call for help and under draperies of loveliness dis- 

 guise the secrets of sordidness. 



Of course the ground must be put in condition if 

 good and quick results are to be obtained. Unless 

 it is hopelessly hard soil, even if you are a woman 

 there is no reason why you can't enjoy the prepara- 

 tion of the ground yourself, using one of those claw 

 forks or potato diggers. 



Beg, buy or steal some old manure and work in 

 well, leaving the beds to mellow for a few days, then 

 rake and sow. All seed should be planted shallow ex- 

 cept the sunflowers and nasturtiums, which you press 

 into the ground with your finger. The smallest seed 

 just sprinkle on top of the soil, then take a few hand- 

 f uls of earth and dust over them. 



After everything is planted get a board, put it 

 down and tramp back and forth over the seed, press- 

 ing them firmly into the earth; this insures quick 

 germination and keeps the seed in place. 



The entire monetary cost of effecting a transfor- 

 mation from barrenness to beauty in this temporary 

 home will be one dollar and twenty-five cents — fifty 

 cents for the yellow bed, twenty-five for the blue, fif- 

 teen for the white, fifteen for the hedgles and twenty 

 for the vines. 



165 



