214 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



as it should be? Many persons spade and rake the bed and put in lb© 

 seeds the same day. It thus has but a single up-turning, and it receives 

 an occasional scratching to the depth of half an inch, with rake or hoe, and 

 that is all the action the soil gets in the culture of rare, delicate and beau- 

 tiful flowers. It is not surprising that the soil packs almost as hard as a 

 brick, and that stunted plants only grow. A flower bed should be finely 

 spaded or forked, and thoroughly stirred two spades deep as early in the 

 Spring as it can be worked. Let it rest a little, and then stir it again in 

 the same manner, taking care to keep the best soil on the surface, which 

 must be thoroughly raked, pulverized and aired. After the most thorough 

 raking, when you are ready to plant the smallest seeds, smooth the surface 

 with the back of the spade, then sprinkle the seeds in rows on the surface, 

 and cover by sifting the soil tlirough a fine sieve. The finest seed should 

 not be covered more than one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch deep. 

 Sometimes small seeds are driven too deeply into the earth by rains. To 

 prevent this, cover with boards or cloths. If the weather is very dry, 

 water the beds daily with a fine rose watering-pot. If the sun is very hot 

 when the young plants appear, shade them. Watch the weeds and pull 

 them out when small. Weeds soon strangle fine plants. Give them 

 thorough cultivation and constant care. Water if necessary; see that the 

 growth is never checked. The earth is to be mother to the weeds, but only 

 step-mother to the flowers. Some plants, like the Asters, Balsams, &c., 

 will be benefitted by transplanting, or even repeated trausplantings; while 

 other plants, like the Poppies, Lily of the Valley, &c., can rarely be re- 

 moved with safety. If the soil is too heavy with clay, add pure sand. If 

 too light and sandy, work in the day. If the soil is too old, black and 

 heavy, add fresh virgin soil. If the soil is foul with old vegetable matters, 

 or is infected by the wornis, bugs, or the eggs of worms, apply the salt 

 and lime mixture, njade of three bushels of lime, slackened, with one bushel 

 of salt, dissolved in water. If the soil wants enriching, we prefer hog or 

 foul manure, old decayed leaves, or leaf mold and muck; but let no kind of 

 manure be applied to your garden until composted to the consistency of 

 black mold. The salt and lime mixture will greatly expedite this process. 

 If you want fine flowers, care should be taken to get and preserve the best 

 of seed. The best varieties that can be selected from the florist's will be 

 the cheapest, even if of higher price at the first. Of the numerous varieties 

 of the Asters, Balsams, &c., some two or three kinds are richly worth cul- 

 tivating, while the commonest kinds would not be cheap as a gift, if you 

 could purchase better ones. High priced novelties are not always desira- 

 ble. When a fine variety is obtained, be careful to preserve the seed and 

 keep it pure. This can only be done by pulling up by the roots and de- 

 stroying at once all plants which show on the opening of the first flower a 

 single or semi-double bloom. I know it will be hard to do this if 

 the semi-double chances to be handsomer than you have ever raised previ- 

 ously; but you must do it fearlessly if you wish good seed for double per- 

 fect blossoms next year. If you have a fine bed of beautiful double Asters, 

 Balsams or Zinnias, and permit one single flt)wering plant to blossom in 

 the bed, it will hybridise and destroy all the other seed. Vigilance here, 

 as well as in other duties, is the price of saiety. Save all the soap suds 



