17 
THE BEAUTIFUL FRANKLINIA 
At long last the rarest of native Amer- 
ican flowering trees. Franklinia alata- 
maha, is gaining the recognition it so aptly 
deserves. 
Several factors probably can be attri- 
buted to this steadily growing acclaim. (1) 
We Americans are becoming better gard- 
eners, and as our knowledge increases, it 
naturally follows that appreciation of fin- 
er garden adornment also increases. (2) To 
meet this demand the nursryman is in- 
creasing his production. 
Regardless of the season, Franklinia 
carries itself with the sort of distinction 
which sets it apart. Fifteen years ago. 
when I saw its sumptuous white cupg, 
filled with their mass of bright orange 
stamens, spangling the nursery plantation 
on a Long Island side road, the sight nearly 
occasioned a wreck. This past fall, walking 
through the vast lath houses of a large nur- 
sery, my pulse quickened at the sight of 
a block of 300 small plants in brilliant 
crimson autumn garb. It gave me a feeling 
of pride that this distinctive American 
stood with rare exotics of the world, 
and carried itself with so princely an air 
that it was impossible not to sense its 
refinement and charm. 
One does not garden many days before 
learning that plants, like people, have de- 
finite likes and dislikes. To achieve the 
fullest development, plants must be situat- 
ed in congenial surroundings. 
Demands an Acid Soil 
Franklinia belongs, in its unswerving de- 
mand for a footing in acid soil, with the 
rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, vaccin- 
ium, shortia, galax, Epigaea repens, and 
others of that select company which re- 
fuse to compromise on this point. To at- 
tempt its growth in soil with an alkaline 
reaction is useless, unless one is willing to 
correct this condition. 
If the soil is known to be alkaline, be- 
fore planting it can be excavated to a 
depth of 18 to 24 inches, and the tesulting 
hole filled with a mixture of two parts 
hard wood leaf-mold to one part peat 
moss. The leaf-mold should not be toa 
completely broken down, but rather in a 
partially decomposed state with some 
course leafage. A suggested alternate 
mixture could be two parts moss and one 
part sandy loam. 
Another problem which confronts the 
grower is an unfavorable location or an 
alkaline water supply. If alkaline, constant 
watering will eventually neutralize a pre- 
pared acid soil. 
Mulch with Peat Moss 
When Franklinia is planted, and it will 
stand full sun or light shade, a two inch 
mulch of peat moss should be applied 
annually around the plant. This acts as 
a moisture seal, and protects the mass of 
fine surface roots from drying winds. 
It goes without saying that Franklinia, as 
with rhododendrons and azaleas, no tools 
should be used to weed or cultivate; only 
the fingers when necessary. 
While the preceeding paragraphs have 
stated Franklinia’s definite demand for 
an acid soil, it can be grown in an open, 
well drained soil, by using aluminum sulph- 
ate, obtainable at most seed stores. How 
often aluminum sulphate should be used 
depends on the degree of alkalinity which 
must be corrected and the size of plant 
to be treated. Soil testing kits are avail- 
By D. Todd Gresham 
able for this purpose. 
I have applied, with complete success, 
one teaspoon of aluminum sulphate per 
gallon of water, and one teacup of Vigoro 
iy 
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dissolved in four gallons of water, on alt- 
ernate weeks, over a period of 3 months, 
to a 4 foot plant practically dead from 
being in a limey soil. 
Today there are several prepared 
ulous fertilizers which are good. 
gives excellent results. 
Franklinia has proven hardy on Long 
Island, New York, and in sheltered spots 
around Boston. A native of Georgia, and 
a fall bloomer, by nature it is in active 
growth late in autumn. In climates where 
{ts hardiness is questionable, it Wwoula 
“Our Optimism 
The publication of a flower magazine like 
ours, requires a lot of effort, expense and 
capital, many delays and disappointments 
and | have wondered many a time if the effort 
was worth it all, especially in the upside times 
25 million people have voted us into. 
Regardless of what one would think, the 
costs are too high and especially is this so 
in the printing trade. To meet part of this 
we have installed our own plant, but as we 
only are printing our own magazine, it has 
been too expensive to emnloy a full set of 
acid- 
RAC 
be well to withhold fertilizer after Aug- 
ust, and moderate watering, to allow the 
plant to harden-off and reduce the possibil-- 
ity of damage from freezing. 
(NOTE: Mr. Gresham is the best posted 
grower of this beautiful and rare tree. I 
wonder why Georgians have not long ago 
taken this native tree as their state flower 
for no other state has a flower strictly its 
own, In a former issue we printed the un- 
usual history of this tree and how it waa 
nearly lost entirely. All the trees now 
known have come from seed from one tree 
grown in Philadelphia. Harry E. Saier. 
Why Not Grow Some Trees Yourself? 
SEED: We can furnish seed of the Frank- 
linia. The seed is very scarce and hard to 
get. .PRICE: 10 seeds, 50¢; 25 seeds, $1.00; 
100 seeds, $3.75, post paid. 
Sadily Strained” 
printers until we actually get started and 
thus one thing after another has caused de- 
lays, so that we have already missed too many 
issues. | However, we have kept to the orig- 
inaly plan and now can proceed with an issue 
each month. 
We have received many letters as to why 
a catalog has not been mailed. Most of these 
have been considerate; a very few not. It 
has been difficult to answer these letters and 
I have been afraid that I might be making ex- 
(Continued on page 18) 
