Annual Flowers. 103 



ther dry during the winter, and protected from frost. In the 

 nrinff, as soon as the plants begin to grow, they should be 

 rhinned again, and a third lime when they begin to branch. 

 After this, they should be watered with liquid manure, taking 

 care not to let the liquid touch the plants, but to let it sink in 

 the ground, so as to afford nourishment to the roots. When 

 thev are going into flower, the heads should be examined, and 

 if they appear too numerous, the weakest should be removed. 

 By this treatment, and keeping the ground free from weeds, 

 and occasionally loosening it around the plants, flowers of the 

 common Purple Candy Tuft have been grown three inches 

 across, most beautifully colored, being of a very dark purple 

 on the outside, softening to white in the centre. The great 

 points are, thinning the plants gradually as they increase in 

 size, and supplying their roots with abundance of rich food 

 when they are going into flower." The seeds may also be 

 sown in the spring, but the flowers of such never attain the 

 same size as those sown in autumn. There are several varie- 

 ties of this species, some having crimson, and others white 

 flowers. 



I. coronaria is the most splendid of the genus. It will 

 grow, if properly treated, to a height of more than two feet, 

 branching widely, and producing racemes of flowers from 

 eight inches to a foot in length. The mode of cultivation is 

 the same as that recommended for the other species. It would 

 seem that little is known of the history of this plant. No work 

 which has mentioned it, so far as we know, has given any 

 information as to its native country, though it appears to have 

 oeen cultivated for a considerable length of time in France. 

 There are several other species, as the sweet scented, the pin- 

 nate, and the bitter Iberis, which are often raised by florists. 



ANNUAL FLOWERS. 



After the foregoing descriptions of several commonly cultiva- 

 ted annual plants, it may not be improper to introduce some 

 remarks respecting the culture of such plants as an appro- 



