72 Slower (Brower 
Him mi 
WAYSIDE RAMBLINGS 
= [ ll' rli'.rn expressly for The Flower Grower . ] E 
CRIMSON GLOW AND DOMINION- 
OTHER VARIETIES. 
I notice with interest the comparison byS. 
E. Spencer between Dominion (Red Emperor) 
and Crimson Glow. My experience is slight 
but I will give the results of it. I had only 
about a hundred Crimson Glow , the bulbs 
planted being \ inch diameter. These small 
corms flowered late because of their small 
size but that brought them in with the fall 
rains and they bloomed late in August while 
I was at the State Fair and some of the 
flowers were sent to me to keep up my ex - 
hibit. I was not informed of this by my man 
and they passed for War, the flowers not be- 
ing as large as Dominion on account of the 
very small corms planted. I should have 
said, however, that the larger corms of Red 
Emperor were planted later and had a hard 
time with drought when in bloom. The thing 
which impressed me favorably with regard to 
Crimson Glow was its strong growth and pro- 
ductiveness. I shall look with interest for its 
performance next season from good sized 
corms grown from last year’s little ones. 
Red Emperor seems to me, so far, the finest 
flower but I think it will not prove to be as 
productive. 
By the way: What is the matter with 
Golden Measure ? It has been in market sev- 
eral years and still stands at about $5.00 per 
corm. I never had the temerity to indulge 
at that price but it seems to me probable 
that those who have tried it must have had 
poor luck in propagating it, since it still stands 
at the high price. I should like to hear from 
some of the brethren their experience. 
Among the newer sorts I tried last summer 
was Distinction, quite in the color class with 
Goliath but a little taller and the flowers 
somewhat smaller but flatter open. It seems 
to be quite productive of cormels and also 
multiplies directly. I had a very few corms 
of Majestic which seems to be a decided im- 
provement on Prince of Wales but I suspect it 
will not multiply as well. If it increases 
fairly it will come to the front after a while. 
I do not know where stock of it is to be had 
as the few bulbs I had were from a small im- 
portation made just before the F. H. B. quar- 
antine went into effect. 
Geo. S. Woodruff. 
A CHAPTER IN THE LIFE 
HISTORY OF THE CROOKED GLADS. 
Last summer, I had the pleasure of taking 
a few of my friends through one of my Gla- 
diolus gardens and as they were admiring some 
of the beautiful flowers one of them spied some 
Crooks making their way in among the 
flowers, so we immediately went for them, 
and as they showed no resistance to being 
taken into custody, we immediately went after 
them with a knife, took them home and locked 
them up in the cellar until they could be 
brought to trial. 
After consulting with different ones as what 
tribunal they should be taken before for trial, 
we decided to bring them before King Phillip 
who stands high above all Gladioli, and after 
consulting him he decided it would be well to 
have them tried before a Jury, and so the 
following were selected to serve as a jury, 
Annie Wigman, Mrs. Watt, Ida Van, Mrs. 
Francis King, Mrs. Frank Pendleton, Lily 
Lehmann, Empress of India, Mary Fennell, 
Myrtle, Augusta, Prince of Wales and Evaline. 
The jury having been drawn the trial was 
at once begun, the place was filled with all 
the named sorts of prominence, both male 
and female, the first witness called was Jessie, 
who said that when she first saw the Crooks 
starting out in life they went straight, but as 
soon as they had grown up they started to go 
crooked, and, even after being warned by her 
to go straight they still kept on in their 
crooked ways. The next witness was the 
Blue Jay, who testified that when he first saw 
them they had already started out on their 
crooked ways and he suggested they ought 
to see that they were tied up to a stake, that 
would help them to go straight. The next 
witness called was Hazel Harvey, she said 
that when she saw them, the Crooks were 
so crooked that it was impossible to make 
them go straight even if they had been 
tied up to a stake. After hearing several 
other witnesses who simply corroborated the 
above testimony the case was given to the 
jury who were charged, that as the case was 
a very critical one to decide, they should con- 
sider it seriously and remain out until such 
time as they could agree, after which the 
jury retired. 
The jury after being out three weeks, with- 
out any rest whatever, before coming to an 
agreement, brought in the following verdict: 
Annie Wigman being the foreman spoke 
for the rest and stated, that as long as the 
Crooks were good on the starting out in life, 
and as they grew up had no chance of going 
straight on account of not being tied up to 
stakes which would probably have kept them 
straight, they could not be held responsible 
for their crooked ways as they were warned 
too late to go straight, even if they had been 
tied to stakes. King Phillip then asked the 
Crooks to stand up and state why they should 
not receive their sentence, but as they were 
too crooked to stand up they were permitted 
to remain in their present position, and King 
Phillip gave the following verdict or sentence: 
Although the Crooks were very crooked in 
their ways, he thought they appeared a great 
deal better grouped together in their crooked 
position than some others who were straight, 
and could not go crooked even if they tried 
their best so to do. The Crooks then went 
out rejoicing, knowing that they were as good 
for some purposes as the ones that went 
straight. 
