£74 



OF FLOWERS. 



SECT* XVITI. 



and occafion a crooked growth; whereas a robuft and 

 creft ftature is the beauty of any plant. 



Water 9 juR. warm, mult be gently given them, (not to 

 beat them down) as they may appear to need it, and air 

 (particularly in a full fun) as much as they can be 

 thought to bear, a little at firft, and by degrees more, 

 for this is elfential to their health and ftrength. 



The feeds may alfo be fown in pots, and plunged at 

 the back part of a cucumber or melon bed. A bed may 

 be got ready to prick them into when grown a little, or 

 into pots placed in the like manner; and where only 

 a few are cultivated, this method is advifeable, (to fave 

 trouble) not beginning too early. 



Provide another bed by one month from the fowing, 

 to fet the plants out in ; and having fix inches depth of 

 mould, place them five or fix inches afunder, allotting 

 thofe to the warmeft part of the bed which were longert 

 coming up, and which are of courfe the weakeft, as 

 globes ', Sec. or they may be put out in fmall pots of five 

 inches diameter: Place the talleft behind. Let the 

 mould be warmed through before planting. There had 

 better be too little, than too much heat; but if the bed 

 gets over cool, line it, or cover round with ftraw, as 

 directed in the management of hot-beds, page 174. 



If not fown till the beginning of April, this fecond 

 bed may pofiibly go through the bufinefs, with proper 

 management to keep up its heat, and covering well on 

 nights; but a third bed is commonly neceffary, in order 

 to fucceed well, and bring the plants on forward and 

 fine. In this bed, it being covered over with four or 

 five inches of mould, the plants ihould be in fmall pots, 

 one in each, and plunged an inch deep, clofeto one ano- 

 ther. As the bed gets cooler, the pots are to be earthed 

 higher, till up to the rims in mould; but if planted 

 without pots, the diftance fhould be eight or nine inches 

 afunder. 



More ivater and air is necefiary as the plants increafe 

 in fize, and every time thev are ffcifted, let it be care- 



fully 



