Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-05
FLOWERS ON THE FARM.
A Suggestion for Identifying the Grounds About the Farm House
 in Summer.

While the raising of flowers is not re. garded as branch of agriculture, it is somehow inseparable from it, and to a limited extent always finds place on any farm, while it can easily be made one of the delights of country life. From my earliest recollection always had a passion for flowers, and am now able to testify to the very material enlarge ment of my world by the culture and study of them, such as l could not pos- sibly have obtained in any other way. But the farmer is usually so overworked in the growing season that he finds, or imagines he finds, little or no time for anything that he looks on as a mere establishment, and so misses one of the pleasures that he is surely entitled to, if anyone is.
 2. It is not, after all, so much the ques- tion of time as of taste that determines the matter, for there are host of the bet- ter flowers that will fairly take care of themselves when once established. I could name probably hundred species, most of them we'll known and all desir- able. that need no more care than a good mulch of coarse manure once a year to keep down the grass, and possibly a fringe of wire screening set about them to keep fowls from disturbing it. Of course do not mean roses or other flow ering plants that are subject to insect ravages, though some of them will four ish in spite of their enemies with 8 lit tie help.
 Then we have so many attractive flow ering shrubs and trees that it seems too bad to find so many farm houses standing out bleak and bare to the weather, a constant invitation to the younger portion of the family or the community to depart for more congenial climes.
 am going to mention first the late success have had with tuberous-rooted begonias. which were said to be going to drive out the geranium when they first came out. but which proved too delicate and exacting quite to do that.
 
 enough, and it produces a flower that is beyond all others in the elegance of a bloom that will be just as rampant in October as in May. if a. little care is taken to shield them from the early frosts. If early blooming is thought worth a special effort, start the bulbs indoors in March. They will transplant readily at any time. even in full flower, as they have very little root. A rich soil and plenty of water will carry them through the summer, glory to all eyes. If one should desire to save few at the last, they Transplant into a box perfect ly. and will bloom some time indoors. Then take all to some dry place. safe from freezing. soil and all. and let them stand till spring. those not treated as winter bloomers being taken up with some soil and left in it. The begonia has no insect enemies.
 The dahlia is still mostly a failure with us. not in late years being vigorous enough. with an occasional exception, to blossom in warm weather. My col lection stood still all summer. after get ting 2 fair growth early. and produced its first flowers in October. says New York correspondent of Country Gentle man. My site is not of the best. but find professional florists quite often without flowers in quantity. The development of this desirable flower has weakened it very much. as it has some of our vege- tables also.
 Of late we are getting to the introduc- ton of tall woody plants that produce yellev flowers il the early fall. the Golden Glow Rudteckia leading the host Fer the most psrt. they take up very little room. and they reed but lit tie care. unless it be to tie them ID against bad winds and rain storms They are all quite closely related botan- ically. and include the sunfover in the group. It is hard to keep a floral corner attractive all the season. es it requires . variety of spring bulhs to begin with. early perennials next annrals and sum. mer-fovering buts after that and the late tall. yeElo--fowerins plarts at the end- The tu5erous-rooted begonia goes faf toward solving the psoblen-