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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1914)
The Commoner OCTOBER, 1914:' 17 ., XI C i r ry) ' - '.gutrTsa 4 WflKDBfiBKli 71 vv jrCT I I i ' l 2zXzf Conducted b I I onducfodAV 'Wen Watts Sfctfpi f . . , - - J epartmem Tho Closed Door The neighbors, passing by my house, All say they envy me My books, ray sunny window seat My bird for company; The pictures on my sunny walls, ' The1 flowers on the sill; They know not of a darkened room Where all is hushed and still, And whether I woula choose or no, I slip along tho hall, And down the empty passage where T hear my lone footfall. And pause before a silent door Ah, me, so long away! My heart no heavier could bo Were it but yesterday. I turn the knob an empty room, Except that,, playing there, I see' a little busy child . With sunlight on its hair. A little child that never was, With eyes I used to know; '. I stand and watch it at its play; And then I turn and go, , I grope along he darkened hall, For I can only see A little child that never was, And never is to be; 'A little lord of quietness That never needs my care O, all the years that I must come And find him .playing there! Charlotte Wilson. sulphur candle should be set in a pail of earth before lighting, to pre vent lire. A Scarcity of Hardy RulliH One can hardly realizo that tho terrible war now being carried on in Europe will affect the flow: -lover; but our florists are sending out warn ings that, owing to the war condi tions, they are unable to get all .tho bulbs needed to supply their trade, and have decided not to offer low rates for quantities in hundreds and thousand lots.. They assure' us that bulbs imported from European coun tries will be scarce, and only early orders may be surely filled. Florists are offering collections of excellent hardy bulbs, as well as bulb3 for the house, and nothing is more satisfactory to the woman who has a cold house than the old stand-by, the hyacinth. The collections at low rates are not large bulbs, usually, but they are "sure to bloom," and will give much pleasure to the grower. year may be transplanted In tho au tumn after tho first hard frost. The ends of tho roots broken in lifting tho plant will form a callus during cold weather, and very oarly In the spring will start new rootlets from this. If attended to very early' In the spring, before growth starts, they do well; but care should be taken not to mutilato the roots any more than milRt. hr If 111 nro ta n lmwlnniv --- . V.V ft.tr (.UllMWIIVJ I to tap root, it should be cut off. and I .- f i only lateral rooting encouraged, as tnese are the best feeders. Hardy roses seldom need protection, except in very cold climates, where they may havo the soil covered with coarse manure several inches deep and the tops tied up with sacicmg, wisps of hay, or boxes or barrels set over them. Guarding Against Moths Many women do not seem to realize that the work of the moth goes on in winter as well as in the summer, where the house is kept at summer heat, aj many homes are, which are heated by furnace. The mother moth we see flying about in April or May and August is not the insect that oats the clothing. The mother moth lays her eggs where sho knows there will be a supply of food for the larva when the eggs hatch; then she dies. Her work is done. Sonle one may aBk what becomes of the father moth. I do not know. -When the eggs are hatched the larva at once goes to eat ing and builds itself a kind of coat from the material on which it feeds. A good lookout should be kept for these little white worms, and every one of them killed. Tho eggs are said to hatch in six days, where con ditions are favorable. JBuffalo bugs and beetles destroy not only woolens, but silks and feath ers and hair goods. The bug eats the carpet from underneath, and can do much damage before being found out. Silk waists, umbrellas, and" 'like things are quickly ruined. The buf falo bug confines its work to the sum mer months, but the smooth black beetle works at all seasons, and is Very destructive. One of the destructive insects that destroys cotton gooas is the "silver fish," or fish moth, and shiner. It is a smooth, slender, wingless and worm-like insect, with two long an tennae on its head; it is found in old houses, in attics, closets, and trunks, and ruin laces, cottons of various kinds, and books; any starched goods are especially liked. They can be ex terminated with strong insect pow der plentifully applied and persisted To fumigate clothes for moths, shake out the garments so the fumes ' can get into the folds. Put a sul phur candle in the closet, and close 'the room" tightly for some hours, The Transplanting Herbaceous Perennials This is the season for dividing and transplanting the peonies. Divide the roots and set so that the crown is just below the soil, letting the root run as deep as its length. The new soil should be sunny as to loca tion and with considerable sand and a, little quicklime, stirred thoroughly into tho soil. Plants which refuse to bloom where they now are will usu ally give bloom when transplanted, getting more prolific with age. Nothing will give more satisfaction or greater variety of color than peren nial phlox, which may be set out now, dividing the roots. Seeds sown this fall should make considerable growth before cold weather, and will bloom next year. Hollyhocks will do well if the seeds are puc in tho ground now. The new varieties are -many of them as beautiful as dahlias; they are perfectly hardy, and will "seed themselves" if allowed to do so. If one will look over the catalogues, they will find many things well worth starting this fall; plants that will grow for years and give no trouble to the busy worker. A Chapter on Rose Culture The most suitable soil for rose growing Is a strong, rich loam or vegetable mold mixed with one-fourth its bulk of stable manure; well rot ted cow manure is always safe, and the rose seems to do well with it. A good vegetable garden soil will grow roses well, but for the best success the soil should be a dry, rich soil with plenty of manure. Liquid ma nure, such as the (trainings from manure piles, poured on tho surface in the early winter months, before the ground freezes, a gallon or two to each bush, applied twice during the winter, is recommended. A good way to apply