Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-02-29

SEWING THE SEEDs.-Annual flowers,
or such as are grown from seeds, are
the most popular and especially appro-
pirate for young people or those of lit
tie experience and limited means. 9th
ers may fill up their flower beds with
plants from the green house, ready
grown or in bloom; but these do not
afford half the pleasurable excitement
to youthful minds which those do that
have been nursed and tended from the
tiny seed, and of which every new leaf
and bud has been watched with eager
anticipation till the opening blossoms
appeared.
When, where and how to sow the
seeds are points of some difficulty with
the novice i'm Horticulture, but are all
explained i'm the books and catalogues.
Most of the varieties bear transplant
ing well, and may advantageOusly be
sown early in hot-bed or in a box of
earth in the kitchen. Others should be
sown where the plants are to remain
and in fact nearly all will succeed well
in this way, if early blooming is not a
special object. Those classed in the
catalogues as hardy sorts should be sown
quite early in the spring-the haif-hardy
a week or two later ,or about compliant
ing time, and the tender ones little
later still, if not started in a hot-bed.
The principal care required in sowing
is to avoid covering the seeds too deep
ly, and to shade the smaller kinds so
that the hot sun shall not dry the sur
face and destroy them while vegetating.
This latter is particularly necessary in
our southwestern climate, where hot
sunshine and drying winds are quite
frequent in spring as well as. in sum-
mer.
After covering the delicate seeds
slightly with fine earth, and watering
freely but gently with warm water ,cov-
er the surface with bits of newspaper
or similar articles, fastening them with
pegs or with stones at the corners, to
prevent them from being blown off. If
gentle rains occur the coverings may
be removed for the time, but if 4 heavy
shower is anticipated leave the on, as it
would otherwise beat the surface too
hard. After four or five days, begin to
look for the young plants to appear,
and soon as visible remove the cover
ing, but if hot sunny weather give par
tial shade for 4 few day laying little
fine brush over the spots,or few sticks
cross-wise, and be careful to give water
if dry weather. Thin out the plants if
so thick as to crowd each other before
large enough to transplant.
TRANsPLANTNG.-Ass soon as all dan
ger from frosts is over and the plants
are large enough to handle, transplant
ing should be done. The best imple-
ment for this purpose is a small plant
ing trowel, sold at most hardware
stores. Choose cloudy day, or do the
work evenings. The plants can gener-
ally be taken up two or three together
with a little ball of earth, and removed
without breaking the roots. Be sure
and give the plants room enough to
grow, according to their size and habit,
water freely when set, and if delicate
sorts or the roots much disturbed, give
partial shade for few days, by stick
ing bit of shingle on the south side,
or fastening paper or rhubard leaves
over the plants.
THE SUB TROPICAL STYLE of Flower
Beds is the very latest fashion in f1ori-
culture. 1t is more natural and less
snowy that that the Ribbon Style, des-
cribed in our former article, and re-
qrlires more skill and knowledge of
plants for its effective practice. But
with little study land the aid of hot
bed for starting the plants, there need
be no fear in making beginning; then
a year or two of experiment will give
pleasure and success.
This style is based upon the principle
that there is much of beauty in the
form and expession of plant and foil
age, as well as in the mere blossom;
and as the finest example of this kind
of beauty are seen in sub-tropical
plants and scenery, this title has been
adopted for this style of fiower-beds.
A handsome book devoted to the subject
has recently been published in England,
by popular writer on Horticulture.
As the plants suited for this style are
mostly of tall growth, and some of
them little coarse when closely inspect
ed, the location of the beds should not
be too near the dwelling or the front
walk; but along the side of the lawn
or carriage-road, and where they will
not obstruct any desirable view. The
soil should be little moist, rather than
dry, and made quite deep and rich. The
addition of some fine black muck or
wood earth will be an advantage.