452 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 13. 
I 
longer, and then carefully thinning out the young plants. 
The second mode was to sow in poor soil, over a stiffish 
clayey loam, in September, and protect with a few green 
boughs in winter. These were lifted with a trowel, in 
small patches, in March, and planted in ground well 
dug and pulverised for them. Most of the Californian 
annuals answer well by this treatment, as also all the 
varieties of Candytuft, Sweet Alyssum, Virginian Stock, 
&c. In such a winter as this last, however, unless well 
protected with snow, there will not be many plants 
remaining. The third mode is to prepare a slight 
hotbed with leaves, &c., about the middle of March ; on 
that place a little rotten dung, then a couple of inches 
of rough soil and rough leaf-mould, and then an inch of 
fine soil, and on this sow the annuals in rows, to be 
transplanted out in little patches when from one to two 
inches high. If these can be covered with a glass sash, 
so much the better, if not, hurdles or mats will do. For 
want of a slight hotbed, I have done the same on a warm 
border, and protected a little with what I could get, until 
the plant would stand the weather, and then they were 
lifted in little patches, and planted according to their 
height and mode of growth, from a few inches to twelve 
inches apart. 
The advantages of this last plan, whether assisted by 
a slight hotbed or not, are, that the ground is nicely 
mellowed for the reception of the little tufts of young 
plants; and the having them altogether, either on a bed 
or on a border, enables you to protect them all easily at 
first, and to accelerate their healthy growth by stirring 
among them, and giving them chilled water, say about 
70°to 80°, winch helps to warm the earth about them. 
When lifted about this size in small patches, slightly 
pressed in the hand, laid on a flat basket, on leaves, or 
on moss, shaded as they are carried to the ground, 
planted neatly, and watered, they seldom want more, 
unless a little shade with spruce boughs, or bits of rag, 
for a few days. I have shaken a few bits of hay thinly 
over them with good effect. 
But though even the hardiest annuals will not dislike 
the above treatment, there are many suitable for groups 
which will not do much good without it, or even more 
heat than such a slight hotbed ; and in the following 
short list, the letter a will designate which particularly 
require such treatment, while the letter b will designate 
those that will be most likely to bloom the whole season 
without any extra care, it being understood that the 
others will not do so without successions, or preventing 
the seeding process from being completed. If it were 
not for the labour, almost every annual would keep on 
blooming if the seeding was wholly prevented, and 
top-dressings and waterings communicated. 
Abronia unibellata — a b, lilac ; trailing. 
Ageratum Mexicanum — a b, lilac-blue; two feet in 
height. This would be better sown in a hotbed and 
hardened off. 
Alonsoa grandiflora and incisifolia — a b, scarlet; 
one foot in height; treatment as last. 
Anagallis, of kinds— a b, blue; chiefly one foot high. 
Antirrhinum— a b, sown in spring, will bloom in the 
summer and autumn. 
Asters, Chinese, German— a b, in addition to these, 
sow on the open border, in well-mellowed ground. 
Annobium alatum — a b, whitish; two feet. 
Bartonia aurea — a b, orange; one foot; if not sown 
in the ground should be sown in pots, as it does not 
transplant well. A rough-looking plant, singular foliage, 
but the flowers large, and the stamens long and 
numerous. 
Brachycome iberidifolia —a b, whitish-blue; nine 
inches high ; compact habit; neat and pretty. 
Caoalia sohiifolia — a b, fine yellow; one foot high. 
Calandrinja uinbellata — a b, red-crimson flowers, 
about six inches in height; plant compact and close to 
the ground; sow in pots, as it'transplants badly; very 
neat for a small bed. 
Calandrinia discolor —a b, rose-colour; one foot. 
- speciosa —b, purple. 
Calceolaria pinnata —a b, yellow; one-and-a-halffeet; 
sow in pots, and cover thinly. 
Calceolaria Cliclidenoides —a b, sow this also in pots 
and cover slightly, though it would come freely enough 
in the border. Both of these will want the seed-pods to 
be removed, to keep up a continuance of flowering. 
Calliopsis, atrosanguinea, Drummondii, grandiflora, 
and many more, will continue to the end of the season 
if seeds are cut off, and will be more regular if raised 
and then planted; all of them are well furnished with 
fibry roots, and most of them are from two to three feet 
in height. 
Campanula carpmtica, Loreyia, pentegona, &c.—low- 
growing plants, with blue and purple flowers. The first 
is a perennial, but will bloom if treated as for it the 
first season. 
Candytufts ( Iberis )—a well-known class; valuable 
for early blooming. 
Chrysanthemum tricolor and aureum —a b, from one- 
foot-and-a-half to two feet; make striking beds. 
Chryseis, or Eschscholtzia —these are best sown in the 
ground, though they transplant pretty freely, and few 
things are more dazzling than a yellow or orange bed. 
Cenia turbinata —white, like camomile flowers; a few 
inches high ; a. 
Claiucia pidchella, purple ; and alba, white ; a. These 
are well known, and for a month or six weeks few things 
will beat them. They generally stand the winter well; 
about twelve inches in height. 
Collinsia bicolor, lilac and white; and grandiflora, 
pink and blue. The first from a foot in height; the 
latter more trailing, and also more lasting. These do 
well sown in autumn, and also as a. 
Clintonia pidchella —a b, pretty, party-coloured, low 
plant; should be sown in a pot in a closish hotbed, and 
then hardened off. 
Convolvolus minor —a b, varieties ; from one to two 
feet; splendid when sun shines. 
Didiscus ( Trachymene ) coerulea —a, blue; one and-a 
half feet. 
Erysimum Peroffshianum —a and b, if seeds pruned 
away; stands the winter when sowu in autumn; fine 
orange; from one-and-a-half to two feet. 
Euchiridium grandiflorum —a, purple; one foot. 
Eutoca viscida —blue; Wrangelana —lilac; multi¬ 
flora —lavender. Interesting plants, though a little 
coarse ; from one to two feet in height, a, and nearly b. 
Gilia tricolor, and others—good for early-blooming. 
Godetia lepida —blue; venosa —claret; rubicunda — 
crimson ; Jiomanzovii —purple ; from one to two feet 
high ; do well sown in autumn, also as a ; will tie done 
by the end of July, unless pruned, and seeding pre¬ 
vented. 
Gyphsophilla elegans —a, whitish-purple; nine inches. 
Hawkweeds— yellow, white, and purple; have had 
them almost b, with a little picking; about one foot. 
Heliophilla araboides —blue; and several more; one 
foot; will be a b, in a shady place ; plant thick. 
Hibiscus Africanus —yellow and brown; one to one- 
and-a-halffeet; A. 
Isotoma ( Lobelia) axillaris —a b, purple-blue; one 
foot; best sown in a pot, in a hotbed, and hardened off. 
Kaulfussia amelloides —blue; nine inches; a b. 
Larkspurs of sorts. 
Leptosiphus— these, whether old or like the luteus, 
rather new, are all low-growing, and may be sown in , 
autumn, spring, or.as a. 
Ltnum grandiflorum —a, and supposed b, scarlet; from 
one to two feet. 
Lobelia erinus, erinus compacta, erinus grandiflora, 
