four bulbs can 

 be potted together. Leave about one quarter of the bulb uncovered. 

 Set them deep enough to keep them steady and firm as they root 

 entirely from the bottom. Hyacinths potted in this way must be 

 put in the cellar for three weeks to root and get started. Early 



