MIGNONETTE 



able that no other flower is so generally grown for fra- 

 grance. No home garden is complete without some 

 Mignonette. It needs a cool soil, only moderately rich, 

 shade part of the day, and careful attention to cutting 

 the flower-stalks before the seeds are ripe. It grows 

 1-2 ft. high, and is treated as a half-hardy annual. If a 

 sowing be made in late April, followed by a second 

 sowing in early July, the season may be extended until 

 severe frosts. Those who wish to have home-grown 

 Mignonette in the window during winter may sow seeds 

 iu pots late in summer. Few flowers will prove as dis- 

 appointing if the treatment it needs is omitted. 



Years ago Mignonette was one of the few fashionable 

 flowers. Every florist grew a little. With the rise of 

 florists' roses, carnations, violets and chrysanthemums 

 the Mignonette lost some of its relative importance, but 

 within recent years a new era has opened for it. It is 

 now a highly specialized crop, being little grown by 

 general florists, but grown on a large scale by a few 

 specialists. 



For the botanical status of Mignonette, see Reseda. 



C. E. HUNN. 



Wholesale Cultivation of Mignonette. — Owing to 

 improved methods of cultivation practiced in recent 

 years. Mignonette has become a staple in the cosmo- 

 politan markets. A few years ago growers contented 

 themselves with little attention to the plant, letting it 

 take care of itself after planting the seed in a row along 

 the side of rose beds or benches. Now, however, certain 

 growers having made its cutting and seed a specialty, 

 the result has been the production of improved strains 

 finding such favor that the old, careless methods are 

 al.iandoned. As yet, well-grown plants in pots are not 

 offered to the public, but the indications are that before 

 long they will take their place as favorite Christmas and 

 Easter plants, for which they are well fitted, since they 

 are useful house plants iu their keeping and odoriferous 

 qualities. 



Mignonettes in beds or benches for winter-flowering 

 will succeed in almost any soil, but the best is a good, 

 turfy loam, taken from an old pasture plowed as early 

 as possible in spring after the grass begins to grow 

 nicely. In the preparation of this soil, the pasture 

 should be plowed about 4 inches deep and the earth 

 heaped up immediately after plowing. When heaping, 

 a layer of soil should first be made, then a layer of 

 manure, and so on until the heap is completed, the top 

 rounded off a little so as to throw off the surplus water 

 of heavy rains. One load of good cow manure to six of 

 soil would be about the right proportion. 



If the plant is grown in beds, eight inches of soil will 

 be sufficient, and the beds should rise slightly from the 

 sides to allow for settling. The rough parts should be 

 raked off, and a board laid on the soil and tramped upon 

 until the soil is firmed evenly. Bake it again to roughen 

 the surface, mark out rows lengthwise a foot apart, with 

 cross rows at the same distance. Sow the seeds in the 

 corners of the square thus made, cover very lightly, and 

 when the sowing is completed, give a light watering 

 with a fine rose watering-pot to settle the soil around 

 tlie seeds. After the plants are up and growing and 

 have made their second leaves, thin out to one plant, 

 l<*aving the strongest one. Care should be taken at this 

 time not to over-water, as it is preferable to leave the 

 soil rather dry than wet. As soon as the plants are 

 large enough, stake them all and tie them loosely to 

 prevent them from falling out. 



If the seed is sown in July for a November crop, the 

 ventilators must be kept open day and night so as to 

 admit all the air possible, in order to keep the plants 

 stocky and short-jointed. Temporary shading in the 

 middle of the day when the sun is hot is very necessary. 



After the plants begin to show the flower heads, all 

 the side shoots should be removed from around the 

 heads down to the stem. Leave three or four of the 

 strong bottom side shoots to come on for a second 

 crop, and so on as the crop matures. Always have 

 another crop coming on to take the place of the one that 

 was cut. By keeping the plants neatly staked and tied 

 there should be a continuous crop from November to 

 May. When the plants have reached a good size, 

 watering is of the utmost importance and should be done 

 in the mornings and only on bright days, so that the 



MIGNONETTE 



1013 



foliage may be dry before night; for if the water lies 

 on the foliage for twenty-four hours the leaves will be- 

 come spotted and a fungous growth started, to the ruin 

 of the plant. A night temperature of 4,')°, with a rise of 

 10° or 15° in the day, suits the plant very well. Migno- 

 nette will succeed in almost any kind of a glass struc- 

 ture, but, of course, the better the house the finer the 

 product. 



The cultivation of Mignonettes in pots requires much 

 attention, involving careful watering, staking and train- 

 ing of the plants into the shape required. All this takes 

 time, but good specimen plants in pots of 8 inches, with 

 15-20 heads of flowers to a plant, will repay the grower 

 for all the attention bestowed. The best method for this 

 kind of growing is to fill up 2-inch pots with finely sifted 

 soil from the compost heap described before, then add 

 one-third leaf-soil run through a sieve, with a little sand 

 to make it porous, and then, pressing the soil firm, make 

 a little hole with the finger in the center of the pot, drop 

 in 2 or 3 seeds, cover lightly and water with a fine rose 

 to settle the soil around the seed. After the plants are 

 up thin out to one pl.int to a pot, leaving the strongest 

 one. Keep all the plants as near the glass as possible 

 to prevent them from becoming drawn. Be careful not 

 to let the plants get dry at this time. If they receive a 

 check at this or any time for want of water they get 

 hard and will never make good plants afterwards. 



1401. Mienonette— Allen's Defiance. 



When the plants have filled the pots with roots shift to 

 4-inch pots, using a little rougher soil. Never allow the 

 plants to become pot-bound. Up to this time they will 

 not require stakes if kept near the glass with plenty of 

 ventilation and are carefully watered. When the young 

 roots begin to show through the soil at the sides of the 

 pot shift to 8-inch pots, using good rough soil. Drain- 

 age must be provided at the bottom of the pots — broken 

 bricks will answer the purpose. Cover this drainage 



