Chapter I: Part 1

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THE FLOWER GARDEN

The Country Home Library

THE FLOWER GARDEN

by

IDA D. BENNETT

New York McClure, Phillips & Co. MCMV

Copyright, 1903, by McClure, Phillips & Co.

Published, May, 1903, N

Second Impression

------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE LOCATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE GARDEN 3

II. SOILS 17

III. FERTILISERS 23

IV. THE HOTBED, COLD-FRAME AND SAND-BOX 30

V. PURCHASING OF SEEDS 41

VI. STARTING SEEDS IN FLATS 48

VII. TRANSPLANTING AND REPOTTING 53

VIII. HOUSE-PLANTS FROM SEEDS 62

IX. OUTSIDE WINDOW-BOXES 88

X. VARIOUS ANNUALS FROM SEED 98

XI. VINES 128

XII. ORNAMENTAL FOLIAGE PLANTS FROM SEED 141

XIII. BULBOUS AND TUBEROUS-ROOTED PLANTS 147

XIV. AQUATICS 165

XV. THE CARE OF THE SUMMER ROSE-BED 173

XVI. THE HARDY LILY-BED 179

XVII. THE CARE OF CANNAS, CALADIUMS, DAHLIAS, AND OTHER BULBS
DURING WINTER 185

XVIII. HARDY SHRUBS AND PLANTS FOR FALL PLANTING 196

XIX. WINTER PROTECTION 203

XX. THE CARE OF HOUSE-PLANTS IN WINTER 208

XXI. COMMON AND ENGLISH NAMES OF FLOWERS 217

XXII. BLOOMING SEASON OF VARIOUS TREES, SHRUBS, AND PLANTS 234

XXIII. A CHAPTER OF ODDS AND ENDS 245

XXIV. A CHAPTER OF DON’TS 253

INDEX 259

ILLUSTRATIONS

Sweet Alyssum and Golden Saxatile are Desirable for
Rockwork _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

Ornamental Grasses and Foliage Plants 8

Manure Water is a good Way to apply Animal Fertiliser 26

When Plants Appear too Thickly in Rows, Transplant 32

A Well constructed Hotbed 32

Starting Seeds in Flats 50

Sifting Loam through a Sieve 56

Repotting 60

When Two or Three Inches High—Transplant Carnations into
Pots 72

An Easily made Carnation Support 72

Injured or Faded Leaves should be Removed at once 86

Outside Window-boxes 90

Boxes in which Scythes are Packed make very good
Window-boxes 94

Hanging-baskets for Windows 94

Small Water Gardens 104

Cool, Moist Spots between Stones 108

Dusting with Sulphur 114

Spraying with Bordeaux Mixture 114

Sow Poppies in the Perennial Border among the late
Flowering Plants 116

A Dead Tree Draped with Vines 132

Furnish Support for Vines to Run on 134

Vine-covered Shed 134

Clematis Paniculata Blooms when most Others have Ceased 138

Shift into larger Pots as Required 144

Should Bulb Outgrow its Quarters Shift into Pot two
Sizes larger 160

Wild Water Flowers for Edging Lily-pond 166

Water-lilies with Background of Bamboo and Native
Grasses 168

A Full blown Cat-tail 170

Native Plants Edging a Natural Water Garden 172

Training a Climbing Rose 176

A Rose covered Building 178

A Portion of the Grounds Protected by Shrubbery is the
Place for the Lily-bed 182

Turn out Ball of Earth to Ascertain if Pot is filled
with Roots 192

A Good Background for Low Shrubs 200

Plants for Late Winter Blooming should be brought into
the House before Fall 210

Fences may be Made Attractive with Vines or Plants 250

PLATES

FACING PAGE

I. Height and Season of Bloom of the Different Perennials 10

II. Plan for a Hardy Border 12

III. Plan for Rose-garden and Foliage-bed 14

THE FLOWER GARDEN

Chapter _ONE_
The Location and Arrangement of the Garden

A south slope is the ideal situation for a garden, since it insures good drainage and the greatest amount of sunlight. The garden should also be open to the east and west, if possible; that it may have the benefit of the morning and evening sun. Shelter on the north is desirable, as north winds are disastrous to Roses and tender perennials. Partial shelter on the west should be given in localities where the prevailing winds of winter are from that quarter.

The south side of a building, or even of a high fence, with trees and tall shrubs at a little distance to the west, is best; though any site that receives abundant sunshine through the morning and early afternoon may be made satisfactory by planting trees and shrubs on the north and west.

The garden should always be at the rear or side of the dwelling, never in front or along the street. The reasons for this are obvious. The garden proper is intended to furnish cut flowers, to provide a place of experiment with new varieties, and to grow hardy perennials which have certain seasons of bloom and cannot be depended upon, at all times, for ornamental effect. One should feel free to work there unobserved of the passer-by, and this is impossible in a garden close to the street.

Again, while the permanent garden is beautiful in itself, it is not suitable for the lawn and greatly mars the effect of the grounds. Beds of ornamental foliage plants—Cannas, Ricinus, Coleus, and the like—appropriately placed, add much to the beauty of a well-kept lawn, but should be carefully considered in relation to its size and the trees and shrubbery already there.

On a small city lawn not more than one such bed should be allowed. On a large lawn three will give a better effect than a great number, especially if care is taken to have them all visible from different points on the lawn and from the house, never isolating them by so placing that clumps of trees or shrubbery intervene, but using these rather as a background for the beds.

