HARDY PLANT* 
and How to Grow Them. 
When posBible the border or plot where the hardy plants are to be set should be 
prepared the previous fall by a thorough spading of the soil to a depth of at least one 
foot. The soil should Ue thoroughly pulverized at the time of digging, and if inclined 
to be heavy a good coating of air-slacked lime spread over the surface and raked in 
will lighten the soil greatly. As a rule hardy plants and vines should be set in the 
early spring as soon as nature starts forth the- new growth. 
Fall planting is sometimes practiced In mild climates but Is not advisable in lati- 
tudes of zero winters. Very little if any fertilizer should be used in new borders and 
where used at all it should be spread over the surface after the plants are set. Severe 
losses often occur where plants are set in heavily-manured soil. A general rule for 
planting Is to set the plant with the crown (the point at which the new growth starts) 
about one inch below the surface of the soil. There are some variations from this 
rule, notably those of the Peony, Bleeding Heart, Hibiscus, and Lilies, all of which 
should be set at least four inches below the surface. 
After the hardy border has become established a very moderate amount of care Is 
all that Is required for a number of years, and yet this care must not approach the 
point of neglect. Early each spring the dead tops must be cut away and a light coating 
of well-rotted manure applied and forked In. Wood ashes or sheep manure make good 
fertilizers for hardly plants. Many hardy plants seed freely and for this reason the 
tops or seed-bearing portion should be broken off and carried out of the garden as 
soon as the blooming season is over or the seed may become a nuisance and besides 
seedy plants are unsightly. The plants, however, should not be denuded of foliage as 
nature requires this for winter protection. Some of the very best of our hardy plants 
Increase very rapidly through root growths and In a few years will cover a large space 
to the exclusion of their neighbors if permitted to grow at will. But as these growths 
are usually formed in the fall they can easily be removed while digging the bed over 
in the spring. The list of really good plants is too long to be given here. It is not out 
of place, however, to say that there are plants suited to practically all locations. This 
class of plants Is comparatively free from disease and insect pests, which renders them 
all tb^ more desirable^ They also cover the entire season from spring to heavy frosts. 
Why Dealers Do J^ot Guarantee Plants.' 
This question Is often asked and yet it Is a very easy one answered and the reason- 
ableness of the answer is clearly apparent to all. To guarantee the life of a plant in 
the hands of another person is to make the dealer responsible for the errors and inex- 
perience of others, not to mention freaks of weather and unfavorable seasons, cut 
worms, insects, bad soil, unfavorable locations and many other conditions, over which 
the dealer hag no control. Then, again, there are customers who buy plants so late In 
the season that there can be but little hope of success. Most dealers are ready and 
willine to make good plants that are dead upon arrival, but It would be unreasonable 
to ask them to become responsible for the future life or conduct of a plant received in 
good condition. Fortunately the percentage of loss in hardy plants is small as they are 
vij tenacious of llf«. W. W. WILMORE, Denver, Colo. 
Classification of Daklias 
Olua 1. Caotns. — This class embracci tbe long, nar- 
row-petaled varieties, the petals of which are generally 
pointed or twisted. 
Clam a. Seoomtlve. — This class -Is an Intermedlato 
form, having: broad, flat petals. 
Class 3. rano7. — Thia class takes In all Tarlegated 
varieties. 
Psosjr riowsied. — a semI-doubi« r.f fv,^, ,i«coratlve 
Class 4. Pompon. — This class embraces the small, 
round Dahlias. 
Class 6. Show. — The name Show applies to those 
varieties producing large, well-formed flowers, showing 
only solid colors, but may frequently have shaded tips. 
Class 6. Siacl*. — Too well known to require a descrip- 
tion. 
form. 
E«m«s Brot, Prlnt«r«, Danvtr, 
