Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-06-27
Hardy ANIMALS for small Door.Yards.

I am often asked by persons having
small door-Yards what kind of plants
would advise them to grow to get the
greatest show of bloom during the
summer. To such as have no proper
means of starting plants under glass
and who do not wish to have any
trouble in transplanting them I in
variably recommend planting seeds of
some of our hardy ANNALS, from which,
if a proper selection be made, 8 con-.
tinuous bloom can be had from early
summer until frost puts stOpto vege-
tation in the fall an1 -c-a'H aL
For supplying cut flowers some of
the kinds are admirably adapted. For
instance, such kinds as Phlox Drum
mondii, flowers of which vary in color
from bright red to pure white. Some
of the finest varieties are Rosea, q
Beautiful rose color Leopoldii, pink
with white eye; RadoWitzii, pink and
white striped. Isabellina is of a yellow
or buff color, this being the best of the
yellows; but really no good one Of this
color has been produced yet. The
largest Towering kinds are of the
Grandifora section; which, however,
do not produce flowers so abundsntly
as the smaller towering kinds,
The size of the flowers, also the en-
durance Of their Towering season are
greatly increased by enriehing the soil
well for them, and thinning the plants
sufficiently to allow their full develop
ment. When grown close together
they are liable to mildew. A good
mulching of any material which shall
keep the soil moist about their roots
greatly assists in retaining their vigor
through the very hot weather, and pre-
vents red spider from gaining much
foothold. The seeds should not be
sown in the open ground until all dam
ger of frost is past; for, although the
cold may not Kill them, it checks the
vegetation, and plants from seeds soWn
after the ground gets warm are often
in flower sooner than those sown earlier
in the season. Last winter plants
from sef-seWn seeds, which vegetated
in the fall, endured the cold unhurt.
They flowered early, but did not continue
. long in bloom. We had most of the
flowers on plants raised from seeds I
sowsd In the same beds with them in
the spring. lt1 a% -s3a
Mignonette, for mixing in bouquets,
is very useful, from the fragrance
which the flowers emit. 1t requires
good rich soil, and the seeds thinly
sown, to allow the plants plenty of
room. A great many dower-beds are
spoiled by allowing the plants to grow
too thieklys5 People want immediate
effect; but the early thiokening up of
the plant often destroys the after effect.
Sweet alyssum is another sweet white
blooming annual, making apretty little
bed and well adapted for cutting from.
For pot culture it is also very useful
and flowers freely during the winter
months. A row Of sweet peas should
be in every garden where there is room
for flowers of any kind. Sow thinly.
Most people recommend sowing them
thick; but if the ground is rich, which
it should be, if possible, they branch at
the bottom and thicken up, and are less
liable to mildewif room is given them
to grow. Sow as early in the season
as the ground can be worked. There
are a good many different colors of this
pea, any or all of them being pretty. /
am, however, more partial to the self
colored varieties than to the striped
ones. Give sticks for support as early
as they require it. Candy-tuft is g very
pretty annual when in flower; but to
keep up succession Of flowers it must
be planted at different times. Some of
the kinds are sweet-scented. There are
white, purple, rose, and bright crimson
colored varieties of it. The petunia is
very useful for winter towering in
pots. The seeds of this plant are SO
small that considerable care must be
taken, when sowing them, that they are
not covered too deep, and therefore get
smothered. Some of the varieties are
striped, some spotted, some of a bright
crimson color, some pure white; in
fact, there is such variety of colors
that 1 have seen in beds sown with
mixed seed no two flowers that were
alike. They will grow in any kind of
soil, poor or rich, and flower abundant
ly.--M.7 Milton, ia " CUltiUGtor and
Country Gentleman. a.r.