It is from the hammock that the amateur gardener will most enjoy the results of her labour. It is there she will find leisure to watch the growth of plants, to compare the effect of different varieties, to note where she may improve the vista by a different arrangement next year, to observe the effects of locality, of the afternoon and morning sun and all the peculiarities of plant growth that escape her when busy with trowel and watering-pot, so that the view from it should be first consideration.

A very good arrangement is to put a large bed of Ricinus on the most remote space of the lawn—four plants in the centre of a twelve-foot bed—surrounded with a row of Salvia splendens edged with Little Gem Sweet Alyssum. Nearer, an eight-foot bed of the large-flowered Cannas may be introduced and edged with Coleus or the second size of Caladiums, while a six-foot bed of ornamental grasses—Arundo Donax, Erianthus Ravennæ, Eulalia gracillima univittata—will make a satisfactory third. Such beds are rich in tropical effects and give more distinction to a lawn than any other class of plants.

Where there is an ample water-supply these beds may be elevated a few inches above the lawn to make them more conspicuous; but where the seasons are hot and dry and water must be carried it is better to set them slightly lower than the lawn, so that all the available moisture may be utilised. A few inches of margin must be allowed around the edges of beds on the lawn so that the mower may run close to the beds without injuring the plants, though even then it will be best to use the lawn-shears. Such beds call for carefully trimmed lawns. Unless the grass can be properly cared for, it is better to exclude flowers from this part of the grounds entirely, as it is time thrown away to plant flowers which will presently be hidden by tall grass and weeds. A neglected lawn involves an amount of labour in the semi-annual cleaning of spring and fall out of all proportion to the results, while a lawn well cut and raked is more easily cared for with each recurring year, the grass growing clean and straight, and the rake and mower passing freely and easily through it.

The scheme for a permanent garden must be decided by the size and shape of the plot of ground at command, an irregular plot sometimes lending itself to more graceful arrangement than a symmetrical one. The operation of laying out the beds will be the same, whatever the shape. Having decided the boundaries of the garden it will be best to mark the outlines by a cord attached to pegs driven into the ground. The sod should then be removed from the entire area by cutting just below the crown of the grass. Desirable arrangements of beds are shown in accompanying illustrations. Two and one-half or three feet should first be allowed for walks. The beds may be placed to advantage by finding the centre of the plot and driving there a stake to which a cord is loosely attached. Mark off on this cord half the diameter of the bed desired, for centre of plot, four, five or six feet—fasten to the cord at this point a sharp stick and describe the circle on the ground. In this way the garden walks may be outlined and the inner and outer circles of the round beds. The oval beds must be measured off and defined by stakes driven into the ground. The width of the beds should be not more than can be easily reached across for weeding and cultivating. Where the soil has not been previously cultivated it must be spaded at least two feet deep, and thoroughly pulverised. All roots and stones should be removed. If the soil is clayey or gravelly it will be best to remove it entirely and to fill in with soil better adapted to the growth of flowers. Or the surface may be removed for several inches and laid aside. Then the poorer subsoil should be dug out and removed and the surface-soil replaced in the bottom of the bed with a liberal quantity of old, well-rotted manure. The bed should then be filled to its original level with leaf-mould or muck. If all the original soil is to be retained, remove the top-soil for top-dressing. Spade the manure into the subsoil and replace the surface-soil. In ground which has not been cultivated this surface-soil is rich in humus or leaf-mould, which furnishes food in its most available form for the young plant, and should, therefore, be left where the plant can use it and not be turned under as is usually done. Nature never turns the soil upside down; nor will the wise gardener, except when a richer and better soil is to be added or when it is necessary to work in manure.

In making beds that have been worked before and need no enriching, excellent results may be secured by pushing a long spade into the ground the whole length of its blade and twisting it around. This breaks up and mellows the ground more effectually than turning it over, while it leaves the good soil on top where the young plant-roots can get it. Later, when the plant grows sturdier and stretches out its roots in search of food, the manure-enriched earth in the bottom of the bed will attract and draw them down into its cool, moist depths, away from the heat and drought of the surface. But the young plants must have mellow, nourishing soil from the start, or they will perish before they reach this store-house provided for the mature plant.

Never prepare a garden by turning under the sod. I am well aware that this, together with turning under the surface-soil, will be the method of the average man who has had some experience of farming, but the flower-grower cannot always follow farming methods with safety.

After spading the beds it will be well to inclose them with some such permanent material as brick, cement curbing, or narrow boards. Four-inch siding set in the ground an inch or more, and held in place on each side by pegs of wood (old waggon spokes, which can usually be found at the blacksmith’s, are excellent for this), make the cheapest and most quickly constructed inclosure, and may be quite covered with such border-plants as Dusty-miller or Phlox subulata. The boards may be given a coat of dull-green paint or shingle-stain before being put in place.

The permanent garden beds should have some such protection, as it greatly lessens the work of caring for them. Sod borders are very attractive, but involve an amount of care altogether out of proportion to the effect, as they must be kept closely shaved and the constantly encroaching roots of the plants must be as constantly curbed. This is also the case with grass walks, attractive to look at, but a supreme nuisance to the gardener. Walks of gravel, cinders or coal-ashes are preferable, and should be dug deep enough to smother out all weeds in the soil. If coal-ashes are used the paths should be nearly filled, the roughest part raked off and the surface gone over with a heavy roller. If left unrolled, however, the surface will be found firm and hard after the first heavy rain. Very good and inexpensive walks are obtained in this manner. Walks, of whatever kind, should never be hoed, and the weeds must be removed from them by hand. Hardness and smoothness are the requisites of a good walk. It is well to avoid self-sowing flowers like Sweet Alyssum, or Petunias, near the inside walks, as they come up by thousands in the spring and can only be removed by salting, scalding or uprooting.

