Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1876-04-20
Early Gardening.

seYou see . said Mr.. Middlerib, that
was along in the early. part OF Marcn,
sethere cannot be any cold weather aIIer
this that will amount to anything. Inc
sun has too much power, it is TOO Iaf
north, and the divergence of the parSl-
lax is by this time too heterodo1 20 DC
overcome by the occulation Of the dloce-
san DhaIanoes. so that the binOcular IN
fuences which permeate the dynold cath
aOasas are 11ovverIess to reduce the prevails
/ inc temDerature. Spring Is mere, ana IL
1 is lime to begin ornamental gardening"
Mrs. Middlerib was sIlenced, as much
| nv the learning of her husband as by the
/ snmmery balminess of the day, and with
drew in silence. Mr.. Middlerib marked
out bed for verbenas, right under the
bay window; and he spaded it up, much
delighted to find that the frost was entire
Iy out of the ground, and that the soil
was a warm rich gravel, for the most
part, with here and there trace of an old
shoe or piece of flint as large as a cab
bage. BE toiled patiently enough, dig
gtng up richer dirt in the back yard and
carrying it in a ceal-bucket to replace the
unpremising constituents Of the verbena
bed. It was awfHI on his back, but he
| thought of floral beauties that would re-
ward his labor, and toiled on. He raked
that bed until the dirt was fine as sifted
/ flour, and then he planted the seeds, while
Mrs. NJ. looked on in deep anxiety. fsWe
will have the start of the whole hill - he
said, sby three or four weeks" When
the tea bell rang he left the spade and the
| rake on the ground and went in.
Next morning he went out and tried to
pick up the rake, but he broke the han
die off before he could accomplish that
/ simple feat, and then he couldn't. He
worked at the spade until his fingers
were numbed as death, clear up to his
neck, and then gave it up in despair. The
ground was frozen about fourteen inches
deep and he couldn't scratch the top OF
his verbena bed with a diamond. The
Middleribs sat down to breakfast that
morning in gloomy silence; the cheery
meal of demonstrating morn was
about as CHEEKY as the cholera returns OF
1849. The old gentleman was depressed
and his brief family is a collection OF
models of decorum when the old man is
''that way.'' 8 e a = -
Well, he ordered another cord of wood
for the heating stove and gave over his
Horticultural talk for that day. But the
next morning it was warm enough tC
roast an OK whole. what did tell you /?
said Mr.. Middlerib, joyfu1ly, and he went
out and waited for the ground to get sof
lenough to dig in. The minute the muC
was sufficiently pliable to mix he stirred il
up and hoarsely ordered Mrs. NJ. to sbring
out them gladiolus bulbs They werC
quit work for that day, but sat in the sur
waiting, to see the gladiolus and verbenai
come up, andsdeeiding where he would
put in the Swan River daisies and pansies
The next morning there was five inches
Of snow on the ground and more coming
but it did not spoil anybody's breakfast
Espm. glad to see this" Mr.. Middleril
said, encouragingly. cit will keep th'
ground warm, and by the time it melt
away the things will be ready to pop righ
up" And he smiled, oh so eheerfully
You have seen men smile just as cheer
fully under similar circumstances ant
know just how cheerful he appeared.
Well, it showed three days, and then
came on very cool, and the next day i
turned warm, and that night it set in t.
rain, a hard, deluging, warm spring rain
YAh, ',said Mr. Middlerib, delightedly
1'the snow will go off with this..'' AM
indeed, that very. night six inches o
snow went off like an avalanche and car
ried off made Verbena bed and gladio
lus bed, leaving an excellent substratun
of gravel and boulders. It also carriet
with it hoe and new rake, and nev
spade, wheelborrow, several yards o
picket fence, and section of plank side
walk. . Mr. 3ATiddlerib has since made
contract for having his entire lot soddet
about the middle of April. He says tina
f1ower-beds destroy the beauty of yard
interruptfng the velvety stretch of greer
sWafd with blotches of garish color
BttrEiglqtO7t HdaoE-EVe.