403 
Start  the  Flower  Garden  Early 
Part  I. 
There  is  a  heart’s  content  in  having  an 
early  flower  garden,  one  in  which  flowers 
will  begin  to  bloom  as  early  as  the  last 
of  May  or  the  very  first  of  June.  Hap¬ 
pily  the  thrill  of  producing  an  early  gar¬ 
den  does  not  depend  on  the  size  of  it  or 
the  amount  of  money  expended  upon  it, 
and  wonderful  achievements  can  be 
gained,  though  the  planter  has  but  little 
leisure  time  to  work  it  out,  and  often  un¬ 
promising  conditions  in  the  way  of  soil 
and  situation.  One  or  two  sunny  win¬ 
dows  for  early  starting,  and  a  strip  of 
ground  three  or  four  feet  wide,  running 
along  the  southern,  exposed  side  of  the 
house,  or  a  fence,  make  ideal  spots  for 
the  planting  and  transplanting. 
Indoor  starting  means  flowers  a  month 
earlier,  provided  you  start  them  by  the 
middle  of  March,  and,  what  is  of  in¬ 
finitely  more  importance,  assures  a  vast¬ 
ly  increased  return,  due  partly  to  the 
earlier  maturity  of  the  plants,  and  partly 
to  their  greater  vitality  and  power  of  re¬ 
sistance  during  the  inevitable  dry  spell. 
Buy  your  seeds  early,  and  get  the  very 
best,  if  only  a  packet  of  each  variety. 
Have  ready  a  few  shallow  wooden  boxes ; 
these  may  be  soapboxes  cut  down  to  3  in. 
in  depth,  or  small  ones  can  be  used,  say 
about  1  to  2  ft.  square,  and  3  in.  deep. 
Cover  the  bottom  of  two  or  three  of  the 
boxes  with  an  inch  of  coarse  soil,  pierce 
a  few  holes  here  and  there  for  drainage, 
then  cover  this  with  another  inch  of 
finely  sifted  rich  soil,  that  has  a  little 
sand  mixed  with  it.  Smooth  off  and  firm 
down  with  a  square  of  wood,  then  with  a 
small,  pointed  stick  (a  wooden  skewer  is 
fine  for  this)  trace  shallow  rows  and 
scatter  the  seeds  thinly  into  them,  espe¬ 
cially  the  tiny  ones  like  the  Petunia 
seeds,  and  over  these  sift  just  enough  of 
the  rich  soil  to  cover  them  well.  Then 
gently  press  down  the  whole  surface  with 
the  square  of  wood,  water  gently,  cover 
with  white  paper,  and  set  in  a  warm 
place  until  the  miracle  of  germination 
has  taken  place,  which  needs  but  a  few 
days.  You  will  discover  this  by  the  way 
the  soil  swells  and  rolls  up  over  the  rows. 
Take  off  the  paper  and  place  in  a  sunny 
window,  keep  warm  and  damp,  but  not 
wet,  until  the  plants  show  their  first  two 
character  leaves,  then  transplant. 
To  accomplish  the  first  transplanting, 
slip  a  rather  broad  knife  blade  gently 
under  the  rows  of  tender  plants,  lift  the 
wee  things  up  carefully  and  lay  on  a 
sheet  of  newspaper,  and  separate.  Trans¬ 
plant  into  similar  boxes  prepared  for  the 
seeds,  the  rows  not  more  than  2  in. 
apart,  and  the  plants  1  in.  apart.  Firm 
the  ground  around  the  slender  roots  with 
the  fingers ;  water  gently  and  stand  in 
the  shade  for  two  days;  then  give  them 
the  brightest  sun  exposure  possible,  but 
have  the  temperature  of  the  room  cool 
and  even.  The  •  sunshine  will  do  the 
growing  work,  and  the  coolness  of  tem¬ 
perature  makes  strong,  stocky  plants 
when  ready  for  the  final  transplanting 
out  of  doors. 
