200 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 5 
February Flower Notes. 
With the mercury hovering around 
zero and a blizzard raging out of doors 
how sweet seem the flowers in our win¬ 
dows. I imagined great things when I 
selected the primroses from one of last 
Fall’s catalogues. One dozen primroses, 
four Chinese (Sinensis Fimbriata), four 
Obconica Grandiflora and four of the 
“baby” Forbesi) variety. One dozen 
Roman hyacinths, three French be¬ 
gonias and one Otto Hacker, made up 
my little list. The plants came one Sat¬ 
urday night, and I potted them on Sun¬ 
day morning. It was a lovely drizzly 
morning and I was quite happy and 
elated, in a quiet way, over my new 
pets. I know it isn’t a good thing to pet 
plants, but mine always seem to need 
petting. The “baby” primroses have 
done the best of the lot, having been in 
constant bloom all Wintei—this good 
old-fashioned Winter that began with 
us November 17. The flowers resemble 
forget-me-nots in form and size, but are 
lavender tinted instead of blue. They 
are very charming little plants and earn 
their board right along. 
The Obconica primroses are larger 
and showier and also very satisfactory 
bloomers, but two of mine had a setback 
and are practically not in it this season. 
[Primula obconica, the original variety, 
is a beautiful and satisfactory window 
plant, but beware of handling the flower 
stems. The stiff hairs with which they 
are clothed produce in many persons 
nettle stings or a painful eruption like 
ivy poisoning, though the plant itself is 
not poisonous. The improved variety 
named Obconica Grandiflora is said, 
however, to be free from this objection. 
•—Eds.] I also lost two of the Chinese 
variety. The two remaining plants are 
slowly and shyly coming into blossom. 
Both are white, one single the other 
double. The leaf stems are so brittle 
that they are continually getting 
snapped off which, of course, retards the 
growth of the plant. They will not 
stand any sunshine and the sitting-room 
sometimes gets too warm for them. 
They also require care in watering as 
their blossom crown must not be wet. 
However, I was told that the better way 
is to pour warm water into the saucers, 
treating them just as we do Calla lilies, 
and they will thank you heartily. Given 
plenty of room in a north window 
with an even temperature of about 60 
degrees I believe they would outdo their 
pictures. I have seen specimens grown 
by amateurs that were very lovely in¬ 
deed. During the Summer the plants 
must be kept in a cool, shady place and 
never allowed to dry out. 
One pot of white Roman hyacinths is 
in blossom, and there will soon be many 
more. These are not hardy in the gar¬ 
den, but force readily in the window, 
and are very attractive. I very foolish¬ 
ly potted a good many hyacinths that 
bloomed in the house last Winter. The 
spikes are small and ragged. I am told 
to make three or four incisions in each 
old bulb, plant them in the garden in 
the Spring and each bulb so treated 
ought to raise a little family. When two 
years old they are ready for window 
forcing. 
The Otto Hacker Begonia is growing 
vigorously and the leaves are very 
pretty. One of the three French Be¬ 
gonias met with a sad accident and took 
French leave, so to speak. The two re¬ 
maining will make pretty Summer 
plants. Of the 25 Gloxinias raised from 
seed last Spring there are nine left, the 
same sad accident having befallen them 
that took off the Begonia. It was just 
a little shower of rain, and somebody 
thought it would do the little plants a 
world of good, and so set them out in a 
row on the porch and they were 
drowned. The Gloxinias have really 
been very, very slow in their efforts to 
get up in the world. Everyone agrees 
with me, however, when I show them a 
picture cut from The R. N.-Y. of a speci¬ 
men plant that they will be beautiful 
when they blossom. 
Pansy seed was sown February 7, and 
May 7 we ought to have pansies for the 
breakfast table. I am going to have 
Japanese morning glories this year 
The Shortest W»r 
out of an attack of 
Rheumatism 
growing over the porches and the Doli- 
< bos, or Hyacinth-bean, that proved so 
satisfactory last season. 1 have sent for 
a dozen tuberose bulbs, having been re¬ 
minded by a cousin that we used to al¬ 
ways have tuberoses. “Tuberoses! Why 
we haven’t grown any for years,” I ex¬ 
claimed, and straightway resolved to 
give them a trial, feeling a little con¬ 
science-stricken that so old a favorite 
should have been crowded out and for¬ 
gotten. My list of flower seeds consist¬ 
ed of old favorites; sweet peas, mignon¬ 
ette, Coleus, heliotrope, pansy and cas¬ 
tor bean. The Coleus is for a border 
around the geranium bed. I have a 
quantity of nasturtium seed saved from 
our own plants, and also Aster seed. 
