EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Chcice    Varieties    and
Flower Bnlba for
Blooming.
Planting
Winter
of
1st Premium.—Most of ns desire some
that will come Into bloom earliest, and
some to continue pretty for the longest
time, continuing fragrance with beauty,
and yet require the least care. We dislike to nurse a plant for months whioh
will bloom but a few days, when its place
is left vacant. In order to have a continuous display it is necessary to keep dom-
nant bulbs in reserve to draw upon as required to fill tbe vacancies. These demand the brightest place in the window
where they will not be crowded when
making top growth, often making it necessary for choice plants to take a baok
seat for the time being, much to their
own disadvantage. We can overcome
this to some extent by putting a bulb in
here and there with other plants, giving
it the sunny side when needing strong
light, and when it begins to bloom turn
the pot so tbe other plant will soreen its
bloom from tbe bright sun (if we have
any), and thus prolong its freshness. Or
a narrow, shallow box may be fitted in
between taller plants and the glass, and
low growing bulbs planted therein, when
they begin to bloom they may be removed
to a less sunny position. Hyacinths and
the Chinese Sacred Lily will blcom well
if placed in a dish of water and propped
in position with shells ot pretty stone-,
the bulbs above the water, their roots
only running down into the water. But
the water must be kept replenished, and
as it gets stale, and the bulbs are more or
less liable to decay, we find it more con
venient and satisfactory to have them in
rich earth, and they will not become so
exhausted, but that they will continue to
bloom in after years. The Sacred Lily
being tender will not recover its vigor
for so long a time that it is best to get a
fresh snpply each year, yet they are so
sure to bloom and sofloriferousandswe6t
scented tbey stand among the first on our
list. If we could have but one pot we
wonld put in it the Easter Lily, using an
eight-inoh pot with two inches of drainage, filling to within one and one-half
inches of the rim with rich loam, planting the bulb in the oenter, and sow sweet
Alyssum of the surface, stand in a dark
closet until the bulb shows above tbe soil,
then bring to the light in a warm room.
Keep close to the glass and keep it turned
so it will grow symmetrical. After it is
in bud lt need not be kept turned, the
Alyssum will bloom better if it is not,
Stand It out of the sun and the plant will
remain pretty a long time. When the
foliage turns yellow cut it down and you
still have a beautiful pot all summer.
Stand in an ont of the way plaoe where it
will receive the rain or be watered occasionally until September, when It may
be repotted as at first. If dupli
cates can be had, one may have
eight or ten Fritelcia, another Freesias,
Glory of the Snow, etc, planted near the
surface to prolong the season of bloom and
Interest; or if one has room these little
bulbs are of the very prettiest in pots to
themselves, are very perfect and bloom
'or weeks. Part of the pots should be
kept back, bringing them ln two or three
weeks apart to prolong the blooming.
Our next choice would be Hyacinths.
The Dutch bnlbs have stronger spikes of
bloom with larger bells, but the little Romans keep sending up fresh spikes
tor so long a time we must have both
kinds.
We should get them soon as offered for
S»J e, and right here.do not make the mistake of getting those offered late however great the inducement by way of low
Prices. All florists will advise early
Planting.  One of the most reliable says
it you want the  best results, plant In
September. If but medium, plant last of
Ootober, and if you want to fail plant last
of November and you'll get what you
started out for. After repeated trials,
each time thinking 'jast this once' I have
resolutely determined to never again
risk late planting. Some kinds may do
fairly well, most will not.
The potting soil should consist of equal
parts river sand, vegetable mold and
rich loam. Give drainage, putting bulbs
in five or six pots, fill to within one inch
of the top, placing the bulb half its depth
in the soil to keep it in place, leaving all
the earth for root room. Water, and
stand in a dark place until the roots
have made good growth. The larger the
roots the better the bloom. Bring them
into heat and light a part at a time, keeping others quite cold to check top growth.
