12 
9 
fine display, and may be kept up nearly the 
whole season. Hardy Annuals, such as 
Asters, Candytuft, Caffdifly, Larkspur, 
Love-In-a-Mist, Mignonette, Morning Glory, 
Phlox Drummondii, Sunflower and Sweet 
Pea may be sown out of doors as soon as 
the ground is dry, and will work well. In 
late seasons it is well to start a few varieties 
NIGELLA DAMASCENA. 
in pots or pans in the house, and transplant 
as soon as the weather will permit, as a 
longer succession of bloom is thus obtained. 
MIMULUS CUPREUS. 
Half-hardy kinds, such as Balsam, Cocks¬ 
comb, Marigold, Love-Lies-Bleeding, Portu- 
laca, Snap Dragon and Zinnia should not 
be sown in the open ground until all danger 
of frost is past, but if an early start is de¬ 
sired, the plants may be grown in the house 
or hot-bed, and kept shaded for a few da} s 
after transplanting. Tender Annuals, such 
as the Hyacinth Bean, and Martynia should 
never be sown in the open ground earlier 
than the first of June, but for an early 
start they may be propagated in the same 
manner as the above, care being taken not 
to set them out until all danger of cold 
weather is past, These Annuals should- 
have a place in every flower garden and 
door-yard, as well as a few’ Biennials and 
Perennials, which are needed to keep up 
the succession of bloom. Biennials are those 
flowers which grow the first season, flower 
the next, and then die. Several vaiieties of 
Pinks (Indian, Clove, China and Imperial), 
and Stocks (Brompton and Intermediate,) 
may, however, be induced to flower for two 
or three successive seasons br r preventing 
them from going to seed. Biennials and 
Perennials are divided into the same classes 
as Annuals, and need the same general cul¬ 
ture. Of all the different classes Perennials 
are to be preferred by people having little 
time to spare, inasmuch as they require less 
care, and remain for a longer time in bloom, 
and amply repay any one for the little time 
bestowed upon them. All that is needed 
with the hardy kinds after they are once 
established, is to divide and reset the roots 
once in two or tl ree years, while the ten¬ 
der and Half-hardy Perennials, such as 
Dahlia, must be dug up in the fall and kept 
in a dry, cool place. Any good, rich gar¬ 
den soil will do for the cultivation of flow¬ 
ers, and for house plants cultivated in pots, 
rotten leaf mold answers the purpose best. 
When plants require watering, care should 
be taken to have the temperature of the 
water the same as that of the atmosphere. 
In the cultivation of flowers we are some¬ 
times disappointed in the color which is 
produced. Sometimes we plant seeds from 
flowers of a distinct color, and are sur¬ 
prised to find that we have produced a va¬ 
riety of colors. And not only this, but 
sometimes we plant seeds of a single flow¬ 
ering variety, and are surprise! to find doub¬ 
le flowers instead. Some flowers, such as 
the Petunia, produce stamen and pollen, but 
never any seeds. Therefore, if the single 
flowers are deprived of their stamens and 
fertilized with the pollen of double flowers, 
many of the seeds will produce double 
