Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-04-06
Early Gardening.

You see,v said Mr.. Miidlerib, that
was along in the earlier part OF March,
8 there cannot be any cold weather after this
that will amount 10 anything. The sun
has too much power; it is too far north,
and the divergence Of the parallax Is by
this time too hetcrodox to be overcome by
the occuliaiion Of the diocesan phalanges,
so that The finocular influences which per
meate the dynoid cathegcses are power
less to reduce the prevailing temperature.
Spring Is here, and IL Is time TO begin or
namental gardening"
Mrs. Middlerib was silenced, as much
by the learning OF her husband as by the
summary balminess of the day, and with.
drew in silence. Mr.. Middlerib marked
out bed for verbenas, right under the
bay window, and he spaded IL up, much
delighted To find that the frost was entirely
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 a
piece Of flint AZ large az cabbage. He
toiled patiently enough, digging up
richer dirt in the back yard, and carrying
II In coal bucket 10 replace the unprom-
Using constituents Of the vcrbcna bed. II
was awful on bis back, but he thought of
floral beauties that would reward his labor,
and toiled on. He raked that bed until the
dirt was fine as sifted -four, and then he
planted the seeds, while Mrs M. looked
on in deep anxiety. I'VE will have the
start Of the whole hill,ns he said, " by
shree 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 10
pick up the rake, but he broke the handle
off before be could accomplish that sim.
pie feat and then he couldn't. He worked
at the spade until his fingers were Humbed
AZ death, clear up TO his neck, and then
gave II up In despair. The ground was
frozen about fourteen inches deep and he
couldn't scratch the top Of his yerbena bed
with diamond. The Middleribs sat down
to breakfast that morning In gloomy ST.
lence, the CHEEKY meal Of incense breathing
morn was about AZ CHEEKY ms the cholera
returns Of 1849. The old gentleman WAS
depressed and his brief family Is collec.
ton Of models Of decorum, when the old
man IL that way"
Well, he ordered another cord Of wood
for the heating stove, and gave over his
Horticultural talk for that day. But the
next morning IL was warm enough to roast
an OK whole. "What did / tell your"
said Mr.. Middlcrib, joyfully, and he went
out and waited for the ground TO get soft
enough TO dig In. The minute the mud
was sufficiently pliable to mix, he stirred
1t up, and hoarsely ordered Mrs. M. TO
bring out them gladiolus bulbs" They
were brought and duly inferred. Then
he quit work for that day, but sat in the
sun waiting 10 see the gladiolus and YER
benas come up, and deciding 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 II did not spoil any.
body's breakfast. !" I'm glad TO see this, !"
Mr.. Middlerib said. encouragingly. /
will keep the ground warm, and by the
time II melts away, the things will be,
ready 10 pop right up" and he smiled,
oh, so checrfully. You have seen men
smile just AZ cheerfully under similar cir
cumstances. and know just how cheer
fully he appeared.
Well, II showed three days, and then IL
came on very cold, and the next day IL
turned warm, and that night II set in T.,
rain, hard, deluging, warm spring rain,
"Ah," said Mr.. Middlerib, delightedly,
the snow will go off with this" And,
indeed, that very night sixteen inches OF
snow went off like an avalanche, and car
ried OIL made ycrbena bed and gladi-
olus bed, leaving an excellent substratum
Of gravel and boulders. II also carried
with II hoe, and new rake, and new
spade, a wheelbarrow, several yards Of
picket fence, and section of plank side.
walk. Mr. Middlcrib has since made a
contract for having his entire lot sodded
about the middle Of April. He says that
flower beds destroy the beauty of yard,
interrupting the velvety stretch of green.
sward with blotchcs OF garish color
Burlia0k0a Hauk. EUs.