The beds should be well above the surface of the walks, especially those containing hardy perennials like Peonies and Lilies. In the case of most plants, water standing around their roots in winter is absolutely fatal.

The location of the beds and their consequent moisture and sunshine must determine the flowers to occupy them. If you are fortunate enough to have a corner low, damp and shaded in the afternoon, that is the place to set out the beautiful Japanese Iris, Cypripedium acaule and other moisture-loving plants, while the Gladiolus may be given a prominent place in full sunshine. Asters and other flowers that do not bloom until fall should have a less conspicuous place; they are so showy that they will not fail to attract attention, wherever they may be planted. Pansies and other low-growing plants should be set out in the bed next the lawn. The general effect is finer when only one kind of flower is grown in a bed, but when two or more varieties of flowers, harmonising in colour, are grown together, the tallest must be placed in the centre and the others grouped according to height. Various plants may be used as edgings, due consideration being given to the plants which are to fill the beds.

GIVING THE HEIGHT AND SEASON OF BLOOM OF THE DIFFERENT PERENNIALS, ETC.

OUTER CIRCLE.

Pansies—all summer.

FIRST CORNER BED.

A—Montbretias in corners, scarlet and orange, 2 to 3 feet—all
summer.

B—Gladioli in centre, in variety, 3 to 4 feet—September, October.

C—Tuberoses, 3 feet—August, September.

Border of blooming Oxalis, pink and white, 6 inches—all summer

CENTRE BED OR MOUND.

1—Dark red Peony, 2 feet—May.

2—White Peony, 2 feet—June.

3—Pink Peony, 2 feet—June.

4—Large flowered perennial Phlox—August, September, October.

x A—Auratum Lily, 2 feet—August. September.

x B—Speciosum Album, 2 feet—August, September.

x C—Melpomene, 2 feet—August, September.

x D—Auratum.

x E—Longiflorum, white, 2 feet—June.

x F—Rubrum, 2 feet—August.

x G—Candidum, white, 3 feet—June.

Border—Phlox Subulata.

REAR CORNER BEDS.

North Bed—Anemones, Whirlwind and Queen Charlotte, white and pink, 3
feet—September.

Border—Wood Anemones.

South Bed—Asters, 2 feet—September, October.

Border—Auricula, 8 inches—May.

A mass of one kind and colour is more effective than a mixed bed. The beginner will find that the percentage of success is greater in growing a large number of one kind, all requiring the same conditions of soil, moisture and sunlight, than in trying to force plants of widely different habits to grow under the same conditions. Hardy perennials, however, not many of which deserve an entire bed, do very well with several varieties in the same long bed or border, and may be so grouped as to give a succession of bloom throughout the season. A raised bed of Peonies interspersed with the new, large-blooming Phlox and bordered with Japan Lilies will give a succession of flowers from May to October; or a long bed of Hollyhocks, or Hibiscus with a row of large-flowered Phlox in front and edged with dwarf Phlox Drummondii will give months of lovely bloom. This last combination also makes a serviceable screen between the vegetable garden and the lawn, or to hide a rear fence.

In arranging parti-coloured beds of flowers, due attention must be paid to the harmonising of tints. Do not combine magenta and scarlet, or purple and blue. Separate them by the interposition of white—the most valuable colour in the garden, as it not only harmonises all colours but wonderfully enhances their brilliancy. White with scarlet, with blue, or with yellow is always good. Lavender and heliotrope are lovely with nearly all shades of scarlet, rose and pink. Blue flowers planted in the rear of the garden increase its apparent size, while white, bright yellow and scarlet, by bringing the background nearer, decrease it. Monkshood and the tall blue Larkspur are excellent for rear beds.

The accompanying diagrams will be of assistance in planning the garden—not so much in supplying plans to be followed literally as in suggesting other plans and variations, while giving practical information as to number of plants required, their distance apart and the like. Soil and other details will be treated elsewhere.

In planning a shrubbery (see Plate II.) it is neither necessary nor desirable to use boards or other curbing for the beds, but the turf should be kept neatly trimmed and cut. A plot 60 by 40 feet or more, inclosing a considerable area of turf, gives room for rustic seats, a stationary hammock, and a tree or two. The circle in the border greatly increases the accommodation for plants and furnishes an ideal spot for Lilies. The lily-pond in the centre will be discussed at length in the chapter devoted to aquatic plants.

The rather complicated design in Plate III. is intended for a rose-garden or for foliage-beds on a large lawn. It is not at all difficult to construct, and a little practice with paper and pencil will remove any apparent obstacle. If you will draw, on a scale of one inch to a foot with a compass a succession of circles of six, eight and a half, twelve and a half, fifteen and nineteen inches, respectively, the foundation of the plan will be laid. Now, divide the fourth circle into fifths and draw a half circle 4½ by 14 feet or inches on the circle of each fifth by placing the point of the compass midway between the fourth and third circle. This will leave a crescent-shaped bed. Mark off from each side of these half circles or crescents, on the space between the third and fourth circle, two and one-half feet for paths. Making the lines parallel with the crescents, the remaining spaces will form triangular beds, that for convenience may be called the third or outer row of beds.

