Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-14
Growing GladIoll and Cosmos

Will you kindly tell me if gladioli
are difficult to raise? Could l plant
them in boxes on our roof? Will you
tell me something about the proper
soil, depth of boxes and their culture?
Also about cosmos; do they require
any special soil? The soil in our yard
is reddish and seems to have much
clay in it. Would appreciate some in
formation about their culture.
Thanking you in advance, l am,
Newark, e. S.
Gladioli are very easy to raise and
you can grow them in boxes on your
roof, providing you make holes in the
boxes to give them good drainage.
Boxes should be at least a foot deep.
Gladioli can be planted at any time
after the frost is out of the ground,
say from the middle of April, in this
latitude, to the middle of May or even
later. We have had very good re-
suits when planting the bulbs during
the first ten days in June, and, unless
the locality is visited by very early
frosts, flowers will open before the
frost comes if the bulbs are not put
into the ground until the first of July.
few varieties will bloom in from
seventy five to eighty days from the
date of planting, but most sorts re-
quire about ninety days.
Any fairly rich garden soil will be
found suitable, or soil that will grow
corn or potatoes, but If the soil is not
fertile it may be enriched with barn
manure, or with any complete fer
tilizer.
For top dressing, after the plants
are above the ground, sheep manure
or hardwood ashes and ground bone
Will be effective. When buds begin
to show color an application of liquid
manure about once q week will inn
prove the blooms. The plants require
plenty of water and plenty of sun
shine.
The depth at which bulbs should be
planted has occasioned considerable
controversy, but we have found that
a depth of four to six inches gives
good results. Plant about three or
four inches apart.
In the autumn the bulbs should be
dug and dried thoroughly, and then
stored in cool place, where the frost
Will not reach them.
Cosmos requires a sandy soil, but
one not too rich. If your soil is q
reddish clay, perhaps they will do
well if you will mix some sand with
1t. They require plenty of sun.
Cosmos is one OF the favorite tall
tbilhdl1 Luz lhlt DlOOllis us
worst fault is its lateness of bloom
too frequently nipped in it's youth by
the early frosts. A dwarf form, four
to five feet high, blooms in July. Sow
the seed indoors in April and trans
plant outdoors after danger of frost
is past. Pinch back the leading
shoots to induce more bushy growth.
Breeders of Brahmas.
] read with much interest your ar
ticle No. 8, who's Who in Poultry"
and would like to know if you can
possibly give me the addresses of
breeders of both light and dark
Brahmas from whom | could get
eggs for Matching; also please tell the
price per setting. Thanking you in
advance, JOE G. D.
Bloomfield.
First ask the poultry breeders and
supply houses who advertise on the
classified page of the Star today If
they can supply you with light or
dark Brahma eggs, or If they can get
them for you. If not the following
are breeders of light Brahmas:
George A. Hicks, Pittsford, N. Y;
Carol Loring, Dedham, Mass; Jo-
seph Mason, Newton Upper Falls,
Mass, and Haystack Mountain Farm,
Norfolk, Conn.
A well known breeder of dark
Brahmas is Thomas Perrine. Lebanon.
O. The prices of eggs per setting
varies from 81 to SO for fifteen eggs.
Reporting CycIamen.
When is the proper time to repot
cyclamen. and how often should they
be shifted? MRS. T. w.
Newark
Cyclamen may be repoted after the
Towering period. They must not be
allowed to become ot-bound, and
the matured plant should have a five
six or seven inch pot.
Tulips Failure TO Bud.
My potted tulips do not seem to
make buds this month, as usual. The
leaves are tall and healthy. What is
the reason? r. j.
Belleville.
Your potted tulips have probably
had too much heat They should be
brought into the warmth gradually
and placed in a cool part of the room.
Try holding some Of them back now.
Keep them out of the sun until the
buds are well formed.
Flowers and Plants for Porch Boxes.
viii you oblige by recommending
a collection of flowers for five or six
foot boxes on a porch?
Montclair. p. 7. K.
Each box should contain three red
and three white Towering geraniums
set alternately through the length
wise centre Edge them with alter
mating clusters of alyssum and be-
gonias, and then plant three or four
trailing vines OF variegated- leayed
vincas (Ylnca variegata) along either
side Of the boxes. This arrangement
is simple, easily grown, and beauti-
full
Quick Growing Vines.
L should like to know what quick
growing and also beautiful Towering
vine you advise to cover an insight
ly fence. The soil is poor and the
fence is about seventy-f1ve feet in
length.
Elizabeth. K. G.. b.
Plant either the scarlet runner bean
or the hyacinth bean along the fence.
Plant the seeds, or beans, about six
inches away from the fence and
about three or four inches apart.
Then let them alone. When the scar
let runner reaches the top of the
fence clip off the tips, and it will
produce a beautiful mass of bright
scarlet flowers. The beans are large
and tender, and are excellent for
cooking, after they are removed from
the large, coarse pods.
Lunaria or Honesty Seeds.
/ should very much like to know if I
could get seeds or plants of honesty,
or lunaria. to put into my garden
this summer, as they are beautiful,
and any information you can give me
would be thankfully received.
Newark b. e. A.
You can purchase lunaria, or hon
esty. seeds in ten-cent packets from
any reliable seed merchant. Plant
them during May in any ordinary
i