1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



75 



Cai)ic9' ^Department. 



THE SEASON 01 FLOWERS. 



The storms and frosts of another season are almost 

 at an end. Old Winter, with his stern countenance 

 and whitened locks is retreating- before the smiling 

 face of Spring. Soon her glad and welcome song 

 will be heard — 



" I come, I come ! ye have called me Ions:, 

 I come o'er the mountains with liglit and sonsr ! 

 Ye may trace my steps o'er the wakenini^ e:irth. 

 By tlie winds whicli tell of the violet's birth, 

 By the primrose-stars in the shadowy grass, 

 By the green leaves, opening as I pass." 

 Her arrival is hailed by singing: birds and smiling 

 flowers. All love Spring and flowers. The child 

 delights to gambol on the green and stops to admire 

 and pluck the daisy and the dandelion. The youth 

 loves to present to his idol these beautiful emblems 

 of innocexice and loveliness. And what more fitting — 



" They were born to blush in her shining hair." 

 Those who have felt a sad pleasure in adorning the 

 dearly loved and early dead with these mementoes 

 of beauty and frailty can appreciate the words of 

 Mrs. Hemans: 



"Bring flowers, pale flowers, o'er the bier to shed, 

 A crown for the brow of the early dead I 

 For this through its leaves hath the white rose burst. 

 For this in the woods was the violet nursed ! 

 Though they smile in vain for what once was ours. 

 They are love's last gift — bring ye flowers, pale flowers." 

 A little knowledge and skill is necessary in the 

 cultivation of flowers, and many from the lack of 

 this knowledge find the results of their efforts rather 

 unsatisfactory, and become discouraged. Some with 

 little time attempt to cultivate flowers that require 

 much care, consequently their flowers fail, when if a 

 difi^erent selection had been made their labors would 

 have been well rewarded. We shall devote this de- 

 partment during the spring to descriptions of flowers 

 and their cultivation. 



When a number are planted together iji a bed, they 

 intermingle and form masses of great beauty, and 

 no dry weather injures them. They keep in blos- 

 tiU they are destroyed by frost. Plants may be pro- 

 cured at the green-houses, or may be raised from 

 seed. The Petunia flowers the first year from seed, 

 but fine varieties are propagated by cuttings, as the 

 seed will not produce flowers similar to the parent. 



PETUiNIA PUNCTATA. 



The Petunias are trailing or spreading p ants of 

 almost every variety of color, from white to purple. 



dwarf lupin. 



The Dwarf Lupin is another fine flower. It bears 

 leaves cut so as to somewhat resemble expanded 

 fingers. It is aboui a foot in height, and bears 

 long spikes of blue flowers. The seed shoud be 

 planted wiiore the flowers are to remain. 



Phlox Drummondi is a pretty dwarf annual that 

 remains in blossom every day the whole season, 

 and we know of no annual that makes a more bril- 

 liant appearance when planted thickly in a bed. 

 They are of all shades of pink and purple. 



Portulacca is a very showy succuleut spreading 

 annual that loves tlie hottest and dryest weather. 

 They grow almost as readily as weeds. There are 

 four varieties, scarlet, pink, yellow and white. 



Ten-Wekk Stocks were our favorites from 

 childhood. Easily cultivated, coming rapidly to 

 maturity, free and almost constant bloomers; of 

 every shade of color, from white to the darkest and 

 richest purple; they are entitled to a place in every 

 collection of flowers. 



These all blossom the same season they are 

 planted, and with only ordinary care. Desiring to 

 encourage a taste for the oultivation of flowers 

 among our fair readers, which does so much to make 

 home pleasant, we will furnish any who may apply 

 in season, with a small collection of seeds that with 

 a little care will make their gardens "blossom as 

 the rose," till Winter again with his icy hand sus- 

 pends all vegetable life. 



