Prepare at once a good stock of cuttings of Alternantherae; this is a most useful plant for ribbon borders, edgings, or for carpet bedding of which we will speak in due season; the Alternantherae require keeping in a warm house through the winter, and also keep the young plants in a warm place or they will be very small at planting time, but it is surprising how fast these plants grow when hot weather commences. We have had plants grow more than a yard in diameter in the open ground, while in England they seldom grow more then six inches. If dwarf Lobelia are grown from seed, it should be sown at once in a warm place, and picked off as soon as large enough to handle, but we prefer taking up a few late planted old plants; in fact one healthy old plant will grow hundreds of cuttings, which root very free in heat and shade. Seedlings are seldom to be depended on. At one time the plants will come true, and at another there will be a variety of size and colors. These plants are not so satisfactory in all cases as in England, where Golden Chain Geranium, and blue Lobelia edging is perfection, but the frosted silver plants are at home with us, and Cineraria maritina and Centaurea Can-dedissima are quite indispensable; these propagate freely from young side shoots, and will make good plants by planting time.

Several other varieties can be grown if desired, such as Trenum and Achgrocline, etc. These, from their dwarf and compact growth, are useful for miniature beds and delicate edgings, and to be effective must be planted very thick together; we must not forget the old fashioned variegated Alyssum; this is yet one of the best white leaved edging plants we have. A few old plants taken from open ground in October will give plenty of cut-tings which thicken freely now, and will make nice plants by planting time.

Ladies generally like a bed of Petunias; they make a fine show, but usually grow beyond all bounds. A plant or two in a rustic bed on a lawn is most satisfactory; in this case they seldom grow so rampant and will flower well through the season. Of course we must remember a few Heliotropes; young shoots of these root freely and make nice plants if propagated at the end of month. These plants being very tender should not be planted until it is fit to plant tomatoes. The Heliotrope is a plant not well suited for a display of color, and is best planted with scented Geranium, Lemon Verbena and Mignonette in near proximity to the dwelling, both for enjoying the perfume from the plants and also convenient for cutting sprays when required, for self and friends.

Seed of Mignonette should be sown at the end of three months. This plant will usually sow itself, but will not always come up in the desired place, and Mignonette does not transplant well, so it is best to save a pinch of seed and sow when required, and thin out any plants not required.

A few Sweet Peas should be sown at the end of the month. These do well beside a fence, not a wall, it would be too dry: or a few branches can be placed round the plants for them to climb upon in borders.

It is now time to look to Dahlias if it is required to increase the stock, either by cuttings or division. But the Dahlia is no favorite of ours, and there are but few places in which it will flourish unless it is continually well soaked with water, yet, probably from old associations, it will continue to be popular with many.

A few Gladiolus potted now will be useful either as pot plants in the greenhouse or to plant outside. They will flower before the earliest planted dry roots; by planting a few bulbs in succession, from the middle of April, this fine flower* may be had in perfection until severe frost. In fact, when in England we have taken up a number of the late plants and potted them for greenhouse decoration, for which they are very useful at that season; and the Gladiolus is a most accommodating plant, for it does not suffer in the least from such transplanting, if done with care, but continues growing and flowering as if nothing had disturbed it; it is also most useful for cut flowers; if cut when the first flowers are commencing to open, the remaining buds will expand the same as if growing on the plant, and in one instance which came under our notice, after flowering it formed perfect seeds. We remember reading of a grand fete in Paris; for the decoration of some of the gardens, thousands of Gladiolus flower spikes were out and placed in bottles of water which were plunged in the ground, and gave a very good effect as well as a gorgeous display of color, and being in this instance planted among other plants and shrubs would, in fact, give a much better effect than planted in beds alone, the foliage of the Gladiolus never giving relief enough from the mass of flowers, which can be improved by adding foliage of other plants.

Cannas should be divided and some of the fine large flowering varieties added to the collection; it is folly to grow the old small flowering sorts now, there are so many fine kinds to be obtained; the plants are easier to send long distances before they have started to grow, and of course much less carriage. We mention this for the benefit of those proposing to make additions to their collections, for it is easy for those possessing a greenhouse to pot the tubers and grow them for themselves. We usually grow some plants on, for a few weeks, in five inch pots, for our own planting; but dry tubers, planted in open ground, about the middle of May, grow very satisfactory, but perhaps do not flower quite so early as those started in the pots. We give the names of a dozen of the best and most distinct varieties, all or any of which will prove very satisfactory, and all very distinct from each other:

Adele Levalloie, very dwarf, seldom growing more than two feet high; the flowers are large and bright crimson, flower free; this is excellent for planting in front of tall varieties.

