HOrSE, AEEA, AXD AVIXDOW GAEDEXIXG. 



291 



inconspicuous; but then the little tufts of rough- 

 pointed leaves are very pretty, and look like diminu- 

 tive Aloes. They all tio-^er in the summer. (See 

 further Greex-house and Hot-house Plants.) 



Annuals, in very great variety, may be grown 

 from seed, and prove a source of much pleasui-e. 

 The pots should have plenty of drainage, and a 

 little piece of moss over the drainage to prevent the 

 earth being washed down amongst the crocks, which 

 might stop the sui-plus water from running away, 

 and thus destroy the object for which the drainage 

 was put there. The soil should be good loam, with 

 a little leaf-mould and silver sand in it. and this 

 should be pressed into the pots firmly, but not too 

 hard. Ha\ing thus filled the pots three-parts full, 

 lay on the top a few seeds, about twice as many 

 as you intend to gTOw in the pot, taking care that 

 two seeds do not lie side by side, or close together. 

 Dust gently over the seeds enough sandy mould to 

 just hide them, and then, should the soil be very 

 dry (otherwise the seeds are better without it), water 

 with spray from a brush. When the seedlings 

 begin to gTOw half of them must be pulled up. 

 lea'^'ing, of course, the strongest to grow on. 



The following list contains a good in-door selec- 

 tion of dwarf Annuals, of many of which there are 

 numerous beautiful varieties that will richly reward 

 the patient and careful cultivator : — 



Selected Axxuals, Dwarf axd Erect. 



Acroelinium roseum. 



Bartonia atirea. 



Calendula pluviaHs (Cape 

 Marigold. 



Calliopsis bicolor. 



Centaur ea Cyanus (Corn- 

 flower). 



Clarkia pulchella. 



Chrysanthemum carinatum. 



Collinsia bicolor. 



Convolvulus minor. 



Delphinium Ajacis (Lark- 

 spur). 



Dianthus chinensis (Indian 

 Pink). 



Eschscholtzia caiifornica, 

 Gaillardia picta. 

 Gilia tricolor. 



Godetia gTandiflora. 



Kaulfussia amelloides, or 

 more correctly, Charieis 

 heterophyila. 



Leptosiphon androsaceus. 



Lui^inus Ciniikshankii. 



Xemophila insignis. 



Papaver rhseas. 



Phlox Drummondi. Tette). 



Eeseda odorata i Mignoii- 



Ehodanthe jManglesii. ^ 



Salpiglossis sinuata. 



Siponaria Calahrica. 



Schizanthus pinnatus. 



Sphenogyne speciosa. 



TroioEeolum minor (Nastur- 

 tium). 



Viscaria oculata. 



If it be wished to grow tall climbing Annuals, 

 there are none better, or more easily grown, than the 

 following : — 



Climrixg Axxuals. 



Convoh-ulus major. j Tropseolum aduncum (caua- 



Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet \ riensis). 



P^aj. [ T. majus (Nasturtium). 



These must be provided with strings, wires, sticks, 

 or boughs to climb up, if we would see them in their 

 greatest beauty. 



Chrysanthemums are excellent plants for 

 cultivation in pots, and are most useful on account 



of their coming into blossom late in the autumn, 

 when few other hardy flowers are to be had. Frost 

 spoils their blooms, and wind and rain bruise them ; 

 but if brought in-doors, before bad weather has 

 injured them, they will keep in flower for a long- 

 time, and last well into the new year. Cuttings 

 struck in October are said to make the best plants for 

 the following year; but it is much less trouble to 

 break up an old plant in ]March, and then to pot 

 rooted pieces, which will make fine plants by the 

 middle of summer. In order to get plenty of 

 flowers, the points of the shoots should be pinched 

 oft' as they gTOw, but this pinching must not be 

 continued after the end of July. Cuttings should 

 be struck in sandy loam and leaf-mould. Hooted 

 cuttings and divisions of the roots should be planted 

 in stiff loam mixed with well-rotted manure. Potted 

 plants should be well watered all through the 

 summer, and liquid manure may be given occasion- 

 ally until the flower-buds begin to show their colour, 

 after which no more manure-water must be given. 

 Syringing over the leaves night and morning 

 duidng hot weather is of great assistance to the 

 I)lants. If the roots are once allowed to become 

 quite dry it will materially affect their blooming. 



There are two kinds of large-flowered Chry>- 

 anthemums, the Chinese and the Jajianese. the 

 former flowers being very regular and symmetrical 

 in form, while the latter are ragged and iiTegular, 

 though of brilliant and attractive colom-s. The 

 small-flowered Chrysanthemums are called Pompones. 

 and grow two or three feet high. They are, there- 

 fore, more suitable for window-sills and other ex- 

 posed situations than the large-flowered sorts, which, 

 from their habit of growing much taller, are more 

 liable to be injured and blown down by high winds. 



There are now to be had a great many named 

 varieties of each of these three sections. It will ho 

 better, howe^'er, if house and window gardeners 

 confine their attentions to a few good sorts whicli 

 are known to be free bloomers : of each of these 

 they can jpropagate as many plants as they choose. 



Amongst Pompones there are none to beat the 

 following : — Adele Fiizette, fringed lilac ; St. Michael, 

 yellow : Marabout, fringed white : Mdlle. Marthe. 

 white : Bob, dark brown : Cedo nulli, white, with 

 brown tips; Miss Julia, dark chestnut: Louise, 

 crimson ; Adonis, rosy-pui'ple : Mr. Astie, yellow. 



A small selection of large Chinese sorts may be 

 taken from the following list : — George Glenny, 

 goldL'U- amber : Mrs. Eundle, white : John Salter, 

 red-cinnamon: Julia Eagravere, deep crimson: A'irgin 

 Queen, white; Lady Talfom-d, rosy-lilac : Jardin de? 

 Plantes, golden-orange : Venus, rosy-lilac peacli. 



The follo"^-ing are among the best of the Japanese 

 sorts: — Elaine, white; James Salter, clear lilac; 



