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The Commoiier,
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 8
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Don't Quit
Fight, and tho crowd stays with you;
Quit, and you're out of tho race;
For ho who quits goes down and out,
And who fights slips Into his place.
Dig, and you roach rock-bottom;
Quit, and you'll find but sand;
For tho troasuro is for tho digger
For thp.quittor, tho rifled laud.
Plow, and you turn smooth furrows;
Quit, and your tools gather rust;
Root, and you soon learn to burrow;
Koop striving, and pay you it must.
Tho world lays its coin on the winner;
For tho shirk, it has no use at all;
So, up with you: Wrostlo, you sinner!
Or don't howl if you go to tho wall.
Martin Brewster, In Farm Journal.
Work for tho Springtime
If you havo not already ordered
your catalogues from tho florist and
nursorymon, do not delay, for spring
timo is seed-time, and when the
March winds begin to blow, it is
full timo to begin to stir tho soil.
Ono mistake too many of us make
1b never to look far enough ahead.
Every season, wo should do every
thing in our power to add to the
permanent beauty of our garden, or
its usefulness. A safo way to do
this is to glvo duo attontion to tho
blooming season of our flowering
plants, or srubs, and the possibili
ties in tho way of foliage or flower
of everything wo plant. Read care
fully the descriptions of tho plants
catalogued, note their blooming
poriod, and chooso for a succession,
and by this moans thero will always
bo flowers of somo kind ready at
hand. Many summer bulbs or
plants will bloom well on into the
winter months if carefully potted
at the approach of cool nights and
accustomed to house conditions.
Many things Intondod for the window
garden must bo planted in spring
time and cared for during the sum
mer and fall. Begin now to plan
for tho autumn and winter months.
Try to havo a succession of vege
tables in tho cardon bv a Rftlnpilrm
of early and late maturing varieties,
and also by having seeds for succes
sive plantings, bo that as one sowing
of seeds mature, or is exhausted, an
other sowing shall havo filled the
vacant places. Tho garden spot
Bhould bo very rich tho best of the
manures and fertilizers should be
plentifully used and seeds and
plants should bo ordered of reliable
nurserymen.
Work for a succession of fruits
by planting varieties that succeed
each other. Plan for the hot, dry
monthB, as well as tho early, well
watered ones. Don't let the garden
go to weeds through neglect to have
tho right kipd of fruits and vege
tables started and well cultivated to
withstand tho drouth.
may bo all that can bo desired. These
plants are easily watered and cared
for, and there are many hanging
plants that serve as a fringe down
tho -sides, while plants of upright
growth, beautiful for either bloom or
foliage, or both, are to be had of
tho florist, or grown from seeds.
Caro must be taken to havo plants
suited to tho location, whether shade
or sun-loving. If In doubt as to
what kinds to got, tell your florist
what they will get of shade or shine,
and ho will advise you. A flourish
ing window box is just beautiful.
Many plants for porch or living
room should bo ordered now, and
kept growing through the spring and
summer. Palms may bo grown from
seeds, as the seeds germinate readily,
and the plants crrow raDidlv. But
it is better to send to the nursery
man for a' plant already started, If
time is any object, as most of palms
do not develop the character leaf the
first year.
Tuberoses should bo started in pots
early; gla'diolas, and other summer
blooming bulbs may be treated the
same, and when well started, the
bulb with its ball of earth can be
turned out into th border at the
proper season. Gladlolas should be
planted in groups, a dozen or more
close together. Get the mixed colors
of good size; or beds one color may
be chosen. Do not forget to order
flowering vines for the porches and
troll Isses. The varieties of large
flowering clematis are beautiful and
satisfactory.
roTToiH in rtnh crround. moisture and
shade. A "home patch" of these
will well repay care. The plants can
be ordered from the nurserymen, or,
if plants are already established,
roots and tips may be made to fill
vacancies. But be sure to have good
stock.
Seeds or Plants?
While it Is advisable to plant seeds
for many things, there are many
perennials, shrubs and vines that
must be ordered of the nurseryman,
as tho seeds germinate slowly, and
the young plants are difficult to raise
unless one is experienced. Then, too,
there are many things that are
wanted singly, a lartre numhor nf
them not being desirable. Others
do not "come true" to name, and If
one wants a special kind or color,
it is best to order the plants from the
nurseryman. For these, the order
may be sent in at any time, and the
florist will send tho nlrvntn n tho
proper season. It is better to order
early, as tho orders are handled In
the same order in which they come
in, and the first-comers usually get
the best packages, while the last
orders havo to bo filled from the
picked-over stock, and in nrnnv noa
substitution must be resorted to, or
Possibilities of Mixed Seed Packets
Among the perennials one may
havo through the sowing of one or
more packets of mixed perennial
seeds are columbines, larkspurs,
chrysanthemums, irises, rose mal
lows, phloxes, oriental poppies, fox
gloves, lobelias, valerians, sweet Wil
liams, holly-hocks, dianthus in va
riety, golden glow, and dozens of
others. All seedsmen put up these
mixtures, and sell them for ten cents
each, and no two firms put up the
samo assortment. So, it might be
well to club together with your
neighbors and get a packet from dif
ferent seedsmen, and divide the
plants when they are large enough
for transplanting. Many shrubs and
vines can be grown from seeds, and
many of the plants will bloom tho
first season, while others will put in
for growth alone the first year.
Dahlias, cannas, and many other
tuberous-rooted plants will grow
readily from seeds, costing but a few
cents for the seeds, but producing
dollars worth of plants. These seeds
should be planted early in window
ooxes in tne nouse, if there is no
hot bed; but any woman can learn
to make and run a hot bed success
fully. Little paper boxes of earth
containing the seeds can be slipped
into the hot bed that is starting the
vegetable plants. If you've never
tried raising such things, give them
a trial this yeaT.
