Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-04-27
SEASONABLE HINTS
REGARDING THE CARE AND CUL-
TURE FLOWERS.

REGARDING THE CARE AND cUL.
TURE OF FLOWERS.
Superintendent Roberts. Of Point Defiance Park
in an Informal Talk to Students, Explain.
Practical Side Of Art Of Successful GARDENING
Training Trees, Flowers. Fruits and Vese
tables.
Tacoma News
Taking fine rose bush in his hand
Superintendent Roberts of Point Def
ance park, told the children and visit
ors of the Willard school few fact.
about rose pruning and culture tha,
will assist everyone to cultivate beau.
tiful roses. He talked also OF the in
fiuence of trees and flower gardens
and fruits and vegetables and theil
helpfulness in the home and for the
children.
The Jacqueminot rose, he said, and
all the hybrids, or perpetuals, need
free pruning and flower more freely
under that treatment. Tea roses dc
not like it. Never plant roses withou,
good foundation. There should be
two feet of manure, lime, brickbats
and old mortar; then surface soil on
top, and the roses, with proper care
will flourish for twenty-five years
Manure should not be applied on the
surface. If it is, the plant sends UP
its rootlets TO get the nourishment
and when the gardener comes he digs
about the plant and cuts off these
tiny roots; and the owner asks in dis.
may: "What is the matter with my
rose bush?"
Never round the beds up. Keep
them level, perhaps two inches lower
than the surface. Do not water toe
frequently, but when you do, give
them good drink. If roses are given
such a foundation as suggested, a
thorough soaking every Saturday
night ought to suffice.
Mr.. Roberts was surprised to see the
frequent wsterings which some people
give their roses in Tacoma. They give
them no rest, he said. Ashes are good
for roses and should be sprinkled on
the ground freely.
He spoke of the importance of beau.
tifying surroundings for the home
and said: ave are living in coun
try where We can grow more varieties
than are grown in any other part oi
the United States. When home i:
made beautiful it creates love for i,
in the child. Boys make better mer
and girls make better women. Every
child should have garden spot of hi'
own"
Mr.. Roberts spoke of the import
ance of planting trees, both for plea
sure and proit-shade trees and frui,
trees. He said: "Don't plant toe
close. A tree must have room to grow
and spread. 1t must have good soil
water and training"
He gave few practical suggestions
on the cultivation of strawberries
gooseberries and currants.
Speaking of propagating from cut.
tings, he said clip should never be
placed in the ground upright, but al
an angle; otherwise il "can't pull
The children looked intently as Mr..
Roberts shipped off cutting with his
pruning shears and showed them chow
to do it."
always press the ground over
eeeds with the foot" he said, "never
with the rake or hoe"
Passing on to speak OF vegetables, he
said: Lettuce you can have, every
day of the year on Puget Sound
green lettuce, summer lettuce and
winter lettuce. Cucumbers can be
grown in barrel and put in any odd
corner. Be careful to eliminate waste
paper and dilapidated tin cans" On.
cidentally he mentioned that it re-
quires two men to gather up the tin
cans and rubbish after a picnic in
Point Defiance park.)
Mr.. Roberts threw out some useful
hints on pansies and poppies. The
former need a rich soil, the latter re.
quire only that the seed shall be scat
tered on the ground.
always keep box full of seeds
This was the way in which Winthrop
the first Governor of Massachusetts,
established the school garden. In Ia
coma one has been started at the
Sherman school, and we must have
OiiC iOA euO w hldtu cCuOOi. xOu udNS
plants in Point Defiance Park to-day
that are the offspring of plants grown
in 1850"
Mr.. Roberts urged the children te
love nature. "You will be healthy
and live long if you do" he promised
"Care must be given to the plants
and flowers. Keep at the children al
the time. Don't force them; encour
age them. Always pull the weeds
don't let anything grow wild.
ITO have lawn you must have NJ
dandelions. Don't use much manure
on the surface, always have slaket
lime; it kills the worms. Tobacco
chips in water, with little saltpeter
makes cheap and effective spray TO
the aphis and lice. Spray it on tn
trees underneath; never on top. II
kill the black aphis on cherries, add
little sulphur,