SECT. XVII f. OF FLOWERS. 501 



but kept a little while to harden : This however is 

 not a common practice, as gardeners like to have 

 their borders at liberty to spring dress before they 

 sow annuals. 



For the spring sowing, (about Mid-March) the; 

 ground being deep dug, and well broke, make hol- 

 lows (by drawing the mould aside) of from six to 

 twelve inches diameter, or more, according to the 

 size of the garden, as large ones should have the 

 biggest patches. Sow thin, and cover according to 

 the size of the seed, from a quarter to an inch deep. 

 Take out mould enough to leave the patches some- 

 what hollow, which will serve to show where they 

 are sown, and to receive the rain, or occasional wa- 

 tering. It may be proper also to put a bit of stick 

 in the center of each, as a mark, that the seed may 

 not be disturbed. If the plants come up crowding, 

 be sure to thin them soon, and leave only a number 

 suitable to their usual size of growth ; as one of the 

 belvidere, cornbottle, persicaria, and sun-flower ; two 

 of the lavatera, oriental mallow, mulberry-blight, 

 c. three larkspurs ; and four of less plants. An- 

 nuals are very often sown too thick, and suffered to 

 stand too close for flowering, and that altogether not 

 by neglect, but choice ; yet a few short strong plants 

 with fine full flowers, are surely better than many tall 

 dangling weak ones. ' 



A second, or even a third sowing of hardy annuals 

 may be made, at two or three weeks between, to con- 

 tinue the blow, especially of those that come early, 

 and are soon off: Mid-May is not too late. The 

 larkspur, for instance, will make a long show with 

 us, by autumn, and early and late spring plants ; in 

 short, of every flower that blows in summer, there 

 may be three sowings, and two of those that come 

 early in autumn, in order to a. full succession. 



Hardy annuals do not in general transplant well, 



