The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-01-23
Flowers from Seeds.


Flowers are as necessary to some
peoples existence az the air they
breathe or the water they drink. and an
all-wise, generous Providence has scattered
them lavishly all over this broad and beautiful
continent Flowers abound on the mountain
top, in the shady dell, by ripping streams, and
grow in the sivery lakes; and it seems to me
everybody should learn 70 love these beautiful
objects OF nature, and in contemplating them
look mp with reverence TO Natures God. The
cultivation OF flowers is especially TO be COM
mended as an amusement for children, teaching
them to be patient and hopeful have loved
flowers from az long as l can remember, and as
[ write the memories of the past come crowd
ing in upon me. When less than years OF
age planted some peas III a pot and set them
in window to see how soon they would .sprout.
/ have been thinking great deal about my
boyhood lately, how as l grew up the love OF
flowers grew with me. and would like 10 get
my young friends in the same way OF thinking.
All plants which reproduce themselves by
seeds are divided into three main classes
Annals Biennials and Perennials-and these
again, according to their constitution are sub
divided into tender, half hardy and hardy va
rieties AT this time | shall speak only OF the
ANIMALS, and from time TO time, In subsequent
letters, shall have something to say about the
others ANIMALS are those plants which pro-
duce their seeds in the same year in which
they are sown, and then die. ANIMALS are 80
cheap and easily grown they may be called
everybody's flowers. There If not boy or
girl or a man or woman, who has if no more
than box on the window-sill. who cannot raise
some of the hardy sorts. Although common,
some Of the sweetest flowers are to be found
among the Animals. There Is the fragrant
Mignonette, and the very old-fashioned Four
O'clock, aud many others.
Now, let us suppose you are provided with
| - of Anpnala-that IL
be safely sown in the open ground after the
weather becomes warm and settled. Having
carefully prepared the seed-bed. making the
soil mellow by digging and raking, the seeds
! may then be sown either broadcast or IL drills
and covered very slightly with sand and sandy
soil. When the seedlings come no they must
be kept free from weeds, and, If at all thick IN
! the bed, transplant them on rainy day.
| Most people are anxious to have flowers greet
| them az soon as possible, and, TO hasten their
eaIlv maturity, hot beds, cold frames, and
boxes in the window are all resorted TO. These
! letter. are written for tue masses, the great
majority of whom have no better way of start
| ing their flower seeds than in the house. For
! this purpose get soap box at your grocery
store and cut it into three portions. In this
way YOU get two complete boxes, and the sides
OF another, so that il only needs bottom put
on it, Have ready some soil, made up of equal
parts Of sapd, soil, and rotted manure. Run
the whole through a sieve to take out the
Jumps Fill your boxes, and then pat the snr-
! face with smooth board; then SOW your Seeds
busting over them barely sufficient soil to hide
| them from your view. If the soil be pressed
down upon the seeds they will start more rap
| idly You must observe, once the seeds are
sprouted never let them go dry; on the other
hand guard against damping off, which Is
caused by want of air and sunshine, and too
much water. All the fine small seeds should
be started in the house, such as the Petuna,
Double Daisy, Snapdragon, etc, and advise
you not to cover them at all, but simply to press
them into the soil
Everybody loves the verbena, and most peo-
pie admire the lovely bed of them in the sum
mer. They are easily grown from the seed If
you only have patience, and the flowers OF YER
benas produced from seed are nearly always
fragrant, besides being far more plenufully
produced than on plant raised from cutting.
Florists sell Verbena plants in great quantity
every year, but they would not dispose OF any
thing like 80 many If people will raise them
from the seed. To the ANIMALS we are mainly
indebted for the lovely beds of glorious hued
flowers in summer and autumn. The Asters
linger with us until destroyed by frost, and
there are 80 many varieties, some Of them
should be in every garden. Then the beautiful
phlox Drummondii with it's hosts OF marvellous
shades in coloring, and that pretty Salamander,
the Portulacca, enduring the hottest sun with
impunity, and throwing wide its many-colured
flowers TO the MONDAY sun when al 9th
ers are closed by the intense heat
bed OF blotched and striped Petunias
is one of the most beautiful sights,
in well-kept garden. Every now and then
some one writes me about double Petunia seed.
The double Petunia does not produce seed, and
to get the double flowers from seed very
difficult and tedious process has to be gone
through. termed by florists the art of hybrid
izing For this purpose single varieties of
most perfect shape AID coloring are selected,
and fortified with pollen taken with a camers-
hair brush from the double varieties. 1t re-
quires great skill on the part OF the msnipu-
lator, and from the seeds, thus oh aimed, Ger
tain percentage may be expected 10 produce
double flowers. These seeds are very costly,
being sold, at Wholesale, by one of the most
prominent seedsmen in America at 800 per
ounce Mr.. RENNIE
ArNswoRTH Washington county Iowa