It is easy to transplant these seedlings and if done with care it is 
also easy to transplant big plants, even when in bloom. The other 
day, and it was one of our hottest days, too, I discovered a new variety 
in the nursery, probably a sport. I insisted upon its being brought 
into the garden. It was so heavy that two men had to do the job, but 
apparently the plant is doing well. 
The Formosum variety seems most liable to be attacked by the 
black disease. Many of these have had to be uprooted and destroyed, 
to eradicate the trouble from the garden, although we have faithfully 
sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. It is advisable to begin the spraying 
when the plants are young and repeat every ten days at the same time 
you spray the hollyhocks for rust. 
Another formula is, four pounds of lump lime and one pound 
powdered tobacco to which add one gallon of boiling water to slack 
the lime. Let the mixture boil as long as it will and add more water 
if necessary to completely slack. When the mixture has ceased to 
boil, add enough water to make five gallons. In applying use one 
quart of the solution to eleven quarts of water, pouring about a cupful 
around the roots of each plant, repeating every ten days if necessary. 
With this we dosed some of our doubtful looking plants and 
kept the disease under and this summer the Delphiniums in the 
nursery which were badly affected, have so far generally come through 
safely, but I should tell you that in the autumn some pure lime was 
placed around the plants to get rid of the slugs that were so trouble- 
some. Probably this lime helped too, to destroy the root maggots 
that are said to cause the disease. 
But last summer the Delphiniums were so overcrowded among the 
continuous bloom of other plants and the rains were so constant that 
for the first time many of the oldest plants failed to give their usual 
second and third bloom, although we cut down the stalks sufficiently 
early. I very much feared that the dampness had rotted the roots 
and had put a final end to them. The gardener, however, was not so 
pessimistic and to my joy, in early spring, they sent up these delight- 
fully bright green, tender young spikes that all of us who love Del- 
phiniums, know so well. And ever since they have grown and grown 
and have looked lovingly at those who cared for them as if begging for 
the stakes that are so necessary to support the weight of their beauti- 
ful bloom. 
As soon as the bloom goes to seed, we cut down the long stalks so 
as to get the later growth as soon as possible. 
When autumn comes we place coal ashes over the roots to keep off 
the white grub that is tempted otherwise to bore into the roots. 
