THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
41 
may ; but it is more woody and shrub-like in its growth. It is not 
worth cultivating, except in very northern and exposed situations, as 
it is very hardy, and will stand more rigorous winters than perhaps 
any of the other varieties. 
USEFUL HINTS ON SEED-SOWING. 
BT JAMES CALVEET. 
over-estimate the importance of sowing vegetable and 
flower seeds at the right moment and in tiie proper 
manner would be difficult, and I feel that no apology is 
needful for ofi'ering a few suggestions which cannot 
prove otherwise than useful. It is, however, not only 
necessary to sow the seed properly, but it is of the utmost import- 
ance to buy it early in the season, so that it will be at hand when 
required for sowing. Very frequently the seed is not ordered until 
a day or so before it is wanted, and owing to the great pressure upon 
the seed houses at that particular moment, the order is not executed 
until the opportunity for sowing it is lost. The English climate is 
so changeable during the early part of the year, that if a favourable 
opportunity is lost it may not, perhaps, occur again for some weeks, 
or perhaps not until it is too late to sow that particular seed, and 
the chances of a crop lost. The main order should be handed to the 
seedman early in February, so that if there is a few days’ delay it 
will not be of much consequence. 
On the subject of purchasing seeds much might be said, but space 
will only allow me to give a few plain directions, and the first of 
these is — Buy of a respectable house, if you have to pay a few 
shillings more for your annual supply ; better by far to do this than 
to buy cheap seeds, and have nothing but failures and vexations 
hereafter. Some people do not attach sufficient importance to the 
subject of buying good seed, and consequently they are sufferers in 
the end, for it often happens that a crop fails ; and, lastly, I would 
say, buy enough. I am not an advocate for an extravagant seed 
order, but for all ordinary outdoor crops every packet should be large 
enough to make two sowings if only one is wanted ; and then, 
should the first fail, which is sometimes the case, the remainder will 
serve, and perhaps save the loss of a crop altogether ; whereas, if the 
amateur has to wait two or three days or a week for a fresh packet 
of seed, the season for sowing will be past, and the crop for that 
year lost. These are serious considerations, when we consider the 
difficulties which attend the raising of seeds out of doors in early 
spring. 
The observations I am about to make on the subject of seed- 
sowing will I hope be acceptable to all readers, for it is an important 
operation, and when injudiciously performed leads to many dis- 
appointments. Perhaps the first consideration in connection with 
seed-sowing is that all should understand that both heat and moisture 
February. 
