The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-02-13
HOME INTERESTS.
ANIMALS. and How to Grow Them.

nuals, Biennials and Perennials ANIMALS are
those plants which produce their flowers and ma
ture their seeds in the same season in which they
are sown. and then perish. This class of
plants. from their nature, are valuable treas
ures both to the amateur and professional
gardener. There is NOT one spot in the whole
garden but can be made brilliant with some of
Them. because while some, like the Portulacca,
delight in the full sunshine there are others
again-as, for instance, the Pansy-which pre-
fer shady situation. Another thing about
ANIMALS is the seed is SO cheap as. to
make them within the reach of all Many
people, who can afford the luxury, spend q
great many dollars annuallyfor whatare known
as bedding plants, such as Geraniums, Coleus,
Achryanthus, Yerbonas, and others, and, while
these no doubt make q most imposing and
brilliant display, would not have one Of my.
floral friends think for a moment that only the
rich and opulent can enjoy Gods beauties in
the floral kingdom. To the ANNALS we are
mainly indebted for our brightest and best
flowers In the, late simmer months, for then we
have the brilliant Phlox the lovely striped and
botched Petunias, and the Asters, which have
by the florists skill been made to produce so
many different colors and varieties, and come in
bloom when many of our pets are departing.
Thens supposing you have a vase, one of those
really necessary adjuncts to the beauty of
garden, there is nothing better to fill it with
than ANIMALS, And, just here, let me tell you
how to make a home-mad vase-the materials
are such as are found around almost every
farmhouse, SO the cost need be for nothing but
the labor The stand is made of boxes of COM
mon boards, such as the oap-boxes to be found
at most country stores A peach basket makes
the vase. For such basketthe first base should
be square box, the sides of which meas
ure about foot, with @ depth of
thTnQ Or nj the second
vase box with seven and one half inch sides,
and two and half inches deep. Now above
these set up column made out of box about
six inches high With sides of, say, four or four,
and One-half inches, and the stand is ready for
the basket Holes must be bored through the
bottem of the basket as we'll as through the
boxes, to secure proper drainage When all
are properly fastened together, paint them any
color the taste may suggest, and you will then
have a pretty. imitation Of an expensive iron
vase. The basket must be lined with moss to
prevent the earth falling out Now for the
plants Gamma, which you can raise from
seed (only you must first soak them twenty
four hours in warm water, to hasten germina-
tom, will make q pretty center piece, and
around this you can plant Petun1as,r which,
from their dropping habit, will run over the
sides Then there is Sweet Alyssum, with it's
pretty snow-white fragrant flowers and San
vitalia with it's little yellow ones; Maurandia,
too as dropping vine, comes In here with ex-
cellent results. All these are ANIMALS, cheap
and easily grown. "a }f. III 'f'fs
OF all the ANIMALS, the two we like best-and
we think all our friends will agree with us-are
the Verbena and the Pausy. Everybody knows
the Verbena, but few know how easily it may
be grown from seed, nor how. much better
seedlings are than the little plants usually sold
in the spring. Verbenas from seed will grow
faster, have finer flowers and more of them,
and every way give more satisfaction than
plants raised from cuttings and the flowers of
VerDenas raised from seed are nearly always
fragrant . ... .F ia ... r,a e4& sr. o.. " z
Sow the seed in February, In the house. Use
shallow boxes. The best we ever used were
made from soap boxes, cut into three the top
and bottom of the original box formed two new
bottoms SO that with piece of extra board we
had three boxes, each about three inches Deep
made from one Fill these boxes to within half
an inch of the top, with light, rich earth the
very best is leaf mold from the woods. if it can
eprocured; If mot, light, sandy soil, mixed with
well-decomposed stable manure, will do just as
well Having filled your box with SOIL level it
with q smooth, fiat board, by patting it down
unit! it is quite even; then SOW the seed over
the surface, distributing it as evenly as pos
sible. After this, dust over just barely suffi-
eient soil to cover the seed, then sprinkle with
water. And now let me tell you something /
have learned from experience; that is, seeds
terminate much more quickly and surely if
kept in the dark They should be in a temper
allure OF, say, 55 deg, and don't give water only
when the surface appears dry. When germin-
alton has ensued, then inure gradually to the
hight; and, if you transplant the seedlings
when 1.-The second or rough leaf, they wilt
grow much stronger, and be thrifty, stocky
plants to set out in the beds when the proper
season arrives. MR.. RENNIE.
Aunt Lucy's Talk with the Children.
1t almost made me sad to-day when I tore off
the first page of my calendar and realized that
the frat month of the new year hadreally gone!.
Ia it because I am growing old that time seems
TO travel faster than it did years agog We have