Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-03-30
SPRING HAS CONE.

"Sweet spring, with her bouncing step, 4
here
With the swallows song and the wild bee
hu m
And the scent OF apple tree bloom is near.
All the fair attendants of spring hav,
come"
LILA n. CUsHMAN, in Vick's Magazine
Yes, spring is upon us; in the garder
the early bulbs sare growing; in the
woods sweet grasses and anemones and
engena, daughter of spring." ferni
and thorn and dainty green leaves and
buds are seen. Even in these first dayt
of March one may gather handful o,
pretty green things with fairy blooms
richly repaying trip to the garden o.
nature" 1t were well worth the trou.
bic if herbarium were kept and the
name and season of every flower jotted
down. Every one can do this much,
and find 1t interesting, and those with
some knowledge of botany may add
the scientific names aud whatever in
formation may be cleaned regarding
each flower. A pretty and dainty
book may be made by procuring light
card board or heavy blank paper,
pressing the flowers and cumming
them to the board; punch two holes in
one side, bind them to gether with rib.
bons and put on as fancy cover as
may be desired. The names, etc. oil
the flowers may written upon the
leaves or, better still, the pages may be
numbered and notebook kept upon
the corresponding pages of which the
flower history may be written, and
added to from year to year, as new facts
may be CLEANED. These books will
form fund of interest and informa-
lion which will always be found enter. f!
tanning and may prove valuable In fu |
ture years.
The study of plants and flowers be I
1t in ever so amateur a way, is most
delightful to one who loves them; when !
one wanders along sweet woodland
ways watching the teeming life on
every side, growing and bursting 81
that if it is
"Only a bank Of simple weeds,
OF tangled grass and slender wind blown
And yet ssaTi a World of beauty garners there.
BLUE FLOWERS.
Blue does not seem to be as common
color among flowers as white and
yellow and the shades of pink and red
and yet it is often so desirable that in
making up the lists of seeds and plants
Tor the garden, the flowers in shades OF
blue should not be forgotten. Flax is
lovely modest little blossom, some
species of LobeIia, are an intense and
beautiful blue; the dear little Forget.
me-not, Phacelia, Browalia and the
pretty blue varieties of Crocus are
some examples, as also Ageratum and
Nigella. There are also lovely pale .
and dark blues among the hyacinths
and there Is nothing prettier thana row
Of Sclllas rejecting heavens own blu'
IN their innocent faces.
Then there are royal Passion flowers,
and Clematis, 'deeply, darkly, beautI-
fully blue" and also among climbers
the very desirable Cnboea Scandens
and Maurandza and Morning Glories
all to be obtained in shades OF blue.
SOME DESIRABLE PLANTS.
The new variety of ornamental
grass and the tea rose meteor, is thus
recommended to growers in orchard /
and garden:
The new Eulalia grdciYiH,a yitfatd
10 welcome addition to the Eulalia
family and to the list Of hardy plants.
IL IL delicste-loOking and very beau
rful grass, growing about three feet /
high. It has very narrow foliage, With /
pure white strip down he middle of |
the leaves. 7 hOugh the leaves look so !
delicate, 1t requires very strong wind |
to iniura them. 1t is a very grace rul !
plant, has proved to be thoroughly |
hardy, and is going to be widely I
grown. 1t is q suitable plant for either |
the border or the lawn. A small group |
Mould produce very pleasing effect.
The new Hybrid Tea Rose Meteor !
promises to become a favorite, and it !
has something besides novelty to |
recommend 1t. 1t has the da GRIM
ION color of Jacqueminot, but is much |
tuller in form. The form is good and |
The color pure. The fior er is fragrant. |
It seems to force well, and may be said |
10 be already fashionable, and that, in !
: certain direction, gives it additional .
Tslue; but its value as an amateurs |
ioHer has not yet been sufficiently
proved, though 1t promises well.
SOWING SEED.
Rose Seelye Miller, in Success aDith
EIOiUers, gives some sessonable hints |
As to preparing boxes and sowing seed |
!or early spring flowers. She says:
Boxes three inches deep, eight
inches long by five or six wide will |
bs large enough to hold all the seed |
that will come in a package of choice |
lower seed. Boxes of the size men |
ioned are light and easy to handle, |
md it would be better to use two for |
me of variety seed than 10 have box
10 large that moving it is hard task.
Fine sand, such as Is recomme ded |
BY so many cannot get; leaf mold is |
mother thing not to be obtained here, |
i A II
Dur Dakota soil is fine and good; this
sift through a fine sieve, and mix it
With sort of fine gravel. l sift the
traveI through the same fine SIEVE, so
hat there are no stones left, and 1 !
really get a coarse sand. These two
IoiIs 1 mix, two parts black earth to
,ne part sand. ] his gives good por-'
ous soil. If this earth Is placed in the
oven till very hot, it will Insure a
reedom from insect life. When par
aally cool, fill the boxes with the pre-
bsred earth, have the surface even and
press down firmly-a small board is
rood for this purpose. Sow the seeds
sn this surface. Do not SOW very
ihickIy or the plants will come too
.Iosp, and tTansplanting will be more
difficult, and the plants themselves
siIl not be so strong.
When seeds are scattered, sift lit o
soil over them and press down again
Some cover the boxes with glass, while
DtheIs cover with cloth that has been
folded aud dippad in water. Keep this
cloth wet and the seeds will be moist
enough to germinate. The boxes should
be kept in warm place. L keep
mine in my kitchen, on rack little
back of the stove and considerably
above it. The fire does not go out dur
Ing cool weather, so no sudden change
of temperature takes place.
Many ANIMALS can be started IN the
house, and their season of usefulness,
4 G.. their season of bloom, be leng b.
ened. /,
IA soon rs / get my boxes, / intend