Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-09-22
Floral Suggestions for September.

Prepare pots of vines and climbers for
your window garden. Do not attempt to
winter old verbena plants. In fact, do
not attempt to winter verbena plants of
any kind. But if you will start new
plants from small cuttings. pot in small
pots and after getting well established.
keep very close to the glass. Cut ever
lasting flowers before quite opened, and
dry in a cool, airy. but shady place.
Cut the Gladioli stalks before they have
a chance to ripen seed. or the bulbs will
be injured. but encourage growth of fol-
iage as that means stronger bulbs for
next years planting. Before very hard
frosts lift. and leave with the foliage on
in some light, dry place. After the fol-
iage is ripe, cut off nearly to the bulb Cor
corn.) Store the bulbs in dry frost proof
cellars or closets, away from the rats and
mice. Plants in tubs and vases out of
doors may be kept in bloom after the
garden flowers are frost-killed. by protec-
ting with blankets or newspapers on cold
nights and not overwatered days.
Give budded chrysanthemums liquid
manure once or twice each week. Keep
the foliage clean and do not allow the
winds to treat them badly Take garden
soil, sand. leaf mold and old well-rotted
manure, equal parts. mix thoroughly, and
after you are quite sure it is just as well
mixed as it can be, go over it again as
thoroughly as before Put away in bar
res or boxes in the cellar and no visions
of frozen ground or mud will disturb your
dreams of potting, repotting and seed
sowing.
September is preeminently the mont,
for bulb planting, tho success will follow
later planting of good bulbs. Buy good
bulbs and only good ones, of reliable deal
erS. AlG
First among the bulbs (for mel for
house culture, come the hyacinths, first
among the hyacinths are the single ones
and first among the single hyacnths are
the following. Amy, early medium sized
flowers, clear carmine red.
Il I,rIr 1Nl, .l,;X
ter.
Gertrude, the loveliest of them all. Lii
lac pink. striped carmne. Odor almost
idenrlcal with the far-famed magnolia.
Grand Marvel, large spikes of blush
white bells. A grand sort.
La Franchise, large pale pink turning
to white. Petals very broad, flowers
measuring two inches across.
Mad Wander Hoop. Medium size. Pure
snowy white.
Mad. Hodson. the exact color of the La
France rose, sat tiny sivery pink.
Pure Dor. creamy yellow. the best yell
low among hyacinths.
Norma. Very early, very large and
very pink.
Lord Macauley bright red with white
center. Very large spike.
Voltaire, creamy white, delicate dainty
Roman hyacinths are smaller than the
Dutch just described. but each bulb
throws up so many spikes of flowers
that a few in a six inch pot will be a
crowded mass of bloom. They are earlier
than the others and can easily be had in
bloom at Christmas. They are white,
blue, red, pink and a very pale yellow in
color.
For a succession of bloom plant hya-
cinths at intervals of two weeks from the
first of September till the last of Novem-
ber
Hyacinth culture. Ordinary garden
soil, and clean sand at hand the work is
FhnN h1.
in small pots or by the quantity in larg-
er ones. First little drainage in the bot
tom of the pot, then nearly fill with soil.
and with trOwel or the fingers, SCOOP
out cavity for each bulb, put q spoonful
of sand in each cavity on which set the
bulbs. Draw the soil around the bulbs.
jar the pots to settle it, using enough to
just cover the tops of the bulb. Never
the earth beneath them, checks root
growth. and when the roots do start the
bulb is thrown out of the soil and is near
ly ruined.
After ,potting. water until the soil is
thoroughly moistened, not wet and mud
dy. Put in cool dark closet or cellar.
preferably the latter. to grow their
roots. Cover so the mice cannot get
them. Leave in seclusion until the tops
are surely two inches high. Then bring
to light and warmth, but not heat or
sunshine until the flower bud is so high
you can see at least one inch of the stalk
DelOW the BUDS ana above the bulb.
While the bulbs are roofing look at them
occasionally to see if they are getting
dry. Give just enough water to keep
moist If kept too wet the bulbs will rot.
if kept too dry they will shrivel. The
blossoms will remain perfect much longer
if kept out of the sun and where it is cool
after blooming.
Tulips and crOcus treated in the manner
suggested for hyacinths. are lovely win
ter boomers, but are very impatient of
too much warmth and too dry an atmos-
phere
Many other bulbs are suitable for win
ter Towering. The jonquils. narcissus,
Tritileia snowdrops. scillias Albums,
ixias. oxalis fritillarias. not to mention
the lilies, all of which, except the Chinese
Sacred lily-may be treated as are hya-
cnths The sacred lilies may be planted
in water sand or soil, and must need to
be kept in the dark" only few days.
when they may be placed directly in the
sunniest or shadiest window you have
Thorn