142 ANNUAL FLOWER SEEDS. 



sheltered in cold nights, will be forwarded in growth and be 

 fit to transplant early in June, Those marked *, may be 

 also sown in small pots, and as these plants do not bear 

 transplanting, they should be turned out ofthe pots with the 

 balls of earth entire, and placed in the ground where they 

 are intended to flower ; or, if the seed be sown in a bed with 

 other kinds, they should be carefully transplanted with a 

 trowel, without disturbing their roots. 



The most eligible way to obtain early flowers is to prepare 

 a slight hot bed for the tender kinds, (see calendar for Janu- 

 ary) and either to plunge the pots therein up to their brims, 

 or to sow the seed in the earth in shallow drills, riot more 

 than a quarter of an inch deep. It may be necessary to state 

 that although in favourable seasons, flower seed in general 

 will come up in from one to three weeks after it is sown, 

 the seed of Cypress vine will not grow until settled warm 

 weather, unless in a hot bed ; it should then be partially 

 scalded in water, previous to sowing it. 



If some ofthe hardy annuals be sown in September, they 

 will grow large enough to survive the Winter, by a slight 

 covering of straw or litter ; and if plants thus raised be 

 transplanted early in the Spring, they will produce very 

 early flowers. The following are some of the hardiest : 

 Alyssum, sweet Evening Primrose 



Coreopsis, in varieties Larkspur, in varieties 



China aster, in varieties Pansey, or Heart's ease 



Catch fly Poppy, in varieties 



C hrysanthemum, in varieties Rocket Larkspur. 



To prevent disappointment, I would recommend that great 

 care be taken to keep the seed beds as clear from weeds 

 as possible. It cannot be denied but young plants are apt 

 to get smothered, and sometimes pulled up with weeds. 

 To obviate this, I would suggest that the seeds be sown in 

 shallow drills, each kind by itself, and that an account be 

 kept ofthe contents of each drill in a book ; also of all seeds 

 that are sown at different times, and by being particular in 

 the dates, you may always know when to expect your plants 

 to come up. Those persons who may be totally unac- 

 quainted with plants, will, by this means, be enabled to 



