JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



[ May 5, 1863. 



lings to keep slugs and worms from them. The chief drawback 

 to this plan will be the birds, which, if they do not eat will be apt 

 to scratch the seeds, and thus spoil the unity of your arrange- 

 ment. The remedies are covering the seeds with pots, with tree 

 branches, or with nets, until the seedlings are well up. 



Even then, however, there will likely be some vacancies ; and, 

 therefore, as a reserve, it would be well to adopt the plan of a 

 correspondent, and sow in panB or pots under glass. Eor myself 

 I would prefer placing 3 inches of rough soil and leaf mould on 

 a hard bottom, and 3 inches of light fine soil over it ; sowing the 

 seeds rather thickly, covering with glass until they were well up, 

 hardening them off by degrees, and lifting them in patches to 

 where they are wanted. 



The greater part of these annuals might also be sown in 

 March and the first days of April ; but, as a rule, they will not 

 come up so regularly, nor will they bloom continuously so late. 

 When it is desirable to have them as early as possible, and the 

 late-flowering is a matter of less moment, then make up a slight 

 hotbed in the middle of March, cover with rotten dung and soil 

 as stated above, dig and pulverise the ground well, and plant 

 out in patches about the end of April. The best beds and 

 margins of annuals we ever had were so managed, and though 

 they bloom sooner, they will not continue in the autumn like 

 those sown now in the open ground or under a little protection 

 and transplanted. 



2. Selection of annuals to bloom early in spring, by Bowing in 

 the third week of September, either where the plants are to 

 stand or thickly on a border, hard below with about 4 or 5 inches 

 of rather poor stiffish soil, which will lift in lumps early in the 

 spring, or in the beginning of winter after the beds are cleared, 

 well dug, &c. 

 Alyesum maritimum (Sweet Alyssum), white. 

 Anoda purpurea, 1 foot. 

 Cacalia coccinea aurea, 1 foot. 

 Calandrinia speciosa, rose, 6 inches. 

 Calliehroa platyglossa, yellow, 9 inches. 



Calliopsis, all the best, as mentioned above, except Drum- 

 mondi, which rarely stands the winter. 



Campanula, all the dwarf kinds, Venus's Looking-glass, &c. 

 Clarkia, the whole of the varieties ; the pulehella group is 

 hardier than the elegans varieties. 



Collineia bicolor, bicolor alba, bartsicefolia, and bartsisefolia 

 alba, grandiflora, marmorata, and all the species and varieties. 

 Collomia coccinea and grandiflora, red and saffron, 1 foot. 

 Delphinium, dwarf Rocket Larkspurs. 

 Eschscholtzia, all mentioned in previous lists, 

 ©ilia, all from 1 to 1£ foot in height. The varieties of tricolor 

 are best ; but all the varieties of achillesefolia and capitata are 

 also good ; the latter in good soil will reach 2 feet. Is a little 

 rough. 



Godetia, all previously mentioned, and as many more aB may 

 be deemed advisable. These sown in autumn might be planted 

 thinly in beds, and bedding plants placed between them to fill 

 up when the first were done blooming. 

 . I beris, all varieties of annual Candytufts. 



Leptosiphon androsaceus and varieties, aureus, densiflorus, 

 luteus, &c. ; low-growing pretty plants. 



I/imnanthes Douglasii and others, as grandiflora, rosea, low 

 things with yellow and rose flowers. 

 Lopezia coronata, rose, 1 foot. 

 Malcomia maritima (Virginian Stock). 

 Nemophila, all are suitable. 

 Nigellas, all varieties, but best sown in spring. 

 Nolana, all varieties, best sown in April. 

 Papaver (Poppies), best in spring. 



Sanvitalia procumbens, best in spring, black and yellow, 

 4 inches, trailing. 



Saponaria calabrica, all varieties. 

 Silene, ditto, as already mentioned, 

 Viscaria, varieties. 



Tolpis barbata (Yellow Hawkweed), best in spring. 

 "Venus's Looking-glass of colours, blue, blush, white, &c). 

