SUCCESS IN FLOWER CULTURE. 
one-half my 
people, with 
There is great pleasure in success, while failure causes disappointment and pain. It would 
afford me pleasure to teach every one how to succeed in every case in one short lesson, but this 
may not be. A little difficulty in its attainment sweetens success, and of this sweetness cultivators 
usually have a full share, for they often have to contend against unfavorable weather, insect 
enemies, and a host of adverse circumstances. The most skillful sometimes obtain success at 
considerable cost of labor and patience, while failures are more common than welcome. Many 
of my readers are of limited experience, some of them just commencing to love and cultivate 
flowers, and while a few fail, I feel surprised and gratified at the very general success — a little 
proud, perhaps, at having done something to train up an army of successful florists all over our 
happy land, the fruits of whose peaceful labor beautify every landscape and perfume every breeze. 
I have endeavored to make this interesting subject so plain that all may understand the condi- 
tions on which success in floriculture may generally be assured. 
SELECTION OF SEEDS. 
The selection of seeds is an important matter, and on the wisdom of the choice success or 
failure may depend. Those who have little experience should invest money cautiously and in 
the more hardy and popular kinds, such as Asters, Balsams, Stocks, Petunias, Zinnia, &c., with a 
few of the more tender kinds, just for trial. This advice will sound strange to my old friends 
but these will please remember that the wisest knew but little once, and cannot now boast 
of excess of knowledge, and that 
readers are young 
no experience, yet 
thirsting for knowledge, I am anxious 
to encourage this noble army by a 
little success rather than to discourage 
them by a large failure, for it is an 
army larger and more glorious than 
any that has ever ravaged the earth 
with fire and sword, and stained its 
fair bosom with blood. My desire 
to spread the love of flowers all over 
this favored land is far greater than 
my care to make a few dollars. Half-a-dozen flowering plants, well cultivated, will give 
pleasure, while a hundred neglected, or ill cultivated, will be a source of pain. 
Always be careful to get seeds suited to the purposes for which they are designed. If a climber 
is desired to cover a fence or trellis, the Morning Glory, the climbing Nasturtium, and similar 
strong growing vines will answer the purpose and give good satisfaction ; while some of the 
more tender climbers will not be likely to come up if planted in such a situation as this, and if 
they do happen to grow, will not cover the place designed for them, and disappointment 
wall be the result. If the object is a brilliant, showy bed on the lawn, or in the border, the 
Petunia, Phlox Drummondii, Verbena, &c., will meet your wishes ; while a bed of Mignonette, 
or any of the smaller or less showy flowers, will be entirely out of place. If flowers of taller 
growth are desired for a showy bed more in the back-ground, the Zinnia, the French Marigold, 
the Gladioli, &c., are admirably adapted for the purpose, while some very beautiful, low, modest 
flowers would be worthless. Grave errors are sometimes made, and good flowers condemned 
merely because they are out of their proper place. I have known people to sow Calceolaria and 
Cineraria, and other very delicate seeds, in the open ground, not knowing that they require the most 
careful treatment in the house, and sometimes tax the skill even of the professional florist, 
THE SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION. 
The best soil for most flowers, and especially for young plants, and one almost absolutely 
uecessary for seed-beds, is a rich, mellow loam, containing so much sand that it will not "bake" 
after hard showers. If we have not such a soil, we must use the best we have, and advantage must 
be taken of the various plans to ensure the germination of seeds, which we shall describe. It is 
6 
HOT-BED OR COLD-FRAME. 
