or boxes. It must be light and fibrous, a condition best arrived at by
shaving off the under side of grass sods, and mixing with about twice
the amount of ordinary garden soil and a little fine sand. But as you
are not likely to have a store of sods, and the frozen condition of
the ground will make it difficult to get them, you must substitute
well-rotted cow manure. Have ordinary garden soil carried into some
place warm enough to dissipate all frost, then mix thoroughly with the
pulverised manure and sand. Pass through a fine sieve, and it will be
ready for use.
Even when the hotbed is used, it is better to have small boxes for the
different varieties of seeds, and stand them in the hotbed, instead of
sowing the seed directly in the bed itself, for some varieties take
longer than others to germinate, and it is a difficult problem to
ventilate and water a bed containing a miscellaneous assortment, but
when the seeds are in boxes, they can be removed from the bed during
the warm part of the day, and the difficulty is militated. Boxes should
be about two and a half inches deep, and have a few cracks or holes
in the bottom for drainage. Cover the bottom with a layer of coal
ashes, then fill to within a quarter of an inch of the top with the
potting-mould. Smooth it off evenly, water and stand in a warm place.
Within a few days there will be a crop of weed seedlings. Demolish
them, rewater and allow a few days to elapse on the chance of a second
crop appearing, after which it will be safe to do the planting. It is
a good scheme to use a flour or powdered-sugar shaker for very small
seeds, instead of trying to sow them by hand. When seeds are large
enough to handle individually, like hollyhocks, push them into the soil
with the point of a pencil or a wooden-skewer, half an inch apart in
rows one inch apart.
After the seeds have been placed, scatter mould over them. The amount
has to be determined by the size of the seeds. The general rule is,
twice their own depth; but with the very minute varieties it is better
to put no covering at all.
No matter what the depth of covering, the soil must be pressed firmly
down with a smooth piece of board, cut to fit inside the box. A
desk-blotter or roller is very convenient, and does the work very
evenly. Do not be afraid to press down firmly. The seeds must be
closely imbedded in the soil, otherwise the air will dry up the first
frail sprouts and kill them. After the rolling and pressing, sprinkle
with water, then cover with a piece of glass or paper, and stand in the
hotbed or window.
Covering the boxes with glass or paper is done to retard evaporation.
Seeds must never be allowed to dry out during the time of germination;
watering is so likely to disturb the soil around them that it is to be
avoided if possible, but if it has to be done, use a very fine rose on
the sprinkler, warm water and be very careful.
After the seedlings appear, remove the covering, and when the second
leaves have developed, transplant into fresh boxes if you are depending
on window culture. If you have a hotbed, they can be set in rows from
one to two inches apart, according to the size of the plants.
During the bright warm days the sash of the hotbed should be raised or
entirely removed, but be very watchful of the weather. Spring is such a
treacherous time of year that the warm mornings may develop into frosty
afternoons. Always replace the sash over the hotbed by three o’clock
in the afternoon, and cover with mats before dusk. As soon as the
ground is in condition for the outside nursery beds, dig and thoroughly
cultivate, for the plants which are to be held over for fall sales must
be bedded out as soon as all fear of frost is past, and seeds sown for
the next year’s stock.
The seed-beds in the open ground must be well prepared and made
very fine and fibrous. Sow the seeds in rows and transplant as with
the house seedlings. Beds must all be kept free from weeds and under
good cultivation during the growing season. When severe weather comes
in the fall, cover lightly with leaves or soil, and the plants will
winter safely and be ready for spring sales the following year. The
house-raised seedlings which are to be sold for this year’s bedding can
go into garden beds, but it is really better to put them into small
individual pots, which should be partly submerged in soil or sand.
Customers will usually pay a few cents extra for pot-plants.
There is such an endless variety of perennial plants that it is
impossible to grow them all; in fact, it would be very foolish to
try to do so. Select the best-known and most popular kinds, and have
some of different sizes, so that you can make up selections for beds.
Hollyhocks, foxgloves, golden glow, monk’s-hood all range from three
and a half to five feet in height. After them come phlox, larkspur,
false dragon’s-head, Canterbury bells and bergamot. A step lower are
bleeding-heart, columbine, leopard’s-bane, asters, sweet-williams and
wallflowers. Still lower are Iceland poppies, Japanese primroses,
wake-robin and pansies.
