OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



845 



mould, or less on a weak bed ; or sow in pots, plunged to the 

 rims in earth. Cover the seeds from a quarter of an inch, or 

 more, according to their size. Some of them will appear in 

 a few days, and others will lie a fortnight or more, accord- 

 ing to the circumstances of their nature, age, and the heat 

 or moisture they meet with in the bed. Water, just warm, 

 should be gently given them as they appear to need it ; and 

 air, as much as they can be thought to bear, a little at first, 

 and by degrees more, for this is essential to their health and 

 strength. Provide another bed within one month from the 

 sowing, to set the plants out in ; and, having six inches' depth 

 of mould, place them five or six inches asunder, allotting 

 those to the wannest part of the bed which were longest in 

 coming up, which are of course the weakest; or they may be 

 put out in small pots of five inches' diameter, the tallest being 

 placed behind. If not sown till the beginning of April, this 

 second bed may possibly do for the whole business, with 

 proper management to keep up its heat by day, and by cover- 

 ing it well at night; hut a third bed is commonly necessary; 

 in order to bring the plants on forward and fine. In this 

 second bed, it being covered over with four or five inches of 

 mould, the plants should be in small pots, one in each, and 

 plunged an inch deep, close to one another. As the beds get 

 cooler, the pots are to be earthed higher, till up to the rims 

 in mould ; but, if planted without pots, the distance should 

 be eight or nine inches asunder. As these tender annuals 

 cannot bear the full open air till midsummer, give them as 

 much of it as possible in the frames, by degrees, even taking 

 off the glasses in the middle part of mild days. Keep up a 

 heat in the third bed as long as can be, that the plants may 

 continue in a growing state, and not get stunted by cold at 

 bottom. It is hardly necessary to state, that the beds must 

 be larger, and frames deeper, every time the plants are shifted. 

 From the small pots, let them be transplanted into bigger in 

 time, or into warm borders, where, if covered with hand- 

 glasses set on bricks for a while, it will secure them from 

 unkind weather, till they are got a little hardened. In this 

 changeable climate, it is difficult to know when tender plants 

 may be safely exposed ; yet too much housing and covering 

 is to be avoided as much as possible. Some of the tender 

 flowers in pots may be plunged to the rims in the ground, to 

 keep their roots cool, and for the sake of being conveniently 

 covered ; in which case, it is proper to put a bit of tile 

 underneath to keep out the worms, which are apt to do great 

 mischief. Good seeds from tender annuals cannot be well 

 procured but from February-sown plants ; which should begin 

 to have protection by glass about mid-August, at least during 

 the nights, till they are fully ripened in September. 



The ifss tender annuals, viz. African Marigold, Basil, Blue 

 Browalia, Cape Marigold, Capsicum, Chinese Aster, Chinese 

 Hollyhock, Chinese or Indian Pink, Chrysanthemum, Convol- 

 vulus, French Marigold, Gourds, Lennia, Love-apple, Marvel 

 of Peru, Mignonette, Nolana, Palma Christi, Persicaria, 

 Stocks, Yellow Sultan, Tobacco, Tree Amaranthus, and Zin- 

 nia, require less care. These may have a slighter bed, about 

 two feet thick, made for them at mid-March, or a little after, 

 being sown and managed as directed for the tender sorts. 

 When they are one or two inches high, they must be taken 

 up with a ball of earth about their roots, and either trans- 

 planted on another bed, about one and a half foot thick of 

 dung, or into the borders or ground ; the small kinds at four 

 or five, and the largest at six or eight inches asunder. Let 

 them be watered and kept moist, and shaded from the sun 

 till they are well settled. Spindle-rooted plants, as Stocks, &c. 

 should be moved where they are to blow as young as may be ; 

 but fibrous-rooted ones may be shifted much older. 



