Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-04-05
HOUSE HOLD
Seed Selection.

No matter how we'll a garden i S
prepared, it will not be satisfactory
one unless care is exercised in the
selection of plants TO be grown in it.
If a person sits down with florists
catalog and goes through it's pages,
selecting such plants as please the eye
best, the chances are that good
many of those he selects will prove
sadly disappointing because they are
sorts which are not adapted to
amateur use. The kinds he ought to
have chosen are those which do we'll
with only ordinary care-such as an
amateur gardener is spt to glve-and
which have the merits of f1oriferous
ness constancy, and beauty.
I want to say. right here, that it
will not always do to take what the
seedsmen say about the plants whose
seed they sell, without some grains of
allowance. | would not be understood
as intending to convey the impression
that they misrepresent Intentionally.
1t must be borne in mind that they
grow seeds for all localities, AID for
all kinds of gardeners, and their dis
criptions are intended to appeal to all
f1ower-lovers in all sections of the
country. This being the case, they
cannot be expected to give advice of
a local character, but many amateurs
are under the impression that every
thing in the catalOg is advised for all
places, and all classes, of gardeners,
and make their selections accordingly,
only to discover, when too late, that
wise selection involves greater
knowledge of the catalog than they
had supposed.
The fact Is. we have but few plants
/ IL IL toA Tod
all over the country. These old stand
! bys will seldom fail us, and these
are the kinds the amateur should con-
| fine his selection to.
At the head of the list would place
the sweet pea. This plant is extreme
ly ornamental in the garden, excellent
| for cutting, profuse Towering and an
all-the-season bloomer if prevented
from developing seed. Cut off the
blossoms just as soon as they begin
to fade if you want plenty of flowers.
Another most satisfactory plant is
the annual aster. This blooms with
wonderful proiusion, comes in wide
range of rich colors, and has the merit
of lasting until cold weather arrives
1t is our best fall bloomer. Like the
sweet pea, it is excellent for cutting.
It's flowers will last for a fortnight
if the water in which they are placed
is changed frequently. The best
variety for cutting is the "branching"
type, with stalks a foot or more in
length, one flower to stalk. Per-
haps the finest blossoms. as to shape
and color, are found among the rose
and peony-fioWered sections.
For beds where brilliant show is
desired, with flowers from June to
L>o ri 70
the petunia. To secure the best
effects from this flower, do not Put it
in a bed with anything else. 1t
doesn't combine we'll with other
plants. Phlox Drummondi is most
charming plant. 1t begins to bloom
early in the season. soon literally
covers itself with flowers ranging in
color from pure white through rose,
pale yellow, lilac, mauve and crimson
to dark scarlet. The best varieties,
allowing me to be judge, are the suft.
delicate carmines, the pale yellows,
the pinks and the whites.
Calliopsis gives a grand show of
extremely brilliant color when grown
in mass. It's rich yellow brightens
up the whole garden like a burst o t
sunshine, and is very easy to grow.
Candytuft is excellent for edging
beds. It is a profuse and constant
bloomer, and requires very little
attention.
Snapdragon ought to be in all gar
dens because of its ease Of culture,
it's rich and varied coloring and it's
constancy of bloom.
For an early crop Of flowers. we
ought to grow some peoples. After
they have completed their Towering
period the ground they occupied can
be given up to other ANNALS. But
nothing can exceed them in briiliance
while they last.-McCali's Magazine
Washing the Curtains.
There are many convenient ways
for washing and drying the most
delicate of curtains. The white ones
may be placed in thin bag apC
washed with soap and water. rinseo
and slightly starched while still in the
bag, and squeezed as dry as possible
then spread on a clean sheet either
tween lines. The curtains are gently
pulled in shape, the points pinned out
and then left until dry, says Good
Housekeeping
For the finest and somewhat worn
ecru curtains the following method is E
favorita. The curtains are shaken free
of dust and then put in a bag. But
this time few quarts of corn mea
wet with gasoline is put in the bag
with the lace. The whole is rub be ed
and kneeded together and left as it il
until the next day. Then the bag il
; taken out of doors. the curtains re
moved and shaken clear Of the mea
and hung on the line until free of
odor. They will then look fresh anc
clean and will still have the rich cert
color Colored madras curtains may
also be cleaned by this process.
The heavier contains and draperies
, of scrim may be washed in warm
water with soap, rinsed and starchet
in the usual way. Even those stem
ciled with oil paints and aniline dye
may receive this plebeian treatment
The ecru and cream tinted ones ma!
be colored by putting coffee or tea il