,,harper',s ,a-,b-,c ,,series ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,housekeeping4 ,by ,,christine ,,terhune ,,herrick ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,electricity4 ,by ,,william ,m4 ,,meadowcroft ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,gardening4 ,by ,,eben ,e4 ,,rexford ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,manners4 ,by ,,anne ,,seymour #afmo1 ,cloth ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,,new ,,york ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,gardening ,,by ,,eben ,e4 ,,rexford ,,harper ,,brothers ,,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,london ,,copyright1 #aiae1 ,,by ,,harper ,,brothers ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,published ,,march1 #aiae ,,contents ,,chap4 ,,page ,i4 ,,making ,,the ,,garden #a ,,ii4 ,,making ,a ,,lawn #e ,,iii4 ,,the ,,border #h ,,iv4 ,,annuals #ab ,v4 ,,vines #ae ,,vi4 ,,spring ,,work ,,in ,,the ,,garden #ba ,,vii4 ,,midsummer ,,in ,,the ,,garden #bf ,,viii4 ,,window-,,boxes #cj ,,ix4 ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,growing ,,plants ,,for ,,table ,,decoration #cc ,x4 ,,decorative ,,plants #ci ,,xi4 ,,the ,,bulb-,,bed #dd ,,xii4 ,,getting ,,ready ,,for ,,winter #dh ,,xiii4 ,,bulbs ,,for ,,winter ,,flowering #ed ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,winter ,,window-,,garden #fa ,,xv4 ,,the ,,insect ,,enemies ,,of ,,plants #fg ,,xvi4 ,,gardening ,,for ,,children #gb ,,xvii4 ,,home ,,and ,,garden ,,conveniences #ge ,,xviii4 ,,garden ,,don',,ts #ha ,,xix4 ,a ,,chapter ,,of ,,helpful ,,hints #ii ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,gardening ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,gardening ,i ,,making ,,the ,,garden ,the first thing to do in making a garden is to spade up the soil to the depth of a foot4 ,the second thing to do is to work this spaded-up soil over and over until it is thoroughly pulverized4 ,the third thing to do is to add to it whatever fertilizer you decide on using4 ,this may be old1 well-rotted manure from the cow-yard1 if you can get it1 for it is the ideal fertilizer for nearly all kinds of plants4 ,but if you live in city or village the probabilities are that you will be obliged to make use of a substitute4 ,bone meal--the finely ground article--is about as good as anything ,i know of for amateur use4 ,the amount to use will depend on the condition of the soil to which you apply it4 ,if of simply ordinary richness1 ,i would advise a teacupful of the meal to a yard square of ground4 ,if the soil happens to be poor1 a large quantity should be used4 ,it is not possible to say just how much or how little1 because no two soils are exactly alike4 ,one can decide about this when he sees the effect of what has been used on the plants whose cultivation he has undertaken4 ,i speak of using it by measure rather than by weight because the gardener will find it easier to use a cup than a set of scales4 ,when the soil has been thoroughly pulverized and the fertilizer has been well worked into it you are ready for sowing seed--that is1 if the weather conditions are favorable4 ,it is always advisable to wait until all danger from frost is over and the ground is warm enough to facilitate prompt germination4 ,at the ,north the seed of our hardier plants can safely be put into the ground about the middle of ,may1 but the tenderer kinds can well afford to wait until the first of ,june4 ,in sowing seed don't follow the old way of making a furrow an inch deep in the soil1 by drawing the hoe-handle along it1 and then covering the seed deeply4 ,fine seed often fail to germinate when given this treatment4 ,simply scatter the seed on the surface1 and then sift a little fine soil over it1 or press the ground down firmly with a smooth board1 thus imbedding the seed in the ground to a depth that is sufficient to insure enough moisture to facilitate the process of germination4 ,large seed1 like that of the sweet-pea1 nasturtium1 mirabilis1 and morning-glory can be covered with half an inch of soil4 ,weeding should begin as soon as you can tell the weeds and the flowering plants apart4 ,it is absolutely necessary to keep the beds clean if you would have good flowers4 ,allow weeds to remain1 and in an incredibly short time they will get such a start of the other plants in the bed that these will have received a check from which it will take them a long time to recover1 when given an opportunity to do so by the removal of the enemy4 ,there can be no compromise between weeds and flowering plants4 ,one must give way to the other1 and weeds will have it all their own way if given the ghost of a chance4 ,every gardener should be the owner of a wheelbarrow1 a hoe1 a spade1 an iron rake1 a watering-pot1 and a weeding-hook4 ,the last1 which will cost ten or fifteen cents1 will enable you to destroy as many weeds in half an hour as you could pull in half a day by hand1 and it will leave the soil in as light and porous a condition as would result from going over it with rake or hoe4 ,,ii ,,making ,a ,,lawn ,most home-makers labor under the impression that it would be useless for them to undertake the making of a lawn1 thinking it requires the knowledge and experience of the professional gardener to make such an undertaking successful4 ,this is where they make a mistake4 ,anybody can make a lawn that will afford a great deal of pleasure if he sets about it1 provided he is willing to do some hard work4 ,the first thing to do is to make the surface of the ground level4 ,this can be done by the use of spade and hoe4 ,take off the tops of the hillocks1 if there happens to be any1 and fill the hollows with the soil thus obtained4 ,when you have a fairly even surface1 go over it with an iron-toothed rake and make it fine and mellow4 ,it is very important that all stones and rubbish of every kind should be removed if you want a good sward4 ,after reducing the soil to the necessary degree of fineness1 add whatever fertilizer to it you propose to make use of1 and then go over the ground again with the rake and work this fertilizer in thoroughly4 ,it is necessary to have it evenly distributed4 ,if it is not1 there will be patches where the grass will be thick and luxuriant1 and others where it will be scanty and poor4 ,such a result should be guarded against by working the fertilizer into the soil so evenly that no part of it will be without its proper share4 ,then you are ready for sowing the seed4 ,the seed to sow is the very best kind in the market4 ,this will cost you a little more than the inferior kind that is offered each season1 but it is worth a good deal more1 and it is what you must have if you would make your lawn a thing of beauty4 ,procure it from some reliable dealer who makes a specialty of lawn-grass mixtures4 ,if you tell the dealer the size of your lawn and ask how much seed you will need1 he will give you what he considers a fair estimate4 ,i would advise you to double the amount1 for this reason3 a thickly seeded lawn will have the appearance1 by the middle of the first season1 of a lawn a year or two old4 ,and because of the thickness of the grass it will be better able to stand the effect of drought and heat4 ,you will find that the extra money invested in seed was a wise investment1 and you will never have cause to regret making it4 ,sowing seems1 to the amateur gardener1 a matter of so little importance that it requires no special attention4 ,all there is to do is to scatter the seed over the ground4 ,but nine out of ten amateurs who do the work with this idea in mind will speedily discover their mistake4 ,when the grass comes up thickly here and there1 with vacant places between1 they will come to the conclusion that sowing grass seed evenly isn't the easiest thing in the world1 for the seed is so light that the slightest puff of air will blow it away1 and some will settle where you want it to1 and some will lodge where other seed has already lodged1 and the result will be very unsatisfactory4 ,in order to prevent such a condition of things as far as possible1 ,i would advise sowing from north to south1 and then from east to west4 ,do this on a still1 damp day1 if possible1 and hold your hand close to the ground as you scatter the seed4 ,don't attempt to broadcast it1 as you may have seen some gardener do1 but be content to scatter it over a small portion of soil each time you sow a handful of it4 ,by doing this you will prevent most of it from being blown away4 ,,iii ,,the ,,border ,the owner of a small lot is often puzzled to know what to do with it4 ,of course there must be flowers1 but where shall they be put8 ,as a general thing1 they are set out here and there1 indiscriminately1 and the result of such haphazard planting is far from pleasing4 ,there ought always to be at least a suggestion of system in all garden arrangements4 ,to scatter shrubs all over the lawn breaks up the sense of breadth and dignity which should characterize it1 however small it may be4 ,this being the case1 the best place for shrubs and perennials is at the sides of the lot1 leaving the rear for the vegetable garden4 ,a border extending along the sides of the lot will serve as a frame for the home picture1 and will be found the most satisfactory arrangement possible for small places4 ,it ought to be at least four feet wide--six or eight will be found much better if ground can be spared for it--and a pleasing effect can be secured by letting it increase in width as it approaches the rear of the lot4 ,it will be far more attractive if its inner edge curves a little here and there than if it is confined to straight lines4 ,i would advise a mixed border4 ,by that is meant one in which shrubs and perennials are grown together and where annuals and spring-flowering bulbs can be used effectively to fill in4 ,the soil for such a border must be made and kept quite rich1 for almost always we put so many plants into it that great demands are made upon the nutriment contained in it1 and in order to have fine plants they must get all the food they can make good use of4 ,you can't grow plants to perfection unless you feed them well4 ,every season--preferably in spring--manure should be applied liberally4 ,in setting out shrubs one should take a look ahead and endeavor to see1 with the mind's eye1 what they will be likely to be when fully developed4 ,if this is not done we are pretty sure to plant them so close that by and by we have a thicket of them1 in which none of them can properly display their charms4 ,between the shrubs plant perennials and such summer-flowering plants as dahlias and gladioli4 ,plant the taller perennials at the rear1 and those of medium height in the center1 of the row1 with low-growing kinds in front4 ,by doing this we secure a sort of banklike effect which will be very pleasing4 ,in order to plant intelligently1 study the catalogues of the florists1 for most of them give the height of each plant listed in them4 ,if ,i were asked to name the best shrubs for amateur use1 ,i would choose these3 spira 7especially the ,van ,houttei variety71 weigelia deutzia1 lilacs in variety1 flowering currant1 and golden elder--the last a shrub with rich yellow foliage1 capable of producing a most delightful effect when planted among richly colored flowering plants like the hollyhock and delphinium4 ,from the perennial list ,i would select peonies1 phlox1 delphinium1 iris1 and hollyhocks4 ,my selection would include the kinds named above because of their hardiness and ease of culture as well as their beauty4 ,there are many other kinds which richly deserve a place in all gardens that are large enough to allow of free selection1 but the owner of the average home lot will be obliged to draw a line somewhere1 and he will be safe in confining his choice to the kinds ,i have mentioned4 ,they are among the very best plants we have in their respective classes4 ,,iv ,,annuals ,the owner of a garden that is so small that but few plants can be grown in it naturally desires to confine her selection to such kinds as will be likely to give the greatest amount of bloom and require the least amount of care4 ,at the head of the list it is quite safe to place the sweet-pea4 ,this old and universal favorite blooms profusely and throughout the entire season if prevented from ripening seed4 ,it is beautiful1 wonderfully varied as to coloring1 and so fragrant that it is almost a rival of the rose in this respect4 ,it requires a treatment so unlike that of ordinary plants that it is really in a class by itself1 if one would secure the best results from it4 ,it likes to get a start early in the season and to have its roots deep in the soil1 where they will be cool and moist when the hot1 dry1 midsummer season comes4 ,to gratify this desire on the part of the plant we sow its seed in trenches four or five inches deep1 about the middle of ,april1 at the ,north1 or as soon as the ground is free from frost4 ,these trenches are ,v-shaped1 and can easily be made by drawing the corner of a hoe through the soil4 ,sow the seed quite thickly1 and cover with an inch of soil1 trampling it down firmly4 ,when the young plants are about three inches tall draw in about them some of the soil thrown out from the trench1 and continue to do this from time to time as the plants reach up1 until the trench is full4 ,in this way we succeed in getting the roots of the plant deep enough to prevent them from drying out if the season happens to be one of drought4 ,the best support for the sweet-pea is brush4 ,the next best is woven-wire netting with a large mesh4 ,another plant that the amateur gardener cannot afford to overlook is the nasturtium4 ,it is a most profuse and constant bloomer4 ,its colors run through all shades of yellow1 orange1 and red4 ,it has a delicious spicy fragrance quite unlike that of any other flower ,i have any knowledge of4 ,fine for cutting4 ,the aster must also be given a place in all gardens1 large or small1 because of its beauty1 its wide range of color1 and its ease of culture4 ,there are several quite distinct varieties1 all good1 but none better than the long-stalked branching kind4 ,this is the ideal sort for cutting4 ,its flowers rival those of the chrysanthemum in general effect and lasting quality4 ,phlox ,drummondii is an old favorite that holds its own against any of the new-comers4 ,so is the verbena1 and the calliopsis1 and the good old bachelor's-button1 which you will find masquerading in the florists' catalogues as centaurea4 ,it must not be blamed for this1 as it has no reason to be ashamed of its old-fashioned name4 ,the seedsmen alone are responsible for the change in nomenclature4 ,other stand-bys among the annuals are poppies1 larkspur1 petunias1 ten-week stock1 marigolds1 scabiosa1 mignonette1 eschscholtzia 7better known as ,california poppy74 ,of course the list of really desirable kinds could be extended almost indefinitely1 but ,i do not think it advisable to make mention of other kinds here1 because it is not the part of wisdom for the amateur gardener to attempt growing a little of everything4 ,it is better to confine one's attention to a few of the kinds with which success is reasonably sure until experience justifies one in undertaking the culture of those which are not so self-reliant and unexacting as the kinds mentioned4 ,v ,,vines ,if any one were to ask me to tell him what vine ,i considered best adapted to amateur culture in all respects1 ,i would decide in favor of the ampelopsis--better known in many localities as ,virginia creeper4 ,my decision would be based on the beauty of the vine1 its rapid growth1 its hardiness1 and its ability to furnish its own support on walls of wood1 brick1 or stone4 ,its foliage is very pleasing in summer1 but it is doubly so