1884.] 
107 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
SAIFiaiOSSIS. 
Of the large number of beautiful aimuals 
suited for outdoor cultivation, there are 
none that, when well gi-own, will produce 
so striking and attractive an appearance as 
the different forms of this genus. They are 
not entirely hardy, and the seed should 
therefore not bo sown in the open ground 
before the latter part of May oj' the first of 
Jline. As to soil they are not very particu¬ 
lar, but they do bettor on soils that are com¬ 
paratively light and warm, and ought to bo 
planted whore they will not be overshadowed 
by trees or largo shrubs. They do not bloom 
till lato in summer, and must bo well thinned 
out to allow sufficient room for the full ex¬ 
pansion of the plants, 
wliich, ranging from 
one to two feet in 
height, show to best 
advantage when ar¬ 
ranged in clumps of 
fi’om three to five 
plants. 
A long season of 
growth is a prime ne¬ 
cessity, and those who 
would have these flow¬ 
ers in their true char¬ 
acter and in full bloom 
for as long a period as 
possible, must begin 
earlier in the season, 
and assist the seedlings 
during the early stages 
with a little artificial 
heat. 
There is no better 
course, says the Gar- 
dener’s Magazine, from 
which the accompany¬ 
ing illustration is re¬ 
produced, than to sow 
the seed in shallow 
pans filled with a light, 
rich mixture, such as 
would be formed with 
equal proportions of 
loam, peat, and leaf- 
mold. Peat may be dis¬ 
pensed with; in which 
case loam and leaf- 
mold should be used in 
equal quantities. Thin 
sowing may be strongly 
advised, as the plants 
can then be allowed 
to attain a size suit¬ 
able for pricking off 
before they are re¬ 
moved from the pans. 
For the majorities of 
gardens, the plants of 
each variety that can 
be raised in a twelve or fifteen-inch pan will 
suffice. 
The propagating pit will be the most suit¬ 
able place for the pans until the seedlings 
are about half an inch in height; but it is of 
little consequence where they are placed, 
proidded the temperatm-e is about 70 °, and 
the pans can be placed a short distance of 
the glass after the seedlings have made 
their appearance. As a matter of course, 
the soil must be maintained in a moderately 
moist state, and the watering be done with 
a can, to which a fine Rose has been at¬ 
tached, to avoid any displacement of the 
soil with which the seeds are covered. 
Although a rather high temperature has 
men advised lor the first stage, the seed¬ 
lings should bo removed to cooler quarters 
immediately they are about half an incli in 
height; the best results being obtained by 
liardemng them somewhat before pricking 
off. The Imxes used for this purpose are 
prepared in much the same way as the seed- 
pans. In these the plants are pricked off 
about two and a half indies apart, and then 
kept rather close and shaded for a .short 
time, until tliey are becoming established. 
They are then gradually hardened off and 
freely exposed, to promote a stout, compact 
growth. 
When raised in heat, as hero advised, the 
SALPIGLOSSIS. 
Salpiglossis are naturally more tender than 
those from seed sown in the open air; and, 
generally speaking, it will be better to delay 
planting them out until the ordinary bedders 
are transferred to their summer quaiteis. 
SOME SHOWT FLOlirEES. 
As a general thing, our more delicate 
flowers —the kinds we would select for a 
bouquet, or for use in vases and on the 
table —are not so well adapted for use in 
large beds in the garden, or on the lawn, 
where a color-effect is aimed at rather than 
individual beauty, as some of the following 
rather coarser flowers: 
MIKABILIS, OR FOUU-O’CLOCK. 
This is a strong gi'ower, often covering a 
space three feet square, if given a good soil 
to spread its roots in. It blooms profusely. 
Its magenta, violet, white, and striped 
I flowers are quite as attractive as some 
i varieties of Potimias, which they consider- 
I ably resemble in shape. It makes a good 
j summei- hedge if the plants are set about two 
j feet apart. It can very easily be raised from 
I seed planted in the open ground in May. 
; ESCnSCHOLTZIA, OB CALIFORNIA POPPY, 
j A very showy flower, not a very robust 
' gi'ower, rarely being seen more than a foot 
j in height. Its foliage is finely cut and 
very pretty, and serves 
as an excellent back¬ 
ground or gi'ound-work 
on which to show off 
the bright 3'ellow and 
orange flowers, which 
are in shape very much 
like a small single Pop¬ 
py. It is a good sum¬ 
mer bloomer, and a bed 
of it is a brilliant sight 
in July and August. 
THE MARIGOLD. 
This is another old 
flower, which, sooner or 
later, will be “in stjde” 
again, I venture to pre¬ 
dict. If the Sunflower 
can be populaiized, I 
see no reason why this 
flow’er should not. It 
is quite as brilliant 
and can be used with 
much better effect. 
Like the Four-o’clock, 
it makes a good low 
hedge against which 
other flow'ers can be 
shown off to good ad¬ 
vantage, especiallj' 
scarlet ones. The 
French varieties are 
not such strong gi-ow- 
ers as the Africans, but 
are better bloomers. 
The foliage is prettj', 
being somewhat fern¬ 
like, and has a strong 
pungent odor that is 
not at all disagreeable. 
The striped varieties, 
yellow and brown, are 
velvety in the inten¬ 
sity of their color, 
and are really beau¬ 
tiful flowers. The large 
double ones are not as 
desirable as the small single ones. These 
flowers are very effective in large beds when 
used with scarlet Geraniums. They can 
also be made effective when grown with 
white Phlox. 
R. E. E. 
BOUGH ON FLOWEES. 
A correspondent from Washington County, 
Utah, writes: “ Our winters are so severe 
and long that bnt few flowers can be ■ grown 
here. We are not free from frosts until near 
the middle of Juno, and they return again 
the end of August. What little summer we 
have is very hot, and nothing can be grown 
without watering.” 
