12 



THE FLOT{AL lVOT{LD 



HARDY PERENNIALS FROM SEED. 



Many of the finest perennials can be 

 raised from seed. The seed should be 

 sown in June or the early part of July. 

 I make a frame of boards, eight or ten 

 inches high and as large as I wish my 

 bed. Have the soil soft and mellow 

 and moderately rich. I plant in rows 

 five or six inches apart, usually a row 

 of each variety. Pack the soil 'well, 

 then cover with boards to keep out sun 

 and dashing rain. When the plants 

 begin to appear, remove the boards 

 and tack muslin on the frame, leaving 

 it there till the plants are one or two 

 inches high. Never let the plants suf- 

 fer for want of water. When the cloth 

 is taken off, tack slats or wire over the 

 frame, to keep out chickens, cats, etc. 

 Do not disturb the plants until spring. 

 In December fill the frame loosely with 

 evergreen boughs or witn leaves and 

 brush. In the spring, as soon as the 

 frost is all out of the ground, trans- 

 plant to their permanent position. 

 Most of them will bloom that season. 



New York. Mrs. J. Perkins. 



WATERING FROM THE SAUCER. 



I am a crank on capillary attraction. 

 Great success has attended my method 

 of watering plants by setting the pots 

 in pans of warm water, or of filling the 

 saucers with water. My garden plants, 

 watered by means of ditches, are vast- 

 ly superior to those by which the 

 water is applied to the top of the soil. 

 So I carry the treatment to my win- 

 dow plants. 



In this manner I have successfully 

 treated all the plants I have — the gera- 

 nium, cactus, heliotrope, cyclamen, 

 hyacinth, narcissus, asparagus, petunia 

 and oxalis. These are thoroughly 

 soaked from the bottom whenever the 

 soil seems to need water. Pots of 

 calla, umbrella plant and amaryllis 

 (when growing) are set in pans of hot 

 water every morning. No plant has 

 water applied to the top soil except 



some large bucket plants that I can 

 not lift. 



Water poured on top soil runs 

 through to the saucer, carrying with it 

 fine liquid manure. Many throw this 

 away and then buy fertilizers to apply. 

 By the absorption method more food is 

 retained. With us soft water, so bene- 

 ficial to flowers, is scarce. When I 

 have any, I save it in old buckets and 

 reheat it for several mornings for 

 callas and the like. I add liquid ma- 

 nure to the water when a plant seems 

 to require it. 



Mrs. Leon W. Martin. 

 New Mexico. 



THAT BOX OF BEGONIAS. 



It was my first trial of such tiny 

 seeds. I read they needed a tempera- 

 ture of 75, so I sowed them in July. I 

 took woods earth, sandy garden soil 

 and sand, sifted through an old flour 

 sieve, wet it till thoroughly moist and 

 when I squeezed a handful and it fell 

 apart on opening my hand, I knew the 

 tiny roots could penetrate it. I made 

 drainage holes in a four-inch deep box 

 put a layer of small bits of charcoal 

 for drainage, then the soil, pressed it 

 slightly with a piece of glass, mixed a 

 little of the moist soil with the seed 

 and scattered it over the soil, after 

 which I slightly pressed again with the 

 glass to make the seeds adhere. Next 

 I watered by taking a hair brush, dip- 

 ping in warm water and holding it 

 where by rubbing with a comb or my 

 flnger a fine mist would fall on the 

 box, but not a drop, for that would 

 bury the seed or break the seedling. I 

 gave good light, but no sun. They 

 came up — every one, I guess. 



I had enough to pot fifteen, gave a 

 lot away and' have a box full, too. 

 How they are growing! They have the 

 green and bronze leaves — the flowers 

 are to come later. Try some begonia 

 seeds. 



Maine. Aboline. 



