WHAT VARIETIES COME TRUE FROM SEEDS ? 115 



The flowers are bell-shaped ; purple ; three inches in 

 length by one inch and one-half in breadth. The seeds 

 are thin and flat, and should be placed on edge when 

 sown. 



Coleus. This famous ornamental-leaved plant is easily 

 raised from seed, and breaks into endless varieties. It 

 is exceedingly tender, however, and had better not be 

 sown before May, nor planted out before June. 



Zonal Geraniums are, perhaps, the most valuable of 

 all plants for summer blooming in our climate. They are 

 easily raised from seed, and will well reward the labor 

 by the endless variety produced. A few years ago the 

 only colors of these were scarlet and pink. Now we have 

 them in every shade, from white to crimson, with endless 

 tints of scarlet and rose, double and single. The Zonal 

 Geraniums may be lifted and potted in the fall, and if 

 well pruned in when lifted, will bloom finely in winter. 



Lantana is another plant easily raised from seed; the 

 flower resembles the Verbena somewhat, but has, besides 

 many of the colors found in the Verbena, orange and 

 yellow, which are not found in that flower. 



Lobelias. Dwarf plants, well suited for hanging bas- 

 kets, or for ribbon lining. The flowers range from white 

 to blue. The blue of the Lobelia is often of the richest 

 azure, unsurpassed by that of any other plant. 



Pansy. Of all plants raised from seed by the florist, 

 none is of greater importance than the Pansy; it has now 

 such a diversity of color, and coming at a season in spring 

 when flowers are yet scarce ; it is an ever welcome favorite. 

 The usual plan is to sow the seeds in August or Septem- 

 ber, so as to get plants large enough to keep over in cold 

 frames through the winter, to bloom in March, April or 

 May ; but many now sow part of their crop in January or 

 February in the greenhouse or hot-bed, and though they 

 come in flower later in spring, yet the younger plants are 



