Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-10-12
Botany and Gardening.
Plant some hardy shrubs this fall.


Keep the seed of some Of your best
plants. a&
The seed of some of the hardy an
nuals may be planted now. .
Single roses, like single dahlias, are
going to be brought forward by florists
and nurserymen.
The seeds of some of the aloes ger
inmate very freely, and you should
not waste it, as these plants throw out
but few offsets.
A few drops of ammonia added to
a gallon of water and applied once a
week to all pots of flowers will do
much good and keep the pots and
and earth from souring.
Collect some SCOT from a chimney or
a stove where wood is used az fuel, put
it into an old pitcher and pour hot wa
ter upon it, When cool, use it to water
your plants every few days. The ef-
fects upon plants is wonderful in pro-
ducing a rapid growth of healthy
shoots and great number OF thick,
richly tinted leaves. ..r.tg
1t is quite an easy matter to make
currants profitable is the ground is
well treated with manure. The bushes
should be from four to five feet apart,
and this will admit the planting of a
crop of potatoes the first year between
the rows which can be followed by
beans or peas the second. The third year
the bushes can be given all the space,
and will begin to pay for themselves.
Ornamental, ,leaved plants add great.
ly to the attractiveness and interest of
any collection of plants. The Rex va
rieties Of the begonia, of which there
is large number, varying in color
and markings, are very effective as
pot plants Care should be taken to
keep the foliage free from dust, as the
leaves will not bear washing or show
ering, but they require an abundance
of water at the roots.
Can we immagine safer companion
tor the young or even advanced age,
than flower, and to know how by
cultivation to bring it to perfection, as
it was when formed by the hand OF
God, is an art that must be learned.
If new beauties unfold themselves to
the student In pursuit Of knowledge in
any branch Of art or science, surely
here is a field widening and growing
more and more attractive with each
flower we grow.
The leaf is the builder of the tree. It
hangs out it's inch or two of oval green
in the air for breath and sunshine, and
drinks in the dew and the rain, con-
veying the result of its vegetable
to permanent place in the substance of
the tree. From the heart of each leaf
cord goes into the fibre Of the wood,
which is only binding and knitting
together of many leaf cords and when
the leaves shrivel and fall, these cords
remain as their monuments. AS
Ruskin has said, Behold, how fair,
how far prolonged in alch and aisle,
the avenues ofthe valleys, the fringes
of the hills, the joy Of the man, the
comfort of all living creatures, the
glory of the earth, they are but the
monuments Of those poor leaves that
fit by us to die.
1t isa popular error to suppose that
ivy growing on the wall Of a house
makes it damp. The attachment Of
ivy to walls, SO far from injuring them
and causing dampness, Is an advan,
tage. If the walls are dry wher
planted, ivy will keep them 50. Il
damp, as the plant overspread theil
surface the dampness will disappear
Where dampness prevails Ivy SUCKS
out the moisture, and its thick foliage
will prevent the access of rain to the
structure; and thus it is not only a re-
mover but q preventative Of dampness
The only danger attending the plant
/ ing ofivy on buildings is where fis
sures occur in the wall, in which cas-
the shoots and roots will soon begin tt
tell on the building, and will, by in
crease Of growth, push against the
side of the opening thereby enlargine
1t, and eventuallyso weaken the wal
as to cause it to fall When the wal
is sound there Il no such danger, fol
the plant does not make assures, al
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