60 THE GARDEN 



And, I think there is no plant that offends so often in this respect than 

 the poor old petunia. Her children are so often ugly ducklings that never 

 by any chance turn into graceful swans. 



Leaving the petunia, take a look at that vine called cobea scandens, 

 a wild, rank, rapid climber, so common lately. What excuse it has for 

 existing I am sure I cannot conceive, nor why it is purchased, when, for 

 the same price, much prettier specimens can be obtained. Any- 

 thing uglier than the twisted scraggly tendrils and leaves, or more 

 irritating than the sorry, colored blue cup I have never seen! And yet 

 people go on planting it, season after season. Nothing harmonizes with 

 its leaves, flower, or color. It is a fairly rapid climber — and that is all 

 that can be said in its favor. _ ' 



BACK-YARD GARDENS 



Fertilizers must be considered. Of course, nothing can take the 

 place of the nourishment to be obtained from a good mulching of stable 

 manure, but this is not always obtainable, especially in city gardens. 

 Unfortunately, too, many of our small gardens have been given a 

 thick top dressing of the heavy, gray clay dug out of the cellars at the 

 time of building, and spread, for lack of other space, over what was un- 

 doubtedly fairly good earth, in the back yards or side lawns. This 

 practice of dumping cellar earth around the newly-built houses has mado 

 the making of even the most unpretentious gardens a very difficult 

 thing. To fertilize this heavy clay is almost an impossibility, unless 

 one has unlimited loads of stable manure to put in, and this needs 

 to be done year after year. What then to do? 



A few loads of good top earth will have to be obtained to start 

 with, and to help warm up the cold, sour clay, a load or two of yellov/ 

 sand will have to be brought in. Of course, it will be more or less 

 of an expense, but it is the only thing to do. The big seed houses 

 will supply fertilizers in any quantity desired, and also give proper 

 instructions to the purchasers as to the amount necessary for their especial 

 needs, Then large quantities, if obtainable, of wood a^hes may be worked 

 into the clay, and the soot from the kitchen pipes. All grass cuttinfs 

 should be saved for the purpose of helping to lighten the soil. 



I have found it an excellent plan to buy some baled hay, and straw in 

 bundles, for no other purpose than to help loosen up the soil. The 

 way I worked the thing was thus: Pailful after pailful of the despised 

 clay was dug out, until a good, long bed, some two feet deep, was ready; 

 then a layer of hay or straw, or grass cuttings, in fact, everything of that 

 nature that had been saved up for the purpose, was laid down to the 

 depth of at least one foot; old plant stalks, withered branches and such 

 like, all was put in; then in went the clay; next on top, my good 

 earth, in which the plants were planted. The roots gained plenty of ai^ 

 the loose straw and hay held plenty of moisture, and the growth, even 

 the first season, was not at all to be despised. Every year this plan 

 lias been followed, and now, after nearly twenty years, the earth is fast 



SOME DAILY TASKS— CULTIVATION AND WATER- 

 ING 



Early in the morning, while yet the dew is undried, or after the 

 sun has set. and before the hose has been used, take out the culti- 

 vator, or a strong, wide-pronged fork, and loosen the earth around the roots 

 of as many of your plants as you have the time for. In hot weather every 



