The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-04

Nearly all amateur gardeners take keen
delight in reading the experiences or their
fellows regardless Of the authors de-
gree of accurate knowledge or success
and gardening and nature books Will be
much in demand the next four or five
months, but particularly just at the open
ing of the season Of garden activities
and the unfolding of spring.
Every season has a few distinctive
books attractive in style and containing
ideas stimulating in a greater or less de-:
gree. The book this year that seems to
combine most successfully the fascinating
qualifications Of authorship and makeup
and practical -suggestiVeness -. is A
Wo1nan's Hardy Garden by Helen Ruth
erfurd Ely. The giving of Well-tried dl-
rections for the management of garden
without the use of glass for starting
plants and seeds or giving. them unusual
winter protection is the purpose of the
book, but incidentally Mrs. Ely has given
some aluring pictures of the delights
and wholesome effects of gardening.
Mrs. Ely is an amateur who delights in
a very large garden on a northern New
York farm, and while most of her read
hers will deal with flowers by the dozen
where she has hundreds. her rules apply
with equal success in the reduced plan.
Her selection Of plants is confined to
bulbs, annuals biennials and hardy per-
ennials, and, in addition, cannas, dahtias
and gladiolf whose roots can be stored
through the winter in the cellar. Every
thing is raised In the open ground and
the garden is truly a. hardy one. The
enthusiastic woman gardener has worked
out her own problems, as everyone must.
to a. considerable extent, and while she
gives the impression that any one with
the desire to do can learn to succeed,
that success in bought only by hard work
and vigilance Her methods thor
oughgoing and could scarcely fail to in
sure success.
Mrs. Ey's Methods.
Close planting is advocated i'll this Vol=S
ume, setting the plants closely that
when developed no ground is to be seem
The theory of the value Of this method
is that the foliage shades the roots and
moisture is retained better, decided ad-
vantage in this climate. There can be
mo doubt that the result will give a better
artistic effect. The methods suggested for
laying out a garden and borders around
the house and grounds are admirable. The
bedding of a house In a bower Of green
by means of tall growing borders and vines
is urged. Her own house Is Purttancal
and uncompronising colonial building,
whose severe aspect has been almost lost
in Il covering Of vines, chiefly the ordi-
nary Virginia creeper, which any Mime
sot;Ln may dig in the woods, as Mrs. Ely
did hers. She never allows the vines
to De laid down even for painting, pre-
having the vines lifted about the work
goes on. to the damage that laying them
down causes. Other creepers used are
Crimson Rambler roses, honeysuckle, Gle
mats, paniculata, Henryi and Jackmanni,
these being the feathery, fragrant white,
the large white, and the large purple, re-
spectively.
At the back Of the book are three pages
of plans of portions of the grounds, In
GLIDING a space devoted to a, formal gar
den, with a sun dial in its center and a
: pergola at one end. This, had wide grass
walks box-edged, and each of the -four
large beds had a privet hedge at the back
Each bed had a border in flowers of q
single color. the main portions of each bet
being planted with a few varieties o
plants in rows.
The directions are simple, brief and in
teresting. Any one with the slightes
fondness for gardening would enjoy sit
ting down and reading the book from
cover to cover at the first opportunity
Z iThe only interruption he would Willingly
permit would be for the examination O.
the fine half tone illustrations made from
photographs Of Mrs. Ely's garden that tru
ly illustrate the text. After that the. bool
will prove an invaluable handbook TO
practical flower culture and will even beat
frequent rereading as a whole. and -thi
is the real test of the permanent value o
b. book.
Suggestive Lists Of Plants.
4. Among the important practical point:
given Is a suitable list Of perennials fol
+ planting a hardy border two feet wide
each side of thirty-foot walk. The ex
,pense Of this, including three days labo
and manure, she gives at less than $50