in autumn1 when its green gives place to a brilliant crimson and a rich maroon4 ,at that season of the year all our flowering vines are eclipsed by its magnificent coloring4 ,it grows well in all kinds of soil--better1 of course1 in a good one than a poor one--and it will go to the eaves of a three-story house if given an opportunity to do so1 and cover every inch of the wall unless special efforts are made to prevent it from doing this4 ,if you do not want your windows hidden under its luxuriance it will be necessary for you to cut away a good many of its branches during the summer4 ,the ,dorothy ,perkins rose--one of the rambler class--is a most charming vine when in full bloom1 and it has the merit of being quite attractive at other periods1 as its foliage is a rich1 dark1 shining green--something that cannot truthfully be said of some of the other members of this class of roses4 ,it is the only rambler ,i would advise for use about porches and verandas4 ,it blooms in wonderful profusion4 ,its flowers are a soft pink1 borne in large1 loose clusters or sprays4 ,the general habit of the plant is all that could be desired4 ,it is the only member of the rambler class that is really vinelike4 ,there are two varieties of clematis that ,i am always glad to speak a good word for4 ,one is the native variety1 catalogued as ,c4 flammula4 ,this is a very rampant grower1 and well adapted for use wherever a dense shade is desired4 ,it blooms in ,august4 ,its flowers are white4 ,they are succeeded by seed with a feathery tail which makes the plant look as if covered with gray smoke4 ,this variety is always greatly admired because of this peculiarity4 ,the other variety that ,i have a special fondness for is ,c4 paniculata4 ,this is a late bloomer1 being in the prime of its flowering period long after the plants in the garden have completed the work of the season4 ,its flowers are of the purest white4 ,they are small1 individually1 but they are borne in such profusion that the upper portion of the vine will be completely covered with them4 ,it will look as if a fall of snow had tried to hide it4 ,i consider this one of our very best flowering vines4 ,unlike the hybrid members of the clematis family1 with their enormous flowers of rich colors and scanty foliage1 it is perfectly healthy1 and it has ample foliage to make a charming background for its blossoms4 ,the trumpet honeysuckle is a favorite wherever grown4 ,it is one of our best vines for porch use1 as it does not climb to a great height4 ,it bears its scarlet-and-orange flowers throughout the entire season4 ,it is an especial favorite because its foliage is always clean and seldom attacked by insects4 ,the good old morning-glory is1 all things considered1 our best annual flowering vine4 ,it grows rapidly1 reaching to the windows of the second story by midsummer4 ,it is a free and constant bloomer4 ,it is excelled by no other vine in richness and variety of color--white1 pink1 purple1 blue1 violet1 and crimson flowers will make a veritable morning glory of it4 ,care should be taken to provide it with stout cord to climb by4 ,a light twine is not strong enough to support the weight of its heavy vines4 ,another good flowering vine is the hyacinth bean4 ,why it should be given this name ,i do not know1 as there is nothing about it suggestive in the remotest degree of the hyacinth4 ,its flowers are a brilliant scarlet4 ,it seldom grows to a greater height than seven or eight feet1 and is therefore well adapted to use about porches where a rampant grower is not wanted4 ,the wild cucumber1 catalogued as echynocystis1 is a good vine for covering tall buildings and screens4 ,it will make a growth of twenty-five or thirty feet in a season4 ,its foliage is pretty1 as are its white flowers1 which make the vines look as if covered with foam4 ,these give place to prickly fruit1 somewhat resembling some varieties of cucumber1 hence its popular name4 ,the wild grape that is found growing along creeks and rivers in almost all parts of the country is a most excellent vine for covering summer-houses and for planting where it can have trees to clamber over4 ,its flowers are so small and so pale in color as to be scarcely distinguishable1 but they are so delightfully fragrant that every one knows when the vine is in bloom without looking at it4 ,its fragrance has much of the pervading quality that characterizes mignonette1 and is quite unlike that of any other plants ,i can call to mind4 ,it seems to have the very spirit of the spring in it--vague1 elusive1 and sweet beyond description4 ,i would not class the crimson-rambler rose among the vines1 though the majority of our florists have done so4 ,i treat it as a shrub1 and find it most satisfactory when grown in that manner4 ,i allow the young canes to reach a length of seven or eight feet4 ,then ,i nip off the tops of them4 ,this causes side branches to develop4 ,a central support is provided for these branches4 ,in this way ,i succeed in getting flowers all over the plant--in other words1 of making it a shrub instead of a vine4 ,if it is used to cover summer-houses1 the canes can be allowed to grow to suit themselves4 ,celastrus scandens1 more commonly known as bittersweet1 is a native vine that can easily be domesticated4 ,it is well worth a place about every home4 ,its foliage is bright and clean1 its flowers inconspicuous1 but its fruit makes the vine a favorite wherever grown4 ,this is a bright crimson1 each berry being inclosed in an orange shell which splits apart in three pieces1 revealing the fruit inside4 ,as this fruit remains on the plant until late in the season1 it makes the vine quite as attractive as if it were covered with flowers at a time of the year when bits of brightness are greatly appreciated in the garden4 ,,vi ,,spring ,,work ,,in ,,the ,,garden ,there will be a good deal of work to do in the garden1 no matter how small it is4 ,a good deal of this work will consist in cleaning up and removing rubbish1 unless attention was given to this in the fall4 ,the tops of last year's perennials should be cut away close to the ground1 and dead annuals should be pulled up and added to the refuse-heap4 ,if a covering was provided for your plants1 it should be removed altogether or dug into the soil about the roots of the plants it protected4 ,never allow it to remain upon the ground about the plants unless it is of a kind that is not particularly noticeable4 ,this should not be done1 however1 until the season is so far advanced that all danger of severe freezing is over4 ,a plant that has had winter protection will not be in as good condition to resist the effect of severe cold as it would have been if that protection had not been given it4 ,therefore do not be in that haste which may result in waste4 ,rome wasn't built in a day1 and spring isn't confined to a week4 ,there will be plenty of time for uncovering plants when the weather will justify it4 ,the bulb-bed should not have its covering taken off until you are quite sure that the weather will not be severe enough to injure the tender plants just peeping through the soil4 ,of course one cannot be quite sure when it is safe to do this1 as our ,northern seasons are subject to frequent and sometimes severe relapses4 ,but if we keep an eye on the weather we can generally tell when uncovering is advisable4 ,if1 after the beds have been uncovered1 a cold spell happens along and there seems to be danger in the air1 spread blankets1 old carpeting1 or something of a similar nature over them4 ,but before doing this drive pegs into the ground for the covering to rest on4 ,its weight should not be allowed to fall upon the young shoots1 which will be so tender at this period as to be easily broken4 ,go through the garden with a view to finding what changes can be made advantageously4 ,we often make sad mistakes in the location of our plants1 and do not discover them until it is too late to unmake them that season4 ,sometimes a plant that has got into the wrong place so disappoints us that we think of throwing it out1 but if we give it a place where its merits have an opportunity to assert themselves properly it turns out to be extremely satisfactory4 ,the aim should be to get every plant into the place just suited to its peculiarities4 ,it may take several seasons to bring about so desirable a result1 but something along this line should be part of every season's work4 ,old clumps of perennials will be greatly benefited by a division of their roots about once in three years4 ,take them up1 cut their roots apart1 discard all but the youngest and strongest ones1 and reset in a soil that has been made rich and mellow4 ,shrubs should be looked over with a view to doing whatever pruning may seem necessary4 ,i do not advise much pruning1 however4 ,a shrub knows better than ,i do what shape to grow in to be most effective1 and ,i prefer to let it train itself4 ,about all the pruning ,i do is to cut away weak wood and to thin out the branches if there seems too many of them4 ,early-flowering shrubs should never be pruned until after their flowering period is over4 ,manure should be applied to all plants each spring4 ,the older it is the better if you procure it from the barn-yard4 ,on no account should fresh manure be used4 ,spread your fertilizer out about the plants1 and then work it into the soil with spade or hoe4 ,you will doubtless find many seedling plants in the beds where they germinated last fall4 ,these should be transplanted to places where they are to bloom as early in the spring as possible4 ,all perennials that got a start last year will bloom this season1 but those grown from seed sown this spring will not bloom until next year4 ,therefore make liberal use of self-sown plants4 ,we are generally in such a hurry to do garden work in spring that we begin it before the ground is in proper condition to make good work possible4 ,if it is spaded up before the surplus water from early rains and melting snows has had a chance to drain out of it1 no attempt should be made to pulverize it then4 ,it simply will not pulverize1 but the result of your attempt to make it do so will be a lot of lumps and chunks4 ,but if left exposed to the disintegrating action of wind and sunshine and possible showers for a few days1 it will be in a condition that will make it an easy matter to reduce it to fineness under the application of hoe or rake4 ,plan your garden4 ,never trust to the inspiration of the moment in making it4 ,go over the ground and decide where you think this or that plant would be most effective4 ,make a diagram of it1 locating each plant that you propose to make use of1 and when seeding-time comes you will have something definite to work to4 ,haphazard gardening is never satisfactory4 ,,vii ,,midsummer ,,in ,,the ,,garden ,we somehow get the impression that when our garden is made in spring that's about all there will be for us to do4 ,our share of the work has been done1 and if ,nature does her share1 well and good4 ,but in our endeavor to shirk further responsibility on to ,nature we lose sight of the fact that gardening isn't a thing of periods4 ,it is1 on the contrary1 a thing of one period1 and that period covers the entire season4 ,we soon discover that weeds will need attention every day4 ,it really seems1 sometimes1 as if the pulling of one weed gave a score of others an opportunity to take its place1 and that these were waiting impatiently to step into the shoes of their predecessors1 if such a figure of speech is allowable in this connection4 ,neglect weeding for a week and you will be pretty sure to find that your seedlings of flowering plants are out of sight in more senses of the term than one4 ,but weeding is not all that needs to be done4 ,there will be more or less transplanting to do in the early part of the season4 ,this should be done on a cloudy day1 if possible4 ,if no such day happens along at the time when it is absolutely necessary that this phase of gardening should be attended to1 do it after sundown4 ,before lifting the young plants1 water them well to make the soil adhere to their roots4 ,as little exposure to the air as possible is desirable4 ,also have the ground in which they are to be set ready to receive them1 that the work of transplanting may be completed with the least possible delay4 ,every gardener ought to provide herself with a little trowel that will enable her to lift a plant without breaking apart the soil about its roots4 ,drop the seedling into the place prepared for it1 and press the soil about it firmly but gently4 ,then water well4 ,if the next day is a warm and sunshiny one1 some shade should be given the newly set plants4 ,by tacking pieces of pasteboard six inches wide and eight or ten inches long to sticks a foot in length a very practical shade can easily be made4 ,the stick to which the pasteboard is fastened by carpet-tacks is to be inserted in the ground by each plant4 ,the pasteboard is to be bent over in such a manner as to prevent the sun's rays from striking the plant4 ,by this method the plant gets all the protection it needs and the air is allowed free circulation about it4 ,the hoe ought to be used daily in all gardens4 ,if the season happens to be a dry one1 don't forego its use under the impression that stirring the soil will result in its drying out4 ,if you want to keep moisture out of the soil1 there is no way of doing it more effectually than by allowing it to become crusted over4 ,but if you want to get all possible moisture into it1 keep it light and porous4 ,such a condition will make it possible for it to absorb whatever moisture there may be in the air4 ,make it a rule to go over your plants when they come into bloom and cut off every faded flower1 to prevent the formation of seed4 ,most plants will give but one general flowering period if left to manage their own affairs4 ,all their energies will be expended in the production of seed4 ,as a natural consequence they will give you few or no flowers after the early part of summer4 ,but1 thwart them in their seed-producing intent and they will at once set about getting the start of you by making another effort to carry forward to completion their original plan4 ,the result will be satisfactory to you1 if it isn't to them4 ,see that all plants needing support are provided with it4 ,never allow plants of slender habit to sprawl all over the ground4 ,they give the garden an untidy1 mussy look1 and constantly accuse you of neglect4 ,a bit of brush inserted by the side of such plants will furnish all the support required by them4 ,in watering the garden in a dry season make the application after sundown4 ,this will allow the plants to get the benefit of the water before the sun has a chance to draw the moisture out of the soil1 as it will rapidly do if watering is done in the morning4 ,what every gardener needs is a watering-pot with a long spout4 ,this will make it an easy matter to apply the water close to the plant1 where none will be wasted4 ,never use a nozzle on your pot when watering plants in the garden4 ,that will scatter the water over a wide surface1 and so thinly that but little good will result from the application4 ,,viii ,,window-,,boxes ,blessed be window boxes6 ,they are excellent substitutes1 on a small scale1 for a garden1 and almost any woman can have them1 while a real garden is out of the question for a majority of the women who love flowers4 ,a garden on the ground is one of the impossibilities for most women in the city who could well afford one1 so far as financial ability is concerned1 but she can make her windows so attractive with flowers and green things growing that she will not greatly miss the garden in a crowded city whose every foot of land is worth thousands of dollars and