VIOLETS 
VIOLA CONFEDERATA. Hardy, Yig- 
orous, ^vitli lono' stemmed blooms of 
tinted wliite with center of bine, very 
charmino' and floriferous. Early 
bloomer. Plants, 25c each. 
VIOLA PAPILIONACEA WHITE. Eas¬ 
ily o-rown, vigorous, lovely white flow¬ 
ers on medium stems, blooming in 
May, free blooming, with good look¬ 
ing foliage. Compact. Plants, 25c ea. 
VIOLA PAPILIONACEA BLUE. Long¬ 
stemmed, soft deep blue flowers, flor¬ 
iferous, vigorous, handsome foliage, 
likes a good deal of sun. Early bloom¬ 
er. One of the most delightful violets. 
25c each. 
GROWING DELPHINIUMS FROM SEED 
Delphiniums are easy to grow from seed, 
one of the easiest among plants. Any one may 
do it without special trouble, barring a sudden 
rise in temperature above eighty degrees dur¬ 
ing germination, or damping off. 
Damping off may be due to late afternoon 
watering which chills the young plants or 
bursting seeds, to lack of air, very essential 
to hyl)rid delphiniums, or to some condition of 
the soil, though the latter is not a common 
cause. Dusting the seeds with Semesan has 
been found satisfactory. 
Temperatures of between fifty and seventy 
degrees are most favorable for the germina¬ 
tion of delphinium seeds. 
They may be sown in greenhouse, cold 
frame, or the open ground, in any month from 
January to December, depending on your own 
demands and conditions. But the easiest way 
is to sow the seeds, as soon as ripe, in the 
open ground. It is not only the easiest but the 
plants are more vigorous. 
Fill a deep box or make a bed outside of 
sci-eened leaf mold and clean medium sand, or 
sand and peat moss, mixed together. Ijevel 
and water down and next day, sow your seeds, 
either in rows or broadcast, but thickly, for 
delphinium seeds germinate much better when 
thickly sown. Cover, not more than one-eighth 
inch, with sand. Do not put peat moss over 
the seeds. It packs over them too much. 
Water only in the mornings, not at night or 
late afternoon. Keep the seed bed moist but 
not sopping wet. 
In about ten days, they start coming up, and 
continue for about three weeks. Not all col- 
ois nor all seeds germinate at the same time, 
esj)ecially, in the case of mixtures, any more 
than all hybrid delphiniums bloom at the 
same time. Some bloom eaidy and some verv 
much later in the season. 
Water moderately, keep weeded. If possible, 
leave them in the seed bed over winter. In cold 
climates, a fi-ame may be built around the bed 
to keep off the wind, and about an inch of 
medium sand scattered over it, and they are 
set for the winter. 
In the spring, when the plants have about 
six leaves, transplant into rows, watering in 
each plant as you go. Fertilize between the 
rows with high grade commercial fertilizer, 
bone meal, or well rotted manure, always re¬ 
membering that animal fertilizers have been 
found to promote crown rot, and should not 
be allowed too close to the crowns. If your 
ground is heavy, put in plenty of coarse sand, 
for the most important single requirement of 
hybrid delphiniums is Good Drainage. They 
like moisture but never to stand on the crowns. 
I use a mulch of partly rotted leaves between 
the rows but peat moss or straw may also be 
used. Water moderately. Heavy watering 
gives too much foliage and not enough bloom. 
These young plants should grow and bloom 
in the late summer and fall, bringing you a 
range of color from the brightest blues, deep¬ 
est wine colors, violets, blended shades, and 
the latest pastel pinks. And you may have 
white like snowflakes. 
In the fall, when the blooming is over, cut 
the spikes to the ground, clear off the old 
foliage, and put a trowel of fine charcoal and 
a couple of trowels of sand on the crowns and 
do not worry about them until spring. If you 
have slugs, bait for them with a good Meta 
bait. You might, also, dig raw bone meal in 
around the plants. This is slow in action but 
is highly recommended. 
You may transplant in the fall or early 
spring. If in the spring, the best time is when 
the growth is about four inches along. At this 
time, if your soil is deficient in lime, it is a 
good practice to scatter ground oyster shell 
or ground limestone between the rows. This 
releases essential elements in the soil and 
makes fine strong delphiniums. 
Do not forget that hybrid delphiniums are 
native to the cool climates of the world, and 
if your region is unfavorable, it is best to 
grow them as annuals or biennials, and start 
a new crop every year. In the Columbia Eiver 
Valley, they like light shade; farther north, 
very little, and farther south, a great deal 
more. 
"WHEELER CROFT" Delphiniums and Violas 
AGNES A. WHEELER • PLANT BREEDER 6123 S. E. 18 th Ave., PORTLAND, ORE. 
