62 
THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
It is the common belief that bedding plants require no 
preparation of soil for their well-doing out of doors ; and to 
that belief we may attribute a large proportion of the failures 
that occur, especially in unfavourable seasons. In peculiarly 
kind summers, when showers and sunshine alternate, and 
no extremes of heat or cold occur, the shortcomings of 
the cultivator may not be made manifest; but in such a 
summer as 1860, when there was no sunshine, but continuous 
rain instead; or in such summers as 1868 and 1870, when 
there was not a drop of rain for months together, but tropical 
heat instead—then it is that real cultivation is plainly distin¬ 
guished by its results from the slipshod pretence of cultiva¬ 
tion that begins with a hoe and ends with a rake, and knows 
nothing of the soil at one foot depth from the surface. The 
fact is, flower-beds need frequent deep stirring and periodical 
manuring, and the several beds, in a scheme for which many 
sorts of plants have been prepared, should be severally pre¬ 
pared to receive them. This direction imparts an air of com¬ 
plication to the business, but we cannot twist nature to suit 
the indolent gardener. We must keep the truth in view, and 
advise those who cannot growbedding plants to do without them 
altogether; for a shabby geometric garden is one of the shab¬ 
biest of shabby things to be found amongst the demonstrations 
of pretentious gentility. But the special preparation of every 
bed for the plants it is to receive is not so serious an affair as 
it looks. The fact is, the best general preparation is. a deep 
stirring of the soil at every change of crop, and the incorpo¬ 
ration—a week or two before planting, if possible; but, if 
not, immediately before planting—of a sufficient dressing of 
manure for the plants tlrnt require it. Free-growing plants 
