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The Gold Mine in the Front 
 
 Yard and How to 
 
 Work It 
 
 SHOWING HOW MILLIONS OF DOLLARS 
 CAN BE ADDED TO THE VALUE 
 OF PRAIRIE FARMS 
 
 By as. HARRISON 
 
 YORK, NEBJiASKA 
 
 President of the Nebraska Park of 
 Forestry Society 
 
 LIBRARY. 
 
 Dipjsio n of Horticulture, 
 N. 0. Dep't of Agriculture. 
 
 ST. PAUL, MINN. 
 WEBB PUBLISHING CO. 
 
 1905. 
 
COPYRIGHT FD 1905 
 BY 
 
 Webb Pctblishing Co. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Introduction 1 
 
 Beauty is wealth — The mission of beauty. 
 
 The Home 1^ 
 
 "There's no place like home" — The boys' room. 
 
 The Discovery of Beautiful Gems 16 
 
 The Concord Grape— The Wealthy Apple— Carnations 
 — Paeonies. etc. 
 
 The Preparation of the Ground and the Preparation of 
 
 The Owner 22 
 
 Intelligence of the plant and tree world. 
 
 Don't Be Stingy 30 
 
 Laying Out the Grounds 36 
 
 Kinds of trees and shrubbery and arrangement. 
 
 Hints and Suggestions — Selecting Trees and Shrubs 42 
 
 Raising plants from seed — Dogs and flowers. 
 
 Planting For Foliage Effect 55 
 
 Trees of silver foliage — Golden foliage — Purple foliage 
 — Planting for Autumn effect. 
 
 The Lilac 62 
 
 The Persians — Emodi — Oblata — Japan — Tree Lilacs, 
 etc. 
 
 The Viburnum, or Snowball 74 
 
 Other shrubs of value. 
 
 The Syringa, or Philadelphus 81 
 
 Spiraeas 89 
 
 The Rose 94 
 
 Japanese Roses — Climbing Roses — The Hybrids or Per- 
 
 petuals — Preparing roses for winter. 
 
 - -J 
 
iv INDEX. 
 
 The Lonicera, or Honeysuckle 105 
 
 Bush or Tree Honeysuckles — Planting a group — Propa- 
 gation — Climbing Honeysuckles. 
 
 Perennial Flowers 114 
 
 Tulips — Yuccas — The Filamentosa — The Iris — The 
 Golden Glow — Sunflowers. 
 
 Columbines 123 
 
 How to grow them — Delphiniums — The Lily — Time to 
 plant — The Gaillardia — Oriental Poppy — Phloxes. 
 
 The Paeony 160 
 
 Classification — Propagation — Dividing the roots — 
 Planting for flowers — Raising from roots — Propa- 
 gation by grafting — Raising from seed — Care of 
 seed and planting — Hardiness — Thoroughbred 
 flowers — Changes of soil and climate — Mistakes 
 and mixtures — Difllculties — Retarding for spring 
 selling — Late blooming — Nonblooming Paeonies — 
 Cutting from newly planted roots — Paeonies and 
 insects — Diseases — Freaks, etc. 
 
 List of Some of The Leading Paeonies 219 
 
 Gladiolus, The Sword Lily 242 
 
 Propagation — Flowers — Forcing — Cannas — Rais- 
 ing from seed — The Dahlia — Propagation — Varie- 
 ties, etc. 
 
LABFlArlY. 
 
 Division of Horticulture, 
 
 U. 0. Dep't of Agriculture. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Often gold is foimd when least suspected. Miners 
 for a generation roamed over the Cripple Creek hills, 
 and did not dream of the millions beneath their feet. 
 The shepherds of Australia led their flocks over pas- 
 tures paved with gold and did not know it. 
 
 A poor rancher in the mountains found nuggets of 
 gold in the crop of a turkey, and found whence they 
 came and soon struck his millions. 
 
 But these are rare cases. Often I have known men 
 to trudge over the mountains for years and endure 
 all manner of privations and grow gray before they 
 find wealth. 
 
 But every farmer has a gold mine in his front yard, 
 where, least suspected, there are riches. Generation 
 follows generation and the case is rare where these 
 mines are worked as they should be. 
 
 It is generally Supposed that the money is all in the 
 back yard, the barn, the granary and the farm, and 
 yet the richest deposits are at the front ; and every 
 acre there is worth $1,000 at least, as we shall see. 
 
 BEAUTY IS WEALTH. 
 
 There are priceless values outside dollars and cents. 
 What does the rich man do? Does he put all his 
 
 rmtaCTY LIBIMKr 
 
2 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 gains where they will bring back so much annual in- 
 terest in cold cash ? He does far better. There are 
 more beautiful things in this life than greenbacks, sil- 
 ver and gold. The man gets a piece of land. A 
 landscape gardener lays it out, then he has it planted 
 to the choicest trees, shrubs and flowers. These arc 
 well cared for, and that piece of brown earth soon de- 
 velops into a beautiful estate — and that is wealth. 
 
 That plat of ground, of little value in itself, be- 
 comes a garden of delight. As the years go by it 
 grows more and more beautiful — the joy of the owner 
 and the delight of all who pass by. 
 
 I^ow please tell me why the western farmer can- 
 not be rich. He has better land than the eastern 
 man who buys a worn-out field, and then pays $10 
 a cord for manure besides the hauling. The farmer 
 has plenty of manure in his yard. Trees and flowers 
 will grow for him as well as for others. Go to the 
 experiment stations, and you will see what vast num- 
 bers of things there are which do well all over the 
 West. 
 
 The farmer's wife belongs to the noblest race on 
 earth. How much of patience, fortitude and hard 
 work she has displayed in the homebuilding. Heaven 
 help him if his sons and daughters are not of more 
 worth than many of the children of the rich who live 
 in a band box and must be fed with a spoon. 
 
 Farmers complain that their children do not like the 
 farm, and as soon as they can they will leave it. What 
 wonder ! I knew of a man worth $75,000, with a 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 3 
 
 large farm well stocked — not a carpet on the floor — not 
 a rocking chair in the house — no books, magazines 
 or pictures — not a tree in the yard — not a shrub or 
 flower. It was grind, grind, grind for dollars from 
 early morning till late at night. The three daughters 
 who might have been ornaments to society were lured 
 away to lives of shame. The five boys ran away and 
 all but one became vagabonds. You do not want to 
 raise a family of boors — awkward and ill at ease in 
 society. You want them to be educated and refined. 
 Surround them with refining influences ; let them asso- 
 ciate with beautiful things. Grive them a taste of the 
 real luxuries and entertainments of life. Make the 
 home so attractive that it will be the dearest spot on 
 earth. 
 
 My thoughts revert to the home of my friend, T. C. 
 Thurlow, of West :N'ewbury, Mass. His grandson is 
 the tenth generation born on the old place. Every 
 tree has a history. One Fourth of July we took din- 
 ner under a fine old elm his grandfather planted. 
 Back of the house is an artificial grove of spruce. The 
 rows are like columns in some grand cathedral. The 
 tops have woven a canopy of green that shuts out the 
 sun. The family are troubled with weak lungs. A 
 few years ago he planted some little white pines and 
 they are now a forest filling the air with healing. In 
 front of the house are thousands of the finest of 
 paeonies, and yonder such a field of glorious phloxes. 
 There are silver robed trees from the Kockies. Ever- 
 
4 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 greens and deciduous trees gathered from different 
 parts of the earth. Everywhere there are things of 
 beauty. ''No wonder the children dread to leave home 
 and rejoice when they can get back again. 
 
