146 GARDENING WITH BRAINS 



than three hundred large blossoms of bewildering 

 beauty and astonishing variety and blending of 

 tints. The seeds I got, of course, from Mr. Bur- 

 bank himself. They embody all the latest 

 improvements: flowers thin as tissue paper, 

 yet of firm texture, and artistically waved and 

 crinkled, in strong contrast with the smooth 

 petals of the original English Shirleys. They are 

 the perfected Shirley poppies and Art poppies of 

 Burbank's seed book. 



Silk crepe seems like common calico in com- 

 parison with these delicate poppy petals. In 

 showing my Shirley bed to girls I often ask: 

 "How would you like to have a ball dress made 

 of these? Which color, please and how many 

 yards?" 



My wife has briefly sketched for me a few of 

 the varieties: "Cup, flame color, yellow pollen; 

 white, overlaid with fine veins of pale flame 

 color; white, with deep flame edge; white, with 

 rose edge; pale rose; deep rose; clear white, 

 yellow pollen; white, with faintest line of pur- 

 plish pink on the edge ; white, veined heavily with 

 deep purple, grass-green pollen; scarlet outer 

 petals, deep pink inner ones; deep coral pink; 

 scarlet, edged with white, with black spots; a 

 Maltese cross edged with white, olive-green pol- 

 len; clear shell pink; deep cardinal, black spots; 

 white, with center streaked with pale pink, 

 brown anthers, yellow pollen; white, with deep 

 heliotrope cross, green pollen; clear white, green 



