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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



June, 1909 



An Experiment in Taming Trollius 



IF, AS is stated in a well known catalogue, "the 

 globe flower (Trollius) succeeds admirably in 

 the border in a half shady position in well drained 

 preferably light soil," I should like to know what 

 inducements to offer to make them do so. Judging 

 from an experience of three seasons, in which I 

 failed most miserably in two, I should say offhand 

 that the trollius would flourish more luxuriantly 

 as a next-door neighbor to its cousin, the marsh 

 marigold, than as an inhabitant of a light, well- 

 drained soil. 



Having such a soil in my garden, which is de- 

 voted entirely to perennials and bulbs, and being 

 an admirer of yellow posies, the trollius, from its 

 description, appeared to be just what I wanted. 

 A reproduction of a photograph of a bed of globe 

 flowers, printed in an English magazine, settled 

 the question, and three years ago I ordered the 

 plants — five varieties. 



Having no exact cultural directions, I planted 

 them in full sunlight as the photograph I had 

 admired showed a mass of bloom on an open lawn 

 — in England, however. They were strong, 

 thrifty plants and grew splendidly through May, 

 showing a lot of plump buds. A. hot spell set in, 

 and before I had noticed, the trollius patch was a 

 wreck. The buds had blasted, the leaves had 

 turned yellow and only one plant looked as if it 

 had the courage to prolong the struggle. 



This was moved to a shady corner and watered 

 freely, but it refused to grow holding up two pitiful 

 looking leaves for nearly a month, and then they 

 disappeared. I marked the place where it was 

 planted and the following year one lone trollius 

 appeared early in the spring, formed a healthy 

 clump, but gave no blossoms. 



Last spring it threw up four flower stalks and 

 made a fine display of over fifty blossoms, from 

 which I gathered a goodly supply of seed and 

 sowed it at once. A severe drought began in 

 July and lasted all summer, our water supply was 

 cut off, and the trollius plant died. The seed did 

 not germinate; I have since learned that, like 

 many of its relatives, it seldom germinates until 

 the following spring. Therefore, as the seed bed 

 was undisturbed, I look forward to the appearance 

 of a fine assortment of seedlings. 



We had a wet summer year before last and a 

 cold, wet spring until well into May last year, so 

 that the inference seems plain that globe flowers 

 need a copious supply of water at all times and a 

 soil which will retain moisture. If the soil is light 

 and well drained the plants must be watered 

 constantly to grow at all. 



Three years ago I also arranged a perennial 

 border in the light of the inspiration obtained 

 from Mr. William Robinson, J. Wilkinson Elliott, 

 and other highly esteemed writers on gardening 

 subjects, who have given us plans for such borders 

 containing irregular spots marked " Helianthus 

 rigidus." "Helianthus Miss Mellish," "Wolley 

 Dod," or any other traveling member of the sun- 

 flower tribe. In my border harmonious color 

 schemes, continuous performances during the sea- 

 son, gradations of height and other essentials were 



duly considered, but those pesky sunflowers upset 

 all my plans. 



A single plant of Helianthus rigidus took entire 

 possession in two years of over ten square feet, 

 and overwhelmed and killed a Japanese barberry. 

 "Miss Mellish" buried some beautiful hollyhocks, 

 and I am still pursuing sunflowers! 



However, there are two single varieties which 

 are well worth growing — Miss Mellish and 

 Wolley Dod, whose blossoms have a distinct 

 beauty and are excellent for cutting. Get two 

 plants of each, and then muzzle them and nail 

 them down! Sink a box three feet square around 

 each variety so that the runners can occupy only 

 a limited space. Each spring allow ten or twelve 

 sprouts to grow, but don't let them roam at large 

 or they will steal the border. 



Maximillian's sunflower is worth growing in 

 the garden for its foliage alone. It blossoms in 

 October and November with pompon chrysanthe- 

 mums, and does not spread like the other two 

 varieties. Helianthus rigidus is nothing more 

 than a pest — it is a dazzling display when in 

 bloom, but will use up the soil and overwhelm 

 the entire plantation. 



From this experience my advice is to muzzle, 

 hopple, and bind sunflowers if they are planted in 

 a border where the space is at all limited. 



Illinois. Sherman R. Duffy. 



