lo. Delphinium English Hybrids (Continued) 



A perfectly hardy perennial of easy culture; will thrive in any good gar- 

 den soil, but does best in deep, rich, sandy loam, with full exposure to the 

 sun or in partial shade. The ground should be deeply dug and well mixed 

 with rotted manure, the plants set about three feet apart and mulched 

 to protect the roots from hot sun. They should be freely watered in hot 

 weather. Every three or four years they should be taken up, divided, and 

 reset in freshly enriched soil. Most of the varieties require staking. After 

 blooming the plant should be cut to the ground, given a dressing of bone 

 meal, and well-watered. It will bloom again in early September, and if the 

 same treatment be repeated, will often bloom a third time in mid-October. 



Delphiniums are liable to a blight of unknown cause. The best treat- 

 ment is to spray weekly, beginning in early spring, with Bordeaux mixture 

 or ammoniacal carbonate of copper. Also, dry Bordeaux mixture should 

 be dug in around the crowns. 



Besides the blight. Delphiniums are liable to serious injury from cut- 

 worms in the spring. These must be dugout as soon as their presence is noted, 

 and often the plants had better be removed to new locations. Ashes scat- 

 tered over the crowns in late fall will protect them from the attacks of slugs. 



Propagate by seed, cuttings, or by division. Delphiniums grow with 

 the greatest readiness from seed sown in the garden in August or indoors in 

 February or March. In the latter case they will bloom the same year. 



There are quantities of named varieties, most of which are excellent. 

 Among the best are: 



Beatrice Kelzvay. Cornflower blue, flushed with rose, white eye, 

 massive spikes. 



Geneva. Large flowers, pale porcelain blue, pure white eye. 



Julia. Large flowers, cornflower blue veined with rose, white eye. 



King oj Delphiniums. Large semi-double, gentian-blue flowers with 

 large white eye, in massive spikes; plant of strong growth and fine habit. 



Lizzie. Large azure-blue flowers with yellowish eye; plant very tall 

 and strong growing. 



Mme. Violet Geslin. Round, semi-double flowers, outer petals clear 

 blue, inner ones lavender, white eye. 



Perfection. Very large sky-blue flowers flushed with rose, dark eye. 



Queen JVilhehnina. Large flowers, soft lavender-blue flushed with 

 rose, conspicuous white eye. 



Rembrandt. Semi-double, sky-blue, inner petals rosy-lavender, silvery 

 sheen. 



Rev. E. Lascelles. Very large double flowers, deep purple-blue with 

 white centre edged with blue, one of the largest varieties both in height 

 of plant and size of flowers. 



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