therefore cannot be given up to anything as unprofitable1 from a pecuniary standpoint1 as flower-growing4 ,the culture of plants in a window-box seems an easy thing to the person who sees plants growing luxuriantly in it4 ,but it is not as easy as it looks1 because the beginner in this phase of gardening seldom studies conditions before undertaking it4 ,it generally takes one or two seasons of mistakes and consequent failures to make one a successful grower of plants in window-boxes4 ,but after repeated failures the amateur generally discovers what was wrong in her treatment1 and after that the probabilities of failure are slight4 ,the cause of failure nine times out of ten is lack of sufficient moisture in the soil4 ,a box exposed to air on all sides1 as most window-boxes are1 parts rapidly with the water that has been applied to it1 and before one suspects the actual condition of things the soil in the box becomes so dry that the plants wilt4 ,then a little more water is applied1 and the plants revive temporarily1 but next day they wilt again1 and shortly this alternation of a good deal of drought and a small amount of moisture results in the death of the plants4 ,a box a foot wide and a foot deep and four or five feet long will require a large pailful of water daily4 ,if you want to grow good plants in boxes don't form the habit which prevails to a great extent among amateur gardeners--that of applying a small quantity of water whenever you happen to think of it4 ,a small amount makes the soil look wet on its surface and deceives one into thinking that because it looks wet there it must be in proper condition below4 ,examination will convince you of this mistake4 ,always apply enough water each time to saturate all the soil in the box1 and make it a rule to do this every morning or evening4 ,if you go on the every-time-you-think-of-it plan the chances are that you will not think of it at the right time or as frequently as you ought to4 ,be regular in caring for your plants4 ,if those who complain of failure with window-boxes will use more water and use it frequently1 they will have no trouble in growing plants in them1 and growing them as well as they can be grown in pots4 ,and they can grow almost any kind of plant4 ,the soil used should be rich1 to begin with1 and later on in the season fertilizers should be applied to keep the plants well supplied with nutriment4 ,,ix ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,growing ,,plants ,,for ,,table ,,decoration ,the woman who takes pride in making the family table attractive at all times finds nothing quite so effective for this purpose as flowers1 and these she cannot always afford4 ,but she need not be without material for beautifying the home table if she has windows in which plants can be grown1 for there are many plants that are quite as attractive as flowers4 ,but a good many persons have not yet learned that they can be made satisfactory substitutes for cut flowers1 because they have not taken the trouble to study the thing out4 ,they have heretofore depended on cut flowers for table decoration1 as have their friends1 and it has not occurred to them to get out of the rut they are in and think out new ways and means for making home pleasant4 ,a well-shaped1 medium-sized plant with fine foliage will add quite as much to the appearance of any table as a vaseful of flowers that would cost several times as much4 ,true1 it may lack the brilliant coloring of the flowers whose place it takes1 but that does not prevent it from being beautiful1 and beauty is what we aim at when we supplement the attractions of fine table-linen1 sparkling cut glass1 silver1 and dainty china of the well-arranged table with the added attraction of plants and flowers4 ,one of the best plants for this purpose is the variety of asparagus catalogued as plumosus nanus4 ,it is more commonly known as asparagus fern1 though it is not even a most distant relative of the fern family4 ,it has foliage so fine that it has all the delicacy of lace1 and is more like a mist of green than like ordinary foliage4 ,it sends up frondlike growth that spreads out symmetrically on all sides of the pot4 ,pruning is seldom required to bring it into or keep it in proper shape4 ,a plant of it1 with its pot hidden by a pretty jardinire or wrapped in tissue-paper will be in perfect harmony with any table fittings4 ,if a bit of bright color is desired1 three or four roses or half a dozen carnations with their stems thrust into the soil in the pot will furnish it4 ,if the housewife provides herself with three or four plants of this asparagus1 she will at all times have something at hand with which to make her table attractive4 ,in this way she will become independent of the florist and his fancy prices4 ,these plants are of the easiest culture1 and succeed wherever geraniums can be grown4 ,at holiday-time several plants that make excellent table decorations are on the market4 ,one is ardisia1 with rich1 dark-green foliage1 and scarlet berries that are quite as brilliant as flowers4 ,another is the ,jerusalem cherry1 with pretty foliage and a profusion of crimson fruit4 ,these plants remain in attractive condition for weeks1 and the woman who invests in them has something with which to make her table as attractive as it would be if two or three dollars had been expended in flowers that would last for only a few days4 ,it will be seen that it is economy to buy plants of this kind4 ,where there are several there is opportunity for variety1 thus ruling monotony out of the question4 ,cocos ,weddelliana is a small-growing palm with delicate1 feathery foliage4 ,one might call it a baby palm because of its small size4 ,a plant of it always adds distinction to the table on which it is used4 ,this1 like the asparagus1 the ardisia1 and the ,jerusalem cherry1 readily adapts itself to ordinary window culture4 ,begonia ,gloire de ,lorraine is a most beautiful flowering plant4 ,it bears its dainty pink blossoms so profusely and in such wide-spreading panicles that the pot in which it grows is often entirely hidden by it4 ,its color is charming by daylight1 and under artificial light it is lovely beyond description4 ,i know of no other pink flower that is as satisfactory by lamplight4 ,when an especially dainty and out-of-the-common decoration is wanted for the table1 nothing superior to it can be found4 ,this begonia can be obtained from most florists in fall4 ,if care is taken to remove it from the table to the window after it has done decorative duty1 it will remain in bloom during the greater part of winter4 ,but it must not be left on the table long at a time4 ,neither should any of the other plants named1 for they will suffer if kept away from good light very long4 ,primula obconica is a most satisfactory plant for table use when in full bloom4 ,its trusses of pale lilac1 soft pink1 or pure white have such a wild-woodsy air about them that they are always sure of such attention as ,american ,beauties seldom get4 ,the baby primrose is a miniature edition of ,p4 obconica1 and it is one of the most lovable flowers imaginable4 ,like its larger relative1 it is a free and constant bloomer1 and on this account will be found very useful as a table ornament4 ,small specimens of auricaria1 with heavy1 dark-green foliage much like that of our native hemlocks and balsam1 make a novel decoration4 ,this is the plant that the children delight in calling the ,christmas-tree plant1 because of its shape and its evergreen foliage4 ,during fall and winter1 when fruit and vegetables are plentiful1 very pleasing table decorations can be made from them4 ,on ,thanksgiving ,day such an arrangement will be found very appropriate4 ,a friend of mine who has no windows at which flowers can be grown well1 but who1 in spite of that1 is determined to make her table attractive1 lays in a supply of bittersweet berries during the fall1 and everlasting flowers1 like gomphrena1 helichrysum1 cockscomb1 and others whose petals are strawlike in texture1 and from these she contrives some really charming decorations for her table4 ,where there is a will there is always a way1 you know4 ,it will be seen from what ,i have said above that many plants can be grown in the windows of the living-room that can be used with fine effect in table decoration4 ,i would advise making a collection of such varieties as ,i have named for this especial purpose4 ,with such a collection to draw from no woman need be at loss for decorative material1 and while her plants are not doing duty on the table they will be making her windows attractive1 thus serving a double purpose4 ,x ,,decorative ,,plants ,there are few homes nowadays in which at least one plant of ornamental foliage cannot be found4 ,i know of many in which some have had place so long that they have come to be considered as members of the family4 ,especially is this true among ,german people1 who have an especial fondness for bride's myrtle and ,english ivy4 ,in many of these homes ,i have found finer plants than ,i have seen in any greenhouse4 ,i am not sure that they do not get more care than the children of the family4 ,the myrtle to which ,i refer has small1 fine foliage1 evergreen in character1 of a rich1 glossy green4 ,it branches freely1 and in two or three years becomes a good-sized shrub4 ,it does not bloom very freely1 but this does not detract much from the value of the plant1 as its flowers are small and not at all showy1 though really quite pretty in their snow-white purity4 ,the real value of the plant is in its foliage4 ,it can be kept growing the year round1 or it can be wintered in the cellar4 ,in summer a plant of this kind will be found very effective for porch decoration4 ,the ,english ivy is our best evergreen vine4 ,it is one of the few plants that can be grown successfully in rooms where there is not much direct light4 ,indeed1 ,i have seen it trained across the ceiling1 in ,german homes1 where the light seemed insufficient to meet the requirements of any plant1 and there its leaves were as dark in color as those of most other plants are when standing close to the glass1 and seemed to be quite as healthy4 ,two or three times a year1 the owners told me1 the vine was taken down1 coiled up for convenience in transit1 and taken out of doors4 ,there it was spread out upon the grass and left until the rain had washed it clean4 ,because of the thick1 firm1 leathery texture of its foliage it seemed immune from the bad effects of dust1 hot1 dry air1 and the absence of direct light4 ,when well grown it is a plant that any one might well be proud of4 ,for training up about the ceiling of the bay-window it stands at the head of the list of vines adapted to house culture4 ,sometimes scale attacks both myrtle and ivy4 ,when this happens heroic measures must be resorted to in order to head off permanent injury4 ,in the chapter on ,the ,insect ,enemies of ,plants a remedy is suggested that seldom fails to produce most satisfactory results4 ,palms are universal favorites4 ,there are but three varieties that ,i feel justified in recommending for amateur culture4 ,these are the arecas1 especially ,a4 lutescens1 ,latania borbonica1 better known as the fan palm1 and the kentias1 belmoreana and fosteriana4 ,of these three varieties ,i would advise the kentias for beginners in palm-culture1 as they are more robust than any of the others and quite as ornamental4 ,they are of somewhat coarser habit than ,areca lutescens1 which is an almost ideal sort for general use4 ,latania borbonica has large1 almost circular leaves borne on short1 stout stalks1 thrown out from the center of the plants4 ,it does not grow tall like the kentias or the arecas4 ,it is the variety from which our palm-leaf fans are made4 ,one who has never seen this plant can get a fairly good idea of the shape of its foliage by looking at one of these fans4 ,the three varieties mentioned are all of comparatively easy culture4 ,give them a loamy soil1 well drained1 and enough water to keep the soil always moist4 ,keep them out of strong sunshine4 ,don't experiment with them1 hoping to hasten development4 ,as long as they keep on producing three or four new leaves during the year1 let them alone4 ,if they lift the crown of the plant out of or above the soil1 and the roots give them the appearance of a plant on stilts1 don't be frightened1 and repot them1 setting them low in the soil to cover the roots4 ,it's natural for them to grow in that way4 ,wash the foliage at least once a week4 ,add a little sweet milk to the water4 ,this will give a gloss to the foliage that will add much to its attractiveness4 ,next to the palm in popularity is the ,boston fern4 ,this is a favorite with every one who succeeds in growing it well1 because of its great profusion of fronds1 three or four feet long1 which droop over the pot gracefully and make the plant a veritable fountain of foliage4 ,another reason for its great popularity is its ease of culture4 ,give it a light1 spongy soil and a moderate amount of water and it will make quite a rapid growth4 ,it is not an exacting plant in any respect1 and will do well in almost any kind of soil except those which contain a large amount of clay4 ,but it does best in a soil that is light and porous4 ,never give enough water to make the soil muddy4 ,the third place on the list ought to be given to the ficus1 more commonly known as rubber-plant4 ,this is also of easy culture4 ,it never fails to attract attention by its large1 thick1 glossy1 dark-green foliage4 ,the aspidistra ought not to be overlooked4 ,because it does not grow to a considerable height1 like the ficus1 it has not attained the popularity of that plant1 as yet1 but it will be a universal favorite as soon as its merits become fully known4 ,its great masses of dark-green foliage are extremely ornamental1 and the fact that it is the one plant in the list of decorative plants suitable for amateur use that can be said to almost take care of itself will appeal to those who want something that can always be depended on to look well4 ,give it enough water to keep the soil in its pot moist at all times1 and that is about all it will ask of you4 ,it is not at all particular as to the soil given it1 and it seems to care very little for direct light4 ,it will stand more abuse and neglect1 and flourish under it1 than any other plant ,i have any knowledge of4 ,,xi ,,the ,,bulb-,,bed ,the bulb-bed should be located in some part of the yard where there is good1 natural drainage or where it will be an easy matter to secure an artificial one by excavating the soil to the depth of a foot and a half and filling the bottom of it with material that will not readily decay1 such as broken brick1 crockery1 or crushed stone4 ,the object is to provide escape for surplus water from the soil above in spring4 ,no bulb can be grown successfully in a soil that is unduly retentive of water about its roots4 ,in arranging for artificial drainage1 after filling the bottom of the excavation with five or six inches of drainage material1 the soil that was thrown out should be returned to it1 working into it1 as this is done1 a liberal amount of good manure4 ,the best of all fertilizers for all bulbs is old1 well-rotted barn-yard soil4 ,if this cannot be obtained make use of some good commercial fertilizer4 ,as soils differ greatly1 and not all commercial fertilizers are adapted to all soils1 ,i would suggest that some person in the community who understands the nature of its soil and the kind of fertilizer which suits it best should be consulted1 and that the maker of a bulb-bed should be governed by his advice as to what kind to make use of4 ,it is not well to let guesswork govern in the matter4 ,if possible1 choose a location that slopes toward the