November, 1919 
Slower (Brower 
113 

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= [ Written expressly far 
sniinniiininniinninninninninninniinininn 
Counting Her Blessings. 
T HE little woman of 
the wood opened her 
door and standing on 
its threshold looked 
on the world without. 
Opposite and beyond the 
clearing, which constituted 
the cultivated area of her 
small farm, were the out- 
skirts of a dense wood 
which, freed from foliage, revealed its 
interior vastness. As her gaze traveled 
on and reached its darkened depths she 
murmured : “ They are like soldiers in 
uniform of winter gray,” and a feeling 
of being protected crept over her. “ I 
cannot believe there are evil trees even 
if the legends do say so, I believe they 
are all good trees.” 
Throwing a light wrap around her 
shoulders, she walked toward them over 
a thick carpet of rustling leaves. “ How 
many blessings I have, all these great 
trees ever near me, and a good home 
all my own.” She turned to look at 
the house which, though small, pre- 
sented an appearance of being sub- 
stantial, and the windows with their 
snowy curtains forming a background 
for blooming house plants gave an im- 
pression of inviting cosiness and com- 
fort. Outside the leaves had fallen from 
the Bittersweet vine which had so grace- 
fully draped the porch in summer, but 
the berries were there, their brilliancy 
enhanced by the weather-worn gray of 
the building. 
“ It is small,” she soliloquized, “ but 
I have all this beautiful out-of-door 
too,” looking around, “ and I don’t 
need a large house. Yes, I have many 
things to be thankful for. How fortu- 
nate that I found Louise, her company 
and counsel are a constant blessing. 
There’s these trays, I never would have 
known about them if it hadn’t been 
for her. I think they will be a great 
help to me, for she says that if the 
bulbs are spread in them and placed 
where they will have a circulation of 
air, that they will cure quickly, and I 
need have no fear about getting them 
cleaned properly for market ; that the 
roots will pull off easily when at the 
right stage. I have no trays now, but 
will have some made from the measure- 
ments as she has given them to me : 
‘Light wood | inch stuff 48 inches 
long, 18 inches wide, 4 inches deep; bot- 
toms made of builders’ lath, with nar- 
row strips across bottom for support. 
Three cornered piece of wood 1 inch 
thick tacked to bottom of each corner to 
make air space when piled one above 
the other.’ 
She says this size is light to handle, 
and pile up compactly and will save 
room in cellar. 
“ I appreciate the information about 
sowing rye in fall to plow under in 
spring as a fertilizer. It’s coming up 
splendidly. 
“ Of course I could have learned 
about it in almost any farm paper but 
— well — perhaps I have al- 
lowed myself to become 
careless about reading. I 
can see that I have been 
making a mistake and shall 
not wait until the New Year 
to turn over a new leaf but 
will send in my subscrip- 
tions today for the best 
floral literature I can find, 
and shall join the American 
Gladiolus Society and also 
the Woman’s National Farm and Gar- 
den Association and by my winter 
reading be ready to enter into my work 
next spring better prepared because of 
more cultural knowledge of the work 
in which I am interested. 
“ For the blessings I have received 
and the privileges that are before me I 
am truly thankful.” 
Mrs. A. H. Austin. 
Gladiolus — Enropa. 
(Subject of Illustration on front cover page.) 
> Originated by Wilhelm Pfitzer, Ger- 
many, and introduced by him about 
ten years ago. Without doubt the 
purest white Gladiolus. 
Although we have illustrated Gladi- 
olus Europa several times in our col- 
umns, yet we cannot well refrain from 
repeating the illustration as our good 
friends send us in photographs of ex- 
ceptional merit. The one which we 
are using on our front cover page in 
this issue was sent us by F. M. Palmi- 
ter, Janesville, Wis. Europa certainly 
has its weaknesses, but we have yet to 
see a white Gladiolus combining both 
purity of color and beauty of form, 
which anywhere near equals Europa. 
Europa is generally known as a weak 
grower, and it is a fact that under 
most conditions it has weak foliage, 
and does not make rapid nor strong 
growth. It makes few bulblets and 
these germinate poorly. It, therefore, 
increases slowly and being subject 
more or less to disease, Europa, al- 
though introduced for some years, is 
not obtainable in considerable quanti- 
ties anywhere. The price, therefore, 
is comparatively high and it probably 
never will be low for the reason stated. 
Our experience with Europa is that 
it needs rather strong soil and that it 
will not do well unless well fertilized. 
Work Made Easier and Happier 
by a Blooming Garden of Roses. 
Our good friend, H. M. Marshall, of 
Vicksburg, Miss., sends us a clipping 
from a local paper, telling how the 
public grain elevator of that city, em- 
ploying about 200 people, has been im- 
proved by the planting of Roses on the 
spare grounds around the big plant. 
The work is especially to the credit 
of Superintendent Sanford and Fore- 
man Henry Beelman and is in connec- 
tion with recreation gardens for the 
MRS. AUSTIN’S TALKS 
The Flower G rewer. ] 
employees. As Roses bloom freely in 
the south, this beautiful flower forms 
the greater part of the ornamental 
plantings which have been made. In 
fact, it may be called a Rose garden. 
Other flowers will doubtless be added 
in the general development of the 
scheme. 
The psychological effect of such 
plantings as above mentioned is much 
more important than most people im- 
agine. Although it is difficult for the 
average mind to analyze the effect, yet 
there is no doubt but what flowers, 
and neat and orderly surroundings have 
a great softening and elevating in- 
fluence, and thus improve the spirit 
and tone of the work of the employees, 
making work lighter and leading to 
greater efficiency and higher quality 
work in all departments. 
Let it be Flag Iris. 
[ Written expressly far The Flouuer Grower. ] 
By H. W. Groschner. 
(blue flags.) 
“ To southern skies my fancy flies, 
Beneath whose soft beguiling, 
What songs I sung, when hope was young, 
And all the world was smiling 
O memories dear, that linger near 
The meadow brook and wildwood, 
And blue flags sweet that made complete 
The sunny days of childhood.” 
The suggestion of Mrs. Louise B. 
Wilder in the Garden Magazine that a 
popular name should be chosen for the 
bearded Iris that has none but happy 
associations is well made and I with- 
draw my plea for the use of the word 
Fleur de lis as the first designation. 
The Flag Irises are native to many 
countries and many countries have con- 
tributed choice varieties that enrich our 
gardens, accordingly it would appear 
that the use of the phrase Flag Iris 
would be the happy medium that all 
could agree on and with the result of 
bringing about a decision. The Flag 
Iris would glorify the ensign of every 
country and the soldiers that gave 
their lives to preserve their country’s 
flag. The present time is very appro- 
priate to plant the flag flower liber- 
ally in the front door yard, by the 
roadside, in parks, public grounds and 
cemeteries and everywhere so that we 
may revere and honor those to whom 
reverence and honor is due ; all who 
died in the service of their country 
for you and for me, here and “over 
there” who “gave their today for our 
tomorrow.” And we cannot honor 
them more beautifully in enshrining 
and hallowing their memory than by 
associating their lives with the beauti- 
ful. It has been said of them almost 
as a benediction that “ Theirs was a 
work of conscience and conscience is 
the voice of God speaking through a 
human soul.” 
“ The Blue-flag, waving welcome from the 
marsh. 
The Lily of the pond and of the vale 
The Daisy, Violet and Buttercup, 
The Elderberry and the Bridal Wreath 
From garden, grove or roadside all are culled 
And weaved in wreaths to deck the soldiers’ 
graves.” 
