The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-17

Jumps with a rake, add two-inch layer of old, black manure, rak1ng 1t
 well in and leaving the surface both
 smooth and level. In the absence of bone-nea1 to Whlten the surface work ing 1t in with the rake. There is no dan- ger of hurting the plants with bone
 meal.
 A well defined plan for the summers garden is no small step toward it's sue cess, and one carefully outlined upon
 paper is likely to materIalize With bet
 ter results than by haphazard arrange
 ment evolved while planting. With a wise selection from reliable lists of
 plants and seeds. one may have flowers
 from frost to frost, not forgetting that
 good cultivation and flower go hand III
 hand. Shakespeare must have had some
 experience, for he tells us, Flowers are
 slow, while weeds make haste"
 Beginning with a bulb 1 d of the
 previous autur11n's p ant1ng, the snow
 drops will often bloom while the ground is white with snow. Combined
 with chionodoxas and scillas, a beauti-
 full effect follows, and succession of crocus, narcissuses, tulips and hyacinths,
 which may be over-soWn with shal- oW-
 rooted annuals later, hushes the spring time with the flowers that give promise of the full tide that may follow, crowd ing one another in rapid succession, overlapping as to their blooming sea son, and over-running in delightful tang if mixed plant1ngs are made in a continuous bed or border. With suf-
 1cient space, shrubs when once estab- 1ished afford basketfuls of flowers in their season-de1ightful ones if such shrubs as Persian iIacs-for greatest profusion of their delicious fowe-be planted. Other lilacs, too, for varied beauty. and Japan snowfall, Philadel- phus (commor1y styled mock orange and syringa), .weigelias, spirea. Van Houtteii specially, and the hardy hy- drangeas, along with the deutzias With limited space, there may be border, or angles in walks and buildings, planted with hardy perennia1s.
 Hardy Perennia1s
 Among the very best of these for striking effect, as well as for free flow ering qualities, are the hardy pf11oxes, the earliest of these beginning to bloom the latter part of May and continuing until after hard frosts if faded flower giant hardy larespurs (de1phini1ns) in richest, darkest blue as well as delicate shades, bloom from June until frost, and from early springsown seed; the towering foxg,ove in many shades is striking for masses or background. This however. with good protection. The sturdy, iron-c1ad co1urnbines (aqui- 1egia) moonpenny daisies, Scotch and also the May pirlks, along with the ever blooming sort, prove success every where. Loft:er specimens are found in toned single ho-lyhocks (surpassing the double ones for .effect). the mammoth, ! fringed Allegheny ho11yhock, far more | beautiful as far as its range of color ! extends. and more unique in its 1 ragged" =or fringe defect, and the new
 
 leaved, 'c,,t-and-come-again,' "thou- sand-fowered" and mu1tihorous. These 1 sunfowers in creamy and golden shades furnish masses of flowers for 1 cutting and are adapted to n1assing and | also to masking fences. to which pur- lend themselves admirably. Golden glow in moist, rich soil bears hun dreds of large golden yellow flowers l cactus dahlias, artistic for l cut-hower effects. Plants, only, of this l can be procured, but if one is wi ling to l perennials may be easily grown from 1 seeds. These include ho1lyhocks, fox 1 gloves, the Scotch and the May pinks, ] sweet Williams. perennial ph' OK, iberis l (hardy .eandytuft) and co1umbines. The 1 remainder bloom first year from seeds. | forget-me-nots. pansies and ever-bloon1- l ing hardy pinks, all of which are e,1- quisite for cutting and shou' d be grown l in beds or patches in halfshaded posi- 1 tions, with the execution of the ever 1 blooming pinks, which require more sun. The seeds of those towering the 1 second season may be planted in some | place apart from the flower beds-in the vegetable garden, for instance, where they may be given steady cultivation. 1 It is good plan to plant them in rows, for ease in cultivation and that they | may be more readily distinguished from l