FLORICULTURE 
latter differ greatly.in shape, as well as 
in size; some are plain green, while 
others are oddly marbled and blotched 
with white or yellow. The colors and 
markings of the flowers vary from pure 
white to rose, crimson, and carmine 
through blues and purples of every shade 
to almost black. There are velvety 
single self-colors, a few doubles and semi- 
doubles, others with quilled or feathered 
petals, many fancifully bordered, blotch- 
ed, striped, penciled, and marbled— 
hardly any two plants from a seed pack- 
et seeming alike. The vines are vigorous, 
growing rapidly to a height of 30 or 40 
feet. In sowing or planting they should 
be allowed about twice as much space 
as the ordinary morning glory, and in 
the open should not be sown quite as 
early in the year, 
Moonflower 
Ipomoea bona-nox 
The moonflowers are the most vigor- 
ous in growth of any subdivisions of the 
genus included in the above list. The 
leaves are large, frequently five or six 
inches across, and the large white flow- 
ers, which open soon after sundown, are 
frequently four to six inches across. 
These plants with good soil conditions 
and plenty of moisture will make a 
growth of from 40 to 50 feet during the 
season. 
Nasturtiums 
A wide range of colors has been de- 
veloped in this favorite flower, the nas- 
turtium, which for three or four months 
of the season makes a better display than 
almost any other plant. No other annual 
will produce such a profusion of flowers 
for so long a time with the same outlay 
of time and labor. The maximum of 
bloom is produced on thin soils, and 
the plant never flags through the hot- 
test weather; in fact, too much rain or 
moisture greatly reduces the supply of 
flowers. In soils too rich the leaves pre- 
dominate and the plants are apt to rot off 
in wet weather, especially if standing too 
close. The seeds should be planted an 
inch deep, and the seedlings thinned to 
10 or 12 inches apart. The rows for bed- 
995 
ding varieties should not be less than a 
foot apart, and for tall varieties four 
feet. 
Dwarf or Tom Thumb Nasturtiums 
Tropacolum Minus 
These plants have a neat, compact habit 
of growth and attractive foliage, and are 
not infested by insects. Blossoms appear 
in two months from the date of seed sow- 
ing, and continue throughout the whole 
season. A bed of dwarf nasturtiums in 
full bloom is a sea of color. It is said 
that a good bed, 6 by 20 feet in size, 
will yield about 1,000 flowers per day. 
The average height of the dwarf variety 
is nine inches. 
Tall or Climbing Nasturtiums 
Tropaecolum majus 
Besides their ordinary garden use for 
trailing over fences, trellises, stone walls, 
etc., the climbing nasturtiums can also 
be grown as pot plants for winter-flower- 
ing as screens, or as trailers for hang- 
ing baskets and vases. Sow plenty of 
seed in drills, and thin to six inches 
apart in the row. Like the dwarf forms, 
these plants bloom most quickly and pro- 
fusely in poor soil. Their flowers are 
usually a little larger than those of the 
dwarf sorts. The average height of the 
plant is five feet. 
Nemophila 
The representatives of the genus Nemo- 
phila are dwarf, compact growing, hardy, 
annual herbs, which produce an abun- 
dance of showy bell-shaped flowers from 
early spring to late autumn, for which 
reason they are esteemed for borders and 
for bedding purposes. All the species 
may be propagated from seed. If the 
seeds are sown in the open about the 
middle of August and then transplanted 
in Jate autumn very early flowers may 
be obtained. For summer and late fall 
blooms the seed may be sown in the open 
in April and not transplanted. The nem- 
ophilas love a moist loam, with partial 
shade, and produce an abundance of 
showy flowers, which are very valuable 
for bedding and for cut flowers. The 
whole plant is more or less hairy. 
