FLOWER-GARDENING. 27 



order to have the beds laid out with the edg-es straio-ht and 

 even, a garden-line should be in readiness. If labels should be 

 required, they may be made of shingles, which, being split into 

 strips about an inch wide, and sharpened at one end, will serve 

 for marking distinct kinds, either in pots, or on the borders. 

 In order to have the names or numbers written in legible cha- 

 racters, the labels should be painted on the smooth side with 

 Avhite lead, and then marked with a black-lead pencil before 

 the paint gets dry. Inscriptions made in this way will be as 

 durable as the label itself. 



The next, and perhaps the most important, consideration is 

 to have the ground in good condition to receive the seed. In 

 order to attain this desirable object, let some good rich com- 

 post or very old manure be pro\dded and well mixed with 

 the soil. Mingle it with the soil a full spit deep, pulverizing 

 every particle. It would be an advantage if the ground could 

 be dug to a great depth at the commencement of winter, and 

 then again at the period of sowing seed in the Spring. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



A mellow loam, which is a medium earth between the ex- 

 tremes of clay and sand, enriched with pulverized manure 

 or compost, is adapted to the generality of flowering plants ; 

 but ground of a boggy nature, composed of black earth, de- 

 cayed leaves, etc., and in a low situation, is essential to the 

 luxuriant growth of amphibious plants, as Water Lilies, Iris, 

 Lobelia, and the like. As the cultivator has not always a 

 choice, he may select such plants only as are most congenial 

 to his peculiar soil and situation. 



Previous to preparing flower-beds or borders, care must be 

 taken to arrange them in such a manner that the ground may 

 be a little elevated in the middle. This is essential to the 

 draining off of a redundancy of water, as well as to the exhibi- 

 tion of plants to the greatest possible advantage. 



All kinds of annual flower seeds may be sown early in the 