Caring for tho Seedlings
After you have got your seeds
into the soil, remember that further
care is needed. You must not ne
glect the seeds, for your supply of
thrifty plants is to come from them,
and neglect of seeds mean poor ger
mination and frail plants. A baby
plant is just like other babies it
needs a great deal of curt, n-nn ho
right kind of care, and if it does not
get it, it will die. Some plants grow
in spite of neglect; that is, they live;
but they are just like little invalid
children. Too much water will rot
the seeds, while too little will dry
uui mo xiny rootlets;
i.
seeds, and the strength the plants
will, have to push their way through
the soil. Some very fine seeds re
quire no covering, but should be
mixed with three or four times their
bulk of very fine soil then sprinkled
over the prepared surface, and well
pressed into the earth by laying a
boaTd on the soil and pressing. All
seed beds should be well firmed
after planting, as the soil does not
dry out so quickly as if left loose.
Salad Plants
In planning the garden, do not
forget the salad plants. Study the
catalogues closely, and learn all you
can about their uses from the cook
books, but be sure to send in your
order for seeds and plants. The let
tuce Is the chief salad plant, but
there are many others that can be
grown with success, and will give
variety to the meal. Endives, fen
nel, chickory, chives, nasturtiums,
garden cress, watercress, spinach,
dandelion, parsley, mint, followed by
cucumbers, cabbage, radishes, celery,
beets, asparagus, onions, leeks the
list seems endless. Many salad
plants should have .been started
last fall, some of them are perennial,
while others must be planted only in
the spring time. If you want a really
satisfactory garden, even though it
is a sman one, study the catalogues
and then send in your orders for
seeds, plants, or cuttings. It is well
to subscribe fora good farm paper,
or gardening monthly, and learn now
to have these things, for, in the long
run, you will save more than the
cost of the literature, and have vege
tables such as no money can buy.
Mailing Plants
This is the season to order mailing-size
plants for next winter's -decoration;
small plants are '.offered at
small cost, and if they are ordered
from a reliable firm, and given good
care, whether for flowers, vines,
shrubbery, fruits, or herbaceous
perennials, they will make good
growth by next fall, andljecome fully
estaonshed, growing better and bet
ter, for many years. The plants
intended for tho house would cost a
great deal, if purchased in the fall,
in tho sizes you will have from the
ordered plants, and the change from
the green house or forcing methods
would make their thriftiness in your
hands extremely problematic. The
trouble for caring for them through
the summer w'ill be but little, and
you will have learned their habits,
and be better prepared to carry them
through the winter.
RflTYlO rvlonfo
mUSt haVfi tho RlinaMna -r.rV.n 4i
the order not filled because of 'the need tno shade. Some can stand the
your orders in early.
When Spring Winds Blow
I do nbt think there ever was a
woman who did not love flowers, but
not all women are willing, or have
tho time to devote to a largo garden
or border devoted exclusively to
Buch things, unless the majority of
the plants are perennials, herbaceous
or shrubbery. But any woman can
have a little greenery and bloom, If
she has a pot of earth or a plat of
ground as big as a pocket-handkerchief.
In the cities, beautiful things
are grown In window boxes, and If
the plants used are suited to the sun
or shade of tho window outside of
which the boxes are hung, the effect
For the Frnit Garden
Do not neglect the family fruit
garden. If one has but a small back
yard, there Is always room for a
good gooseberry bush, or a root of
rhubarb, or a grape vino. Any of
these, once established, will pay rent
right along. If there is a large yard!
a sweet cherry, dwarf peach, pear
or apricot, or a choice plum tree
may be used. These can be ordered
in mailing size, and with any ordi
nary Care Will live and errnw rnrl,r
coming into bearing In a short while!
bumu vuneues sooner tnan others.
Many nut trees can be supplied by
the nurserymen, and according to
latitude, will add much to the com
forts of tho home table. While we
all want raspberries and blockber
rles, we should have them away from
the house, and the blackberry just
stock having been exhausted. Got nocm Blare, while others will stand
uuijr iuo uuiuiess or tne morning No
ono but a person who likes to "nut-
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the coarser kinds will etand much
carelessness. Seedlings must have
fresh air, even on warm days, when
they can be shifted about; but great
care must be takan in tri , -
Ing and proper watering, thinning
and loosening of the soil. It is better
to file a notch in the hard-shelled
seeds, like the canna, and then pour
boiling water over them, lettlntr
stand until the water Is cool- takl
out those which have tho 'shells
bursted, and repeat the process until
The preparation of the soil has
much to do with the germination of
Planting Time
Probably more seeds and . plants
are bought in March and April than
any other time. In the far south,
gardening is well on the way by this
time, while in the middle country,
we are just beginning to plan; in
the far north, it Is yet only the time
for sending in orders for catalogues
and seeds. By all means Rnnd for
the catalogues, for there is always
something to bo learned from every
one of them. Just say you "saw it
in Tho Commoner" when you send
in your name.
For tho Early Garden
Among the vegetables,- radishes,
turnips, cabbage, lettuce, and plants
of their class, appear in from three
to six days after planting, whllo
celery, parsnips, carrbts, pepper, etc.,
require never less than ten days,
and often twenty. Nearly all vege
tables require from eight to fourteen
days at the earliest.
The early potatoes should be in th
ground as soon as It can be worked,
and many things can bo started as
soon as the frost has quit heaving th
soil. Clumps and roots-can bo sepa
rated, and divisions made at once. .
When cutting potatoes for plant
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