 Take it all around, and no investment will pay bet- 
 ter than your gold mine in your front yard. ^'Well/' 
 says one, ^'I don't know how to work it. I don't know 
 anything about horticulture." We thought perhapis 
 that was the case, and so this book is written in the 
 hope that it will develop the immense amount of w^ealth 
 and beauty now idle, or existing only in thought. 
 
 Let us outline this matter. We visit a fine estate 
 in Massachusetts. There is a marvelous group of trees 
 dressed in silver and sapphire. Their sheen is like soft 
 moonlight lingering among the branches. Offer the 
 man $100 apiece for them. He would not take twice 
 that. You buy those same trees of silvery hue for 
 $2.00 each; then see them grow^ They will do as well 
 in Minnesota as in Massachusetts. Each little tree 
 will be ambitious to work out that $100 for you; and 
 it will be worth as much to you and your family as to 
 any one. 
 
 A little boy once planted a quarter, and a few days 
 after dug it up to see if it had sprouted. Another 
 little fellow who loved his grandma dearly moved with 
 his parents to a far Western home. He was terribly 
 homesick. How he did long for the kind arms and the 
 dear old face ! One day his mother found him planting 
 a photograph in the garden. It was the picture of 
 the dear old lady. He burst into tears and said: "I 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 5 
 
 was plantin' daniiia so she would grow and I could 
 have her adin/^ Poor little fellow! Silver and 
 photos can't grow, but trees can. 
 
 I saw a beautiful lilac tree twenty years old. It was 
 thirty inches around and thirty feet high and all that 
 splendid crown was a mass of fragrant bloom. Would 
 $100 buy it? Yet for $1.00 you buy the same kind 
 of a tree, which is as hardy and thrifty as our native 
 ash and which in its native mountains of Japan is a 
 foot through and fifty feet high. Professor Green 
 has them growing on the University grounds. There 
 is one to match it — the Chinese tree lilac with charm- 
 ing foliage and drooping branches. 
 
 What a vast array of flowering shrubs. Besides 130 
 kinds of lilacs we have a splendid list of syringas, 
 spiraeas, viburnums, and many others. 
 
 Take the perennials. What a noble family — phloxes 
 blooming from June to ISTovember. 
 
 Get a dozen of them and this book will tell you how 
 to swell the number to a thousand so you can have a 
 field of splendor. 
 
 Plant a few paeonies and soon you have hundreds. 
 
 There are the columbines which have robbed the 
 rainbow of all its colors and woven them into bouquets 
 fit for kings. 
 
 Think of the enjoyment you will have. When you 
 are tired with your day's work just take a vacation 
 on your front porch, and any day from spring till the 
 hard frosts of autumn there will be a procession of 
 beauty on gorgeous dress parade before you. 
 
6 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 If there were such a park as you might have ten miles 
 away you would hitch the team to the carriage, and 
 take your whole family to see it. Why don't you have 
 a park of your own and make your farm a sort of 
 Mecca to the lovers of nature? 
 
 Good old Mother Mature. What a heartache she has 
 had all these years because she could not get at you 
 and go to work for you. 
 
 She has a plan for fixing up, and just beside you in 
 the unseen she has a vision of loveliness which she 
 would like to make a substantial reality. She is ready. 
 to open the door into fairyland and let you see just 
 what is waiting for you. 
 
 You read these lines and ask, ^'Ts this possible for 
 me ?" Yes ! !N^ow won't you fix up ? That neglected 
 piece of ground is too valuable for rooting pigs and sick 
 and disabled machinery. 
 
 'Now every man who owes a debt ought to pay up. 
 The man who owns 160 acres of land is a king by 
 divine right. He owns down to the center of the earth 
 and up to the stars. With the warranty deed which 
 comes from the United States government and from 
 God there is an implied obligation to make the most 
 of this empire of yours. Every nook and corner of it 
 should be put to its best. The home should be like a 
 splendid picture set in a suitable frame. 
 
 THE MISSION OF BEAUTY. 
 
 When the whole world is so full of beauty why 
 should it be entirely ignored on the farm ? You see 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 7 
 
 it everywhere. It sits on the bow which fronts the 
 storm. You see it in those mountains of cloud dress- 
 ed in gorgeous robes of ruby, and opal, of amethyst 
 and gold, as they escort the retiring day to his cham- 
 bers in the West. The vast prairies when unvexed 
 by man were gardens of flowers. You plant an or- 
 chard and it is clothed with fragrant bloom in spring- 
 time, and in autumn it is a bouquet of loveliness with 
 its fruit of red and gold. 
 
 God might have made the cherry, the peach, and the 
 apple the color of the stones, but he chose to feed the 
 eye as well as the palate. Through beauty he would 
 touch the soul. Put a man where you will, and there 
 will be some of the attractions of nature to welcome 
 him. The tropics are filled with flowers, and they 
 alternate in the hemispheres. They salute him in the 
 vast countries of the E'orth. How fascinating the 
 splendors of the aurora as they flash and flame on the 
 walls of the sky! The arch above us is kalsomined 
 with sapphire, and sprinkled with stars. Then the 
 gates of the future open before us on scenes of tran- 
 scendent loveliness. 
 
 Why on earth in these mortal bodies do objects 
 diminish in ratio to distance ? Can you look the noon- 
 day sun out of countenance as it is? Suppose you 
 could see all things now in their full proportions. You 
 take one glance upward into the empires of glory, 
 where vast cities of stars are blazing and monster 
 worlds lie along the path of vision, and a single glance 
 would paralyze the strongest brain. 
 
8 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 But by and by we will awake in the divine likeness 
 and see as God sees. Then what prospects will open 
 before us as we are greeted with the salutations of 
 the universe. Each star has a mantle in color and 
 fashion all its own^ — no two alike; and the stupendous 
 empire stretching to the shores of chaos will rise as 
 endless fields of loveliness filled with the surprises and 
 astonishments of beauty. 
 
 Language labors and falters in the attempt to de- 
 scribe our home in the future, with jasper walls, and 
 opal sea, with gates of pearl and golden pavements and 
 foundations set with precious gems. 
 
 When we have such an inheritance of beauty in this 
 world and the next, why should the farmer, who is part 
 owner of this earth, ignore it altogether, especially 
 since God has made him a creator who, with a wizard's 
 wand, can call up visions, marvels in form and dazzling 
 in beauty ? 
 
 He can take an acre of somber earth and gather 
 upon it the colors of the rainbow, the splendors of the 
 sunset, the radiance of the gems, and it will be a land 
 Elysian — promise and prophesy of what lies beyond. 
 
 We are just on the borders of what is yet to be re- 
 vealed to us here. What changes have been produced 
 in a few years. The carnation of today was evolved 
 from a humble flower. The dahlia had a very inferior 
 ancestry. The phlox, with its marvels of brilliancy and 
 attractiveness, reaching out into hundreds of varieties, 
 was a humble flower born on our great prairies. The 
 paeony of today is one of evolution's miracles. And 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 9 
 
 just before us are the most delightful possibilities. 
 How keen the zest of those who hunt for diamonds, 
 pearls, rubies and other precious gems. There is a 
 kindred delight for those in search of new and rare 
 floral treasures. When Kosenheld gave us Golden 
 Harvest among the paeonies he gave, not a single gem, 
 but one that will grow to cheer a million homes. When 
 Terry gave us his Excelsior, Clara Barton and Victor 
 paeonies it was as if he scattered gems that would grow 
 and cheer and gladden thousands. 
 
