PORTULACA. 



POETULACA. 



181 



The Portulaca is own brother to the Purslane or 

 "Pussley," one of the worst weeds we have on light 

 sandy, garden soils. Both are hardy, both thrive best 

 in sandy soils, but here the comparison ends. The 

 Purslane is a miserable weed, the Portulaca a beautiful 

 flower. I have heard it said 

 that it is just as easy to raise a 

 good thing as a bad one. Not 

 so. The Portulaca must be 

 cultivated with care, and the 

 better the variety, the richer 

 must be the soil. The double 

 varieties of Portulaca should be 

 Fig. 44.-PORTULACA-SINGLE ^ b in the house about 



FLOWER. 



the middle of March, in rows 



one inch apart and two or three seeds to each inch of 

 row. When the plants begin to 

 crowd each other, take out every 

 other row and set them out m an- 

 other box. They are transplanted 

 readily, and it is an easy matter to 

 get good strong plants to set out in 

 the garden as soon as the weather 

 will permit. 



It is of course not necessary to 

 start the plants in the house, the 

 seeds may be sown in the open 

 ground. Select the warmest and 

 lightest soil, make it as good as 

 possible. Rake it smooth and pat 

 it down firm with the back of the 

 spade, then make shallow drills a foot 

 apart and sow the seeds about an 

 inch apart in the drill ; cover not more than a quarter 



Fig. 45. PORTULACA 



PLANT AND DOUBLE 

 FLOWER. 



