The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-06-16
CONCERNING THE POPPY.
Having Tap Roots, They Do Not Bear
Transplanting-The Beauty of
Various Varieties.

The glorious and gaudy army of
peoples make Il brave ma%rshalling I'm
der u midsummer sun. There is no
floral sight more brilliant in color
than a garden of poppics in full bloom.
The petals are 50 Thin and delicate no
insect can aiighl 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 if they
don't last long. and no garden j. COM
plctc without them.
Poppies have tap-roo;S and seeds
must be sowed whore the plants are
10 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 kinds-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 peoples are perhaps the IA
vorite. They are 50 daintily. delicate
~ beautiful as to merit the term
sometimes applied to them, fairy
flowers. The Iceland pOppi"S are
rather more robust; they are classed
as perennial. but like ~holiyhocks. the
seed should be sowed every second
year. In this species are to he had
the most splendid yellow flowers Of the
poppy family-if we except the Esch-
sChOltZia, which does not actually pc
long to the same genus as the COM
mon poppy. Iceland pUppies 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, peony-tiavored kinds, some OF
which have their petals cut and
Irin2ed in Il fantastic fashion. They
are certainly very SNOWY in the gar
den, as they stand fully three feet
high. ana give large, imposing flow
ers, often five or six inches across,
produced in early summer.
The eschscholrzia. or California pop
py, loves the SUI and stands heat
like a little salamandcr. II, too, should
he Sown where it is to flower. It
blooms freely and keeps ii up all
summer. All the peoples bloom more
continuously il cut freely. They are
not generally much esteemed as cut
flowers, but if 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 mos
esteemed for this purpose. and will las
in favoring conditions for -four on
five days.
Poppy seed is very fine and Difficult.
to SOW thinly enough in consequence
A good plan Is to mix the content,
of Il packet of seed with a @teacupfu
OF sand and scatter ii on soil that ha.
been raked mellow and fine, then pres!
it in with Il board. Sow as o O a.
the ground is 1T. When the seed
lin"s appear thin them so the. vii
stand about q foot apart. II pOppie.
are crowded they viii throw up
few slender stems bearing few flow
er%; given room, they branch frecl,
ana produce more flowers and for ,
Longer time. II has been said tina
! poppy seed SOWcd in August give.
I rich"r-"ul"r"d flowers than that sowr,
IN he" spring. Michigan Farm Glc
/ Live C,rfL