Have a Flower Garden on the Farm 



HAVE you a flower g^arden? One 

 that is always bright with 

 flowers from spring until fall 

 frosts? If you have, you are fortunate. 

 Such gardens are not the rule in most 

 places. Or. many farms there is a small 

 place somewhere near the house, known 

 as the flower bed, but usually flowers are 

 .scarce, or there are none at all, and the 

 bed is full of weeds. There is no reason 

 why there should not be a nice flower 

 garden around most every farm house. 

 You often hear the remark, "What 

 lovely flowers you have. I can't get 

 mine to grow." There must be some- 

 thing wrong somewhere, for flowers are 

 not hard to grow. They require a little 

 attention, especially when young, but 

 when you get to know their needs, they 

 are very little trouble, and will repay 

 you many times for their care. 



NICE PASTIME FOR GIRLS 



Are you going to grow flowers this 

 year? Perhaps some of the girls will. A 

 little work in the garden will be a pleas- 

 ant, healthful change from so much 

 house work. You can, and will, if you 

 try, grow just as fine flowers as anyone. 

 The soil will not hurt your hands, or in- 

 jure your health. 



It makes little difference who grows 

 the flowers. What is needed is to look 

 after the work well, and you will have 

 something to be proud of. You will 

 learn much each year, and will be able 

 to look after more as you learn., 



The ground in which to grow the 

 plants should be especially selected and 

 cared for. Most flowers like a rich, mel- 

 low soil, not inclined to be too dry. W'ell- 

 rotted cow manure is the best fertilizer. 

 The manure, besides enriching the 

 ground, helps to keep plenty of moisture 

 in the soil, and flowers need plenty of 

 moisture in dry weather. A good sprink- 

 ling of hardwood ashes, will improve the 

 color of the blooms. 



As soon as possible in spring, manure 

 your garden well and dig with a spade. 

 Dig it two or three times before sowing 

 or planting, so as to get the soil in good 

 condition. Rake the surface smoothly. 



KINDS OF FLOWERS TO GROW 



What are you going to plant? The 

 seed catalogues have such a variety, one 

 hardly nows what to select. A few good 

 • sorts will suit the beginner best, and you 

 can increase your varieties each year. 

 Now is the time to get your seed. Here 

 are a few that will give you large quanti- 

 ties of lovely flowers : Pansy, phlox, as- 

 ter, sweet peas, dianthus, (China pinks) 

 daisy, zinnia and poppy. Look these up 

 in the catalogues and see what is said 

 about them. Always deal with a relia- 

 ble firm. These varieties will not cost 

 much and are very easily grown. 



M. J. S., Port Kells, British Columbia 



Summer flowering bulbs also are very 

 easily grown. The gladiolus is the best 

 for the autumn. They are not expensive 

 and the flowers are grand. Plant in 

 good soil in May, June or even July, 

 about four or five inches deep, and about 

 the same distance apart. With a little 

 cultivation they will do the rest. 



START SOME SEEDS INDOORS 



Of the above named seeds, sweet peas 

 and poppies should be planted out of 

 doors, as they do not transplant well. 

 Sow peas as early as possible. The oth- 

 er varieties can be planted in the house 

 and set out in the open ground when, the 

 weather becomes favorable- It is th^ 

 best way, but it requires a little care. 

 The plants will bloom earlier and pro- 

 duce more flowers when started indoors, 

 and transplanted. You will get more 

 seeds to grow, too, when sown in the 

 house (if you take care of them), than, 

 outdoors, where they are exposed to all 

 sorts of weather. 



