Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-05-16
BACK YARD FARMER
Interesting Pointers on Garden
ING for the City Man or
Suburbanite.
WHAT TO PLANT AND WHEN
Advice by an Expert On Agricultural
Matters-WlndoW Boxes and Hang
Ing Notwithstanding Weeds
identifying the Yard.
BY PROF. JOHN WILLARD soLTE.

~ EnOEs WIN Ws6@NNS
A comparatively small number Of
the people in our large cities have
the ground available for a vegetable
garden. A much larger number have
some little plot that will raise 1ow-
ers, but the Fat dweller has nothing Of
the kind.
This docs not indicate that fat
jewellers may not have flowers in
summer. however, as they can always
have them in window boxes and fire.
quently In porch boxes and hanging
baskets,
Flowers Of many kinds and hues
will grow to fullest perfection in
boxes OF various kinds and all they
need 10 sunshine and q little careful
attention. They constitute the chief
Joy Of the summer season and no one
should be without them from May
until frost time.
Almost any sort Of q box will do 80
long as 1t Is deep enough for the
roots to grow. In. and strong enough
to hold the earth. An excellent win
dow box can be made Of three-Quar-
ter-inch lumber, n foot deep and
one foot wide, the length being regu-
later, Of course. to the size Of the
opening In which the box is. to At.
The width of the window or porch box
is immaterial, but the depth should
not be less than ten to twelve inches.
Bore q few three-quarter-inch holes
in the bottom to allow for drainage
and faster the box firmly in place,
as it will weigh q great deal after
being filled.
FIJI it with rich greenhouse or gar.
den earth, having mixed in a quantity
of well-rotted manure. Some fine
wood ashes will assist the blossoms
wonderfully, but coal ashes are a
detriment. Have the earth fine and
mellow and plant the flowers as soon
after Filing the box AZ possible.
The quickest and most satisfactory
way tc stock these boxes is to buy
potted plants from the florist and
transplant them. They are more
sturdy than plants grown from seed
in the boxes and they bloom much
earlier. The cost is prohibitive il
many cases, however, and almost any
annual flowers will grow from seed
in such boxes. Where the amount Of
sunshine 10 limited 1t is almost neces
ssry to put in plants instead Of weeds
Geraniums are probably the mos
satisfactory Towering plants for ths
formal window box, and they arr
very widely used. Foliage plants arc
excellent and withstand the hot after
noon sun better than Towering plants
Ferns do well in shaded locations.
Small plants of English Ivy, Wan
dering Jew and many Of the smaller
vines are useful for draping effects
and we have seen some of the larger
growing annual vines, such al Wilt
Cucumber, Scarlet Runner Beans ant
Morning Glory, used in window boxes
with excellent results. the long, grace
full vines, either climbing in the usua
way or trailing down over the side O
the box.
Hanging baskets, either fern balls
moss baskets, or boxes, a be hung
in any sheltered location, and the!
are very satisfactory. We recommend
the use Of self-watering hanging bas
kets, as the ordinary hanging devic'
is inconvenient to handle and 1t mus
be watered constantly.
Remember that success with boxe
demands lots of water every day
three times as much as you woul'
give the same plants in q bed.