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THE FLORAL IVORLD 



PROTECTING THE LILY BED. 



Many of our most beautiful lilies 

 that are considered hardy often make 

 their advent in the world before their 

 time, and for their rashness require 

 extra care to prevent their being fro- 

 zen or frosted. 



When first up, before any leaves 

 show, they can be easily protected by 

 a few evergreen boughs. When once 

 above ground they grow very rapidly, 

 and it is very hard to protect them 

 without breaking the tops. I have a 

 skeleton frame made to fit the lily bed. 

 and about three feet high. I place this 

 around the bed, lay a few slats over 

 the top, put on old covers and carpets, 

 and tuck in tightly at the bottom. 

 This frame is easily put on and off and 

 can be placed out of sight when not in 

 use. Longiflorum seems very tender 

 at the start, and if not protected from 

 frost, we see nothing of the chaste 

 purity of the long trumpet flowers. 



Kentucky. Laura Jones. 



DAHLIAS FROM SEED. 



I should advise all who have never 

 tried raising dahlias from seed to try 

 some this season. Last year I pro- 

 cured a packet of seed, paying fifteen 

 cents, and received twenty-eight fine 

 dahlias of almost every color. They 

 are so hardy. I started my seed in 

 March, the very last part, as they 

 grow very fast. I found a box, put a 

 good layer of charcoal in the bottom 

 and mixed a little common garden soil, 

 tolerably rich, and just enough sand 

 to keep the soil moist and not hard or 

 packed, making small rows with my 

 finger. I dropped the seed about two 

 inches apart, and then covered them. 

 They came up quickly. When they 

 were three or four inches high I pre- 

 pared my bed, dug out the soil about 

 fifteen inches and put in about six or 

 eight inches of well-rotted manure, and 



then filled in the remaining space with 

 good, rich soil and transplanted the 

 seedlings. 

 Missouri. Miss Inza Guthrie. 



CULTURE OF SWEET PEAS. 



Last summer I had a row of sweet 

 peas that were the admiration of all 

 who saw them. They grew six feet 

 high, and every day I picked great 

 bunches of lovely blossoms. I will 

 give you my method of culture. As 

 early in the spring as the ground can 

 be worked, erect a neat wire trellis the 

 length you wish your sweet pea row. 

 Dig a trench eighteen inches deep and 

 six inches wide both sides of the wire 

 trellis. Carry the earth away. You 

 will not need it to refill the trench. 

 Cover the bottom of the trench about 

 two inches deep with ashes (coal) to 

 retain moisture, and cover with six 

 inches of good fresh stable manure. 

 Saturate all with several pails of 

 water. Then cover with three or four 

 inches of good rich soil, leaving the 

 trench still six inches deep. Plant 

 your peas as near the wire as possible. 

 Plant thickly, but see that there is 

 some space between the peas. Cover 

 with one inch of soil and press firmly. 

 Sprinkle the soil sufiiciently to swell 

 the peas, but be careful not to rot 

 them with too much water, especially 

 if the weather is still cold. 



As the peas grow, keep filling in the 

 trench until it is almost level; leaving 

 a slight depression to retain water. 

 Watch every day for green lice and 

 use tobacco dust if you discover any. 

 Never allow the vines to become dry 

 after they begin to blossom. Use your 

 soapy wash water, but not greasy dish 

 water. Pick the blossoms every day, 

 avoiding the buds that will furnish 

 blossoms for the next day. Never al- 

 low a seed pod or a faded blossom to 

 stay on the vines, as it will sap the vi- 

 tality of the vines. 



Conn. Mrs. W. A. Hinckley, 