Name of Plant. Color. Height. Season of Bloom.

Feet, Inches.

1. Hypericum Yellow 1 6 All summer.

2. Deutzia Gracilis White 1 8 May, June.

3. Lychnis Roseum Pink 1 8 All summer.

4. Spiræa Filipendula White 1 0 May, June.

5. Platycodon Blue 2 0 All summer.

6. Anemone Whirlwind White 3 0 September, October.

7. Spiræa Anthony Crimson 2 to 4 0 May, sometimes all
Waterer summer.

8. White Foxglove White 3 0 All summer.

9. Scarlet Lychnis Scarlet 3 0 All summer.

10. White Foxglove White 3 0 All summer.

11. Lychnis Splendens Red 3 0 June, July.

12. White Veronica White 2 0 August, September.

13. Blue Veronica Blue 2 0 July, August.

14. Spiræa Van Houttei White 3 0 May, June.

15. Monkshood Fischeri Pale 4 0 September, October.
Blue

16. Hollyhocks in Var. 4 to 5 0 Summer, fall.

17. Monkshood, Uncinatum Dark 4 0 June, August.
Blue

18. Bocconia Cream 5 to 6 0 July, August.

1. Tall Shrubs. 2. Low Shrubs. 3. Herbaceous Pereum.
x x Hardy Lilies. —— — Edging Plants.

Now if radiating lines be drawn from the corners of the crescents to the centre of the plan the point where they cross the third circle will be the upper corners of the first row of beds—the lower corners being formed by the point where the radii from the centre and left corners of the crescents cross the second circle; the third and second circles forming the upper and lower sides; the ends being formed by curved lines drawn from the upper to the lower corners. Or, having completed the row of five crescents and five triangular beds, mark off with pole or ruler radiating lines from the corners and centre of each crescent to the centre of plan; the point where these radii from the circle of crescents cross the third circle will be the upper corner of the first row of beds; the lower corners being formed by the radii from the centre and left-hand corner of crescents; the ends being formed by curved concave lines from upper to lower corner—the intervening spaces forming paths.

For Laying Out the Beds

Use a long pole with a sharp stake passed through a hole at one end and fastened with a nail driven through it horizontally, so that it can turn easily, with a number of holes for pegs at the required distances—six, eight and one-half, twelve and one-half, fifteen and nineteen feet. Drive the movable stake firmly into the ground, and do not remove until the work is finished. Slip the sharp marking peg into the hole, which it should fit closely, and mark out the circles. For the half circles, or crescents, a nine-foot stick laid straight across the edge of fourth circle will give an approximate fifth, the loss in the curve about equalling the fractional loss caused by multiplying by three alone. Drive a peg with a stick or string attached into the path a foot inside the third line and mark the circles on it; mark the paths by lengthening the stick or string two and a half feet and drawing sections of circles on each side of the half circles from the fourth to the fifth circles. Now bring the end of the long pole to the left corner of half circle and mark the radiating lines and half lines to the centre, and mark off the first row of beds as you did on paper. In this way almost any form of flowerbed may be laid out. The following diagrams for foliage-beds on the lawn will be helpful.

For a Twelve-foot Foliage-bed

One Ricinus in centre; three Ricini four feet from first, an equal distance apart—or about eight feet. Alternate with these three clumps of tall-growing Cannas. Surround with a row of scarlet Salvias, set one foot from edge of bed and twenty inches apart. Edge with Little Gem Sweet Alyssum.

PLATE III.

PLAN FOR ROSE-GARDEN AND FOLIAGE-BED.]

Another Twelve-foot Bed

One Ricinus in centre, surrounded at three feet distance by six of the largest sized Caladiums three feet apart. The third row, three feet outside, to be composed of low-growing Cannas—Queen Charlotte, Chicago, Florence Vaughan, or Papa—eighteen inches apart. Edge with dwarf Nasturtiums.

Nine-foot Bed

One Ricinus trimmed in umbrella form—that is, the lower leaves removed so that the upper may serve as a shade for the Cannas. First row, six Allemannia Cannas; second row, twelve inches outside, twelve Burbank Cannas, fourteen inches apart; third row, twenty-five Italia Cannas, fourteen inches apart. Edge with Coleus, set fifteen inches apart.

Nine-foot Bed

Centre three discolour Cannas, grouped in the corner. First row, twelve Black Beauty Cannas, eighteen inches apart; second row, eighteen inches outside, twelve large Caladiums, twenty-seven inches apart.

Twelve-foot Bed

Three Ricini in group, equal distance apart. First row, three feet out, scarlet Salvias, twenty inches apart; second row, twelve inches out, white-flowered Vincas, twelve inches apart. Edge with scarlet Phlox Drummondii or blue Tom Thumb Ageratum, six inches apart.

Nine-foot Bed of Ornamental Grasses

Large clump of Arundo Donax in centre. First row, three feet out, three Erianthus Ravennæ, six feet apart; second row, twelve Eulalia gracillima univittata, two feet apart.

Eight-foot Bed

A large clump of Setaria magna in the centre. First row, Coix lachryma, eighteen inches apart; second row, twenty inches out, Pennisetum Ruppellianum, eighteen inches apart.

