February 2 , if68. ] 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
79 
be seen a very good assortment of material grown to supply choice 
table and other plants, while Violets, and the usual florist flowers, 
such as Cinerarias, Primulas, Calceolarias, Gloxinias, &c., are each 
Tepresented in fairly good quantities. Chrysanthemums number 
about 300, these being grown to supply large blooms principally, 
but due provision is made with regard to flowers for cutting, as 
there is a good demand at all seasons.—W. S., Kingsclere. 
THE CULTIVATION OF ZINNIAS AND OTHER 
ANNUALS. 
Procure seed of double Zinnias from a reliable house, sow it at 
the right time, and give the plants about half the attention required 
to prepare Zonal Pelargoniums for bedding ; plant them in a well 
prepared bed by themselves, and they will repay the cultivator with 
rich and continuous harvest of bloom, by the side of which Pelar¬ 
goniums will be tame and carpet bedding flat. Not only so, he will 
be able to cut and come again,” for few flowers last so well when 
■cut as Zinnias, as if arranged so as to take off their rather stiff 
formality they are very effective for dressing flower stands. 
At first sight it seems surprising that plants of this nature are 
not more largely grown, but is it not a fact that many beautiful 
•easily grown plants and flowers have often to give place to those 
which are much more difficult and expensive to grow, but which, in 
many cases, are far less effective and profitable ? The reason is not 
■far to seek, for it is often because they are easily managed that 
*hey are left to themselves until what should have been a grand 
<iisplay becomes an eyesore, such as a Zinnia, for instance, with a 
.small solitary flower on the top a thin nearly leafless stem, which 
requires a stake to prevent it falling. 
We have every phase of bedding here—carpet, sub-tropical, suc¬ 
culent, ribbon borders, mixed beds, &c., but although all of it did 
well last season none was so much admired as a bed of Zinnias ; 
indeed, although they were far less trouble and expense to prepare 
we had nothing to equal them neither for use or beauty. The seed 
was sown on a slight hotbed April 11th, the plants were pricked off 
into a cold frame May 12th, and planted on a large circular bed 
•G inches apart (they should have been 9 inches apart) June 9th, 
where from the first week in July they formed a rich mass contain¬ 
ing many shades and colours of bloom. 
For the guidance of beginners I will give more detailed instruc¬ 
tion on the cultivation of Zinnias, which may be safely applied to 
many beautiful annuals. Those having frames or other means of 
protection should make a slight hotbed with leaves or well sweetened 
stable manure the first week in April. The frame may be placed 
on the bed as soon as made, and G inches of compost, consisting of 
equal parts loam, leaf mould, and sand, laid over the bed inside the 
frame, and should be well pressed down. Draw drills 3 inches 
apart and 1 inch deep, in which the seed should be thinly sown and 
covered with fine light soil sifted for the purpose. If each colour 
be kept separate and duly labelled it will be of great advantage, as 
then the colours can be more artistically arranged in their per¬ 
manent quarters. The light should be kept closed until the 
seedlings appear through the soil, when on every favourable oppor¬ 
tunity they must have a little air until they are in rough leaf, after 
which on warm days take the light off, the object being to produce 
-strong stocky plants. Through April and May, however, we often 
have hot sunshine with a cold wind. On no account must the light 
come off on such occasions, but give a little ventilation, or if very 
z-ough and cold keep the frame closed. Plenty of air will get under 
the glass to prevent injury, but if the sun be very hot a slight shade 
will be better than admitting the cold wind. Set the frame on a hard 
base, put in 2 inches of leaves and 9 inches of the following com¬ 
post—three parts loam, one part leaf mould, one part Mushroom 
bed refuse, and one part sand, thoroughly mixed and pressed down 
firmly. Carefully prick off the seedling plants into this frame 
4 inches apart. Give a good 'wa-'-ering with warm water through a 
rose can. Keep them close and shaded from sunshine for a few 
•days, then give a little air, gradually increasing it until the light 
-can be taken off through the day, which may be done in about four¬ 
teen days after pricking off. The last week in May the light should 
be left off day and night, always remembering what has been said 
about cold winds, for they sometimes pay us their unwelcome visits 
iar into June. 
