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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



PAPAVER (Poppy). 



Some of the most brilliant of hardy flowers and of 

 the simplest culture. There are a few good perennials, 

 but the majority are annual and biennial. They range 

 from the tiny Alpine Poppy to the stately Poppy-Ori- 

 entale and its varieties. The best garden kinds are: 



P. ALPINUM (Alpine Poppy). This has beauti- 

 ful large white flowers with yellow centers, dissected 

 leaves cut into acute lobes. A native of the higher 

 Alps, it may sometimes be seen in good condition in 

 gardens, but it is liable to perish, unlike a true peren- 

 nial. There are white, yellow and scarlet forms in 

 cultivation. The variety albeflorum has white flowers, 

 spotted at the base, while the hairy variety flaviflorum 

 has showy orange flowers ; easily raised from seed. 



P. NUDICAULE (Iceland Poppy). Is easily raised 

 from seed and forms rich masses of cup-like flowers ; 

 it is not a true perennial and should be raised an- 

 nually; it is handsome for borders and the rock gar- 

 den and is grown extensively for cut flowers. There 

 are several white, yellow and orange-red varieties. 

 Native of Siberia and Northern parts of America. 



P. ORIENTALE. The most showy of all Poppies 

 and is among the noblest of the hardy plants and the 

 variety bractestum is larger and handsomer; this 

 variety forms masses of handsome foliage, carries the 

 flower on stiff stalks with leafy bracts at intervals. 

 P. Orientale has naked flower stalks ; it seems as if 

 orientale has been crossed with bracteatvmi, for there 

 are a good many hybrids in gardens. These regal 

 plants are unequalled for their gorgeous display of col- 

 oring in Is.la.y and June and are conspicuous in any po- 

 sition in masses or planted singly ; they do best in a 

 deep rich loam, planted in August or September. If 

 spring planting is done plant very early or use plants 

 that have been grown in pots. After flowering, the 

 plants die back, reappearing again as soon as the 

 weather gets cool. During this resting season care 

 should be taken not to. disturb the roots in cultivating 

 the beds or failure will probably be the result. Water 

 during dry spells and mulch with litter in the fall. The 

 prevailing color is orange-scarlet, but during the past 

 few years hardy plantsmen have given us quite a num- 

 ber of new varieties ranging from silvery white, soft 

 pink and salmon to crimson and carmine-purple. 



The following varieties are some of the best: Blush 

 Queen, soft rosy-white changing to silvery-white. Go- 

 liath, one of the most effective with strong erect stems 

 producing enormous scarlet flowers in great abund- 

 ance. Jennie Mawson, salmon pink, flowers will ex- 

 pand and carried erect on stout stems. Mahony ; while 

 the new Oriental Poppies are mostly in the lighter 

 shades this one is without any doubt the darkest one 

 in cultivation. It was raised some years ago and its 

 color is of the darkest carmine-purple imaginable, 

 much nearer mahogany than ever seen in any other 

 flower. Marie Studholme, pure salmon flowers with 

 a silvery shade and a touch of carmine at the base of 

 the petals gives this variety a most striking eft'ect. 

 Mrs. Perrj-, distinct and very beautiful with enormous 

 flowers of a curious shade of orange-apricot. Oriental 

 King, an exceedingly fine garden plant, on account of 

 its strong stems and upright habit, carrying large 

 crimson-scarlet flowers which seem to consist of one 

 perfect flower within a large and equally perfect one. 

 Princess Eva, color liglit orange-salmon, but its great 

 beauty consists in the medium-size flowers, splendid 

 in form and freely produced. Princess Victoria Louise, 

 a lovely variety of soft salmon-rose, shading to blush 

 rose in color. Queen Alexandra, a new variety with 



clear rose-salmon flowers. Oriental Hybrids are raised 

 from seed sown very thinly in September; pot up the 

 seedlings when quite small and carry them through the 

 winter in cold frames and nice plants will be available 

 for planting into permanent quarters in the spring. 



P. PHAE.\S (Common Corn Poppy). The Carna- 

 tion, Picotee and Ranunculus Poppies are double forms 

 of the common red field Poppy, possessing almost 

 every color except blue and yellow ; some being self- 

 colored, others beautifully variegated. They are also 

 known as French and German Poppies. Some are 

 dwarfer than others, but all are between 2 and 3 feet in 

 height. Of recent years pretty single flowers of the 

 Corn Poppy have become popular and deservedly so 

 under the name of "Shirley Poppies," and are an ex- 

 ample of what has been done by selection and re- 

 selection of seeds. This selection was made by the 

 \'icar of Shirley, the Rev. \V. W'ilks, who is also secre- 

 tary of the R. H. S. and has worked hard for the ad- 

 vancement of Horticulture. Being hardy annuals they 

 can be sown where they are to bloom and should be 

 grown in good soil to bring out fully their size and 

 color. Few annuals afford such a brilliant display as 

 the dift'erent kinds of Corn Poppy in outlying beds and 

 borders during the summer. 



P. SOMNIFERUM (Opium Poppy). This beauti- 

 ful and variably-colored Poppy is a valuable hardy 

 annual. It generally grows about ly^ feet in height 

 and varies from white to deep crimson. The double 

 scarlet, double white and double striped are all varie- 

 ties of it. and their great flower-heads have a bold and 

 striking effect planted in masses. By selection a type 

 called the Psony-flowered Poppy has been obtained 

 from them ; it has large and very double broad-petalled 

 flowers which vary in color from white to dark crim- 

 son, and is distinct. The Poppy and its varieties are 

 treated as hardy annuals in the same way as Phaeas. 



IX THE G.XRDEN OF EDEN. 



Ett — You must e.Tt this, .Adam. 

 .-f,/,K.i— Not on your life, when 1 



ell them at a dollar a dozen. 