 In my own experience I have seen marvels of ^new 
 creations among the phloxes, and seedlings of my 
 own raising far surpass many of our choice importa- 
 tions ; and so with columbines. What delicate rays of 
 beauty are gathered into some of those newer forms. 
 How much awaits us among the paeonies. What sur- 
 prises for myself and the world must come from 
 thirty-five pounds of choicest seed. We have only 
 touched the great empire of beauty which stretches be- 
 fore us. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE HOME. 
 
 This should not be a kennel, a sty, a stable, or a 
 barn. It is the dwelling place of immortals. It 
 should be the most sacred spot on earth. The residence 
 need not always be elaborate. There is much of cheer 
 often in the lowly cottage. The spirit of the home is 
 the presence of the wife and mother. If this is lack- 
 ing the place is a desolation. 
 
 The new woman greedily seeks the new vocations, 
 trying by all means to avoid what she terms ^^domestic 
 drudgery." But there is no occupation more noble 
 than that which ministers to the wants of the loved 
 ones — no hand so beautiful as that from which fall the 
 benedictions of toil and cheerfulness. 
 
 People, of necessity, are often restricted in home ar- 
 rangements. 
 
 When our people moved West in '44 we lived for 
 years in a house 18x24 which cost just $50. It had a 
 chamber where our sleeping bunks were. We climb- 
 ed to it on a ladder. There w^ere nine of us. But as 
 means increased- home comforts grew. Times have 
 changed. Our farmers are well to do, or even rich, 
 and now^ can have home comforts and conveniences. 
 
 What tremendous influences are all the while going 
 
12 ^THE GOLD MINE 
 
 out of our American homes. They are sources of 
 power. 
 
 From on© of them a boy goes to his life work as one 
 of the captains of industry. And mark you, most of 
 the Titans of today, mightier than fabled Thor or Vul- 
 can, came from country homes. 
 
 There goes a thoughtful girl with fertile brain and 
 facile pen. She was born and reared in the country 
 where she could get acquainted with herself and learn 
 to think and write and the world loves her. 
 
 From another home goes a boy with the soul of a 
 patriot. He enters a naval academy and sooner or 
 later you may hear of another Santiago or Manilla. 
 
 Another goes to West Point and becomes a Grant 
 or Sheridan. 
 
 We think too little of home. How few expect to 
 live and die on their farms. They hope to sell, and 
 what a shifting race in which the home instinct is al- 
 most blotted out ! 
 
 What spot can be more sacred in its hallowed asso- 
 ciations ? In that room a little sister with starry eyes 
 and hair of woven sunbeans went into the open arms 
 of a waiting Saviour. Is that room a place for stran- 
 gers ? Should wooden shoes go clamping in places 
 touched by angels' feet? 
 
 In that room Grandfather passed away. How the 
 children loved to gather there and listen to stories of 
 the past. What a kindly soul he was and the little 
 ones loved to nestle on his bosom. When he died it 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 13 
 
 was the death of the righteous. The gates were opened 
 and heavenly escorts bore him home. 
 
 There a mother passed away. I stood by her side 
 and saw and heard it all. Her eyes were closed to 
 earthly things and then there passed by her . on the 
 shores of light the processions of glory. I cannot for- 
 get the rapture and the gladness and the outreaching 
 and the last words, "Oh, beautiful, beautiful Jesus!'' 
 Should that holy place be desecrated by those who 
 neither know nor care for any of those precious memo- 
 ries ? 
 
 In that room as a child you lay sick for weeks. At 
 the foot of your bed pictures were changed every day 
 to give your tired soul something new to think of. 
 Your mates came in to cheer you. You have a dim 
 remembrance of the long vigils of father and mother 
 and the good doctors wdio could not let you die. 
 
 What gatherings were in that parlor. Jane and 
 Sarah and Emma were married there. You remem- 
 ber where they stood and how they looked. 
 
 There is the dining room where the wedding and 
 Thanksgiving feasts were spread. What happy gath- 
 erings of friends and relatives. What delightful 
 memories linger there. Oh, don't sell the home ! 
 
 In our great West there is hardly a farm but what 
 can be beautified and made homelike. You can build 
 bulwarks of noble trees to shut out the fierce blasts of 
 winter. Evergreens and deciduous trees are waiting 
 to come and defend you. 
 
 The choicest shrubs and flowers with continuous 
 
14 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 bloom are ready to spring up at your beck and fill you 
 with cheer and gladness. 
 
 On the farm there is too often a lack of conveniences 
 and comforts. The woman should have a good toilet 
 room as well as her city cousin. The inconveniences 
 to which delicate women are subjected in going to out 
 houses in the piercing cold and through the deep snows 
 might be classed among the martyrdoms. I had seen 
 so much of this that when I built I made up my mind 
 to have a good bath and toilet room first and then 
 build a house around it. I cannot see why there 
 should be such cruel neglect and indifference on the 
 farm. I know a Western ranch where the wife is a 
 noble, motherly woman and she has daughters that are 
 teachers and the husband and father has never even 
 built a small out house for them. 
 
 The expense of home comforts is not great. - There 
 is little trouble in having a cesspool at a safe distance, 
 and as far as sanitary conditions are concerned a cess- 
 pool is no more dangerous to health than a common 
 vault. 
 
 If possible, water should be conveyed into the house. 
 The windmill can do this much better than the wife. 
 The woman has'} a hard time at best — often without 
 help, and she should have every possible convenience. 
 
 THE BOYS^ ROOM 
 
 Should be large and cheery and well stocked with 
 books and papers. I know a man who has trouble 
 with his boys. lie owns a half section of land and is 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. IS 
 
 well off. He built a store to rent in a new town with 
 liis surplus money. But the boys had to grope their 
 way to bed on all fours in the garret of a dilapidated 
 sod house. Treat a boy like a dog and he will be one. 
 Give him a good room and have him take care of it 
 and he will be a gentleman instead of a rowdy. 
 
 If possible he should have a shop with a good set of 
 tools ; not cheap gift affairs, but the best that money 
 can buy. 
 
 The best room is none too good for the family. 
 They are as good as the company you receive. The 
 largest and best room is often kept for the guest. This 
 may be occupied a dozen times in a year and the father 
 and mother sleep in a small room. They need the best 
 and largest, and a guest can take up with a smaller 
 one. Better for him to stand it a short time than 
 that the weary ones should use it all the while. Have 
 a good, roomy kitchen with every possible convenience. 
 
 j)\r o§ Hot) 
 
CHAPTEK II. 
 
 THE DISCOVERY OF BEAUTIFUL GEMS. 
 
 If in the gold mine in the front yard there should 
 also be found a mine of gems what new zest would 
 be given to research. 
 
 Yet it is a fact that we are on the verge of the un- 
 known. Behind a thin veil the good Father has rich 
 treasures in store for us and we can fold the curtains 
 aside and take possession. 
 
 A man finds a precious diamond like the Kohinoor 
 or the ''Mountain of Light'' or ''Star of the South" and 
 his fortune is made. 
 
