The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-05-04
CONCERNING THE POPPY.
Having Tap Roots, They Do Not Bear
Transplanting-The Beauty of
s--ssr..l Various Varieties.

The glorious and gaudy army O.
peoples make a brave marshalling I'M
der a midsummer sun. There is nc
floral sight more brilliant in color
than a garden OF peoples in full bloom.
The petals are SO thin and delicate nc
insect can alight on them. and the
transitory nature of the bloom has
caused the flower to be used by the
poets to point the brief endurance
of the joys of the senses. But like
joy. they're worth having even ii they
don't last long, and no garden is COM
plete without them.
Poppies have tap-roots and seeds
must be sowed where the plants are
to bloom. And they will bloom any
where. Any place which would ordi-
narily be occupied by woods may be
safely given over to peoples. There
are many kiRds-the Shirley, Iceland,
Alpine, Oriental, California-and they
are all good; they are double, single,
fringed, tall and short, annual and
perennial, and they're all worth while.
Shirley poppies are perhaps the IA
vorite. They are so daintily, delicate
ly. beautiful. as to merit the term
flowers" The Iceland peoples are
rather more robust; they are classed
as perennial, but like hollyhocks, the
seed should be sowed every second
year. In this species are to be had
the most splendid yellow flowers of. the
poppy family-if we except the Esch-
scholtzia, which does not actually be-
long to the same genus as the COM
non poppy. Iceland peoples will bloom
the first season from seed if started
in the hotbed or house; the colOrs are
white, yellow and orange.
To my mind the single peoples are
far more beautiful than the double
varieties, though many admire the
big, 7peony-fiavored kinds, some OF
which have their petals cut and
fringed in fantastic fashion. They
are certainly very SNOWY in the gar
Gen, as they stand fully three feet
high, and give large, imposing flow
ers, often five or six inches across.
produced in early summer.
The eschscholtzia, or California pop
Ply, loves the sun and stands heat
like little salamander. 1t, too, should
be sown where it is to flower. 1t
i blooms freely and keeps it up all
summer. All the peoples bloom more
continuously if cut freely. They are
not generally much esteemed as cut
flowers, but il cut early in the morn
ing, just as they are about to unfold,
they will open and last several days,
and new buds will soon replace those
cut. The Iceland peoples are most
esteemed for this purpose, and will last
in favoring conditions for four or
five days.
Poppy seed is very fine and difficult
to sow thinly enough in consequence.
A good plan is to mix the contents
of adpacket of seed with teacupful
ofasand and scatter it on soil that has
been raked mellow and fine, then press
it in with board. Sow as soon as
the ground is fit. When the seed
lings appear thin them so they will
stand about a foot apart. If peoples
are crowded they will throw up a
few slender stems bearing few flow
ers; given room, they branch freely
and produce more flowers and for a
longer time. 1t has been said that
poppy seed sowed in August gives
richer-colored flowers than that .sowed
in the spring.-Michigan Farm and
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