SOME of our readers, especially among the old gardeners, may not be inclined to regard annuals with much favor as winter-blooming plants; their favorites are the substantial hard-wooded plants. In addition to a certain prejudice, which we esteem misplaced, they look upon annuals in the greenhouse as altogether unworthy of their skill; they will do well enough in the border, but nowhere else; and almost the only exception they will admit is Mignonnette, for the sake of its fragrance. We do not say that all of them feel thus on the subject, and we only mention the case for the purpose of adding, that skill, knowledge, and taste are just as necessary to grow annuals well as any hard-wooded plants whatever; and the young amateur especially will do well to bear the fact in mind. It is not the rarity of a plant, or the circumstance of its being perennial, that gives it its chief value, but it is rather its intrinsic beauty, and its adaptedness to the purposes of ornamentation: we are quite too apt to seek the rare and costly, to the utter neglect of many old and beautiful plants within the reach of all: the former should be sought discriminatingly, but the latter should not be neglected.

The associations which cluster around the flowers of our youth with so much tenderness, should secure for them a place in our most mature affections.

One of our chief objects in having a greenhouse at all, and one in which failures are by no means uufrequent, is to fill it during the winter months with such a collection of plants as shall give it a gay and cheerful appearance, and afford us the means of a pleasant recreation and study; we say study, for we have little respect for a man who can go through a collection of plants without leaving them wiser and better than when he entered. We can give additional variety to this source of enjoyment by growing during the winter months some choice annuals, many of which are admirably adapted to this purpose; some of them, indeed, for beauty of flower, foliage, and form, will compare favorably, when well grown, with the choicest of our hard-wooded plants. We have grown them for many years, and each successive year has increased our love of them. They are both beautiful and appropriate, and commend themselves admiringly to the amateur. Among a considerable number suitable for ornamenting the greenhouse, we would name the Collinsia bicolor and multicolor; Schizanthus Grahamii, Hookerii, Priestii, etc.; Lobelia gracilis and ramosa; Alyssum maritimum; Reseda odorata, or Mignonnette; Clarkea nereifolia and marginata; Iberis speciosa, amara, and umbellata; Mathiola, ten-week stock; Nemophila grandiflora, maculata, etc.; Rhodanthe Manglesii, Acrocliniutn roseum, Senecio elegans, Ageratum Mexicanum, and Whitlavia grandiflora.

We have named them in the order in which we prefer them; and we will take occasion to say that we doubt whether the California annuals can he grown in perfection here except in the greenhouse; the Collinsia tricolor, for example, in the greenhouse and in the open border, would hardly seem to be one and the same plant.

Our young readers will probably be glad to know the best mode of growing these annuals, and we will try to tell them. Any light rich soil will do to start the seed in; and if not already light enough, it may be made so by the addition of sand. Shallow boxes about a foot square, or of any convenient size, are better than pots; they may be made of planed boards, or of any rough stuff, and should have in the bottom one or more holes, about an inch in diameter, to carry off the surplus water; these holes should be covered with a piece of broken pot. Break the earth up fine, fill the boxes, and settle the earth by knocking on the side of the box. Draw drills two inches apart, and varying in depth according to the size of the seed. The smallest of the seed above named, the Lobelia, should be sown nearly on the surface, having just enough earth on them to keep them in place; the largest should not be more than a quarter of an inch deep when covered. One or more drills may be devoted to the same kind of seed, according to the number of plants wanted. It is best to sow the seed moderately thick, since much of that bought at the stores is often imperfect; it is a very simple matter to thin the plants out if too thick, which is not apt to be the case, since they are very soon to be transplanted.

When the seeds are sown, press the earth upon them moderately hard with a piece of board, or the bottom of a flower pot, which will cause them to vegetate sooner and more uniformly. As soon as the seed is sown, the boxes should be well watered, using for this purpose a watering pot with a finely-pierced rose; the watering must be attended to daily, never allowing the earth to become too dry, or soddened with water. The boxes should, if convenient, be protected from heavy rains until the seeds break through, when they should be freely exposed to the sun to make the plants stocky and strong. It is best to keep the boxes out of doors till the weather becomes too cool for the plants; if they have been pricked into pots, keep the pots out of doors, except a few for early blooming.

Having sown the seed, the next step will be to prepare a suitable compost for growing the plants in. This may be made of two parts of rotted sod or good loam, one part of vegetable mould, and one part of fine old manure, with sand enough to make it tolerably light If charcoal dust can be procured, it may be used freely with the best results. This compost should be laid up in a heap in some sheltered place, frequently turned, and not allowed to become dry. Pots varying in size from two and a half to seven inches in diameter should be got together, and cleaned. As soon as the young plants have taken on two or three leaves, they should be taken up, and put in the smallest pots singly, except the Lobelia, of which from one to half a dozen plants may be put in each pot. Proceed as follows: cover the hole in the bottom of the pots with a piece of clam-shell or broken pot, and fill them with the compost before named, settling it by gently pressing it with the thumb. Take a trowel, lift out some of the plants, and separate them carefully; with the thumb and fore finger of the left hand, take up one of the plants by the largest leaf, make a hole in the middle of the pot with a rounded stick, drop in the roots of the plant nearly to the seed leaves, and draw the earth to and around the roots with the stick, settling the whole by knocking the bottom of the pot on the table.