The first year it would add to your profit to grow a few of the
annual varieties in the hotbed collection: Hollyhocks, sweet sultans,
sweet tobacco, asters, wallflowers, mignonette and salvia. Among the
perennials which will flower the first season if seed is sown in boxes
or hotbeds, are monk’s-hood (which is one of the most charming of the
tall blue flowers and comes also in white, and blue-white mixed);
larkspur; Chinese bellflower (large bell-shaped flowers of steel blue,
white and violet); heliotrope and marshmallows (pink, rose colour,
white with crimson spots, and golden yellow with maroon centres)--these
are amongst the most valuable of the first-year bloomers, for they
flower all through the summer. Three of the most fragrant annuals are
sweet tobacco, sweet sultan and mignonette.
Sweet-williams are such old favourites, and are so multicoloured that
I have always been thankful that they flowered the first season.
Meadow-sweet--or goat’s-beard, as it is often called--is white and
fragrant. Blanket-flower grows about two feet high, and has most
gorgeous flowers, dark velvety brown marked with blotches of crimson.
Of course, all the varieties suggested for early house-culture should
also be sown in the open ground in June to produce a plentiful supply
of strong plants for the following year.
[Illustration: JUNE ROSES]
JUNE ROSES
The first luxury we allowed ourselves on the farm was a collection of
roses. We had put aside a sum of money for some necessary repairs,
and when they were completed there were six dollars left, which we
agreed to spend on the garden. One dollar went for perennial seeds,
another for wistaria root. The remaining four were devoted to roses.
We sent for an advertised collection of hardy roses, consisting of
six two-year-old plants for one dollar and twenty cents, two Crimson
Ramblers at fifty cents each and two Dorothy Perkins at fifty cents
apiece, a collection for winter forcing, which were only little
seedlings, and cost forty cents. Lastly, a two-year-old moss rose
was added, which also cost forty cents. Since that time, several
two-year-olds of specially desired varieties have been bought, but the
purchases made with that four dollars really constituted the stock from
which we have populated our own and many other gardens.
The first year the Dorothy Perkins covered about twelve square feet
of sidewall, and all but the winter collection and one of the others
flowered the first season. One hundred slips were taken, and eighty-two
lived. Twenty were sold the following season at ten cents each. The
second year one hundred were sold at five cents each to a local store,
and three dozen at ten cents to odd customers. The winter collection
was not allowed to flower until the second winter; then they were put
into the violet-house, where they did quite well, but as we had neither
time nor desire to undertake any more hothouse work, we never made any
attempt to increase the stock or make any sales. However, rose-growing
for the winter market is carried on quite extensively in our vicinity,
so I have had ample proof of the profit to be derived from the work
when undertaken as a business. But truly, I think growing garden plants
is almost as profitable, and most certainly it is a much easier and
healthier branch of the work. Moreover, it does not require capital,
nor the knowledge required for hothouse culture.
The best soil for roses is that which is rich in vegetable matter, such
as sod, roots and fallen leaves which have been exposed to the action
of the elements long enough to disintegrate and melt into the soil. It
is the condition found in the ground cover of woods and forests, and it
can be simulated at home by means of a compost heap. Old sods, leaves
and all waste vegetable matter are piled up with alternate layers of
garden soil, allowed to remain for several months, then thoroughly
forked and repiled. When it is wanted for use, pass through a coarse
sieve, and mix with one-half its own bulk of cow manure.
If your garden soil is not very good, dig large holes two feet square
and deep. Then fill up with the home-made compost, or soil from the
woods, and old cow manure. When the young plants come from the nursery,
unpack and stand the roots in water. If the ground should not be
ready, or any other cause compels delay in planting, add rich soil
to the water in which the plants are standing, until it is about the
consistency of mud, and keep in that condition until the plants can be
set in their permanent positions out of doors.
Make a hole in the middle of the filled-in space large enough to permit
of the roots being spread out to their full capacity. Never squeeze
plants into a small hole, which necessitates the doubling under of
roots. This applies to all plants as well as roses. After the roots
have been spread out evenly in the hole, scatter soil over them to the
depth of two inches; then water copiously, and after the water has been
absorbed by the soil, fill up with dry earth and firm down thoroughly.