* * * * *

I cannot too highly recommend the planting of ornamental grasses on the lawn. They are extensively used in parks and in other public grounds, but not nearly so extensively as they should be on private grounds. Many of them are perfectly hardy, and once established grow in beauty from year to year; others in the Northern States may be easily wintered in the cellar, while still others may be cheaply and easily raised from seed each year.

Chapter _TWO_
Soils

In every garden the matter of soil is of first importance. In case of an outdoor garden the existing conditions will largely determine the class of plants to be grown.

A good loam—that is a non-coherent mixture of clay and sand with a proportion of such decayed vegetable matter as leaves and the fibrous roots of grasses—is the best garden soil, being what is termed warm and early. Soil containing a good proportion of sand is warm, while a preponderance of clay makes what is known as cold or wet soil.

If there is good drainage, cold soil can be rendered lighter, sandier and more friable by the liberal application of manure, which in two or three years will quite change its character. But this is a long time to wait, and to get quick results it will be necessary, after laying out the garden and outlining the beds, to remove the earth to a depth of twenty inches or more, filling in with soil suitable for the class of plants to be grown in each bed. In the beds intended for Roses, however, the clay may be left, as Roses require this soil. Where it is not present it should be supplied and added to each year, as the heavy manuring which Roses require constantly reduces the relative proportion of clay. For the Pansy bed nothing better than leaf-mould from the woods can be procured. For this bed remove six or eight inches of earth, spade in a good supply of old, well-rotted manure from the cow-stable, top-dress with several inches of leaf-mould. You will have a bed that will give magnificent Pansies and few weeds. For the Salvia, Canna, Ricinus, Caladium and other strong-growing plants no soil is better than the muck or peat of swamps—soil composed of partly carbonised vegetable matter decomposed by the action of water. Leaf-mould consists of vegetable matter which has decayed without being submerged, and it usually contains a liberal quantity of sharp, white sand, to which it owes its friable, non-adhesive character. Leaf-mould is commonly found around decayed stumps and in hollow places in the woods, where the leaves have drifted and decayed. It is ready for immediate use. Muck or peat, however, which is found in bogs and swamps, is unfit for garden use when freshly dug—except for aquatic plants—being tough and fibrous. It should therefore be dug during the summer, thrown in a heap and left for the winter frost to rot and render tractable. For immediate use the best method is to place it in a deep hole in the bed and cover with several inches of loam, or old muck. If this is kept worked or mulched to exclude air and retain the moisture in the muck, excellent results may be secured. The bed may also be partly filled with muck and covered with loam, the whole object being to prevent the muck drying out into hard lumps, as it will, when green, on exposure to sun and air. The following spring the loam may be spaded into the muck, giving a warm, mellow, exceedingly rich soil that will grow anything. The importance of starting out with good soil cannot be too strongly urged. It seems at first sight to call for a considerable expenditure of time and money—especially where the earth must be purchased and the labour paid for—but in the long run it is a decided saving.

With unsuitable soil there must be many failures, resulting in loss of both plants and seeds, and this in itself is no small expense. The labour of caring for such a garden is many times greater, for the top-dressing of manure required produces an incessant crop of weeds, which must be removed, not once, but many times during the summer, while beds filled with leaf-mould or muck need but one or two weedings. The weeds which grow naturally in these soils do not flourish in the open ground. A few Smartweeds and Nettles may be expected in the one case, and Violets and Spring-beauties in the other. In the manured garden soil an endless procession of Purslane, Malice, Ragweed and the like must be constantly watched for. The presence of clay and gravel in the soil always renders it hard and given to caking, necessitating frequent cultivation; while muck-beds, after the preliminary spading in the spring, remain free and mellow throughout the season.

Replacing soil presents more difficulties to city dwellers than to those living in the country, or in small towns, but, as there are in the vicinity of most of our cities rich peat lands, it ought not to be difficult to obtain one or two loads of this useful material. Near the small towns are always to be found farmers who own or live near marsh-land, and can supply muck, especially where they have been ditching. A good waggon-load may be had at prices ranging from fifty cents to two dollars, according to the distance to be hauled. The cost in the city would, of course, be much greater.

It is well for the amateur gardener to learn early in her experience to keep her eyes open to all things pertaining to the success of the garden. When driving, note the marsh-lands easily accessible from the highway, especially where they have been ditched or partially reclaimed, and interview the owner or tenant. In the dull season on the farm the owner of such soil may be glad to earn an extra dollar or two, and it may also be suggested to the farmers’ boys, who have marsh-and wood-lands, that they may earn pocket-money by calling on people known to be cultivating flowers or building new homes, to solicit their orders. Many people who grow flowers do not know where to apply for earth, and an advertisement in a local paper would, doubtless, prove advantageous to customer and purveyor. On hillsides along the road, and places which the rain has washed, one may gather quantities of pure white or grey sand for potting. Yellow sand is not suitable for such use, as it contains much clay and cakes badly after watering, while the white or grey sand remains line and loose.

