304 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



with a sharp knife, and not rudely torn off, as is the practice with 

 some careless persons. When any annual plant has done flower- 

 ing, unless it is wanted for seed, it should be removed and another 

 put in its place. For this purpose, a reserve bed may be kept in 

 some part of the garden, where plants can be raised to be trans 

 planted to supply vacancies in the regular borders. 



Decayed flowers should be taken off, as they are unsightly ob-t 

 jects in a neat border, and the stems of bulbous plants and othetf 

 should be cut down when the flowers have gone. Plants whicl 

 grow tall and slender, should be carefully tied up to neat stakes tc 

 support them, and the shrubbery neatly pruned. 



A spade, shovel, large and small hoe and trowel are alwa; 

 necessary in the flower garden, and should be always ready fo; 

 use. Pine sticks, cut smooth, and pointed at one end, should h 

 always in readiness for marking the names of plants, and also neaf 

 rods for tying up plants. Bass matting makes the best strings 



IV. PROPAGATION. 



The natural way of propagating all plants is by seed. Unde/ 

 favorable circumstances, these are always produced by all plants|j( 

 but a change of climate and soil often prevents it, when we musj 

 resort to artificial methods. I 



In selecting seeds, great care should be taken to choose ihom 

 which have not lost the power of germination, by being kept toi 

 long, or by being exposed to unfavorable circumstances. SomI' 

 retain this power for an indefinite period. Wheat, which wai 

 taken from the covering of an Egyptian mummy, and which ha{^ 

 lain for thousands of years, was found to have retained this poweifi 

 and germinated and ripened its seed when planted. Others loseij ' 

 after a few years, and some even in a few weeks. As a genera 

 rule, the seeds of the last season only can be relied on with safety 



Seeds should not be gathered till they are perfectly ripe; veri ' 

 few seeds will germinate unless they are mature. t 



With regard to the depth at which seeds should be planted, n< i 

 particular directions can be given. This will depend in a greai j 

 degree upon the size of the seed and its ability to force its vfZ] i 

 through the ground. Small ones require but a small covering j] 

 earth, and should be planted thick, whilst large ones may be buriei i 



