HARDY PLANTS 
AND HOW TO GROW THEM 
Wben poBBible 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 be 
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 latitudes of zero 
■winters. Very little if any fertllzer 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 hardy 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 nuis- 
ance and besides seedy plants are unsightly. The plants, however, should not be denuded of foli- 
age, as nature requires this for winter protection. Some of the very best of our hardy plants in- 
crease very rapidly through root growths and in a few years will cover a large space to the exclu- 
sion 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 the more desirable. They also cover the entire season 
from spring to heavy frosts. 
WHY DEALERS OO NOT GUARANTEE PLANTS. 
This question is often asked, and yet it is a very easy one answered and the reasonableness 
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 inexperience of others, not to men- 
tion freaks of weather and unfavorable seasons, cut worms, insects, bad soil, unfavorable locations 
and many other conditions, over which the dealer has no control. Then, again, there are custom- 
ers who buy plants so late in the season that there can be but little hope of success. Most dealers 
are ready and willing to make good plants that are dead upon arrival, but It would be unreason- 
able 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 very tenacious 
Ot lUe. W. W. WILMORE, Denver, Colo. 
CLASSIFICATION OF DAHLIAS 
OlsM 1. OMtni. — ^Thls class embrace.^ the long, nar- 
row-petalea varieties, the petals of which are generally 
pointed or twisted. 
ClaM 3. SaooratW*. — This class Is an intermediate 
form, having broad, flat petals. 
Oloaa 3* Tmiot. — This class takes In all variegated 
varieties. 
F*on7 riow«r*4.— A Mnii>double of the decorative 
form. 
OlasB 4. Ponip<m.— This class embraces the small. 
round Dahlias. 
CIsil 6. Show. — The name Show applies to those 
varieties producing large, well-formed flowers, showing 
only solid colors, but may frequently have shaded tips. 
Olaas e. Blnirl*- — Too well known to require a de- 
scription. 
lAMKS BROS,, PRINTIKG, DENVER 