Watering in the middle of the filling-in operation washes the soil
into all the crevices around the rootlets, and insures a supply of
moisture around the plants. Putting in the dry earth above it prevents
evaporation, so that the roots have valuable food while they are
recovering their hold on Mother Earth.
Another point to remember in setting out roots is that an eastern or
northern exposure is to be preferred to a southern exposure, as the
morning sun is better for them than the strong noon-day glare. Keep
the ground as clean and well-cultivated as around tender annuals.
Now we come to the question of food for this gluttonous beauty. Get a
strong barrel and stand it on blocks to raise it to about the height
of a pail above the ground, then tack the mouth of an ordinary burlap
bag securely around the top of the barrel, so that the bottom of the
bag falls to within one inch of the bottom of the barrel. Insert a
common tap just above the lowest hoop, then empty two pailfuls of fresh
cow-droppings into the bag, and pour water over it until the barrel is
full. Let it stand two or three days before using. Dose: Three quarts
of the liquid for each plant every two weeks, from the time they show
life in the spring until September.
Hybrid teas are the variety best adapted to garden culture. They
embrace some of our most beautiful roses, are perfectly hardy and
flower throughout the summer. To this class belong all the Killarney
and Lyon family; La France, Viscountess Folkestone, Mrs. Aaron Ward,
Harry Kirk and about one hundred others. In order to insure free
flowering none must be allowed to fade on the bush. Keep a close watch,
and cut the moment the petals show any sign of withering. Allow long
stalks, as it is the most natural way of pruning these plants and
insures a supply lasting until frost.
Crimson Ramblers I have discarded entirely, for their blossoming period
is short, and their foliage is not attractive. Dorothy Perkins and
Hiawatha both grow rapidly and are better in every respect.
Two years ago, I bought one plant of the new German climber, Thousand
Beauties, which is rightly named, for it is a mass of blossom, and it
is like having twenty plants in one, as it bears flowers of all shades,
from white to deep crimson. It was a constant wonder and delight the
whole of last summer and made quite as much growth as any of the other
climbers, so I really think it is worth a place in any collection.
In the fall, all bushes are given a conservative pruning, by which
I mean that only some of the old wood is removed--not all--and that
the rampant young growth is cut back to about half its length. After
the ground is frozen, a heavy covering of cow manure is put around
the plants at a distance of two or three feet, according to the size
of the bush, and at Christmas-time, before the really severe weather
comes, fallen leaves are spread over that, and a few cedar branches, to
prevent their being blown away. In the spring, as soon as the ground
can be worked, the manure and leaves are worked into the soil, and any
branches which have been winter-killed are cut off.
Our collection has been enlarged entirely through cuttings. I cut
off about six inches from the end of branches, close to a bud. These
cuttings are allowed to stand in water for two or three days, then
planted in shallow boxes filled with moist, rich soil, and kept in
a light, warm cellar, where the temperature averages about fifty
degrees. The following year they are planted out into nursery beds
until August, when they are set out in their permanent homes. Last
summer I transplanted ten straight from the cellar into a garden bed,
and by July they were two and a half feet high, and bore from four to
seven blossoms each from August to September 15th, when we had a hard,
frosty night, which checked all development.
If cuttings are intended for winter forcing, proceed as before until
the second spring, then transplant into pots, which should be plunged
to the rim in the ground.
About once a week turn the pots around, to prevent any roots which may
force their way through the bottom of the pot from getting a hold on
the ground. At the same time nip off any flower buds which may appear.
Feed well, to promote growth, and about July have the benches in the
hothouse filled up with rich soil, to which has been added a goodly
percentage of silver sand. Remove the plants from the pots, and set out
about fifteen inches apart. Of course, the fire must not be started in
the heating apparatus, and all windows and doors must be kept open, so
that the plants have plenty of air, and during the hot, close days,
they should be lightly sprayed three or four times a day. After the
first of September there is danger of frost, so it is best to close
the windows at night, but the principal desire is to keep the plants
cool to permit their growth until the fires are lighted and forcing
really begins, which should be about October. When the fires are first
lighted, keep the temperature down to about fifty-five degrees,
increase slowly to sixty-five, then to seventy.