south4 ,this will give the bed the benefit of sun warmth early in the season1 and the plants in it will be greatly helped by it4 ,it is quite important that the soil for bulbs should be made fine and mellow and that whatever fertilizer is used should be thoroughly incorporated with it4 ,while it is true that most bulbs will do fairly well in soils of only moderate richness1 it is impossible for them to do themselves anything like justice in it4 ,keep this fact in mind1 and be generous in your supply of plant food4 ,the proper time to plant bulbs is in late ,september and early ,october4 ,this enables them to make a strong root-growth before winter sets in4 ,such a growth puts them in proper condition for flowering in spring4 ,late planting does not admit of the completion of root-growth in fall1 consequently some of it has to be made in spring4 ,this obliges the plants to divide their work at that season between root-growth and flower production1 and as these processes ought not to go on at the same time the result is an inferior crop of flowers and unsatisfactory bulb-development4 ,i cannot urge too strongly the advantages of early planting4 ,the best bulbs for the amateur gardener are ,holland hyacinths1 tulips1 and the narcissus4 ,these are very hardy and floriferous1 and succeed in almost all soils4 ,and they are so beautiful that they deserve a place in all collections4 ,they should be set about four inches below the surface1 and about that distance apart4 ,before winter sets in the bed should be covered with leaves1 straw1 or coarse litter from the barn-yard4 ,let the covering be about six inches deep4 ,it will not prevent the ground from freezing1 but it will prevent it from freezing and thawing alternately4 ,if this takes place the bulbs are pretty sure to be torn from their places1 and their tender1 recently formed roots broken off4 ,of course there are other bulbs than those of which ,i have made mention that are well worth growing1 but they are not as well adapted to amateur culture as those are1 therefore ,i would advise the beginner in bulb-growing to confine her attention to the hardiest and least particular kinds until she feels that her success with them justifies her in branching out and making an attempt to grow those which require greater care and a good deal more of it4 ,,xii ,,getting ,,ready ,,for ,,winter ,a supply of good potting-soil should be put into the cellar for use during the winter if needed4 ,often a plant will have outgrown its pot1 thus making immediate repotting necessary in order to continue the healthy condition of it1 but if there is no good soil at hand it will be obliged to do the best it can until spring comes1 and by that time it will have received a check from which it will be a long time in recovering1 and quite often it will die as the result of failure to give it proper attention when it was in most need of it4 ,if you have a supply of potting-soil in stock there will be no excuse for not caring for your plants promptly when the advisability of repotting is indicated4 ,a very satisfactory potting-soil is composed of garden loam1 two parts2 leaf-mold or its substitute1 one part2 and clean1 coarse sand1 one part4 ,to this should be added some well-rotted cow manure1 if obtainable4 ,work the compost over until all its ingredients are thoroughly mixed4 ,the quantity of manure required to make the compost sufficiently rich to suit all kinds of plants will depend on the quality of the loam used4 ,if that is quite rich1 do not add much manure to it4 ,if only of moderate richness1 more can be used4 ,this is a matter which will have to be decided largely by results4 ,if the plants you put into the compost make a strong1 healthy growth1 the soil is rich enough4 ,if the growth does not seem strong1 more plant food is required4 ,a good substitute for cow manure is fine bone-meal in the proportion of a pound to a bushel of soil4 ,a good substitute for leaf-mold will be found in that portion of old sward from pasture or roadside which contains fine grass roots4 ,turn the sward over and cut away this part of it1 to mix with the loam and sand4 ,these roots will be found almost as rich in vegetable matter as pure leaf-mold4 ,some persons may wonder why ,i advise the liberal use of sand1 which is not supposed to contain much nutriment4 ,i do it because ,i have found from long experience in growing plants that sand not only facilitates good drainage1 but enables air to get to the roots of the plants as it never can do when the soil is not light and porous4 ,and sand is a sweetener of soil1 as is charcoal4 ,of course not all plants are alike in their requirements4 ,roses1 for instance1 like a rather heavy1 compact soil4 ,in growing them use the loam without sand4 ,if ,i had to choose between sand and manure in making potting-soil for nearly all plants adapted to window culture1 ,i would take the sand4 ,it is not too late to set out seedling plants of such perennials as phlox and hollyhock if care is taken to lift enough soil with them to insure against disturbance of their roots4 ,work of this kind can be done to better advantage now than in spring4 ,now is a good time to go over the shrubs and give such pruning as may seem necessary4 ,as a general thing1 the less pruning given a shrub the better1 for if left to itself it will do a much better job of training than we are capable of doing for it4 ,but it is advisable that all shrubs should have the old1 weak wood cut away each season4 ,this is pruning for health--not for symmetry4 ,nature has a keener eye for the symmetrical than we have1 therefore we are justified in leaving the training of our shrubs to her1 or to the shrubs1 acting under her advice4 ,oleanders1 fuchsias1 hydrangeas1 chrysanthemums--in fact1 all hard-wooded plants that are summer and autumn bloomers--should be wintered in the cellar4 ,here1 if the temperature is kept low1 they will be practically dormant for several months1 thus getting the same kind of a resting-spell that comes to deciduous plants out of doors during winter4 ,give just enough water to prevent the soil from becoming dust-dry4 ,do not be frightened if some of them shed their foliage while in cold storage2 outdoor plants do that4 ,if the place in which they are kept can be made dark1 all the better4 ,dahlia roots should be spread out on swinging-shelves of wire netting when stored away4 ,never heap them together1 and never put them on the cellar-bottom1 for it is likely to be too damp there4 ,mold1 which is largely the result of dampness1 must be guarded against1 hence the advantage of hanging-shelves which will allow a free circulation of air about the roots spread out on them4 ,look them over at least every week4 ,if you find any that show signs of mold or decay1 separate them immediately from the healthy ones4 ,if allowed to remain1 the diseased condition will surely be communicated to the entire mass of roots4 ,all plants that seem to need repotting should be attended to before winter sets in4 ,this will give them plenty of time to become thoroughly re-established before the winter campaign is on1 and it will not be necessary to disturb them in the middle of the busy season4 ,all the windows at which plants are kept should be looked over before cold weather comes1 and made proof against cracks and crevices that will let in cold air4 ,it is a good plan to provide these windows with storm-sash4 ,if this is done1 the plants can be allowed to stand with their leaves against the glass1 as the air space between window and storm-sash will prevent frost from forming on the inner panes4 ,gladiolus roots should be stored in boxes of perfectly dry sawdust or buckwheat hulls and kept in a dry and rather cool place4 ,never put them in the cellar4 ,be careful to see that no frost gets to them4 ,or they can be wrapped in paper and put into paper bags and hung in a closet4 ,if kept in a very warm place over winter they frequently become so dry that there is little vitality left in them by spring4 ,tuberous begonias and gloxinias will most likely have ended their flowering season by this time4 ,allow the soil in their pots to become dry4 ,then set them away in a dark closet without in any way disturbing the tubers4 ,treated in this manner1 they winter much more satisfactorily than when the roots are taken out of the soil4 ,in spring1 when the plants are brought to the light and water is given1 they will soon send up new sprouts4 ,then the roots should be shaken out of the old soil and supplied with fresh earth4 ,in covering roses do not make use of leaves if there happens to be anything else at hand that will afford the necessary protection4 ,leaves would make an ideal covering were it not for the fact that it is almost impossible to keep mice from working in them4 ,last season ,i lost every rose-bush that was covered with leaves4 ,the mice had gnawed all the bark from them4 ,covering the bushes with dry earth is preferable4 ,,xiii ,,bulbs ,,for ,,winter ,,flowering ,whenever any one writes me that she is fond of flowers1 and would be delighted if she could have some in winter1 but that she fails to get satisfaction from the ordinary house-plant1 ,i always advise her to try bulbs4 ,for ,i know that one is reasonably sure of getting fine flowers from this class of plants1 provided we are willing to give them the right kind of treatment4 ,one will get more flowers from them than she can expect from the ordinary collection found in the average window garden--we can have them through the entire winter if we plan for a succession--and we have few flowers that equal those of the bulbs in beauty4 ,and1 last but not least1 they require really less care than is demanded by the majority of house-plants4 ,three things are essential to success in the culture of bulbs in the house3 ,first--,good stock4 ,second--,good soil4 ,third--,root development before top growth takes place4 ,the first essential is readily met if you order your bulbs from reliable dealers--dealers who have established a reputation for honesty and the handling of bulbs of the best quality only4 ,each season we see advertisements in which large collections of bulbs are offered at very low prices4 ,beware of them4 ,as a general thing the wonderfully cheap ones are as cheap in quality as they are in price1 and from such a grade of bulbs you cannot expect fine flowers4 ,the best bulbs are imported ones1 grown largely in ,holland1 where both soil and climate are admirably adapted to the production of first-class stock1 and where the matter of bulb-growing has been reduced to almost a science4 ,these will cost a little more than ,american-grown ones1 but they are well worth the difference in price4 ,inferior stock will give inferior flowers every time1 and what one wants in forcing bulbs in winter is the best flowers possible4 ,the item of good soil is a most important one4 ,bulbs can be grown1 after a fashion1 in almost any kind of soil1 but they can only be grown to perfection in a soil whose basis is a sandy loam made quite rich with some good fertilizer4 ,heavy soils can be made lighter by mixing sharp1 coarse sand with them until the mixture1 after being squeezed tightly in the hand1 will readily fall apart after pressure is relaxed4 ,the ideal fertilizer for all bulbs is old1 thoroughly rotted cow manure4 ,on no account should fresh manure of any kind be used4 ,but it is not always possible to procure manure from the cow-yard1 and those who are unable to do so will find fine bone meal a good substitute4 ,use this in the proportion of a pound to a half-bushel of soil4 ,whatever fertilizer is used should be thoroughly mixed with the soil4 ,be very sure that the latter is free from lumps4 ,in potting bulbs for winter use ,i would advise putting several in the same pot4 ,fill the pot loosely with soil1 then press such bulbs as those of the hyacinth1 tulip1 and narcissus down into it just their depth4 ,as many can be used in a pot as can be set on the surface of the soil in it so that they just touch one another4 ,do not attempt to make the soil firm about them or beneath them4 ,if this is done their tender roots will often fail to penetrate it1 and the consequence will be that the bulbs are hoisted upward as the roots develop4 ,this should be guarded against by having the soil so light that the young roots will find no difficulty in making their way into it4 ,i advise the use of several bulbs in the same pot because it gives a greater amount of bloom in a limited space1 and greatly economizes in soil1 pots1 and labor4 ,when you have put your bulbs into the soil1 water them well1 and then set the pots away in a place that is cool and dark4 ,some persons consider this unnecessary1 and put their plants in the window as soon as potted4 ,this is all wrong4 ,storage in a cool1 dark room until roots have formed is absolutely necessary to success4 ,the reason for it is plain if we stop to think that the bulbs must have roots before they can make a satisfactory growth of top4 ,roots first1 flowers afterward4 ,as a general thing bulbs will have to remain in cold storage at least six weeks before it will be safe to bring them to the windows in which they are to bloom4 ,but no definite time can be assigned4 ,one must examine the plants from time to time1 and on no account should they be taken to the light until the pot is filled with roots and indications of top growth are seen4 ,it may sometimes be necessary to water them while in the dark room1 but as a general thing one watering--the one given at potting-time--will be sufficient4 ,too much water while in the dark may cause serious trouble4 ,but this1 like the length of time allowed for root formation1 is a matter that must be left largely to the good judgment of the grower4 ,when plants have been brought from the cellar1 or wherever they have been placed while roots were forming1 they should not be put into very warm rooms4 ,too much heat1 combined with the effects of light and water1 will result in rapid growth1 which is not a healthy one4 ,in warm rooms the flowers will be short-lived4 ,i have spoken of planting for a succession of bloom4 ,this is important if you want flowers throughout the winter4 ,pot a few at intervals of ten days or two weeks1 beginning the middle of ,september or first of ,october4 ,if this is done it is an easy matter to keep the window supplied with flowers from the holidays to the advent of spring4 ,a little calculation will enable one to plant enough to meet the demand and to regulate the planting intervals in such a manner as to bring about the succession necessary to cover the season4 ,what has been said above may seem so elaborate to the person who has never grown bulbs for winter flowering that it may give the impression that what is really a simple matter is too difficult for the amateur4 ,but if what ,i have written is read over carefully and given a little thought you will readily see1 ,i think1 that most of what ,i have said has been devoted to giving reasons for the treatment outlined1 so that the whys and wherefores may be understood4 ,and it will be seen that it all resolves itself into a very simple proposition--viz41 good stock1 good soil1 and cold storage until roots have formed--the three essentials spoken of at the beginning of this chapter4 ,nothing is required that the beginner in floriculture is not equal to4 ,potting the bulbs is a much simpler matter than potting a plant1 and the preparation of soil for them involves no more labor or skill than the preparation of a soil for a geranium to grow in4 ,now as to kinds to grow4 ,i advise the ,holland hyacinth1 preferably the single varieties2 the ,roman hyacinth1 the white variety only2 early tulips2 and five varieties of the narcissus--,van ,sion1 ,horsfeildii1 empress1 