THE FLORAL IVORLTD 



13 



keep the atmosphere moist. Neglect 

 of these points will make success 

 doubtful. 



Easter lilies like the cool, moist at- 

 mosphere of spring, and this we must 

 try to produce in an artificial way, and 

 as the strong perennial roots which 

 support the bulbs are destroyed, much 

 of the substance is taken in repro- 

 ducing them after the bulbs are first 

 potted, so they require a little more 

 care at first. 



After blooming, keep them growing 

 until they turn yellow, or it is safe to 

 set the plants out, then plunge the pots 

 in some corner of the garden, where 

 the bulbs will ripen and remain dor- 

 mant. 



Before growth begins, take the pots 

 up, remove all the soil you can without 

 disturbing the roots, repot in same pot 

 with rich soil as in the beginning, and 

 the bulbs are ready for service again. 



Nebraska. Mrs. O. H. Hereford. 



A FLORAL GOOD SAMARITAN. 



Here, as we stand almost at the door 

 of another year, let us one and all 

 agree to raise more flowers than we 

 did last year, for the benefit of those 

 who have not the time, or, worse yet, 

 the ones — if there be any such in your 

 town — that always greet us with thfe 

 remark: "If I could only afford it, I 

 would raise flowers." Any woman, for 

 the price of a calico wrapper, can get 

 enough wire netting to enclose a small 

 space even m the midst of chickens, 

 where she can for a small sum raise a 

 splendid collection of ever-blooming 

 fragrant beauties. 



Also, let each one of us make some 

 one a present of this dear little Floral 

 World for a year, that we may help 

 at least one poor soul along a flowery 

 path. Let us select those whom we 

 know cannot afford such things as 

 they desire. Then let us find out se- 

 cretly their favorite flower, and if they 

 are not able to buy it, let us make 



them a present of a plant or some 

 seeds, whichever the case may be. I 

 have made it a rule for many years to 

 give away at least a dollar's worth of 

 seeds to little children to plant for 

 themselves. 

 Iowa. Mrs. L. C. Whitaker. 



A PLEA FOR THE OLD-FASHIONED GAR- 

 DEN. 



In our modern haste and eagerness 

 for something new, have we not al- 

 most forgotten the dear old flower gar- 

 dens of our grandmothers' time? 



What showy beds now on the hand- 

 some lawns, filled with beautiful and 

 rare plants, can compare with some of 

 the quaint, charming, old-time gar- 

 dens? Most of us remember, some- 

 where, £uch a pleasing old garden, 

 with the walks straight and clean; the 

 beds neatly bordered with clove pinks, 

 candytuft, and cowslips, and odorous 

 with rows of herbs and sweet, old- 

 fashioned flowers that seemed to share 

 their gardener's pride that not one 

 weed flourished inside the enclosing 

 picket fence — a spot where love and 

 labor blossomed into beauty. 



There is one such garden where I de- 

 light to walk. The dear gardener no 

 longer toils there, but its neglected 

 tangle is still beautiful to me; the 

 sweet odors are not all of the flowers 

 that grow there now — some of the fra- 

 grance has lingered, through all these 

 long years, of the blossoms my grand- 

 mother made grow and bloom with her 

 own loving hands. 



Let us plant more of these gardens 

 and cultivate in them stately rows of 

 hollyhocks, lilies and larkspurs; beds 

 of foxglove, asters, sturdy marigolds, 

 gay poppies, blue chickory, golden 

 daffodils, roses, verbenas, nastur- 

 tiums, scented pinks, lavender, mint, 

 peonies and sweet peas of every color, 

 these precious blossoms know how to 

 paint themselves. 



Ohio. Margaret Truesdale. 



