Daily Republican., 1882-05-05
Suburban Horticulture.

SUDuT bhM Fb0TlCuttuFcs
Now is the season of the year when
the gardener is busy and families hav'
ing in their possession good sized yards
are on the tip-toe of excitement in the
expectancy of raising whole labyrinths
of flowers. There is hardly anybody
who does not admire flowers, the created
human being who does not, has but lii.
tie of the poetry Of refined human ma
ture in his soul. Though there is
scarcely family that does not think
they know great deal about dowers F.,
there are but lew after all who know
how TO raise them successfully. Some
windows are full Of flowers of various
kinds, all along Through the dreary win
ter and they are kept blooming appar-
entity without much trouble In other
wind ows where the greatest care has
been taken to raise flowers the sight is
not cheered by single geranium or
sprig of oxalis, dowers, usually easiest
grswn. There is little secret some
where in raising flowers that most peo-
pie do not get hold of and hence the
reason of SO many gloomy windows,
that never show sign of flowers
through long dreary winter. Even
In the Spring and in summer when
flowers bloom almost spontaneously in
the open air there are many who try
TO raise flowers and yet who never have
any worth speaking about. Old settlers
by years of labor and experience have
their yards nicely curtained and tes-
TONED with flowers that live in the
open air over winter and when the
weather gets warm enough plentiful
supply Of the daintiest and weak kind
is brought out from the green hoases.
1t is with those who move from place
to place that flower raising is the most
vexatious and trying. They want flowers
for no other purpose than to be up with
their neighbors. There is great fun by
the old settlers in the suburbs this sea.
son of the year watching the new COM
ers. About the first thing done by the
family moving in next door is to make
garden. That was the great attrac-
ton any how in coming from the
crowded city out into the more open
country, and they are hardly settled in
the house before operations begin. Not
trusting such particular thing to
themselves, a gardener is sent for, who
digs number OF nice little flower beds
in the grass plat. The gardener has ex-
perience. He does not think it worth
while to bother himself about the char.
acter of the earth, for he knows it will
not make much difference. The beds
finish :d,the father Of the family brings
r., n. the florists box Of assorted flow.
er seeds, each done up in nice little
paper package. The names on the label
are rather overwhelming, but the flo
rist's catalogue, free by mail gives such
a glorious description OF the great heads
of flowers that are to be expected from
every seed that imagination At once
transforms the little side lot and front
yard Into visions of beauty and delight.
With what care the beds are all nicely
marked out into divisions, and the
seeds carefully sown according to di-
rections. At the head of each division
the empty paper with its label is stuck
up on q little stick like row Of little
tombstones, designating the lanes Of
the seeds inferred there. Through one
two ar d three weeks the beds are care.
fully watched and if it is little dry
they re kept moist every day by sprink-
ling pots. 1t is not long before the bed
begins to show signs of life. Father,
mother, children and retinue ofaunts
and CO ousins watch with flaming interest
the little green things that are forcing
their way up through the baked earth
that was never disturbed for fear of
disturbing the seeds. After a few warm
showers the bed begins TO look quit
green. There is considerable similarity
noticed in the appearance Of the p;tants
even when the Latin mar as supuest no
resem lance, but th os+ nlants like
'o'' p'or look good deal alike
~ cry young. But here the fami-
~ is puzzled. The directions on th'
label say that the bed should be KEEP
tree from weeds. but which are weeds
and which are flowers is hard to tell
and 80 the family can but conclude u
watch and wait, trusting to the grea
natural law OF the survival OF tn
best.
Morning and night the family watc
the progress Of the garden, while tn
6eighbors who understand things loo
on with touching tender sympathy; c
course they do. They know what tn
end will be for they have passed owe
that road before. In the course Of tn
summer the bed will contain two
three stalks OF rather sickly sentimei
tai looking lady-slippers-only the Ii
bel did not call them by that nAme, An
few specimens Of indigenous pur
lane. But instead of the great varie
of flowers expected, lots Of ohickwe'
have rprung mp and that is good
canaries if not given In too big dose
Sometime along in june the seedl'r
annu:ls will be abandoned and son
potted verbenas, sweet al!yssum,p
fuschias and geraniums are procur
from the florists and set out. Tie ga
rxY n