==Annuals, Hardy,== which were not sown in March should be got in during this month and in May.  A large number of beautiful subjects are available for the purpose, the most popular of which are named on page 373.

==Aster.==—­When the seedlings attain the third leaf, they should be pricked off round the edges of 60-sized pots; later on put them singly into small pots, from which the transfer to the open ground will not cause a perceptible check.  As the plants do not thrive in a close atmosphere, it is important to give air freely on every suitable occasion, or they cannot be maintained in a healthy growing condition.  A second sowing should be made about the middle of the month, following the routine already advised.  A sowing in drills on a carefully prepared bed in the open ground is also desirable, and in some seasons it may produce the most valuable plants of the year.  Asters come so true from seed that the bed may be arranged in any desired pattern.  Thin the plants early, and continue the process until they are far enough apart for flowering.  A distance of eight inches is sufficient for the miniatures, ten inches for the dwarfs, and twelve or fifteen inches for the tall varieties.

==Balsam==.—­About the middle of this month will be the time for a second sowing, and the seed may be raised in a frame without artificial heat.

==Canterbury Bell==.—­Sow in good soil from April to July and transplant when ready.  Under generous treatment these hardy biennials make a beautiful display in borders and the pure colours show with striking effect against the dark foliage of shrubs.

==Carnation==.—­Any time from now until August will be suitable for sowing, and if the seed has been saved from a first-class strain, a good proportion of very fine flowers will be produced in the following year.  For these plants florists have always considered it important that the potting soil should be prepared months before use, and there are good reasons for the practice.  If this is impossible, see that the compost is sweet, friable, and, above all, free from that terrible scourge of Carnations, the wireworm.  Even sifting will not rid the soil of its presence with certainty, but by spreading thin layers of the mould evenly upon a hard, level floor, and passing a heavy roller over it east and west, then north and south, the wireworm will be disposed of.  Or dressing the soil with Vaporite two or three weeks in advance of potting will often prove effectual.  Turfy loam three parts, leaf-mould one part, decayed cow-manure one part, with an addition of sharp sand, make a first-class compost.  Sow in well-drained 48-sized pots, cover the seed very lightly, and place in a frame.  Transplant the seedlings immediately they can be handled, when a cool, shaded pit will keep them in hard condition.  After six or eight leaves are formed it will be time to plant them out.  In the following spring the usual routine of staking and tying must be followed.