GARDEN VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS 331 



countries. So, for instance, most of the wild flowers of the 

 Middle West, where they have moist air and frequent 

 rains, will not do well in California, no matter how much they 

 may be watered. But they will do well in western Oregon and 

 Washington, where there is moist air and plenty of rain in 

 summer. And the native plants of these regions, such as 

 the salmon berry, salal, linnsea, vancouveria, bilberry, 

 and others of the moist woods, will not grow in California, 

 except in Del Norte, Trinity, and parts of Siskiyou Counties, 

 where there are also summer rains. 



As the beauty and commercial value of flowers depends 

 so greatly upon their perfect development, they should 

 always be grown in rich, loamy soil with plenty of humus, 

 which must be kept well cultivated and watered. Stable 

 manure well rotted is the best fertilizer for nearly all flowers. 

 This is specially true of roses. "Rose land/ 7 on which the 

 native wild rose grows in dense thickets for many miles in 

 Washington and Montana, is considered the best land of the 

 region. It contains much lime and humus. 



Flower seeds are frequently very small, and must 

 therefore be sown on a well-mellowed surface, and only 

 very lightly covered with fine soil, which must be kept 

 moist (best by covering with light shingles). But 

 these must be taken away so soon as the seeds have 

 sprouted, when the ground may merely be kept shaded 

 from the sun. It is often best to sow the small seeds 

 in boxes kept indoors, and then set out the small 

 seedlings where wanted. Many people sow flower 

 seeds as they do corn or radishes, covering them an 

 inch or more deep. They are then usually not seen 



