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GARDENING FOE PLEASURE. 



ANNUAL SEEDS HOW TO SOW. 



To produce the best results where annual seeds are to 

 be sown in the open border, the soil should be enriched 

 with stable manure or other fertilizer, just as for a crop 

 of vegetables or fruits (see Chapter on Manures), thor- 

 oughly dug, and raked level and smooth. The location 

 for nearly all kinds of annual flowers should be free from 

 shade ; although some kinds, such as Pansies, will do 

 quite well in some shade, that is, where for half of the 

 day only they get sunlight. The seed catalogues usually 

 distinguish the different species of annual flowers by 

 attaching the words "hardy annuals" to such as are 

 hardy. All such may be sown in the open ground as soon 

 as the soil is dry enough in spring to work. All the 

 others, not so designated, are of tropical origin, and are 

 known as tender annuals, and should not be sown in the 

 vicinity of New York until the first week in May. The rule 

 best to give for all sections of the country is, not to sow the 

 tender kinds until such time as the farmers begin to plant 



