The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-04-08

lie, Iull OF hopes anu aspirations, per-
baps, but otherwise absolutely empty.
Let us consider this before spring fairly
opens. so that we may be prepared for
anything of this kind.
One more point may properly come
before the club at its next meeting, and
l mention it here because | may be so
busy at Washington, looking after other
interests, that l cannot get to the club
meeting. | refer to the evident change
III climate here from year to year. and
Its effect upon seeds purchased OF
florists and seedsmen generally.
ABOUT SEEDS.
Twenty years ago, you could plant a
seed according to directions. and it
would produce a plant which seemed
to resemble, in a general way, the
picture on the outside of the package
Now, under the fuctuating Instances of
irresponsible isotherms, phlegmatic
springs, rare June weather and over
done weather in August, l find it al
most impossible to produce plant or
vegetable which in anyway resembles
its portraits. Is il my fault or tae
fault of the climate? | wish the club
lar meeting.
first noticed the change in the sum-
mer of 1872, | think. | purchased q
small package of early Scotch plsid
curled kale with beautiful picture on
the outside. 1t was as good picture of
Scotch kale as ever | saw. | could
imagine how light.hearted it was the
day it went up to the studio and had its
picture taken for this purpose. A short
editorial paragraph under the picture
stated that l should plant in quick, rich
soil, in rows four inches apart to
depth of one inch, cover lightly and
then roll. did so. No farmer OF my
years enjoys rolling any better than 1
do.
In few weeks the kale came up but
turned out to be canard. then
waited two weeks more and other
forms of Vegetation made their appear
ance. None of them were kale. A
small delegation of bug which deal
mostly NTH kale came into the garden
one day, looked at the picture of the
discarded paper. then examined what
had crawled out through the ground
and went away. began to fear then
that climatic Influences had been at
work on the seeds, but had not fully
given up all hope.
&c. BUGS AND THEIR USES.
At first the plants seemed to waver
and hesitate over whether they had
better be wild parsnips or lima beans.
Then concluded that they had decided
to be foliage plants or rhubarb. But
they did not try to live up to their por-
traits. Pretty soon discovered that
tbev had no bugs, which seemed to GO
with them, and then / knew that they
were weeds. Things that are good to
eat always have bugs and worms on
them, while tansy and castor oil &c
through life unmolested.
| ordered new style of gladiola
eight years ago of a man who had his
portrsitin the bow OF his seed catalogue
If he succeeds no better in resem bling
his portrait than his gladiolas did in
resembling theirs, be must be human
onion, whose presence may be easily
detected at great distance.
Last year planted the seeds OF a
watermelon, which l bought Of New
York scotsman Who writes war articles
winters and sells garden seeds in the
spring. The portrait of this watermelon
WOOlu A4Oo0 any mon w q
nine. rail fence in the dead Of night and
forget all else in order to drown his
better nature and his nose in its cool
bosom. People come for miles to look
at the picture Of this melon and went
away with a pleasant taste in their
mouths.
The plants were sluggish though 1
planted in hills far apart each way in G.
rich, warm loan enriched by every
thing that could make sincere water
melon get up and hump itself. The
melons were to be very large indeed,
with centre like rose. According to
the picture these melons generally grew
so large and plenty that most every
body had to put sideboards on the gar
den fence to keep them from falling
over into other farms and annoying
people who had all the melons they |
needed. 1 fought squash bugs, cot |
worms, Hessian flies, chinch bugs. cur
culio, mango, pip. drought, dropsy, |
eaterpillsrs and contumely until the |
latter part of August, when a friend |
from India rame to visit me. decided |
to cut watermelon in honor of his |
arrival. When the proper moment had |
arrived and the dinner had progressed |
to the point of fruit, the tropical depths |
of my garden gave up their seasons |
wealth in the shape of low proved cit
ron about as large and succulent as a |
hot-ball.
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