These ant down are held ln this condition during winter until spring weather,
and would bloom equally well If brought
in at any time, exoept for being disturbed. We put them as naturally as
possible, to have them convenient for
bringing them in as we want them. Having perfected their bloom buds in the
oenter of each bill b, as can be seen by
splitting one open, last season, now making good roots, it only remains to furnish
light and water for them to bloom. A
slight freeze doesn't spoil them. After
the flowers fade, stand in an out of the
way place until weather, permits, and
they may be turned into the open border
where they will increase and bloom sat-
irjractorlly after the first season. There
are many bulbs recommended for forcing
but we prefer duplicates of these rather
than a greater variety. The Narcissus
and Daffodils do equally well, the single
varieties blooming qulokest, but no other
plant comes into flower so quickly as the
wild yellow poppy; and the little Hepat-
lea will be a surprise to those who have
not given It a trial. These should be potted and let outside to take the fall rains
and light freezing then stood in cellar to
rest a few weeks, and then brought into
head they will burst into bloom almost
before you would think. Hepatlcas do
not wait to make fresh leaves until covered with bloom.        Sarah A. Pleas.
Wayne Co,     ^^__^^
REVIEW.
If you burn gas—yes, Indeed, if you enjoy perpetual summer in the home, it is a
shame if you don't keep winter flowers—
some green leaves and a few flowers to
be a keepsake of the summer which the
ice king has blown his cold breath upon.
Yes, and a promise of returning springtime.
Do we not carelessly allow "old crimp"
to steal into our homes and sweep away
good cheer and—the flowers.
So many things in life are richer than
gold. Gold is good and we must have it,
but as you get older do yon not delight
more and more in sentiment?
A life entirely uneventful is not inspiring. It is cruel, slavish. Like the
door that comes and goes, it is stirred by
no ideal or ambition, sweetened by no
gentle sentiment which whispers peaoe
to the soul.
I have a neighbor who ceiled his house
with black walnut. It was dear in the
market and must be nioe. A few old
faded chromos were tacked to the blaok
wall. The house looked and smelled the
suggestion of a coffin. It has one "virtue ;" it didn't show flyspeoks and smoke.
Not one poor, little, dainty blossom
dared to try to live in and inspire that
home. The "atmosphere" wasn't right,
either of the room or the heart. Yet
those were good people. Made money,
too. Attended church and Sunday
sohool. Bat life to them was plodding, lt
ran heavy with much friction. They
laoked taste, daintiness, buoyancy. It
was a machine life in which you could
hear the shuttles eternally knocking and
clacking. But seldom was this monotony broken by the melody of song or the
inspiration of live social opportunities.
"A love of flowers bespeaks a noble mind,
A heart by generous Impulse stirred,
And lips that only utter vords so kind
Ther bring a smile when they are heard."
Now let's see. Papa says "there ls no
money in flowers," and the lovely wife
or daughter "wants-a few so bad." Let
me tell you what to do. Just get a few
bulbs, say 25 or 60 cents worth—egg
money, you know. It's as mnch yours to
buy flowers as his to buy tobacco.
Well, Mrs. Pleas has told you how to
fix 'em," and we thank her for lt. And
next winter when the snow blows and
the mad wind screams at the corners,
have a few great flne blooms. Be good to
them and see if the "good man" isn't
pleased. Yes, he will be, especially when
your neighbors who don't take the
Farmer, and don't know what you are
np to, come ln and jast go into "oanlp-
shun_" over your lilies or hyacinths.
"My husband" will wear a proud sort
of look and say "yes, Jennie has been
tinkering with a few flowers."
And when the neighbor's son comes
home for a vacation papa will want him
to be sure and see the lilies that "my
daughter has grown." And those
simple, easily grown flowers, so easily
grown, will be a center of town talk and
of home joy and inspiration, that will
never be told and may lead you and the
good neighbor out into larger melody
and harmony in life and to a nearer touch
with the Divine band that uses beautlfnl flowers with which to beckon and
lead and uplift.
A colored woman was arrested and
tried ln our criminal court, one day last
week, on the charge of profanity. She
was fonnd guilty and lined $1 and costs.
It all the white men who are guilty of the
same crime were brought before the
court tbey would keep all the oflicers
busy, and would make costs enough to
pay all tbe court expenses. But the men
are voters and women are not.
Get your neighbor to subscribe for the
Farmer for the balance of the year at
25 cents.
No. 79, Sept. 11.—What varieties of potatoes are best with you, what yield do
you expect this year, and how do you
dig?
No. 80, Sept. — Highway improvement.
How do you make grades and road beds?
How do you manage high hills?