Asters are such fine flowers to cut and 
give away to one’s friends, and retain 
their beauty for so many days after be¬ 
ing cut, that 1 never tire of singing their 
praises. c. n. ir. 
Possibilities of Waste Space. 
“We have no room for a garden,” is 
so often the reason given for buying 
stale vegetables instead of supplying the 
table with fresh ones at a moment’s no¬ 
tice, that I submit the results of our 
success with a border garden. A space 
four feet wide, 85 feet long, borders two 
sides of our lawn. Formerly it contain¬ 
ed grapevines; to-day it is a garden. 
Early in April the ground was spaded 
to the depth of 12 or 14 inches, the soil 
being thrown ahead of the spade. Every 
few feet the spade was laid aside and a 
garden rake pulverized the lumps, and 
drew the stones and rubbish back into 
the trench, thus forming an under-drain 
when finally covered with the prepared 
soil. A few bushels of unleached wood 
ashes were worked in when the spading 
was finished, together with a small 
quantity of phosphate. After this thor¬ 
ough preparation the whole border was 
raked over every day until the weather 
was mild enough for planting. Seeds 
were selected with an eye to the orna¬ 
mental, as well as the useful qualities 
of a garden. A “centerpiece” was de¬ 
signed in the corner by planting sweet 
peas and nasturtiums next to the fence 
as a background. In front were tomato 
plants, then a row each of lettuce and 
radishes. Each way from Hi is center- 
piece were spinach, beets, onions, en¬ 
dive, parsnips, pieplant, tomatoes and 
cucumbers, while carrots, salsify and 
parsley formed the borders of the beds. 
Our sweet peas were several inches 
high May 1 with the nasturtiums not 
far behind. The severe drought in May 
furnished a chance for experiments. We 
were too enthusiastic to want to wait 
for rain before planting the later seeds, 
so tiny trenches were dug, about six 
inches deep, and filled with water. Then 
a layer of dry earth was scattered in, 
= Neuralgia 
la to us« 
St. Jacobs Oil 
Which affords not only sure relief, 
but a prompt cure. If aoothes, 
subdues, and ends the suffering. 
Pric*, 25c. and OOc. 
fiftV’T -Auction Sale Catalogue Giiim.IMstols 
UUV I Military Goods (Illustrated), 15c., mailed 
Gc. Stamps. £'. BANNEKMAN,579 Broadway, N. Y. 
Rill'd! Mail M ai] y new routes will go in (his year. We 
dl UI Cl I VTlCfll want name and address of every man who 
sends in a petition, n Ay rnrp to first one sending 
We will send a DUA rflLu us full information. 
BOND STEEL POST CO., ADRIAN, MICH- 
ROSES! ROSES! 
We are headquarters for strong stocky rose bushes, 
grown on their own roots, growing many thousands 
for wholesale trade, as wed as for our mail order 
business, we do not grow cheap plants at any price 
but we do sell good plants cheup. 
ROSES POSTPAID—5 Cents Each. 
Our catalogue will be sent free, giving prices of all 
best kinds except new varieties) at 5 cents each, 
your choice of variety, you do not have to buy a col¬ 
lection to get the kind you want at this price. Cata¬ 
logue also gives full description und price of all Can- 
nas,Carnations, Begonlas.Chrysanthemums,Dahlias 
and other greenhouse and bedding plants. Prices 
from 5 cents up, and also many burguin collection 
that will surprise you. 
\V. R GUAY, Oakton, Fairfax Co., Va. 
P/EONIES AND GLADIOLI 
GROFF'S HYBRID GLADIOLI, all stock came direct 
from Groff, 1U0 for $1. Six double,named I’/FONIKS, 
all colors, $2.60. Twelve named P/KON1ES, ten 
donblo and two single, all colors, $5. Cash with order, 
please. Over 100 varieties named Pseonies. The best 
in the world. K.J.SHAYLOK, . 
Wellesley Hills, Mass. 
Hardy Flowers and Ferns 
A collection of 15 varieties of hardy plants for $1.00, 
If you mention this paper. 700 varieties of Dahlias, 
10c to $5 each. Sena for catalogue. NORTH SHORE 
FERNERIES, Growers & Importers, Beverly, Mass. 
ALUMS FAIL IN A DRY TIMt: 
THE 5I0N Of THE fISH NEVER FAILS 
IN AWT TIME. 
Remember this when you buy Wet 
Weather Clothing and look for the 
name TOWER on the buttons. 
This sign and this name have stood 
for the 5EST during sixty-seven 
years of increasing sales. 
If your dealer will not supply you write for 
free catalogue of black or yellow water¬ 
proof oiled coats, slickers, suits, hats, and 
horse goods for all kinds of wet work. 
