TEN] AMONG THE FLOWERS 
foremost the phloxes. I do not refer to the very in- 
ferior sorts which are so common in the country, 
but to those gorgeous varieties which are being 
propagated and slowly disseminated. I have been 
able, by selection, to secure from my own seedlings 
an array that is the glory of my grounds for three 
months. Some varieties begin to open by the first 
of July; others are not expanded until late in Sep- 
tember. Obtain a few choice seeds, resolutely 
throwing away the poorer results, and you are quite 
certain of securing something that will be exceed- 
ingly valuable. Take my word for it that you will 
have a display which, for beauty and sweetness, will 
rival roses. 
If the gladiolus were perfume-giving, it would be 
the ideal flower for country cottages. By planting 
in succession, from April till June, you can have 
blossoms from July till November. It multiplies free- 
ly, and will generally prove hardy in the soil through 
winter. Some of the varieties, hybrids of ramosus, 
need never be lifted except to divide the roots. In 
fact, I am not sure but that some of the most mag- 
nificent sorts will get to be a nuisance simply from 
their persistence, hardiness, and rapid increase. 
Standing erect, the gladiolus needs only a few inches 
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