Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-29
FARM GARDEN DEPARTMENT. POULTRY


/ There are no other towering plants
! adapted To so wide q range of uses as
! the begonias. Outdoors. in the sun
| and in the shade. for edges, in solid
masses, or for borders where the
4 beauty of the individual flower is de-
sired. on The porch, in verapda boxes
and inside, winter and summer. for
! flowers or for foliage, and, what is
more valuable still, for Il combination
! Of both--for all these uses there are
/ Legonias that give the greatest satis-
faction. They are, too, as q general
/ thing, healthy plants, and. except that
! they require a fairly warm atmos-
/ phere, are as easy to grow success
/ fully as almost any plant there is.
The fbrous-roOted group is by far
/ the most important, as il includes the
/ best OF the towering sorts for both
4 house culture and outdoor bedding
/ The range of fiower-forms and foliage
/ is very wide, and the colors. which
/ include all shades of white, pink and
red, are ali most attractive. In habit
OF growth the iibrous sorts are for the
most part upright and branching
! forming bush like plants of much
/ grace ana wonderful beauty when
/ covered with their profusion OF
! flowers born freely, in many cases
| from one end Of the year TO the other
/ The tuberous-rooted type is not 50
! we'll known. but is becoming more
| popular every year, due largely to the
! fact that recent improvements in the
| flowers have placed them among the
most beautiful of all Towering plants
! In habit of growth they are stocky
and upright, the thiciS. succulent
| stalks attaining a height under good
conditions OF from one to one and
| half feet. covered densely with the
| large thick leaves, which are very at
! tractiVe in both shape and coloring,
The individual flowers of the tuber-
ous-rooted sorts are more beautiful
than those of the tibrous-rooted sorts,
some of the new ones having bios
! SONS that measure over five inches
and are wonderfully fun and fringed.
The new double-fringed while not so
large, are even more beautiful.
1t Is a rather difficult operation to
start the tuberous sorts from seed,
and unless one has every facility for
handling the delicate little plants. it
will be much better to get good.
strong tubers from the florists. These
are placed on damp moss. concave
side up, and put in a warm place until
they start, and then potted UP, IA
single bulb to a pot. The best results
will be obtained by using at first pots
only slightly larger than the bulbs
and shifting them until each plant
oils five or siX-inch pot using soil
very light and quick, such as one
made up of old, spent manure, ioam
and sand. Or the started plants,
which by the first OF June will be
blooming in four-inch pots. may be
set outdoors in well-drained bed.
IN partial shade. They bloom freely
until frost, or until much later if kepl
In pots, so they may be taken inside,
and are then taken up, dried Off thor
ouRhly and stored away in some dry,
moderately warm place, packed in
sand or sawdust until wanted for next,
years bloom.
The reX-leaved begonias, or old
fashioned "beef-steak geraniums''-
what a delightfully."- fanciful, poetic !
sobriquet!-are among the most
beautiful of the ornamental loaVcd |
plants that can be grown without the
agency of a greenhouse or conserva-
tory. The flowers, while not conspic- |
uous. add their charm to the glorious |
effect of the richly veined and mottled |
leaves. Dne of the valuable features |
of these exquisite plants is their |
longevity good specimen lasting |
for years, If well kept, and attractive
for 365 days In the year. With such
a wealth of material to choose from,
il Is no wonder that the amateur
sometimes makes mistakes in select
ing the begonias he may need for any
special purpose Where due care is
exercised In making selections they
are almost certain to prove very satls-
factory plants for any of tho several
purposes mentioned below.
Begonias for the House.
OF the Towering begonias that do
well in the house there are two types
the stiff. upright, towering, such as
the weIl-known Metallica with it's
dark green velvety foliage and soft
rosy-white flowers, and the pendant,
profuse boomers, such as Gloire de
Lorraine, with its wonderful mass OF
light pink flowers. usually grown In
hanging baskets, which you have seen
in florists windows at Christmas
time, even If you have never been
tempted to have one sent home. The
first of these two types is much the
more satisfactory for everyday pur-
poses. They are very easily cared for,
bloom continuously through winter
and summer, and may be kept for
years. Metallca, already mentioned