The hardy annuals, viz. Adonis, Agrostemma, Alysson, 

 Amaranth, Amethystea, Moldavian Balm, Belvidere, Candy- 

 tuft, Carthamus, Lobel's Catchfly, Caterpillar Trefoil, Red 

 and White Clary, Convolvulus Major, Cornbottle, Spurting 

 Cucumber, Yellow Fumitory, Hedgehog Trefoil, Honeywort, 

 Indian Corn, Ketmia, Larkspur, Lavatera, Lupine, Mallow, 

 Garden Marigold, Mignonette, Nasturtium, Nigella, Pansey 

 or Heart's-ease, Sweet-scented Peas, Persicaria, Poppy, Saf- 

 flower, Scarlet Bean, Starry Scabious, Stock July-flower, 

 Strawberry Spinach, Sunflower, Tangier Pea, Venus's Looking- 

 glass, and Xecanthemum, require the following treatment. 

 These may be sown from the middle to the end of March, 

 as the best average season. But nature seems evidently to 

 direct an autumn-sowing, for many sorts which are then shed 

 come up at spring, and make the finest blow, and produce 

 the best seed for propagation. A number, therefore, might 

 be scattered on the ground at random, after being kept a 

 little while to harden. A second, or even a third sowing of 

 hardy annuals, may be made at two or three weeks apart, to 

 continue the bloom, especially of those that come early, and 

 are soon off. The middle of May is not too late. In short, 

 of every flower that blows in summer, there may be three 

 sowings, and two of those that come in autumn, in order to 

 a full succession. But, as hardy annuals do not transplant 

 well, they should be sown where they are to remain, and 

 they must have a good soil in order to succeed. They 

 require to be frequently watered in dry weather. A few 

 choice sorts should be sown in pots, setting them where they 

 have only the morning sun ; and, when in flower, they will 

 serve to put into any particular place or apartment for 

 ornament. The annexed Engravings of " Improved Flower 

 Stands," will shew how such pots may be placed to the 

 greatest advantage. 



Biennials, among others, include the following varieties, 

 viz. Canterbury Bell, China Pink, Ethiopian Colutea, Com- 

 mon Pink, French Honeysuckle, Globe Thistle, Hollyhock, 

 Tree Mallow, Yellow Horned Poppy, Rocket. Scabious, Stock 

 July-flower, Sweetwilliam, Tree Primrose, Vervain Mallow, 

 and Wall-flower. These are to be sown in drills, or in beds, 

 at broadcast, the latter end of March or beginning of April, 

 where they have only the morning sun, and the ground should 

 be cool, or kept so by occasional waterings ; the beginning of 

 May, however, is not too late. Thin the young plants on the 

 seed-beds soon after they appear, and keep them well weeded. 

 They may either remain till autumn, to be planted out where 

 they are to blow, or, if they grow too strong and crowding, 

 let every other be drawn in summer, and planted out wider 

 into nursery-beds, for use either in autumn or the following 

 spring. The latter season will do for final planting, though 

 the former is best, as the roots get established in the ground ; 

 because, if moved in the spring, they are apt to meet with a 

 check. In severe winters, however, those moved in autumn 

 are sometimes killed, and therefore a few may be reserved 

 to spring; when, being moved with good balls of earth, they 

 will not be much checked. A succession of biennials should 

 be preserved by annual sowings. 



Perennials. (Those marked thusf, are mostly propagated 

 from seed.) Adonis, Alyssonf, Anemone, Asphodel, Asters, 

 Auricula, Bachelor's Button, Bean Caper, Bee Larkspurf, 

 Bugloss, Campanulaf, Campion, Carnationf, Cardinal Flower, 

 Cassia, Columbine, Cowslip, Cranesbill, Crowfoot, Daffodil, 

 Daisies, Dogtooth Violet, Dragons, Dropwort, Eternal-flower, 

 Fennel-giant, Feverfew.Flax, Flower-de-luce, Foxglovef.Fraxi- 

 nella, Fumitory, Garlic, Gentianella, Goldy Locks, Golden 

 Rod, Greek Valerian, Hawkweedf, Hepatica, Herb Bennet, 

 Hollyhockf, Houseleek, Lady's Mantle, Lady's Slipper, Lady's 



