Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-05-29
JOBSoN's FINE BULBS.

1t was only about TWO months a8o
Mr.. Jobson stormed around the house
and made a terrific uproar because
Mrs. Jobson had bought about $l.75
worth of Towering plantsin pots at the
market.
MADAM" he sternly inquired of
Mrs. Jobson on that occasion, "do you
labor under the hallucination that
your husband is the owner of a dozen
or SO of 100000 barrels-per-hOur
gushers in the Beaumont oil fields?
Dye imagine that I'm at the head of
the beet sugar interest in this coun-
try?"
"But," said Mrs. Jobson, "just a
few little plants to make the house
look cheerfnl-"
Cheerful nothing" broke in Mr..
Jobson. "The blossomsll all drop
off those measley geraniums and aza-
leas and things within "a hours, and
then the plantsll begin to crinkle up,
and inside of three days they'll be
deader' salt mackerels."
Mr.. Jobson's predictions as to the
short-lived character of Mrs. Jobsou g
plants didn't come true. In fact, Mrs.
Jobson was just engaged in watering
them few evenings later when there
was ring at the front door bell. Mr..
Jobson answered the bell. The indi-
vidual on the Stoop, as Mr.. Jobson per-
ceived in the dim light, was arrayed
in the uniform of bluejacket of the
United States Navy. The bluej acket
seemed to have pretty plausible way
about him.
Good evening, Mr.. Jobson," he
said, as soon as Mr.. Jobson had
opened the door. II was told to-day
by Mr.. Blank" naming well-known
business man to whom Mr.. Jobson
had been under more or less obhga-
ton, "that you are interested in rare
kinds of foreign plants. "
"Um-yes," said Mr. Jobson, a bit
surprised, but fattered that the we'll
known business man should have had
him in mind in connection with such
connoisseurship. Come in, and Mr..
Jobson held the door open inviting
ly. The man in the sailors uniform
stepped into the hall. He was a
bronzed, shrewd-looking chap. Under
his arm he held a small package.
"Well," went on the man in the
tar's makeup, I've just got back
to Washington, my home, from a
cruise to the China seas, and I've
brought a number of specimens OF
Chinese bulbous plants back with me.
"That so?" inquired Mr.. Jobson'
somewhat interested to be engaged in
conversation with a heavy-weather
chap who had been 50 far from home.
"Yes, sir" replied the man in the
deep-water rig, "and I've brought a
few of the specimens along with me,
and he proceeded to unwrap the pack
age.
The package contained about a
dozen round, brownish-lOoking, rather
dirty bulbs. The individual with the
saltwater makeup picked one of them
out and held it up to the light be-
tween his thumb and forefnger.
"This one" he said, belongs to
,, the family Chinkalensis Bloomerionus.
It's about the most rapid-growing
bulbous plant known in the foricul-
ture of China. All you have to do is
to plant it about three inches deep in
pot and set in the sur, water it a
couple of times day, and inside of a
week or so an orchid-like blossom, in
three distinct colors, makes it appear
ance, seeming to grow right out Of the
loam."
"Well, III be dingedr" exclaimed
Mr.. Jobson, taking the bulb and ex-
amining it curious!y. That's quick
action for fellows money, isn't ;t?''
"Yes, sir, complacently- replied
the man with the tar's uniform. "The
beauty of it is that's the only speci-
men of the Chinkalensis Bloomerionus
now in the United States, and the sup
erintendent of the Botanical Gardens
here has been trying to get hold Of a
specimen, they tell me, for years. AL
of these other specimens belong to the
family MongOlOsua Gopherbolgus. You
plant them just the same as the other
only it takes EN- about ten days to
bloom. Inside of a week, however
they attain the size Of large rubber
plants, and the flower, good deal
ike purple pansy, sheds fragrance
like that of the Sicilian violet"
"BJee, that's odd, now, for fact 7
said Mr.. Jobson. "Mrs. Jobson," he