It is necessary to keep the seed moderately moist, by gentle occasional waterings with soft water, that has been exposed to the sun, or to fire heat, till the cold chill is off; this should be given from the rose of a small watering-pot which rose should be of a hemispherical form, and perforated with very small holes, that will discharge fine streams of water, in a very distinct and regular manner; this should be made of copper, it being less liable to corrode than iron. But although it is necessary to the vegetation of the seed, that it be kept moderately moist, too great a degree of moisture is nevertheless injurious, especially till the commencement of the spring heat, and indeed at any period. When the young plants begin to appear, which if sown in December or early in January, will generally happen about the latter end of February, earlier or later according to the temperature of the weather, and the care taken of the frame, refresh them occasionally with gentle waterings, and give them air at every favourable oppor tunity but be sure to keep the glasses close in very cold weather and well covered at night; observing also, as the sun gets powerful to screen the plants from its mid-day influence, which, sometimes, would in one hour, destroy the whole. As the spring advances, more and more air must be admitted, and on fine days the plants totally exposed, except to a scorching sun, so as to have them by the latter end of April, or as soon as the smart night frosts are over, so hardened, as to bear the open air, night and day; observing to keep them regularly watered, and to give them the advantage of fine warm showers of rain, when such happen in due time. This kind of management is to be continued till the roots are matured, always taking care to protect the plants, by a screen of hurdles or thin bass-mats laid over the frame, from the too powerful influence of the sun, but never keeping this covering over them, longer than necessary. Their maturity will be known by the foliage becoming brown, dry, and nearly consumed, which generally happens, in the middle states, towards the latter end of June, or early in July. The speediest and safest method of taking up these small roots, is to pare off the earth three inches deep, having previously picked off the dried leaves, and any other extraneous matter that may be found on the bed. The earth and roots thus collected, are to be thrown into a fine wire sieve, that will not permit the smallest root to pass through it, which is to be worked in a large vessel or tub of water nearly filled, the earthly parts will dissolve and wash away and the roots remain in the sieve, which may be easily picked from the stones, &c. The upper rim of the sieve must, at all times, be held above the surface of the water, otherwise, some of the small roots will float over and be lost. The roots are then to be dried and preserved, as directed for the large roots in page 407, till the latter end of September, or early in October, when they are to be planted and managed as in pages 532 and 533; observing that they (being small) may be planted somewhat closer than the large roots, and will not require to be covered quite so deep. The ensuing season several of the largest roots will flower, especially the Ranunculuses, and all of them the third year; at which time, you should carefully mark such as are worthy of being preserved, the others may be planted in small clumps in the warm borders of the garden and pleasure-grounds, there to take chance. The valuable kinds must be subsequently encreased by offsets Those who desire to raise these plants upon a small scale, may sow the seeds in boxes, large pots, or garden pans, of good compost, observing, to have the bottoms of the boxes, previous to their being filled. bored with several augur holes, which are to be covered with shells, or the like, to suffer any extra moisture to pass away freely. But the former method is much more preferable. Sowing Auricula, Polyanthus, and Cyclamen sceds. The surest and best method to obtain fine Auriculas from seed, is as follows. In the first place the seed should be saved from young, healthy, strong plants, of capital high-coloured sorts, possessing the first rate properties: these on the approach of bloom, should be detached from the rest, to some distant part of the garden, for fear of the farina of indifferent sorts contaminating them, and there exposed to the full air, the sun (except when too violent) and moderate rains; from an excess of which, the plants are to be protected by mats laid on hoops, or by small hand glasses. In dry weather these plants must be regularly watered, as often as they appear to require it: much depends on a due attention to this particular point. The seed will commonly ripen in June; it is advisable frequently to visit the plants at that season, and carefully to gather such pods or heads of seed as appear perfectly dry, brown, and begin to open; if all the pods on the same stem are ripe together. they may be cut off with part of the stem to which they are connected; but if some of the pods are not sufficiently ripe, such as are, should be carefully picked from the rest as they become so. The seed, thus collected, should remain in the pericarpiums or seed vessels, in a dry room, till the season of sowing. In the last week of December, any time in January, or in the early part of February, the