Gardening in California 



Propagation is effected by seeds and cuttings; the seeds 

 should be sown, to the depth of an eighth of an inch, in Febru- 

 ary or early in March, in a cool frame. When large enough to 

 be handled the seedlings should be pricked off, three inches apart, 

 into pots or boxes, and planted out, when about four inches high, 

 where they are to bloom. They should be exposed to full air 

 and sunshine at least one week before being planted out of 

 doors. Propagation by cuttings is made, in September, by 

 inserting the cuttings either in a cold frame, where they may be 

 shaded for the first two weeks, or in a shady spot away from 

 cold draughts of wind, out of doors, in soil composed of half 

 sand and half leaf-mold. 



PETUNIA. 



A genus of hardy, free-flower- 

 ing plants belonging to the So- 

 lanum family, native of Brazil and 

 the Argentine Republic. They are 

 very showy and effective for plant- 

 ing in beds or masses, also for 

 planting in waste ground or where 

 water is not very plentiful. They 

 thrive in any soil and require very 

 little attention in the way of 

 watering if the soil about the 

 plants is kept loose and clear of 

 weeds. If extra large flowers are 

 wanted, give them good rich soil 

 and a reasonable amount of water. 



Petunias are raised principally from seeds sown in February, 

 one-sixteenth of an inch deep, in a cold frame, pricked off (into 

 boxes) three inches apart, and, as soon as they are of sufficient 

 size, hardened by being placed in the open air for a week or ten 

 days and then planted where they are to flower. 



[262] 



Petunia. 