this liquid manure is to make two or three perforations in the bottom of a tin can, set the can near the roots an inch or two deep, and pour the liquid in the can, filling as it seeps away, until the required amount has been applied. The rose will grow and bloom In any soil; but in poor soil, the shoots will be short and the flowers small and semi-double, instead of large and full-leaved. As it is so easy to feed tho plant, there seems to be no ex cuse ior starving it. The 'sun's rays are absolutely necessary for the best life of the rose plant. All roses that bloom but once a Trunin.': Roses, and Covering The hardy varieties of roses should bo pruned in autumn or early winter, removing any old wood, or weak shoots, as only the young wood will bear blossoms. If the rose is of tho variety that "winter-kill" at the top, the pruning should bo deferred until early in the spring, when all dead wood and weak, or old branches should be removed. Tho knife should be applied directly above a bud, with an upward sloping cut. For tho tea, or everblooming va rieties, tho pruning should be done at any time, as it is only on tho new shoots that the flowers are borne; some advise removing all blossoms as soon as tho petals fall. For win ter protection where the tender roses aro apt to winter-kill, it Is recom mended to cover the rose bed with several inches of sand, or by care fully lifting tho plants, cutting down the tops and putting in boxes of earth, keeping them in tho cellar Many persons lose their plants by this lifting. If tho plants are in a bod, a frame should be set about the bed, 'and branches of pine, or other bushes laid over the rose plants, and on there straw, or leaves can be scattered, or a muslin cover tacked over the frame, to protect them from tho cold. When rose plants are wanted for the house during winter, the prepara tion must bo begun before cold weather, if flowers are wanted. When the plant is to be lifted, select one with a root growth not too large, and with a sharp spade cut around it about four inches from the stem or base; the ball of earth should just about fit in a half gallon pot or pail; then it must be pruned a little and left in this condition for two or three weeks; until the roots have calloused where they were cut; then take up and transfer to tho pot, firm the earth dovn about It. With care the rose will bloom in the latter month of winter; but for a winter bloom it should be prepared a year previous, and kept growing thriftily all the season. Roses kept in the house have many Insect enemies, and suffer from the dry heat of the ordinary living room. It- is best to get them, ready for blooming, from tho florist. should bo kept moist, covering th pot or box with a glass and keeping in tho shade for a wnlle, than Betting In a sunny location, keeping Che moisture In tho sand. Propagation can also bo effected after tho vdoa ripens by taking cuttings and bury ing In bundles In coal ashes where tho frost will not reach thom. in the spring they will bo found calloused and ready to form roots. Insert these calloused cuttings in sand early in tho spring, and they will soon de velop roots, when they can be pdt(ed or transplanted. They should bo nix. inches long. As many aro not careful enough when transplanting, It would bo safest to Insert the cuttings where they may bo allowed to romaln the first year, when they will make stocky, well-rooted plants. Ah a protection during tho winter, every flower-lover knows that moro plants nro killed by protection than by the cold; they nro lltorally smoth ered. When covering a ncd of roues, it Is best to set a board frame about it,'then cover the plants with branch es from which tho leaves have been stripped. Later, some light covering may be added to the branches, which will keep the covering from matting down on the plants and rotting them. It is not too late In many localities to sow seeds of hardy perennials, as the little plants will havo some time to "got on their feet," after which they may have aomo light covering for tho cold. To Tncrcaso tho Rose Supply Several readers have asked how to propagate roses, in order to increase their supply Inexpensively. From Park's Floral Magazine, we get the following, which is neither expensive nor troublesome: The Killarney and other hybrid tea1 roses can be prop agated from cuttings taken in mid stfrfilrier. .and Inserted in sand, which Show Chrysanthemums We aro often asked how tho large flowers aro to bo grown which -we see at the floral exhibitions. It is too late for that now, as to produce these there must be months of preparation, and tho buds must nearly all; b pinched off, allowing only tho few wanted for exhibition to develop. r THINK fAIU It 1'ityn iu Tli Ink About Foci 4 The unthinking lifo somo people lead often causes trouble andjsfck ness, Illustrated in the experience of a lady over in Wis. "About four years ago I suffered dreadfully from indigestion, always having eaten whatever I liked, not thinking of tho digestible qualities. This indigestion caused palpitation of the heart so badly I could scarcely .walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to regain breath and strength. "1 became alarmed and tried diet ing, wore my clothes very loose,, and used other remedies, but fount!" no relief. "Hearing of tho virtues of Grape Nuts and Postum, I commenced using them in place of my usual brealcfast of coffee, cakes or hot biscuit, and In one week's time I was relieved of sour stomach and other ills attending Indigestion. In a month's time my heart was performing its functions naturally and I could climb stairs and hills and walk long distances. "I gained ten pounds Iu this short time, and my skin became clear and I completely regained by health and strength. I continue to use Grape Nuts and Postum for I feel that I owe ray good health entirely to their use. "I like the delicious flavour of Grape-Nuts and by making Postum according to directions, it tasted sim ilar tD mild high grade coffee." &ame given by Postum Co., Battle Creek, Mich. The most perfect food in the world. Trial of Grape-Nuts and ' cream 10 days proves. "There's a Reason." '. Look in pkgs. for the little .book, "Tho Road to Wellvllle." - Ever read the above letter,? A new one appears from time tptln They are genuine, true, and ffill & human interest. ' JX r k & ') ) 4 Ei a- A