The fact that in thie part of China we have two seed times and two harvests and in each instance seed. time and harvest are contemporancous, appears to the native of Western lands as another sample of the topsy: turvydom of China. This natural phenomenon is, however, easily explained, every plant has minimum temperature below which it cannot grow, a maximum temperature above which it dies, and an optimum temperature, which may be considered the mean average, at which growth ie most robust. Thus we have an empirical formula obtained by multiplying the number of days by the temperature required for the process of germination flowering, and or fruiting, and it may be considered that this pro: duct is of regular amount and regard it as a "thermal unit." The process is accelerated or retarded according to the amount of light rays avail ab]
For comparison: The thermal constants required to make Daffodils flower, is about 1615 Cent To ripen barley 4403. fruit of vines 5780. words, wheat harvested in the vicinity of Shanghai has obtained much heat and light rays as has the wheat harvested in England in August. A proper understanding of the requirements of planta in the way of temperature, would prevent the disappointment' the local gar-doner has frequently to bear, owing to having sown the seeds in accordance with the instructions on the packet, which instructions are intended for growers in Europe ete. It also explains why the majority of seeds sown in, say, England in March are sown here in September.
Broadly speaking all hardly Ai unals, Biennials, and Perennials which flower in an English garden during the summer, can here be sown in September and will flower about May.
The following is a list of the plants most frequently grown of which seeds may now be sown:—Allyssum, Anchusa, Anemone, Aquilegia, Arabis, Argemone, Arctotis, "Antirrhinum, Coreopsis, Calceolaria, Campanula, Carnation,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.