The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-15
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ANTIRRHINUMs.
~ w. u. COLsON.

Each Sunday I have read with much
interest your notes on gardening and
Horticulture and would suggest that
these notes from time to time DO COM
piled In book form and published.
Unfortunately many Of the seed cata-
logues published take II for granted
that most people have a knowledge of
gardening In oil its branches and
devote the greater part OF their pages
to beautiful descriptions rather than
practical instructions.
Your articles on the aster were most
admirable. but after all. the aster, for
the amateur to grow, Is more often
than otherwise . most disappointing
flower. its diseases are hard to over.
come. Il should be planted In Q differ
ent location each year. and II one In
fortunate enough to obtain beautiful
blooms they are often attacked by the
black beetle and destroyed before you
have . chance to pick them of, which
10 the only way to get rid Of them.
Then too the blooming period IL COM
paratively short.
To my mind the most attractive flower
for the amateur to grow is the antir
rhlnum. or snap dragon. When handled
by tho merest tyro 1t will give results
not to be obtained by any other plant.
Artistically II Ia more attractive than
the astcr and many times easier to
grow. will last as long when cut for
the home. Its foliage will not turn
yellow: and II will flower from
early summer. In fact spring. until Gu
down by frost, and even after the flrsi
frosts.
In color Il ranges through all shades
and combinations OF co,ors. from pale
pink to the deepest crimson, and re
Gently lavender shades have been In.
troduced You will find beautiful sal
mons, salmon and pink fine yellows. in
fact all sorts OF most beautiful mix
lures. and when you consider that the
snap dragon Is subject to scarcely any
OF the usual diseases, nor Is II attacked
when grown out doors by the numerous
aphides or bugs from which other plants
suffer. will stand the hottest and driest
kind of weather, and always look green
and healthy--adding to this Its ease OF
culture from seed and you cannot ask
for more from any flower.
The new varieties when well grown
will give spikes three feet tall with
quantities Of flowers.
The seed catalogues speak OF the
snap dragon as a perennial. This may
be so, but I have not had that expe-
rience. Either rs biennial or as an
nual, It gives equal satisfaction, but
blooms earlier as a biennial
The snap dragon Is grown exactly
the same as the pansy and requires no
more protection durinS the winter.
To those who have cod frames the
seeds should he planted in August or
early September in finely prepared
seed beds. The seed Ii very small and
simply wants covering. After preparing
the bed I wet It thoroughly and after
a few minutes SOW the seed over the
surface I then cover with sand ana
press down thoroughly with nat
board. IL the board Is left over the
seeds, place a small piece Of wood under
each end of the board. raising II say
one-quarter to one-haH inch above the
ground. Tho seeds will not need water
ing again until they are showing
through, at which time he board must
be removed and a lattice placed over
the seedlings. say foot from the
ground. to prevent them from burning
or drying up.
In about three or four weeks these
seedlings will be large enough to ne
transplant to the cold frames, where
they viii remain all winter, standing
the hardest freezes and early in the
spring will have made fine plants ready
Tor the flower beds, where they Will
bloom all summer.
The seedlings should be planted about
four inches each way In the cold
frames In tho garden from fourteen
TO eighteen inches apart
To those without cold frames 1t Is
needless to talk hot beds. so viii take
up their culture US ANIMALS. Early In
March II sown in shallow pans or boxes
Of finely prepared soil and placed In
sunny window they will make nne
plants, ready to plant out as soon as
settled weather has arrived, and from
then on will be In constant bloom.
"