In  most  localities  the  advent  of  May 
brings  to  us  the  planting  and  transplant¬ 
ing  time  in  our  gardens.  Have  your  soil 
well  prepared.  Working  the  soil  is  really 
the  very  foundation  of  the  garden,  and  if 
yours  is  hard  and  compact,  you  will  have 
to  spade  it  industriously  and  thoroughly. 
Dig  it  deep;  good  tillage  opens  up  the 
deeper  parts  of  the  soil  below  the  surface, 
admitting  air  and  permitting  drainage 
for  the  surplus  surface  moisture.  Re¬ 
move  all  stones  and  weed  roots,  and 
break  up  the  soil  finely,  then  enrich  it 
well  with  some  good  fertilizing  material. 
Barnyard  manure  is  best ;  muck  and 
leaf-mold  are  often  useful  in  ameliorating 
either  a  very  hard  or  loose  ground.  Work 
whichever  is  used  in  with  the  soil  until 
the  whole  becomes  fine  and  uniform  in 
texture. 
Owing  to  the  difference  in  soil  there 
can  be  no  hard  and  fast  rule  as  to  how 
much  fertilizer  should  be  used  ;  however, 
with  two  parts  of  ordinary  garden  loam 
mixed  well  with  one  part  of  barnyard 
manure,  which  should  be  at  least  one 
year  old,  and,  to  one  bushel  of  this,  one 
quart  of  bonemeal  and  a  very  little  air- 
slaked  lime,  and  you  have  a  soil  fit  for  the 
well  being  of  most  garden  plants. 
Do  not  transplant  your  tender  plants 
out  of  doors  whilfe  the  ground  is  still 
cold ;  this  would  check  their  growth,  and 
the  result  in  bloom  would  be  less  than  if 
you  waited  another  month  for  the  con¬ 
ditions  to  be  just  right.  If  possible,  have 
a  separate  spot  for  your  sweet  peas ;  they 
are  a  “cool  plant”  and  thrive  best  in  a 
cool  soil  and  a  cool  atmosphere.  Plant 
them  as  early  as  possible,  in  trenches, 
running  _north  and  south.  Have  the 
trenches  5  or  6  in.  deep  and  at  least  3  in. 
broad,  and  the  soil  well  enriched,  then 
sow  the  seeds  rather  thickly,  cover  wfith 
an  inch  of  soil  and  firm  it  down  with  the 
back  of  the  trowel.  When  the  seedlings 
appear,  thin  out  until  they  stand  2  or  3 
in.  apart,  and  when  these  are  10  to  12 
in.  high,  fill  the  trenches,  but  not  be¬ 
fore.  Brush  or  wire  them  at  the  time  of 
sowing,  and  keep  them  well  watered  dur¬ 
ing  dry  spells.  If  the  soil  has  not  been 
sufficiently  enriched,  give  it  an  applica¬ 
tion  of  liquid  manure  now  and  then. 
A  word  of  warning  for  the  well-being 
of  your  sweet  peas:  Do  not  plant  them 
year  after  year  in  the  same  place ;  if 
this  cannot  be  avoided,  remove  the  soil 
to  the  depth'  of  3  or  4  ft.  and  replace 
with  fresh  ;  do  this  every  two  years,  and 
you  will  always  have  a  satisfactory  crop 
each  year.  bosamoxd  lampsian. 
The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
An  Ohio  Woman’s  Garden 
Part  II. 
