Delphinium Culture 
Plants are safely moved throughout the fall and early spring. 
Except in very wet, cold soils, autumn planting is strongly rec¬ 
ommended. They are not checked when spring growth starts. 
After getting well-grown plants, allow a two-foot space for 
each and open the earth to same depth, and 18 inches in 
breadth, filling the lowest foot with a mixture of very old manure 
and garden soil, with a good sprinkling of raw bone meal, 
thoroughly incorporated with the soil, then tamp. 
Where the sub-soil is very heavy, dig the hole six inches 
deeper and fill that depth with coarse gravel to insure perfect 
drainage. If the soil is of a clayey nature, incorporate sand and 
peat moss with a little ground limestone. Then for the upper half 
add to your very best garden soil this mixture: bone meal, 
ground charcoal and sulphur. If soil is naturally acid include a 
little lime. 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, mixed with an equal amount of hardwood 
ash. 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 appears the old stalk yellows, is no longer 
required, and should be cut down. After a short resting period, 
give another supply of bone meal and ash, 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 Del¬ 
phiniums will bloom the first season after planting and, being 
true perennials, should, with favorable conditions, increase in 
size and grandeur each year. 
In much heated sections, as the Southern States and South¬ 
ern California, the best time for watering Delphiniums seems to 
be in very early morning, as evening sometimes proves unsafe. 
As figs do not grow on thistles, no matter how we tend them, 
no more can you expect show spikes on your Delphiniums if 
stock is procured from unskilled growers. 
HOW THEY GROW ON LAKE ERIE 
Erie, Pa.: "The seeds purchased from you in 1934 have developed into 
plants seven to nine feet high and are wonderful. They were the envy 
of the Garden Club members who were entertained by me fuly 8th." 
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