146 THE GOLD MINE 



plants begin to come np. Then take the cloth off at 

 night, and water carefnlly with the sprinkler, care 

 being taken to keep the screen on. I lost abont 50,000 

 at one time by taking off the screen. The sun burned 

 them up. It is as well to get the plants. They can 

 be sent by mail. Get good one-year-old roots, and 

 some of them will bloom the next year. The best time 

 to plant is in the fall. If you cannot do this, plant 

 early in the spring. A gentleman visiting our place 

 from Illinois said that he had plants bloom twenty-five 

 years in succession without any covering; but I think 

 it is well to throw some coarse litter over them. After 

 they bloom in June, the tops seem to droop and then 

 die, and 3'ou might think the whole thing dead, root and 

 all; but they are only going into a dormant condition 

 for rest after producing those enormous flowers which 

 seem to exhaust them. But about the first of Septem- 

 ber they begin to revive and send up new leaves and 

 the roots put on new vigor for the next summer's work. 



They bloom with the Paeonies. The individual flow- 

 ers last but a few days ; but if you have a good sized bed 

 of them, there will be a succession of .flowers for weeks. 



Of recent years there has been great improvement 

 in them. The Orientale is bright scarlet. The Brac- 

 teatum is deep crimson, and with a double set of leaves 

 — a grand and stately flower. There are sometimes 

 sports or variations; for instance, last summer I found 

 one of salmon color, which I am saving with great 

 care. Silver Queen is silver blush. Pilosum is pale 