Small cans are the best to start the 

 seed in. A can is bett9r than a box in 

 many ways. It is easily warmed through, 

 readily transferred from place to place, 

 and, should you chance to upset one, , 

 everything is not lost. To prepare the 

 cans, paper them, either with fancy 

 paper, or lead foil, to cover the rust, 

 then make a few holes in the bottom, put 

 in about one inch of charcoal, and fill 

 the remainder with a mixture of one-half 

 fine earth and one-half leaf mould, or 

 well rotted material from the bottom of a 

 stack. Press firmly into the can, but do 

 not pack tightly. Now, sow tne seed, 

 (one variety in a can will be enough) and 

 cover with the earth mould mixture. 

 The leaf mould is to prevent the soil 

 packing solidly when watering. 



Place something over the mouth of 

 each can to keep in the moisture. A 

 piece of heavy woollen cloth cut to fit the 

 top of each is best, or tie paper over the 

 top. Set the cans in a warm place near 

 the stove. Never place them in a cold 

 window. Water as often as required ; 

 never let the surface become dry. Should 

 any seeds appear on the surface through 

 watering, press them under with a piece 

 of wood. Water lightly and often. Do 

 not flood the seeds. 



As soon as the plants begin to appear 

 (it may take ten days or two weeks for 

 some) place the cans in a sunny window 

 in not too cold a room. As they grow, 

 remove to a cooler window, to harden 

 them. Give them plenty of sunshine. 

 Water occasionally, and stir the surface 

 with a little wooden stick. It may be 

 necessary to transplant some of the 

 plants into roomier quarters as they 

 grow larger. Take a knife blade or the 

 handle of a teaspoon, and carefully lift 



80 



out the desired number, and plant them 

 in a box or can in the window. Do not 

 let the sun shine full on them for about 

 a day after transplanting. Wat r th. 

 transplanted ones well. If the seeds an 

 not started too soon, it will not be neces- 

 sary to disturb them until they are to In 

 set outside. 



When ready to plant out in the open 

 ground, soak the cans in water and take 

 out all the plants at once. .Separate 

 carefully and set in place. .Spread the 

 roots well, press the earth over them, 

 and pour a little water over each, unless 

 it be a very moist day. Never set out 

 the plants on a bright day — always on ;i 

 dark or rainy one. Have the ground al- 

 ready marked out to receive the plants 

 before you start. You will find them 

 more easily cared for if each kind of 

 flower is planted in a bed by itself. 



Keep all weeds down, and stir the sur- ** ' 

 face of the ground around the plants 

 frequently, whether there be weeds or 

 not. Always cultivate after a shower 

 of rain. This will preserve the moisture. 

 A good watering occasionally is good for 

 flowers, but you should cultivate the 

 ground shortly aft rwards, or it will dry 

 out in a short time. When your flowers 

 begin to bloom, do not allow them to go 

 to seed, and they will bloom longer. 



After the plants are placed in the 

 ground, cultivate as often as you can, 

 especially after rains ; keep down all the •■ 

 weeds, and do not allow flowers to seed. 

 Above all things, never start a garden, 

 unless you can keep the chickens out. 



To Have a Good Lawn 



There is no reason why anyone should" 

 not have a good lawn. Simply apply in 

 the early spring, a liberal sprinkling of 

 good commercial fertilizer. Manure 

 brings weeds, and though there are- 

 bound to be some anyway, you will have ■ i 

 fewer if you use a commercial fertiliz- i ' 

 er. A few weeds will not hurt the ap- 

 pearance of the lawn if the mower is i 

 run over it with sufficient frqeuency. 

 This should be done when the grass is] 

 growing well about three times a week. 

 Use a good mower, keep it well oiled 

 and it will be a pleasure to use it. Have 

 the blades set high enough to leave from 

 one and one-half to two inches of grass 

 height. 



If you mow the lawn as often as sug- 

 gested, do not rake up the clipped grass 

 but let it remain as it will settle among 

 the growing stalks and form mulch, 

 which will help to fertilize the soil. The 

 only way to get weeds out, if you are 

 determined to do it, is to take them out 

 by the roots, one by one. If the weeds 

 are plantain, you need not take the trou- 

 ble ; they are there to stay. — W. 



