96 
THE MANUAL OF GARDENING. 
allowing them to become dry; nor, on the other hand, must they 
be exposed to too much sun. 
CHAPTER VIII. 
ANNUAL, BIENNIAL, AND PERENNIAL FLOWERS. 
— The annexed list embraces a handsome assortment of border 
flowers, which are reared from seed, and principally bloom the 
same year in which they are sown. The following directions 
for their culture, which we have extracted from the catalogue of 
Messrs. D. Landreth & Munns, Seedsmen, Philadelphia, may be 
of service to the inexperienced. 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE CULTURE OF ANNUAL AND BIENNIAL 
FLOWERS. 
Nature of the soil, and its preparation for use . — The soil best 
adapted to the greater variety of garden flowers, is a deep rich 
loam, by which is to be understood, a consistence not so much 
abounding in sand as to have the particles separate or distinct, 
nor so tenacious as to require an effort to pulverise it, in the 
operation of digging. But as in rpost cases we are unable to 
select our garden location, with reference to that object alone, it 
therefore remains for us to accommodate ourselves to circum- 
stances, and obtain by artificial means that which is otherwise 
denied. Those whose residence is on a soil in which sand is the 
chief component, may much improve it, indeed, mainly overcome 
the objection, by the use of loamy, or if that cannot be obtained, 
clayey matter, well incorporated with it; not in an excessive 
quantity, but in moderate dressings from time to time, which, 
with the free use of decomposed manures, (alone calculated for 
light dry soils,) may ultimately bring it to produce in perfection, 
nearly every flower which admits of garden culture— and the 
task is not an impracticable labour, when directed only to the 
department of the flower-garden. On the contrary, those whose 
location is on stiff, clayey soil, may correct the evil, by the free 
use of sand of any description ; pure river sand, for instance, is 
quite suitable, the object being not to enrich, but to render less 
adhesive; the sand should be thoroughly incorporated with the 
natural soil, as deeply as may well be done with the spade, and 
if the texture be, or approach the stiftest clay, it may be neces- 
sary to trench-dig it, so as to get a still deeper soil of the proper 
kind, — indeed in some cases it may be found necessary to under- 
drain, which is done in a variety of modes; the most simple of 
which is by digging trenches of a few inches width, and so deep 
