The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-02-16
BEAUT|FY|NC
THE FARM HOME
Discussions at Last Meeting Of
Farmers' Institute Productive of
Many Interesting Ideas

0o VIC HlccClllS VI tIlc hounSWlCK
Farmers Institute. the interest
which the women of the surround
ing valley take in their country
homes was evidenced, as the major
ity OF the attendance was made up
OF farmers wives. The subject of
the day was "How to Beautify Our
Country Homes and the enthus-
lam was greater than at any prev
ious meeting.
After the meeting was called to
order by the president, Rev. F. L.
Fraser, Mrs. E. NJ. Sly opened the
discussion Of the days topic with
few pointers on the growing of
flowers. Her ideas as to the best
trees tend toward a combination of
the practical and ornamental. She
thinks cherry and locust trees most
satisfactory and very attractive
when properly tri mined.
In planting roses, Mrs. Sly has
found it advisable to have them in
compact beds with rows so arranged
that a hand cultivator can be run
between. The hardy climbers best
adapted to this country are the
Dorothy Perkins," and Crimson
Rambler" varieties. The large dou-
BILE varieties Of vine roses grown on
the coast do not succeed very well
in this climate. She has had good
results from the ten-cent roses OBJ
tanned from Portland and set out in
the spring. After planting they
should not be irrigated until neces-
sary, or as long as the shrubs are
in a green and growing condition.
The first year they should not be
allowed to bloom, the water should
be taken off in August. and a mulch
of manure placed on the beds.
This should not be stirred up as it
tends to promote further growth at
the time when the shrubs need to
conserve all their strength to with
stand the winters cold. Through
out the summer, Mrs. Sly does not
water her roses oftener than once
week. Her garden is good recon-
mendation for her system of grow
ing, as she has plenty of roses from
May to November. Other flowers
mentioned by Mrs. Sly as success
full in the Kennewick valley are
chrisanthemums, carnations, asters,
violets, poppies, lilies of the valley,
and all the common varieties of
lilies. The speaker was in favor
of "the Pride of the West" chris
anthemums as they do not winter
kill and grow luxuriantly with
wealth of pink bloom in the fall
months. The best results from
bed of carnations are realized the
second and third years, new seeds
being planted each year and the
single bloom plants weeded out.
In the arrangement of the flower
beds, Mrs. Sly advocated the devel-
opment of color scheme instead of
making the blooms riot of many
hues. She is also in sympathy with
a movement which is on foot among
the rose growers of the valley to
confine their efforts in this line of
Horticulture to the production of
few varieties that do unusually well
in the sandy soil of the Columbia
basin.
Gordon H. Taylor, of the High
lands, who is an experienced land
scape gardener, gave a talk which
was most practical and helpful, as
the speakers gave specific solutions
for many problems of the farmer
on the small tract who sets out to
beautify his home. Mr.. Taylor
took a liberal and popular interpre-
tation of home" as the place where
we 60 to rest and escape from the
thoughts of business cares. and con-
sidered the main object OF making
improvements to be the satisfaction
derived from 80 doing.
Continued on last page)