 Ancient rulers reveled in the possession of precious 
 stones. When Persia was invaded by the Mahometans 
 they captured a splendid carpet which was one of the 
 marvels of the world. It was 450 feet long and 90 
 feet wide, and had a border worked in with precious 
 stones to represent a garden of all kinds of lovely 
 flowers. The leaves were formed of emeralds and 
 other green colored stones, while the buds and blossoms 
 were composed of pearls, rubies, sapphires and other 
 gems of immense value. Along with this was a robe 
 of state thickly embroidered with the most beautiful 
 rubies and pearls. That splendid carpet was an imi- 
 tation of a garden of flowers. True the fabric of 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 17 
 
 woven gems Avoiild last the longest, yet there was only 
 one of it, while millions of people can have carpets 
 of bloom radiant with a thousand forms emitting their 
 fragrance and displaying their loveliness. 
 
 There was the peacock throne. A marvelous col- 
 lection of jewels — fashioned into the form of that re- 
 splendent bird. It was worth thirty millions of dol- 
 lars. It was a most magnificent bouquet of splendor; 
 yet today the poor man or woman on intimate terms 
 with earth and nature can have collections of forms, 
 tints and colorings which might vie in appearance even 
 with this masterpiece of human skill. 
 
 Let some Emperor have his "Great Mogul" or "Or- 
 loff Diamond." But a hundred thousand people can 
 have their great, splendid Festiva Maximas and La 
 Tulipes — gems of the floral world. Men have gone 
 mad over the discovery of rich and precious stones. 
 But there are gems of lustrous beauty among flowers — • 
 gems which do not center all their value in a single 
 object. 
 
 I stood by the original Concord grape in that his- 
 toric town and said : ''You grand Old Mother ! You 
 know not the trainload after trainload of fruit and 
 plants which have gone forth from your branches, add- 
 ing millions to the nation's wealth." 
 
 Gideon discovered a gem in the Wealthy apple. 
 What a marvel ! 'No jewel uncovered in earth's rich- 
 est mines can compare with it. Go to any of our 
 Western states and you find this fruit growing by ship 
 loads. 
 
18 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Somewhere in the unknown are other fruits — 
 luscious, hardy and prolific, which will yet add millions 
 to the nation's wealth. 
 
 'No one can take out a patent on these discoveries. 
 The wide field is open to all. You can be an inde- 
 pendent mine owner, and perhaps some quiet farmer 
 may yet capture the prize for which all the Kortli- 
 west is longing. 
 
 In floriculture what marvelous changes have been 
 made in roses. The single rose is the product of j^a- 
 ture. The double rose is the product of ITature and 
 art. What marvelous crosses are being made. One 
 day in the East I rode on the cars with the noted Jack- 
 son Dawson, of the Arnold Arboretum, and he was 
 taking eight hybrids of the Wichuriana of Japan. 
 There is no limit here, and a wide awake boy or girl 
 can carry on the process. 
 
 What improvements in lilacs, spiraeas, and syringas, 
 or Philadelphus. This same Dawson showed me a 
 syringa of marvelous beauty and enormous flowers — 
 one of his own creations. 
 
 Some one crossed the delicate little Thunbergi Spiraea 
 with the Multiflora and that gave us the Arguta, which 
 blooms with the tulips — a snowdrift of white — the 
 earliest of all. And it has such persistent foliage 
 that in the autumn it is like a flower garden of itself 
 with its rich tints and marvelous colorings ; thus mak- 
 ing an attractive display at each end of the season. 
 
 Lilacs are all the while being produced from seed. 
 Plant the choicest kinds with the rich diversity of 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 19 
 
 bloom and foliage and from the seed you will have 
 some surprises of loveliness. 
 
 How much has been achieved by the wizards of hor- 
 ticulture who have opened new gates to let us look on 
 broad empires of possibilities. And how much is be- 
 ing done all the while along the lines of private re- 
 search. 
 
 Take the carnation. Only a few years ago it was 
 a humble flower and now a glory fit for the dwellings 
 of kings. And the limit of its possibilities has not 
 yet been reached. 
 
 When Eosenfield gave the world his Floral Treasure, 
 and Golden Harvest, he discovered gems whose beauty, 
 soon to be increased to millions, will make glad the 
 homes of the great Northwest and cheer up the prairie 
 desolations. 
 
 Father Terry, of Iowa, has given us over one hundred 
 paeonies. Among them the Victor, w^hich is victori- 
 ous, and Excelsior which excels, and Morning Star 
 with delicate rays radiating from a heart of gold. 
 What a troup of loveliness to rise up and bless the old 
 man as he journeys to the land of the setting sun. 
 
 And see what gTeat work he has accomplished in 
 brinffino- cheer to so manv homes. It is said he is a 
 benefactor who makes two blades of grass grow in the 
 place of one. What shall we say of the man who in 
 the place of none shall clothe the brown earth with a 
 carpet of beauty on which the soul can feast — who dis- 
 covers o-ems that will increase to millions ? There is 
 
20 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 altTuism here. It is like an almoner handing out 
 the richest gifts of Providence to a needy world. 
 
 What I -want to do is to awaken a zeal in your 
 hearts, so that you can go out and possess these new 
 fields. There is a charm in taking the flowers already 
 established and propagating them, thus clothing barren- 
 ness with beauty. But we have reached that point 
 where the ordinary man or woman, boy or girl, can 
 add to the treasures of the world and the delights of 
 society. 
 
 A quiet woman in Indiana a few years ago planted 
 some paeony seeds. One plant she named, on my ad- 
 vice. General Lawton. It had a splendid large flower. 
 She sold it for $100. Another, named for her de- 
 parted husband, brought $150. Another of her crea- 
 tions — Walter Morgan — has a delicate flower of lovely 
 fragrance, and of pure gold. There is no law which 
 forbids research along these lines. 'No warranty deed 
 on God's fields with signs up, "No trespassing here." 
 
 What wonder, when I see these things, that the fas- 
 cination comes over me and I am planting many pounds 
 of seeds of choicest paeonies and am willing to forego 
 the delights of heaven a few years to see the new 
 forms of loveliness they will unfold. 
 
 NOTE THIS FACT. 
 
 When flowers are first developed from the original 
 type, they easily revert back again. It probably took 
 a thousand tests to produce a double dahlia. Now the 
 family is so well established that the progeny retain 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 21 
 
 the characteristics of the parents. A lady not long 
 ago saved some dahlia seeds and was amazed to find 
 an immense, symmetrical double white, which she nam- 
 ed Surprise. 
 
 Last spring I sowed a lot of seeds of choice cannas, 
 and was delighted to fine some of rare merit — fully 
 equal to many of the finest named ones. 
 
 I keep about fifty kinds of mixed columbines ; and 
 their product gives an almost endless permutation of 
 form and color, and I note many far superior to the 
 old named varieties. There is this about the colum- 
 bine family, — they use all the prismatic rays in mak- 
 ing their garments of loveliness. 
 
 Take the phloxes developed from our wild prairie 
 flowers. They have pushed ahead and branched out 
 into so many varieties their mother would not know 
 them. 
 
 This summer I have raised from seed of the best 
 some twenty new sorts — surpassing most of our im- 
 ported ones. 
 
