'^ A DREAM OF NEW POPPIES 141 



pies which flourish so luxuriantly even in this blus- 

 tering mountainous region. I admit that a boister- 

 ous wind does sometimes mar the day's blossoms, 

 but to give up poppies entirely for that reason 

 would be about as sensible as giving up raising 

 cherries because sometimes they are injured by 

 excessive rain. It would, in fact, be much worse, 

 because, while the cherries are ruined for the 

 season, there is a new crop of poppies every day. 

 Of the many varieties of poppies offered by 

 the seedsmen I admire and recommend particu- 

 larly seven: the Iceland, Oriental, Darwin, 

 Opium, Shirley, California, and Silver Lining. 

 The first of them to bloom in spring is the 

 Iceland, which, started in the late summer of 

 the preceding year, greets us when we arrive in 

 May, and with a little attention now and then 

 blooms all summer, gracefully holding up its 

 yellow, orange, and white blossoms on long 

 stems. Some of the recent hybrids — pale yellow 

 outside, pale flesh inside — are particularly en- 

 gaging; so are the buds, covered with soft black 

 fur. I shall never forget the sight of the long 

 rows of Iceland poppies in front of the hotel at 

 Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies, where 

 they seemed very much at home and happy. 

 Though of the North, they do not shun the sun. 



ORIENTAL, DARWIN, AND SILVER LINING 



Giants among the poppy blossoms are the 

 Orientals, which also bloom early in spring, and 



10 



