THE FLOWER GARDEN. 619 



To minister to man's delight, 



To beautify the earth ; 

 To comfort man, to whisper hope, 



Whene'er his faith is dim ; 

 For whoso careth for the flowers 



Will care much more for him." 



There is no better index of refinement in the home than 

 flowers. Books speak of cultivation of mind, of acquired 

 knowledge ; but the love of flowers is the natural indication of 

 a refined nature ; and the cultivation of these " Thoughts of 

 God " lends a delightful companionship to those who faithfully 

 care for them. An ancient writer has said : " To have a flower 

 garden is to have many friends continually near." In large 

 cities the cultivation of flowers is attended with many difficul- 

 ties, for want of room ; but even there much satisfaction may 

 be gained from a few varieties and climbing vines. In villages 

 and the country, no excuse can be offered for their neglect. 

 The pleasure gained from their care generally repays the pos- 

 sessor for all the time bestowed upon them, and the few 

 moments spent each day bring a pleasant change from the 

 monotony of daily cares. 



Do not begin the cultivation of flowers with the common mis- 

 take of choosing too many varieties, but use judicious care in 

 selecting. Commence with ten or a dozen hardy varieties, and, 

 when success is assured, increase your plants and bulbs, if desired. 

 Soil is a very important consideration. That best adapted to 

 flowering plants is a light loam mixed with sand. Many varieties 

 will live in any soil, if well watered ; but much better results 

 are obtained when the ground is prepared by deep digging, a 

 thorough pulverizing, and a liberal enriching with large quan- 

 tities of well-rotted manure. The progress of germination varies 

 in different kinds of seed, and the patience of the cultivator 

 is often greatly taxed with seeds that germinate slowly. But 

 patient waiting is at length rewarded by the tiny sprouts of 

 green, which contain promise of the future flower. 



Since many failures come from improper treatment of seeds 

 and young plants, a careful study of the following rules is recom- 

 mended. Do not plant seeds in a wet soil, but in a damp soil, 

 making it fine and smooth. Cover the finest seeds a quarter of 



