ON THE TREATMENT OF ANNUALS. 
65 
for effective display, as the consequence of sowing too few, in its effects, might be 
of a serious nature. Seeds of the kinds of plants under consideration are not so 
valuable as that abundance may not be sown ; and the benefits of thin-sowing is 
easily attainable, by carrying out a perfect system of thinning the plants. 
Tender annuals, (to a brief notice of which we shall devote the remainder of our 
paper) have less chance of being sown thinly than the more hardy kinds. They are 
usually sown in seed-pots or pans, and their vegetation hastened by being placed in 
a little warmth ; but from their often being required in large quantities, it is found 
not easy to accommodate them in the manner they require. Hence, of necessity they 
are frequently sown unusually thick, to enable the requisite number of plants to be 
raised, and which, if timely potted, counteracts the evil effects of a practice 
necessity compels a resort to. As soon as the seed-leaves are fully developed, they 
should, without further delay, be potted off and placed where they will begin to 
establish themselves against being ready to plant out, or kept to flower in pots. 
For either purpose they may be treated exactly similar to hardy annuals, as far 
as preventing their flowering, stopping their shoots to induce them to grow bushy, 
&c, is concerned. And indeed, these several operations can be applied to them 
with a greater degree of success, and with much more facility than to hardy annuals, 
from their being so wholly under control. 
There is no limit to the extent in which such plants as Phlox Drummondii, 
Rhodanthe Manglesii, &c, may be made beautifully ornamental, either as growing 
in pots, or in the open beds and borders, by careful potting and applying to them 
the course of treatment we have been recommending. 
The principal error in the raising of tender annuals is the practice of allowing 
them to remain too long in the seed-pots or pans, &c. The amount of injury they 
sustain from doing so is almost incalculable. Its effects are exhibited in the damp- 
ing off of two-thirds of the plants, through their being so excessively delicate and 
subject to injury from cold and wet. Those which may survive the damping are at 
best miserably straggling objects, remarkable for elongated weak growth, and in 
point of real usefulness they are wholly valueless. 
Equally with the tender annuals, the greater part of which are raised in slight 
heat, and placed in the open air, those of the same description grown in pots for 
ornamental effect, and the more valuable stove and greenhouse species, are benefited 
by being attended to in the manner we have directed. 
There are some annuals which will not, under any circumstances, bear the inju- 
rious effects resulting from thick sowing. One of them is the delightful little 
Clintonia jJulchella, which, when thinly sown, and raised in slight warmth, well 
stopped by pinching off their tops, and planted out, or carefully grown in pots, will 
flower in a manner altogether surpassing belief. 
VOL. XIII. NO. CXLVII. K 
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