ANNUAL FLOWERS 51 



those of light character, may be much benefited by making 

 them firm, which is achieved by treading or by beating with 

 the back of the fork. Very light and warm shallow soils, 

 much drained by sand or gravel beds below, should receive a 

 dressing of cow manure in preference to all others. This is 

 especially recommended owing to its lasting and cooling 

 qualities, cow manure in these cases being especially valuable. 



Sowing the Seeds. This is an important matter, and must 

 be largely left to the amateur, who may perchance require 

 lines, or circles, or diamonds, or many other designs to suit 

 his own desires. But however the seeds are sown, one point 

 must be emphasized, and that is the evil of overcrowding of 

 the young seedling plants. 



The following article on annual flowers is by Mr. James 

 Hudson, V.M.H., head gardener at Acton House, Gunners- 

 bury, where annual flowers are grown to perfection. 



The Cultivation of Hardy Annuals. Annuals, in a com- 

 prehensive sense, cannot be dealt with in the space of this 

 article ; therefore I propose to deal with hardy annuals, 

 embracing such as can be sown outdoors or brought forward 

 in only a cold frame. These types of annuals, it may be 

 noted, but they are not often so alluded to, are lovers of 

 a calcareous soil, thriving better in such than in a soil rich 

 in humus. With a little consideration this may be noted, 

 for most readers will have observed how well annuals thrive 

 in many seaside resorts where lime is in evidence in the soil. 

 In their native habitats this also applies in many instances. 

 Annuals of this description will also grow freely and flower 

 most profusely in somewhat limited borders. This, I think, 

 all goes to prove that cultivators often err in providing too 

 rich soil for their growth. 



During the hot summer of 1911 I noted that annuals 

 thrived remarkably well, and were quite in contrast to what 

 many of them were in the previous two or three dripping 

 seasons. There are exceptions to almost every rule, and as 

 an instance I would quote that lovely climbing annual, Mina 

 lobata, which in 1911 grew too freely and was not so effective 

 as usual. A few annuals thrive well in quite moist situa- 

 tions, e.g., Polygonum orientale, the Persicaire of the French 

 growers ; this and a few more may be classed as semi-aquatics. 

 Taken as a whole, it may be stated that hardy annuals revel 

 in abundance of sunshine. My first acquaintance with the 

 Cosmos, as a case in point, was upon the top of a low wall at 

 Cadenobbia, on the banks of the Lake of Como. After seeing 

 them there I grew some the following season, but I failed to 



