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NOTES FROM A WOMAN'S GARDEN— APRIL. 



face from drying out. If watering is necessary before 

 the seeds germinate apply it to the paper, using a fine 

 rose. When the plants are large enough, pot off into 

 two-inch pots. I use light sandy soil for the first pot- 

 ting. When re-potted into large pots I use a compost 

 composed of two parts sandy loam, one part leaf-mould, 

 one part decomposed cow manure, in small lumps, some 

 charcoal, and a sprinkle of sharp sand. I may as well 

 state here that I had a mishap with two of the plants. 

 Through some oversight they got too much water after 

 they were re-potted. The plants collapsed. I tried 



several ways to revive them but all efforts failed. I fin- 

 ally concluded to cut them down, inserted the cuttings 

 in sand, removed all soil from the roots of the plants, 

 and re-potted Jinto small pots. Now all are growing 

 nicely. 



Altogether I am well pleased with Begonia Scliarffii. 

 It is a plant that is greatly admired by those who have 

 seen it here. It is worthy of a place both on account of 

 its ornamental foliage and its flowering qualities, and is 

 sure to earn a place among the standard favorites. — Rob- 

 ert Share, Cornell University . 



NOTES FROM A WOMAN'S GARDEN— APRIL. 



N most ways we work our own way 

 in our cherished garden, but there 

 are a few things we are not al- 

 lowed to do, beg and plead as we 

 may. One is that we cannot have 

 the garden plowed in April. The 

 captain says that plowing so early is of no use 

 whatever, that the heavy rains beat down the fur- 

 rows and make the ground hard again. But never- 

 theless I am set on having peas planted on Fast- 

 day (the first Thursday in April), and unless there 

 is a bad storm they are always planted then. 



Old Levi is generally ready to do odd jobs, and spades 

 up a bit of ground here, another there, and like the good 

 soul that he is, does just as the "women folks" tell 

 him, though he does think we have a "powerful lot of 

 queer notions." Levi having made the ground " meller " 

 with spading-fork, hoe and rake, digs the trenches, and 

 we put in the peas which, being in a hurry to see some- 

 thing " up," we have soaked over night, and they come 

 up speedily and well. I plant to suit myself, and be- 

 lieve in using a generous amount of seed ; once I was a 

 little too free-handed, perhaps, and later when old Levi 

 saw the crowded green rows he exclaimed: "Wall ! 

 wall I you did get them peas in pretty thunderin' thick !" 

 I use Little Gem. It is the earliest, sweetest, large 

 wrinkled pea that I have been able to find. It needs no 

 sticks, and in old rich soil like ours grows vigorously 

 without dressing. A second planting is made towards 

 the end of the month. 



On Fast-day I begin to uncover the tulips and hya- 

 cinths. The crocuses are in full glory and are soon 



covered by crowds of bees. During the first two weeks 

 of April I uncover the strawberry beds, the vines in the 

 grape house, and later the rose bushes. The cold frames 

 are made ready, and radishes and lettuce planted. 

 Parsley, beets and a few hardy flower seeds are sown in 

 the open ground. The seed planted in boxes in March 

 is growing well, and many other boxes are started now. 

 I sift the earth for my seed boxes and plant the seed 

 with great care, trying to have the little seedlings un- 

 crowded so they can be transplanted later without in- 

 jury or wasting any plants. 



Sweet peas are planted out-doors early in the month ; 

 I find that two ounces of good mixed seed, at ten cents 

 per ounce, yield a profusion of lovely flowers which give 

 us more satisfaction in the long run than papers of ex- 

 pensive named varieties. During the last weeks of 

 April I set out gooseberry, currant and rose bushes, 

 raspberry and blackberry canes, also currant and grape 

 cuttings. On the 30th I set out a tree or vine in honor 

 of Arbor day. By the end of the month the crocuses are 

 beginning to fade under the hot sun. The daffodils are 

 well in bloom ; also the pansies and daisies kept over 

 winter in cold-frames. If it is a forward season the 

 hyacinths and tulips are blooming I expect the first 

 tulip to bloom sometime between the 20th and 25th of 

 the month, and it seldom disappoints me. In spite of 

 an occasional snow storm or heavy frost I feel sure that 

 spring is once more with us, and that summer must be 

 very near. I felt this most assuredly when we indulged 

 in rhubarb sauce on the 25th of April, made from un- 

 forced "pie plant" from our own garden ; a "first 

 fruit " surely. M. E. Vigneron. 



Plvmouth Co., Mass. 



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