Leaf-mould is not so readily procurable, as it must be gathered from suitable patches through the woods, and the farmers do not like to bother with it. Besides, they are likely to dig up much undesirable under-soil. It is better to go one’s self for this. A still better way is to make your own leaf-mould. Thus: when sod is removed from the ground for any purpose, shake out the fine soil that adheres to it for future use; or slice off the fine roots with a sharp knife just below the crown of the grass. This is known as fibrous loam, and, in combination with leaf-mould, old manure and fine, sharp sand, makes the very finest potting soil. Throw the tops of the sods in a heap in some out-of-the-way corner and add the rakings of the yard in fall and spring, all weeds pulled during the summer, all vegetable refuse, potato-parings, apple-peelings, corn-husks, and berry-hulls—anything that has vegetable matter and will decay. All dish-water and slops that are not needed on the garden may be thrown on the pile, which should be turned over occasionally during the winter. By the following spring you will have the finest kind of leaf-mould. Not all of the pile will have decayed, but along the sides and underneath it will be found ready for use. Add to it every bit of available vegetable matter during the year, including the annual flowers pulled up after their season of bloom, the tops of such root-plants as Cannas, Caladiums, Gladioli, etc., and you will soon have a supply quite adequate to the needs of an ordinary garden. Where there are water-works the hose may be turned on frequently to hasten decomposition. If it is impossible to replace all poor soil in the garden with better, by the addition of leaf-mould and manure, much may be accomplished in the way of building up the old and rendering it suitable.

If the plot to be used can be ploughed up, well manured, and sown to clover, the clover turned under in the fall, a good top-dressing of manure given, and the whole turned again in the spring, the soil should be in good garden condition.

Where the soil is a good, warm loam the addition of fertilisers will always give excellent results, though there is the disadvantage of weeds and extra cultivation to consider. The first cost of suitable earth is great, but it pays in the end in the saving of fertilisers, labour, expensive seeds and flowers.

Chapter _THREE_
Fertilisers

Fertilisers in the form of animal manures, chemicals or vegetable matter come next in importance to a good soil. Horse, cow, sheep, and poultry droppings are the cheapest and most direct in results. Of the four, cow manure is probably the best for the majority of plants, especially Pansies, Iris, Violets, Ferns and others which love a cool soil. Cow manure is known as a cool manure, and is suitable for a warm or sandy soil. Horse manure, which is more heating, especially when from young stock, is better on cold or clayey soil, as it has the effect of breaking up the adhesiveness of the clay and promoting the formation of sand. Hen manure is very warm and is therefore most suitable for cold soils. Sheep manure is especially desirable for Roses and house-plants, about one part manure to six of earth being the proportion.

Good results may be obtained by the use of any or all of these, if in the proper condition and judiciously applied. Manure is in proper condition when it has passed completely through the heating or fermenting stage. Fresh manure should never be placed where it, or the water that leaches from it, can possibly come in contact with the plants; manure should be six months or, better still, a year old before being used. Old and well-rotted manure has much the appearance of rich, black earth, and is readily assimilated by the plants. It should be fine and free from such rough litter as corn-stalks, cobs, and long straws, and should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. As manure is full of the seeds of weeds and grasses, it is better, when applying it in the spring, to remove a portion of the top-soil and work the manure into the subsoil by spading, and then to return the top-soil. This will prevent their germination and save a great deal of weeding during the summer.

Manure that retains its original form is too fresh to use and should be thrown in a heap and frequently forked over to hasten decomposition. It will be fit by another season, but older stuff must be procured for present use. Where there is room it is a wise provision to keep a pile of manure from year to year, in order to avoid the inconvenience of looking for it when you need it. No better expenditure can be made by the gardener than in purchasing several loads of old manure, when it is discovered in some neighbouring barn-yard. If one has no supply and must purchase, the matter should be attended to in the fall at latest, to allow ample time for saving it. Farmers usually draw the manure on the land as it accumulates, so that it is difficult to obtain in the spring.

Ashes contain a certain amount of phosphates, which tend to sweeten the soil. They are also beneficial in increasing the strength or stiffness of the stalks, and for this reason are valuable for Aster and Gladiolus beds; they should never be mixed with manure, as is frequently done, but should be strewn over the surface of the soil after the other fertilisers are worked in. Ashes mixed with manure release the ammonia of the latter, depriving it of one of its most valuable properties. Ammonia itself is not a fertiliser but a stimulant, creating in the plant a desire for the food stored up in the manure—in other words, an appetiser. Plants, like people, will not eat unless they have an appetite, and manure mixed with ashes is poorer and much less valuable in every way to the farmer and gardener. Soot is another excellent chemical fertiliser, adding much to the richness of colour in both flower and foliage. Apply either dry or mixed with the surface-soil, or in the form of a tea made by pouring water over the soot in a vessel. Draw off the liquid after the mixture has settled and apply it around the roots of the plants, taking care that it does not touch the foliage. It is especially good for Pansies and Roses.

Manure-water is a good way to apply animal fertiliser, as it is fairly free from the seeds of weeds, which constitute the chief drawback to the solid form. To prepare it take a water-tight barrel or half-barrel and put a spigot in the side near the bottom. Place three or four inches of clean straw in the barrel, letting it come well up above the spigot, then fill half full of manure. It is not necessary that the manure should be so very old; it needs only to have passed the fermentation period. Fill the barrel with water. Fit a tight cover over it and it is soon ready to use. As long as the liquid runs the colour of coffee or a strong tea the manure will not need renewing, and more water may be added from time to time, but when it shows signs of exhaustion empty the barrel, put the refuse on the compost heap and fill the barrel as before. If the liquid is to be used on pot-plants it will be better to use boiling water in the barrel to destroy the eggs and chrysalis of the white-worms and other larvæ that infest the manure; or add a half teaspoonful of Paris green to the water. The first drawings from the barrel should be well diluted before using, especially when applied to dry soil. If hen manure is used, it should be made much weaker than other manures, as it is very heating and likely to burn the roots of plants. A convenient way to handle the manure barrel is to carry a watering-pot of water to the barrel each time, emptying it in at the top and drawing off a corresponding amount at the spigot—in this way the barrel is kept constantly full and extra steps saved. Liquid manure may also be prepared by filling a pail half full of manure, adding boiling water, and dipping off the liquid when the sediment is settled.

