38 Dreer's Gaj'den Calendar. 



FLOW^ER GARDEN. 



Although to the mere economist flowers may not appear indispensable or directly remunera- 

 tive, yet they exert a refining and joyous influence more desirable than mere pecuniary profit. 

 Tlie humble cottager, unless deficient in the most simple conceptions of beauty, must have his 

 flower pot and one or more varieties of flowers. The enthusiastic amateur is no longer con- 

 tent to receive his floricultural novelties at second-hand, but must have them direct from the 

 great European centres of Horticulture. We have latterly endeavored to render this necessity 

 of the amateur importing a few seeds or plants unnecessary, by giving constant attention to 

 obtain every highly recommended novelty. We shall continue to do this, and shall endeavor 

 to have, at the earliest day, every valuable acquisition in seeds, bulbs or plants. 



Too little pains is taken to have the soil of the flower-beds and borders in a friable and active 

 state, so as not to be subject to bake in the sun. This is what renders it so difiicult for small 

 flower-seeds to survive germination, and for the delicate transplanted annuals to make a start. 

 All that the flower-border or beds require is a dry bottom, with an annual supply of prepared 

 compost, made up of well-decayed barn-yard manure, leaf-mould, or decayed leaves from the 

 woods, and sods, which should be put in a heap to decay, and before using riddle through a 

 coarse sieve and mix thoroughly together. With different soils, special applications will be 

 necessary, as stated under the head of Vegetable Garden, see page 3. The hot-bed, etc., as 

 there described, will serve for the purpose of the Flower Garden. — The only additional requisites 

 are flf)wer-pruning scissors, flower-pots and labels; stakes and trellises for tying up the plants: 

 for which articles see our special lists. 



The flower-beds may be cut out in the lawn, and in these bedding plants from the green- 

 house planted, as soon as the weather becomes suitable and no further danger of frost; also 

 choice annual seeds sown. The following brief directions Avill be found reliable. 



DIRECTIONS FOR THE SOWING AND MANAGEMENT OF FLOWER SEEDS. 



Provided the soil is in a proper state, flower seeds may be sown in the open border, in the 

 months of April and May; the best criterion is the state of the soil. The seeds should be sown 

 as soon as the soil becomes dry and easily crumbled, after the spring frosts have disappeared. 

 Care should be taken not to sow in a crowded border, a^light and air are indispensable. They 

 may also be sown in prepared beds of light, rich soil, to be transplanted into the garden. The 

 former is the more simple method, but not always satisfactory, as, during the interval between the 

 sowing of the seed and the period of blooming, the ground occupied is not attractive. The most 

 satisfactory way is to sow all fine seeds under glass in a green-house, hot-bed, or in the house, 

 exposed to a southern aspect, as the changes of climate, heavy rains and drying winds, with a 

 hot sun, render the surface of the soil unfit for the germination of small seeds. As to the depth 

 to which seeds should be covered, the best general rule is to cover fine and light seeds very 

 lightly, just enough to protect them from the sun ; and in extremely dry weather a sprinkling 

 of damp moss is very useful. With very fine seeds it is best to sow on the surface, and press 

 them slightly into the soil. We are convinced that one of the most frequent causes of failure is 

 in sowing the seeds too deep, and seedsmen are unjustly censured, when the fault lies altogether 

 in the bad management of the cultivator. 



The period of sowing has also much to do with the success or failure ; as a rule, we find the 

 winter months, even with all the ap])liances a skilful gardener can give, the most unsatisfactory, 

 instances of which came under our own observation during our long experience in floriculture, 

 especially with certain kinds of seeds. Being desirous of raising a stock of plants of the Wigan- 

 dia Caracasana during the winter for our spring sales, we made repeated sowings, but failed in 

 every instance ; the same seed sown in mid-summer produced a plentiful crop of plants. Apple 

 Geranium seed sown in the fall furnished but a few plants, while seeds that dropped from 

 the seed plants in June, lay until the next summer on the benches before they germinated, 

 subjected to the heat and watering necessary to the plants that were placed thereon. Other 

 gardeners have related the same experience, where they found the plants growing beautifully 

 on the compost heap, being thrown out of the seed-pans after waiting patiently several months 

 without success. 



For sowing in flower-pots, seed-pans, or shallow boxes 2 to 3 inches deep, with open seams at 

 the bottom, so that the water can drain through quickly, the boxes being best for that purpose, 

 the best soil is a mixture of equal parts of sand, leaf-mould, and light, rich garden loam, which 

 should be thoroughly mixed and passed through a coarse sieve ; then fill your pots, pans, or boxes 

 within half an inch of the rim ; press the soil firmly and evenly. If the soil is dry it is best to 

 water freely before sowing the seeds, and after they are sown cover slightly with fine soil, again 

 carefully watered with a fine spray, to settle the soil down to a uniform surface, using the fine rose 

 of a watering pot or a spray dampner. When they are designed to be grown in the house, the 

 temperature should be as near as possible at 60 degrees, placing them in a light window facing 

 the east or south. 



The importance of uniform attention to watering may be best leai'ned by experience and 

 observation, but the inexperienced cultivator may be reminded that to omit a single watering 

 and allow the young plant-germs from seed to remain in a parched state, or a too frequent indis- 

 criminate watering, often leads to the eventual loss of the whole. As soon as the plants appear. 



