JN THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



187 



Scarlet Salvia* 



JESSIE EDMUNDS, BURI.INGTON, ONT. 



n| "^ HIS is one of the best bedding plants 

 A we have where a great show of bril- 

 liant color is desired. Being a tall growing 

 plant, is is very effective in groups for the 

 lawn where prominent beds are desired. Its 

 flowers are borne in spikes six inches long 

 or over, and are the richest imaginable scar- 

 let. So bright are they that they have a 

 glow like that of fire when the sun shines on 

 them, and so deep is their tone that they 

 seen as if made of velvet. 



A row of these plants make a magnificent 

 background for a border along a fence or 

 building on the sunny side. It is excellent 

 for cutting. It is of the easiest possible 

 culture. Either plant the seeds in the open 

 border or under glass, to transplant when 

 they are two inches high. Give them a rich 

 mellow soil, keep the weeds down, and noth- 

 ing more is required, unless the season 

 should be dry, in whic'h case it may be neces- 

 sary to water daily. 



If growing in the open, stake the branches 

 as they are very brittle and easily broken by 

 wind. If some of the shoots that spring 

 freely from the roots are taken off and pot- 

 ted in Septennber }OU will have a fine plant 

 for winter blooming. The old plants will 

 continue to bloom till frost nips them. The 

 red spider is the one fo'e of the salvia, and 

 if it makes its appearance the plant must be 

 showered daily or it wih be ruined. 



Pruning Roses in other countries is gen- 

 erally done in the fall, but here it must be 

 left until the spring, and I have found it 

 most advantageous to leave it until the very 

 end of April or the beginning of May, and 

 the imosit to be done then is to remove all the 

 dead wood, but some pruning may be neces- 

 sary in the early part of July in cutting back 

 to a few eyes some of the strong growing 

 shoots, and thereby perpetuating the bloom. 

 — (Robert Barclay, Winnipeg, Man. 



* Extract from address prepared for a Womeji's Institute Meet'iig 



Rose Culture 



W. G. BLACK, OTTAWA. 



IN selecting a place for a bed of roses the 

 situation, as far as possible, should 

 iface the south and east. Roses require full 

 exposure to rain and sunshine ; they also re- 

 quire shelter frcmi storms, north and west 

 winds, and it is desirable to have a rose gar- 

 den shaded from the fatigue of the after- 

 noon sun. Beds should be so placed that 

 each plant can be seen from the walk. This 

 prevents 'be'ds being tramped on. 



Taller growing varieties ought to be 

 placed at the back and the smaller ones in 

 front, but to accomipilish this the young 

 rosarian will ihave to niake many changes 

 after plants have grown. It is well to 

 manure plants twice yearly, late in the fall 

 and again after the first bloom of summer. 

 iWater should be freely given during the 

 growing and blooming season. Let the 

 manure in all cases be well rotted, and dug 

 into the" soil. 



It will pay to give a little extra attention 

 to newly planted roises. Care in childhood 

 often determines the constitution of the 

 man, so it is conducive to a healthy plant. 

 To those w!ho love flowers, there is an in- 

 terest felt in the simplest operation of cul- 

 ture, for 'he who plants a tree adopts it as his 

 own, and delights in administering to its 

 w^ants. 



Sweet Peas. — An ounce of sweet pea 

 seed will plant a row 10 feet long. Plant 

 in trenches ; cover at first with only an inch 

 of soil, then as the plants grow, fill in one 

 inch at a time. Put them in as early as 

 possible. Water well each night, rich soil 

 and blossoms picked daily is the whole se- 

 cret. Sparrows a-e fond of peas when just 

 peeping up. A shot gun is good for spar- 

 rows. — (N. S. Dunlop, Montreal, Que. 



If you Cannot have suitable windows, 

 have plants suitable for your windows. — 

 (Mrs. W. J. McLenahan, Appleby, Ont. 



