Evening star., 1936-06-13

into organic matter and help maintain
the original supply in the soil.
Care of Flowers.
THE following notes, emanating from
l. the Ohio Agricultural Experiment
Station, should assist home gardeners
in preserving their cut flowers: Cut
flowers early in the morning or late IN
the day when the stems are turgid.
Use a sharp knife In preference to
shears. The sharper the cut the less
Is the bruising of the conducting YES
sells and the greater the absorption OF
water. In addition, the lack OF ragged
edges may lessen the chance of bac-
terial action. Cut under water If pos
sible Plunge the stems deeply in wa
ter up to the base of the flowers. All
arranging should be postponed until
after the stems have been thoroughly
soaked.
The proper stage of development
should be selected Gladioli are best
for cutting when the first floret Is
open; peonies, when the petals are
unfolding; roses, before the buds
open; dahliaS, when fully open; pop
pies. the night before they open. Keep
the flowers in a humid room and
never in sunshine. This reduces the
evaporation to a minimum. Flowers
keep we'll at Is degrees. If they are
kept cooler than that during the
night, the lasting quality is improved.
Use containers which permit free en-
trance of air through the top. For
this reason, narrow necked vases
should be avoided. Cut stems and
change water daily. Make slanting
cut to prevent the ends from resting
squarely on the bottom.
All leaves which are submerged
should be removed to prevent their
decomposition and the fouling of
the water. This Is particularly i'm
portant with many of the outdoor
flowers, such as asters or Zinnias. Slit
stems of woody plants and peel the
bark back to distance OF one inch
at least. Chrysanthemums, lilacs, aZa-
leas, and the like are benefited by
| this treatment PoinSettias, poppies.
heliotrope, dahlias and mignonette
will last much longer if the stems are
immersed in boiling water for min
ute and then plunged in cold water
This seals the ends Of the conducting
vessels, prevents downward flow OF
the sap and permits absorption OF
water through the outer surface OF
the stems. Precaution must be taken
to keep steam from the flowers or
they will turn brown.
Wilted flowers may be revived by
cutting their stems short, plunging
them deep in water, and storing in a
cool dark place for 10 hours or more
Hot-water treatment is also useful
in this case. Immerse the stems in
hot water (not boiling water) for
half an hour, keeping them in the
dark, and then change to cool water
Usually several hours are required for
the restoration. Thin petaled flowers
should not be immersed in water
to revive them, but thick petaled
flowers like hyacinth, tulip and daffo-
dill will be benefited by being covered
completely with cold water.
Perennial Sweet Peas.
T OCAL home gardeners who find
difficulty in growing the annual
sweet pea may find fairly satisfac-
tory substitute in the perennial form
This latter species seems to thrive at
high temperatures and is, in fact, al
its best in Midsummer. The flowers
are of the same general shape and
color as the annual varieties but lack
any perceptible fragrance and do moi
handle as well as cut blooms. But fol
a pretty background for the Summer
garden, the perennial sweet pea should
prove of real value Once established
the vines persist indefinitely, coming
each Spring from underground roots
Like its relative, the perennial sweet
pea is a legume, requiring little fer.