258 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



screen and keep them from drying while germinating. We oftea sow 

 them in the fall or early in the spring. They take their time and will not 

 be in as much of a hurry as you are. One fall I planted a large bed and 

 in the spring I waited for them to come up. As they failed to come up I 

 finally dug the bed up and planted something else, when lo! the colum- 

 bines came up and covered the ground. 



AMONG THE PHLOXES. 



These flowers take a high rank on account of their remarkable beauty, 

 continuous blooming from June until November and because of the ease 

 of their propagation and culture. 



We found we could not depend on many of the imported ones in the 

 trying climate of the West. Some cannot endure the drought and heat. 

 Others will rust and blight in wet weather and many do not find the soil 

 congenial. Said a florist from the East, "You ought to send down and get 

 the kind we grow." We showed him the identical ones, but he could 

 hardly recognize them; soil and climate affect them so much. 



For years we have been building up a new race. We want — 



1st. A plant of great vigor to resist the heat and endure the wet 

 weather. 



2d. Many of the imported ones are very slow propagators and there- 

 fore unprofitable. 



3d. We must have fine individual flowers to blend in one large sym- 

 metrical head. 



4th. We want continual bloomers. 



.5th. A plant should be interested In the matter and seed well. Many 

 kinds do not seed and others have only abortive pods like many peonies. 



This matter of seed bearing is very important, for there is a great 

 future for phloxes. We are raising thousands from well bred seed, most 

 of which will compare well with imported ones. Among the thousands 

 are some that will score the flve points of excellence. 



ARETE. 



To avoid confusion we name our new creations from the goddesses 

 and heroines of ancient history. 



Arete is a cross between Crepuscule and Richard Wallace. It has a 

 large symmetrical head, florets of a large size, white as snow in warm 

 weather and tinged with lavender late In the fall; crimson eye. The plant 

 is a strong one and a continuous bloomer from .Tune until November. 

 It also understands the multiplication table. 



Born at the same time we have Alcyone. This I think is the most 

 beautiful phlox on earth. Immense florets of snowy white and in the 

 center five little brilliant stars, artistically arranged. But with the same 

 treatment I got but twenty Alcyone and 600 Arete. I consider the latter 

 one of the most profitable of all. 



