Making Cosmos Bloom Early - By u. R. Perrine, 



Michigan 



EACH year I "specialize" on some one 

 thing in my garden — that is one 

 of my hobbies. Last summer, in following 

 out this idea, my garden was ablaze with 

 cosmos. As early flowering is sought 

 by all who grow this flower my experience 

 may be of some help to others. 



I sowed the seed the first week in March 

 and as I had a very hot hotbed some of 

 the plants started to run up. About the 

 first of April I cut the tops off the tallest 

 ones and set them in the same bed. In an 

 incredibly short time these slips were 

 finely rooted, and the third day of June 

 I picked my first blossom from one of these 

 slip plants. 



Another way to have early-blooming 

 cosmos is to move the plants into 6-inch 

 pots about June ist or earlier, let them 

 become pot-bound and set them out in 

 the open in July. Put the plants not less 

 than eighteen inches apart in rows, or else 

 mass them. 



The tops of the plants should be pinched 

 out at an early age — say, when about a 

 foot high — and again in the fall. This in- 

 duces a bushy growth. By very careful 



disbudding of all but one bud on a branch 

 larger and earlier flowers may result. 



I had thought the cosmos immune from 

 insect pests but the dahlia bug infested 

 my field. Cosmos should be planted on 

 rich, moist land and mulched heavily — 

 buckwheat hulls are ideal for this purpose. 



Lady Lenox is undoubtedly the finest 

 cosmos but I secured a break in the type, 

 a variety having beautifully fimbriated 

 petals and extra large blooms. Pink 

 Butterfly is the next best pink. And 

 Early Dawn is worthy of a place in every 

 collection. 



Among the white kinds the varieties 

 most pleasing to me were White Pond Lily 

 and Marguerite; also Titania,a semi-double. 



The Giant Crimson Saucer is easily 

 the best of the crimson kinds. It is per- 

 haps really one of the California Giants, 

 superb in foliage and bloom. 



Among the early-blooming mixtures the 

 Woodside Early cosmos takes first place. 

 Early Dwarfs are little gems and the 

 Dwarf White Prolific bloomed contin- 

 uously through five months. 



The only yellow variety of my acquaint- 



ance is Klondyke, and it is very slow to 

 bloom. 



In new shades I secured these kinds: 

 A very delicate pink at the edge of petals 

 changing to white in the centre; the 

 reverse — pink centre fading to white 

 border; pink, except a touch of bright 

 crimson at base of petals; white, flaked 

 with pink; crimson, semi-double; white, 

 semi-double; dark maroon-crimson. There 

 was a notable absence of the washy 

 colors which first characterized the genus. 



In a commercial way flowers should be 

 picked when the bud is first opening and 

 placed in a vase of water till wanted for 

 shipment. Only one flower should be 

 allowed to each stem, which should be 

 stripped of the foliage for at least two- 

 thirds its length, the stems being cut two 

 feet long, or over. Use pruning shears to 

 cut with, and gloves should be used to 

 strip the leaves as the juices stain deeply. 

 When placed in water as the bud is open- 

 ing the petals continue to grow. I have 

 kept bouquets for fully two weeks in a 

 cool place, and the flowers looked as fresh 

 at the end of that time as when first picked. 



As a cut flower the cosmos is particularly satisfactory; it lasts a long time in water and the petals continue to grow if the young flowers are gathered. 



Lady Lenox, a beautiful shade of pink, the finest modern variety, is shown here 



86 



