ANNUAL FLOWER SEEDS. 145 



Colours displayed in a bed of these flowers, almost exceeds 

 description, and when they are seen under a bright sun, 

 and agitated by a gentle breeze, the effect is extraordinarily 

 brilliant." 



When seeds are intended to be sown in patches, which 

 is often done for want of an unoccupied border, the best 

 way to perform this business is, after having pulverized 

 the soil, to impress circular drills in the surface with the 

 rim of a flower pot, which may be large or small, according 

 to fancy. By sowing seeds in such circular drills, the plants 

 can be more easily traced than when scattered promiscuously 

 over the ground, and the weeds can be destroyed with less 

 risk and trouble. Such kinds as are marked in the cata- 

 logue* may remain as sown, or if parted, they should be 

 removed with a scoop trowel in a careful manner, in small 

 tufts, and this business, as well as transplanting in general, 

 should be always done immediately preceding, or after rain, 

 and in cloudy weather. 



Herbaceous plants in general will not flower well, if grown 

 in clusters ; they should, therefore, be thinned or trans- 

 planted into the regular beds, at all favourable opportuni- 

 ties, after they get about an inch in length ; and as there is 

 always a risk of some plants not taking root, it is safest to 

 plant a few of each sort every time, taking care to diversify 

 the colours, and also to leave a few plants in the seed beds, 

 for the purpose of substituting in the room of such plants 

 whose period of flowering may be over ; as is the case gene- 

 rally with early Perennial plants and bulbs, at about th 

 season the last of the Annuals are fit to remove. 



The transplanting may be done with a small trowel, or a 

 neat dibble made for the purpose. 



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