Watering is a great problem, and nothing but practice can really teach
you the exact proportions. The only general instruction is: The plant
must never be allowed to dry out, nor must it ever be too wet. A spray
for green fly and other insects should be used in the evening, once or
twice a week, from the time the plants are taken from the garden into
the house.
LAVENDER AND HERBS
There should be an herb bed in every garden, for their usefulness is
manifold. Ye dames of olden times knew and estimated their value,
but when housewifery was metamorphosed into domestic science, the
traditional law of our grandmothers sank into derision, and many
factors of homey comfort might forever have been buried in oblivion had
not some wise person started a craze for old furniture. That aroused a
general interest in the old-time housewifery, and resulted in a revival
of half-forgotten arts, the hardy garden and herb bed being among them.
I spent most of my schoolday holidays at my grandmother’s place in
Yorkshire, England, where many of the customs of Queen Anne’s time
remain unchanged. So to me lavender and herbs seemed indispensable
in a self-respecting household, and as soon as I owned a garden they
were installed. Perhaps you never experienced the delight of sleeping
between sheets redolent of sweet herbs, so don’t know what you are
missing. At grandmother’s, sheer muslin bags were filled with lavender,
thyme and rosemary, and kept in every cupboard, bureau drawer and
chest. Large jars filled with rose-leaves and mignonette, all the herbs
and many spices were stowed in the sitting-rooms and halls, and the
lids were removed for about half an hour after sweeping and dusting
were completed, so a faint, indescribable perfume permeated the whole
house, and was most delightful. Punk sticks and pastils have such a
positive odour that after a time one becomes very tired of them, but
herbal odours, being delicate and indescribable, merely suggest the
freshness of meadow lands in June, and invigorate the senses instead of
wearying.
The herb then is invaluable for all sorts of complexion and hair
washes. Even Helen of Troy’s beauty was attributed to their use. As
disinfectants--well, the plague was supposed to be banished from Athens
by the air being purified with aromatic herbs, and during the great
plague in England in Elizabeth’s time, little balls of perfume paste
encased in silver, gold or ivory, open-worked lockets or pomades were
worn suspended round the neck or carried in the pockets, and during an
outbreak of smallpox, grandmamma brought forth several such inherited
treasures and filled them with a compound made of beeswax, herbs and
spices, and we all wore them in the old way. What influence they
exercised over the dreaded disease I do not pretend to gauge, but we
all escaped. Separate or mingled fate and superstition has made me use
such compounds whenever travelling or knowingly exposed to infection.
Even medical men don’t deny the benefit of sweet odours, or their value
as disinfectants, so why should not we enjoy the undoubted pleasure
when it only means a few packages of seeds and a little trouble.
Lavender is hardy when it is once firmly established, but it is not
the easiest perennial to start in this country. At first I bought
nursery stock, but out of two dozen plants which I got from four
different sources during two years, only one lived, and that was
always a semi-invalid, so I resorted to the slower method of sowing
seed. In March, a shallow box was filled with potting mould thoroughly
soaked with water, then covered with about one-fourth of an inch of
soil, patted down firmly, the box covered with glass, and placed in
a west window. As soon as seedlings appeared the glass was removed,
but they were shaded from the direct sun and slightly sprinkled every
morning. When two inches high they were transplanted to a deeper box
and set two inches apart. About two months later they were transplanted
to a partly-shaded seed-bed in the garden, and the last two leaves
were nipped off each plant to insure a bushy growth. Cultivation was
constant all through the summer until August, when they were again
transplanted--this time into a bed which was to be their permanent
home--a border partly shaded by shrubs. It happened to be a very dry
summer, so they were sprinkled every evening. When cool weather set in,
leaves were scattered between the plants, and the quantity increased as
the weather became more severe. In the spring the mulch was removed,
and a little bone meal raked into the ground around the plants. The
ground must be covered every winter, and it is well to have a dressing
of well-rotted cow manure dug into the bed during the early fall.
