850 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Feb, 



placed in any of llie hot-houses now at work, or at the back 

 of any melon or cucumber-frames. When sufficiently strong, 

 they are to be pricked out into small pots, and afterwards en- 

 couraged in growth, so tliat they may attain a larger size 

 before flowering. 



SOWING HALF-HARDY ANNUALS. 



Half-hardy annuals are such as require to be reared on a 

 slight hot-bed, towards forwarding them for their final plan- 

 tation in the open borders of the flower garden. They may 

 be sown every way as already directed for tender annuals, but 

 are always sown in greater quantity. When the seeds vege- 

 tate, air should be freely admitted, and during fine days the 

 glass may be entirely removed from them, taking care to cover 

 them up at night. If the plants come up too thick, they 

 should be thinned out, so that they may not be injurious to 

 each other. 



SOWING HARDY ANNUALS. 



Towards the middle or latter end of this month, if the 

 weather be mild, and the ground dry, and of a light and sandy 

 nature, hardy annuals of all sorts may be sown either in beds 

 to be again transplanted, or into the borders, where they are 

 to flower, in patclies moderately thin, and not deeply covered. 

 The smaller growing annuals do not succeed so well by being 

 transplanted as those of stronger growth, therefore the former 

 shoukl always be sown in patches, where they are to remain 

 ♦o llowcM-. In sowing them, the ground being previously 

 dug, patches sliould be stirred up with a small trowel, about 

 a foot broad, breaking the earth well; a small drill should 

 then be drawn in a circle of nine or ten inches diameter, 

 and half an inch deep, into which the seeds should be regu- 

 larly sown, not too thick, and neatly covered over. As each 

 patch is sown, it is necessary to place a small label in the 

 centre of the circle, with the name of the plant sown, in order 

 to })revent, in future sowings, too many of the same kinds, 

 or too nimy of the same colours being together, as well 

 as a mark to prevent ihcm from being destroyed in the ope- 