Tricolor - This is a beautiful variegated foliage variety, the leaves being striped with yellow-green, and rose color, and is very beautiful, especially the young growth. This is a dwarf variety seldom growing more than three feet high; the flowers are scarlet; this is also useful in a front row and also very handsome grown in greenhouse in pots.

Auguste Ferrier - This is a very large and tall variety, often reaching nine feet in hight, with large Banana-like foliage, is very handsome for a single clump or the center of large subtropical' beds; it seldom flowers outside, but is a splendid variety for the foliage alone.

Bihorelli - This is the most free bloomer of all the varieties we know; flower large and crimson. This is a dwarf variety, seldom exceeding four feet in hight.

Bihorelli floribunda - It is difficult to fancy any canna to flower more free than the former variety, and we can only refer the name to the fact that this plant is a stronger grower in all its parts, so that it is possible to place more flowers on a stem than in the former variety. This plant grows about five feet high.

Daniel Hoeybrenk - This is a fine variety, with orange and salmon flower, sharp pointed green leaves, edged with bronze, grown to six feet high.

Jean Vandal - Light green foliage, and very large crimson-red flower. This plant grows about five feet high.

Marechal Valliant - This is the finest of the bronze - leaved varieties, growing to the hight of seven feet, and bearing abundance of large orange-colored flowers.

Premices de Nice - Flowers of a clear canary-color, and very telling from a distance, the flower stems standing high above the foliage, which is a distinct sea-green. This variety grows from six to seven feet in hight.

Senateur Chevreau - This is an early bloomer, color salmon, shaded with scarlet, and fine green foliage, hight six feet.

Metalhca - This is a very excellent bronzed foliage variety, with bright red flowers, grows from five to six feet in hight.

Nigricans - Foliage rich dark bronze, quite distinct from either of the other bronze varieties, flower deep scarlet, hight about six feet; of course all the above named varieties will vary in hight, according to the treatment they receive, and the position as regards shade or full sun; the hights above given are from plants placed in full sun, with a liberal allowance of rotten manure, when planted, but never watered or stimulated by any artificial means after planting.

Another valuable plant, which should be in every collection of subtropicals, is the Arundo donax Versicolor; the lofty shoots, covered with its beautiful striped-leaves, make a capital back-ground to a border, or center to a large bed; it is said to stand the winter outside, and no doubt it is hardy in many localities, but the old plants will keep well if taken up and laid into soil in the cellar; the tops may be cut off to save space.

One of the best variegated hardy plants is the Acorns Japonicus pictus. This is a beautiful variegated form of the sweet calomel, which grows in our swamps, but said to have originated in Japan; but at any rate, it is a very useful plant for edging beds of tall foliage plants; the one-half of the leaf is a delicate creamy white, and the other half bright green; leaves from two to two and a half feet long. This plant flourishes best in a moderate damp soil, and of course would grow well in a swamp, or any very wet place. The Acorus being perfectly hardy,will require no attention besides replanting in the spring to keep it within bounds. This plant is also useful to mix with others in large hanging baskets, and also for cutting to mix in large vases of out flowers.

Aralia papyriferay or rice paper plant, is one of the most telling plants for either single specimens, or planted in large patches, where there is room for extensive planting; is well suited in such places as our splendid public Parks, as for example, in various positions near the lake in Central park.

Calodiums should be shaken out and potted into small pots, where they can receive a brisk heat; if that cannot be given, it is better to defer this until April; until then keep the roots in a warm dry place, the same as Tuberose, excepting that the bulbs require keeping in the soil they were grown in, or covered with sand; these plants are very beautiful planted in the flower garden, but for that purpose the plants should not be subjected to a very high temperature previous to planting out, or they are some time before starting to grow freely; we plant out a great variety of the colored leaved sorts; besides the usual Esculentum, Javanerum, etc., which are very fine in certain places, especially in large masses near water; but are often planted too indiscriminately to the exclusion of better things.