570 Autumnal Sowing of Annuals. 



Art. XVII. On solving annual Flotver Seeds in the Autumn, in 

 order to have them flotver early in the Spring. By It. T. 



Sir, 



Permit me, through the medium of your pages, to call the 

 attention of gardeners to the sowing of annual flower seeds in 

 the autumn, in order to have them flower early in the spring. 

 The superiority of autumn-sown lettuces and cauliflowers is 

 already well known, but not so (generally speaking) that of 

 annual flowers. Notwithstanding, the latter is equally as 

 worthy of attention as the former. I have followed the prac- 

 tice for several years, and have since read of it ; but I never 

 saw it till I began it myself, though I do not presume to think 

 but that some others had done it before, though they did not 

 give it the publicity it deserved. My method is this : — About 

 the middle of September I sow such sorts as I desire, for in- 

 stance, Schizanthus pinnatus and porrigens, Coreopsis tinc- 

 toria, China aster, ilfalope trifida, Gilia capitata, Commelina 

 ccelestis, Delphinium sinense, Spanish pink, Clarkm pul- 

 chella, Hibiscus africanus, Verbena Aubletz'a, with many others, 

 in pots in the open ground, or in a cold frame, and, when 

 large enough, I prick them into other pots. If only to plant 

 out in spring, a few in a 32-pot of each sort is sufficient. On 

 the appearance of damp weather, I put them into a frame, and 

 give all the air I can, without exposing them to the fogs or 

 rains. If I am afraid of severe weather, such as I cannot 

 keep out of the frame without too much covering, I remove 

 them to an airy part of the green-house, where they remain 

 till the beginning of March, at which time (if they have be- 

 come too thick in the pots) I shift them singly into 60s, ready 

 to plant out as soon as the weather is mild enough. When 

 this is the case, I plant one in each place. I find that they 

 will flower in far greater perfection than any sown afterwards 

 in the ground, and in some sorts full two months sooner. If 

 I have more plants than I want for the flower-garden, I shift 

 a few into 48s, and put them into some of the forcing-houses, 

 where they soon flower, and make a very pretty appearance 

 at so early a period as to allow me to have some plants of 

 Schizanthus pinnatus and porrigens in bloom for the last month, 

 and others are just coming into flower to succeed them. 



May 3. 1832. I am, Sir, yours, &c. R. T. 



Art. XVIII. On the Culture of the Ranunculus. By A Village 

 Schoolmaster. 

 Sir, 

 I am a lover of floriculture, and have read the communi- 

 cations of Messrs. Tyso and Thompson on the culture of the 



