HOODACRES ON THE HIGHWAY 
Delphinium Culture 
Plants are safely moved throughout the fall and early 
spring. Except in very wet, cold soils, autumn planting is 
strongly recommended. They are not checked when spring 
growth starts. 
After getting well-grown plants, allow a two-foot space 
for each and open the eartli to same depth, and 18 inches 
in breadth, filling the lowest foot with a mixture of very 
old manure and garden soil, well mixed and tamped. 
Complete filling with the best soil you can provide, 
preferably containing some leaf mold, and made thor¬ 
oughly friable. 
If the sub-soil is very heavy, dig the hole six inches 
deeper and fill that depth with coarse gravel to insure per¬ 
fect drainage. If of a clayey nature, incorporate sand and 
peat-moss to prevent caking, as much of the vigor of the 
plant comes from the tiny surface roots. Set crowns two 
inches below the surface, the roots well spread and soil 
firmed against them before leveling. Avoid dense shade, 
roots of trees, and stuffy locations. 
When growth first starts in spring, dig around each 
plant a trowel of bone-meal. Cut faded spikes to prevent 
seeding. It is the nature of hybrid Delphiniums to bloom 
a second time in the season and as the second growth ap¬ 
pears the old stalk yellows, is no longer required, and 
should be cut down. Do not force this second growth; 
rather allow a short resting period, then give another 
supply of bone-meal, being careful not to destroy the fine 
surface-feeding roots, and water as needed. If the weaker 
growths are removed when plants are a few inches high, 
the remaining ones will benefit. Well-grown Delphiniums 
will bloom the first season after planting and, being true 
perennials, should, with favorable conditions, increase in 
size and grandeur each year. 
As figs do not grow on thistles, no matter how we tend 
them, no more can you expect show spikes on your Del¬ 
phiniums if procured from unskilled growers. 
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