CUT FLOWERS FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS 89 



we are generally able to do without depleting our stock, for as it is, they 

 increase in numbers considerably in the field. 



There are a great many varieties, many of them very choice. We 

 grow but one named sort, the America, a large and very beautiful pink 

 one. Our main crop is a strain of Gandivensis hybrids, assorted. In 

 these we have a good range of colors that answer our every requirement. 



We have a bed of roses six by one hundred, that come in mighty 

 handy where there is none to be cut inside. We just filled up an old 

 sunken hotbed with good rose soil, leaving the old manure in the hot 

 bed, and then planted Kaiserins, Killarneys, pink and white, Gruss and 

 Teplitz, and a few Clotilde Soupe. These, we shade with lattice made 

 of lath as a partial protection from the sun. We keep them watered and 

 the oil stirred until the middle of August, when we apply a heavy mulch, 

 and discontinue the watering. 



They continue flowering after we stop the water but slack up gradu- 

 ally on the production of new wood and harden up for winter. We get 

 some good flowers in this way. In fact, the flrst prize vase of cut roses 

 at the state fair was cut from this bed one year. The varieties we are 

 growing continue to bloom quite awhile after frost. The winter treat- 

 ment is simple and easy. After a few killing frosts have ripened them 

 thoroughly, we cover the bed with straw, working it well in between the 

 plants, and leaving them in their natural upright position. Where neces- 

 sary, a long cane, or an overgrown plant is cut back to about the general 

 height, so the covering of straw is just about as deep as the plants are 

 high. 



About, or soon after the middle of December, a further covering of 

 straw is put on. This is just scattered over tops and all. Nothing more 

 is required until about the middle of March, when part of the covering 

 is taken off. Not all off though, because a warm spell would start them 

 into growth before the danger of hard frost is past. We take off the 

 rest of the straw in April, keeping it on as long as possible. If the weather 

 is warm and starts the growth under the straw, it had better be off. As 

 soon as it is off, we cut out all the dead wood, stir the soil well and they 

 grow like weeds. An occasional plant will be killed down almost to the 

 ground but that seems to make no difference with their growing strength. 



The Antirrhinum or snap dragon makes a good summ.er flower. We 

 grow them for seed and sow early enough so we can let them make a 

 flower before we plant them in the field. This gives us a chance to se- 

 lect the most desirable shades. The seedlings are very tender when they 

 first come up, and should be transplanted, as soon as they can be handled. 



We have found the chrysanthemum maximum very useful as a sum- 

 mer flower. It is really a hardy daisy, something on the order of the 

 Shasta daisy but in our opinion far better. They bloom constantly and 

 abundantly from mid-July till hard frosts come. They are hardy so far 

 as cold is concerned but can not stand cold and wet together. We dig 

 such clumps as we want from stock after they have ripened well and 

 put them in a frame, covering them well with leaves or rubbish. During 



