March.'] .PARDY ANNUALS. 23 



HARDY ANNUALS. 



Many annual plants, though of short duration, are pos 

 sessed of much beauty of hue and elegance of form : they 

 are farther valuable from their adaptation in filling up va- 

 cant spots through the flower-garden or parterre. They are, 

 besides, of easy culture, many requiring nothing more than 

 to have the seeds sown in the spot where they are to grow. 

 The first sowing may take place about the end of the month, 

 when the ground is prepared and the weather fine ; but avoid 

 it at all times when the ground will not pulverize properly. 

 The neatest and most expeditious method is to take a rod 

 about one foot long and one inch in diameter, rounding at 

 the end, with which draw a circle from four to nine inches 

 in diameter, and from one-eighth of an inch to an inch deep, 

 according to the size of the seeds. Many very small seeds 

 will grow best, if sown on the surface of fine mould. When 

 sown, cover with fine mould, placing a small twig or tally, 

 with the name, in the centre of the circle, to prevent mistakes 

 either in sowing, planting, or hoeing. When they have 

 grown from one to two inches, the first moist day should be 

 taken to remove such as are too crowded, which can be gene- 

 rally transplanted to some other situation ; taking care to 

 shade them a few days with flower-pots, or some other 

 substitute. A few kinds do best with removing, such as 

 Balsams, China Asters, Marigold, ten week stocks, Hibis- 

 cus, Zinnias, and several others of a free-growing and 

 gtrong-wooded nature. Annuals are such plants as grow 

 from seed, flower and perfect their productions, and then die 

 within one year. The following sorts are well deserving of 

 culture : 



Adonis miniata, Flos Adonis or Pheasant's eye, red. 

 Amaranthus caudatus, Love lies Bleeding, red and yellow 

 variety. 



hypochondriacus, Prince's Feather, red. 



Amaranthus tricolor ; three-coloured Amarauthus should be 

 sown on rather poor soilon rich soil it has litilo 

 beauty. 

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