After a heavy rain there will often be a pool in some corner of the barn-yard where sufficient liquid manure may be dipped up to fill a barrel or hogshead. Where the barn-yard is paved with cobble-stones—as all barnyards should be, for health and cleanliness—a catch-basin may be easily arranged which the natural slope of the land will fill when it rains. This will more than pay for the trifling outlay for its construction, as it need only be a depression in the soil, covered with cement. Even stiff clay will answer. It is surprising how carelessly farmers let such valuable property go to waste while they buy load after load of manure at the stables in town and haul it long distances. The yield of the strawberry-and asparagus-beds alone would be sufficiently increased to pay for such a catch-basin many times over.

Soapsuds furnish another excellent fertiliser, and every drop of water from the wash-room, bed-room and kitchen should be saved and applied around the roots of plants—especially Roses, Dahlias, and vines, which never seem to get enough of either moisture or nourishment. Slop-water should not be put on the foliage of plants, as it leaves a scum that is difficult to get rid of.

A very good substitute for commercial bone-meal may be manufactured at home by saving all the bones from the kitchen, throwing them into a stone jar, covering them with strong lye, and allowing them to remain until soft enough to be pulverised and dug into the soil. The lye that remains may also be applied to the soil after being diluted with water. Blood obtained at the slaughter-house is an excellent fertiliser, containing much easily assimilated plant food in a soluble form. Feathers contain much valuable material in the way of phosphates, but are not suitable for the annual beds. They may be applied to shrubs and hardy perennials by digging them into the ground at a little distance from the plants, where the roots will reach out and find them. Hoof-parings from the blacksmith shop are also valuable for the perennial bed. Indeed, with all the forms of plant food available there is no excuse for starving plants. There are, of course, many commercial plant foods and fertilisers on the market, bone-meal and guano being the most reliable among them, but many of them are expensive and uncertain in their action. Being highly concentrated they are likely to do harm in the hands of the inexperienced. The natural manures are the safest.

In using liquid manures either on the open ground or on potted plants, they should only be applied when the soil has been well watered the day before, never when it is dry. The plant, being supplied with all it needs to drink, absorbs only what it requires for nourishment and is less likely to be injured by an overdose. The moisture in the soil serves also to reduce the strength of the manure.

In applying old cow or horse manure to new beds a wheel-barrow load to every nine square feet is not too much for strong growing plants such as Ricinus, Cannas, and Salvias. Half that quantity of hen manure will be sufficient.

Chapter _FOUR_
The Hotbed, Cold-Frame and Sand-box

The hotbed is an enclosure, affording bottom heat and protection from cold, for the propagation of tender plants unsuited to sowing in the open ground, and for starting plants too early in the season for open-air operations. The hotbed is usually started in February or March in the latitude of Philadelphia, while April is early enough in the latitude of Detroit and Chicago. Plants are transferred to the open ground when all danger of frost is past. With the exception of a few plants like Poppies, which do not bear disturbance, all seeds yield better results if planted where they have protection in their early stages from drying wind, burning sun and nipping cold. This protection the cold-frame gives, while the hotbed affords the additional advantage of artificial heat. Plants thus started will be ready to transplant about the time seeds could be started in the open ground—an important gain in northern latitudes, where, between the early and late frosts there is hardly time for the maturing of annuals.

The hotbed should be situated on the south side of a building, wall or fence, where it will have the full benefit of the sun and be protected from cold winds. It is also desirable that the land should slope toward the south, that all surface water may drain away, and that the bed may receive the greatest amount of sunshine during the day. In constructing a hotbed dig a pit two feet deep. This may be lined with planks or bricks, or left with its earthen walls. Over this build a frame of rough lumber around four posts of three-or four-inch stuff, three feet two inches high in the back, and two feet eight inches high in the front. If the pit is not lined, this will bring the frame below the surface and allow a sufficient slant for the free shedding of water and the concentration of the greatest amount of sunshine on the bed. Regular hotbed sash are three feet by six, and cost about two dollars and seventy-five cents each, glazed and painted. These are usually arranged to rest on the frame, simply sliding up and down, the size of the bed determining the number of sash. A bed three by six, however, is more easily handled than a larger one; and two or more beds, set end to end, or one long, narrow one divided by partitions into three-by-six beds, will be more satisfactory in every way than a wider one. The partitions are necessary, not alone to strengthen the frame and support the sash, but to insure to each section the special treatment it requires. Not all seeds germinate in the same temperature, or require the same degree of moisture. There is, also, a great difference in the period of germination; some seeds sprout in from three to five days; others require as many weeks. With separate sections seeds of similar habits and requirements may be planted together.

