CHOICE OF FLOWERS 



the new Colossus, with flowers a foot In diam- 

 eter; still, In the average. It Is a dignified plant 

 and requires to be treated with the respect It con- 

 fers on itself. It is not proudly self-confident; 

 there is no swagger In Its attitude; its gently 

 bending head betokens a certain modesty, as well 

 as pride; hence it should be allowed to enjoy the 

 room and state that are conferred on the distin- 

 guished. It Is neither king nor queen of flowers, 

 but It wears the coronet of the aristocracy. And 

 while it is not hardy, It has more life and more 

 latitude than people know. I can show some 

 handsome, healthy specimens In a New England 

 village a thousand feet above the sea, and they 

 kept on blooming last fall, after several sharp 

 frosts had shorn and bedraggled not a few of 

 the stouter blooms. It has a disagreeable habit 

 of dropping its head on provocation that to an 

 observer seems insufScIent. A smart wind, a 

 stout rain, a chill night, an interloping dog, will 

 shake down a dozen fine knobs when it Is In Its 

 prime. To remedy this tendency It is well to 

 put it into rows, with some care for its support 

 against the elements, either in the form of a wire 

 net fence, or individual stakes to which we can 

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