The Garden Magazine, April, 1921 
133 
Northern States. It needs good, rich soil, which is best prepared by 
| digging the ground over with a spade, and then working into it a little 
: rotted stable manure or pulverized sheep manure before setting out the 
young plants. In the North it is a simple matter to start the plants 
from seed sown in the spring; farther south it is best to sow the seeds in 
September and transplant the young Artichokes when they have at- 
tained a fair size. There will not be flower heads until the second year, 
: and on that account it is often desirable to buy young plants. A few 
I plants usually suffice to start with, for when once established they throw 
up many suckers, each of which will make a new plant. Some gard- 
i eners blanch the suckers and use them like Asparagus, or Swiss Chard. 
Set the plants 2\ ft. apart in rows 3 ft. apart. Keep the soil well 
cultivated, and give the plants plenty of water; but see to it that they 
do not stand where water will freeze around them, for that will kill 
them. In the Northern States, they need some protection during the 
winter months — ashes heaped over the crowns late in the fall, and 
leaves or other litter added before the snow flies. — John W. Wolfe, 
N. Y. 
Making the Violets Bloom 
To the Editor of The Garden Magazine: 
I HAVE in cold frames more than a thousand Violets (Princess of Wales), which 
have for the last two years been giving very poor results. Do you advise 
that the plants be left in the coldframes after flowering, or should they be lifted 
and planted in nursery sheds until the following season for winter culture? I 
have been lifting them after flowering and planting them out, but last year 
lost a large number with root-rot. It is difficult for me to procure fresh soil 
for the coldframes and I have had to use the same soil for six years, although 
it is mixed with well rotted manure when the plants are lifted and dug over two 
or three times during the summer. I usually plant about September. Would 
lime be beneficial or any particular kind of fertilizer? — D. Clephane, N . J. 
— In the absence of any information as to whether or not the Violets 
have been attacked by any of the diseases peculiar to these plants, we 
are forced to the conclusion that their non-success is due to old plants 
lacking the vigor necessary for free flowering, and to being repeatedly 
planted in the same soil for six successive seasons. 
Young plants and fresh soil are essential. If the old plants are in 
such bad condition that no runners are being put out, which can be 
pegged down and rooted, in much the same way as Strawberry run- 
ners are rooted, it would be well to purchase a supply of rooted plants 
from some florist. 
Set them out in beds in the open to make their summer growth, 
cultivating them frequently, keeping all runners pinched off, so as to 
throw all the energy in the single crown for winter flowering. Young 
stock every season is an essential of successful Violet culture, discarding 
the old plants after flowering. If the old plants are strong, two or three 
runners from each may be taken off, and all others destroyed. 
No doubt the absence of a supply of fresh soil is responsible in part 
for the failure; perhaps also too much nitrogenous manure has been 
applied to the soil, causing a luxuriant growth of foliage, but no 
flowers. 
If the young plants are set out in beds the size of the frames to make 
their summer growth, as suggested, it will be a simple matter to place 
the frames over them in the fall, and a change of soil and location may 
be obtained in this way; the old bed in the meanwhile being planted 
with a cover crop, and given a rest from Violets for a couple of years. 
Should this not be feasible, the only alternative is to get a supply of new 
soil. Rather heavy, sandy loam is best in the proportion of three 
parts loam to one part of well decayed manure. Just before planting 
into winter quarters apply pure bone meal at the rate of half a pound to 
one square yard of surface and rake it in well. For movable frame 
culture, spread the manure on the ground in the fall and turn under, 
leaving the ground rough until spring, and apply the bone meal be- 
fore setting out the young plants. 
The care and management of Violets during the winter resolves itself 
into adequate shade until the plants have become re-established in 
their winter quarters; frequent stirring of the surface soil; freedom from 
weeds, runners, and decaying leaves; and careful watering, when and 
only when needed. The soil should be kept moist, never soggy; avoid 
wetting the foliage when watering. Maintain a minimum temperature 
of 40°, and a maximum of 6o°. 
In frame culture it is rather difficult to control red spider and aphis, 
though the former is not likely to be strongly in evidence in unheated 
frames until the warm days of spring, then the sash may be removed, 
and a good syringing given the plants. This should be done after the 
flowers have been gathered. Aphis may be controlled by one 
of the many tobacco extracts offered in the stores, but care should be 
used, as it is liable to weaken the leaves and make them susceptible to 
fungous diseases. 
Spot, root-rot, wet rot, and leaf-fading or yellows are commonly met 
diseases which are difficult to exterminate when once they have estab- 
lished a foothold. They can, however, be held in check, by selecting 
and propagating from strong, vigorous, disease resistant plants, and by 
keeping them in the best possible growing condition. — Henry Gibson, 
Pa. 
Why Not a Little Poppy Field 
To the Editor of The Garden Magazine: 
E VERY traveler who revels in the red glory of a European field of 
Poppies is prone to wish that there were such sights at home. 
There could be, easily enough; but the farmers would rise up in wrath. 
Beautiful as the red Poppies are abroad, they are a weed that often 
becomes a real trial to the farmer. 
If an American Poppy field is desired, the only kind that it is safe 
ORIENTAL POPPIES 
In Papaver orientale we have a type of flower admir- 
ably adapted to field planting as it is brilliant in color 
and has the added advantage of being a perennial 
to imitate is one that was created as a picturesque feature of Kew 
Gardens. There, a corner of a large grass plot was made to serve as the 
field. The section used was perhaps one hundred feet square, but the 
Poppies were planted only inside a rough circle, formed bv several good- 
sized shrubs irregular distances apart. Within the circle were one or 
two more shrubs. The vista was thus pleasantly broken, and what 
would have otherwise been a rude glare of red was toned without in 
any way reducing its color value. 
The Poppy used at Kew was not the common Corn Poppy of Eng- 
land (Papaver Rhoeas), but P. commutatum, a native of Armenia. 
This is a slightly taller Poppy, with larger and showier bloom. The 
red is quite deep in tone and there are black spots at the base of the 
petals. Seed of this Poppy is probably not on sale here, but the 
Caucasian Poppy (P. umbrosum) would answer the same purpose. 
Nor is there any reason why one of the perennial Poppies, P. orientale 
or P. bracteatum, should not be used. 
Of course, such a Poppy plantation is not made by sowing the seed in 
the grass. The field must be prepared, but with the edges no more 
regular than the north shore of Long Island; the effect must above all be 
naturalistic. Poppies prefer a sandy loam and the annual kinds do not 
bear transplanting well. Sow broadcast and cover with the merest 
sprinkling of soil. For a succession of bloom sow in the fall and again 
at intervals in the spring. — H. S. Adams, N . Y. 
