If you want free, rapid, vigorous growth, and full abundant bloom. Much the best substance or mulch for this purpose, is the soft spongy meadow moss, though leaves and coarse sedgy meadow hay will do. I have planted two rows of dahlias side by side, trenched them alike - twenty inches deep - manured them alike, and the row that was kept carefully mulched outgrew and outbloomed the other, and put it altogether to shame.

Mulch your flower seeds - "and what do you mean by that?" I mean that flower seeds fail to come up, either from a deficiency or a superabundance of moisture, both of which extremes are obviated by this process.

When you plant your seeds, cover them over with the same spongy moss spoken of above. And, that I may be perfectly understood, here is my recipe for planting flower seeds: Make the earth very fine with a garden knife or common case knife. Scatter your seeds, if small, over the place thus prepared. - if large, bury them a little; press the earth upon them; spread your damp moss, and clap a flower pot or pan over them. When your seeds have started, lift up the pot a little by putting a stick or stone under the south side, and as soon as your seedlings look green and strong, take away the moss, keeping the pot or pan handy against a late frost or chilling wind. In this way, you will rarely have to complain of your seedsman; and you may have early plants and the most delicate

Imitate nature in the fields and forests, who gathers a bed of leaves and moss about the roots of her trees, and follow the advice of An Old Mulches.