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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



January, 19 13 



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round the Garden 



A MONTHLY KALENDAR OF TIMELY GARDEN OPERA- 

 TIONS AND USEFUL HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS 

 ABOUT THE HOME GARDEN AND 

 GROUNDS 



All queries will gladly be answered by the Editor. If a personal 

 reply is desired by subscribers stamps should be enclosed therewith. 



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THE NEW YEAR 



HAPPY NEW YEAR— a new year whose 

 coming season of lovely flowers, luxuriant 

 verdure and fields of the green of growing 

 things will make us forget the stillness and 

 bleakness of the white Winter time, when 

 all the earth seems sleeping, and when the 

 creaking of the frost crystals underfoot, as we step forth 

 these crisp mornings, almost startles us with a sense of the 

 loss that seems ours since yesterday's beautiful Summer 

 was gently led by the hand of Autumn to this Wintry couch. 

 We were wont to wend our way through August woodlands, 

 and if a twig snapped at our step it only seemed to awaken 

 an echo caught up by the rustling of leaves, the murmur of 

 the clear waters of the gurgling spring, the voice of the 

 golden-throated oriole, the buzzing of the bumble bee or 

 the brushing of the frond of the Lady Fern, against the 

 gray rock to which she clung for protection when mischiev- 

 ous Ariel began his endless pranks. But now the creaking 



The country-side in January 



snow is jealous of all nature, and the sound of your tread 

 goes forth like the shots of a miniature battery. The sun will 

 take revenge at noontime and now and then dash to the earth 

 some too-presuming icicle that dares to cling to the branches 

 of the elm by the garden path. And old Sol will keep the 

 face of the time-marking dial down there free from being 

 smothered by the relentless tyrant of the season, and if your 

 fancy so directs you may stroll in your garden in January 

 after all and not find that the magic of Jack Frost's fan- 

 tastic doings has blotted out the memory of the delicate 

 handiwork embroidered through the months of the Summer 

 solstice by Flora herself. How the place in a man's heart, 

 the garden, keeps warm the thought of nodding Daisies, 

 fragrant Heliotrope and sun-kissed Golden Glows! We 

 may shiver at first glimpse of the changed aspect of the 

 garden through the months of the short days and the long 

 nights, but nothing can make us forget the chirp of the 

 cricket, the freshness of the Phlox, and — oh, mundane 

 thought! — the delectable rows of ripening vegetables! We 

 will be sitting indoors these Wintry nights, curled up by the 

 fireside, with a volume of Stevenson to keep us company. 

 We will surely turn to Underwoods and chuckle over those 

 last three verses of Ille Terrarum: 



"An noo the Winter winds complain; 

 Cauld lies the glacer in ilka lane ; 

 On draigled hizzie, tautit wean 



An' drucken lads, 

 In the mirk nicht. the Winter rain 



Dribbles and blads." 



"Whan bugles frae the Castle rock 

 An beaten drum wi' dowie shock; 

 Wauken, at cauld-rife sax o'clock, 



My chitterin' frame, 

 I mind me on the kintry cock, 

 The kintry hame." 



"I mind me on you bonny bield; 

 An' Fancy traivels far afield 

 To gaither a' that gairdens yield 



O' sun an' Simmer: 

 To hearten up a dowie chield 



Fancy's the limmer!" 



llllllisilllligili;!^^ 



THE PEERLESS BEGONIA 



{Continued from page 14) 



of "crocking" with potsherds or broken charcoal in the 

 bottom of the pots. There are many distinct sorts, such as 

 Silver Queen, Fire King, Mrs. Rivers and other old favor- 

 ites. A collection of Rex-leaved Begonias makes a very 

 interesting hobby for any lover of flowers. 



BEGONIAS FOR BEDDING. 



Next to the Geranium, some of the fibrous-rooted 

 Begonias make the finest plants for large, solid beds, and in 

 positions wihere there is much shade, or the soil is light and 

 sandy even these popular flowers must yield the place of 



