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ON THE GENUS LOBELIA. 
They all may be employed for ornamenting the flower-garden during the summer, 
season, either by dispersing them singly over various parts of the beds, or by 
selecting the better and more free-flowering kinds, and forming whole beds with 
them ; for this purpose, such as the erinus, bellidifolia, &c., are excellently adapted ; 
the former in particular is a gay and willing contributor, its light blue flowers 
spring forth in quick succession till very late in the autumn ; thus creating one 
continued feature of livehness and interest the whole season. The latter does not 
willingly flower so well ; still it may be made to do so, by placing the plants in 
very barren soil, or even very fine river sand will cause it to flower abundantly. 
Some of the species are increased by dividing the roots, which generally throw suckers 
in great abundance ; the others are propagated by cuttings with the greatest ease in 
either mould or sand. Of those species which most freely propagate by cuttings, 
the best time to strike them is in the autumn, for they may easily be kept through 
the winter in the greenhouse, or in a cold frame protected from frost with garden 
mats ; and when planted out in the spring, they will commence and continue flowering 
until the return of winter. Those species which most readily increase by dividing the 
roots, should be taken up after flowering, and secured by means of a frame or 
greenhouse ; or if they have the previous season been planted out in beds, they must 
be protected by straw mats or other materials during very wet or frosty weather, 
and the earliest opportunity taken in the spring to divide the roots, thus to prepare 
the plants for flow^ering in the summer ; but the safest method of preserving them 
is to take up the plants and put them into the greenhouse, or other place secure 
from the frost, to divide the roots in the spring, and plant each division in a 
separate pot; by this means excellent flowering plants will be obtained. They 
thrive in almost any kind of soil, but they most dehght in very rich earth, mixed 
with a little sandy peat. The dwarf species make a very pretty show when 
employed as decoration for rock-work, &c. ; and a few here and there in the 
greenhouse, carefully grown, are very good assistants, on account of their being 
generally in bloom. 
DECIDUOUS HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 
L. Kalmii. L. Claytooiana. 
— Nuttallii. — amoena. 
— tenella. 
The five species above named produce blue flowers, except tenella, which bears 
flowers of a purplish violet. They are all highly ornamental, and may be treated 
after the manner recommended for the evergreen perennials. 
ANNUALS. 
L. Cliffbrtiana (Michaux) . 
— pubemla. 
— aiiceps. 
— Chilensis. 
— debilis. 
L. inflata. 
— bicolor. 
— gracilis, 
— seriulata. 
— Laurentia. 
The annual species above named have all blue flowers, except L. Cliffbrtiana, 
a species with red flowers : they require very little trouble ; merely sowing the seeds 
