104 ANNUALS, HARDY AND TENDER. [3fay. 
" When the eye or disk is shown in the full-blown flower, 
it is also a striking defect. 
" The side view of a first-rate flower should he that of a 
perfect hemisphere. 
" There is, perhaps, no example of this perfection of form 
without some slight deficiency. The Countess of Liverpool 
is one of the nearest to a perfect flower in this respect. 
"2. Colour. — This is looked upon by florists as an inferior 
consideration to form, though it is usually the first to attract 
the notice of common observers. 
" In flowers of one colour, or selfs, the colour ought to be 
bright and distinct, without any breaking or blotching. 
When there are stripes, mottlings, shadings, or edgings, 
these should be clear and uniformly marked, the colours dis- 
tinct without clouding or running. 
"8. Size. — Although large flowers with superior form 
and clear distinct colours are esteemed superior to small 
flowers with the same properties, yet size alone is looked 
upon by florists as nothing when form and colour are defec- 
tive." 
Particular care should be taken with seeds, especially such 
as are saved from fine sorts. If they are sown, about the 
first of April, on a gentle hot-bed, or in a green-house in 
plots, filled with light rich earth, cover the seeds about 
three-eighths of an inch, and when they have made leaves, 
pot them off singly into small pots, till time for planting out, 
or where a quantity is grown, three plants may be put into 
one pot, and thus planted, and when they bloom the bad can 
be pulled up, leaving those of good character to stand for 
farther trial : none should be kept but such as come up to 
the above rules ; and if they do not do so the first year, there 
is little hope of their being more perfect the second. 
ANNUALS, HARDY AND TENDER. 
By the first of the month, finish sowing all hardy Annuals 
and Biennials; and about the middle of the month all those 
that are tropical. The weather being now warm, they will 
vegetate in a few days or weeks. Attend to thinning of those 
that are too thick, giving gentle watering to such as are 
weak in dry weather. Those that have been protected in 
