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ladies' flower gardener. 



soil every year, you insure large flowers. Pansies and violets 

 bloom early in the spring. 



Hepaticas must be parted like violets. They appear so very 

 early in the year that no garden should exist without these gay 

 and modest flowers. The leaves appear after the flower has past 

 away. 



The Polyanthus blooms among the early tribe. In planting 

 this flower, be careful to insert the roots deep in the soil, so that 

 the leaves may rest upon it, for the roots are produced high upon 

 the stem, and those roots must be enabled to shoot into the soil. 

 The polyanthus, like almost every other flower, loves a good soil, 

 with a mixture of sand. 



In dividing these fibrous-rooted perennial plants, take only the 

 strong offsets, with plenty of fibers attached to them. 



Polyanthuses, auriculas, double daisies, double camomile, Lon- 

 don pride, violets, hepaticas, thrift, primroses, gentianella, &c, 

 succeed well, taken up and divided in September, for they will 

 all have done flowering by that time. Indeed, all perennial 

 fibrous-rooted plants may be taken up in October to have their 

 roots parted, and the soil refreshed round them. 



Peonies, and all knob-rooted plants, should be taken up in 

 October to part their roots and transplant them to their intended 

 positions. 



The saxifrage has very small roots, which are apt to be lost in 

 borders if not very carefully looked after. Like the anemone, 

 &c, sift the earth well for them. 



Dahlias require a word or two upon their culture. They love 

 sand, therefore allow them plenty of it, but do not put manure 

 to their roots, which throws them into luxuriant leaf and stem, 

 to the deterioration of the flower. Peat mould is good, if you 

 can obtain it, to mix with the sand, as it assists the flower in de- 

 veloping stripes and spots. Train each plant upright, upon one 



