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HOME AND FLOWERS 



When should Gloxinia and tuberous-rooted 

 Begonia bulbs be planted for September and 

 October flowering in the house? 



A few hints and suggestions along the lines 

 suggested herein would be greatly appreciated 

 by M, E. Armstrong. 



In answer to Mr. Armstrong's queries, I 

 would say that his surmise about his Dahlias 

 is probably correct. They can be fed so well 

 that they grow almost wholly to branches, 

 though this does not often happen. The fly may 

 have done more mischief than he imagines. I 

 think the Wild Cucumber would answer re- 

 quirements as to vine. It grows very rapidly, 

 spreads but little at the bottom, but reaches out 

 in all directions a few feet from the ground, and 

 has pretty foliage and dainty white flowers. As 

 a general thing nearly all its lower leaves ripen 

 and fall off early in the season, therefore it 

 will not interfere with the plants growing at its 

 base. 



A subscriber who wishes to be known as 

 Sister Kose sends this chatty letter full of hints 

 and encouragement to other women who com- 

 bine flower growing with the duties of the 

 housemfe and mother: 



I have just received my first copy of Home 

 AND Flowers since I became a subscriber. 

 Thought I would write and tell how I grew the 

 Gladiolus last summer. I planted at different 

 intervals, some in clumps and some around some 

 half-grown Lilacs, also about my Peonies. I 

 tied the stalks to the plants to keep them, from 

 blowing down. Then, later, I planted Petunias 

 among the Gladiolus. They came into bloom 

 about the time the Gladiolus were through. So 

 you see a combination of shrubbery and other 

 plants can be made a thing of beauty until 

 frost. I always cut off the Gladiolus stalks 

 when they are through blooming. 



I take several floral magazines and I never 

 tire reading about flowers and how to grow 

 them. I also like to encourage others to grow 

 them, as there seems to be something very fas- 

 cinating to me in floriculture. I think any one 

 who really loves flowers should try to learn 

 how to grow them right, so I always intercede 

 for the floral magazines when I have a chance. 

 But I have six little "cares" besides my flowers, 

 so you see I have no chance to do much of 

 anything else. We have a lovely farm home in 

 Central Iowa, with a large, beautiful lawn, 

 where my fancy can have full play. I have 

 two large border beds partly filled with peren- 

 nials, and two beds of Tulips on the lawn. One 

 is of the early single and double kinds, the other 

 has the tall late sorts. 



This letter from Mrs. C. E. Warner, Brooklyn 



Center, Minnesota, may .prompt some flower 

 groivers of that state to write us about their 

 experience in wintering plants. I thank her for 

 her kind words: 



I am very much pleased with the change in 

 the magazine. We who are amateurs both 

 at floriculture and home-making need many 

 suggestions. I should be very much pleased to 

 see a department in the magazine telling how 

 to manage our Northern gardens at different 

 seasons of the year, especially how to protect 

 plants against our fierce Minnesota and Dakota 

 winters, and what plants of the newer sorts are 

 best adapted to our climate. I especially appre- 

 ciate the dear little bits of poetry of which Mr. 

 Eexford is author. He makes us feel that he 

 lives very near to nature. 



Here is a very delightful and suggestive let- 

 ter from Mrs. Julia Keith, Grosse Isle, Mich- 

 igan. I hope every reader of Home and Flow- 

 ers will be led to share the enthusiasm of its 

 writer for our native flowers, and do everything 

 that he or she can to save them from wanton 

 destruction. Many helpful suggestions will be 

 found in the letter for those who desire to 

 domesticate our wild plants: 



Our forests are rapidly disappearing, and 

 with them many of our most beautiful wild 

 flowers. If we would preserve them something 

 must be done, and very soon. Our wood lots 

 are used for pastures, consequently where many 

 of our favorites once grew in the greatest pro- 

 fusion scarcely a perfect specimen can be found. 

 The lovely Gentians, both fringed and closed; 

 the Cardinal flower and its sturdy cousin, the 

 blue Lobelia; the wild Ladyslipper, our native 

 Orchid, with many others as lovely of our wild 

 beauties, are becoming very rare where they 

 once were abundant. We who reside in the 

 country can accomplish more in the way of 

 preserving "Nature's gardens" than our city 

 sisters. 



My children and I have always loved the 

 woods— "God's first temples"— and have trans- 

 planted many wild flowers to our home garden, 

 choosing a shady, sheltered spot, where they 

 thrive beautifully and are a great delight. We 

 have in our "wild garden," as we call it, Tril- 

 liums, three varieties, white, purple, and droop- 

 ing; Bloodroot; Adder-tongue, yellow and 

 white ; the dainty little Squirrel Corn or "Dutch- 

 man's Breeches"— Hepatica, Spring Beauties, 

 purple and white Phlox, Moss Pink, and even 

 "Jack-in-the-Pulpit," also several varieties of 

 blue Violets, near which latter grow a little 

 patch of white sweet-scented Violets, all growing 

 together in the most cousinly manner. Last- 

 but not least— the graceful Columbines, several 