seed may be sown with every prospect of success, provided you have the necessary conveniencies. The early sown seeds, if well managed, will vegetate better, and the plants raise more numerously than the late; besides, it wil be of serious importance, to give the plants the advantage of a long spring vegetation, that they may be as strong as possible, before the summer heat sets in, which to seedling Auriculas and Polyanthuses is very destructive, and even to the full grown plants: but if there is not a suitable convenience, and an opponity of paying the necessary attention, it will be better to defer the sowing till February. A hot-bed must be prepared, as for early seedling cucumbers, and a good frame and glass-light, set thereon, with five or six inches of fine earth, laid all over the bed, to keep down the steam. Provide a box, or boxes, about five or six inches deep, with several holes on the bottom, fill it with compost, and gently shake and strike it against the ground, till the earth settles a little; make the surface perfectly smooth and even, and sow the seed with the utmost regularity; then sift through a fine wired sieve, a little compost or willow mould upon it, sufficient only, to just cover the seed, and place the box in the frame on the su: face of the bed; the glass must be set on immediately and the bed so managed as to preserve a moderate and equal degree of warmth, both day and night, but nust be occasionally opened, or the light raised up at the higher en, to admit fresh air, and to suffer the exhalations from the bed to pass away, which is a very essential point. The earth must always be kept moderately moist, both before and after the plants appear, but never wet; the best method of watering it, is by means of a hard clothes-brush, dipped into soft water, which has had its chill taken off, by standing for some time in the sun, or in the frame; the hair side being quickly turned upwards, and the hand rubbed briskly over it, will cause the water to fly off in particles almost as fine as dew; a sufficient watering may in this manner be given in a few minutes. If it is found impossible to preserve a due heat in the first bed, till the seed has all vegetated, it will be proper to prepare a second, into which to remove the box; but if there are cucumber frames, &c. at work the box may be removed into any of them that supports a good temperate heat. At the expiration of four or five weeks, if well managed, the young plants will have all made their appearance; it then becomes necessary to give them, very gradually, inore air, in order to harden and render them fit, in due time, for an entire exposure to it. In the month of March the plants if forward, should be fully exposed to the open air, for a few hours in the middle of mild days, when the sun is not too powerful, but particularly to light warm rains. As to their subsequent treatment see the Flower-Garden for April and the months following. If you are apprehensive of the young seedlings being attacked by snails, &c. which they are very subject to, place a hair band round the box, when you sow the seed, as directed in page 152. Polyanthus seed and seedlings, are to be treated exactly in the same manner as those of Auricula. Cyclamen seeds, of every kind, may be sown in boxes, during any of the autumn or winter months, even to the middle of February, but when kept out of ground much later, most of them will not vegetate till the spring following; they may be treated generally as directed in page 409, observing always to protect them from frost. The Cyclamen indicum, being a hot-house plant; its seed must be treated accordingly: this species differs from the others, in not having the divisions of the corolla or flower reflexed, or turned back, but hanging down, and in the whole coralla being much larger, tha: either of the Persian, or European kinds. The former kinds will require no bottom heat, but should be carefully protected by a good frame and glasses, well covered at night and in severe weather, so as to prevent the earth in the inside from becoming frozen, but more particularly after the plants appear; the latter kind must be sown in a box, which is to be placed in a good hot-bed, as directed for Anemone seed, and constantly treated as a Hot-House plant; or it may be plunged in the bark-bed of any forcing department, and and there taken proper care of. THE END. INDEX. IN addition to the following index, you will find in the Cata- A. Acacia, rose, 223 Aconite, winter, 346, 493 Alaternus, 329 Alcoves, rural, 64 Alder, 258, 283 Alexanders, or Alesanders, 198, 317, 513, 549 Aletris, 345, 346, 461 Alkekengi, 344 Allamanda cathartica, 449 Almond, fruit-bearing, 38, 206, 156 double-flowering dwarf, 99, Anise, 199 Annual flowers, tender, 154, 290, hardy, 150, 290, 343, 388, Aloes, 83, 158, 171, 353, 355, Antholizas, 159, 420, 499 394, 500, 539 riacus, 250, 267, 293 Althea Frutex, or Hibiscus sy- Apocynum androsœmifolium, 440 Alyssum, sweet, 344 Amaranthus tricolor, 154, 290, Anthyllises, 444 Apple-tree, 17, 128, 206, 208, sowing kernels of, 149, 251, 527 342, 344, 388, 416 tree, 344, 416 spike, 344, 416 globe, 344, 416 yellow, 71, 408, 460 gathering and preserving the fruit of, 519 Apricot, 21, 1-8, 206, 433 Amaryllis, scarlet, 71, 350, 388, Arbors, rural, 67 560 Arbor Vitea, common, 264, 283, 329 Chinese, 52, 265, 283, 329 tree, 52, 347, 353, 539 |