ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 267 



expended in seeds, and a little pleasant labor in the spring, will give an 

 amount of enjoyment beyond belief, and that most desolate wilderness 

 about the farm — the farmer's door-yard — could be made to bud and 

 blossom as the rose. 



The reason why annual flowers are so frequently a failure is owing in 

 a great measure to the intricate and expensive directions which are giv- 

 en by seedsmen and florists in their annual catalogues and floral guides. 

 To be successful in raising good, sturdy plants for i)lanting out in 

 the flower beds and borders, the seed-bed must be prepared in the fall. 

 Make a box of twelve-inch boards the size of your sash, fill to within 

 three inches with good fresh soil, lay a few boards over the whole, and 

 leave it till spring. When warm weather comes in February, remove 

 the boards and put on the sash. By the beginning of March the soil 

 will be in good condition for sowing the seed. Stir up the surface a lit- 

 tle, breaking all the lumps, and making the surface as smooth as possi- 

 ble. Take a piece of lath, and with the edge make little drills three 

 inches apart; making very slight impressions for the smaller seeds and 

 deeper ones, about the eighth of an inch in depth, for the larger. After 

 sowing, fill the drills with finely sifted soil ; water slightly if the weather 

 be warm, and the work is completed. When the seeds appear above 

 ground give plenty of air during warm days, and when the plants get 

 strong, remove the sash altogether, replacing it at night. About the 

 beginning of May, the plants will be large enough to handle. They 

 should then be planted out in their summer quarters. Those who can 

 not afibrd a sash, will find calico oiled, tacked upon a wooden frame, an 

 excellent substitute. 



If you want a constant brilliant show of flowers, choose the Aster, 

 Balsam, Dianthus, Delphinum, Petunia, Portulaca, Phlox, Scabiosa, 

 TropcTolum, Ipomea, Thunbergia, Double Zennia and Verbena. To 

 every one who is possessor of a home, we say, plant flowers ! Plant 

 them by your doorstep, in front of your dwelling, in every nook, and 

 waste jjlace in the yard, plant them all around the dear old homestead, 

 train them up its walls. Forget not to throw in your mite towards pro- 

 ducing and shedding sweet aroma everywhere. Thus you will gladden 

 and bless the hearts of your children, and before you are aware, will 

 incite praise in your own hearts towards the great Infinite Source of 

 loveliness and beauty. 



Every one who loves flowers will find some convenient jilace for them, 

 whether that place be in doors or out ; and if no place can be found 

 outside, the windows of the sitting-room can be made beautiful and 

 redolent with perfume. 



Window gardening is becoming decidedly popular, still there is a 

 wonderful lack of success in this department of home decoration. This 

 does not arise from want of taste, or the want of desire on the part of 

 the fair portion of our community, but there are two reasons why ladies 

 are not generally successful in making their windows gay and attractive 

 during the winter months. 