trumpet-major1 and paper-white--and the ,bermuda1 or1 as it is more commonly called1 ,easter lily4 ,the double ,holland hyacinths are too double to be pleasing to a person who likes individuality in a flower4 ,the ,roman hyacinth is more graceful than any other member of the family4 ,the early tulip is much surer to bloom well than any of the others described in the florist's catalogue4 ,the ,easter lily requires a treatment somewhat different from that advised for the other bulbs4 ,it sends forth two sets of roots1 one from the base of the bulb and one from the stalk sent up from the bulb4 ,in order to give each set of roots a chance we have to set the bulb deep down in the soil4 ,let the pot be only half filled with earth when the lily is put into it1 press it down as directed for the other bulbs1 and add no more soil until growth begins4 ,then1 as the stalk reaches up1 put more soil into the pot1 and continue to do this until it is full4 ,in this way give the two sets of roots the support they need4 ,if bone meal is used as a fertilizer1 be sure to get the finely ground article4 ,coarse bone meal is not what you need1 as it does not give an immediate effect4 ,,xiv ,,the ,,winter ,,window-,,garden ,in fall1 when we bring in the plants that have been growing out of doors during the summer1 they usually look healthy1 and we congratulate ourselves that we are likely to have a fine crop of flowers from them later on4 ,but soon we see some of their leaves turning yellow and falling off1 and though they may make considerable growth1 it is unsatisfactory because it is spindling and weak4 ,if buds form1 they are pretty sure to blight before reaching maturity1 and1 instead of having the fine1 floriferous plants we had counted on1 we have a window-garden that is more noticeable for its discouraged look than for anything else4 ,the owner of such a garden too often aims to remedy the unfavorable conditions which exist in it by applying some kind of fertilizer to her plants4 ,by doing this she simply makes a bad matter worse1 for the application of any kind of plant food to weak and debilitated plants is on a par with giving rich food to a person whose stomach is not in a condition to make proper use of it4 ,no fertilizer should ever be given to a plant that is not in healthy condition2 neither should it be given to dormant plants4 ,when active growth begins1 then1 and then only1 should they be stimulated to stronger growth by feeding them well4 ,but care must be taken to not overfeed them4 ,give only enough to bring about a vigorous growth1 but not a rapid one1 for that is pretty sure to be a weak one from which there will be a reaction by and by1 from which your over-stimulated plants will suffer severely4 ,most growers of house plants are too kind to them4 ,in this respect they are like a good many mothers who injure their children by over-indulgence through mistaken ideas of kindness4 ,in applying fertilizers1 begin by giving them in small quantities4 ,watch their effect upon the plants4 ,if their leaves increase in size and take on a rich color1 be satisfied that you are feeding your plants quite enough for their good4 ,the impression prevails to a considerable extent that by fertilizing plants we secure more flowers from them than we would be likely to do if no fertilizer was used4 ,such is not the case4 ,feed a plant rich food and it will be likely to make a vigorous growth of branches and foliage at the expense of flowers4 ,the aim should be to simply keep the plants growing well4 ,if this is done1 whatever flowers they produce will share in the general benefit of the application1 but they will not be increased in quantity by it4 ,one reason why the plants in the winter window-garden fail at the time when we think they ought to be doing their best is lack of fresh air4 ,if one stops to think about it one will not wonder that her plants have a sickly look4 ,we keep our windows closed tightly1 thus keeping out the air that the plants need1 and we put storm-doors on every entrance4 ,in fact1 we do everything in our power1 seemingly1 to prevent fresh air from getting to them1 and then we wonder why our plants do not flourish4 ,we lose sight of the fact that plants breathe1 the same as human beings do4 ,a little intelligent consideration of the conditions under which we undertake to grow them ought to convince us of the mistake we make in expecting them to do well without a regular supply of fresh air4 ,while it is well to make the windows at which plants are kept tight enough to prevent draughts of cold air from coming in upon them1 it is not only advisable but absolutely necessary1 if we would grow healthy plants1 to give them a liberal supply of fresh air every day1 and preferably several times a day4 ,this can be done by opening a door or a window at some distance from them1 and letting fresh1 pure air rush into and fill the room4 ,if possible1 let down a window a few inches from the top on the side of the room opposite from where the air comes in1 to allow the vitiated air of the room to readily escape before the onrush of outdoor air4 ,in this way it is an easy matter to completely change the character of the air in a room in a few minutes1 and in doing it we benefit the human occupants of the room quite as much as we do the plants in it4 ,if the owner of every window-garden would make it a daily practice to give her plants an air-bath she would be surprised at the speedy improvement that would be noticeable in them4 ,we weaken our plants1 as we do ourselves1 by keeping the temperature of our rooms too high4 ,we are not satisfied with a comfortable warmth4 ,we want heat enough to keep us constantly conscious of it by its intensity4 ,this is all wrong from the health point of view4 ,what ought to be done is to install a thermometer in every room1 and so regulate the amount of heat that all are kept at summer warmth by arranging for a system of ventilation that will act automatically when the thermometer goes above a certain point4 ,this system is speedily coming into general use1 and gives most excellent satisfaction4 ,where it is not in use1 the temperature can be kept somewhere near where it ought to be by opening doors or windows from time to time1 as already spoken of4 ,keep in mind that too much heat and too little fresh air will kill almost any plant in time1 and the two1 working together1 will1 nine times out of ten1 make any window-garden a comparative failure4 ,care must be taken in watering plants in winter4 ,those which are dormant1 or are making but little growth1 will require very little water4 ,those in active growth will need more4 ,the only way to tell how much to give is to watch your plants closely1 and observe the effect of the applications given4 ,when the surface of the soil takes on a dry look it is safe to conclude that the roots of the plant in the pot have made use of most of the moisture in it1 and that more water should be given4 ,then give enough to make the soil moist all through1 and withhold further applications until the dry look appears again4 ,never form the habit of watering your plants every time you happen to think about it1 and then apply just enough to make the soil look wet on its surface4 ,if this is done you will never grow good plants1 for only the surface roots will get the moisture they need4 ,have a stated time for watering1 and let the appearance of the soil govern the amount used4 ,,xv ,,the ,,insect ,,enemies ,,of ,,plants ,every woman who attempts to grow flowers in the house will sooner or later have to wage warfare against insects4 ,perhaps the first battle will have to be fought with the aphis1 or plant-louse4 ,this insect sucks the sap--the life-blood of the plant--from stalk and leaf1 and soon1 if let alone1 it will exhaust the vitality of the plant to a degree that is wholly incompatible with health4 ,in fact1 if allowed to have its way1 it will kill your plants1 for it propagates its species with such rapidity that a plant will soon be literally covered with them4 ,we used to kill off these insects by fumigating the plants infested with them with tobacco smoke1 and in doing it we made ourselves about as sick as the insects were1 and the nauseating fumes of it clung to everything in and about the house for days4 ,nowadays we make use of the nicotine principle of tobacco in our warfare against the aphis1 but in a manner that leaves out the objectionable features of fumigation4 ,tobacco manufacturers have prepared an extract of the nicotine in the plant1 and put it on the market under the name of nicoticide4 ,all we have to do when we want to make use of it is to put a small quantity in water1 and spray our plants with the mixture4 ,every aphis that it touches will die1 and those that it fails to reach will take the hint that they are not wanted and that their presence will not long be tolerated1 and the first you know they will have disappeared4 ,instead of waiting for the attack of the enemy ,i consider it good policy to anticipate it by frequent applications of the tobacco-bath4 ,it will be found easier to keep the enemy away than to rout it after it has established itself on your plants4 ,the red spider is another insect that does deadly work in the window-garden1 especially in rooms where the temperature is high and there is little moisture in the air--a condition that generally prevails in the ordinary living-room4 ,this pest is so small that its presence is seldom suspected until considerable injury has been done to the plants it works on4 ,if you notice that leaves are turning yellow and dropping off1 and that more and more of them fall each day1 you had better look into the matter4 ,examine some of the fallen leaves4 ,if you find tiny webs on the under side of them you may be quite sure that the spider is responsible for the condition your plants are in4 ,look at some of the leaves that are yellowing1 but have not yet let go their hold1 and you will be quite likely to find little red specks on them4 ,these specks resemble grains of fine ,cayenne pepper more than anything else4 ,watch them for a while and you will find that they are living organisms4 ,it seems hardly possible that such tiny creatures can do much harm to a strong plant1 but the fact is that there is no more voracious enemy of plant life in existence4 ,here the tobacco-bath does not come in play4 ,cold water is all the insecticide we need4 ,spray it over every portion of the infested plants daily1 until they again take on a healthy look and begin to grow4 ,the spider will not stay long in a moist atmosphere4 ,make it moist and keep it so by the liberal use of water sprayed upon your plants1 and you will have very little trouble with this dangerous pest4 ,but if you neglect to use water regularly and freely the probabilities are that your window-garden will look rather sickly by spring4 ,scale is an insect that often attacks plants having thick1 firm-textured foliage1 like the oleander1 lemon1 ivy1 ficus1 and palm4 ,it is a flat creature1 looking more like a fish-scale than anything else1 hence its name4 ,it attaches itself to the leaf and sucks the life out of it4 ,the best weapon to fight this enemy with is an emulsion made as follows3 shave thinly half a pound of white soap2 pour a little water over it and set it on the stove to liquefy4 ,when the soap is melted1 add to it a pint of water and bring to a boil4 ,when boiling1 add a teacupful of kerosene and three tablespoonfuls of the tobacco extract4 ,these ingredients1 under the effect of heat1 will form an emulsion that will unite readily with water4 ,use in the proportion of one part emulsion to fifteen parts water4 ,apply to the infested plants with a soft cloth or a camel's-hair brush4 ,be sure that some of it gets to all parts of the plant4 ,two or three applications may be necessary4 ,prepare a quantity of it and keep it on hand for use when needed4 ,the emulsion spoken of above is an excellent remedy for the ills the rose is heir to during the early part of the season4 ,if ,paris green is sprayed onto the plants the foliage is frequently burned by it4 ,if kerosene is mixed with water and applied1 the oil will seldom emulsify perfectly with the water1 and wherever a drop of it falls on leaf or bud it will do quite as much damage as would the bug or worm you are fighting4 ,hellebore is never to be depended on4 ,the kerosene-tobacco-soap emulsion will be found safe and effective4 ,worms in the soil of pot plants can be got rid of by the use of lime-water4 ,put a piece of perfectly fresh lime as large as the ordinary coffee-cup in ten quarts of water4 ,if fresh1 as it must be to be of any benefit1 the water will seem to boil for a little while4 ,by and by a white sediment will settle to the bottom of the vessel1 and the water above will be clear4 ,pour this off and apply enough of it to each plant to saturate all the soil in the pot4 ,plug up the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot before the application is made1 that the water may be retained long enough to do its work4 ,repeat the application if necessary4 ,,xvi ,,gardening ,,for ,,children ,if you want to keep children out of mischief give them a little garden4 ,one that they can call their own will afford them far more pleasure than they get out of working in your garden4 ,of course they will not be expected to go ahead with garden work at first and make much success at it without assistance from some one1 and by object-lessons1 but they will soon master the fundamental points of it1 and when they have done that they will surprise you by the facility with which they pick up the information that grows out of their early experience and the amount of work that they will accomplish all by themselves4 ,and you will be pleased to see how interested they are in the new undertaking4 ,it will not seem like work to them4 ,it will be play1 and play of such a healthy character that you can well afford to ignore soiled clothes1 and hands that have caught the grime of the soil1 and faces on which sweat and soil have met on common ground and formed an intimate partnership4 ,the healthy color of the faces of the children who work out of doors1 and the excellent appetites that they bring to the table1 will convince you that gardening is the best of all tonics for them4 ,and you will be gratified to know that they are learning more from the great book of ,nature than they would ever learn in the schools4 ,they are learning things at first hand1 for ,nature will take charge of the little pupils and not trust her kindergarten work to an assistant4 ,nine children out of ten who have a garden to work in will become more interested in it than in all the fairy-books that were ever written4 ,for are not the processes of germination and growth going on before their eyes akin to magic8 ,the miracle of life is being performed before them every day1 and they are taking part in it4 ,that is what will make it so delightful to them4 ,they have formed a partnership with ,nature in miracle-making4 ,parents who have only a hazy notion of garden-work may think themselves incompetent to teach their children4 ,but if they set out to do so they will soon find that they are daily learning enough to make them safe teachers for the little folks4 ,and the best of it will be that they themselves are getting quite as much good and pleasure out of it as the children are4 ,give the boys and girls good tools to work with4 ,never ask them to make use of those you have worn out or found worthless4 ,something quite as good as you would provide for yourself is what should be provided for them4 ,they will appreciate a good thing1 be very sure1 and the fact that they have it will be one of the best possible incentives to work4 ,supply them with good