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Varieties of Bulbs for Forcing: August
The bulbs should be planted in the spring about six inches deep and six to eight inches apart. They prefer a deep, rich loam and, unlike most bulbs, they respond wonderfully to liberal quantities of manure. The flowers come into bloom in late August or early September and from then until frost their stately heads will enhance the beauty of any garden. The blooms are creamy white in color and the bell-shaped flowers hang suspended from tall, slender stems.
The bulbs are not hardy, but must be treated very much as are gladiolus bulbs, being lifted in the autumn and stored in a frost-proof place. Lilium candidum (Madonna lily) Candidum lilies, among the fairest of all garden lilies, are of easy culture. They come into bloom with the larkspur and the roses and lend themselves to delightful combinations in the June garden. The bulbs should be planted in August.
They do well in any good garden soil, preferring an open, sunny position although thriving fairly well in partial shade. When planted, the tops of the bulbs should be only about two inches below the surface of the soil. Subsequent cultivation should be careful as the roots are close to the surface and resent being disturbed. A little sand should be placed around the bulb at the time of planting in order to prevent decay.
If transplanting is necessary it should be done as soon as the flower stalks die down.
There are many other lovely lilies for garden use, two of the most popular being the stately Lilium regale (royal lily) and the gold-banded lily of Japan, Lilium auratum, which blooms in August.
Dahlias: Old and New (Reprinted by permission of the House Beautiful.) If the iris is considered the flower of the rainbow, surely the dahlia might be called the flower of the sunset. Such colors, such gay and gorgeous colors as can be had in some of the more recent introductions! In some flowers it is form or scent which appeals to one most strongly; but with the dahlias it is color. Such wonderful sunset hues as one finds in the clear rose of Papillon, the rich gold of Rose Fallon, the coppery tones of Amun Ra, and the pale, translucent yellow of Break o' Day!
As appreciation of dahlias is awakened and interest in their possibilities increases, one begins to wonder which of the many new varieties being offered are of particular merit and which are really worth while among some of the older varieties that have stood the test of time.
A group of dahlias that is rapidly gaining in popularity is the miniature pompon class. Jaunty and jovial, these gay blooms are of exceedingly easy culture, demanding little and giving much. The plants are of rather bushy habit, reaching a height of barely thirty inches, and from September to frost they are lavish with their blooms. The flowers are distinctly pompon in type though little more than an inch across. The blooms are charming in the garden and furnish unusually attractive material for indoor decoration. Of the many varieties listed, some of the best are: Ideal, clear lemon-yellow; Kleine Domitea, orangebuff; Daisy, deep rose; Janet, orange-red; Little Beeswing, clear bright red; Johnnie, very deep dull red.
One of the most delightful introductions within recent years is the decorative pompon dahlia Little Jewel. It is quite in a class by itself, both literally and figuratively speaking. The flowers are decorative in type and are exceedingly attractive and dainty in form, reaching a size of about two and one-half inches in diameter. The color is a clear shell-pink and the flowers are borne in great profusion. As a cut flower this new little dahlia has great merit, and it has captivated the heart of many a dahlia enthusiast in the two short years since its introduction.
Perhaps the most unusual and charming feature of one of the large exhibits at a recent dahlia show was the display of the lovely new single dahlia Pond Lily. It is an exquisite flower, pink with shadings of salmon and orchid. A half dozen blooms were exhibited floating in a shallow pool, an unusually decorative and lovely arrangement.
Still another novelty among dahlias is the little Mignon bedding type which can be grown very successfully from seed. The blooms are single, very gay and charming in autumn shades of apricot, yellow, salmon, and crimson. The plants reach a height of about two feet and usually come into flower within three months from the time of seed sowing.
Origin and Marketing of New Varieties. Artificial hybridization of dahlias is seldom practised. We rely very largely upon Nature for our new varieties and Nature has surely proved herself lavish in her efforts. All new varieties are produced from seed. Among several thousand seedlings a few blooms of outstanding merit will usually be found. Most commercial growers maintain trial plots where they grow and test out their seedlings. Many amateur dahlia enthusiasts also find the growing of seedlings an interesting pastime. There is about it the real spice of adventure, as one never knows when one may find a winner. To be worthy of recognition and worthy of being offered to the public, a variety should be of unusual merit. The market is to-day flooded with varieties of mediocre quality. A certain seed house-not one that really specializes in dahlias-offers two hundred and sixty-nine varieties in its catalogue. One can but feel hopelessly bewildered when confronted with such a list, and the making of one's selection becomes a difficult task. Within recent years several dahlia trial grounds have been established in various sections of the country and these gardens are doing efficient work in helping to standardize varieties. These trial grounds are affiliated with the American Dahlia Society and are usually operated in connection with some agricultural experiment station or botanical garden. The official trial ground for final trials is located at the Connecticut Agricultural College, Storrs, Connecticut, and preliminary trial grounds are located in various other sections. The amateur or the professional grower may send tubers which have been raised from seed and are considered of unusual merit, and, upon the payment of a nominal fee, may have them tested at one of these grounds. Careful records are kept and at the end of the season the plants are scored. Varieties that score eighty-five points or more are awarded a certificate of merit and are usually considered of sufficient value to be placed upon the market, for it takes an unusually fine flower to obtain as high a rating as this.