APRIL LEAVES 99 



and Negro workmen came to the Memorial Park for Popples. 

 No one was turned away empty handed. 



The flowers went to the schools, they brightened countless 

 homes, they graced receptions, they were placed on the altars of 

 the churches, they softened the harshness of new-made graves, 

 and they gave pleasure to numberless visitors. 



The soil in the park is a very light sandy loam with a clay 

 subsoil about three feet underneath. The sand is so porous that 

 no water is held in it. In the Spring of 1920, shrubbery beds were 

 prepared by digging down to this clay subsoil and removing much 

 of the top sand. Then a layer of stable manure, mostly fresh 

 because that was all that was available, was placed in the trench 

 and the sandy topsoil was replaced. This made as nearly ideal a 

 shrubbery foundation as was possible under the circumstances. 



In November the only preparation for the Poppy seed was to 

 clear away all grass and weeds and rake the ground smooth. 

 This was done in the foreground of an evergreen shrubbery border 

 and the seed of mixed Shirley Poppies sown broadcast on November 

 15th, the bed being about three feet wide. 



The plants were then left absolutely alone all Winter; they 

 were not even weeded or thinned out. Other work on the street 

 trees kept the men busy and it was not until the first week of April 

 that they came back. Then the Poppy buds were beginning to 

 open. Weeds were pulled out of the border but no thinning was 

 done. On April 9th a lawn party was given in the park in order 

 that the women might see and enjoy the Poppies. 



Many boxes of buds were sent to xAugusta with no other 

 preparation for shipment than wrapping in waxed paper imme- 

 diately after cutting. One friend wrote, "When the box of Poppy 

 buds came on Sunday, they were a mystery. On Monday, the 

 opening calyxes and unfolding petals were an ecstasy. On Tues- 

 day they are the glory of the whole house. I thank you for 

 remembering me in so colorful a way." One box sent on Monday 

 furnished decorations for a party on Friday and were the wonder 

 and admiration of all the guests. 



On June 3rd the plants were pulled up and thrown out, having 

 provided eight consecutive weeks of beauty. They were all of 



