Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-16

1
| NA1ssA TNsSsE;I lack OF grounds sur
| SEc,MaEEFVNSAl rounding our homes
| VII %TsV, as compared, for in
| stance. with our more favored English
| cousins. who count their lawns by acres.
| They cannot favorably compare with those
| of London and Paris, as seen at the Crys-
tai palace and the celebrated Battersea
| Park, near London, and the Louvre and
| Tuilleries.
| To Make Lawn.
| The first step in the formation of a well
| regulated garden is the lawn. The shape
| Of this must depend altogether upon the
| character and size Of the grounds and
| space to be left for the garden proper.
Care Should be TAKEN though, in grading
| it. to provide for it's draining readily.
Leave no hollows for accumulation of wa
| ter. Drain cutters should be formed where
| necessary to carry off all surplus moiS-
| ture. Over the subsoil proper. spread at
| least six inches of sandy loan. This loan
| is composed of rotted leaves and sods and
| other rotted vegetable matter. Most all
! ground that has stood for any length of
| time undisturbed contains from four to
| six inches of loan. in layer above the
| Subsoil. Do not think that the addition of
! manures to common subsoiI or earth
| containing no rOtted vegetation will make
| the proper earth for a garden, for it will
| not ManureS only temporarily improve
away.
After the loan has been spread over the
suDSol to the proper depth it should be
| carefully raked to remove all sticks and
stones. The seed is then SoWn broadcast
| The following formula contains the best
| mixture OF seeds for sowing lawn:
one part Rhode Island bent grass seed
| three parts creeping bent grass seed, ten
parts red top bent grass seed, ten parts
| Kentucky blue grass seed one part white
| clover.
When and How.
Buy your seeds of reliable agent, so as
| to be sure and not be disappointed in your
| lawn by having sown dead seeds. After
| the seeds are sown rake should be passed
| over the lawn, and then roller tc give it
smooth and solid surface. If the seeds
| arc sewn in April or May a beautiful lawn
| can he grown by August If the seeds are
| sown during the hot months of July or
August Sprinklny of oats should be soWn
| WIN them, 50 that the shade OF the hardy
| oats Will protect the tender young grass
| from the excessive heat Of the sun.
How to Make n Garden.
Now as to the s: rden proper. There are
two principal methods of starting plants
che from the seed and the other from cut
tnss lr the former case the seeds are
first started into life by a terminating or
prcpagatng appal atEs. If a terminating
apparatus is unavailable a shallow box fill
ed with sand will answer, but the process
OF growth will not be SO rapid. During the
time the young plants are in the pots keep
the latter embedded in a layer of about
two rches of sand, and always keep the
pots separated SO that there may ne a free
circulation OF air around them, the roots
must breathe through the porous sides of
the pots. 1t is good plan to put the
young sprouts in sectional .ransplantinp
pots. % that they may be removed when
desired without injuring the tender roots
Of,
planting pots is that having its vertical
wall formed in two parts hinged together
SO that when the plant is to be removed
they may be separated for that purpose
ana the roots thus kept intact. A great
many who keep their plants alive through
the winter prefer not to reno re them from
the pots during the summer, but simply
embed the pots in the earth Of the garden
If you contemplate doing give a little
care to the potting soil and the size pot en-
ployed, If you would grow a successful
! plant The soil should consist of two parts
rotted Sods and loamy pasture and one part
rotted hops from breweries The rotted
sods can be secured by laying cut sods
with their grassy sides together until they
decompose. If the hops cannot be secur-
ed. Use rotted manure. Sift the earth be-
fore using.
Plants In Pots.
Now for the proper size pot to be en-
ployed. Care should always be taken not
to put plant in too large pot. for this is
| Injurious. The plant should not be trans
ferred at all from a smaller to a larger pot
Unless its roots are thoroughly matted
| against the sides Of the pot. It is often
| only necessary even then to remove the
plant and wash the earth from the roots
and then replace it with fresh earth in the
same pot. DO not shake the earth away
| from the roots, as this Injuries and breaks
them: DO not fill your pots with the So
! called draining bottom of charcoal oy-
al
| ana altogether useless proceeding, at least
| SO Tar as porous pots are concerned. as all
| the drainage that is necessary is secured by
| the passage of the moisture through the
| porous sides of the pots The hole in the
! bottom of the pot. though, should be COW
cred with pebble to prevent the earth es-
| Gaping. Plants in pots should be watered
| more frequently than plants set in the beds.
| as the evaporation and escape of moisture
| is more rapid.
Starting Cuttings.
or the numerous devices for starting cut
| lungs IN the garden the cone pot having an
| open bottom is one of the most effective
| ne cut branch containing the bud is
| buried IN the earth some distance below the
surface and the lower open end of the pot
| paced over the bud to keep the earth from
| Ialling onto the same The earth is then
| hiled IN ABOUT the pot, and the bud is thus
| protected and the branch we'll buried at
both ends. In a short while the bud
! pushes up above the top of the pot. and
the same may then be removed and the
| earth filled in. "
Arranging the Beds.
In arranging the oS'outdcor beds care
| should be taken as to the proper position
for the different varities of plants. gar
| den containing Towering plants should
have an aspect toward the south and east
| as otherwise, generally stated, there will
! be no blooms. for plants do not bloom
| where they receive no sun at all. Where
the garden is in the, shade and receives
sun for very smalh part of the day the
| following plants are the best: Fuchsias,
pans.es, forget-me- Hots. yviolets, lobelias,
NY -of-the-valley, phfoxes and the like
| w mere the garden receives at all
there can be no flowers and ornamental
leaf plants. such as 9odsan silver gera-
| NUNS achyranthus, begenias caladums.
| centaurea and colens should be planted.
Do not water the gardens more than orse
day, and if the soil begins to whiten on
the surface. 1t will indicate that the plants
| are receiving too much water. Plants are
| killed just as often by too much water as
I hn o0lY