The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-11-14
HOME INTERESTS.
Tulips.

Tulips.
Then comes the Tulip race. where beauty plays
Her idle freaks; from family diffused
To family, as flies the father dust
The varied colors run.
The Tulip is the most celebrated, brilliant
and snowy Of the spring flowers. They are OF
the easiest possible culture, and, while any
good garden soil will grow them, find they
do best in well-drained, sandy soil, enriched
with thoroughly rotten manure The proper
season for planting them in beds-and, by the
way, all the finer sorts should be grown in beds
containing number of bulbs-isin the months
OF October and November. Some people grow
them in lines. well remember the fret tulip
bed which interested me was planted IN that
way. NV practice nova. days Is 10 plant them
in circular beds, allowing tive inches between
each bulb OF the early kinds and six inches for
late varieties, covering all to the depth OF three
inches. All the care necessary after this Is 10
throw some slight protection, such as leaves
and marsh hay, over the beds before water sets
in. THIS protection is to be removed In the
spring The Due Van Thols and Tournesols
are largely used for forcing, their beautiful col
ors aud neat habit of growth rendering them
very desirable for parlor decorations. Tulips
are snowy, gaudy flowers much admired by
some people. aud years ago. were as much
speculative article as wheat Is at the present
day. 1t is on record that during
the period of the Tulip mania in Holland,
brewery Nalueu III 1O,VNV Wdr given
by its proprietor for a single root.
For my part / much prefer the fragrant
Hyacinth or the modest Lily of the Valley.
These Lilies of the Valley are among the best
of the winter blooming bulbs. We import the
pip, which is bud in dormant state, with
roots attached, from Holland. Three OF them
are put into a four-lnch pot, covered about an
inch with SOIL watered, and put in the dark for
a couple of weeks; then bring them to the light
and you will soon have flowers l must not
pass the Crocus by, either. They are easily grown
in the house, and so cheap that they may be
called everybody's flower. Like the Hyacintlf,
they can be grown in saDd-moss or water or in
the pretty devices, such as bee-hives and hedge
hcgs, 10 be found ut seed-stores.
Crocuses for houses culture should be plant
ed in a pot close together and kept moist and
dark until they terminate. For outdoor bloom
ing follow same method as for Tulips-only
put the bulbs closer together and bat one inch
deep.
Nettie b. asked in recent letter for the treat
ment of Musk plant This is one of the MINI
illus, or Monkey flowers, grown for its odor of
musk, which the leaves possess in a very
marked degree. The Musk plant thrives best
in shady damp situations, and in the green
house increases quite rapidly from seed The
flowers are yellow and are produced in great
profuson III the spring.
AT the near approach of winter, perhaps
cannot suggest much prettier adornment for
the parlor or even the kitchen than a hang ing
basket. An ingenious person may readily con-
struct one OF peach basket, or a wire one can
be purchased for about % cents-wres to hang
Ii by all complete, except the moss to line it. l
might name over great many plants suitable
for hanging baskets, but will confne myself to
just such ones as are popular and may be
grown by anyone. Beginning in the center
would place Zonale Gcranium-single varie-
ties having the preference, they are more
dwarf in habit Then around the edges, next
the wires, l would put in Madeira Vine and
Ivy Geraiium and for dropping plants, Sedum
or Stonecrop, PLEA, Moneywort, Mock Straw
berry and Saxrifraga or Strawberry Geranium.
Until further notice, correspondents will
please address as below, and not to Hinsdale,
Ill. as formerly X. RENNIE.
AINswoRTH. Washington county, Iowa.