Letters from Our Friends 



IWAXT to thank those who have so kindly 

 responded to requests for letters suitable 

 for use in this department. No part of 

 the magazine is more popular, and no 

 part of it can be made more useful if those 

 who love and grow flowers will take the trouble 

 to give us bits of personal experience among 

 them — hints and suggestions of a practical 

 character. I trust that those who have already 

 contributed will write again, and that others 

 will favor us with similar articles. 



Here is a letter which goes to convince us 

 that we are on the right track: 



"In the July number of Home and Flowers 

 you announced that the magazine under that 

 name is for the amateur florist. While I was 

 not unacquainted with the work to whi -h it was 

 dedicated, I am no less gratified, as an am- 

 ateur, you should unmistakably state the fact. 

 I feel confident, if its labor is along these lines, 

 avoiding all side issues, standing as the special 

 organ of the amateur, it may not only do praise- 

 worthy work, but meet with that financial suc- 

 cess such work deserves. The amateurs of our 

 country may be numbered by the thousand, and 

 will elect to take that periodical which shows 

 an unselfish devotion to their interests— one in 

 whose pages they may seek the lore of plant 

 culture, where they may state their perplexities, 

 and have them solved by wiser heads. 

 "With much respect, 



"Winchester Hall.^-' 



We thank the writer for his kind words, and 

 hope to continue to deserve them. 



The following letter will be found valuable 

 because of the practical information contained 

 in it on a matter of great importance to the 

 Eose grower. Those who have lost Roses season 

 after season will do well to follow the advice 

 given by this writer, whose name we would be 

 glad to give in full had he been willing for us 

 to do so: 



"I am a subscriber and reader of your mag- 

 azine, Home and Flowers, have been for sev- 

 eral years, and have subscribed ahead until 

 March 1, 1905. I apprehend, as you have fre- 

 quently suggested, that practical hints in flori- 

 culture, based on experience, are of great value 

 to your readers, hence I suggest one or two. 

 After an experience of thirty years in Rose 

 growing I found that winter protection was 

 one of the most serious problems in this North- 

 ern Illinois latitude. After trying different 

 methods I have adopted and for several years 

 have practised this: Plant the Roses in rows, 

 and after the flowering season permit the late 



summer and early fall growth to grow un- 

 touched until freezing weather, then bend them 

 down, 'splashing' the top of one under the next 

 to it, as the farmer does his hedge. Cover the 

 row with one foot of dry leaves. Then take 

 boards one foot wide, one inch thick, or one- 

 half inch is equally as good, nail the edges to- 

 gether, trough form, and turn the trough mouth 

 down over the leaves and rows, thus keeping 

 them dry from both rain and snow. Over this 

 throw other leaves, evergreen boughs, or what- 

 ever you like. The point is to keep the plants 

 from being injured by the wet and rotting 

 leaves, at the same time giving them the win- 

 ter protection of the dry leaves. Meantime I 

 begin to uncover and trim back early in the 

 spring to give the late frosts a chance to check 

 back the growth that will assuredly take place 

 under the leaf protection. Many people forget 

 the true purpose of winter protection of ten- 

 der plants, to-wit, to carry them safely through 

 the low and Mlling temperatures of the winter 

 months. Again, I wintered my Pansy bed in 

 splendid form by simply taking the dead vines 

 of my Sweet Pea rack, being four to six inches 

 in thickness, and placing them over the Pansies, 

 placing a few boards over this to hold the vines 

 in place. A covering of wet leaves, packed 

 down as they iTSually are, is sure to kill the 

 plants. These methods I practise, and do not 

 fail. Yours, etc., V. S. F." 



This letter from a California correspondent 

 will tantalize many a reader at the East, who 

 would be glad to be able to grow flowers in the 

 manner described herein : 



"I take so much pleasure in reading the 

 letters from correspondents to Home and 

 Flowers that I thought some one might be 

 pleased to read a letter from California, the 

 land of fruit and' flowers. I love flowers, and 

 give much of my time caring for my garden. 

 In April our Roses are in their glory. From 

 the middle of April until the middle of May 

 they bloom beautifully. Just now the Carna- 

 tions, Sweet Peas, California Poppy, and Fever- 

 few are a mass of blossoms. I wish to write of 

 the success I have with bulbs. They are no 

 trouble, after they are once planted in the 

 ground, only to see that they are watered dur- 

 ing the dry season. This climate is so mild 

 that the ground does not freeze, consequently 

 the bulbs do, not have to be taken up in the 

 winter. For ten years I have had the same 

 cluster of the* white waxen Lily bulbs. They 

 bloom every season at this time. I have had my 

 Paper White Narcissi as long. Last November 

 I had one hundred blossoms on them. They 