 E'ow remember ! these gems are not like the precious 
 jewels which never multiply. You can increase them 
 rapidly and you can have a garden of delight all your 
 own; and standing there like a god among your new 
 creations, you can explain the petition, ^'Let the beauty 
 of the Lord, our God, be upon us." 
 
 It is delightful to stand as an interpreter to unfold 
 the divine plans and uncover His munificence to an 
 admiring world — to introduce God to men. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE PBEPARATION OF THE GROUND AND THE 
 PREPARATION OF THE OWNER. 
 
 People often have crude ideas about planting. A 
 lady bouglit some roses and went out with a case knife 
 and cut a small hole in the sod, stuck in the bushes not 
 as deep by two inches as when in the nursery, and then 
 said: ^Thank goodness that job is done." Of course 
 they died, and she blamed the rascally nurseryman for 
 sending out stock that would not live. 
 
 There is little use of planting till the ground is ready. 
 It should be in a well pulverized and friable condition 
 so that trees and plants can readily draw food from it. 
 If you leave a piece in grass, or break up the native 
 sod, the soil becomes granulated and does not pack close- 
 ly around the roots, and so cannot feed the plant. The 
 best way would be to manure well and summer fallow. 
 Then you have the soil in the best and most responsive 
 condition. 
 
 You may want to plant near where you have large 
 trees which you wish to save. Now here is a problem. 
 How can you make trees and plants grow in a domain 
 already pre-empted by great, ravenous trees which often 
 send out roots twice as far as they measure in length ? 
 
 You may talk about trusts and monopolies; there is 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 23 
 
 no trust like a great, strong cottonwood, and you miglit 
 as well cut it down. It wants the earth and will have 
 all it can reach of it. If in town it will take your own 
 and your neighhor's garden. 
 
 Other trees you may wish to save, but they are not 
 so ravenous, and you can readily check their aggres- 
 sions. Suppose you have a row of elms or ash you 
 wish to keep and yet you want to plant near them. Dig 
 a trench three feet deep about six or eight feet from the 
 trees. You will thus cut off all the feeding roots that 
 are sapping the ground you wish to plant. 
 
 'Now prepare your ground thoroughly and do your 
 planting. Of course you fill up the ditch. 
 
 "Will not the roots cross the trench again?" Cer- 
 tainly; but it will take time, and thus give your new 
 trees and shrubs a chance to get started. Then if trees 
 are checked in one direction they have a tendency to 
 work harder in another direction, and by the time they 
 invade their old territory your planting will be so Avell 
 rooted and established that little harm can be done. 
 
 People who plant near large trees say it is the shade 
 that does the mischief. But in our Western land of 
 hot sunshine, what little shade there is would be helpful 
 to the young trees. The trouble always is with the 
 roots. 
 
 When you have your ground all ready you will find 
 it just hungry for the trees and plants, and will give 
 them a cordial home. 
 
 While the ground is being prepared you had better 
 prepare yourself. 
 
24 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 I never could understand why the farmer considers 
 horticulture a sealed book which he never can open. It 
 is a part of his business, as much as raising wheat, corn, 
 cattle and hogs. It is easy, too, and intensely attractive. 
 Strange that a man will go by a tree or plant and know 
 nothing about it, and be a perfect stranger to his kind- 
 est neighbors. He shuts himself out of a wide world 
 of enjoyment. 
 
 The more one studies the more he is impressed with 
 the 
 
 INTELLIGENCE OF THE PLANT AND TREE WORLD. 
 
 We should regard the tree as an intelligent, hard 
 working, honest friend, endowed with an intuition that 
 is amazing. We talk of the '^cunning of the rat,'' and I 
 sometimes think a tree is endowed with the same keen- 
 ness. 
 
 I know a Cottonwood the roots of which plowed their 
 way through hard and compact ground two hundred 
 feet to a cistern and drank it dry. The people won- 
 dered what had become of the water, and there stood the 
 tree smiling in triumph, its leaves green and fresh, and 
 it was growing with the greatest vigor in a dry time. 
 
 I have a cottage in the Rockies where I love to be 
 with nature and watch things. One fall, on a very dry 
 mountain side I saw a lot of ponderosa pines which 
 seemed to be dying. I examined them closely. The 
 soil was poor, or rather no soil at all, only decomposed 
 granite, and it had been very dry for two years. Those 
 
 tf C. State ColU«« 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 25 
 
 trees seemed to have studied the matter and decided they 
 could not take the whole family through and so they 
 dropped over one-half of those long needles and had 
 strength enough to support the rest. In my yard was 
 this same variety of pine^ but the grove was fresh and 
 vio^orous and thev were holdino^ all their needles. I 
 wondered how it was. About 150 feet from them was 
 an irrigating ditch. I having occasion to dig near the 
 banks, I found a whole train of the roots drinking up 
 the water and sending it back to those trees. 
 
 Often I have noticed fresh and vigorous looking trees 
 on the brow of rocky hills where there was no soil and 
 the wonder was how they could thrive so well. Going 
 down the hillside perhaps one to two hundred feet, I 
 saw where the soil had washed away; there the roots 
 were running down to the stream and pumping the water 
 up the hill to the trees. 
 
 A neighbor had occasion to move some large cedars. 
 He did it well, exercising the greatest care. In a few 
 weeks he called me in and said his trees were dying. 
 I examined them. "''No, they are not, only they know 
 more than you do. With their root system partly de- 
 stroyed they know they cannot carry the foliage in full, 
 and so they are 'cutting the coat according to the cloth,' 
 and doing it, too, with the greatest nicety. You will 
 notice they are only dropping the foliage from the 
 tips and the branches just where you should have cat 
 them off to have the top proportionate with the root. 
 They are doing this, too, with mathematical precision.'' 
 The event proved the trees were right. They under- 
 
26 THE GOLD MINE. 
 
 stood their business and all lived. The dead limbs were 
 cut off and the cedars made a fine growth and are really 
 beautiful trees. 
 
 Trees will not only go after water but they will go 
 after food. I once lived on a place which had a very 
 rich piece of ground for a garden, which a former 
 resident had discarded. He said he could not make any- 
 thing grow there on account of the shade. Digging 
 down in the rich soil I found it so full of tiny rootlets 
 that it seemed like a piece of sponge. T dug a trench as 
 described, cutting off' the roots, and had the "finest gar- 
 den in town. When I left they invaded the ground 
 again and it was given up. 
 
 Some years ago I addressed the Horticultural Society 
 of Worcester, Mass., on this topic, ^^Intelligence in 
 Trees." 
 
 At the close of the meeting that venerable prince 
 of horticulturists, O. B. Hadwin, the president, said : 
 "1 am glad you spoke on that topic. I had a row of 
 apple trees that of course were throwing out their roots 
 as foragers in every direction to gather food for the 
 trees. One side of the row I dug a trench and put in a 
 lot of manure and made it very rich for pieplant. Two 
 or three years after I had occasion to dig up those trees 
 and I was astonished at the keenness of intelligence 
 displayed. I found the roots had all turned and made 
 for that rich food, some had gone past the trees, some 
 had gone under, and all with a keen scent aimed for 
 that trench." 
 
 Did you ever stop to think of the splendid civil en- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 27 
 
 gineering of a great tree out in the open Avitli its wide 
 spreading branches covered with dense foliage? 
 