seed4 ,and do not fail to encourage them by giving all the credit justly due them for what they accomplish4 ,children like to know that their efforts are properly appreciated4 ,we grownups and the children are very much alike in that respect4 ,,xvii ,,home ,,and ,,garden ,,conveniences ,there are many ways in which work in the garden and about the home can be varied in such a manner as to give a variety of comparatively new and pleasing effects with so little trouble and expense that the amateur gardener and home-maker who would like something new will1 ,i feel sure1 be delighted to undertake some of them4 ,one is a floral awning for the windows which are exposed to strong sunshine4 ,a frame is made of lath1 the width of the window and half its depth1 by nailing four of the strips together in a square and then fastening other strips across it in a diamond or lattice fashion4 ,attach this frame to the top of the window-casing by door-butts4 ,then push the lower part of it away from the window until you have it at the angle at which a cloth awning would hang when dropped1 and support it in that position by running strips of wood from each corner to the sides of the window-frame4 ,if such vines as morning-glory1 flowering bean1 and cypress are trained up each side of the window until they reach these supports1 it will be an easy matter to coax them up them and from them to the awning's framework1 which they will soon cover with foliage and flowers4 ,such an awning will be found quite as satisfactory as one of cloth1 so far as shade is concerned1 and1 as for beauty1 there is no comparison between them1 for the ordinary awning of striped cloth is never ornamental4 ,a floral awning is to the upper part of the window what the window-box of plants is to the lower portion of it1 and the two can be used in combination with most delightful results4 ,indeed1 they belong together1 and one without the other only half carries out the scheme of window decoration4 ,such awnings will be found as satisfactory for exposed doors as for windows4 ,the boys of the family--or the women of it--can make them and put them in place1 and the cost of them will be so small1 compared with their ornamental and practical value1 that one season's trial of them will make them permanent features of home-beautifying thereafter4 ,i would advise planing the strips of lath and giving the frames a coat of green or white paint before putting them in place4 ,green paint will make them unobtrusive1 and white will give a pleasing color contrast4 ,if they are taken down in fall and stored in a dry place over winter they will last for a good many seasons4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as a general thing the front gate1 if there is one1 is not particularly ornamental4 ,but it can easily be made so by setting posts ten or twelve feet tall at either side1 and attaching to the top of them a double awning-frame similar to that advised for windows4 ,let these frames meet at the top and slope outward and downward1 roof fashion1 and have supports running to each outer corner from the posts4 ,when vines are trained up the posts and over the frames1 and are allowed to droop in graceful festoons of foliage and flower from them1 the effect will be charming4 ,here is where the wild cucumber--the most rapid climber of all our annuals--will be able to do most effective work4 ,i would advise the use of hardy vines for positions of this kind1 as they will be attractive from the beginning of the season1 while an annual has to be given considerable time to grow before it becomes equal to the task assigned it4 ,garden-seats ought to be a feature of all home grounds large enough to admit of them4 ,and these seats can be made as ornamental as the gateway just described by providing them with awnings large enough to afford complete shade4 ,of course1 where there are trees to furnish shade such awnings will not be needed--and the logical place for a garden-seat is under a tree1 if there is one--but on grounds where there are no trees to furnish shade1 such protection from the heat of summer sunshine as these awnings will afford becomes more a necessity than a luxury4 ,as it is1 they are both ornamental and useful1 and the ease and cheapness with which they are made commends them to all who believe in the value of little things in making home attractive and pleasant4 99 99 99 99 99 ,often it is desirable to furnish certain portions of the home grounds with screens large enough to shut off the public view4 ,these should have frames of a size that guarantees strength4 ,lath put on in lattice fashion will make a good covering for them1 but it will not be strong enough to insure durability in itself1 hence the necessity of a more substantial framework4 ,it is always advisable to paint them before covering them with vines4 ,as screens of this kind are generally built with a view to permanence1 ,i would advise covering them with hardy vines1 like ampelopsis1 ,clematis flammula and ,c4 paniculata1 aristolochia1 or trumpet honeysuckle4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if low screens are wanted anywhere about the place1 as a dividing factor between the flower and vegetable gardens1 for instance1 sweet-peas will make a charming covering for them4 ,large screens that are intended to separate the ornamental portions of the home grounds from the not generally attractive yards at the rear can be made extremely effective by training rambler roses over them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one of the most attractive features about the home of the author of this book is the fence which divides it from the property of his next-door neighbor4 ,when the lawn was made1 cedar posts were set along one side of it1 and on these woven-wire netting was stretched4 ,this netting was about four feet wide and of a rather heavy grade of wire4 ,small plants of ampelopsis were set out along it1 about twenty feet apart4 ,as fast as branches were thrown out they were trained out and in through the meshes of the netting4 ,in one season the plants made enough growth to meet one another1 and the second season the netting was completely covered4 ,the result has been extremely satisfactory4 ,throughout the summer this fence has the appearance of a closely clipped hedge of luxuriant green4 ,in fall it is a mass of scarlet and crimson1 quite as brilliant as the bed of geraniums near by4 ,it is vastly more ornamental than a fence of wood or iron1 and makes an entirely satisfactory substitute for a hedge that it would take years to grow4 ,in some respects it is more satisfactory than such a hedge would be1 as it requires no annual shearing to keep it in proper shape and condition4 ,,xviii ,,garden ,,don',,ts ,don't let your springtime enthusiasm lead you to undertake more than you feel quite sure of being able to carry out4 ,keep in mind the fact that there will be work to do all through the season in order to make your garden a success1 and think over what the result will be if you fail to give your plants all the care they need after you have got them well under way4 ,don't give them a chance to say that you haven't given them fair treatment because your enthusiasm waned with the season4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't attempt to grow all the plants that the florists describe so attractively in their catalogues4 ,concentrate your efforts on the best ones--that is1 the ones best adapted to amateur gardening4 ,give these the best possible care4 ,this advice applies with equal pertinence to all phases of gardening1 outdoors or indoors4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't pattern your garden after your neighbor's4 ,think out original features for the garden you propose to make1 if you choose to do so1 but don't aim to be so extremely original that the originality of it will attract more attention than the flowers in it4 ,these should receive first consideration always4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't waste your time on carpet-bedding unless you make use of plants with colored foliage in carrying out your designs4 ,flowering plants are practically worthless for this purpose1 as they have such a tendency to reach out beyond the limits assigned them that all distinctness in the outline of your pattern will soon be lost sight of4 ,about all that seems worth while for the amateur gardener to do in the arrangement of her plant is to so use them that strong masses of color can be produced4 ,if care is taken to choose those of harmonious colors1 these can be so arranged as to heighten the general effect by contrast4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't set out to have a garden or to grow house plants unless you have the true gardening instinct4 ,by that ,i mean a love for plants and flowers that would make you attempt to grow them under circumstances which your own judgment tells you make success impossible4 ,the woman who tries to grow a geranium in a tin can in a window four or five stories up in the air because of her love for flowers would be almost sure to make a splendid success of a garden on the ground if she had one4 ,but the woman who attempts to grow a plant because her neighbors do so1 and who is honest enough to say to herself that it's more bother than it's worth1 will fail because she lacks the true incentive4 ,such persons ought not to undertake the cultivation of flowers4 ,they cannot grow them with any degree of success1 for flowers know who loves them1 and will absolutely refuse to flourish under the care of those who do not want them for their own sweet sakes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't fill your windows to overflowing4 ,give each plant enough elbow-room to admit of its displaying its charms effectively4 ,a crowded plant is never a symmetrical one1 and one really symmetrical is worth a score of poorly shaped ones4 ,the fact is1 a window of ordinary size cannot satisfactorily accommodate more than eight or ten plants of ordinary size without crowding4 ,there should be space enough between them to allow the sunshine to get to all portions of them4 ,a free circulation of air among them is quite important4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't be a plant-beggar4 ,by that ,i do not mean that you are not to swap plants with your neighbors if it is mutually agreeable to do so4 ,when ,i speak of a plant-beggar ,i have in mind the person who depends upon her plant-growing friends for enough plants to keep her window well stocked1 and her garden also4 ,as soon as she discovers that you have a plant that she would like she does not hesitate to ask for a root or a cutting of it4 ,she never stops to think that you are trying to grow the plant for your own pleasure4 ,it doesn't matter to her how much it interferes with its satisfactory development in complying with her request4 ,if she gets what she wants she is satisfied4 ,the probabilities are that when her plant gets to be as large as yours was when she asked you to divide it with her she'll not hesitate to refuse the woman who suggests that she'd like one just like it--won't you let me have a slip8 ,that there are persons quite as selfish as this cannot be denied4 ,but they ought not to be encouraged4 ,don't gratify them in their unreasonable demands simply because you are afraid of being considered small and stingy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't fail to have a corner in your garden devoted expressly to plants from which to cut for friends and the sick and shut-ins4 ,perhaps it is more a fancy of mine than anything else1 but it has always seemed to me that plants grown for this purpose know what use they are to be put to and do their best in order to help carry out the plan of the person who grows them4 ,if we who have all the flowers of our own that we care for could only know what a vast amount of pleasure we can give our less fortunate neighbors by dividing our supply with them1 we would be more liberal than we are4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't keep fuchsias in the window in winter1 for they are not winter-flowering plants1 and the space they will occupy might better be given up to plants from which we can reasonably expect blossoms4 ,they should go into the cellar in ,november1 along with oleanders1 hydrangeas1 chrysanthemums1 and plants of similar habit1 there to remain until ,march4 ,then they can be brought to the light1 watered1 and again started into growth4 ,it is well to cut most plants that have been wintered in the cellar back at least half1 and allow them to renew most of their branches4 ,while in cold storage they should be given just enough water to prevent the soil from becoming really dry1 and no more4 ,keep them in the dark1 if possible1 and in a cool place4 ,do not allow the temperature to go below the frost-point1 however4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't think because you have only a little bit of ground that it isn't worth while to attempt having a garden4 ,some of the most delightful gardens ,i have ever seen were small ones4 ,you will be surprised to find how many plants can be grown in a very small space4 ,utilize all the nooks and corners about the place for plants4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't depend on home-grown seed if you want the best in flowers4 ,the seedsman knows just what to do to secure the best results in seed1 and just how to do it4 ,he also knows what not to do in raising seed for the market1 and this the amateur gardener really knows nothing about4 ,while we often grow fine flowers from seed of our saving1 the fact remains that home-grown seed seldom gives entire satisfaction to the person who wants the best4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't invest your money in new plants until you are satisfied that they have all the merit claimed for them4 ,as a general thing1 the novelties sent out every spring at a high price are greatly inferior to the good old stand-bys4 ,we seldom hear anything about them after the second season4 ,put your money into plants that you know can be depended on4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't attempt the culture of hanging-plants unless you are willing to give them the care they must have in order to be satisfactory4 ,plants suspended in the window1 where the temperature is considerably higher than at the sill1 speedily dry out1 and after this has happened a few times they become diseased and finally die4 ,it will be necessary to apply water daily and in sufficient quantity to saturate all the soil in the pot or basket4 ,because it requires special effort on the part of the owner to get to suspended plants1 they are generally neglected4 ,it is a most excellent plan to have them arranged in such a manner that they can be let down into a tub of water and left there until the soil has absorbed all the water it can retain4 ,this can be done by cords running over pulleys in the ceiling4 ,try it4 ,hanging-plants are always pleasing when healthily grown1 and the window-garden that is without them is not living up to its privileges4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't fuss with your plants too much4 ,see that they get all the water they need1 as much sunshine as possible1 plenty of fresh air1 an occasional application of some good fertilizer1 and shower them frequently to keep them clean1 and be satisfied with this treatment4 ,they object to being treated as some mothers treat their children1 who would be much better off if they were let alone after actual wants were provided for4 ,don't coddle your plants4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't start dahlias into growth in the house early in the season1 thinking