My  father’s  hobby  was  muskmelons, 
and  it  was  a  strange  fact  that  nowhere 
about  here  did  they  seem  to  do  so  well 
as  in  our  garden.  We  tried  them  in  a 
field  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  they  did 
no  good  at  all.  Neighbors  tried  the  same 
varieties  we  had  raised  and  had  no  suc¬ 
cess.  The  much  praised  Rocky  Ford  is 
not  adapted  to  our  soil  at  all,  although 
we  have  tried  it  time  and  again.  But  the 
Hackensacks,  Nutmeg,  and  Gem  varieties 
have  done  well  for  us  as  well  as  the  Per¬ 
fection.  They  seem  to  need  some  protec¬ 
tion  in  midsummer.  One  year  we  tried 
alternating  the  melon  hills  with  the  sweet 
potato  hill.  It  was  the  first  year  we  tried 
the  Nancy  Hall  potatoes.  Anyone  who  has 
raised  Nancy  Hall  knows  what  happened 
to  our  melons.  The  sweet  potato  vines 
ran  20  and  more  feet,  and  the  long¬ 
stemmed,  large  leaves  so  completely  hid 
the  melons  that  we  often  found  a  ripe 
one  only  after  it  had  burst.  We  lost 
more  melons  than  we  found  that  year. 
Last  year  the  question  was  still  hang¬ 
ing  fire  as  to  what  we  should  plant  be¬ 
tween  the  melon  hills  to  shade  the  vines, 
when  friends  sent  me  a  supply  of  Dahlia 
tubers.  I  read  that  they  did  best  with 
garden  cultivation,  and  planted  them  be¬ 
tween  the  melon  hills.  It  seemed  to  be 
just  the  necessary  shade,  and  in  spite  of 
the  very  dry  season  we  had  a  nice  crop 
of  melons.  I  think  the  Dahlias  shall  bo 
put  between  the  melon  hills  again.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  say  that  the  fertilizer 
in  the  melon  hills  helped  the  Dahlias,  and 
after  I  had  put  away  all  I  could  possibly 
accommodate  and  the  neighbors  had  taken 
some  the  Fall  plowing  turned  up  what 
looked  like  several  bushels  of  tubers.  I 
wondered  if  they  would  be  good  for  cow 
feed,  but  the  frost  took  them  before  I 
could  ask  the  Rural  advisors,  and  I  was 
inot  willing  to  try  experiments  on  the  cows. 
One  day  my  husband  came  home  with 
some  melons  which  he  had  bought  in  the 
city  because  they  looked  nice,  and  be 
thought  they  would  be  nice  to  save  the 
seed  from  and  try  in  our  own  .garden  the 
next  year.  They  were  marked  “Mexican 
Pink  Meat  Melons”  and  were  shipped 
from  somewhere  in  New  Mexico.  I  ex¬ 
pressed  my  doubts  as  to  a  New  Mexican 
variety  doing  any  good  in  our  Ohio  soil 
and  climate.  But  the  melons  were  good 
and  we  planted  the  seed  the  next  Spring. 
I  did  not  get  the  satisfaction  of  saying 
“I  told  you  so,”  for  the  Pink  Meats  were 
very  good  indeed,  and  bore  as  many 
melons  as  any  variety  we  had.  We  con¬ 
tinued  to  save  the  seed  and  raise  some 
every  year  till  last  year,  when  they 
seemed  to  run  out. 
“Mother  Bee”  has  been  very  helpful 
to  me  in  her  talks  about  flowering  plants. 
I  hope  she  finally  had  success  with  her 
“Cardinal  Climber.”  I  tried  it  and  failed 
three  years,  then  had  a  mass  of  lacy 
vines  which  everyone  admired  and  which 
bore  quantities  of  lovely  blossoms  till 
frost.  But  they  certainly  are  hard  to 
start.  One  year  the  baby  upset  the  box 
of  seed  and  soil,  and  I  had  no  hope  of 
any  plants  coming  from  the  jumble  I 
turned  back  into  the  box.  Then  a  mouse 
got  into  the  box  and  mixed  it  up  worse 
than  ever.  But  the  seeds  were  not  so 
easily  discouraged  as  I,  and  little  plants 
kept  showing  up  for  six  weeks.  Some¬ 
one  else  told  of  starting  her  bulbs  under 
a  table  in  the  living  room.  I  am  having 
success  with  hyacinths  this  year  for  the 
first  time  by  following  her  advice.  The 
light  seemed  to  be  just  right  to  encourage 
them  to  send  up  nice  long  stems.  It  is 
such  little  things  which  help  us  all,  and 
those  who  have  had  experience  can  so 
help  the  rest  of  us  by  passing  on  their 
discoveries.  mrs.  e.  e.  l. 
i^CLEANS^ 
7  TEETH  THE 
'  RIGHT  WAY 
l  "Washes"  and  Polishes 
\  Doesn’t  Scratch 
or  Scour  ^ 
Early  Cultivation  a  Healthy  Habit 
Cultivation  is  a  keynote  of  successful 
farming.  A  field  well  cultivated  is  many 
times  more  productive  than  neglected  soil. 
