The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-13
FLOWERS AND
 FLOWER LOVERS

The following short article has been contributed to this department by one
 of our readers:
 Prepare For Convention. At a meeting of the program com mittee of the Montgomery Flower
 Association yesterday afternoon, at the home of Mrs. R. c. Clarke, on Park View avenue, R. S. Macintosh. State Horticulturist, gave an interesting talk on the subject of flowers and their cul- ture, and conferred with the commit tee about a program on "Floriculture" for the State Horticultural Society, which will meet in Montgomery Feb ruary 6-7
 The members of the Flower Growers Association will attend the meeting of the State Horticultural Society in a fbody on the morning of February 6. the first day of the meeting. Following Is the program In part which has been arranged by the Flow CT Growers Committee for the Horti- cultural meeting:
 Paper-"our Organization and What We Hope to Dc. Mrs. w. A. Gayle. Paper-"Chrysanthe J. l.. Cobbs. Paper-"sweet Peas"--Mr. and Mrs, M. c. Scott.
 Paper-..Native Shrubs Miss E. P. Andrews, author of "Botany all the Year Around"
 Paper-"Roses and their Culture"- w. B. Paterson, Jr.
 The program will be completed later and a number of other interest" ing subjects to flower growers will be discussed.
 The Christmas Narcissus and Its Cui- ture.
 To an old woman who counts her past by it's decades. the Christmas Narcissus Is a new flower. remember the February narcissus that grew in my grandmother's garden, also the pheasant's eye that ushered in the
 ever saw or heard of the Christmas
 narcissue until the eighties. Of course, like every woman who
 sees new and pretty thing, 10 l ordered I planted them under the caves of a southeastern wall. where they could get
 most of the morning sun. At nature 2
 bidding, they appeared, and bloomed
 beautifully.
 I was delighted, and considered my new possessions as lifelong treasures that could appear and brighten each
 successive fall. Next November the green frond broke the autumn earth and grew luxuriantly. but there. were
 no flower stems. no spotless blooms Disappointed, I sought florist. who
 knew so well every plant and nower. and, to my eager question, Why did replied. My dear madam. your narcus- sue did not perfect their bulbs the pre- vious year. It is a law that governs all bulb life, that before they return the clements whatever is necessary for the perfect bulb germ. The exposure you gave your narcissus did not have enough, either of the sunshine or the rain"
 I thought then--I have thought often since--what lesson for we poor, struggling mortals: and here let me suggest to the Sewanee and Wesleyan theologues, that they join some flower lovers association and learn something
 The grass of the field that today Is and tomorrow is cut down. Is old. and
 has lost through the ages It's fnspira- tion. Tell your fair listeners who hope some day to be clad in immortal robes, bright and still brighter, that the promise of renewed glory to, the bulb after it has arisen from it's long sleep Is in exact prooprtion to it's activities during it's brief life of the previous year. It must then have absorbed all the sunshine possible. turned its petals to the refreshing rains and bowed un- broken beneath the storm wind.
 Now what are the practical lessons to be gathered from my experience and from my moralizing? It is that now is the day and this the hour to work with the Christmas narcissus Prepare the bulb now for it's mission in the fall Of 1907. If the January rains do not de- scend, give 1t frequent showers of our clear artesian water. Let 1t bask in all the sunshine possible, and even if the earth is dark and rich around. scat. ter and dig in some of our great local fertilizer. cotton seed meal. Then l guarantee that next fall the green fronds will break through the autumn clods, the flower stems arise, and, capped with an enlarged and beautiful blossorn. perform their mission, even before the bright star appears In the east, that lovely mission of heralding the birth of our Prince who is our res urrection and life. M A.