148 
ANNUAL FLOWERS. 
Treatment of Hardy Annuals. —As soon as the 
garden has been dog and dressed in spring, (which 
in warm situations will be in April,) commence sowing 
the seed in the following manner. Stir up the soil, 
and make it fine with the hand, if it be a light soil, or 
if a heavy one, with a small hoe or garden trowel, 
then with the finger or a piece of stick, draw a circular 
drill about six inches in diameter, and about one inch 
deep, according to the size of the seed, and habit of 
the Plant intended to be sown ; sow the seed evenly 
in the drill, and cover it with fine soil. The best time 
to sow, is when there is an indication of rain, and in 
clayey soil subject to crust on the surface, after the rain 
has fallen, as it will come up much more easily. 
When the plants are an inch or two high, they must 
be thinned out, if too thick, that those remaining may 
have room to grow and flower strongly. If sown in 
succession from April to the middle of June, there 
will be a constant supply of flowers till the autumnal 
frosts kill them. Sticking and tying up such as 
require support, and occasionally stirring the soil, 
and sometimes watering them in an evening, is all 
that is necessary for their well doing. 
After sowing the patch of seeds, and covering it 
with fine moist soil, place an inverted flower pot over 
it; let this remain till the seeds have struck root, when 
the pot must be raised two or three inches; keep it 
thus elevated a few days, and then remove it entirely. 
The pot not only tends to keep the soil moist, but the 
sun heating the pot, the seeds come up much more 
quickly than otherwise they would do, in consequence 
of which, they need not be sown so early, by a week 
