DEC.] FLOWER GARDEN. 601 



in the hot-house, or in any other forcing department, to produce a 

 winter bloom of flowers. Early hyacinths, spring crocuses, snow- 

 drops, dwarf Persian iris, and polyanthus-narcissus may now be forced 

 in like manner ; but observe that you are to reserve a sufficiency of 

 each sort for several successions, so as to have a constant supply of 

 flowers until those in the open ground begin to blow. 



When the plants are just beginning to flower some of them may 

 be taken in to decorate parlors and other rooms. 



CARE OF AURICULAS AND CARNATIONS. 



Your choice auriculas and carnations must now be defended from 

 heavy rains, frost, and snow; but large portions of air must be admit- 

 ted to them at every favorable opportunity, otherwise the auriculas 

 will start to flower at an untimely season, and the carnations will 

 draw, become weakly, and be good for nothing. Neither of them are 

 very tender, and consequently should not be kept too closely shut up. 



POLYANTHUSES AND DOUBLE PRIMROSES. 



The fine polyanthuses and double primroses require exactly the 

 same treatment as the auriculas and carnations, which need not be 

 repeated ; the common polyanthuses and primroses will succeed very 

 well in the open borders, but will be the better of a slight covering 

 of straw during the continuance of severe frost. 



SOWING ANEMONE AND RANUNCULUS SEEDS. 



The double varieties of the Anemone hortensis, or broad-leaved 

 garden anemone, and Anemone coronaria, or narrow-leaved, as well 

 as of the Ranunculus persica, or Persian ranunculus, being generally 

 extremely beautiful, are peculiarly deserving of attention; as all 

 those delightful flowers, displaying such a diversity of shades and 

 colors, are only seminal varieties, and as the number of them may 

 be annually increased, and superior varieties obtained, no good florist 

 will neglect to sow seeds of each sort every year. 



The seeds of either kind should be procured from semi-double 

 flowers, for the full double seldom bear any, and those produced by 

 the single rarely give double flowers. Care should be taken to save 

 the seeds from flowers possessed of good properties, that is, such as 

 have tall strong stems, a considerable number of well formed petals 

 of rich, good and brilliant colors. 



The seed of the ranunculus should remain on the plant till it has 

 lost its verdure and becomes brown and dry, it may then be cut off 

 and spread upon paper in a dry room exposed to the air ; when per- 

 fectly dry it should be put into a paper bag and kept free from all 

 dampness till the time of sowing, otherwise it would be in danger of 

 contracting a mouldiness that would infallibly destroy it. The ane- 

 mone seed must be gathered from time to time as it opens ; for, being 

 very downy and light, it will otherwise be blown away by the first 

 breezes of wind, or fall to the ground and be lost. 