No. 81, Sapt. 24—Wnat material do you
use to cover the road, and what does lt
cost ready to haul with wagons?
No. 82, Sept. 31.—How does the law on
mowing weeds ln the roads work? Offer
suggestions.
No. 83, Oct. 7.—For children under 13
years (let eaoh ohild writing state age).
The world drinks 5,450,000,000 gallons of
beer in one year.
1. How many barrels of 31 gallons each
wonld it require tp hold lt.
2. How many kegs of 7A gallons each
would hold It?
3. It is 25,000 miles around the world,
and a beer keg is 1G Inches through, how
many rows of kegs would this make
around the world?
4. It this beer ls worth $1 a keg, how
many loaves of bread would it buy at 5o
a loaf?
5. Write not more than 100 words on
temperance.
No. 84, Oot. 14.—How do you manage to
make life less burdensome and more happy to the women on the farm?
Premiums of $1, 75o and 50o will bo
given to 1st, 2d and 3d best articles eaoh
week. Let copy be as practical as possible and forward lt 10 days before publication to Carmel.
E. H. Collins.
E. J. Clements, of Paoli, Orange county, has sent us a sample brx of peaohes
Crawfoids and Stump the Worlds. They
are very large and fine, some of them
measured 10 in. around. If Mr. Clements
has a good crop of such as these he is better off than the wheat farmers. We would
like to be turned loose in the orchard
where they come from, half an hour a
day during the season. Peaches are
plenty in our market, but we see very
few like these.
Edward Ho IT,near Pendleton, while at
work In a hay mow, tripping the hayfork,
lost hii balance and fell to the ground'
His skull was fractnred, and he was unconscious for hours. The chances for
recovery are not good.
Mrs. Meredith Still Belongs to Indiana.
Editors Indiana Fahmei:
Yonr complimentary editorial reference to myself in the current issue of the
Farmer has been read with gratified
pride—pardonable may I hope?
When the Dean of the School of Agriculture of Minnesota lirst asked me to
organize and Inaugurate the department
for young women about to be added to
the already prosperous school, I was
rather disinclined to undertaken. Ire-
cognized, however, the great opportunity
to do some effective work In a line where
I am deeply interested, and for which I
hope, that I am ln some degree fitted by
many years of farm life, by mauy years
of study, reading and observation. At
the invitation of the Dean I visited the
school at St. Anthony Park, and found
the equipment in buildings, apparatus
and teachers so vary complete that I was
not surprised of the almost phenomenal
success attained there in securing farmer's sons as students. Moreover I was
impressed by the strong State pride ln
the agricultural side of the college as
shown by tbe liberal support from the
Legislature and by the attitude of the influential farmers. I had assurance of
cordial support from so many sources
that I find myself full of enthusiasm for
the work there.
But I beg to assure you that I am not
leaving Indiana, I go to Minnesota ln
October to remain six months to do some
initial work there, but my home is here
where I have so many strong ties.
With appreciation of your expressions
of regard for myself and the work I have
at heart, lam
"Virginia C. Meredith.
Cambridge City, August 5.
Notes From Southern Counties.
Editom Indiana _"___r__:
I have just returned from a trip, extending through four counties, namely
Warrick, Spencer, Dubois and Perry, and
noting the various crop conditions partly
resulting from methods of farming and
partly from natural causes, I jotted down
a few notes which I hereby transcribe.
I oan see that corn has suffered from.
three things—too much rain, too little
rain, and improper cultivation. In some
low lands the early rains caused the
ground to become too wet, and the corn
now looks yellow and stunted. This condition prevails throughout the low lands
lying between Lincoln City and Troy,
and in Cypress bottoms in Warrick and
to some extent in the Patoka bottoms.
Then in plaoes on tbe highlands fields are
almost earless and the brown leaves
rustle in the wind half way up the stalks
In many places proper cultivation haa
obviated this and good corn is the result;
that is shallow, level cultivation.
I noted one field that had been "ridged"
up with a diamond plow that will scarcely yield 15 bushels per acre. Early
planted corn la all right, as is very late
corn, if we have a good rain in a week
and no early frcsts. Taken as a whole
there will be say half a crop.
Not many are plowing for wheat, aa
theground is too hard. The start tbat
has been  made would indicate a large
I acreage. R. W. Stanton,
Warrlok Co.