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PUDOR’S DESCRIPTIVE SEED LIST 
"Delphiniums and Manure 
By Leon H. Leonian 
Department of Plant Pathology, West Virginia University, 
College of Agriculture 
Commenting on the communication of J. W. Greenfield, which appeared in 
the July number of “Better Flowers,” Mr. Barber states that incorporation of 
manure with soil may have been the cause of failure of Mr. Greenfield’s del¬ 
phiniums. May I offer my own experience with manure on delphiniums? Last 
year I applied 15 bushels of fresh chicken manure, consisting only of pure drop¬ 
pings, to an area of one-tenth of an acre. Ihe manure was applied between the 
rows of young but well established plants, and was allowed to remain undis¬ 
turbed right on the surface of the soil. The soluable matter of the manure was 
gradually washed into the soil under the action of rains, and the delphiniums 
began to grow most luxuriously. 
Plants blooming for the first time formed flowering spikes of three and some¬ 
times three and a half feet in length, with plants five feet tall. If there was any 
injurious effect, I failed to see it. 
This year I tried a similar experiment on another field; to an area not larger 
than one-fourth of an acre I applied one huge truckful of fresh horse manure, 
six wagonloads of fresh chicken manure, in addition to 50 pounds of nitrophoska 
and 100 pounds of Acardian nitrate of soda. Despite the fact that the soil was 
sandy and this season has been one of the driest that I have known in this section 
of the country, my delphinium plants are doing beautifuly; if there has been 
any ill effect retsulting from such heavy applications of manure and concen¬ 
trated fertilizers, I have not observed it. 
It makes a big difference whether manure and fertilizers are applied to the 
surface of the soil or worked into the dirt. 
ARE YOU USING TOO MUCH MANURE? 
We are inclined to think that the increase of disease amongst flowering 
plants is due to the use of unbalanced manures, especially lack of potash. Plants 
receiving too much nitrogen produce soft growth, which fall a ready prey to 
disease organism. 
HOW OFTEN DO YOU DIVIDE YOUR DELPHINIUMS? 
One of the causes why some fail with these charming plants is permitting 
them to go on for years without any attempt being made to divide them, the 
result being that instead of strong, healthy spikes, and, consequently, fine blooms, 
the clumps get into a weak condition, owing to a conglomerated mass of thin and 
spindly shoots. It is only fair to say that a clump carrying five or six spikes 
is to be preferred to one with three times that number, as with the latter it is 
almost impossible for the center spike to get that light nutriment so necessary 
if strong flowering spikes are desired. It is therefore best with clumps carrying a 
large number of shoots to go over them early in the season and cut the weakest 
away, tying up those that are left to stakes, placing one to each shoot of the tall 
varieties. If staking is left until late in the season, the stakes are likely to be 
conspicuous, whereas, done early, the foliage hides the supports, and the risk 
of damage from rough winds is reduced. 
Delphiniums may be raised from seed, or they may be increased by root 
division, the latter plan being the one oftenest adopted, inasmuch, as a rule, not 
many plants are needed in a garden. Clumps should be split up in autumn, or 
early spring, and the ground where it is intended to plant them should be well 
and deeply dug, some rotted manure being incorporated with the soil. It has to 
be said of these plants, too, that although the flowering season cannot be said 
to be a long one, they contribute much beauty to a garden. 
