The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1873-06-11
Agricultural
The Flower Garden.

The Flower Garden.
If flowers were as rare and as difficult
to collect as rubies and diamonds, they
would be accounted as of far greater
value, because more beautiful than those
gems. Nay, if any n of the precious
stones had possessed, in addition to its
| other qualities, a perfume as delicious
as that of the most evanescent of spring
flowers, men would have bartered for it
the most valued fruits of industry, and
poets would have embalmed it in i'm
mortal song. 1t is only because flowers
are 50 plentiful that we forget or fail to
perceive that they are so surprisingly
beautiful. It is strange that any body
should grudge the little cost or pains
their culture requires. Yet over some
cottage door no vines are growing be-
fore them no delicate blossoms are
opening to the sky around them the
breeze of summer watts no perfume. If
one asks why there are no flowers there,
the reply is, ooh &! they are too much
trouble" It is intended in this and
some articles which will follow it to
show that. the cultivation of flowers, so
far from being "tOo much trouble"
will give more value for less work and
expense than any thing which can be
done Or bought to improve the surround
ings of a home. This is as true where
there is but little space as where there
is abundance. Let us suppose that the
ground available for a garden, after
taking off what is needed for a path,
leaves only a single bed of earth. Give
this, if possible, some regular shape,
rectangular, diamond, oval, circular,
crescent-shaped, heart-shaped, a double
curve like an $50 only that it has a
definite form. It is apt to be inconveni-
ent if nor than three feet wide rs
flowers should be easily accessible. The
soil should be enriched with dead leaves
and spent manure. Only those who
have had experience can use in the
garden the stgong manures of the field.
Water with soap-suds on wash-days.
If the bed has a fence at the back, put
the tallest flowers in the middle and
the smallest at the edges. For a CEN
ter-piece a dahlia is good, but uncer-
tain. A caladium, with It's immense
green leaves, is snowy, but may be too
costly: The castor-oil plant is cheap,
fast growing, and will give in fall a
splendid spike of purple or scarlet ; but
its long hands, which Mexicans call
p0tmo Christi, take up considerable
room. It will give beans enough the
first year, if the season is sufficiently
long, to physic a village; but there is
need to be careful of them, as they are
said tocontain some poisonous substance
as we'll as castor-oil. Around the CEN
ter-piece the plants of medium height
should be put in without much regu-
except to give each room enough.
Summer bulbs, like the gladiolus iris,
Japan lily, and tuberose take up little
lateral room. All the old garden favor
ties have been much improved of late
years, After the novelty of an improv-
ed flower is over its price falls till it
comes within reach of ordinary purses
There are large, ~rich-colored, improved
1owaye whose onoJs oop no- h. LII E.
4 few cents, that once brought as many
asters and z%innias, as double
as close-quilled as dahlias; chry-
with every excellence save {
jcent balsams that are each a mass of
portulaccas that only want
items to be mistaken for roses. Near
he edge Of the bed it is better to put t
n the shorter plants, which will not
tretch over the garden-walks. These q
title things may be cheap, like candy :
uft, pansies, daisies; or more costly, j
ike verbenas and zonal ~geraniums. G
Iext year there should be scattered /
.ere, crocus, tulips, narcissus. Petu- T.
las will give any amount of variety
nd bloom. In general, a few choice n
overs show better than many inferior b
mes, and are more easily managed. If G
leans are limited to one, two or three =
ever such a sum, sent to a re- 4
utable florist, he making the selection, CT
i'll bring back a good variety of seeds. P
:, still, anybody fears that money is D
asted when paid for flowers, let him o.
Ike a slate and calculate. Would the a.
lme money spent in paint, decorate an a
lual space even approximately, with al
much verdure and splendor.? "