Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-01

A frlend OF mine mas a Gamma Deu
about twelve feet across at the side Of
his house. After putting the bulbs in for
several years the c1umps became so
large that he was obliged to give many
of them away to his neighbors, says a
writer in the Garden Magazine. The
idea came to him one day that perhaps
he could sell some of the bulbs, and he
was astounded at the quickness with
which his first lot was bought. He
then sold in clumps, but experience
has taught him it is better to divide
the bulbs into fair sized pieces. He
grows only the red-leaved variety, for
which there is always a demand, and
attributes the ready sale to the excel
lent condition of the bulbs, from which
he makes between So and $40 each
season.
PLENTY of water is necessary during
the growing season, and the bed should
be we'll drained. Mix with the soil a
good supply of leaf mold and plenty of
coarse sand.
After the growing season the bulbs
are lifted from the ground and left In
the air for few days to dry. They
are then spread on the cellar floor
and left there for some days longer SO
as to insure perfect dryness. The earth
is then rubbed off and the bulbs stored
away in sand and in boxes which are
piled on shelves for the winter months.
Thev are inspected frequently to see
that no dampness, which speedily ruins
Gamma bulbs, has crept in.
It is the winter storage that deter
mines the condition of the clumps in
the spring If they are taken from the
ground in the fall and put in some cor
ner that is not frost-proof or Where
the heat will be oppressive, the clumps
will show rot or shriveling. If, on the
other hand, they are thoroughly dried
after being taken from the ground, and
afterward packed away in sand and
occasionally inspected during the win
ter to guard against rot, the clumps
will surely be plump and in good con-
dition in the spring, at which time tney
are divided and most of them sold.
NV friend divides the c1umps March
l and plunges the divisions into the
sand. He markets them April ID. He
never sets the bulbs in the ground be-
fore June l.
Cannas are propagated by division, a
good-sized clump making a dozen or
more new plants These, in the course
of a year or two, can be again divided;
the process continues year after year,
the plants being multiplied indefinitely.
AS a center for formal flower beds
there is probably no plant more uni
versally used than the Gamma, and II
Is also very effective when planted
singly or in groups in the border, the
brilliant colors of the flowers and mas
sive foliage showing particularly well
against a background of green. Gamma
bulbs always command a good price
in the spring, and there is never an
oversupply of really good stock.
IF the suckers are removed from
sweet corn, much better ears will be
made. :.
Air-slaked lime and fine table salt
is recommended to kill cabbage worms
1t should be applied early in the morn
ing. while the dew Is on the plants,
A good plan is to punch a few holes In
the bottom of baking powder can, and
then fill the can partly full of dry
lime and salt.
Plant early, smooth varieties of the
pea, just as soon as the ground can be
worked.
Scarlet oaks hold their leaves all
winter on fiat, poor land, like pine
barrens, but not on hillsides where
they have good SOIL
A love of flowers shows delicacy of
sentiment for other things. 1t would
be difficult for one to love rose and
not the lark. Children should never be
allowed to pick flowers, even in the
feds. merely to throw them away.
They should be taught early rever-
ence for the beauty of the flower and
to care for them tenderlv. 1t gives a
valuable moral lesson and leads to a
taste and feeling which will give many
glad hours later Children all take a
delight In gardening; make this an In
telligent delight.