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A GOOD FLOWER GARDEN. 
This spring I took a new plot of ground to beau¬ 
tify, where our old house formerly stood. It produced 
nothing bat weeds, and a large hole (where the old 
cellar was located) occupied nearly half the space. 
Husband was so busy, that to call in his assistance 
was wholly out of the question: but I coaxed him to 
fill up the cellar and level it down, which he did, and 
sagely remarking that “I would not make many 
flowers grow there,” he left it to my tender mercies. 
But I was very sanguine of success, and without any 
further preparation laid out my beds and set my 
plants. The soil was naturally sandy, but had a good 
preparation of the heavy sub-soil mixed with it, 
making it heavier and less liable to dry out. It was 
not manured or enriched in any way, but was as it 
came from the hand of Mother Nature; for the space 
for the old house was cleared from the original forest. 
I arranged my bed as follows: On the south side of 
my plot a wide bed was set with Zinnias, in two rows, 
about twenty inches apart each way, the front row set 
in the open space between the others; back of these a 
row of Ricinus were planted. The west side was 
planted with - a Sweet Pea hedge, and a row of Four- 
o’clocks and French Marigolds. On the east side a 
bed of Roses were already growing; and the north 
border was set with Gladiolus, Candytuft, and a row of 
Truffauts Pmony-flowered Asters. For a centre piece 
I planted a large bed of Dahlias, flanked on either 
side by a long, narrow bed of Verbenas and Petunias 
respectively. Between and around these were walks, 
and the beds were scarcely raised above their level. 
I raise nearly all of my plants in a cold frame, as 
they are more sure to grow than when planted in the 
open ground. I begin about the 10th of April; put 
in fresh soil, and lay on the sashes; in two or three 
days the soil is warm enough to sow seeds, and after 
that it requires no more care, only to water every 
morning and give air sunny days. When the plants 
are about two inches or less in height, I transplant to 
the open ground. Water the soil thoroughly in the 
frames, and take the plants up carefully, with as much 
soil adhering to the roots as possible. Dig holes to 
set them in larger than is needed for the plant; then 
taking the plant in the left hand, hold it with the 
roots suspended in the hole; fill the hole half full of 
water, and sift in dry earth with the right hand till the 
hole is nearly full; then press the soil down firmly 
about the plant, and level off the ground with dry 
earth, and the operation is finished. 
I put a stone each side of a plant, and lay a Bur¬ 
dock leaf over the whole, to shade from the sun; the 
stone keeps the leaf up from the plant when it withers, 
and saves the plant from drooping. Uncover every 
evening and coyer again in the morning, for two or 
three days, until the plant is established, and you will 
scarcely ever lose a plant. Most florists advise trans¬ 
planting in dull, showery weather, and I suppose it is 
best; but we had none when I transplanted, and I 
concluded not to wait. The weeds came up plentifully 
in*a few days after the flowers were set; but a thor¬ 
ough hoeing and weeding then, and once since, dis¬ 
couraged them, so that it has been an easy matter to 
keep the beds clean. I had a headless barrel set up on 
an inclined board, and filled with manure from the 
cow-shed and hennery, and by pouring water in at the 
top it leaches through into an old pail. A little of this 
each week is given to a plant as a tonic; and Monday 
all the dirty suds is thrown around the roots of the 
flowers. So much for labor expended; now for the 
result. The Zinnias have grown so that the space be¬ 
tween them is full of their interlacing branches, and 
these are crowned with large double flowers of several 
colors. The Four-o’clocks and Marigolds are like 
flowering shrubs, they have grown so large, and so 
many flowers I never saw before, while the Verbenas 
and Petunias are the pride of my garden, the buds 
being one mass of gorgeous bloom. Now the Gladio- 
lii, Asters, and Dahlias are all coming into bloom, 
and are very fine. One Aster has eighty-one perfect 
buds on it; perhaps this is nothing unusual with your 
flower lovers, but it certainly is with me. 
I presume some will say they have no time to raise 
flowers, and no cold frame to grow seeds in. To such 
my article is addressed; for I am a hard-working 
farmer’s wife, and still find time to cultivate a few 
flowers, and feel well repaid for my trouble in the un¬ 
ceasing fund of pleasure they yield. A cold frame is 
easily made by taking an old box, if you cannot get a 
frame, nailed together, and take out a cellar window, 
if you cannot get a glazed sash any other way. 
One word here about my rustic flower-basket design, 
taken from the December number of the Cabinet. It 
is set on the lawn, and is planted with Morning 
Glories, Portulacas, Petunias, and Verbenas. It is 
lovely, and a very conspicuous object. 
FLOWERS IN PINELAND. 
