FLOWER GARDEN AND LAWN IN MARCH AND APRIL. 99 



gests it at once as the plant above all others for busy people. Hardy 

 without protection, they are greatly benefited by a mulching of well 

 rotted manure after hard freezing sets in. This forked in the ground 

 in early spring insures a heavy crop of flowers. They may be 

 planted any time after the first of September, which is the best time, 

 or in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked, and once 

 planted should not be disturbed, for the peony resents interference 

 with its roots. They are entirely free from disease and insect pests. 

 Each year the hardy perennials increase in beauty and variety. 

 Especially are they recommended to flower lovers with limited time 

 and experience. The possibility of failure is so slight, their care 

 so comparatively trivial, and once established they become alike 

 impervious to extremes of heat or cold. They yield the earliest 

 spring flowers after the bulbs, and a well chosen variety afifords a 

 succession throughout the season. In uncovering do not anticipate 

 the weather, but wait, give the plants time. I pulled up some of 

 my pyrethrum and most of my gaillardia last spring because I could 

 not wait and thought them dead ; but I learned a lesson. Experience 

 is the best teacher. 



Mr. D. S. Hall : I can recommend what Mrs. Hanson says 

 about covering as soon as the ground freezes in the fall. It is best 

 to put on a part of the covering at that time, and when we have 

 weather as we have now, with no prospect of snow, put on more. 

 In the spring uncover partially. 



Mrs. F. H. Gibbs : I would like to ask whether any one has 

 had experience in digging trenches for sweet peas in the fall and 

 putting in the dressing at that time ? 



Mrs. Hanson : I think that is much the better time if we can 

 do so. 



Mr. H. J. Baldwin: I think a little detail in regard to mak- 

 ing the hotbed for starting early plants might be given. I have 

 had considerable experience in that direction, and it is not so much 

 of a job as one might suppose. We had a number of boxes a foot 

 square, then we dug holes in the ground a foot deep and put in a few 

 forkfuls of warm manure, just enough to take the cold out of the 

 ground, and by sifting the earth through a sieve and then sowing the 

 seeds in rows, and being very careful for a few days to see that 

 the ground does not dry out before the seeds germinate, we get 

 the most magnificent plants. That is the critical time. Most people 

 put in those little fine seeds two or three times too deep, and then 

 the seedsman catches it because his seeds are no good. 



The President: Those are very valuable suggestions, especially 

 that in regard to planting too deep. 



Mr. Carbine (Ore.) : What depth of earth do you put on the 

 manure ? 



Mr. Baldwin : Usually on our hotbed for vegetables we put 

 on about six inches, but for those little boxes in which to plant 