Florists’ sash makes an expensive hotbed, and quite as satisfactory results may be obtained by using such old window-sash as may be picked up for about twenty-five cents apiece where buildings are being torn down or from junk or hardware dealers. Old sash will probably need some glazing and painting, and these are among the things the amateur gardener should learn to do for herself, as sash must be water-tight and in order at all times. A sudden hail-storm, a mischievous cat or careless handling may leave one with broken glass that must be replaced at once. When old sash is used the back of the frame should be higher than the sides by the thickness of the sash, so that the sash may be fastened to it with hinges if desired. A cross-piece from the back to the front for the sash to rest on will give greater stability and prevent draughts of cold air on a sudden fall of temperature.

Having constructed the pit, fill it with fresh manure from the horse-stable—that from young, grain-fed stock being best. It must be perfectly fresh, gathered from the stalls in the morning, and should be mixed with a quantity of litter—long straw or leaves. This serves as fuel, insuring a continuous heat. Without it the heat germinated by the manure would quickly die out and the bed become cold. Throw the manure loosely into the frame, close the sash and wait for fermentation or heating. This should take place in from twelve to twenty-four hours; if longer than that it will be as well to throw out the manure and begin again, making sure this time that the manure is absolutely fresh. When the thermometer by rising to 100 or more degrees shows that fermentation is well under way, the manure should be well tramped down, as level and smooth as possible. Over this place a couple of inches of fine, old, well-rotted manure. This will afford nourishment for the young plants should they make sufficient growth to need it, or on account of stress of weather be detained in the hotbed longer than expected. If this is not supplied the tender roots of the plants are apt to go in search of the crude manure in the bottom of the hotbed, and be injured by contact with it. When plants that have come up thrifty suddenly turn yellow and look as if they had been scalded, though sufficiently protected from the sun, it is probable that their roots have been burned by the manure. This may be determined by digging down to the roots. If they have reached the manure the cause is evident; other plants in the same beds, with shallower roots, it will be observed, are not affected in the same way. As this is not likely to happen until the plants have made considerable growth the season will probably be enough advanced to permit of planting out, especially with protection at night, or they may be transplanted into the cold-frame until the weather is warm. Such mishaps seldom occur, but when they do, they must be met promptly. Few plants will make over four inches of roots before transplanting, and when they reach the old manure they usually spread out without going deeper.

To return to the construction of the hotbed: Cover the manure with four inches of rich, fine loam, free from rough lumps and stone; it would better be put through a sand-or coal-sieve if not mellow and fine. Make as level as possible, and place a thermometer in the soil to register the temperature. When it has risen to 90 degrees or above, and then fallen to 75 or 70 degrees, the seed may be sown.

In planting seed it is best to use narrow strips of wood to separate the different varieties. This prevents mixing and running together when watered. It is impossible to distinguish between different varieties of Asters, Ageratums and Pansies once they have become mixed. Where one lives within reach of a box factory narrow strips of wood—admirable for this purpose—of uniform width and very thin, may be readily obtained. It is best to begin at the upper right-hand corner with seeds that require the most time to germinate, labelling each section plainly with name, date and the period of germination.

Flowers that make the tallest growth may be placed against the back with advantage—as Cobæa scandens, Ricinus, the Dolichos, Cosmos, and the like; giving them the advantage of the extra light and keeping them from withholding the light from the plants in front of them.

Coarse seeds should be planted in drills and covered to twice their depth. A furrow may be scratched with a sharp stick from an eighth to a half-inch deep, and the seed sown thinly in it, the earth being replaced and pressed firmly down with a piece of wood. This is important, as it brings the seed in close contact with the earth, and the tiny sprout can lay hold of it at once when germination takes place. Many seeds of weak germinating power are lost when sown in loose, coarse soil by failure to obtain immediate contact with the nourishment contained in it.

Fine seeds like Petunias, Nicotianas and Ageratums must be sown broadcast in little squares reserved for them. Sow on the surface, press into the soil with a piece of board and merely sift fine sand over.

A piece of thin wood eight or ten inches long and four or five inches wide, with a handle on one side, will be found very useful to press the soil down quickly and firmly. This should be an adjunct to every well-regulated hotbed. So should a thermometer, hung on the back wall of the hotbed, the bulb level with the soil. After the seeds are all sown, if the soil is at all dry, sprinkle carefully with a rubber sprinkler, or a whisk-broom dipped in water and shaken over the bed. Do not use the watering-pot, as it will wash the seed out of the ground. When the plants are up and of some size the watering-pot may be resorted to, but not before. When all the seeds are sown as directed cover with newspapers and close the sash.

The most careful attention must now be given the hotbed. If the temperature rises above 75 degrees in the warmest part of the day the sash must be raised an inch or two. In doing this, if the wind is cold, it will be best to slip a strip of wood between the sash and frame on the windward side, or protect the opening on the windward side with a bit of carpet.

When the seeds in any particular plot show a single pair of leaves, remove the paper over that much of the bed, still shading from the sun during the hottest part of the day by a bit of paper on the glass directly over the plants. When the plants appear too thickly in the row, transplant them as soon as they have their second leaves into other rows between the first, or into another hotbed or cold-frame. Encourage vigorous growth by giving room to develop and as much air and light as possible.

As soon as the plants are of sufficient size and the weather is warm enough, remove the sash during the day, replacing it with screens made of lath. These screens are easily made by nailing strips of lath, the width of the hotbed, to strips of wood the length of the bed. The lath should be set its own width apart, and the nails, of which there should be two in each end, clinched on the under side. Such screens are a necessary part of the hotbed, and will last for years.