The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AGRlCULTURlSTS.
Some Up-to-Date Hints About Cultiva-
tion of the Soil and Yields Thereof---
Horticulture. vitioulturs and Fioricul-
ture.
fan.le. for Winter and spring Flower

Pansles for Winter and spring Flower
ing.
Late in August or early in September
select cool, moist, partially-shaded
place for the seed-bed, dig the soil
deeply, and make it as fine as possible.
Sow the, seed thinly in drills. one-half
inch deep and six to eight inches apart.
cover lightly, but firm the soil we'll
after covering the seed. If the soil is
dry it should be we'll watered after the
seed is covered. and then place light
covering of hay or straw over the bed
until the young plants are we'll started;
this mulching is not necessary If the
season is moist at the time of sowing,
being used only to keep the soil from
baking and comparatively cool ana
moist during a period of hot, dry
weather. When the young plants are
we'll started push tae mulch slightly
aside from the rows, and when they
show three or four leaves remove it
entirely and work up the soil into
fine, loose condition between the rows.
Treated in this manner the young
plants will be ready for transplanting
to the beds in which they are to
grow. II these beds are located on
south side of wall or tight fence
they will live through the winter, but
when the ground freezes up solidly they
should have the protection of mulch
OF straw or leaves spread two or three
inches thick over the bed. This not
so solidly, but also serves to prevent
the small plants from being thrown
up out of the soil by rapid alterations
of freezing and thawing. The best
plan, however, especially north of Phil
adelphia, is to winter the young plants
in cold frame covered with glass
sash, as they will make larger plants
and begin to flower much earlier in the
spring than the plants wintered in the
open beds. While the regular hot bed
sash is best for this purpose, any old
window sash will answer for the pur-
pose f provision is made for the escape
Of water from the sash after rain,
or they may be sloped enough to per-
NIT of its running off. 1t is best to
make the bed in protected situation.
such as on the south side of wall
or tight fence. Make box of boards
OF the proper size to be covered by the
sash, allowing the latter to project
slightly on al, sides; the front part OF
the box should be about six inches in
height and the rear twelve inches, with
sloping sides to fit the sash. Fill the
box or frame with rich soil, leaving
four inches Of clear space below the
sash at the front end, which will make
1t ten inches at the hack, and at the
same time slightly bank up the earth
outside the frame to insure good drain
age or protection from the heavy rains.
When the bed is prepared set the young
plants in it eight inches apart each
way. Do not place the sash on the
frame until the nights are quite cool,
and remove it entirely on all warm,
bright days. During the winter, when
1t is too cool to take the sash of en-
tirely. the plants may be aired by
raising the front sash a few inches.
When the frame is covered by snow,
during severe weather, it may be left
alone until bright, clear weather, when
1t should be cleared off and the plants
again treated to fresh air. In severe
cold weather the frame may have the
additional protection of old carpets or
other covering placed over the glass at
night. Cared for in this manner the
plants should begin blooming quite
early in the winter, and when the trees
start out in bud the covering may be
left off entirely, or the plants taken up
and planted in the flower bed and the
frame used for starting fresh young
plants from seed. When these young
plants start poisoning in the frames,
some of them may be taken up and
planted in pots or boxes for Towering
in cool room in the house, where they
will bloom nicely if kept cool, not too
wet, and supplied with an abundance
of fresh air as frequently as possible.