AMONG THE FLOWERS WITH REXFORD 



289 



July. Last season I tried the same 

 method, with similar results. If a rich 

 soil is given, and the plants are kept mov- 

 ing steadily and vigorously ahead, I be- 

 lieve late planting produces much better 

 results than early planting. 



Get your sweet pea seed early, that you 

 may have it by the time the ground is in 

 condition to warrant planting it. It is 

 a good plan to order all your seed some 

 time before you are ready to use it, thus 

 avoiding the risk of not receiving it in 

 time to take advantage of the season if 

 it happens to be an early one. 



^4 Hs ❖ 



Do not fail to order seed of such peren- 

 nials as hollyhock, pansy, and others as 

 good, from which to grow plants for next 

 year's use. 



Give the plants in the window all pos- 

 sible benefit of the spring sunshine. If 



any seem to be languishing apply a fer- 

 tilizer. Cut back those which have done 

 flowering. Use the branches you cut off 

 for cuttings. 



* * * 



Look the garden over, and decide where 

 to make changes in it. Some can gener- 

 ally be made each season to its advantage. 

 If any shrubs are to be planted order them 

 at once. They can go into cold storage 

 in the cellar if they arrive before it is safe 

 to put them in the ground. 



Keep watch of the pelargoniums. They 

 ought to be in full bud by- this time. Do 

 not allow them to get dry. Give them 

 plenty of fresh air. Keep them as cool 

 as you can. And keep insects from them 

 if you want good flowers. You can do this 

 by using the Ivory soap insecticide here- 

 tofore advised. If they are not looking 

 strong and vigorous apply a fertilizer once 

 a week. 



A MAECH VISION" 

 "By Eben E. Hexford 



THE borders are drifted over 

 With snow that is cold and deep, 

 And the white drifts snugly cover 

 The beds where the pansies sleep. 

 I sigh for the vanished brightness 



Of lily, and pink, and rose, 

 I'm weary of old earth's whiteness. 



And am glad when a warm wind blows. 



Just now a strange thing happened. 



I leaned from my window-sill. 

 With a wordless longing for April, 



And lo! on the far-off hill 

 I saw the last drift fading, 



I saw the meadows bare. 

 And I heard the sound of a lark's song 



Somewhere in the upper air. 



The willows along the river 



Were swathed in a mist of green. 

 I heard the little brook laughing 



Its aldered banks between. 

 The trees in the old hill-orchard 



Were gay in pink and white. 

 And all this change and beauty 



Had come in a single night. 



And lo! in the garden borders 



The roses, red and white, 

 Filling the air with sweetness, 



A rare and goodly sight! 

 And on great white lily-trumpets 



The elves of the summer blew 

 Such wonderful, wonderful musie 



As Beethoven never knew! 



Out of the shady corners « 



The pansies nodded to me, 

 And the morning-glory offered 



Its cup of balm to the bee. 

 All of the old, sweet beauty 



I had missed so had come back — 

 There was everything to be glad for 



And not one thing to lack. 



Only a swift, sweet vision. 



Born of a longing for spring. 

 The brightness, and bloom, and beauty 



That the days of summer bring. 

 But T know that the flowers are dreaming. 



In their little beds under the snow. 

 Of the things that I saw in my vision 



While the stormy March winds blow. 



