10 
V i c X ’ s * P1 o t? a I * GJ u i d e, 
ARGEMONE. 
'I he Argemones are free blooming, hardy annuals, 
with large flowers, resembling a single Poppy, while 
the leaves are armed with slender prickles, and very 
much resemble 
Thistle leaves. 
It is called Prick¬ 
ly Poppy almost 
every where. — 
The plants grow 
about two feet in 
height, and make 
very good low 
screens or 
hedges, for which 
purpose set the 
plants about ten 
inches apart in 
the rows. The foliage is large, pretty in form, and of a 
pleasant light green color. 
Argemone grandiflora, white petals, yellow sta¬ 
mens ; four inches in diameter, . 5 
Mexicana, flowers bright yellow, . 5 
Hunnemanni, carmine and yellow, . ..... 5 
BARTONI A. 
Bartonia aurca is a very showy, half-hardy annual. 
I he leaves-are somewhat Thistle-like in appearance, 
gray and downy. The flowers arc of a very bright me¬ 
tallic yellow, and exceedingly brilliant in the sunshine. 
It likes considerable moisture, and young plants some¬ 
times suffer in a dry time. Flowers about twice the size 
of engraving. Sow seed where the plant is to flower, as 
it docs not bear transplanting very well. 
Bartonia aurea, plant prostrate in habit, .... 5 
BRACHYCOME. 
is sometimes called Swan River Daisy. An elegant 
little plant, growing about eight inches in height, ol 
compact branching habit, and abundance of flowers, 
something like those of the Cineraria. An excellent 
flowering plant, deserving more attention than it re¬ 
ceives, the blue being particularly desirable. 
Brachycome iberidifolia, 1 Swan River Daisy, 
blue and white, separate or mixed,. 
BROWALLIA. 
The Browallias are excellent, free flowering, half-har¬ 
dy annuals, and quite valuable for winter house plants. 
The flowers arc both beautiful and delicate, and the pre¬ 
vailing color being blue are very desirable. Seeds grow 
freely, and plants give abundance of bloom. Plants 
about eighteen inches in height, and should be set a 
foot apart. The Browallias, like the Nemophilas and 
Whitlavias, and other small and modest flowers, are not 
as highly appreciated as they deserve. 
Browallia Cerviakows!::, blue with white center. 5 
elata alba, . 3 
elata grandiflora, blue, . 5 
Mixed varieties, . 
BALSAM. 
The Brachycome iberidifolia is a Daisy-like flower, 
found on the banks of the Swan River, in Australia, and 
The Balsam, like the Aster, is one of the most beauti¬ 
ful and popular of our Annuals. Like that flower, too, 
it is a favorite, and so much improved during the 
last quarter of a century, that it scarcely bears a resem¬ 
blance to the old flower. Our climate is wonderfully 
adapted to the growth of the Balsam, and with a good, 
rich soil, and decent care, plants and flowers of the 
greatest excellence are produced. Sow in a frame or 
bed, and transplant when two or three inches in height. 
1 he Balsam loves a warm place. When the plants ap¬ 
pear to be making too thick a head, so as to hide the 
flowers, it is a good plan to cut out some of the branches 
when small. The Balsam can be pruned to any desired 
form, to two or three or even one branch, and on the 
next page we have given engravings showing plants 
pruned in several ways. Some people, however, prefer 
the Balsam unpruned, being better satisfied with a good 
show of flowers than with a few choice ones. We 
should advise giving a trial of several plans. The 
small engraving at the right shows the Dwarf variety 
improved. As Balsam flowers have very short stems 
they are best arranged in a shallow dish or basket of 
moist sand or moss, one of which methods we have shown 
in the engrav ngs. For the center of a bouquet a good 
