Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-05-08
OUR FLOWER GARDEN.
Flowers are the sweetest things God ever
made and forgot to put soul into.
H. w. BKEcHER.
A Plea to the Children.

n Plee 70 the Children.
Children. let us haye garden! Or
rather each one have garden or "posy''
bed, that every yard or lawn within the
city may have profusion of flowers
when summer tourists srrive-and thus
make Custer city beautiful. Every
child loves flowers. Parents, let Us in
stil into the children desire to culti-
vate flowers, the beautiful blossoms cre-
ate ennobling influence, and also in the
care and cultivation Of flowers the chill
dren form habits of industry that would
prove irksome in any other pursuit.
Children, plant flowers. In order to
encourage the children of Custer to cul-
'tivate flowers Uncle George will en-
deayer to get some of the grown-up
people to offer prize for the flower
garden showing the best care and culti-
walton by children of IL years and under
living within the city limits of Custer.
Perhaps prizes may be offered for second
and third places.
The child competing for prize must
plant and cultivate an area of 10 square
feet. Of course they can have as much
more space as they desire. Realizing
that in some places the roughness of the
ground might not permit bed or plat
lxl0 feet in size, one person can have
several small plats--for instance: they
can make two plats lx3 feet and one lx4
feet, which equals 10 square feet. They
can have several small plats of whatever
shape they choose, just 80 the whole
amount in cultivation will aggegate 10
square feet or more. In fact, Uncle
George would prefer the children max Q
odd designs, for they will look more at
tractive when the flowers are in bloom.
The flower beds may be round, square
or oblong, as your fancy may choose.
However, a Maltese Cross is very
pretty form for flower bed. To COM
pete for prize each participant must
have not less than four varieties of flow-
ers-of their own selection.
Now. children, get busy, and dig up
the soil where you want your flowers to
grow. Parents can help the children to
prepare the ground, form designs for the
flower beds and instruct them how to
labor, but actual work-the planting,
care and cultivation of the flowers
must be done by the children, if they
wish to secure prize.
Mothers, don't get fretted If the chill!
dren come into the house with their
clothes covered with dust, for digging in
the soil is healthy exercise, and it is
we'll to encourage them in habits Of in
dustry.
Uncle George will consult some of the
lady readers of the CHRONICLE as to the
variety of flowers that are best adapted
to this soil and climate, and will try to
publish next week list for your guild
ance. In the meantime dig up the soil
and rake we'll, that you may have it in
fine tilth, when the days become warm
enough to propagate the seed.
Should there be any children in the
city whose parents feel unable to pur-
chase seed for them, or unwilling to do
30 II the children will get their flower
beds ready for the seed, then come to
the CHRONICLE Office and state the fact
to Uncle George, he will get seed for
them.
For the benefit of children who be-
come interested in this project, the
CHRONICLE will have department under
the head of "OUR FLOWER GARDEN"
Any suggestions about the making Of
flower beds, planting seed and cultiva'
ton thereof will be appreciated and
thankfully received by
UNCLE GEORGE.