that you are going to get the start of the season by so doing4 ,we used to think that1 because the dahlia came from a country where the summer was long1 we must get it to growing in ,march or ,april1 and we set the tubers out in pots and boxes and forced them to make a rapid and weak growth so early in the season that long before it was safe to put them out in the garden they were poor1 spindling things1 with just enough vitality in them to make it possible to say that they were alive4 ,when they were planted out the change from indoors to outdoors had such a debilitating effect on them that for weeks they were undecided whether to live or die4 ,if they lived we considered ourselves fortunate if we got a dozen flowers from each plant4 ,nowadays we understand the plant better4 ,we don't attempt to start it in the house4 ,we wait until the weather and the ground are warm and then we plant the tubers in the garden where they are to grow and bloom4 ,we make the soil very rich4 ,the plants begin to grow shortly after being planted1 and in late ,august they come into bloom1 and all through ,september they yield such a profusion of flowers as we never thought of getting from the plants when grown after the old method4 ,the dahlia is one of our very best late-summer flowering plants when well grown4 ,it must have a rich soil--it must not be allowed to get dry at the roots at any time--and it must be given substantial support1 as its stalks are extremely brittle and easily broken down by hard winds and heavy rains4 ,dahlias are very effective when planted in the border among shrubs and perennials4 ,there are few plants with a wider range of rich and brilliant color4 ,by all means give them a place in your garden4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't sow hollyhock seed in the spring expecting to get flowers from your plants the same season4 ,they will not bloom the first year from seed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't allow your pansies to bloom--or try to bloom--during the hot1 dry1 midsummer season4 ,they may produce some flowers1 but they will be so inferior in quality that you will get no pleasure from them4 ,i would advise cutting away all the old branches the latter part of ,july and encouraging the plants to renew themselves preparatory to fall flowering4 ,if this is done1 and strong1 healthy growth results from the liberal application of a good fertilizer during ,august1 you may expect a generous crop of large1 fine flowers all through the autumn4 ,if it is not done1 and the plants are allowed to keep on trying to grow through the trying period of late summer1 you will get few flowers and no really good ones4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't allow any plant to develop seed if you want it to keep on blooming after its first flowering period4 ,the aim of all plants is to reproduce themselves1 and this can only be done by seed development4 ,if we interfere with the ordinary process of seed production by cutting away all flowers as soon as they begin to fade1 the plants will at once make another effort to perpetuate their kind1 and1 as the first step in this direction is the production of flowers1 it will be readily seen that it is possible to make many of them bloom all through the season4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't expect good flowers of any kind unless you are willing to give them the care and attention they require4 ,if you are not willing to do this1 or if1 for any reason1 you cannot do it1 don't attempt gardening4 ,have enough regard for the flowers to not undertake their culture unless you can do them justice4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't throw away plants of any kind4 ,somebody will always be glad to get those you have no use for4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't neglect a plant to-day and think you can make up for that neglect by being very good to it to-morrow4 ,plants must receive care when it is needed1 and this care should be given regularly1 instead of spasmodically1 to be effective4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't begin to water your plants in your garden in a dry season unless you can keep on doing so as long as the dry spell lasts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't fail to keep close watch of your asters4 ,of late years many failures have resulted from the attack of a black beetle1 which comes from no one knows where--comes so suddenly and does such deadly work in so short a time that the plants are often ruined before the presence of the pest is suspected4 ,there is but one way of getting rid of this pest1 and that is to make use of nicoticide1 the standard remedy for all plant troubles of this kind4 ,a small quantity of this extract of tobacco1 diluted with water and sprayed over all portions of each plant1 will effectually rout the enemy if applied promptly and thoroughly4 ,unless something is done as soon as the beetle is discovered1 it will destroy every plant4 ,be on the lookout for it constantly1 acting on the supposition that it will be sure to put in an appearance some time during the summer4 ,get ready in advance for prompt action against it by laying in a supply of the insecticide at the beginning of the summer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't think that your house plants need repotting two or three times a year if they are growing in good-sized pots4 ,once a year is quite often enough if you apply fertilizers at intervals of four or five months4 ,plants in small pots may outgrow their quarters1 and these should be shifted to those of larger size when they have filled the old ones with roots4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't make the mistake of putting small plants in large pots1 thinking that they will be benefited by it4 ,wait for them to signify a desire for more room by filling all the soil of a small pot with roots4 ,a plant with a small1 weak root-system is often seriously injured by giving it a large pot to grow in1 as it is not in a condition to make use of all the nutriment in a large amount of soil4 ,a plant treated in this manner will often develop a sort of vegetable dyspepsia as a result of giving it more food than it can digest properly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't be in too great a hurry to obtain results4 ,some persons think to accomplish this by frequent applications of strong fertilizers in large quantities4 ,this will force plants to a rapid and always unhealthy growth1 from which1 later on1 there is sure to be a most discouraging reaction4 ,be content with a healthy growth1 and give your plants a chance to make that naturally4 ,more plants are injured by overfeeding than from any other cause4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't think that you can learn all there is to know about gardening from books4 ,books will furnish the theory4 ,you must contribute experience in order to attain success4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't neglect your plants while they are growing4 ,then is just the time to give them the training that is necessary to make them shapely4 ,the fact is1 plants are very much like children in the family4 ,let them have their own way about everything while they are growing up and you will find that when they have grown up they are not at all like what you would like to have them1 in many respects1 and you don't see how you are going to make them conform to your ideas of what they ought to be1 since it is impossible to make children of them again and give you another chance at their development4 ,begin with the training of your plants while they are small1 and train them as they grow4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't treat all your plants alike4 ,study their peculiarities and give them such treatment as will fit those peculiarities4 ,to illustrate this idea3 a calla likes a good deal of water2 a geranium is satisfied with a moderately moist soil2 a cactus does best when allowed to get really dry at certain seasons4 ,if we were to treat these three plants alike1 what do you suppose the result would be8 ,don't ignore the peculiarities of your plants if you want them to do well4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't neglect to prepare for an annual invasion of your roses by bugs1 worms1 and insects4 ,you can safely count on their coming1 but if you are prepared for it you can speedily put the enemy to rout4 ,the best plan is to act on the offensive4 ,head off the pests by making applications of nicoticide before they make their appearance4 ,you can do this1 for1 if their advance-agent arrives and finds the tang of tobacco all over the plants1 he will go back and advise the others to seek more agreeable quarters4 ,begin to spray your bushes early in the season1 and keep on doing so until after the flowering period is over4 ,there will be no likelihood of an invasion after that1 as the enemies of the rose do their deadly work early in the season4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't get the idea for a moment1 as so many do1 that all you need to do to have a fine lot of plants is to put some soil--any kind that happens to be handiest--in a pot1 set out a plant in it1 and1 presto6 you will have just as fine a lot of plants as your neighbor who searches here and there and everywhere until she finds just the kind of soil that experience tells her the plants must have if she would have good ones4 ,she gives some of her time daily to caring for them1 while you expect your plants to take care of themselves4 ,that will never answer4 ,if you do your share of the work the plants will do theirs1 but you must not expect them to do all1 any more than you must expect them to make a strong1 healthy growth in a soil that is unsuited to their requirements or sadly lacking in nutriment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't build up a great fire in stove or furnace if you discover that your plants have been nipped by frost1 thinking to save them by thawing them out4 ,heat at such a time is the very thing needed to complete the misfortune4 ,put them at once in a room where the temperature can be kept just a little above the frost-point1 and shower them thoroughly with cold water4 ,this will extract the frost from them so gradually that it will be possible to save many of them unless they are badly frozen4 ,keep them in a cool room for three or four days4 ,it may be necessary to cut away most1 or all1 of the branches of some of them4 ,unless the degree of cold to which they were subjected was sufficient to freeze the soil in the pot1 many of them will throw up new shoots from their roots after a little2 therefore don't throw out a plant that has been obliged to part with all its top until it has been given a chance to make a new start in life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't put your house plants out of doors for the summer until the weather has become warm and can be depended on to remain so4 ,the first of ,june will be quite early enough4 99 99 99 99 99 ,don't plant them out in the garden-beds1 thinking thereby to save yourself the work of taking care of them during the summer and of benefiting them at the same time4 ,of course they will take care of themselves there1 and very likely make a much more luxuriant growth than they would in pots1 but when fall comes and you have to lift and repot them you will find that more hard work is required of you than you would have expended on them throughout the summer if you had kept them in pots4 ,as for the benefit to the plants--where will it come in8 ,they will have made such a rampant growth of roots that most of them will have to be sacrificed in reducing the earth containing them to the size of the pots you put them into1 and this at the very time when the poor plants ought to be at their best in order to successfully withstand the unfavorable conditions resulting from the change from outdoors to indoors4 ,plants treated in this manner receive a check that they seldom fully recover from during the entire winter4 ,instead of saving yourself work and doing a kindness to your plants1 you have done just the contrary4 ,,xix ,a ,,chapter ,,of ,,helpful ,,hints ,in some of the foregoing chapters ,i have had something to say about the advisability of using seed in which each color is kept by itself in order to secure the greatest possible degree of color-harmony in the garden4 ,many persons tell us that they cannot afford to pay the extra prices which the seedsmen put on unmixed seed4 ,it is true that it costs more than the seed in which all colors are jumbled together1 and it is also true that plants grown from it are really no better than those grown from mixed seed1 but the fact remains that it gives so much more satisfactory results1 from an artistic standpoint1 that it is not throwing money away1 as some claim1 to make use of it4 ,of course if one gets as much pleasure from a mass of color without regard to harmony as from fewer colors all in perfect harmony with one another1 it would hardly be worth while to invest more money in such seed4 ,but where the finest possible effects are desired ,i contend that unmixed seed is cheapest1 in that sense of the term that means the greatest satisfaction4 ,there is a way by which unmixed seed can be obtained without its really costing each person more than mixed seed4 ,every amateur gardener knows that more plants of a kind can be grown from one package of seed than a person cares for in the average-sized garden4 ,nine times out of ten only part of the seed in the package is sown and the rest is either discarded or given away to friends4 ,now if those who would like to secure the best results in gardening will get up a seed club among their flower-loving friends1 and confine their selection to packages in which each color is by itself1 the seed in those packages can be divided among the various members of the club1 and each person will have enough to meet her requirements1 and this at a less price than she would have to pay for ordinary mixed seed if she were to order alone1 because none of the seed would be wasted4 ,try the seed-club plan for a season and see if it doesn't work out to your satisfaction4 ,if you are likely to have more plants of a kind than you care for1 don't throw any of the seedlings away when you thin them out4 ,there are poor children in every neighborhood that would be delighted to get them4 ,never waste any plants that are worth growing4 ,if a plant is wanted for low beds under the windows of the dwelling or near the paths1 portulacca is about as satisfactory as anything ,i know of4 ,it blooms with great profusion throughout the entire season4 ,its colors range from pure white through pink1 yellow1 and violet to dark crimson4 ,it is a plant that seems to delight in locations exposed to the hottest sunshine1 and in soils so lacking in moisture that ordinary plants would live but a short time in it4 ,it is enabled to do this because of the succulent nature of its foliage4 ,indeed1 the portulacca is a vegetable salamander so far as its ability to stand heat and drought is concerned4 ,those who have had experience with purslane in the vegetable garden will understand something about the nature of this plant1 for the two are closely related4 ,in furnishing support for vines that clamber over the walls of the house1 do not use strips of cloth1 as so many do4 ,the cloth is good for a season only4 ,after the vines have become large and heavy their weight will be sufficient to tear the cloth loose from the tacks that held it in place1 especially after a heavy rain or in strong winds1 and down will come the plant4 ,it will be found impossible to put