Herman Kirscht. 
AN AGED READER’S APPRECIATION. 
Dear Flower Grower Readers : — 
I read The Flower Grower thoroughly, 
ads., and all. 
I think Madison Cooper is doing a good 
work to increase a love for flowers among 
the people, especially among "country people.” 
I know whereof I speak. I lost a good farm 
home by signing a piece of paper, and have 
been, as it were "on the wing” selling life 
insurance. So being a farmer till 60 years 
of age, I noticed the surroundings around 
farm buildings. Often we see old cast off 
machinery in the back yards, with lots of 
thrifty burdocks growing, with other name- 
less weeds, where, by a little help from the 
owner, a beautiful plot might be made for the 
good wife. There are "well to do” farmers 
who do not think any more about a woman’s 
comfort and pleasure in having a few flowers, 
not so much— as they do about their horses 
and cows. 
Will say Mrs. Austin’s Talks always interest 
me, and I like The Glad Philosopher’s writ- 
ings— he hits the nail on the head, especially 
when he talks " Open Fire Place.” If our 
good editor sees fit to print it, will write an 
article telling about my experiences about 
"an open fire place,” also of my dear mother’s 
passionate love for flowers. I suppose I got 
my love for flowers from my mother. I do 
watch with intense interest the budding 
May, 1920 
flowers and take lots of comfort watching 
them bloom out into beauty. 
S. R. Smith, (82 years young.) 
VARIATION IN DELPHIN- 
IUM MOERHEIMII. 
Among a group of Delphinium Moerheimii, 
which is one of the best known pure white 
perennial Delphiniums, I noticed a plant 
which threw a stalk of flowers which were 
each partly blue and partly white. The next 
year this root was cut up into smaller clumps. 
That year in one clump a more marked pro- 
duction of all-blue flowers than of white 
flowers was noticed, while in another of these 
clumps, more all-white than blue flowers was 
the rule, though each clump bore some blue 
and some white flowers. The following year, 
unfortunately, the clumps succumbed to a 
funguous disease, so further observations 
were not possible. Is this a common hap- 
pening in the Delphinium Moerheimii? 
Katherine W. Reid. 
NOTES ON CUTTING GLADIOLUS CORMS 
TO PROMOTE INCREASE. 
In cutting bulbs I have always been most 
particular about having a good looking eye on 
each section, indeed I think it would be use- 
less to attempt to grow a plant from a sec- 
tion that had not a fairlooking eye to start 
with. Even then my impression is that if the 
eye is very small and undeveloped, nothing 
will come of it. 
My reason for thinking that it is an advan- 
tage to leave the bulb in one piece if two 
shoots look like growing, is that there is a 
certain amount of disturbance and shock to 
the bulb when cut, and this may more than 
counterbalance the advantage to be gained by 
having the second set of roots in other soil. 
If one has his soil rich enough, each bulb will 
be well matured and large, as every grower 
knows by oft repeated experience. 
W. E. Saunders. 
SECURING PEONY SEED. 
With no desire to find fault but a sincere 
desire to improve the culture of the Peony, 
I must protest against the article by Mrs. 
Pleas in the April number on Peony Seed. 
While all singles are seed bearing no one 
now thinks of using any but the very best 
for “Mothers” for the future seedlings. The 
age of breeding “ scrub ” stock of any kind 
is past. Only the best in size, color, stem 
and fragrance should be selected. 
Secondly she advises "visiting some nursery 
in July and gathering all you care for” after 
telling us it’s worth $5.00 a lb. I have had 
just that very thing done. After careful hy- 
bridizing I have had wealthy patrons 
pick seed pods of choice Delphiniums and 
other plants and put them carefully in their 
gloves. I have to follow such people around 
and watch as closely as any detective. I am 
sure Mrs. Pleas wrote this without considering 
the nurseryman’s side of the question and I 
am sure that any one who wants to raise seed- 
lings will want to buy their seed and buy from 
good stoGk. “Peony Grower.” 
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MAN- 
AGEMENT, Etc.. OF THE FLOWER GROWER, 
published in accordance with the Act of Congress of 
August 24, 1912; Publisher, Madison Cooper, Calcium. 
N.Y.; Editor and Managing Editor, Madison Cooper. 
Calcium. N.Y.; Owner, Madison Cooper, Calcium, 
N. Y. 
Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security 
holders holding 1 per cent, or more of total amount 
of bonds, mortgages, or other securities : None. 
(Signed) Madison Cooper. 
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 31st day of 
March, 1920. 
(Signed) Margarette M. Hendricks, Notary Public, 
[Seal] Jefferson County, N.Y. 
Commission Expires March 31, 1921. 
