RAISING FLOWERS ON A CITY LOT. 133 



from seed, which I plant in late October, and by dividing roots, which I 

 generally do every year, but there is no harm if dividing is only done 

 each second year. I have ten named varieties and as soon as I can mul- 

 tiply these into a sufficient number I will discard all the common un- 

 named ones. 



Annual Poppy, 6x6, must be planted very early and may be planted 

 in the fall. I sow the seed broadcast, and thin as desired. I prefer the 

 Shirley mixed varieties. As cut flowers there can be nothing more beau- 

 tiful. The blooms are so numerous^ that the short life of each does not 

 count. Do not try to transplant. When the blooms have finished in mid- 

 summer, pull up the plants, and fill the ground with plants of petunias. 



Oriental Poppy, 24x24, must be seen to be understood. The second 

 year from seed my plants have raised six blooms each of seven or eight 

 inches in diameter of the most brilliant flame color I ever saw. Plants 

 are long lived and increase in bloom, and once started need no attention. 

 In mid-summer the tops all die like tulips, but in the autumn come up 

 new and remain green all winter. They bloom in May. The plants are 

 both the hardest and the easiest to raise and transplant. To start, I 

 bought twenty-five plants and saved only five of them. This was better 

 than most have done. I "now have transplanted a hundred and not lost 

 one. With a garden trowel I dig a deep straight hole, place the long tap 

 root on the side of it, and plaster the dii't carefully around the root, then 

 fill the hole and water good once. Transplant in early September. I 

 plant the seed very early in the spring, keep moist and keep a lath screen 

 over the plants until September. 



Roses, 12 X 12, I plant new every spring, using the tender every-bloom- 

 ing varieties only, getting very small pot plants. By this plan I have 

 roses in bloom every day from May until the last of October. Of course 

 I also have the climbing crimson rambler. 



Salvia is best eighteen inches apart in a single row. Mine is about 

 three feet high and from mid-July until frost it is a, solid mass of bril- 

 liant scarlet, that for garden display has no superior. Start the seed 

 early and protect from frost. 



Snapdragon, 12x12, is very odd, of many colors, and fine for both 

 garden display and cut flowers. The duration of bloom is good in both 

 cases. 



Tuberose, 12x12, is the most fragrant flower I know of. Nothing is 

 finer to wear. The bulbs need eighty or more degrees of temperature to 

 start them. I start in pots and place where very warm in the house, and 

 give them a good start by planting-out time in May. In this way I get 

 the earliest to bloom by the middle of August, and others continue until 

 frost. 



Tulips, 6 X 6, I plant six inches deep, choosing the single named varie- 

 ties only. I have discarded all doubles and mixed colors. A hundred or 

 more in a bed is best. They should be dug and reset every one to three 

 years. They bloom in April. Most of mine are quite fragrant and last 

 well as cut flowers. 



