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FLOWER GARDEN. 
finest drawing-room in the world, with the 
finest furniture, huddled .altogether without 
order and arrangement, would not be a more 
out-of-the-way object than the beds of Tulips 
grown by people who are the most rich in the 
ission of iine flowers ; and yet year after 
year passes, without their bestowing the at- 
tention that is required to arrange them pro- 
perly. The fact is, some of the fanciers are 
so deeply engaged in their admiration of par- 
ticular flowers, or of what we may call indi- 
vidualizing, that they never once contemplate 
the Tulip bed as a whole. Like the honey- 
bee, they go from bloom to bloom, but never 
consider the bed as a complete object. One- 
half of the most enthusiastic growers have 
their treasures in their out-beds; instead of 
which, their show-bed should be arrayed with 
the best things arranged in the best manner. 
Pray, gentlemen, use the present month instead 
of next, for examining your boxes of bulbs, 
comparing them with your book ; or, which 
would be infinitely better, take a paper and 
draw out the square of your boxes, and make 
your bed entirely new. Take the very best 
middle-row flowers you have, to the number 
of your rows, one-third of each class ; insert 
them in the middle squares, Rose, Byblomen, 
and Bizard, Rose, Byblomen, and Bizard, all 
the way to the end. Not only take your very 
best sorts, but the best bulbs of each sort; but 
at present we are only on paper. Then look 
to your rows next the middle, and insert just 
the same way ; but begin them with Byblomen, 
Bizard, and Rose, Byblomen, Bizard, and 
Rose ; inserting the names of all the best 
adapted flowers you can think of. Most of 
the middle-row flowers will do for the next 
rows ; but wherever you use them, keep them 
a little way off the centre ones of the same 
kind. Then insert your second-row flowers, 
which must be begun with Bizard, Rose, 
Byblomen, Bizard, Rose, Byblomen, all the 
way along ; and lastly, insert the names of 
outside -row flowers, which begin as the middle 
row. There are many flowers which cannot 
be too plentiful in a bed, because of their 
delicacy and beauty, or their grandeur. When- 
ever you find yourself short of duplicates, buy 
or exchange, rather than fail in this point. 
Give an hour or two a-day, or one or two 
evenings a-week, until you have at least im- 
proved, if not completed your arrangement ; 
to aid you in which, look to the article on the 
subject of Tulips at page 362. 
Perennials that have gone out of bloom 
may be parted, either by taking off portions 
of a large patch with the spade, so as not to 
disturb the main portion, or by digging up 
altogether, and chopping or tearing it to pieces; 
the smallest bit with a root, and in many cases 
without a root, will grow. Where, however, 
they are in a border, and have spi'ead out 
large, it is the better way to cut off with a 
spade all but the quantity you wish left. It 
is a good plan, because the portion that is left 
is the better for the removal of the rest. The 
portions cut off may be parted into as many 
pieces as are wanted, and planted out in nur- 
sery beds to grow ; but if you have any other 
borders to ornament, the pieces may be left 
large enough to make a good show, and be 
transferred at once to the place they are to 
bloom in. This treatment applies to almost 
every perennial subject in the borders; and 
cannot be too well looked after with all the 
plants you wish to increase. 
Tender Plants in the Borders and 
Beds. — Towards the end of this month you 
must take up all the Geraniums, Verbenas, 
Petunias, Fuchsias, Calceolarias, and other 
tender plants that have been potted out and 
are wanted again; otherwise they are just as 
well out of doors, to live as long as they will. 
If they are still flowering, they may keep on 
till the frost stops them. Such, however, as 
are valued, should be taken up and repotted ; 
and the heads should be cut in rather sharply. 
The cuttings may be crowded into a small pot, 
and allowed to take their chance in one of the 
garden frames ; where, if they are watered 
occasionally, they will most likely strike root, 
and be useful in the spring. Verbenas, so 
useful for bedding out, will supply healthy 
cuttings at the beginning of the month, if re- 
quired ; but generally when they are taken 
up, they may be cut into scores of pieces with 
roots at every one ; for inasmuch as they are 
or should be pegged down as they grow, they 
strike at every joint. Petunias require more 
management, and their cuttings must be 
covered carefully with a bell-glass. As, how- 
ever, but few of the number planted out are 
generally required for the stock, they may be 
selected where they will be least missed, and 
the remainder left to take their chance till out 
of flower. Verbenas, Petunias, and common 
Geraniums, could be preserved during the 
winter very easily, and by a very simple 
means ; a hole dug just deep enough to hold 
them when covered over with a flat surface, 
and the pots placed therein, may be covered 
with boards, or with bent rods, to form a 
slight roof ; so that mats, or, which is better, 
waterproof calico or canvass, that will not 
shut out all the light, can be thrown over in 
bad weather. Many persons use hoops and 
mats only, but they must be very much 
covered, and close down to the ground in hard 
frosts, or they will suffer. Nothing, hoAvever, 
is much more simple, nor much cheaper, than 
a common garden frame and lights ; and no 
garden, even a small one, ought to be without 
such a thing, for almost anything can be kept 
