1 FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL | 
1 GROWERS OF THE GLADIOLUS, DAHLIA, IRIS, ETC. ! 
Entered as second-class matter March 31, 1914, at post office at 
Calcium, N.Y., under act of March 3, 1879. 
I PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE | 
f MONTH BY MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N. Y. j 
i Subscription price: Three years, $2.00; One year, $1.00. 
CULTIVATING WILD FLOWERS. 
I Written expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
By M. Emerson Main. 
L ISTED IN THE catalogs of many 
of the best nurserymen of the 
/ country will be found, under 
their Latin names, numbers of 
wild flowers which lovers 
of them may have simply 
by using care in trans- 
planting. Many a caution 
has been printed in regard 
to removing them and at- 
tempting to grow them in 
the garden, and the would- 
be grower thereby dis- 
couraged. Wild flowers 
can be successfully trans- 
planted and grown if a 
few simple rules are fol- 
lowed. In my garden are 
plants from roots and 
seeds from Oregon, Cali- 
fornia, Texas, Vermont, 
Ohio, and many other 
states. Oregon Grape, 
Texas Rain Flower, Ver- 
mont Spring Beauty — 
they have lived and 
thrived. 
Take up the plant when 
in bloom. You’ll then be 
sure what you’re getting. 
For removing use a stout- 
bladed, big knife and with 
it held slanting, cut around 
the plant forming a cone- 
shape bit of dirt around 
the roots. Wet cotton or 
sphagnum moss should be 
wrapped around the root, 
and if one is walking and 
weight is a consideration, 
the roots my be freed of 
dirt and then wrapped. 
On reaching home put the 
plants in water to cover 
roots until next day. When 
setting out dig a hole big 
enough to spread the roots 
as they grow, fill half up 
with dirt and then with water. Let 
settle and then fill up with dirt. Don’t 
put any water on top the ground. 
Shade, if necessary, for a time. After 
setting cut off all big leaves and bloom 
stalks. Give soil as near like the origi- 
nal as possible, but don’t be afraid to 
set them out in what you have. Cardi- 
nal Flower, Fringed Orchis and Arum 
will grow on dry land. 
Flowers growing by the roadside 
usually may be taken without per- 
mission, but it is wise to ask permis- 
sion to get them from field or wood 
if near a house. Few land 
owners will refuse permis- 
sion. From seaside haunts 
one may get Dusty Miller ; 
Golden Rod, with large, 
star-like florets in huge 
clusters ; Marsh Mallows 
which can be grown from 
their seeds, and Sea Lav- 
ender which has myriads 
of blue flowers. 
Wild Columbine, scarlet 
with yellow tips, is lovely 
in foliage and flower, and 
will grow in mere crevices. 
It can be grown from seeds 
or plants. Toadflax is fine 
under cultivation. Com- 
mon Yarrow has lovely 
fern-like foliage and will 
grow and bloom in the 
hardest of soil. Pale Cory- 
dalis will grow in ex- 
tremely shallow soil and 
self-sow under cultivation. 
Asclepias Tuberosa needs 
well-drained soil and will 
grow in a stone heap if 
there is soil enough to 
hold it. It hates removal, 
and seeds should be col- 
lected in September and 
sown in spring. Asclepias 
Incarnata has rosy-purple 
flowers and will grow any- 
where. Meadow Rue is 
fine for backgrounds, but 
its greenish flowers have 
an unpleasant odor. Eupa- 
torium Purpureum, Joe 
Pye weed, is good in back- 
grounds. Closed Gentians 
grow three feet high and 
give a fine blue for Sep- 
tember flowers. Wild Rudbeckia, Black- 
eyed Susan, may be grown from plants 
(Concluded on page 38.) 
GLADIOLUS- M/SS HELEN FRANKLIN. 
A new ruffled white with violet stripes. Originated by A. E. Kunderd and 
sold to Thomas Cogger in 1916. 
Awarded first prize in New York in 1917 ; Silver Medal at Boston Horticul- 
tural Society show in 1918. First prize in Open Class at Boston, 1918. 