Last summer I paid a visit to a friend who lives in 
the midst of the pine woods. All around, as far as 
the eye could reach, nothing but pine trees was to be 
seen. Many are the paths and roads winding in and 
around them, and many beautiful specimens of flowers 
are there to be found, for the woods abound in plants, 
which, if cultivated, would make a. fine show in any 
garden. Their colors are so brilliant, and many of 
them, when grown en masse, cannot be rivaled by 
the most regal beauties of the conservatory. I was 
shown some Geraniums, which I have never seen ex¬ 
celled for rapid growth or healthy looks. Every fall 
they are cut down as low as two inches, so that not a 
leaf is left. They are then placed in winter-quarters 
(when the family move to the plantation), in a room 
fronting the south, and all the heat they receive is 
from the rays of the sun, no artificial warmth being 
required. Soon they begin to put out their tiny leaf¬ 
lets, and by the time spring comes round, they are 
vigorous and strong, full of buds and blossoms, and 
ready to repay you for all your kind care. The 
trusses of the double Geraniums are enormous, rival¬ 
ing the Hydrangea, and sometimes the plants are 
covered with these large clusters, presenting a hand¬ 
some appearance. It may be considered an exaggera¬ 
tion, but some of the leaves are as large as the syca¬ 
more leaf. I have now one in my possession ivhich 
measures 71 inches across, and 23 inches in circum¬ 
ference, and I was told that that was small. It must 
be owing to change of air (for they travel twice a 
year), and also to the rich soil fresh from the woods 
and pastures, which amateurs residing in cities can¬ 
not procure, for no special care is otherwise expended 
on them. By midsummer these plants have attained 
a height of from three to four feet. My experience 
proves that greasy water in which the breakfast things 
have been washed, makes a very good liquid manure; 
I have used it«every morning, slightly warm, and the 
plants seem to like it. Sometimes the roots of the 
plants will rot; they become soft, and black, and 
as you press them water of a dark color will run 
out. In such cases, to save the specimen, I have fre¬ 
quently cut off the healthy parts and set them out as 
cuttings, and in nearly every case been successful. 
On examining the roots, I have discovered minute 
worms at work; they are so small as to escape obser¬ 
vation, and you would take them for young roots just 
forming, until they begin to show signs of life. When¬ 
ever your plants look dropsy, you may be pretty sure 
these little pests are doing mischief. Last winter, 
which was very severe with us, I put all my plants in 
an unoccupied room, and whenever the weather ad¬ 
mitted of it, I opened the doors and windows and gave 
them light and air. When it was extremely cold I 
took the precaution of covering them with newspa¬ 
per, pinning it carefully around and over the plants, 
and by so doing managed to save nearly all. The 
room was kept closed until the weather moderated. 
Many florists persist in saying that the Apple Gera¬ 
nium can only be raised from seed. This is a great 
mistake. It can be propagated from cuttings as well 
as any other Geranium, and it is just as healthy as 
those grown from seed. Let those who doubt try the 
experiment for themselves. I have had more than one 
plant, and fine specimens too, raised from cuttings. 
My plan for getting rid of the red spider is simply to 
wash the leaves with a soft rag and pure cold water. 
Of course the application must be repeated as often as 
necessary; it will only cost a little time and trouble. 
Florence May. 
A Plant Case. —The Floral Cabinet is a most 
welcome visitor in our home, and hardly a day passes 
in which we do not consult “Window Gardening.” 
For months it has been a constant source of profit and 
delight to the good wife and myself. 1 write sur¬ 
rounded by a collection of as thrifty, shapely plants as 
can be found in many a mile’s ride, and much of our 
success we attribute to information derived from your 
book. We are new beginners in this line, having 
commenced only a year since, and therefore have been 
in constant need of just such instruction as you have 
afforded us. It seemed very strange that so easy and 
comparatively inexpensive a method of adorning our 
homes should be so generally neglected. Could such 
a publication as the Cabinet be generally introduced 
into our homes it would go far to create an interest in 
floriculture. I propose to use what influence I have 
to induce some of my friends to take it the coming 
year. My special object in writing at this time is to 
describe an article that I have found admirably adapted 
to the purpose for which it was constructed. Certain 
kinds of seeds I found a difficulty in starting; either 
they would not germinate at all, or be so slow about 
it as to tax my patience sorely. Hot-bed I could not 
well have, and so set my wits to work to devise some¬ 
thing to take its place. There were objections in my 
case to the forcing stands recommended in floral pub¬ 
lications, and so I invented one of my own. I send 
you with this an outline of it, though, as you will see, 
I am but an indifferent draughtsman. It is simply a 
case containing a pan for hot water and a seed-box. 
It is represented with the doors open. Mine is of the 
following dimensions: height and width, each two 
feet; depth, one foot; the pan for water four and 
a half inches deep; seed-box three inches deep. The 
lower half is built as represented in order to furnish a 
solid rest for the pan of water. Mine I built myself, 
of chestnut, finished in oil and varnish, so that it is 
quite a handsome piece of furniture. The top is 
hinged so that it can be lifted at any time. A com¬ 
mon kerosene lamp supplies all the heat necessary. 
It works admirably, and has this in addition to recom¬ 
mend it, any one at all accustomed to the use of tools 
can build it, and a few shillings will buy the pan. 
H. 0. Walker. 