A. J. TOWER CO, THE <cQWEH s 
BOSTON. MASS.. U.3.A. .SIGN 
TOWER CANADIAN CO.. 
TORONTO. CAN. Mmited. 
“To Err is Human”— 
Not to Err—Elgin. 
The man who is always 
right on time is the man 
who carries the 
I 
I 
ELGIN WATCH 
Every Elgin Watch is fully guaranteed. All jewelers have Elgin Watches. 
“Timemakers and Timekeepers,” an illustrated history of the watch, sent 
free upon request to 
Elgin National Watch Co., Elgin, ill. 
The Brightest Light. 
The cleanest, strongest, steadiest, 
(made on the cold blast principle,) 
the one which does not leav* you 
in the lurch by blowing out, comes from 
Cold Blast 
LANTERNS. 
They are the most convenient lanterns 
made. You never remove t he globe for J 
filling, trimming or lighting. There isj 
l no chance for accidents with them.I 
[Then there’s satisfaction in knowing! 
I the lantorn you carry is not the dim f 
[ quivering, smoking kind. Learn how 1 
and why they uro bettor than otlierR by 
writing ns tor free lantern book. You 
can niako your choice from marny. Then 
see that your dealer gets it for you. 
DIETZ 
R.E. DIETZ 
COMPANY, 
knight 8t., 
New York. 
Established 
1840. 
— 8000 — 
Shirt Waist Suits 
Don’t buy your spring outfit before you see our 
Woman's Spring Catalogue. It contains a fine 
showing of everything you will need in wearing 
apparel. The latest and most fashionable gar¬ 
ments just selected by our New York buyers, all 
priced at figures far lower 
than you can buy such 
excellent goods for else- g r w , q 
where. There will be no ' j 4o 
trouble to make a selec- 
tion-youwill see so many 
nice things at such 
reasonable prices. 
This 
Fine 
Walk- 
intf 
Skirt 
For this 
Hand¬ 
some 
Shirt 
Waist 
Suit. 
Our Shirt Waist 
Suits range inprice from 95 cents to $18.50; our 
Walking Skirts from $1.28 to $7.50. These are 
reliable goods that will please—excellent values at 
the price. We will not handle worthless shoddy. 
We show here a Walking Skirt for $1.65 made 
of a serviceable Melton in dark Oxford gray. It 
would cost you $2.50 to $3.00 elsewhere. The 
Shirt Waist Suit at $2.48 is made of fine dress 
cambric, pearl gray ground with hair lines of blue 
—a beauty retailing everywhere at $4.00 to $6.00 
Send today for Woman's Spring Cata¬ 
logue No. 1 and see our complete line of similar 
bargains at prices to suit all tastes and purses. 07 
Montgomery Ward + Co. 
32 years World's Headquarters for Everything. 
Michigan Ave., Madison and Washington Sts., 
I. Chicago —. 
If you cannot secure from your Seedsman, 
GROFF’S HYBRID GLADIOLI 
[GENUINE] 
in their several sections, write me and I will mail my 
1904 illustrated catalogue in which I offer the high¬ 
est quality which can be secured In the world at 
prices which are much below the value furnished 
ARTHUR COWEE, GLADIOLUS SPECIALIST, 
Meadowvale Farm, Berlin, N. Y. 
Wh y Don't Farmers 
awaken to the possibilities of Poultry Keeping? llow 
much more attractive the farm would be for many a 
boy or girl if father would start them with a small 
flock of thoroughbred liens, a good poultry paper, and 
allow them to keep all they make above expenses. 
There’s money in ileus, but grandfather’s methods 
won’t uncover it. Practical, up-to-date ways and 
means must be adopted, and to learn these one must 
read Farm-Poultry (semi-monthly), which has been 
the successful poultry keepers’ guide since 188!). Price 
$1.00 per year. Sample copy free. Write for one. 
FAEM-POULTRY PUB. CO., 237 Summer St., Boston, Mass, 
Cider Machinery—8end for Catalogue to Boomer & 
Boschert Press Co., 118 West Water St., Syracuse,N. Y. 
WE PAY 
SAVINGS EARNING 
3% TO 4% ARE NOT 
BETTER SECURED. 
5 % 
Y OU are secured by 
mortgages on Real 
Estate that has grown 
steadily in value for 50 
years, and is increasing 
now faster than ever 
before. 
Safe, profitable, with¬ 
drawable investments, 
paying 5 per cent, per an¬ 
num for every day invested. Supervised by 
Xew York Banking Department. 
Assets, . . . $1,750,000 
Surplus and Profits, 175,000 
Industrial Savings & Loan Co. 
1134 BUOADWAY, NEW YORK, 
