STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 109 
white candytuft was sown at different times to keep up a succession of bloom, 
and made a pretty contrast with their vivid scarlet. 
The previous summer this bed had a ribbon border of candytuft, white and 
purple. After it was done blooming, | cleared away the stalks, covered the 
ground with manure from the hen-house, spading it in deeply. This summer 
had a wide border of phlox Drummondii mixed, and the large-flowered varieties 
never had anything finer. The plants grew large and were strong enough to 
support themselves; and the bloom was superb in size, color and profusion. 
Bloomed long after frosts and only succumbed to snow and hard freezing. 
In May I dug a bed im a rather low part of the yard that got the slops of the 
weekly wash. Planted in the center a row of gladioli. Poor, scrawny bulbs 
they were, but in that rich, moist soil they grew fast and bloomed superbly, 
some stalks being over five feet high. There was a succession of bloom; even 
the tiniest, driest bulbs ‘‘took heart’’ and bloomed, some even after the first 
frosts. 1] have long thought that ground enriched with strong manure was inju- 
rious to gladiolus bulbs, and find this opinion endorsed by no less a florist than 
Geo. Such in a late number of the New York Tribune. The soil should be light 
and sandy, and when coming into bloom a free supply of water. In tropical 
islands, where they are indigenous, they bloom in the rainy season. 
Put a strong stake to each bulb as soon as planted; and tie securely as needed. 
Take up the bulbs when the foliage turns yellow, drying them in the sun, or on 
airy shelves; store them in an earthen jar in a dark cellar; keep the jar uncoy- 
ered. In this they do not mould but come out fresh and plump. 
But I want to tell you something more about this fiower-bed. On the front 
side of this row of bulbs sowed mignonnette, this was rampant in growth, two 
feet high, and loaded with fragrant spikes of bloom, fillmg the air with sweet- 
ness and wafied in the house with every breeze. At either end, well, large 
clusters of Coreopsis Drummondii and C. Burridgeamun; both covered with 
bright blossoms, the latter looking as gay and airy as a flock of butterflies sud- 
denly arrested; the slender stems being invisible at a short distance. Around 
the edge of the whole bed were Asters of the best mixed varieties. Had not 
time to sow seed and transplant as usual; planted as we do radishes, making a 
hole with a round pointed stick, dropping one seed in each. Every seed came 
up; the border was perfect. When coming into bloom mulched them with 
newly-cut grass; and once a week poured the water from the wash on the sur- 
face, soit ran under the mulch. How they grew! Many were 3 feet high; al} 
a solid mass of bloom of many colors, from the ground up. Truffant’s Peony- 
flowered Perfection-blood-red is the finest Aster I ever saw! Chickens and cats 
admire this bed too much. I bought a ball of strong twine; my brother drove 
stakes around this and three other beds, and we put five strands of twine around 
each; the light trellis-fence was ornamental, making the beds look all the neat- 
er; and they were safe from all small marauders besides, being a great saving 
of time and temper. 
Plants that have grown out all summer, such as geraniums, abutilons, ete., I 
winter in the cellar. Take up carefully, trim and pack closely in boxes with three 
or four inches of soil in the bottom, filled up and shaken in until the roots are 
well covered. All the leaves drop and are removed. 
Fuchsias, roses, heliotropes are watered a few times during the winter, not 
geraniums, it makes them sprout, nor lantanas unless they get dust dry. The 
cellar is perfectly dark, ventilated through an old pump stock, inserted through 
