COSMOS (from the Greek word with a root idea of 

 orderliness hence an ornament or beautiful thing 

 which fats the present case fanalh and usualU the uni 

 ^ers( because of its orderliness) CompdbitiB A ge 



s of annual ( 

 all tropii al American mosth Mcxic 

 ally glabrous l\s opposite jitn t 1 

 kinds m some others entii i i 

 shades of rose crimson an 1 i | 1 

 spec IPS and white horticulT i 1 

 cled soIitar> or maloose I i I 



peiennial herbs, 

 1 often tall usu 

 cTit HI the garden 

 i 11 t-ypically 

 tl ne -sellow 

 t 1 ng pedun 



and slender ai i 



moth. 



api.\ 



The genus 



attractive and individual Moreover these teeth are often 

 somewhat wavy giving the wh 1 flower a frilled appear 

 ance. The wild Cosmo i t II f fi r that is it has 

 open spaces between It I mcultnation 



have broadened and i "d ha^ e o\ er 



lapped, so that the n( \ i 1 -v an> vacant 



spaces between the ra\ 1 i li 1 unbroken 



face. This same ten 1 n j 



has prevailed in the garden _ , , \ 



evolution of many other fa 

 vorites, notably the shoul 

 dered" Tulips rose pet 

 aled Geraniums and single 

 Dahlias. The named vane 

 Cosmos may always 



but the 



Thc> 



I and b\ th 1 r 



Uy some form of 

 \ ellow or white 



s (r 7 I tMtw:) IS perhaps, 



1 II r T> 1 ha It has 



I Dahlias, 



1 le those 



l\ beaked 



L mi-iL sLd cu thi_ bit k 1 1 III til 



genera in ha\ ing 2 rigid persistent 1 I 



these gi nera tht awns ha%e no retrors I 1 I' 



The akenes are linear as in Cosrai s u I 11 " ' J 

 tiopical species of Bidcn.s, but, alth' 

 the apex, they are not distinctlv beaked, as in 

 cies of the genus Cosmos. The plant is, perhaps, near 

 est to Bidens. 



Among the garden annuals that have come into p: 

 nence in recent years, the Cosmos has a 

 most brilliant future. Until 189.o there 

 were in the two leading species only three 

 stroiiL'lv niMrk.-.l .■..!. .is: white, pink and 

 <Tiii.-"i'i. 'I'll. ^. .■.II. I lii.i l.-ss clearly de- 



fi ill ' ; III 1 1.. w forms have 



duct'd in LSI"'.. Although Cosmos has been vastly im- 

 proved within the last five years, it still leaves much to 

 be desired and offers amost promising field to the plant- 

 breeder. The twosp.-.-i.s aiv still t.... late in c.iuiiig into 



bloom and too tall nm! i.iIk I- iI mi- i.i tl,. n imlut ..f 

 growth.but the si-;i~.ii i '- ii.,i:'- i|,i -i i , :, n ith 



dwarfer forms coijtii ! i i, i i - i . . . s- 



sary to be pat 



Til- . 



slightest fr..-i kill- ' 

 new strains ;.r.- -i.i.l i 

 At first CosiiL.s 11... 

 The best varieti. - ■ 

 times reach 4 an.l 

 Pure white flower- . i 

 wild, but some of th.. 

 The group is totally I. 

 Interesting to try for 



y if ever found 

 . .1 1, ties are nearly pure. 

 1. light reds. It would be 

 of red by crossing with 

 the dark "blood'- red C. diversifolius (known as the 

 Black Cosmos. Dahlia Zimapani and Bidens atrosan- 

 tfititw(t). wliii-Ii. however, would be a somewhat violent 

 ',-n,--, a- iliiii I - ,. ].. V -i.m iii^. . i.iiv-rtowering, tuberous- 

 1-1 n I III . I II- is closely related to 



III 1,1, ,: II I — li.i first two being of 



i^r.i.i LMr.l.ii ini|i.ii'iaii.'. iiii.ttli.' Iiitter, though weedy, 

 having possibilities. The rays of Cosmos bipiniiatits are 

 typically obcordate in outline, narrow at the base, broad 

 at the apex and with three strongly marked teeth, which, 

 as in Coreopsis, are a great part of the chnractoristic 

 beauty of the flower. In the wild sincl.- Iv.ibli.i tln-se 



teeth are so short that they serve "n I ''• -mii- 



metry of outline, and in the highl.r. mii- 



ties of single Dahlias these teeth ar. i i n..t 



wholly obliterated. This will perha].- h.n .i liiiiii.ii to 

 the Cosmos, at least in America. On the contrary, the 

 rays of the Cosmos sometimes have an extra number of 

 teeth, often 6 or 7 altogether, and the effect 



iuorgia. In the east, for best results 

 to sow seed indoors in April and 

 IS soon as danger of frost is past, 

 l.'ii giiiuiid often fails to produce 



III. Ml I ii.iiii.s before frost. The 

 ; I .U'S, but some of the 



I I I 1. ^rree or two of frost. 



inches, and some 



A cultivated form. The rays of wild 

 flowers have only three teeth and 

 they r ' '' 



luch more pronounced. 