 Present this problem to an expert : "Here is a tree 
 75 feet tall with branches having a spread of 50 feet 
 with an immense, well-rounded head. We want you 
 to brace this so that it will stand in a wind blowing 80 
 miles an hour and not fall over, and you must do it at 
 the base.'' It would take an immense amount of figur- 
 ing and an astonishing amount of bracing. But that 
 tree, never having studied mathematics or engineering, 
 goes quietly at work and solves the problem and does it 
 well. Such a tree left entirely to itself seldom blows 
 over. It sends down an immense tap root, and then out 
 go the laterals like tent cords, and as the tree grows, the 
 cords all grow stronger till they get to be immense 
 cables. Look at the base. How gnarled and toughened 
 and what a gathering of power there, as those mighty 
 arms of wood go out to clutch the solid earth, and 
 hold the tree in place. Years go by, the top becomes 
 heavier and the weight of the wind on that immense 
 leverage is something tremendous, but the tree seems 
 to have figured it all out and is prepared by additional 
 and stronger braces for every emergency. 
 
 Before me as I write tliis there stand a cherry tree 
 and a Japan tree lilac. Both are good friends of mine 
 and we think a good deal of each other. The lilac is 
 destined to be a large tree 6 inches through and 30 or 
 40 feet high. I take the best of care of my trees and 
 meet their wants as I would take care of a horse or 
 
28 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 COW. What is the result ? The lilac was one great 
 bouquet of fragrant loveliness. We give yon a very 
 imperfect picture of it."^ And that cherry tree tries to 
 outvie itself both in a mantle of splendid bloom and 
 again in an immense crop of luscious fruit. The tree is 
 a massive flower of crimson and green as it is loaded 
 with its burden. 
 
 The poet prophet speaks of ^^the labor of the olive.'' 
 That is a fine gem of poetry and opens before us a mar- 
 velous chapter on our relation to our trees. In winter 
 they are quietly sleeping — resting to get ready for a 
 hard summer's work. 
 
 Spring comes and they begin their labor. If we 
 could look through the soil we would see busy toilers 
 there by the myriads. Tiny rootlets go out in every 
 direction as foragers bringing in supplies. The flowers 
 are hard at work throwing out those thread-like roots 
 all eager to gather in something. They work like noise- 
 less hives of bees, and as busy bringing in their supplies. 
 Silently the trees, shrubs and plants partake of the 
 nourishment. They work like a prayer in secret which 
 is rewarded openly. Look at these mantles of ermine 
 and gold that cover the bushes. 
 
 See the emerald crowns upon these trees growing 
 fresher and greener. E^ote the immense amount of 
 quiet work in the gTOwing branches and in that thick 
 new circle which is embracing the trees. 
 
 Look at these flowers on dress parade before you and 
 all around you day and night in the front yard and in 
 
 *See page 63. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 29 
 
 the rear; among the ornamental and the fruit trees, 
 that intelligent host is at work for yon yielding tribute 
 as much as the horse does his strength or the cow her 
 milk. How much a man loses who does not have these 
 intelligent servants at work for him. 
 
 All around us in air and earth, in shower and sun- 
 beam, are the unseen treasures — thousands of bushels 
 of luscious fruits held in solution waiting for you to 
 give mediums for their crystallization so they can* ma- 
 terialize for you. Oh, the beauty of it and the pathos 
 of this noble army waiting to come as faithful toilers 
 to work for you, or to stand as faithful sentinels to 
 guard your home. And did you ever think that all the 
 rays of light in the air about you, all the gorgeous col- 
 orings woven into the rainbow, are just waiting to fash- 
 ion themselves in forms of radiant loveliness in the 
 tulip and columbine, the phlox and the paeony, and 
 that lovely army God created to cheer our homes ? 
 
 Just give the good Father a chance to see what He 
 can do for you. 
 
 But remember this, that the most stupid of these si- 
 lent servants knows enough to die if you don't take 
 good care of it. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 DON'T BE STINGY. 
 
 One great drawback in adorning the home grounds is 
 pennriousness. 
 
 It is strange, when people are fixing np the house, 
 they will spare no expense in the building or furnish- 
 ing ; but the moment they go outside, the purse strings 
 are pulled tight, and anything costing more than 25 
 cents is considered an extortion. 
 
 For instance, a good strong rosebush, well rooted and 
 ready for business, is generally sold for 50 cents. But 
 the economical lady says : "^That is outrageous. I can 
 do much better than that. I have a catalogue and price 
 list of a firm that will sell 12 choice kinds for $1.00 ; 
 and they will come by mail, too, so I will save the ex- 
 press." She sends for them and gets 12 tiny little 
 things that need a microscope sent along with them. 
 She plants them out, giving ordinary or even careful 
 attention. If she saves one out of the number she will 
 do well ; and that will probably be a poor, sickly thing, 
 and it will take about three years to bring it up to prop- 
 er size. So she has paid out her $1, and lost three 
 years. This mail order system is a great drawback. 
 It is all right in its place, if you want house plants, or 
 small ones for the nursery, where they can have special 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 31 
 
 care. A man wants an evergreen. If he gets a good- 
 sized one it will cost him something. But he hears 
 where he can get 100 seedling evergreens sent hy mail 
 for $2.00. He orders them, smiling in the meantime 
 at the way he has circumvented his nurseryman. He 
 plants them. But they are too small to go out in the 
 open, the reflection of the hot sun from the ground kills 
 them, or the dry weather, or the weeds take them. Per- 
 haps 4 or 5 will live, and they are little sickly things, 
 and the money is gone, and the time lost, and nothing to 
 show. 
 
 So for immediate use for outdoor planting the mail 
 order system is a delusion and a snare. But it is very 
 hard for people to see the difference between a chicken 
 that has just learned to peep and the fine fat fowl all 
 ready for market. 
 
 Another serious drawback is the tree fakir. He 
 was built without a conscience. He never comes to the 
 same place twice. It isn't safe. He sells an immense 
 amount of lip and cheek and very poor stock. I met 
 one not long ago, who told me how he worked it. Said 
 he: ^'T sell 7,000 roses a year at $1.50 each. I just 
 razzle dazzle them with big names and down they go. 
 I sell lots of picea pungens — Colorado blue spruce. I 
 always get $2 apiece for them, and then substitute Black 
 Hills spruce, which I can buy for 20 cents. They don't 
 know the difference." 
 
 The tree fakir is a hynotist. He gets his customer 
 in a corner and he is at his mercy. 
 
 My neighbor thought she would try a new man, and 
 
32 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 he came along with abundant professions of double dis- 
 tilled honesty. That is, he said he was honest, and he 
 ran down those mean fellows who would betray the con- 
 fidence of their customers. For instance, he allowed 
 no man to plant his stock but himself. He wouldn't 
 trust them. He would plant them so as to be sure they 
 would grow. He had something brand new, which for 
 size, fragrance and blooming capacity put every known 
 variety in the shade. 
 
 He would sell his roses for the very low price of 
 $2.00 each. She said she would take three. He plant- 
 ed them that day, and she paid him $6.00. They were 
 nothing but wild rose bushes, and dead at that. 
 
 Such men discourage people. But they are a race by 
 themselves. I have known them to sell very choice 
 kinds of apple trees for 76 cents each, and then go to a 
 nurseryman's brush pile and pick out refuse trees and 
 tag them and palm them off .at such high figures. So 
 beware of the tree fakir. 
 