Killing the Weeds 



ONE of the most effective weed killers is sul- 

 phuric acid, or oil of vitriol, as it is sometimes 

 called. It is a corrosive poison, and extreme 

 care must always be exercised in its application. • 

 Dilute the commercial acid with four or five 

 times its bulk of water, and be sure to pour the 

 acid into the water. Considerable heat is generated 

 by the mixture of the acid and water, and if the 

 water were poured into the acid it might spatter 

 and cause serious burns. If any of the liquid 

 should come in contact with the flesh or clothing, 

 use immediately strong ammonia to neutralize it. 



Mix in glass vessels or a stone jug, as the acid 

 corrodes metals. Give the weeds a good wetting 

 with the solution, and even the roots will be killed. 



The same solution, applied with a swab or old 

 mop to poultry houses, will disinfect the building 

 and destroy vermin. 



Maryland. G. G. S. 



Cultivating 



CULTIVATION is looked upon by beginners 

 simply as a means of destroying weeds 

 but this is only an incidental benefit. Of two 

 rows of plants in the same soil, the uncultivated 

 row will not make as good a growth as the culti- 

 vated one. Cultivation aerates the soil, thus 

 assisting the chemical action necessary to liberate 

 plant food. It also provides a dust mulch that 

 prevents the evaporation of the water necessary 

 for dissolving this food which acts as a medium 

 for supplying it. The benefits of good cultivation 

 are especially noticeable during a drought. The 

 water pot and garden hose, as commonly used, 

 merely dampen the surface, so that a crust forms 

 and the next day's sunshine takes up more water 

 than half a dozen sprinklings supply. 



Dig or plow deeply in the early spring, pulverize 

 the soil well and thoroughly mix the fertilizer 

 with it. Continue the thorough pulverizing of 



Keeping the surface of the soil always loose does 

 more than destroy -weeds; it aerates the soil and 

 conserves moisture 



the surface throughout the season. A mere 

 scratching of the surface is not cultivation. After 

 every rainfall, as soon as the soil has dried suffi- 

 ciently to work without sticking to polished tools 

 and when it crumbles readily under their use, go 

 through the whole garden, loosen and pulverize 

 it to the depth of at least two inches — three if 

 possible. Then the water held by the soil will not 

 be evaporated by the sun, and the weeds which 

 start afresh after each rain will be disturbed, 

 displaced and killed. A wheel hoe is the most 

 rapid working tool that can be used, and will 

 quickly repay its cost in time saved and work 

 better done. The next best is a first-class scuffle 

 hoe. 



Do not go through the garden with a hand hoe 

 and draw earth up to the plants. "Hilling" as 

 it is called, is a waste of labor. If you must do 

 it, try a landside plow attached to a wheel hoe, 

 but frequent, thorough, level cultivation gives 

 best results with less labor. 



Penna. J. L. K. 



Using Up the Rose Petals 



THE best method of making a rose jar is to 

 put the petals, which have been taken as 

 soon as possible after the flowers are fully open, 

 in a basket or very thin and open cloth sack. Hang 

 it in the shade in the fresh air so that the petals 

 will thoroughly dry 



Directions for making a rose jar almost always 

 advise sprinkling the leaves with salt, but this 

 reduces them to a moist, mussy, and often moldy 

 mess. 



After the leaves have dried beyond the possibility 

 of molding, to every two quarts of petals add the 

 following combination: A few sprigs of lavender, 

 or four drops oil of lavender, one or two drops of 

 Bergamot, and five drops of attar of rose. Sachet 

 powder may also be added, heliotrope being found 

 to give the most satisfactory results. But be sure 

 to keep whatever combination of perfumes is 

 added subordinate to the rose odor. In order to 

 do this the attar of rose must be the most pro- 

 nounced perfume. 



New York. A. G. 



Aloes as a Spray 



FOR the protection of squash, pumpkin, cu- 

 cumber, and egg-plant against insect pests, 

 try spraying with a solution of one-half pound of 

 aloes to ten quarts of water. It was recommended 

 to me for use when the plants were very small, 

 but I also used the preparation later in the season 

 when the striped beetle was threatening the large 

 plants. One application was enough to destroy 

 all traces of the bugs. 



Connecticut. S. B. S. 



