CULTIVATION. 



Flowering plants are from various parts of the world — temperate and tropical — and their 

 habits are as various. Some are found on mountains, others in rich moist valleys, and again 

 on arid plains; it follows that their treatment must he very dissimilar, and that it is not in 

 the province of a catalogue to give any lengthened cultural directions. We will only offer a 

 few general remarks on seed sowing. 



In this latitude (Washington) nearly all the Hardy Annuals can he sown in April, say 

 from first to middle, considering the season and the condition of the ground ; whilst the 

 .more tender varieties — natives of warmer climates — should not he committed to the ground 

 before the middle of May. Such tender plants as Double Zinnias, Clianthus Dampierii, Cy- 

 press Vine, &c, should not be sown before the latter season, as they are natives of warm 

 climates, and when sown early, and the ground cold, they frequently perish. When this 

 occurs, the blame is of course placed on the seedsman ; when, had they been sown in proper 

 season, success would be certain. 



Hardy Perennials. — The common and large seeded kinds may be sown in the open 

 borders any time in April, but the rare and more delicate species will succeed with greater 

 certainty if raised in a closed frame, with or without bottom heat ; thus treated, nearly all 

 will flower the first season if sown early and planted out the early part of May. All those 

 with very small seeds should be sown under glass. Amateurs will do well to bear in mind 

 that though many Perennial seeds vegetate as quickly as those of Annuals, there are some 

 others which usually remain dormant for weeks and even months; to this class belong the 

 Cyclamens, Pasonies, Fraxinella, &c. Our native Perennials are best sown in Autumn, or 

 as soon as gathered, and they will then vegetate the following spring. As this is not always 

 practicable, the plan of steeping the seeds before sowing, for twenty-four hours, may be 

 adopted with great advantage in many cases. Half-hardy Perennials require the same treat- 

 ment as hardy Perennials, differing only in their need of winter protection. 



Green-house and hot-house seed need a moist, warm temperature, such as the propaga- 

 ting-house or hot-bed frame. All seeds sown in frames or houses require shading, in bright 

 weather, during the middle of the day, especially as spring advances. For all seeds sown in 

 pots, under glass, a compost composed of well decomposed leaf mould, sand and sandy loam, 

 will answer very well. Sow very thinly ; cover the seeds with about their own thickness of 

 soil. After germination has once commenced, the surface of the soil, on no acccount, should 

 be allowed to become dry. Very small seeds, such as Mimulus, Lobelia, Calceolaria, &c, 

 should not be covered with soil, but be sprinkled thinly on the soil, which should be previ- 

 ously watered from a fine rose. Chinese Primula germinates best when covered with a layer 

 of damp moss ; this seed often fails to grow from being too deeply covered with soil, and 

 many other failures are attributable to the same cause. 



A writer in the " Garden," London, makes the following remarks on the germination of 

 seeds : " I have, at the present time, two kinds of shrub seeds, just appearing above ground, 

 that have been sown, as nearly as possible, two years. In the ordinary course of affairs, 

 many people, not understanding their nature, would have thrown them away at least eigh- 

 teen months ago and blamed their seedsman for sending them bad seeds. Primula Japonica 

 if kept till spring, or until it has become thoroughly dry, will not germinate for at least a 

 year, and sometimes two; and the same holds good in the case of many hardy plants.'-' 



