no CROP PRODUCTION 



easily brought into blossom in summer and autumn, if 

 planted in loamy soil after danger from frost is past. 

 In more northern regions it is generally desirable to start 

 the bulbs in hot-beds or greenhouses in order to get 

 early flowers. 



The Gladiolus 



The modern Gladiolus may certainly claim to be one 

 of the most beautiful garden flowers. The graceful 

 sword-like leaves and the long spike of blossoms, whose 

 petals display such exquisite tints and shades, combine 

 to make a distinctive harmony of form and color. A 

 great number of sorts are now cultivated. Most of them 

 have been derived from a comparatively few original 

 species that were chiefly natives of South Africa. 



The bulbs are soKd corms, which may be planted in 

 fairly rich loamy soil, almost as soon as the ground 

 can be worked in spring, and in succession every two 

 weeks until the last of June. The flowers open finely 

 if the stalks are cut and placed in water as soon as the 

 lowest blossom appears. New bulbs are formed above 

 the old one each year. These should be dug up in 

 autunrn and stored in a cool, dry, frost-proof cellar until 

 the following spring. 



Dahlias and Lilies 

 The DahHa is really an autumn rather than a summer- 

 flowering plant. While many sorts are readily brought 

 into blossom in July or August, the chief show is likely 

 to be exhibited in September. The plant has been in 

 general cultivation only about a century, although in its 

 original home in Mexico it has been known as a garden 

 flower for a much longer period. Several distinct types 



