VIOLA (P). Tufted plant growing 4 to 
8 inches, bright to dark green leaves; 
medium-sized single or double flowers in 
variety white, yellow, lilac, blue, mauve. 
Very few other plants have as long a 
flowering period. Succeed best in a 
deep, well-enriched, well-drained soil 
with plenty of water during the hot sum- 
mer. Prefer a light shade during the 
hottest part of mid-summer days. Vea- 
rieties: Jersey Gem, deep violet blue. 
Packet, 25c. Apricot, Packet, 25c; Yel- 
low, Packet, 25c; Mixed. Packet, 25c 
WALLFLOWER (Cheiranthus Cheiri). 
(hP). A sun loving plant, but endures a 
little shade. Woody plant, growing 2 to 
3 feet, with ribbed stem and dark-green 
lanceolate leaves; medium-sized flowers 
that bloom from May to September. Sow 
seeds in early fall and early spring. 
Grows in any soil, but prefers a rich, well 
fertilized, light loam; prune back after 
flowering. Combine in the mixed border 
with Anchusa, deep-blue Delphinium, 
Violets. Varieties: Siberian Wallflower, 
grows 1 foot, bright-orange flowers; 
Blood Red; Paris Market, brown; Single 
Mixed; Double Mixed. Packet, 10c. 
BUILD A COMPOST PILE 
If leaves are piled up and allowed to 
decay, they produce leaf mould, one of 
the most useful soil conditioners which 
amateur gardeners can have. The more 
he advances in the practice of his 
hobby, the more useful will the gar- 
dener find this material. 
So do not burn leaves. Pile them up, 
and invite your neighbors who are not 
so keen on gardening, to bring their 
dead leaves over to your pile. If you 
use no special treatment to hasten their 
decay, in two years at most they will be 
reduced to leaf mould. But one may 
easily shorten this period by months, if 
he prefers. 
Set aside a suitable location, out of the 
way, and preferably screened by plant- 
ing, or a fence; 10 x 10 feet would be 
an average size. Clean of all vege- 
tation, and harden the surface soil by 
rolling. Pile evenly over this area all 
dead leaves and other waste plant and 
even animal material, from your garden, 
and from kitchen wastes. But carefully 
exclude all wood, branches, twigs and 
metal objects. When the layer, well 
-tramped down, is six inches thick, 
sprinkle it with a balanced fertilizer 
mixture, about one ounce to a square 
yard. Wood ashes and limestone are 
also beneficial, each in three or more 
times this quantity. Then wet it down. 
Build up the heap, layer by layer, with 
similar applications between the layers; 
and keep it moist. If bad odors develop 
an inch of soil thrown on top of each 
layer will prevent them. When the pile 
is as high as you can conveniently 
manage, cover the top with soil and let 
it stand until you are ready to dig the 
humus into the garden. Start a new one. 
to take care of current accumulations. 

A Trim Pile of Dead Leaves Wil! Become Leaf- 
Mould in Two Years Without Special Treatment. 
54 



