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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



ON GROWING NARCISSI IN AMERICA 



SINCE the Federal Horticultural Board of the L'liited 

 States Department of Agriculture has decreed that 

 after 1925 the free importation of narcissus bulbs shall be 

 forbidden, William H. De Graaff, scion of the House of 

 De Graaff of Holland, which for three generations has 

 been specializing in daffodils and tulips, has lieen travel- 

 ing in this country to find soil and climatic conditions 

 which will make the successful commercial jiroduction of 

 narcissi in this country possible. 



He has visited the Pacific Coast, particularly studying 

 the Willamette \al!ey section, and recently has been go- 

 ing- over the conditions on Long Island, Xew Jersey and 



William DcGraaff and John Sclucpcrs 



South Carolina, and feels firmly convinced that it will be 

 imixissible to successfully raise narcissi for commercial 

 purposes. 



Before sailing for Holland, he expressed his regrets 

 that some of the Holland jobbers of bulbs are inducing 

 farmers and growers in various parts of this country to 

 buy large quantities of planting stock of various daffodils, 

 which is not only doomed to failure but is bound to de- 

 plete the stocks available in Holland and is certain to 

 cause an advance in prices of bulbs for delivery this Fall 

 and for next year. 



The House'of De Graaff was among the first to >tart the 

 scientific production of narcissus bulbs on a large scale. 

 Many new and meritorious varieties now listed in cata- 

 logues were produced by this firm and many great novel- 

 ties have won highest awards at the recent narcissus shows 

 in Holl:md and Fngland. The accompanying illustration 

 shows Mr. De Graaff' with John Scheepers of Xew York 

 so-jor.rning at .\tlantic City. 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



The De]5artment of Floriculture at the .Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass.. will conduct a 

 special one week course in commercial lloriculture for the 

 florists of that state, beginning June 25. 



The program will be announced in this paper at a 

 later date. It is hoped that those interested will keep this 

 date in mind. 



The Lord and Burnham Co. has donated to the college a 

 model greenhouse, 11 feet by 8 feet 4 inches, of their \o. 

 1 and Xo. 2 greenhouse construction, which will prove 

 invaluable in the teaching of greenhouse construction. .\ 

 set of blue prints has also been provided for each student. 

 The department wii*hes to express its appreciation to the 

 Lord and Burnham Co. for their kindness and co-opera- 

 tion in making its work more efficient and of greater bene- 

 fit to the students and florists. — R. T. M. 



SEEDING LAWNS IN LATE SUMMER 



CPRIXG is not the best time for seeding lawns; late 

 *^ .Sunnner is vastly better. Seeding done at that time, 

 while the days are growing cooler and plants get the 

 benefits of heavy night dews, insures a good lawn the 

 following Spring, writes a contributor to the Florists' 

 Rer-iczi'. There can be no certainty of lawns seeded in 

 Spring being a complete success, unless an ample water 

 supplv is at command. Plants seeded in Fall have deep 

 roots and withstand the Summer droughts far better than 

 the former. Far too much work is left each year until 

 the overcrowded Spring season. This applies to the 

 planting of trees, shrubs and hardy herbaceous perennials. 

 Some day, it is to be hoped, more people will appreciate 

 the great advantages to be gained by Fall planting. 



But to refer back to lawns, there are always many calls 

 for work on lawns at this season. Entirely new lawns 

 should be liberally manured, care being takai to bury the 

 manure well. You should rake the lawn most thoroughly, 

 in order to get rid of as many roots, stones and weeds as 

 possible. It should be made firm by tramping or rolling, 

 according to the size and nature of the ground to be sown 

 down, in advance of any seeding. Iron rakes should then 

 be used to loosen the surface before seed is sown. There 

 are some good mi.xtures of lawn seed offered. As a 

 general rule, some of the grasses included are ill adapted 

 for the average lawn and will usually disappear the first 

 Summer. Sjjecial grasses are needed in the warmer states, 

 but for the more northerly ones the writer has found 

 Kentucky blue grass the best stand-by. Two parts of this 

 grass to one part of redtop makes an excellent mixture, 

 and, if white clover is liked, add that at the rate of one 

 pound to twenty-five pounds of other grasses. 



The clover is especially helpful in light soils. It will 

 retain its greenness during droughts and adds much 

 fertility to the soil. It is best to sow lawn seed fairly 

 thickly, and in seeding be sure to go over the ground both 

 lengthwise and crosswise, in order that there may be no 

 bare spots. A thorough raking and hard rolling must 

 follow seeding. 



THE CHRIST-AWAKENING 



MAR1,\N .T. COBK 



How sweet the story of that long ago, 

 When the disciples sailed at close of day, 

 .\nd as tlie ship lannclied forth, the Master lay 



.-\slecp upon a pillow, resting so. 



Hut as he slept, the angry waves did break. 



For o'er the sea a sudden wind-storm swept ; 



While the di.^ciides rushed to where he slent, 

 Crying, ".Awake, we perish! Master, wake!" 



Then he arose ; and with his "Peace, be still." 

 Rebuked the winds, and bade them do no harm. 

 Tlie tempest ceased ; and lo. there was a calm ; 



The waters fell, obedient to his will. 



Sonietiuies, tile Christ-idea seems asleep 



Within my fragile bark, the ship cf life. 



.•\h. tlien it is that wind*; and storms are rife. 

 And angry waves engulf me, mountain deep. 



I'.ut when at length, through faith and love and prayer. 

 The Christ awakens in my ronsciousncss. — 

 The healing Christ, that wakens but to bless, — 



The tempests cease; and lo. a calm is there. 



To that sweet story <if the lung agn. 



My thought agani, and yet again, liatli turned; 



I'"or in its deeper meaning I ha\e learned 

 The sweetest lesson th.it the lieart can know. 



— Christian Science Scniiiifl. 



