172 AUGUST 



It really seems now as if the worst part of the 

 long-drawn-out hot weather Is nearly over, because 

 the cold - weather seeds have arrived. Mahgun 

 must dry and sift some garden earth, 1 part ; leaf 

 mould, 1 part ; and sand, 1 part, and start on with 

 his seed-pans at once for pansies, heliotrope, asters, 

 and various things that want sowing by the end of 

 August under shelter from rain. They take longer 

 to germinate than pinks and phlox. I am delighted 

 to have saved a nice lot of chrysanthemums through 

 the rains, and hope to have some brilliant specimens 

 this cold weather, for the very first time. A few 

 heliotrope, too, I have managed to keep, and they 

 will bloom much sooner than seedlings. The 

 dahlias are planted out in pots, and doing well. 

 Now there are two things I must make a point of 

 getting specially, as they are never included in the 

 seed box nicotiana and hollyhocks, if it is not 

 already too late. I never have grown them yet, 

 and want to try to do so this year. I have seen 

 very good ones in other gardens sometimes. I 

 think a goodly number of violet plants will have 

 survived the rains this year, and I expect there will 

 be about 800 pots, when planted out in October. 



