THE COUNTRY HOME [chapter 



that my father planted nasturtiums as borders for 

 his onion bed, and he flanked his corn fields with 

 hollyhocks. It was his delight to see people point 

 at their crimson glory with their long driving 

 whips, as they went by to market or to church. It 

 was one of his poems — the poem of a beautiful 

 character. 



Along one side of the vegetable garden may 

 properly be placed a strip of sage, summer savory, 

 mints, fennel, rosemary, etc. They all like rich 

 and mellow soil. The old-fashioned herb garden, 

 which constituted such a feature of our mother's 

 horticulture, is no longer needed, since we buy our 

 ground sage and other condiments, yet a few of 

 these old-time friends will take up little room, and 

 will frequently serve a good purpose. Summer 

 savory is especially fine for soups, and can be 

 grown in any good garden soil. 



I append a list of such seeds as you will find most 

 desirable, classified according to the month for sow- 

 ing. In February and March we should have a 

 few cabbage, lettuce, parsley, pepper, radish, and 

 tomato seeds starting in a hotbed, or in boxes. It 

 is a good way to use up some of the tin cans that are 

 a puzzle and a pest to get rid of. Perhaps the best 



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