THE FLORAL IVORLD 



11 



around the edge, makes a very striking 

 appearance. The first time I planted 

 gladiolus bulbs I did not plant them 

 deep enough, so that after a few hard 

 summer showers, the ground being 

 rather elevated, I found several of my 

 choice bulbs washed out. 



The bulbs increase very rapidly, I 

 always find, on digging mine in the 

 fall, at least thrice as many as I 

 planted. I plant about the first of 

 May. In warmer latitudes they can be 

 planted in April. They are also easy 

 to keep over; they never rot. Pack 

 in sand, free from frost. 



Iowa. Mrs. L. O. Whitaker. 



SUCCESS WITH CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



Many amateurs having failed at first 

 with Chrysanthemums, think these 

 flowers can be raised only by the man 

 with a greenhouse. This is a mistake. 

 For several years I have had no trou- 

 ble in raising fine blooms six to eight 

 inches in diameter. Get well-rooted 

 plants the last of April or first of May. 

 Put into four-inch pots. The first of 

 June transfer to pots where they are 

 to bloom. For bush plants use eight- 

 inch pots. When plants are four or 

 five inches high, pinch out the tops to 

 make them branch. When branches 

 are three or four inches long, pinch 

 again, and so on till the first of Au- 

 gust, after which allow branches to 

 grow, pinching off buds until there is 

 fcut one bud left to develop on each 

 branch. When single stems are de- 

 sired, transfer to six-inch pots, take off 

 side shoots and allow one bud to de- 

 velop on a plant. A good potting soil 

 is made of one-half black muck, one- 

 fourth sandy loam and one-fourth well 

 rotted manure thoroughly mixed. A 

 good place to grow them is on a plat- 

 form on the east side of a building. 



Michigan. Timmerman. 



THINGS TO DO IN APRIL. 



There will be plenty of work for the 

 amateur gardener this month. We 



must get ready for active operations 

 which May will usher in, and should 

 bear in mind that a thorough prepara- 

 tion for important work is quite essen- 

 tial to success. As soon as frost is out 

 of the ground, sow sweet peas, the 

 sooner the better. See that the hotbed 

 is ready for the sowing of annuals, 

 such as verbena, vinca, salvia, pansy, 

 petunia, coxcomb, etc. — any hard seed 

 that requires steady heat. 



Young gardeners are anxious to un- 

 cover the bulb bed as soon as the snow 

 is gone. But make haste slowly, and 

 do not remove the covering until dan- 

 ger of severe frost is over. Roses and 

 all other tender shrubs should not be 

 uncovered until we are reasonably 

 sure of settled weather. If hardy bor- 

 der plants were not divided and reset 

 in fall, this work can be done now. 

 Clean up about the yard and have 

 everything that is connected with the 

 garden in apple-pie order. 



Indiana, • Mrs. R. A. Houk. 



A great deal of planting can be done 

 in April. The gladiolus, the queen of 

 the summer bulbs, can be planted by 

 the 15th of April. In preparing the 

 beds I prefer the low ones on the level 

 with the surrounding surface, as the 

 raised beds dry out so quickly. This 

 will grow in any good soil, but the 

 flowers will be so much larger and 

 more brilliantly colored that it will 

 pay to give a very rich soil and plenty 

 of water. The dahlia can also be 

 planted by the 15th of this month. 

 In preparing the bed, have a hole dug 

 to the depth of tnree feet, the old soil 

 taken out and then filled up with alter- 

 nate layers of old, well-rotted manure, 

 very rich earth and common garden 

 soil. Last year I gave mine a partially 

 shaded place under a tree, and they 

 stood the drought and bloomed sc> 

 much better during the hot summer 

 months. Divide tubers when planting,. 



