ANNUAL FLOWER SEED3. 



19 



When seeds are intended to be sown in patches, 

 which is often done for want of an unoccupied border, 

 the best way to perform this business is, after having 

 pulverised the soil, to impress circular drilis in the 

 surface, with the rim of a flower pot, which may be 

 large or small, according to fancy. By sowing seeds 

 in such circular drills, the plants can be the more easily 

 traced than when scattered promiscuously over the 

 ground, and the weeds can be destroyed with less risk 

 and trouble. Such kinds as are marked in the cata- 

 logue* may remain as sown, or if parted, they should 

 be removed with a scoop trowel in a careful manner, 

 in small tufts, and this business, as well as transplant- 

 ing in general, should be always done immediately 

 preceding, or after rain, and in cloudy weather. Her- 

 baceous plants will not flourish, or flower well, if grown 

 in clusters ; they should, therefore, be transplanted 

 into the regular beds, at all favourable opportunities, 

 after they get to about an inch in length ; and as there 

 is always a risk of some plants not taking root, it is 

 safest to plant a few of each sort every time, taking 

 care to diversify the colours, and also to leave a few 

 plants in the seed beds for the purpose of substituting 

 in the room of such plants whose period of flowering 

 may be over; as is the case generally with early pe- 

 rennial plants and bulbs, at about the season that ths 

 last of the annuals are fit to remove. 



The transplanting may be done with a small trowel, 

 qt a neat dibble made for the purpose. 



