THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
107 
and on the garden wall, and are advised by the fact that it 
can live on little and spread itself abroad without the aid of 
man. To grow the plant from seed is indeed most easy, and 
all that need be said about it is that the seed may be sown at 
any time from March to September, and the best way to treat 
it is to sow in shallow pans in a cold frame, and plant out 
the seedlings in a bed of light earth in a frame, thus to remain 
during their first winter. When planted out in the following 
spring, a sunny, well-drained spot should be chosen, and 
although the plant needs but a mere film of soil to sustain it, 
a rich sandy loam will produce finer flowers, and more of 
them, than the handful of lime-rubbish on the top of the wall, 
where the vagrant snapdragon finds a lodging for itself. 
When grown from seed the flowers are various, and while 
some are pretty sure to be good, it is equally certain that 
many will be bad. Hence the named varieties of the florists* 
section are to be preferred for their distinct characters and 
splendid flowers. These are to be propagated by cuttings, 
which should be treated precisely as advised for the propaga¬ 
tion of calceolarias at page 69. 
BEST THIRTY ANTIRRHINUMS. 
Acteon , Admiral, Artist , Bolivar , Bridesmaid, Bravo , Bella, 
Charming, Climax , Crown Jewel, Dr. AP Craken, Fire King, 
Flora, George Gordon , Gladiateur, Harlequin , Marquis, Mrs. 
MBonald, Ne Plus Ultra, Orange Boven, Prince Alfred, 
Striata perfecta, Pretty Polly, Queen of Beauties , Queen of 
Crimsons, The Prince , The Bride, Undine, Wrestler, War 
Fagle, Yellow Gem . 
Aquilegia (the Columbine) will grow in any good soil, 
especially if moist and rich, and will thrive almost equally 
well in sun or shade. All the species and varieties are worth 
growing, as they are neat and pleasing, and a few of them 
extremely showy. They are increased by division in autumn 
or spring and by seeds sown in March or April. Most of 
them sow their seed on the border, and soon form colonies in 
the same way as the antirrhinum. The most useful of all is 
the Common Columbine, A. vulgaris , of which there are many 
splendid varieties, single and double. A. alpina is extremely 
pretty; the flowers are purplish blue. A. canadensis is a tall 
plant, with bright red and orange-coloured flowers. A . coeru - 
