The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-01


 Hemerocallis is the botanical name for hardy race of plants gem erally termed lemon lilies or yellow day lilies. Some of you will be sur prised to know that the blossoms of this plant go to sleep or close at night. They have their wild parties during the day time. In this resp sct they differ somewhat from modern society. but then the plant is an ancient one, it's very name being Greek and meaning beautiful by day.
 There are a number of varieties of the hemerocallis the most common of which is flava, a sweet scented. clear. full yellow and is the distinct one known especially as lemon lily. Another splendid variety is fulva, a coppery orange, shaded with crim- son and is often spoken of as the brown day lily. The variety, Dr. Degel. is dwarf sort with large, sweet scented. deep orange colored blooms. Thunbergii Is a tall, late Towering sort, bearing clear yellow flowers, that are flattened at he ex- tremities Florham is a tall. early Towering sort. with large trumpet flowers, combining two distinct shades of yellow. All of these diff ferent sorts will grow most anywhere and are easily naturalized in any sI.- uation. will take care of themselves and persist indefinitely. They will stand considerable shade and are very striking along the banks of dltches or small streams. Dormant plants are available ih November and De- cember and may be set out then or very early in spring.
 Questions and Answers
 .. There is a rule about the quan- tity of lawn grass to SOW to a given space but have forgotten it. Will you please publish this again in The Age Herald? w., Tuscaloosa.
 A. The quantity of seed of any sort necessary to SOW given area de bends much on how good you fix the ground. so as to give the seed the proper chance. Land prepara- tion. quality of seed and the actual planting are determining factors. A good rule to follow is to SOW one pound of seed to every 20x2O feet or 400 square feet. Multiply the lengsh by breadth and divided by 400 is simple rule to arrive at the quantity Grass for lawns, unlike many other things, must be thick to form a sod and thus be able to withstand hot, dry conditions and crowd out weeds.
 Q. am fixing ground for oats and when l SOW l expect to cut in with a disc harrow. I want to sow the white blooming sweet clover on all my oat land How would yoa manage the proposition? J. H., Lin- coin.
 A. Go ahead and put the oats in .,s you suggest and then sow 20 to z5 pounds of hulled and recleaned sweet clover broadcast on top of the fres.- ly plowed ground, then run a heavy drag over he surface to pack and smooth the soil. This will be suf- ficient covering for the sweet clover. I would recommend that the seed be inoculated unless you know the bac- teria is already present in the soil. Avoid deep covering of the seed.
 e. I sowed lettuce with my tur- nip and have fairly good stand. Could I broadcast some bone meal on this patch to hurry the lettuce on? Mrs. D. C.. Route 5.
 A. Bone meal would do but little good as entirely too slow in action to be of service on lettuce. A liheral top dressing of nitrate of soda. sul- phate of ammonia or nitrate of lime would be of great help. Any good commercial fertilizer would answer splendidly.
 o. Is the flower called alkanet perennial and do you plant the seed, and when? Mrs. w s.
 A. Anchusa or alkanet is classei as perennial, but the old plant rare ly lasts or blooms freely more than two or three years. They reseed if to and reproduce freely Tn this way. The best plan is to secure plants and set out in November or December. Then every year allow at least one plant to make seed. let them drop naturally or gather and SOW. In this way you will have young stock coming along every season. Alkanet Is one of the most striking of blue flowers, throwing up great spikes three or four feet high.
 Q. Which is the best variety of the old fashioned columbine? I want to ref~ ri a nj .fh{a fall Mrs " D