protected side of your home or garage, but 
where it will get most all of the afternoon sun. 
The third type is the tender annual, which re- 
guire a still earlier start in the greenhouse or 
hot bed and cannot be transplanted to the open 
until the ground is warm and all danger of frost 
is over. Unless you have proper equipment it is 
best to buy hardy plants from your seed dealer. 
As annual plants grow older, pinch off the 
top bud, or buds. This will make the growth 
stockier, the plants will branch out and develop 
more large flowers at the sides. As they grow 
older, pinch off any smaller buds growing out 
along side the larger ones. The strength that 
was to have gone into growth of the two buds 
will be concentrated into the one that is left. 
This is one of the ways in which the large 
blooms are created by specialists. 
For Sun and Dry Soil. Most annuals like 
full sun, and a few are particularly useful for 
hot, dry locations where the midsummer sun 
bakes out most other plants: Portulaca, Cali- 
fornia Poppy, Shirley Poppy, Zinnia. 
For Partial Shade. Some which will thrive 
and sometimes bloom longer in partial shade 
include: Nasturtium, Snapdragon, Pansy, Sweet 
ayer Balsam, Clarkia, Nemophila, Annual 
tock: 
For Cutting. Annuals are prolific and con- 
stant in bloom and vary widely in color and size, 
so they naturally become the chief reliance in 
the cutting garden or border. Those particularly 
useful in view of their ease of growth and long 
season of bloom are: Snapdragon, Calendula, 
Coreopsis, Cosmos, Larkspur, California Poppy, 
Gypsophila, Ageratum, Heliotrope, Sweet Pea, 
Gaillardia, Zinnia, Blue Laceflower, Annual 
Chrysanthemum, Aster, Marigold, Clarkia, Lu- 
pine, Verbena, Nasturtium, Annual Phlox, Sal- 
piglossis, Stock. 
For Continuous Bloom. Annuals which 
reach flowering size in a short period may be 
given several sowings, 2 or 3 weeks apart, dur- 
ing the summer. These include: Gypsophila, 
Cornflower, Poppy, Phlox, Coreopsis, Candy- 
tuft, Mignonette. 
Sweet Alyssum and Edging Lobelia may be 
cut back to produce later bloom. 
For Window and Porch Boxes. As the 
plants in boxes must usually be replaced each 
year, the use of annuals here is inevitable. 
For center of box—Zinnia, Marigold, Salvia. 
To trail over edge—Sweet Alyssum, Verbena, 
Petunia, Thunbergia, Lobelia. 
Annual Vines. These offer an excellent 
group of plants for covering unslightly fences 
or walls guickly, or for filling bare spots against 
a new house or fence while the flowering per- 
ennial plants are becoming established. The 
most interesting of the annual vines are: 
Morning Glory, Heavenly Blue, Scarlet 
O'Hara; Moonflower; Scarlet Runner Bean; 
Canary Bird Vine; Cardinal Climber. Gourds, 
mixed. Nasturtium, tall mixed. 
BUILD A COMPOST PIT 
The economical and wise gardener builds him- 
self a compost pile and improves his garden soil 
by working this decayed vegetation back into 
his flower beds and kitchen garden plot. 
Many gardeners make the mistake of working 
dried leaves, grass clippings, etc., into the soil 
without ageing them into humus. This actually 
does more damage than good asthis material must 
rob the growing plants of nitrogen during its pro- 
cess of breaking down, which takes about a year. 
The most satisfactory method for most home 
gardeners is to dig a pit about five feet deep. 
Width and length determined by the amount of 
material collected during the summer and fall. 
First, put in a layer of coarse material such as 
corn stalks, straw or annual stocks and foliage. 
This layer should be 4 to 6 inches deep. On 
this place 3 to 4 inches of manure (preferably 
cow manure). Next a layer 2 or 3 inches deep 
of soil. This makes your base, from now on you 
add layers of grass clippings, plant cuttings, 
etc., then manure and next soil. 
After the first base is laid, sulphate of am- 
monia can be used in place of the manure. If 
this is the case it is not necessary to make a solid 
layer, as sulphate of ammonia is highly concen- 
trated nitrogen and will break down vegetation 
readily if used in small amounts. Merely sprinkle 
the crystals lightly over a 4-inch layer of vege- 
tation and then put on a layer of soil. 
As the pile is built, the top should be kept flat 
or slightly concave so as to collect rather than 
shed rain. If the weather is dry, the pile should 
be wetted down once a week. 
During the late fall and winter months, while 
the pile is dormant, it should be spaded over 
about once a month and sprinkle a little sulphate 
of ammonia on top each time. This will make 
more uniform decaying and ‘‘season’’ the ma- 
terial so it will be ready for use the following 
spring. 
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