The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-02-20
THE GARDEN

BY Ferdinand Wiener

In spite Of the snow drifts that
are becoming bigger and better
right along, we are beginning to
think more and more of spring. 1t
is close enough so that we can
imagine that period of the year
without much difficulty. Another
season with its joys and sorrows is
close at hand, and many of us are
beginning to plan what we think
we shall accomplish in the year of
1886.
The present winter, in spite of
the cold and inconvenience we are
forced to undergo, is, from the
standpoint of view of the garden
er, as an excellent one. 1t has been
some time that perennial plants
and shrubbery have had such an
advantageous season as the pres
ent. What fine protection from
winters freezing and thawing this
has been! Besides, there has prac-
tically been no freezing and thaw-
ing at all, one could not wish for
anything better as far as plants
are concerned And what a cop
ious supply of moisture should re-
suit,
The catalogues are coming reg
ularly, and we gaze through them
eagerly, not so much to find what
we wish to order, but to learn of
anything new that might be offer
ed, also the pictures fascinate us.
1t really is not too early to order
certain items. Those who have fav-
orite annual flowers, especially
those sorts that are slow to ger
inmate, also growing slowly the
first weeks after having sprouted,
should order varieties now. The
middle Of February and on, is not
too early to sow such sorts. Espec-
tally, if one wishes to try some of
the fine large-flowered fringed pc
tunias, it is time to sow the seeds
now. These are especially slow and
require a great deal of patience and
care. This suggestion will lend it
self also to similar items. The cat
alogues are featuring new variet-
les in ANIMALS, which are worth
trying.
If I were to plant out an orch
ard for myself, would only select
a few varieties of apples. These
would be as follows: early apples,
Anoka, or Double Red Duchess,
for late apples, Wealthy, and Har-
alison and Mcintosh apples for the
winter. The Yellow Transparent
would be good to follow the first
early apples. And of course, one
must have the Whitney crab in the
orchard. Such plumS as Under
wood, Superior, Wareta, Surprise,
also the Kaga woulc be very good
to have. For ps-ars, and they are
no longer impossible in Minneso-
ia, would plant the Mendel, also
the Patten pear. there is also the
Parker pear, but this as well as a
few other hardy varieties are not
so well distributed with the nur-
cries.
Purslane, a common garden weed,
is known botanically as Portulaca
common garden flower, Portulaca
or Moss Rose. The name is deriv-
ed from porto, to carry on, and lac,
milk, from the juicy nature Of the
plants. 1t is an extensive genus of
annals, mostly native to South
America
The first attention given to the
pansy resulting in making it flor
lists flower, began in 1910, when
Mary Bennett, daughter of the Earl
of Tankerville, accidentally discov-
cred a number of kinds in her IA
theirs garden. These she planted
together in a little garden of her
own, in that of her fathers. Aided
by the Jealous Mr.. Richardson, the
Earl's gardener, a number Of new
varieties were raised from seed.
French, German and English hor-
ticultural societies offered great
inducements in the way of prem
iums for the further improvement
of the pansy, in which florists and
gardeners alike took a lively inter-
est. For many years, the best pan
sizes were secured in Europe, but
during the past twenty years, Am
orleans have taken a greater inter
est in the flower, so that the best
pansies grown anywhere, are prob
ably those in America.
Begonia, a well-known green
house and garden plant, was named
in honor of Michel Begon, French
promoter of botany and superin-