APRIL] FLOWER GARDEN. 365 



the surface tolerably thick, each sort separate, and sift over them 

 about a quarter of an inch of fine light earth. If the weather should 

 prove dry, water the beds occasionally ; the plants will soon rise, 

 after which it will be necessary to keep them free from weeds and 

 refresh them now and then with a little water. For their further 

 management, see the work of the following months. 



SOWING PERENNIAL AND BIENNIAL FLOWER-SEEDS. 



You may now with good success sow the seeds of most kinds of 

 perennial and biennial fibrous-rooted flowers that prosper in the open 

 ground, such as those mentioned last month on page 313, together 

 with monk's-hood, nettle-leaved campanala, lobelias, phloxes, double 

 soapwort, sneezewort, goat's-rue, and red garden valerian ; crimson 

 monarda, Chinese ixia, verbascums, night-smelling rocket, and aletris 

 or star-root ; asclepiases of various sorts ; calceolarias, Maryland 

 cassia, clinopodiums and coreopsises ] dracocephalums, galega virgi- 

 nica, gerardias, cucubalis, hedysarums and huecheras; hibiscuses, 

 liatrises, oenotheras and podalyrias ; penstemons, rudbeckias, saxi- 

 fragas and silphiums; solidagoes, spigelias, spiraeas, chelone, tril- 

 liums and veronicas, with many other kinds. 



These seeds may either be sown on borders or on three or four 

 feet wide beds of rich earth, and covered evenly with fine light earth, 

 the largest not more than from half to three-quarters of an inch deep, 

 and the smallest from an eighth to a quarter of an inch. 



But in sowing these or any other kinds you may draw shallow 

 drills, proportioning the depth to the size of the seeds, and sow them 

 therein, drawing the earth lightly over them, observing that it is 

 much better to cover too light than too deep, for if covered shallow 

 they will vegetate when moist weather ensues, but if overly deep 

 never. Or you may practise the following method : first, rake the 

 surface of the bed smooth, and with the back of a rake or a common 

 trowel draw or push off the fine top mould, either into the alleys or 

 the divisions intended to be left between each kind, and to a depth 

 in proportion to the size of the seed intended to be sown in each 

 space, then sow it on the surface, and cast the drawn-off earth evenly 

 over it, after which pick or rake away the lumps with a fine rake, 

 and pat the surface lightly and smooth with the back of the trowel. 



Should dry weather ensue, it will be necessary to sprinkle the beds 

 frequently with water, both before and after the plants appear, and 

 to be very particular in keeping them free from weeds. Some of the 

 more delicate kinds when up may not be able to bear the mid-day 

 sun whilst young, and will consequently appear in a declining state. 

 These must be shaded and protected from its influence by occasional 

 coverings of mats until they have established their roots and obtained 

 sufficient strength to withstand its force. 



PLANTING AND PROPAGATING PERENNIAL FLOWERING PLANTS. 



In the early part of this month you may continue to remove and 

 transplant most sorts of fibrous and tuberous-rooted perennial flower- 