 On the other hand, there is no class of men who are 
 doing more for the material benefit of the country than 
 our hard working, enterprising nurserymen and their 
 agents. They are straightforward and honest. They 
 have to be. It gives them the heartache sometimes to 
 see their experience and integrity all set aside for the 
 fakir. With too many all that is needed to secure an 
 unlimited confidence in the dealer is that he is a perfect 
 stranger. Then he is trusted implicitly. 
 
 Your nearby nurseryman has his reputation at stake. 
 He has a sort of fatherly interest in every tree and 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 33 
 
 plant that goes out. He wants them to live, and he re- 
 joices in your success. 
 
 Again, his advice is worth much. He can tell you 
 what will succeed and what will not. Every nursery- 
 man who does an extensive business has spent hundreds, 
 if not thousands, of dollars in finding out what he could 
 not do ; and he would give you the benefit of his experi- 
 ence. If you don't take his advice, you will meet some 
 fakir, or you will get some fine eastern catalogue, giving 
 a description of things that do well there, and you will 
 be tempted to buy. Perhaps you are attracted by the 
 charming pictures of the kalmias, azaleas and rhodo- 
 dendrons. You just buy the pictures if you wish, but 
 let the plants alone ; for you can no more raise them in 
 most parts of the west than you can raise peaches on 
 the north pole. 
 
 We will endeavor to give you a list of stock that will 
 succeed in your section, and if you are in doubt consult 
 the nearest responsible nurseryman or the superintendent 
 of your state experiment station. 
 
 But let us return to this penuriousness which strikes 
 a person as soon as he steps out of doors. He has built 
 a good house. Why don't he and his wife go to the sec- 
 ond hand store and hunt up the cheapest bargains and 
 buy some old rag carpets, and rickety chairs, and cheap 
 tables with broken wings, and bedsteads with those tell- 
 tale specks on them, just because they are cheap ? O no. 
 They must have nice carpets, good furniture, and every- 
 thing to match. A $50 rug is just the thing for the 
 
34 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 sitting room and a $25 mirror is the thing and the 
 chamber suits must all be first class. 
 
 Now the outdoor furnishing will cost something. A 
 beautiful silver spruce is $2.00, a silver cedar about the 
 same, choice tree lilacs are scarce and cannot be bought 
 for a song, choice sjringas and spires will be Avorth 
 25 to 50 cents apiece. Tulips will be $2 or $3 per 100. 
 You should have as many as that. You can get lots of 
 paconies for $10 per 100, but you had better pay $1 each 
 for a few choice ones. Remember you cannot get some- 
 thing for nothing. Do keep away from the bargain coun- 
 ter. There is nothing so expensive as cheap, poorly han- 
 dled nursery stock. You should begin right. You go into 
 that new house and home, and the moment you enter it 
 it begins to depreciate in value. Use your carpets and 
 furniture a year and they become second hand goods. 
 But it is not so with youT front yard. Every tree, 
 shrub and flower you plant is at work developing your 
 gold mine. You lay out $50 and it soon grows to $100. 
 If you want to raise poultry to sell, it is cheaper to pay 
 $2 per dozen for a choice strain of Plymouth Rocks or 
 Brown Leghorns than to pay 25 cents a dozen for eggs 
 from common fowls. You can get all the old fashioned 
 lilacs you want for 5 cents apiece, but you cannot get the 
 best kinds for that. You can get a common soft maple 
 for 25 cents, and it will grow to -be a tree. You will 
 have to pay $2 for a Schwedlerii purple leafed maple 
 whose crown in springtime will seem like a brilliant, 
 mammoth paeony outlined against the sky, but the lat- 
 ter will pay the best in the long run. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 35 
 
 Your home should be like a beautiful picture, and 
 your gTounds should be like a fitting home for it. 
 
 Don't be satisfied with putting a thousand dollar pic- 
 ture in a ten cent frame. 
 
CHAPTEK V. 
 
 LAYING OUT THE GROUNDS. 
 
 Much depends on a plan. Some plant in a haphaz- 
 ard way and if they find a space stick in a tree and there 
 is no system whatever. 
 
 You need a plan for the front yard as well as when 
 you built your house. We can give no definite rules or 
 formulate any definite plans; for in farm adornment 
 you do not want to run everything through the same set 
 of molds. You want diversity and to have no tAVO 
 grounds exactly alike. 
 
 This subject of laying out grounds is a broad one and 
 would make a book of itself. In fact a good many 
 books have already been published on this theme. 
 
 S. Parsons, formerly sui3erintendent of Central Park, 
 j^ew York, has lately written a work, which will give 
 you some valuable hints. But it is better adapted to 
 the east than to the monotonous west. Remember, how- 
 ever, that many things recommended, though they do 
 well in the east, are worthless in the west. The De- 
 partment of Agriculture has lately published Bulletin 
 'No, 185, ^'Beautifying the Home Grounds." Send for 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 37 
 
 this. It is free, and though not very full, it gives many 
 useful hints. 
 
 I will, however, make some suggestions which I hope 
 will be helpful. I like what I term the amphitheater 
 plan. This is nature's plan. Often on the edge of a na- 
 tive forest you will see little parks surrounded by trees. 
 In the background tall trees. Then as they are more 
 scattering they branch out more, and do not grow so tall, 
 and then as if to hide the trunks and decaying limbs 
 there will be prickly ash, high bush cranberries and 
 hazel brush. You notice these grow taller next to the 
 trees, the shade comipelling them to climb toward the 
 light, and then as they come down to the border they 
 spread out more. This native park gives a good sug- 
 gestion for the home grounds, which of course will be a 
 little more formal. 
 
 Suppose you have one or two acres you wish to fix up. 
 To the right and left on the sides of your plat you plant 
 a row of elms. These are rank, strong growers, and you 
 can depend on them. 'Next plant a row of basswood or 
 native ash, which do not grow as fast. Perhaps next you 
 will want a row of white spruce, so hardy over Minne- 
 sota and the Dakotas. IvTow you are coming down. You 
 can back up against your trees circles, or semicircles of 
 shrubbery. If a circle, put in a spiraea opulifolia in the 
 center, for this is the rankest of all. Then Van Honti, 
 dropping in now and then a golden one. Then the 
 Arguta. Then you come down to the Collosa and Collosa 
 Alba. Then the Thunbergi, and lastly the Anthony 
 
38 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Waterer. You have here a mound of beauty with a 
 diversity of foliage and a succession of bloom. 
 
 For syringaSj put the strong grandiilora in the cen- 
 ter. Then coronarius. Then Gordons; next the old 
 sweet-scented of our mothers. Then put in the dwarf 
 Lemoine and Avalanche with their profusion of bloom. 
 Here, too, you have a wide diversity both in leaves and 
 flowers and a wide range of blooming season. 
 
 For lilacs, put a tree lilac in the center, either the 
 Chinese or the Japanese, then the Villosa of half tree 
 form, then the Bretschneider and the Josikaea, then the 
 Emodi and Oblata, then Senator Volland, Charles 
 X and others, and you will have one of the most 
 charming collections. Some of the leaves will be al- 
 most as large as your hand, and then there will be the 
 exquisitely delicate ones of the pekinensis and the cut 
 leafed Persian, while the time of blooming will range 
 from early spring till near the first of July. 
 
