'2 



THE FLORAL lVORLT> 



January number "Suggestions for Odd 

 Corners" and "Protecting the Lily- 

 Bed" was of much interest to me. 

 ^'An Open Secret" in the April num- 

 l)er was another article worth a year's 

 subscription. I have already tried it 

 on my tea roses successfully. Then 

 in the May number the use of glue 

 in calla culture was new to me. I 

 shall try it this fall. These are not 

 all, but just a few of the good things 

 I found, so you see with half a dozen 

 others there was still room for a new 

 magazine. 



Ohio. Annice Bodey Calland. 



DAHLIAS FROM SEED. 



tall and began to bloom. There were 

 many blossoms three and four inches 

 across and double to the center. By 

 the last of September about every 

 plant was in blossom and there were 

 some a pure frosty white, some pink, 

 yellow, chocolate brown, crimson, 

 scarlet and lavender, and many shad- 

 ed and variegated ones. - A few were 

 single, and for bouquet purposes they 

 excel the double ones. 



The last of October I dug the bulbs 

 and there were just about four and 

 one-half bushels of them by measure, 

 all large, healthy tubers one to two 

 inches in diameter. 



Michigan. Mrs. Jennie E. Life. 



It is not generally known among 

 ^;hose who grow flowers from seed 

 ^:hat the very finest dahlias may be 

 grown in one season from seed to the 

 perfection of flowers. Nevertheless, I 

 liave done it for three seasons, and 

 each time bought seed from a differ- 

 ent seedsman. Last March I took a 

 soap box, sawed it through half-way 

 down, making two boxes, each about 

 four inches deep. Then I filled them 

 with garden soil and planted two 

 packets of dahlia seed, one of double 

 mixed "pompone" and one of double 

 mixed show dahlias. I watered with 

 warm water, set boxes on a table and 

 put them in the front room, where 

 there seldom was any fire. When it 

 was very cold I set a lighted lamp on 

 the floor under the center of the ta- 

 ble, which warmed the soil from the 

 bottom up. This is the best plan to 

 keep house plants from freezing. In 

 about ten days the plants came up, 

 and they grew stalky and strong. In 

 April, when the buds started, I set the 

 boxes outdoors and covered them on 

 frosty nights, and in June I set out 

 the plants, then bushes six to ten 

 inches high, in beds prepared by dig- 

 ging manure into them. In late Aug- 

 ust they were bushes two to four feet 



PROCURE YOUR CHRYSANTHEMUMS 

 EARLY. 



If you wish large show flowers dur- 

 ing October, November and Decem- 

 ber, order your chrysanthemums 

 early. Too many neglect this until it 

 is too late to prepare them for fine 

 flowers. Remember it takes one Rea- 

 son's growth to make fine flowers. I 

 order mine in June, shade for a few 

 days and bring into the sunlight. In 

 potting them I use the very richest 

 soil procurable — cow manure, well 

 rotted — liberally. Change this from 

 time to time, as they fill these pots 

 with roots. Twice a week I place the 

 pots in tubs of water, allowing them 

 to soak for half an hour. Those I 

 grow in ground until September, are 

 lifted, potted in very rich earth and 

 shaded for a few days. This lifting 

 must be done with care, roots must 

 not be crowded into small pots. This 

 lifting always gives them a backset — 

 even if done with the greatest of care. 

 I prefer growing in pots from start, 

 then they can not only be protected 

 from early frosts, but from drouths. 



Kentucky. Laura Jones. 



