FEBRUARY, 1916 
is true for all spring and summer flowering 
deciduous trees and shrubs. 
A few years ago, in 1897, to be precise, a 
third species of Forsythia was discovered in 
Albania and was named F. ewropaea. ‘This 
plant was introduced in Kew Gardens in 1899, 
and bids fair to grow much taller than its 
Chinese relatives and their progeny. It is up- 
right in habit and in consequence very distinct 
in appearance. The flowers are pale canary 
yellow and the plant is a very interesting ad- 
dition to the list of spring-flowering shrubs; 
but those who have only room in their gar- 
dens for one Forsythia and want the best one 
available should plant the hybrid I’. intermedia. 
BUSH HONEYSUCKLES 
Among the Bush Honeysuckles (Lonicera), 
whose all-round value for our gardens has 
been repeatedly emphasized in these articles, 
there are species such as fragrantissima and 
Standishvi which open their blossoms at the 
first breath of Spring. Both are compact 
shrubs growing four to eight feet tall and more 
in diameter, and have pale yellowish-white 
sweetly fragrant flowers which are followed by 
scarlet fruits. 
Rhododendrons, including Azaleas, will be 
SEH iG VAs DiaiN a PAG ANZ) TNT 23 
dealt with in a subsequent article, but it is 
permissible to mention here 2. mucronulatum 
and R. dahwricum. These are deciduous shrubs 
growing four to eight feet high and are the 
earliest of their class to blossom. The flowers 
are pink or rose in the first-named, and rose- 
purple in R. dahwricum. They are natives of 
cold regions of Mandshuria and Korea, and in 
New England the flowers are often nipped by 
late frosts. Both are sparsely branching, and 
to obtain the best effects they should be massed 
together thickly in a situation exposed to the 
air but protected from cutting winds and the 
early morning sun. 
Getting an Early Start With Annuals—sy F. spring, ¥«:. 
SOWING SEEDS IN THE HOUSE, AND MAKING THE MOST OF ONE’S OPPORTUNITIES WITHOUT FRAME 
OR GREENHOUSE—HANDLING THE YOUNG SEEDLINGS AND TRANSPLANTING OUTDOORS 
OR our present purposes we re- 
gard, as an annual, anything that 
may be had in flower the same 
year as the seed is sown. This 
may not be a strict interpretation tech- 
nically, but it is a practical one. Our 
problem, aim, and endeavor, is to bring 
the annuals into bloom as early as pos- 
sible; especially those whose blooming 
season is limited only by frost time, 
such as Verbenas, Margaret Carnations, 
Marigolds, etc. Earliness does not make 
so much difference with Poppies and 
the like, which have a definite and lim- 
ited time of flower production. Asa re- 
sult of some years of experimenting 
there are certain kinds that I always 
start in the house; others from which I 
get the best results by starting in the 
coldframe; and yet others which are 
quite as satisfactory when planted in 
the open, in the places where they are 
to stay. 
There are some biennials that by hav- 
ing the early boost of being started in- 
doors may be tempted into bloom the 
first season. This is of course a dis- 
tinct gain. Margaret Carnations are 
among these. I have a fine bed of these 
adorable flowers, started in the house 
last February, which came into bloom 
in the early fall, gave me fine blossoms 
of every color until hard frosts, and 
next year will be a blaze of color early 
in the summer. My first season’s flow- 
ers were so much to the good. I stum- 
bled upon a secret in regard to their 
well being last year: bank them—the 
separate plants—a little from time to 
time. Their tendency is to “wobble” 
and the banking makes a strong, stubby 
plant which grows much more thriftily. 
The Iceland Poppy is another bien- 
nial that will give us first year’s flowers 
if started early indoors. Verbenas and 
Salvias I always start in the house, as 
they grow slowly and it takes a long 
time to get the young plants into bloom. 
Pansies also, as otherwise one gets no 
early flowers. Stocks and Snapdragons 
make time in this way. I also always 
help along my “Masculine” to the ex- 
tent of starting his tomatoes and pars- 
ley for him, and present him with many 
dozens of fine, stocky tomato plants— 
early, late, and “yellow plum’”—to go 
first into the coldframe and then into 
permanent place at the proper time. If 
one’ has lots of room, other kinds may 
be added; but the above, in the order 
of their naming, are the ones I consider 
benefit most by this early start. 
Late February or early March is the 
best time to begin operations. Collect 
some shallow boxes (my grocer saves 
mine for me) with cracks in the bottom; 
put in a layer of crocks (broken flower 
pots) for drainage, and fill with light, 
rich earth, sifted, to within one-half 
A simple coldframe is a great help in getting an early start with plants from seed. Flats started indoors, or plants from a hotbed, may be transferred here in season 
and “‘hardened off’? preparatory to planting outside 
