Propagation and Training of Plants, 71 



part and potting it, and others that form a crown hy 

 cutting clean through the ball and crown and separating 

 it. When inserting a cutting make a hole with a 

 dibber and fill up the hole round the cutting with sand, 

 which will prevent them much from damping away at 

 the stem. 



Annuals such as stocks, asters, mignonette, candy- 

 tuft, &c., are all raised from seed. All flowers that 

 spring, grow, flower, and die aJl in one season, are 

 called annuals ; biennials live and flower for two seasons 

 or more. You have therefore to raise new plants of 

 annuals every year, and can always have a change 

 from one kind to another. And besides, they are very 

 interesting, as you have the whole duration of their 

 existence under your notice, from the germinating of 

 the seed till they flower out and die. Their life is 

 short indeed, but how lovely they are when in the 

 height of their beauty. 



A great many people err in sowing their seeds too 

 deep, and are therefore disappointed in the result. 

 Too deep-sown seeds are smothered. Never sow them 

 much deeper than an eighth of an inch. Seeds vary 

 much in size, and the depth of sowing must vary 

 accordingly. Scarlet runners, nasturtiums, and sweet 

 peas may be sown a quarter of an inch deep ; stocks, 

 asters, mignonette, candytuft, &c., just covered and 

 no more. Very small seeds, such as calceolarias and 

 lobelias, should be sown on a fine smooth sandy surface, 

 not covered, kept damp, and have a bit of glass placed 

 over the pot to keep the cold draughty air off. Always 

 shade your seed pots or pans from the sun, for it would 



