THE PRACTICAL FLOWER GARDEN 



pings or old manure, are our greatest hope. 

 I often feel as if all battles against plant dis- 

 eases, insects and microbes might be won 

 without serious disaster, and happiness might 

 reign always in our gardens, if only we 

 could have abundant rains; but to see the 

 plants which started bravely into life in the 

 spring begin to wither and starve from 

 drought when midsummer luxuriance should 

 be reached, is almost unbearable for those 

 who love their flowers. 



A new disease has very recently appeared 

 in our gardens which I have not heard called 

 by name. It is a blight which attacks the 

 larkspurs, particularly the taller varieties, 

 causes the leaves first to turn black, then to 

 shrivel and fall off, and blights and blackens 

 the blossom. Kelway of England, the largest 

 grower of delphiniums, says that he has never 

 known any disease to attack these plants in 

 his nursery, and, until the middle of last June, 

 my garden has been equally immune. Fear- 

 ing that the trouble might prove contagious, 



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