The first or second week in June, according to the weather, the 
plants should be transferred to their flowering quarters, which to do 
them justice must be a well manured deeply dug bed, but of course 
plants prepared as above will make a gi-and display in mixed beds 
on borders if not too much smothered by other plants. Give the 
plants in the frame a good wat^sring a few hours before taking them 
up ; they will then carry good clumps of earth, and may be trans- 
,pianted without any check if carefully done. Plant them 9 inches 
.apart, arrange the colours according to taste, and give a good water¬ 
ing to settle the soil round their r )ot< ; the cultivator will then, in 
due time, be rewarded with a rich and continuous display of large 
flowers and a general effect such as is seldom produced by plants re¬ 
quiring a more troublesome and costly preparation. If 3 inches of 
cocoa-nut fibre or the sifted material of a spent Mushroom bed be 
laid over the soil it will keep the roots cool and moist, save much 
watering, and benefit the plants considerably. 
Those not possessing means of protection may grow Zinnias by 
sowing the seed thinly in pots the last week in April, keeping them 
in a warm room with plenty of light, and when through the soil 
place them out in warm favourable weather, taking them in at 
night. Make a rough frame by nailing together four boards 
18 inches wide ; two of the boards may be 6 feet long for the sides 
and two 4 feet long for the back arid front of the frame, and then 
proceed with soil, &c., as already advised, but in the absence of 
lights to cover the frame nail a few strips across the top and cover 
with mats, bags, or anything to keep out the cold at night. With a 
little care equally good [.lants may be grown in this way, only they 
will not commence flowering so early by two or three weeks. The 
following annuals may be grown to perfection if treated according 
to the above directions, only being for the most part hardier they 
may be planted out eai’lier, and the smaller growing ones closer 
together :—Asters, Ten-week-Stocks, Helichrysums, Salpiglossis, 
Petunias, Phlox Drummondi, and Portulacas, all of which will 
richly reward the cultivator if liberally treated.—J. H. W. 
EARLY PEAS—SOWING IN TRElSCITES. 
E.vrly Peas are a consideration where a constant supply of 
vegetables is required all the year round. Some gardeners sow in 
the open ground in November for early use, others raise them in 
the spring under glass, and then plant them out in the open ground 
when the weather becomes favourable. 
Peas raised under cover are often more forward than those sown 
in the autumn. They can be sown in pots, boxes, or turves. We 
generally procure a sufficient number of turves cut for the purpose 
about 12 inches long, 3 inches thick, and 6 inches wide, place them 
grass side down in a vinery, then make holes in them about 1 inch 
apart with a small dibble, sow the Peas, and cover them with 
fine soil. Mice should always be guarded against. When the Peas 
have made about 1 inch of growth the tui’ves are removed to a 
cooler house or pit, placed as near to the glass as possible, after¬ 
wards admitting plenty of air when the weather permits. 
In due time they are planted in shallow trenches which have been 
made ready to receive them, a little soil being drawn to both sides 
of the row, and the Peas staked at once. It is a good plan to stick 
in plenty of small branches in order to protect them from cold 
winds. Early varieties should be sown. American Wonder is 
good, being of compact growth. 
Last summer will long be remembered as a very hot and dry 
one. Main crop Peas with us would have been a total failure if we 
had not sown in deep well manured trenches, as our soil is naturally 
dry. We form trenches about 1 foot deep, put in the bottom a 
good layer of manure, with a sprinkling of soil on the surface ; and 
after sowing the Peas cover them at least 3 inches deep with soil. 
In summer water is given to them without waste, the water going 
direct to the roots. 
Our object in covering the Peas with so much soil is to prevent 
the sun drying the soil at the roots too soon. If after a few good 
waterings the rows are mulched with manure they will grow and 
yield a good crop, while others sown on the level ground are 
scorched. Stratagem Pea does not do well with me. I have tried 
it with plenty of manure and with a moderate quantity, in shallow 
trenches and deep ones, but the pods always appear stunted and 
prickly, somewhat like a ridge Cucumber. I do not know the cause 
of this. G. F. Wilson is a grand Pea for dry soils and seasons. It 
is also a good flavoured Pea. I intend to grow it more largely in 
future.— G. Garner, Ambenuood Gardens, Hants. 
WINTRY WEATHER. 
Fickle though our climate is, the month that has just closed has 
perhaps exhibited more than the usual variations of temperature, 
the most marked feature of January being perhaps the dense fogs 
which prevailed for nearly a week. Very little snow fell, and on 
the whole there was little rain. Here and there during the month, 
and notably on Monday the 23rd, came a day of rare softness, when 
the air was besides full of sunshine. The thrush piped in early 
morning, and the larks in the open soared high and sang loudly. 
Between the 24th and the 25th strong winds swept from the north¬ 
west. The 27th was fine but cold. Towards afternoon the weather 
was unusually bright, when just at sundown, while a vast portion 
of the sky was perfectly unclouded, a great and sudden darkness 
