180 GARDENING FOR YOUNG AND OLD. 



ally the choicest varieties, will stand high manuring; true, 

 you can grow it on any ordinary garden soil, but it will 

 repay all the labor bestowed in enriching and mellowing 

 the land. The mistake most people make, is in planting 

 too thick. On good land, twelve to fifteen inches apart 

 each way is close enough. 



The varieties are so numerous that it is hard to say 

 which are the best. For my part, I want one pure 

 white and one brilliant scarlet. For anything more 

 than this I should be willing to trust to good seed of 

 mixed varieties, from some trustworthy seed-grower. 



THE POPPY. 



The old-fashioned Poppy, extensively grown for the 

 production of opium, is a hardy, vigorous-growing an- 

 nual, with a white, single flower. We have, however, a 

 number of beautiful varieties, with double flowers of all 

 shades of color. We have also dwarf and tall varieties. 



The Poppy is not transplanted readily, and it must 

 be sown in the garden where it is intended to remain. 

 Select the warmest and driest soil, make it fine and mel- 

 low, and sow the seed as early in the spring as the 

 weather will permit, or about the time you plant corn. 



The large Pseony-fiowered Poppy has double flowers of 

 great size and beauty. Thin out the plants to at least 

 a foot apart. The small double Eanunculus-flowered 

 varieties may be sown in rows about a foot apart, and 

 thinned out to seven inches apart in the row. 



If you wish to experiment in growing flowers for opium, 

 sow in rows not less than fifteen inches apart, and thin 

 out the plants to a sufficient distance to admit of the use 

 of the hoe. For this purpose, the best variety is the 

 single Papaver somniferum, or Opium Poppy. The time 

 may come when the Poppy will be very extensively grown 

 here for opium. 



