A L C 



A L C 



about the middle of April, covering them in to 

 the depth of about half an inch. In performing 

 this business, it is the practice with some to sow 

 them thinly over the whole bed ; while others, 

 from the seeds being of a large size, prefer their 

 being deposited in shallow, flat drills, made 

 about six inches apart, and half an inch in depth. 

 In these they should be sown in a thin and re- 

 gular manner, bringing the mould back over 

 them, and then raking the surface of the bed 

 quite smooth. In this method the plants, from 

 their coming up more closely together, will re- 

 quire to be transplanted at a more early period ; 

 but they may be covered better, and be kept clean 

 in their early growth with more ease and facility. 

 In either way the plants generally appear in the 

 course of a few weeks. After the plants have put 

 out six or eight leaves, as about the beginning of 

 July, they should be transplanted into other beds, 

 and set out to the distance of a foot or more 

 each way, water being occasionally applied till 

 they have taken fresh root. In these beds they 

 may remain till the autumn, about the middle of 

 October ; care being taken to keep the ground 

 clean from weeds; when they may be finally 

 planted in the situations where they are to re- 

 main for flowering. 



As the plants seldom produce any thing more 

 than root-leaves the first year, it is the practice 

 with some to suffer them to remain another 

 year before the final planting out, in order that 

 the goodness of the flowers may be ascertained. 

 In this intention they should, however, be set 

 out at much greater distances in the beds. The 

 former is probably the best method, as young 

 plants succeed with greater certainty than those 

 of older growths; and where sufficient care has 

 been taken in collecting the seed, there will be 

 but few bad-flowered plants. 



The Dwarf or Chinese kind, as well as the 

 African species, may be raised from seed, either 

 by sowing it upon a hot-bed or on a warm border, 

 or in patches in the open ground, in the latter end 

 of March or the beginning of April. The plants 

 raised in the first and second method may be 

 planted out about May or June, in places where 

 they are to remain and flower. These mostly 

 flower the same year, and should of course be 

 raised annually from seed. 



As most of these plants, though natives of 

 warm countries, are hardy enough to thrive in 

 the open air in this climate and are of tall growth, 

 continuing to flower for a great length of time, 

 they have long been considered as highly orna- 

 mental in the garden and pleasure ground, in the 

 latter part of summer. Since they have become 

 common, they have not however been regarded so 

 much as they deserve, partly from their growing 



too large for small situations, and their requiring 

 tall stakes to secure them from being broken by 

 winds. But in extensive grounds, where they 

 arc properly disposed, they make a fine show. As 

 their spikes of flowers grow very long, there will be 

 a succession of them on the same stems, often for 

 more than two months; those on the lower part 

 of the spike appearing first; and as the stalks ad- 

 vance, new flowers will be produced. When they 

 arc planted in good rich ground, their stalks 

 often rise to a very great height, many feet of 

 each being garnished with flowers, which when 

 double, and of good colours, make a fine display, 

 and produce a good effect ; especially where the 

 various colours are properly intermixed. 



From the tallness of their growth in most of 

 the sorts, they are best adapted to be placed to- 

 wards the back parts of borders or clumps in 

 shrubberies, lawns, courts, or other parts of plea- 

 sure grounds. Some of the Dwarf Chinese kind 

 mav, however, have occasionally a situation more 

 towards the front in such places. 



Though the roots of these plants are perennial, 

 and send forth stems for many years in succes- 

 sion, they never flower with such vigour, or pro- 

 duce them of so large a size, so double, or of so 

 good colours, as in the first two years. It is there- 

 fore necessarv, in order to have good flowers of 

 this sort, to raise some plants annually from 

 good seed. This is the more easily effected, as 

 all the species and varieties, both double and sin- 

 gle, are very productive in seed for the purpose. 

 From the plants being annual in their stem, thev 

 must be cut off and cleared away every autumn. 

 ALOHEMILLA, Ladies' Mantle, a genus 

 comprehending several hardy herbaceous perennial 

 plants of the ornamental kind. 



It belongs to the class and order of Tetrandria 

 Monngrjnia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Senticr>s(V. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed, tubulous, permanent perianthium, with 

 edge flat, divided into eight segments : no co- 

 rolla : the stamina have erect, awl-shaped, very 

 small filaments on the edge of the calyx, the an- 

 therae roundish : the pistiltum has an ovate germ; 

 style filiform, of the length of the stamina, in- 

 serted at the base of the germ : stigma globular : 

 no pericarpium, the neck of the calyx closing 

 and never opening : the seeds are solitary, elliptic, 

 and compress* d. 



The species mostly cultivated are; 1. si. vul- 

 garis, Common Alchemilla ; 2. A. Alpina, Al- 

 pine Digitate Alchemilla. 



In the first of these the stems are prostrate, fili- 

 form, branched, and a little hairy. The root- 

 leaves roundish, and plaited ; the stem-leaves 

 three- or-fivc lobed. The stipules opposite, ovate, 

 5 



