The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-17
HOW TO BUY SPRING PLANTS.
Best Way to Make Selections for Summer
Planting.

In purchasing the plants that are "
give a wealth of bloom durlhs 'ie
summer months it will be wise " 80
to a practical florist, who can give s"s
s-estions for culture at the tiiiie VI
lection. The exaggerated accounts VI
wonderful novelties that are s'iiie
times catalogued are not always sa'is
factory. even if their culture is uluel-
stood.
There are few things the NOVICE
makes more mistakes about IMAM 'he
common one of buying plants. ihel
are so many things to be consldeleu'
and one does not always stop to con-
slider. The beautiful catalogues are
sent out. We look them over ana our
hearts beat fast; our pulses qulcheh'
our very eyes shine as we look them
over and read of the wonderful, Hashl-
ficent, glorious; glowing howers' yes,
we mentally admit we simply must
have that wonderful novelty. we look
n little farther and we read OF now
er so delicate so transcendently lovely,
so rare. a living snowflake, or plrd
song petrified, words fail to describe
its aerial delicacy and tender beauty.
Tts cultivation is so simple any one
can grow it. and well-this is another
of the must haves." Its price is small
in comparison to its wonderful worth.
Then we come to some OF the most
UNIQUE. odd, peculiar-looking plant
specimens, easy to cultivate, at
tracing the notice of all beholders,
etc. So we go on through the entire
catalogue. we find our list of must
HAYES" a long one, and (must we admit
it0 a rather expensive one, too
But then the plants are so rare, 50
uncommon in so many remarkaple
ways, that we conclude after all that
we can't give them up. We look the
list over and over, trying to find ono
we are willing to give up, but they
have fascinated us and enthralled US,
and we can't make up our minds to
relinuuish them. So we "scrimp' here
and we "skinch' there, we can get
along somehow, and so we make out
our neatest order and send it to the
Plant Novelty company, of Blankville.
Fraud county, state of Anywhere.
In due time our box of plants arrives
They are small and they don't look
much like the gorgeous-colored plates
in the Plant Novelty catalogue.
We take them up tenderly, little
mystified. They are quite jumbo IN
our hands, after all. We don't know
what kind Of soil or treatment they
want. but we want to be good to them,
SO we get some good big pots 1--WE are
sure they will need them, for the grow
so big, you know.
We have heard that some folks put
bits of broken crockery in the bottom
of the pots We do not think it neces-
sary; it takes up too much room, and
we want our plants to have plenty Of
room to grow.
We take infinite pains to get some
fresh manure, for surely plants grow
better in a rich soil than a poor one
We pot the plants, and we keep them
out of the sun for awhile and water
freely. They don't do well, so we put
them in the south window, until time
for planting outside, and 10, ana pc
hold they all shrivel up; we give more
water and we tend them, hoping
against hope that they will sprout up
from the roots; they don't sprout, and
finally we set the pots away.
Perhaps you will think my pen Pic
ture resembles the cheap chromos, In
IndC 1t Is TOO nlSIlly COiOISu did hcIoh y
a good perspective. Well, your judg-
ment is better than mine, no doubt, but
there are just such cases as the above.
There are some florists who make
specially of novelties, of bringing out
plants, both new and old, under Won
derful descriptions, to allure the UNI
wary. 1t is better always to buy plants
and seeds of old and reliable firms.
There is another thing 1t is always
better to do, and that is use little
common sense In selecting. There is
Dne thing about most Of the flower cat
Rlogues that always regret, and that
is that along with the description of
plants they do not state, in every case,
their requirements in regard to soil,
sun, atmosphere and water.
These are things 1 always want to
know: Does a plant want rich soil, plen-
ty Of water and all the sunshine pos
sible or does it need a poor sandy soil,
little water and shade? These things
are so important that even with some
experience, and using the best judg-
nent can muster, lose plants that I
very much desire to grow. I believe it
IS so with most plant growers.
If you don't know just what plants
to buy be sure and get something
standard, something you are fairly sure
has been partially tested at least, in