396 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Hight in 

 Botanical Names. Color, Ac. feet. 



47. Sedum Siebaldii Pink ^ 



48. Trollius Europens Yellow 1 



49. Uvularia Perfoliata Pale yellow 1 



60. Veronica Incana Blue 2 



CULTIVATION OF ANNUALS. 



Mr. Thomas Cavanach, gardener of Brooklyn. — Floriculture, 

 as a branch of horticulture, is more or less within the reach of 

 every individual who has a single rod of ground. That part of 

 floriculture which affords the greatest amount of pleasure with 

 the smallest means, is the cultivation of annuals. Almost every 

 one can find leisure to sow a few seeds and watch the young plant 

 bursting through the earth, sending out its beautiful foliage, and 

 see the delicate bud opening with its rich glowing colors, amply 

 repaying the care and attention bestowed upon it. For those 

 who are changing their residence from year to year and do not 

 wish to purchase expensive plants, we would advise them to 

 plant annuals. Annuals are classed as hardy, half hardy, and 

 tender. Hardy annuals are sown in the autumn or early in 

 spring ; half hardy are sown in the open ground in May ; tender 

 annuals are very sensitive of cold, and should be sown in pots in 

 the house or in a hot bed, or if sown in the open ground they 

 ought not to be planted before the first week in June. Previous 

 to sowing annuals the ground should be rich and well pulverized, 

 as many of the seeds are small, requiring a light, rich soil to 

 enable them to germinate freely. Many persons think that when 

 they make a hole in the ground with a trowel and- throw in the 

 seed, perhaps mignonette, that it is sure to grow ; whereas, if it 

 does not, they generally lay the blame upon the seed and find 

 fault with the seedsman for selling them worthless seed, when in 

 nine cases out of ten the fault is their own in sowing too deep. 

 The proper depth for planting floAver seeds depends upon the size 

 of the seed to be sown. Lupins and sweet peas may be planted 

 one inch deep, but small seeds, as portulse and mignonette, re- 

 quire to be sown almost upon the surface of the soil. 



Some seeds are difficult to germinate. Cyprus vine requires to 

 "be soaked in warm water about one hour ; the seeds of the Globe 

 Amaranthus are covered with a thick woolly substance, which 

 greatly retards germination, and if planted without soaking few 

 if any will come up. The most convenient method of sowing 



