June, 190 9 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



297 



Gladioli for June Planting 



FORTUNATELY the gladiolus can be 

 safely planted until the middle of 

 June or even the first of July, and since 

 the bulbs are so cheap it is an excellent plan 

 to make two plantings of gladioli in May 

 and two in June in order to secure an un- 

 broken succession through August and 

 September. 



Another excellent idea is to use June- 

 planted gladioli in beds of spring-blooming 

 flowers which would otherwise be unattrac- 

 tive all summer. For example, after your 

 larkspurs have bloomed you should cut them 

 back in order to get the autumn bloom, and 

 plant gladioli between the larkspurs for 

 August flowers. Thus your larkspur bed 

 will have gladiolus flowers. in it during the 

 month of August and the thinness of the 

 gladiolus foliage will be hidden by the 

 dense, basal leaves of the larkspurs. 



A few enthusiasts will not admit into 

 the hardy border any plant that is not 

 entirely hardy, but there can be no objection 

 to using gladioli in this way in formal gar- 

 dens and in flower beds. 



To avoid staking, plant bulbs six inches 

 deep in well-prepared soil. This will produce 

 stems so stout that no staking will be 

 required. 



New Jersey. Thomas McAdam. 



Plant gladiolus any time in June for late flowers 

 during August and September 



Carnations and Roses for Cut 

 Flowers 



CARNATIONS are by far the best 

 flowers for the beginner in commer- 

 cial horticulture, because they can usually 

 be sold at a remunerative figure even if not 

 strictly first class, whereas roses and chry- 

 santhemums must be really well grown to 

 find anything like a reasonable sale. But 

 when these last are first-class, they will be 

 worth much more than carnations. 



Then again, the beginner will master the 

 elements of carnation culture much more 

 quickly than he will rose growing, and the 

 plants are practically sure to give a crop of 

 flowers. A night temperature of from 45 

 to 55 degrees will be satisfactory for carna- 

 tions, but roses will need a range of from 

 55 to 60 degrees. It is better to devote the 

 entire house to one variety, but the grower 

 should not restrict himself to one variety as 

 the demand is always for several colors. 



Color has a great deal to do with the 

 •selling value of a flower — more than the 

 uninitiated will imagine — and in the New 

 York market the demand is chiefly for pink 

 and white, then crimson, and at the holiday 

 season, scarlet. Variegated kinds are not in 

 great demand at any time, although there is 

 always a slight consumption. 



As to varieties, the following are good: In 

 dark pink, Mrs. Thomas W. Lawson is the 

 best and does well in a temperature of from 

 52 to 55 degrees. Enchantress, which suc- 

 ceeds in a temperature of 48 to 52 degrees, 

 is by far the best light pink and is always a 

 ready seller. Of the newer pinks, Winsor 

 seems to be a favorite, the color being unique 

 and readily harmonizing with any scheme 

 of decoration. It is a very productive, 

 vigorous, and healthy variety. 



White Lawson is an excellent variety, as 

 is also Boston Market, the latter being very 

 free and healthy, requiring 48 to 50 degrees 

 temperature; but while it -will be profitable 

 to use the flowers for home decoration, for 

 general display, or for florists' made-up work, 

 they do not command the wholesale price that 

 usually prevails because they are under-sized. 

 White Enchantress resembles its colored 

 parent in every respect except color, and will 

 probably be the standard white carnation 

 for some time to come. Harlowarden is 

 still the best crimson for all purposes and can 

 be successfully grown at 50 degrees. Victory 

 is a most popular scarlet for commercial 

 work, being free, vigorous and an excellent 

 keeper. A temperature of 50 to 52 degrees 



suits it admirably. In the variegated class, 

 Mrs. M. A. Patten is still the favorite. 



Do not attempt to grow carnations and 

 roses in the same house unless it is divided 

 by a partition, so that the warmer end can 

 be used for roses; but as already stated, 

 roses require more skilful handling than 

 carnations. The most profitable varieties 

 to grow are: In white, Bride and Golden 

 Gate; in pink, Bridesmaid and Killarney; 

 in yellow, Perle des Jardins; and in scarlet, 

 Richmond. These varieties require a night 

 temperature of from 55 to 58 degrees, ex- 

 cepting Perle des Jardins, which should 

 have two or three degrees higher. Plant 

 it in the warmest bench in the house. There 

 are many other varieties, such as American 

 Beauty (red), President Carnot (pink), 

 and Kaiserin Augusta Victoria (white), 

 that are grown successfully and profitably 

 by experienced growers, but they ought not 

 to be attempted by any mere beginner. 



Outdoor roses are usually not at all profit- 

 able as cut flowers, but if there is any local 

 demand for such, confine your attention to 

 the tea and hybrid tea sections, showing such 

 varieties as Maman Cochet, pink and white; 

 George Nabonnand, pinkish white; Gruss 

 an Teplitz, crimson; Hermosa, Killarney, 

 President Carnot, Belle Siebrecht, pink; 

 and Kaiserin Augusta Victoria, white. 

 These varieties bloom more or less during 

 the entire season. 



New York. J. T. Scott. 



Eating the Fire Bean 



THE scarlet runner bean, on account of 

 its gay blossoms and decorative 

 value, has many enthusiastic admirers. I 

 had grown it solely on this account for a 

 long time before I realized that it could be 

 used as a vegetable, and a most delicious 

 one at that. It is one of the easiest vines to 

 grow; I have tried it in Washington, Colorado, 

 New Jersey, and other states, in widely varying 

 conditions and soils, and have always been 

 successful in its cultivation. If planted 

 against a fence it does not require support. 



The beans are produced in clusters and 

 can be gathered without stooping. The 

 pods are rough to the touch, but cooking 

 eliminates this quality and brings out a 

 sweetness quite different from, and superior 

 to, that of the well-known butter bean. The 

 pods must be gathered when young and 

 tender, for they will become stringy when 

 allowed to remain on the vines for too long 

 a time. The beans mature about the same 

 time the first crop of string beans finishes, 

 but the vine keeps on blooming and bearing 

 till frost kills it. 



The preparation of this vegetable for the 

 table is very simple. Remove the ends and 

 strings, if there are any, and cut up the pod 

 in small slices. Some cooks split them 

 lengthwise. Cook in salted boiling water 

 an hour or two, and before serving dress 

 with butter, pepper and salt or a cream 

 sauce. They are equally as good as other 

 beans in a vegetable salad, and if I can 

 get them I use them in preference to any 

 other in mixed mustard pickle. 



New Jersey. Laura B. Carpenter. 



