The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-02-14
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Flowers are divided into three classes-An
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 ia not one spot in the whole
garden but can be made brilliant with some OF
them. because while some, Ike the Portulacca,
delight in the full sunshine, there are others
again-as, for instance, the Pansy-which pre-
Fer a shady situation. Another thing about
Annals is, tho seed IL 30 cheap as to
make them within the reach of all Many
people. who can afford the luxury, spend u
great many dollars annually for what are known
as bedding pla IA, such as Gerariiums, Coleus
Achryanthus, Verbenas, and others, and, while
these no doubt make most imposing and
brilliant display, i would not have one OF my
floral friends think for moment that only the
rich and opulent can enjoy Gods beauties in
the floral kingdom To the ANIMALS we are
mainly indebted for our brightest and best
flowers in the late summer months, for then We
have the brilliant Phlox, the lovely striped and
blotched Petunias, and the Asteis, which have
by the florists skid been made TO produce 30
many different colors and varieties, and come In
bloom when many of our pets are departing
Then surprising You have a vase, one OF those
really necessary adjuncts to the beauty OF
garden, there is nothing better to fill 1T with
than ANIMALS And, just here, let me tell you
how 10 make home made vase-the materials
are such as are found around almost every
farm-h horse 40 the cost need be for nothing but
the labor The stand is made of boxes of COM
mon boards, such as the soap-boxes to be found
at most country stores. A peach-basket makes
the vase. For such basketthe first base should
be a square box, the sides of which meas
ure about a foot, with depth Of
three or four inches. On this place the second
vase, a box with seven-and -one-half- inch sides,
and two and one-half inches deep. Now above
these set up column made out of box about
elk inches high, with sides of, say four or four
ard one-half inches, and the stand is ready for
the basket Holes must be bored through the
bottom of the basket, as well 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 pust be lined with moss to
prevent the earth falling ont Now for the
plants Gamma, which you can raise from
seed (only you must first soak them twenty
four hours in warm water, 10 hasten germina-
tom, will make pretty center piece, and
around this You can plant Petunias, which,
from their dropping habit, will run over the
sides Then there Is Sweet Alyssum, with ITS
pretty snow-white fragrant flowers. and San
yitalia, with its little yellow ones; Maurandia
toe, as dropping vine, comes in here with ex-
celient results All these arc Annals, cheap,
and easily grown
OF all the Animals, the two we like best-snd
we think all our friends will agree with us-are
the Yerbena and the Pa sy. Everybody knows
the Verbena, but few know how easily il 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
Verbenas raised from eeed are nearly always
fragrant.
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, 80 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
be procured; if not light, sandy soil, mixed with
well-decompCs ed stable manure, will do just IA
we'll Having filled your box with soil, level il
with smooth, fiat board, by pattiug it down
until il IL quite even; then SOW the seed over
the surface, distributing il as evenly as pos
sible. After this, dust over just barely sufh-
cient 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 q temper
when the surface appears dry. When germin-
alton has ensued, then inure gradually to the
hight; and, If You transplant the seedlings
when in the second or rough leaf, they viii
grow much stronger, and be thrifty, stocky
plants to set ont in the beds when the proper
season arrives Mr.. RENNIE
Aunt Lucy's Talk with the Children.
II almost made me sad to-day when tore off
tho first page of my calendar and realized that
the first month of the new year had really gonel
Is il because am growing old that time seems
TO travel faster than il cid years ago? We have
buried the first two winter months under the
snow, and have fairly entered upon the last of
the trio.
What a busy life this IL. We cannot afford 10
waste one minute of its golden hours, aud l
think if the little folks could realize the impor-
lance Of tits fact they would profit by the ex-
peiience oftheir cider friends, and like the busy
bee improve each shining hour love to see chill
dren happy, and also love 10 see them indus
trious and ambitious Now is the time to com
mencc forming your character for manhood and
womanhood and, if the coming months pass as
rapidly as the one just gone, you will be mon
and women before you know it, We old peo-
pie arc watching with great interest the coming
generation, WI - will so soon take our places,
and, "a this nineteenth century IL progressive
and wonderful age, we are expecting great
things Do not disappoint us; put your 81 oul-
ders 70 the wheel; let your password be "on-
ward; )" the past you cannot recall the present
is here but u moment and the future claims all
your talent, energy and ambition. Our
country needs noble men and women.
Study now, with determination to make
your mark in the wo, Id. We know not what il
hidden in this great problem of life. There Is
probably within YOU rich mine OF for more
value than silver and gold-and you need to
explore with great care and vigilance for the
gem which may now be lying dormant in the
rough, waiting for willing head and hands TO pol
ish il into dazzling brightness. Children, every
thing in very few years will depend upon you-
our country, our homes, and the peace and glory
of our nat OH. The time Is Fastening when
we will need to lean a ou YOU, for we will be
old, and, in ali probability, IL we reach our
three score -years-ai d-ten very feeble. We
shall need a rtrorg ann TO support us down the
hill OF life-as you needed strong arm 10 help
you TO ascend The time is coming when motn-
ers must yield their positions as housckeepers
70 their daughters. So look 10 il well, girls,
and educate yourselves - the position.
Mako the best md fullest use OF your time;
remember moment once gone cannot be
recalled Many perrons unwrttingly lose two
or three hours every day by want OF employing
odd minutes-it IN generally those who waste
tho most time that are always complaining of