Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-08-31
The Cnro OF ths Gardnn.

Very many persons set out, at the be.
ginning of the gardening season, with a
vast amount of enthusiasm, and this
generally lasts until the beds are made
and the seeds sown. Then comes an in
teryal of respite from garden work,
while the seeds are terminating, and
during this time the enthusiasm is likely
to die out When the weeds put in an
appearance, as they viii be sure to do,
the owner Of the garden doesn't feel the
same interest in pulling them up that
she felt in putting the seeds in, aud they
arc allowed to grow and gain foot
hold, and before she is aware of it the
poor little flowers are crowded out by
the aggressive weeds, and it is too late
to do much for them. The fact is, you
cannot have fine flower garden without
doing a good deal of rather unpleasant
work in it. But few persons like to pull
up weeds, but they must be got rid of,
all the same, if YOU want flowers, for
the two cannot flourish together. The
weeds will have it all their own way in a
short time if you let them alone. The
only way to get rid of them is to keep
them down from the beginning.
Give them to understand, by fire..
quent and thorough raids On
them, from the start, that they can't
grow there 1t requires patient labor
and persevering deter mination 10 keep
flower beds clean; but it can be done
and must be done, if you would succeed
as a grower of good flowers. If y~udont
feel sure you can, or will, give flowers
the care they need all through the sea.
son, don't attempt to grow any.
In dry seasons it is often necessary to
water the beds every day. When you
do this do it thoroughly. Apply enough
water to penetrate to the roots of the
plants. 1t is better to apply it at night,
for evaporation takes place less rapidly
then, and the plants can get the proper
benefit from the water, while if given in
the morning, or during the day, the hot
sun drinks up the moisture so fast that
the plants are robbed of the greater
share of it. In very dry seasons, it is a
a good plan to mulch the surface Of the
beds. Spread clippings Of grass over
the soil. This will help to retain the
moisture and shade the surface of the
soil, thus preventing it from drying out
so rapidly.
The soil among the plants should fire.
quently be stirred, and never allowed to
become crusted over. A loose light soil
allows whatever moisture comes to pene-
trate it. It absorbs like sponge. But
crust on the surface prevents the pene.
frlfinnc of i0opIcttra IN hn t, Of ~
plants, and the application of water does
but little good, for most of it runs off
before the crust is soaked through.
If any plants require tying or trim
ming, attend to them promptly. Let
the spirit of neatness rule in the garden
as we'll as in the house. Keep all dead
leaves and branches removed from the
beds and walks. Cut of the flowers as
they fade. This should be done for two
reasons. They are unsightly, and de-
tract from the neat appearance the bed
should present. If allowed to produce
seed your plants will bend all their en-
ergies in that direction, and after a lit
tie you will have few flowers. They
cannot develop seed and give good crops
of flowers at the same time. If you cut
off the fading flowers, you prevent seed
from forming, and at once the pant
sets about producing new flowers from
which to ripen seed. BY keeping it at
this, as you can easily do by a systematic
process of clipping every flower as soon
as its prime is past, you can secure a
steady supply Of flowers all through the
summer, from most plants which nat
urally have but short blooming season.
-E6en b. Reg0rd, in Chicag2 Ledger.