And  so  it  is  with  teeth.  Cultivate  the  clean 
teeth  habit.  The  careful  mother  teaches 
her  children  to  brush  teeth  after  every 
meal.  She  knows  good  teeth  mean  good 
health  — now  and  in  years  to  come. 
Dentists  agree  that  a  gritty  dentifrice  is 
dangerous— for  grit  scours  away  the  tooth 
enamel.  Protect  young  teeth  from  grit  by 
the  regular  use  of  the  safe  dentifrice— 
Colgate’s  Ribbon  Dental  Cream. 
Colgate’s  Cleans  Teeth  The  Right  Way 
Washes  and  Polishes — Doesn’t  Scratch  or  Scour 
Children  use  Colgate’s  regularly  and  willingly  because  of  its  delicious 
flavor.  Its  specially  prepared,  non-gritty  chalk  loosens  clinging  par¬ 
ticles.  Its  pure,  mild,  vegetable  oil  soap  “washes”  them  away.  It 
sells  at  the  right  price — 25  cents  for  a  large  tube. 
If  your  wisdom  teeth  could  talk  they’d  say  “ Use  Colgate’s ” 
Another  Bread  Recipe 
This  makes  an  excellent  bread,  but  will 
not  do  for  the  “hurry-up”  women  who 
wish  to  have  it  baked  before  noon. 
The  original  yeast  is  made  by  saving 
the  potato  water  from  one  cooking  of  po¬ 
tatoes.  In  the  evening  place  on  stove 
and  let  come  to  a  boil ;  then  stir  in  grad¬ 
ually  one  tablespoon  isalt,  two  table¬ 
spoons  sugar,  and  three  tablespoons  flour, 
all  heaping,  and  all  thoroughly  mixed 
together  dry.  Remove  from  fire  and  cool 
with  cold  water  to  proper  temperature 
for  adding  yeast;  then  add  one  cake  of 
either  compressed  or  dry  yeast  which  has 
been  dissolved  in  one-half  cup  lukewarm 
w.afer-  Set  this  in  a  warm  place  over 
night.  In  the  morning  stir  well ;  then 
dip  out  one  pint  of  mixture  and  place  in 
quart  fruit  jar.  I  prefer  glass  top,  held 
with  a  clamp.  Seal  and  set  in  cool  place 
(pantry  usually  does)  for  use  as  yeast 
next  time.  Sift  your  flour,  about  four 
or  five  ordinary  flour  sieves  full,  in  a 
large  pan ;  I  use  a  large  dishpan ;  add 
more  salt  and  some  shortening  if  de¬ 
sired.  Make  a  cavity  in  your  flour  and 
pour  in  remainder  of  mixture.  Stir  with 
mixing  spoon  until  stiff  enough  to  use 
hands.  Knead  thoroughly  and  place  in 
warm  place  to  rise.  This  bread  and 
yeast  will  stand  more  heat  than  most 
kinds.  When  sufficiently  light,  work 
down  and  in  another  hour  it  should  be 
ready  for  pans.  Let  rise  one  hour  and 
bake  in  moderate  over,  from  one  to  two 
hours. 
I  make  large  loaves  and  use  covered 
pan,  therefore  bake  two  hours.  If  you 
use  open  pans  and  small  loaves,  one  hour 
is  enough.  M.  0.  x> 
Truth  in  Advertising  Implies  Honesty  in  Manufacture 
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