RAISING FLOWERING PLANTS FROM SEED. 235 



Digitalis, canterbury bells, cereopsis lanceolata and columbine 

 may be sown out of doors and transplanted in the fall to where they 

 will stand, as they will not bloom the first year. Of the annuals, 

 salpiglossis, dianthus, pinks, everlastings, moon flowers, morning 

 glories, caliopsis, snap dragon, phlox drum., petunias, lobelia, sweet 

 alyssum and ageratum may be sown about the 20th of March, 

 with asters a little later. Poppies, early cosmos, centaurea, portu- 

 lacca and nasturtiums dO' better sown where they are to stand. 

 I can't give them all, for their name is legion, but flower-lovers 

 will go on adding to their lists as they gain experience, using one 

 list sometimes and sometimes another, but always making the 

 4iome attractive. 



One word about getting "pointers,'' and I am done. We don't 

 go after them enough where they are. We can learn as much in no 

 other way as by seeing the other fellow at his work. As a gardener 

 I have learned more in two minutes with my two eyes than by read- 

 ing up the subject a whole evening or, I was going to say, listening 

 to reading of papers a half-day. I remember once going into a com- 

 petitor's greenhouse, and in five minutes I had what was worth 

 $25 spot cash to me inside of. a week, and I didn't steal it either. 

 That same has been worth money to me every year since. The 

 sum wasn't much, but it will pay my dues to the rose or to the 

 horticultural society the rest of my natural life. 



For the person desiring to raise watermelons for his own use, 

 get a solid block, 6x8 inches, 10 inches high or long, or make a box 

 of same size. Determining location of hills, pulverize the soil, dig a 

 hole 4 inches, or such a matter, deep, put in about a pint of thorough- 

 ly mixed refined hen manure, cover with 2 inches of soil, put on this 

 the same quantity of good ashes, cover an inch or more with soil, 

 put box over, pull dirt up around it and tamp it down. 



Now remove box, sow your seed, and put on top of hole an 8x10- 

 inch glass, giving a slant southward 10 degrees or so. You can 

 put the hills where the vines can run over unsightly places. Water 

 after the plants are nicely out of ground. When they are several 

 inches high, remove the glass on some pleasant day and level the 

 mound. 



You can now water liberally. The water soaking through ashes, 

 reaching the manure, liberates the ammonia. When the vines at- 

 tain a length of 5 or 6 feet, cut off the ends. 



