The Gladiolus is another bright and interesting addition to our floral family.  The best we have are Marie de Ruyter, a pretty blue; Badenia, lavender; Golden King, a magnificent yellow; Florence, lilac blotched; Mazie, corn color; and Dawn, shell pink.  Plant these bulbs in succession, three weeks apart, from April first, six inches deep, so they will stand up, and eighteen inches between rows.  In this way you will have them until frost.  For the house cut them when first bud comes out, and they will all blossom in water.

A flower which attracts much attention with us is the Canterbury Bell, cup and saucer variety, in different colors.  Very showy.  This is not a perennial but a biennial.  We plant our seeds in July and transplant in September or October.  The Persicifolia in white and blue is a hardy perennial and grows on stalks two to three feet high, a great favorite among white flowers.  In some soils they do not do well, but with us grow rampant.  We prefer the white.  We cut over two thousand stalks this summer from one hundred fifty plants.

Of Tulips, which are so welcome in early spring, the Darwin leads all.  We love them as we do the Stars of Bethlehem, the Hyacinths, Narcissi and the darling little blue flowers, Scilla Siberica, that come with the Snowdrops and Crocuses before the snow is gone.  We thus have bloom from snow to snow.  Always something bright, and that is another strong reason for a perennial garden.

We have many calls from persons wishing to buy plants or seeds.  We do not sell either, but gladly give away our surplus.  We have furnished many gardens in this way all about us and thus added to the beauty of the surrounding country and made ourselves and others happy.  Our collection of Lilies, Auratums, Speciosums, Tigers, Madonnas, are all planted six to eight inches deep and, after spreading manure are covered with straw, after frost.  We cover all bulb beds with manure in the fall.  Among lilies all but the Auratums last years, but these lose their vitality in two or three seasons.  Plant all lilies in fall except Madonnas, which should be put in in August.  Two fine flowers we would recommend to flower lovers:  the Amaryllis Hallii, or, as we call it, the wonder flower, which grows a large bunch of leaves in spring and in June they all die down.  In August there springs up a single stalk from the apparently dead plant, bearing a lily-like bunch of flowers of charming colors.  It is as hardy as an oak.  The other is the Dictamnus, or gas plant.  Most beautiful and very hardy.  Get one white and one pink and plant near each other.  They are fine.  Of course we have named but a small part of our collection, but will be glad to give any further information to our Horticulturist readers and will be glad to welcome them at our grounds any time.

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