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HOME AND FLOWERS 



port when the vines have covered it, es- 

 pecially after showers. A small twine 

 wonld be likely to break beneath the strain, 

 and your vines would be spoiled. Once 

 down it is almost impossible to get them 

 back in place without serious injury, there- 

 fore guard against the possibility of such 

 accidents by making your support sub- 

 stantial. 



In order to have flowers throughout the 

 season it is absolutely necessary that no 

 seed should be allowed to form. If it does 

 form all the energies of the plant will be 

 exerted in its development, and there will 

 be but few tlowers after the first profuse 

 crop. To prevent this, go over the vines 

 two or three times a week — daily would 

 be better — and cut off every faded blossom. 

 Do this and new flowers will come, and 

 they will keep coming as long as the plants 

 keep growing, which is generally until 

 frost comes and puts an end to them. 



Sometimes the aphis attacks the sweet 

 pea. The best insecticide of which I have 

 any knowledge is made by melting half 

 a pound of the Ivory soap of household 

 use and adding it to a pailful of water. 

 Apply this to the vines with a sprayer, 

 being careful that it gets to the under side 

 of the foliage. Use this remedy prom.ptly 

 •and thoroughly, and the aphis will do but 

 little damage. 



It is a good plan to mulch the soil 

 about the plants if the season happens to 

 be a very dry, hot one, by using clippings 

 from the lawn. Spread it over their roots 

 to the depth of two or three inches, and 

 leave it until wilted. Then it can be re- 

 moved and fresh clippings substituted, or 

 it can be dug into the soil and left to decay 

 and act as a fertilizer. 



In dry seasons make regular. use of the 

 hoe. Keep the soil loose and porous by 

 frequent stirring. This allows the soil to 

 absorb whatever m.oisture there may be 

 in the air, on the principle of a sponge, 

 but if you allow it to crust over slight 

 moisture can not penetrate it, and no ben- 

 efit will be received from dews or light 

 showers. It is a mistake to think that 

 soils should not be stirred in dry weather. 

 The farmer acts according to a scientific 

 principle when he cultivates his corn 

 oftener in dry weather than in moist, for 

 by so doing he makes it possible for it to 

 secure all possible benefit from atmos- 

 pheric moisture. The same logic applies 

 to gardening operations. 



By following these instructions, which 

 I have given in considerable detail for 

 the assistance of the amateur gardener, 

 any one can grow sweet peas, and grow 

 them well. And no other annual flower 

 will afford greater pleasure. 



F L 0 W E E 



YOU will want a bed of flowers to cut 

 ■ from. Sow in some out of the way 

 corner all the left-over seed you 

 happen to have, and depend upon the 

 plants grov^m from them for flowers for 

 cutting. This will make it unnecessary 

 to rob the show beds of tlie blossoms that 

 make them attractive. The best varieties 

 of annuals for cut-flower use are nastur- 

 tiums, nemophilas, scabiosas, poppies, 



sweet peas, ageratum, and sweet alyssum. 

 ❖ * * 



You should have a good sized bed of 

 gladiolus. You are not living up to the 

 privileges of the gardener if you do not 



GOSSIP 



have. Nowadays good strong flowering- 

 size roots are sold very cheaply. No plant 

 is easier to grow. Give it a soil of rich, 

 mellow loam. Set the roots about five 

 inches under the surface. Do this as soon 

 as the weather becomes warm and settled. 

 The best results are secured by planting 

 at least a dozen roots in a group. This 

 gives a solid mass of color at flowering 

 time, instead of the rather thin effect 

 which comes from planting singly. Of all 

 our garden flowers there is none so varied 

 in rich and gorgeous coloring as the glad- 

 iolus. It is to the garden what the orchid 

 is to the conservatory. 



-GARDE N 