In June or July we always have huge quantities of flowers. We have
never marketed any of them, but they have formed the basis of many
Christmas and birthday presents. Ten pounds of lavender flowers, and
one pound each of musk, thyme, rosemary and mint leaves, all dried, and
mixed with one ounce of ground cloves, was grandmamma’s formula for
moth-bags which preserved our furs and woollens just as effectually as
camphor balls or tar mixtures.
Sage is needed for pork, duck and goose dressings, and is one of the
very best tonics for the hair: the broad leaf variety is the best to
grow. It will save time to buy the plants; they only cost ten cents
each, are very easy to establish, and quite hardy. Three plants will
be sufficient for a home supply. Set out three feet apart in a partly
shaded situation. There are two varieties of thyme; both should find
a place in the garden, the broad leaf English in the herb-bed for
flavoring stews and soups; the almond-scented in the flower garden,
for it is a pretty variegated plant which remains green all through
the year, and is used only for sachets and potpourri. Both varieties
are perennials, but if sown early in the spring will mature the first
season. The seed should be sown in rows nine inches apart, on rich soil
which has been worked into a fine, loose condition, with a fine garden
rake, and later smoothed off with a board or the back of a spade. Mark
the rows by pressing the edge of a board on to the ground. Don’t make
a furrow, as the seed is very small. Next, sprinkle thoroughly, using
a fine rose on the water-can. Keep the can moving back and forth until
the ground is thoroughly saturated to the depth of an inch. Wait for an
hour, then scatter the seed thinly on the marked lines, and cover about
the sixteenth of an inch with dry, fine soil. It is a good plan to fill
the flour-dredger with soil, and shake it over the rows, for then you
are sure of its being evenly distributed. After the seed is covered,
put a board over the row, and press gently, to insure the seeds being
firmed into the ground.
Thyme, marjoram--in fact, all small seeds--do better if they are
partly shaded. I make long, narrow frames of slats, and cover them
with unbleached muslin, then drive a few sticks into each side of the
row, and lay the frames over them. For safety against wind-storms, it
is well to put a few nails through the frames into the sticks. About
eleven o’clock it is advisable to sprinkle the muslin over the frames
with water, as the evaporation prevents the seedlings becoming too dry.
If time won’t permit making the frames, spread two or three thicknesses
over the rows, using stones to hold them in place, or mulch with lawn
clippings. I like the former the best, because they are easy to remove,
and are not so untidy as a grass mulch, which dries and blows about.
When the seedlings are well established--which is when they have got
their second pair of leaves and are an inch high--the mulch will have
to be removed, but if the frames are used, they can remain for another
week.
Rosemary is another perennial, and the plants can easily be got from
any nursery, but if you want to raise some seed, proceed exactly as for
thyme. After you have one well-grown plant, it is better to propagate
by cutting than to raise from seed. They require rich soil, and a
sunny position, and need some light protection during the winter. The
whole plant is aromatic, but the flowers are the strongest. It is
the essential oil which is distilled from them that is the principal
ingredient of eau de cologne. A cupful each of lavender, thyme,
rosemary and mint, steeped in two quarts of hot water for two hours,
strained and added to a warm bath, banishes fatigue in a miraculous
way, and in cases of long convalescence, a cupful of the mixture in the
sponge bath is most gratifying and refreshing to the invalid.
Summer savory is an annual. It must be sown in shallow drills nine
inches apart, in early summer. Sweet marjoram is a perennial, and
should receive the same culture as lavender. Both are used for
flavouring, stuffings and soups. Bane, saffron and wormwood belong to
the poultry department principally. The first are annuals, the last
perennial. Borage is an annual which gives just the piquant fillip to
salads and summer drinks which epicures delight in, and bees simply
adore it. Plant in dry, sandy soil. Dill and tarragon must not be
left out of the herb collection, for they improve the pickles, and
are necessary for many sauces. They are both annuals of easy culture,
and will grow in any garden. Sow in rows ten inches apart, and thin
when plants get second leaves. To make tarragon vinegar, gather a pint
of the young sprigs, wash, and pour two quarts of malt vinegar over
them. Let it stand two or three weeks, strain, and if not quite strong
enough, add fresh sprigs. Strain after two weeks, and bottle for use.