 These will need the protection of a few evergreen branches 

 amongst them in severe weather in winter. The next best plan 

 with these would be to sow in the open ground early in March ; 

 but they will bloom much later than those sown in autumn. A 

 better plan to secure early and uniform beds in spring and early 

 BUinmer from spring-sowing, would be to sow in a mild hotbed 

 early m March, with rotten dung below and fine soil above; then 

 harden- off and fill the beds or rows, not with solitary plants but 



with patches, rooted in and adhering to the rotten leaf mould 

 and soil. The transplanting will promote dwarfness and free- 

 blooming. Where there is the convenience of a few sashes 

 early in the spring, this plan will often secure fine beds with 

 less trouble than Bowing in autumn. Autumn-sowing is the 

 best plan for early blooming, where Buch conveniences as saBhes 

 cannot be bad in the spring. 



3. Annuals that require the assistance of heat and glass to 

 give them a chance of forming a prominent part in the adorn- 

 ment of the flower garden. We shall divide theBe into two 

 classes — those that are best sown in pots, and those that may be 

 sown in boxes or on a mild hotbed. The first will also be the 

 better of more heat than the second, and both will need pricking 

 out as soon as they are large enough, unless sown sufficiently 

 thin at first. 



Those beBt sown in pots, are such as 

 Abronia umbellata, rose, 6 inches. 



Acrocliniuin roseum, rose ; and album, white. Everlastings. 

 1 foot. 



Ageratum, chiefly the mexicanum varieties, as nanum, which 

 is dwarf ; odoratum and cceleBtinum are next best. 

 Alon3oa grandiflora, Warczewiczii, scarlet, 2 feet. 

 Amaranthus bicolor, tricolor, 1£ foot. 



Anagallis grandiflora, Breweri, &c, blue ; and other varieties, 

 red, lilac. 



Arctotis grandiflora argentea, silver leaves, yellow flowers, 

 dwarf and creeping. 

 Browallia varieties, chiefly for greenhouse. 

 Calceolaria varieties. 



Chsenostoma fastigiatum, rose, low, a few inches. 

 Cineraria maritima, silvery foliage. 

 Cleome brachysperma, white, 18 to 24 inches. 

 Clintonia elegans, pulehella, &c. ; resembles Lobelias of the 

 dwarf kinds. 



Cobcea scandens, stroDg climber. 

 Cucumis, ornamental Gourds. 

 Cuphea of kinds. 

 Datura chlorantha, Wrightii, &c. 

 Dianthus, of the Heddewigi and laciniata group. 

 Eucnida bartonioides, yeUow, 1 foot. 

 Heliotropium, varieties. 



■ Humea elegans, for centres of beds and greenhouse ; does best 

 sown in small pots and potted on before planting. 

 Isotoma axillaris, blue, 1 foot. 

 Linum flavum and grandiflorum, &c. 

 Loasa of kinds, dangerous climbers. 

 Lobelia speciosa, and many other kinds. 

 Marfcynia fragrans, 2 feet. 

 Maurandya of colours, for pillars, climbers. 

 MeBembryanthemum of kinds and colours. 

 Nemesia floribunda, versicolor, and varieties, pretty low plants, 

 white, yellow, and blue. 



Nirembergia gracilis, intermedia, the first light lilac, the 

 second purple, 1 foot or rather 9 inches in height. 



Nycterinia selaginoides and varieties, pretty low plants, looking 

 like Lobelias at a distance, pinkish, bluish, white. 

 Oxalis rosea, a few inches high. 

 Perilla nankinensis, to have it strong. 

 Portulaca Thellusoni, and many varieties. 

 Primula sinensis varieties, for greenhouse. 

 Rhodanthe Manglesii, maculata (Everlasting flowers), rose, 

 crimson, and yellow, 1 foot. 



Rieinus of kinds, for fine foliage. 



Solanum capsicastrum, for greenhouse, chiefly for the fruit. 

 Verbena venosa, Aubletia, and all varieties generally. The 

 sooner they are sown the better they will bloom. 



In the case of most of these, and especially as regards all the 

 small-seeded ones, as Lobelia, Calceolaria, and Portulaca, we 

 would fill the pots half full with drainage, then rough soil, then 

 fine soil, gently pressed, water well a day before, sow the seeds 

 on the slightly-dried surface, put a square of glass over the pot, 

 and shade until the seedlings begin to appear. Eor all such small 

 seeds the slightest covering of fine sandy soil should be given. 

 In pricking-off, we often do so in little patches instead of single 

 plants, which is easier done. None of these small seedlings 

 should be watered overhead, but when dry, if not soiled as 

 above described, the water should be poured in on one side, such 

 as on an oyster-shell, so that the soil may be moistened without 

 wetting the tops, or beating them down from the rose of the 

 watering-pot, as that will make them damp-off to a certainty. 



