The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-04-01
OVERS FOR EASTER.
From the Woods That vii

lap-HSs FROM the woods That VII
Bloom Indoors.
andew York Tribune: The most beauti-
lon.centerpieces for the Easter table when
oNetster comes SO near the opening of
Iserlns as 1t does this year is one of blue
'aticas and spring ferns. The hepatica
lheAsually the first flower Of spring. Close
'leesthe russell earth in the warm light
leh drifts through he bare woodland
heghs 1t opens Its abundant azure bios
er ms, es blue as the wings of the blue
hed or the sky of March. Lik the sky
snai water OF March the flower has so
hestfect an azure hue that 1t seems to have
W. N purified by frost. 1t has none of
purplish color Of the violet that bios
Nuns later In the green grass of May.
hepatica, the trailing arbutus and
lrly all the early spring flowers perfect
Fir flower buds in the autumn, wrap
tg them up in furry little covers close
r,n the earth. where they rest through the
Inter under the snow to walt the awak-
Eng suns of the vernal equinox. Some
,ee 1es IT seems to be a race between these
sly flowers as to which shall open it's
rtals first and earn the right to be called
ente first bloom Of spring. 1.-The brave
hears OF the skunk cabbage" however,
Iooten push themselves through the frozen
!, lrth before the blue hepatica or the
,,failing arbutus breaks Its furry sheaths.
: Any Of these early flowers may be
easily forced in e wild window garden, SO
that they will blossom indoors long be-
Tore they appear in the forest. The plants
must be taken from the woods in the fall
or at the beginning of March, brought in
to the house and thawed out and then
planted in a sunny window, where they
will soon come into perfect bloom. They
are extremely pretty planted with the
evergreen spleenwort ferns. which are so
characteristic of the spring woods and
rocks, and which are more flny and DELI
cate than the most delicate maidenhair
ferns that grow in the summer forests.
The maidenhair ~spleenwort, or Asplen-
iuni ~trichomanla. is an abundant fern on
rocks in shady places. 1t
rocks. its delicate Leaflets mounted on
ebony stripes.
When the blossomtng hepatica is massed
IN thick clusters in a deep center dish
OF delft with only the spleenwort fern, 1t
Is exceedingly effective. as it has no
leaves until after 1t blossoms. The leaves
that cling to the flowers are the half
leaves Of last year, and they
be trimmed away. These flowers
grow in such clusters and are so intense
IN hue that they are much more attract
I've as a table cen:erpiece than the trail
ing %arbutus, which is sometimes forced
into bloom in the house and used in the
sa1ne way.
The hepatica comes into bloom in the
woods late iii March or at the begin
ming of April. To force 1T into bloom at
as early a date as Easter Sunday it will
be necessary to start the plants a week
or more in advance. See that the plants
selected have abundant roots and show
\ full cluster of buds in their little hairy
sheathes close to the roots.
Thaw out the plants at first with cold
and place them In the cellar. DO
lot bring them Into a warm room until
Ill the frost has disappeared from the |
,arth around the plants. After a few
lays place them N the dish in which they |
Ire 20 grow in n sunny window. Water
hem daily. If they develop too rapidly !
md are in danger of poisoning before /
put them, back In the cellar for
few days. T-ese lowers, massed with {
'pring ferns. make an attractive piece for
he Easter altar.