More than a dozen years ago I began raising flowers. I had no experience in caring for plants and supposed there was no way of getting a collection, except to buy of some florist, so I went to a neighboring city, hunted up a greenhouse and invested some-what heavily,for my means, in plants in small pots, letting the florist choose for me the sons thought an amateur would be most likely to succeed with. I tried to get some information from him about the care of the plants ; and the thought he especially dwelt upon was not to keep them too wet. He said nothing about changing them into larger pots, and as it was early summer-time every plant, of course, dried out quickly on the veranda, but having had it so firmly impressed upon me that they were not to be kept "too wet" I let every one of them die for the want of water.

That was a discouraging beginning, but I did not give up keeping plants by any means, but started out on a different line. I sent to florists for catalogues and selected from these the plants with which I though I could succeed. I also subscribed for a horticultural magazine ; but it was some years before I found that a very handsome collection of flowers for the winter window may be grown from the seeds of annuals and perennials. The cost of the plants will not be nearly so much as when bought already grown, and one has the pleasure of watching them from the start. And now after having an experience of some years with annuals in my window, I will mention some of the sorts with which any lady having an east or south window can succeed. I shall only mention in this article such as I think can be managed rather easily, though I have had success in growing from seed such plants as cineraria, clianthus, etc., that are more difficult to start Here is a list sufficient to fill your window with beauty and fragrance.

Sweet alyssum, mignonette, nierem-bergia, Salvia splendens, Petunia - the fringed varieties are lovely - Torenia Fournieri, stock, browallia.

These are for pots, shelves, or brackets. For hanging baskets, the best are lobelia, mimulus, thunbergia, Kenilworth ivy, nasturtium. The best climbers are Coboea scandens, mormordica, lophospermum and abobra. As I am writing more especially for the benefit of those ladies whose love of flowers is deeper than their purses, I will say that if two, or even three club together in buying the seed there will be sufficient in the packets for all.

In this climate, Minnesota, I start the seeds for winter bloom by the middle of July, as I like to take the plants into the house during the last of September, so that they become somewhat accustomed to the changed conditions before fires are started. Having secured your seed from some reliable dealer, the next thing in order is to prepare your box for sowing them. I use a wooden box about 21 inches long, 16 wide, and 9 deep, as that gives room for all the seeds and it is easier than sowing in separate pots. After putting a layer of charcoal in the bottom of the box for drainage, fill it two-thirds full of soil composed of two parts good garden soil, one part sharp sand, and one part leaf mould. The soil should not pack nor become hard, for then the seeds will not do well. I sow the seeds in rows and keep the earth a little moist all the time - do not let them dry out once; cover the box with glass until the seeds are up. I use a cellar window for convenience. The cobaea seeds should be planted edgewise and by themselves, for they require more moisture in order to germinate well. Otherwise the treatment is the same.

After the seeds are up raise the glass at one side and keep it propped that way until the little plants get well started ; then remove, and after the plants are about two inches high transplant into the pots or whatever you wish to keep them in during the winter-I find tin cans holding about a quart a good substitute for pots ; paint them some dull color. Try these you who love flowers, and report your success - Verb Ena.