Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-03-24
TbeDtruront 9benit.
BRATTLEBoRo:
FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH "a, 1876.



AS the season of winter will soon dlsap-
pear, and the joyous spring, with its warb-
ling birds and modest flowers, will soon
arrive, the thought occurs TO mo that some
preparation will shortly be necessary for
helping nature to adorn our gardens with
floral treasures collected from other lands.
Although the winters throughout somo Of
the States are generally pretty severe, our
summers arc so genial that we can, by
little forethought, enjoy around our dwell
ings some of the treasures of the tropical
world. The great moral influence of aow-
ers upon mankind has been so often re-
ferred TO by our ablest literary men, that
most thinking persons must be more or
less impressed that such is the case.
would therefore suggest to every one pos
sessing only few feet of land, to have
flower garden ami 10 any one not having
such an advantage, but who may have con-
troll of n window, 1 would say have one
also. The question will naturally come
from some, how one can have flower gar
den with nothing but a window. 1t Is
easily done. There are thousands of win
dow flower gardens in London, and some
of them are TO be seen in the dingest parts
of the city at all times of the year, with
plants suitable to the season. Those, there
fore, who have nothing but a window, can
get a box as long as the breadth of the win
dow, about eight inches deep, and as broad
as eau be easily secured on the sill outside.
If the sill is narrow, have a couple of
brack cts fastened underneath to support it.
Into this box put good fresh soil, and plant
seeds or plants of a dwarf habit in it, and
the little trouble will be amply repaid by
the beauty of the flowers during summer.
A person feels more delighted with flow
er grown under his own care than he
would with a dozen grown by another. To
observe anything in its various stages OF
development becomes, as 1t were, unknow-
ingly part of oneself
Flower beds should be thoroughly dug
previous TO planting, and not have little
manure spread on the surface, and then
dug carelessly over. Beds which are to be
filled with gerdniumS, cdnndS, Cdtddium
eScutentum, &C., should be dug over two
spadings deep and the soil well pulveriZed
during the process. Plenty OF good fresh
manure should be applied and put we'll
down, so as 10 attract the roots as far from
the surface as possible, which greatly aids
the plants from being affected by the
drouth during the months of July and Au-
gust. Geranium roots will penetrate the
soil to great depth in search of food, and
unless cannas and caladiums are supplied
with plenty of nourishment they will never
have vigorous appearance, nor much
beauty. The best manure for flower beds
is good, fresh, bagnyard manure. 1t has
considerable "body" to it, and plenty of
manure applied to the ground in the spring
will do more in resisting the drouth in
summer than all the artificial watering
which may be given. Hard, retentive clay
soils, which are deficient in vegetable mat
Ter, should have it supplied in as large
quantities as possible; decayed leaves and
vegetables answer well for flower beds, If
plenty of barnyard manure accompanies
them. The excreta of animals applied TO
the soil returns what was originally taken
from it. Only so long as we put into the
soil what is necessary for supplying suita-
BILE support TO the plants which are 10 be
grown on the soil, can we expect to see full
development in those particular plants.
Such plants as caadiums and castor oil
beans require large supply of food 10
bring them to perfection. A large quanti-
ty o: manure in the soil will not benefit
them however, if it does not get air and
moisture 10 convert it into a suitable con-
dition SO the roots can absorb it, and these
are best maintained in the soil by deep
digging and thorough pulverization.
AS soon, therefore, as the weather will
permit, get the beds well dug. Previous
TO digging beds on the lawn, cut the edges
with an edging-iron. Do not, however,
take much off the grass, as then the beds
decreasing, but just enough 10 cut all
pieces OF grass which may be running into
the beds. When it is cut evenly round,
take spade and throw out all weeds which
are making their way from the grass into
the bed. Another point Of importance
which ought TO be attended TO at the annu-
al digging of the beds, is leveling the grass
edges OF them, as during summer, when
the work necessary for the keeping of the
bed is being performed, the edges are apt
TO be trod down in some places, making IL
very uneven. This'lovelng up can easily
be done by Trusting the spade underneath
the sod where it is low, and putting in
some soil, then beating with the back of
the spade TO the proper level Country
Gentleman.