it back in place in anything like a satisfactory manner4 ,for supporting large1 stiff vines ,i make use of screw-hooks1 which are easily inserted in wooden walls4 ,turn the hooks in until there is just enough room between their points and the wall to admit of slipping the vine in4 ,not one vine in fifty will work loose from the grip of the hooks4 ,some vines are not adapted to this treatment4 ,these ,i support by using strips of leather instead of cloth4 ,the leather should be soaked in oil for twenty-four hours before using1 to make it pliable and water-resisting4 ,do not use small tacks1 as these do not have sufficient hold on the wood to make them dependable4 ,use nails at least an inch long1 with good-sized heads4 ,some persons object to the use of vines about the house1 especially if it is of wood1 claiming that they retain moisture to such an extent as to soon injure the walls4 ,i have convinced myself that facts are directly contrary to this theory4 ,the overlapping leaves act as shingles--shedding rain and preventing it from getting to the walls against which the vines are trained4 ,try to interest the children in the making of a fern-garden and a collection of native plants4 ,a little encouragement at the beginning will do this1 and after the project is well under way it will not need encouraging1 for the little folks will be so fascinated by it that there will be little likelihood of their abandoning the undertaking4 ,take half a dozen or more children to the woods with you1 with baskets in which to bring home their specimens4 ,show them how to take up the plants in such a manner that a considerable amount of soil will adhere to their roots4 ,help them pack them snugly into the baskets to prevent their being shaken about in transit1 thereby losing the soil taken up with them4 ,if the day happens to be a warm and sunny one1 have them sprinkle the plants and pack some wet moss about them to keep them as fresh as possible until they can be planted in the home garden4 ,discourage them from taking large plants in preference to small ones1 as they will most likely be eager to do4 ,explain that the small ones stand the best chance of living1 and that nothing is gained by choosing large ones1 because these will be sure to lose their foliage1 and that1 even if they live1 which nine out of ten will not1 they will receive such a check by removal that the small plants will soon get the start of them4 ,it will greatly add to the pleasure of plant-collecting if you make a kind of picnic excursion of it4 ,take along something good to eat1 and spend half a day in the woods1 if possible4 ,you will enjoy it as much as the children will4 ,don't dig your plants1 however1 until you are about ready to start for home1 for it is quite important that they should be planted as soon as possible after being taken up4 ,when they are set out1 water them well and shade them for several days4 ,give all plants taken from shady places a location as nearly like that from which they were taken as possible4 ,a fern that grew in shade will be pretty sure to die if planted in a place fully exposed to the sun4 ,it helps matters very much if you can have a load of woods earth drawn to the home garden to plant these children of the forest in4 ,they do not take kindly to loam1 after having been grown in loose1 porous soil1 though many of them are strong enough to adapt themselves to ordinary garden conditions4 ,i know of many neighborhoods in which clubs for collecting native plants have been formed1 and the children who are in these clubs have become intensely interested in their gardens of native plants4 ,this is as it should be1 for we have many beautiful wild flowers that are better worth growing than foreign kinds for which large prices are asked4 ,pride in our home plants ought to be encouraged1 and there is no better way of doing this than by interesting the boys and girls in the making of a wild garden4 ,the tuberose is a plant which everybody admires1 but which is seldom seen in amateur gardeners' collections4 ,i think the general impression is that it is not an easy plant to grow4 ,such is not the case1 however4 ,it can be grown successfully by any one who is willing to give it a little attention4 ,tubers should be obtained in ,march or ,april4 ,they should be planted in pots containing sandy garden loam into which a liberal amount of good fertilizer has been thoroughly worked4 ,if the tubers are small1 two or three can be put into each seven-inch pot used4 ,before planting them the mass of dried roots which will generally be found adhering to the base of the tuber should be cut away with a thin1 sharp-bladed knife4 ,if this is not done1 these roots often decay and the diseased condition will be communicated to the tuber and cause it to die1 or1 if death does not result1 to become so unhealthy that it will fail to bloom4 ,the plants can be turned out of their pots when the weather becomes warm1 and grown on in the garden through the summer1 but ,i would not advise this1 for it will be necessary to lift and pot them before frosty nights come1 as they are very tender1 and a little disturbance of their roots at this time may cause their buds to blast4 ,i would urge keeping them in pots throughout the season1 as1 if this is done1 you always have them under control4 ,the flowers of the tuberose are ivory-white in color4 ,they are of thick1 waxen texture1 and have that heavy1 rich fragrance that characterizes the magnolia and the cape jasmine of the ,south4 ,they are borne in a spike at the extremity of tall stalks1 thus being very effective for cutting4 ,because of their thick texture they last for a long time after cutting4 ,plants in pots remain in bloom for a month or six weeks4 ,every lover of deliciously fragrant flowers will do well to grow at least half a dozen of them to do duty in the window-garden in fall4 ,a second crop of flowers need not be expected from a tuber that has borne one crop4 ,in order to make sure of bloom it will be necessary to purchase fresh tubers each spring4 ,the abutilon is an old favorite among house plants1 and its popularity is well deserved4 ,it is of as easy culture as a geranium4 ,give it a good soil--preferably loam--drain its pot well1 keep the soil evenly moist but never wet1 and that is about all the care it will require4 ,it may be necessary to prune it now and then during its early stages of growth in order to secure symmetrical shape1 but this is easily done by pinching off the ends of such branches as seem inclined to get the start of others1 and keeping them from making more growth until the others have caught up with them4 ,pinching back branches that do not develop side shoots will generally result in their branching freely4 ,in this way you secure a bushy1 compact plant4 ,in order to make a little tree of the abutilon--and it is most satisfactory when grown in that manner--train it to one straight stalk until it reaches the height where you want the head to form4 ,allow no side branches to grow during this period of the plant's development4 ,when three or four feet tall1 nip off the top and keep it nipped off until as many branches as you think necessary have started at the top of the stalk4 ,allow none to grow below4 ,by persevering in this treatment you will succeed in getting a number of branches with which to form a treelike head4 ,there are several varieties of abutilon4 ,some have orange flowers1 some red1 some yellow1 some pink1 and some pure white4 ,these flowers are bell-shaped and pendent4 ,one name for the plant is the ,chinese bell-flower because of its bell-like blossoms4 ,another is flowering maple1 because of the resemblance in shape of its foliage to our native maple4 ,there are two or three varieties with beautifully variegated foliage in which green and white and yellow are about equally distributed4 ,i am always glad to speak a good word for this plant because of its beauty1 its ease of culture1 its constancy of bloom1 and the fact that it is seldom attacked by insects4 ,another most deserving old plant is the rose geranium4 ,this used to be found in nearly all collections of house plants4 ,it is as easily grown as the flowering geranium4 ,its foliage is very pleasing1 being as finely cut as some varieties of fern4 ,it is delightfully fragrant4 ,a leaf or two will be found a most desirable addition to a buttonhole or corsage bouquet4 ,it can be grown in tree form by giving it the pinching-back treatment advised for the abutilon1 or it can be grown as a bush by beginning the pinching process when it is only three or four inches high1 thus obliging it to throw out several stalks near the base of the plant4 ,old plants of oleander may easily be renewed when they have become so large as to be unwieldy1 or have outgrown the space that can be given up to them4 ,cut away all the branches to within four or five inches of the main stalk1 leaving nothing but a mass of stubs4 ,in a very short time new branches will be sent out4 ,there will be so many of them that it will be necessary to remove the larger share of them4 ,if this pruning is done in early spring1 when the plant is brought from cold storage1 the new growth ought to bear a crop of flowers in late summer4 ,the following season the plant should be literally covered with bloom during the greater part of summer1 these blossoms being as large and fine in all respects as those borne by the plant when young4 ,i know of no plant that is more tractable than this one1 and certainly we have few that are more beautiful4 ,large specimens are magnificent for porch and veranda decoration in summer4 ,in ,december they should go into the cellar1 to remain there until ,march4 ,plants with variegated foliage are becoming more in demand yearly4 ,japanese maize1 with long leaves striped with white and cream1 is very effective when grown in a mass in the center of a bed4 ,the ,japanese hop1 with foliage heavily marbled with creamy white1 is quite as attractive without flowers as many of our flowering vines are4 ,ricinus1 with enormous foliage of a lustrous coppery bronze1 will be found far more tropical in effect then the cannas and caladiums we see so much of nowadays4 ,the leaves of this plant often measure a yard across4 ,if you want it to be most effective1 plant it in some exposed place where it will have plenty of room to spread its branches4 ,from what ,i have said in a preceding chapter it will be readily understood that ,i am not an admirer of carpet-bedding except where plants with small1 richly colored foliage are made use of4 ,these can be pruned in such a manner as to keep each color inside its proper limit1 but flowering plants will straggle across the lines assigned them1 and all clearness of outline in the pattern will soon be lost4 ,but when plants are located with a view to securing color contrast1 very fine effects can be obtained from them4 ,a circular bed filled with pink1 white1 and pale-yellow phlox drummondii in rows of each color will be found pleasing1 and it has the merit of being easily made4 ,if a round bed has scarlet salvia for its center1 surrounded with yellow calliopsis1 or ,california poppy1 it will afford a mass of most intense color that will produce a most brilliant effect4 ,a bed of pink flowering geraniums--pink1 mind you1 not scarlet or any shade of red--bordered with lavender ageratum1 will be found extremely attractive if care is taken to cut away all trusses of bloom from the geraniums as soon as they have begun to fade4 ,if this is not done the bed will have a draggled1 slovenly effect4 ,scarlet salvia combined with euphorbia1 better known as snow-on-the-mountain1 will be found very effective1 the white and green of the euphorbia bringing out the scarlet of the salvia most vividly1 and affording such a strong contrast that a bed of these two plants will always challenge admiration4 ,the euphorbia will be found a very useful plant for almost any place in beds or borders where something seems needed to relieve the prevailing color4 ,it deserves more attention than it gets4 ,the impression seems to prevail that many plants ought to retain their old leaves indefinitely4 ,they will not do this1 however4 ,leaves ripen after a time1 and the plant will shed them1 as all deciduous plants shed theirs in fall4 ,therefore if you find the lower leaves on your ficus turning1 yellow and dropping1 don't be frightened4 ,the plant is simply going through one of the processes of nature4 ,but if a good many of the leaves fall all at once it will be well to look for some other explanation of the plant's action4 ,the loss of foliage may come from lack of moisture in the soil1 or the roots of the plant may be pot-bound4 ,examination will show if either is the case4 ,if the soil is found to be dry1 more water should be given4 ,if the pot is filled with roots1 repot the plant1 giving it more root room4 ,the owners of plants should take all these things into consideration before coming to any conclusion as to what the cause of trouble is4 ,unless they do so there will have to be guesswork relative to it1 and that is never safe or satisfactory4 ,trouble may come from overwatering1 or from lack of good drainage1 or a soil deficient in nutrition4 ,you see1 it is necessary to study these matters from several angles1 so to speak1 as the trouble complained of may have its origin in any one of the conditions mentioned1 and not much can be done to remedy matters until one has made an examination that brings to light the facts in the case4 ,these known1 it will be a comparatively easy matter to determine the treatment required1 for the conditions that are found to exist will1 to a great extent1 indicate in almost every instance the remedy needed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some good vines for window-box culture are3 ,madeira vine4--,heart-shaped foliage of a rich1 glossy green4 ,very rapid grower4 ,tradescantia4--,green1 green striped with white1 and olive striped with ,indian red4 ,quick grower4 ,vinca ,harrisonii4--,dark-green foliage1 edged with yellow4 ,senecio4--,more commonly known as ,german ivy4 ,pretty1 ivy-shaped foliage of a clear1 bright green4 ,very rapid grower4 ,needs frequent pinching back to make it branch freely4 ,glechoma4--,green1 variegated with bright yellow4 ,othonna4--,better known as pickle-plant because of its cylindrical foliage1 which resembles a miniature cucumber4 ,has pretty yellow flowers4 ,saxifraga4--,leaves of graying olive sprinkled with white4 ,ivy-leaved geraniums4--,there are many varieties1 some with pink1 some with white1 and others with red flowers4 ,these are excellent where flowering plants of drooping habit are desired4 ,a box edged with these plants1 especially the pink variety1 with white ,marguerites--better known as ,paris daisies--in the center1 will be found especially pleasing4 ,in window-boxes having a northern exposure such plants as ,boston and ,whitman fern1 asparagus plumosus1 asparagus ,sprengerii1 and any of the fibrous-rooted begonias will be found very effective4 ,these plants can be turned out of their pots and planted in the earth in the box1 or the pots in which they grow can be sunk in the soil4 ,this is in several respects the best way1 as in fall1 when the window-box has to be discontinued1 the plants will not have to be repotted4 ,petunias are excellent plants for window-box culture4 ,they can be made to grow in upright form by giving them a little support1 or they can be allowed to droop over the sides of the box4 ,a combination of purple and white varieties will be found pleasing4 ,this plant comes into bloom early in the season1 when grown from seed1 and it continues to bloom until cold weather comes4 ,,the ,,end ,,transcriber',s ,,note -,plain print and punctuation errors fixed4