 Now your amphitheater is coming down toward the 
 arena. Bring on the perennials and back them up 
 against the shrubbery. There are the tall and showy 
 tiger lilies, then the rank growing delphiniums or lark- 
 spurs, with their immense spikes of bloom — hardy up 
 in Manitoba. You should not have formal or continuous 
 rows all the way. Make breaks here and there. Xow 
 put in the radiant phloxes. Then the oriental poppies, 
 with their flamelike splendor. Then Gaillardias. Some- 
 where in the background you will want cannas. They 
 vary. Pillar of Fire grows 7 feet tall, holding up a 
 bloom like a torch of flame. These go in the background 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 39 
 
 and those more dwarfish in habit are placed at the front. 
 You have now come down to your walk. You can have 
 a patch of grass if you wish. You will probably have 
 two walks. Between them you can have grass or flow- 
 ers. 'Near the road will be the grassy lawn. Let this 
 be open unless you put in a Colorado Blue Spruce or a 
 White Spruce from your northern forests. If you have 
 trees on the roadway keep them trimmed up so the view 
 will not be obstructed. 
 
 I should have a large bed of tulips near the house to 
 give their early spring cheer and the promise of summer 
 unfolding glory. These bloom and wither, but you can 
 plant alternate rows of phloxes, which the last of June 
 will commence their work. By this arrangement you 
 can stand in your porch and receive the smiles and the 
 salutations of this field of loveliness and in the afternoon 
 your tired wife can visit with the best dressed and most 
 fashionable and aristocratic company on earth — those 
 that never gossip, that do their utmost to please her, 
 that fairly worship her as a goddess with their sweet 
 incense. This plan unfolds the whole scene at a 
 glance and enables the passerby to see it also. A man 
 does not make all this outlay for himself alone. It is 
 for his friends and neighbors and that lovely scene will 
 silently preach the evangel of beauty to all that pass by. 
 One beautiful yard in a neighborhood would be an in- 
 spiration to a whole community. The time will come 
 when the tired farmer will take a half day off and spend 
 it i^rofitably in the grounds of his progressive neighbor. 
 
 Flowers need not be confined to the front; there can 
 
40 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 be some between the vegetable garden and the house 
 — ^companions of the wife as she does her work. 
 
 There is another system which is the opposite of the 
 open one. Your grounds are hidden by a hedge and you 
 have winding walks ; and as you turn you have altogether 
 new views and are in a sort of a labyrinth of beauty. 
 The house is hidden so that when you come upon it it 
 seems like a new discovery. The old English system 
 was one of seclusion. A high wall with coping of rag- 
 ged stone or glass from broken bottles, making it hard 
 to climb, enclosed the grounds. Thus secluded from 
 public gaze the owner had everything to himself and his 
 special friends. But this is rather a selfish plan. 
 
 If you go to the Shaw Gardens at St. Louis, you will 
 find that the founder brought this system from England 
 and enclosed a portion of the grounds with high walls 
 and iron gates. 
 
 If you can afford it, it would be well to consult a land- 
 scape gardener like Mr. Nutter of Minneapolis, who 
 makes this matter a life study. If you cannot, get what 
 aids you can and in the long winter evenings take your 
 rule and paper and make a plat, planning for every 
 tree and shrub and the distance apart, so when spring 
 comes you will know where everything belongs. You 
 will find this a delightful study, forecasting the future 
 and living on anticipation of a fair elysium which is to 
 front your home. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 41 
 
 CAUTION. 
 
 In all your plans do not forget that these choice 
 things must have constant care and good cultivation. 
 It is a sad sight to see grounds well planted left to 
 weeds, which like robbers delight in stealing the food 
 which belongs to the flowers. 
 
 Plant early in the spring. Do not wait for the trees 
 to leave out first. Serious losses result from late plant- 
 ing. The tree wants time to get ready for its summer 
 work and start the roots before the leaves appear. See 
 that the soil is pressed firmly around the roots. Plant a 
 little deeper than they were in the nursery. Always 
 plant in a slight depression, never on a mound or ridge. 
 Remember ^^eternal vigilance" is the price of beauty as 
 well as liberty. But working among these lovely things 
 and caring for them is one of the most delightful occu- 
 pations on earth. 
 
CHAPTEK VI. 
 
 HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS— SELECTING TREES AND 
 SHRUBS. 
 
 You should choose for hardiness those that grow nat- 
 urally in your own neighborhood, and those that have 
 been well tested and are recommended by your nursery- 
 man. 
 
 For instance, I found in Manitoba that cottonwood 
 did well, and yet care must be taken to secure northern 
 trees. Those that came from Iowa or l^ebraska would 
 not answer at all. 
 
 Eastern butternuts are worthless in E'ebraska, and 
 yet they grow wild a hundred miles north of St. Paul, 
 and probably those would be all right anywhere in the 
 west. 
 
 Some one says ^^plant red cedar.'' That dejpends on 
 where you get them. Those growing in your own 
 neighborhood are all right. Those grown in southern 
 Illinois are tender in ^Nebraska, and the famous Platte 
 cedar will not do in E'orth Dakota. 
 
 That is one trouble Avith fruits. Apples that do well 
 in Illinois and Iowa are worthless in Minnesota, and 
 at infinite expense and patience a new race has been cre- 
 ated. It has taken a generation to move apples three 
 hundred miles north. Years ago I sent seed of the pon- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 43 
 
 derosa pine and concolor fir to Prof. Green. He raised 
 beautiful trees from them. But the winter of 1904 was 
 famous for its death waves which sought out the weak 
 spots of everything. It hit Nebraska and damaged many 
 things supposed to be ironclad, and then it hit Prof. 
 Green's plantation hard, and many pines went under 
 and others had a ragged look and many of the beau- 
 tiful concolor firs were killed outright. 
 
 What was the trouble? The seeds were gathered 
 from the foothills of the Eockies. Had it been taken 
 from the high altitudes where for ages the trees had 
 been inured to deep snows and intense cold they would 
 have been all right. The picea pungens and Engleman 
 spruce are taken from an elevation of 10,000 feet, and 
 they are hardy in Manitoba. 
 
 White spruce from Maine and [N'orthern Michigan 
 are worthless in ISTebraska. 
 
 But a portion of that great family have worked their 
 way down in the Black Hills about 300 miles north in 
 a dryer climate. They are the identical white spruce, 
 but as their habitat borders on the great plains they 
 are all right. White spruce from the northern part of 
 Minnesota can probably be moved down to any part of 
 the state. We can move the conifer of the Kocky 
 Mountain foothills down to almost any portion of iN^e- 
 braska and have it do well. But you cannot always 
 move it north with safety. A state will have many dis- 
 tinct districts. For instance, white pine and E'orway 
 spruce will do in our river counties, when west of the 
 100th meridian they are worse than Avorthless. The 
 
44 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Scotch pine is a good tree for the north, but it cannot 
 live where the hot winds sweep the great plains. On 
 the other hand the Austrian pine for adaptability leads 
 all the conifers in most of the states west of the Missou- 
 ri river. I have seen splendid specimens in Oklahoma, 
 and on the dry Kansas and I^Tebraska plains, x^orway 
 spruce and white pines do well in Eastern Minnesota, 
 Avhile in the western part of the state and in the Da- 
 kotas they would be very uncertain. Again there are 
 some foreign trees that surprise us by their adaptation 
 to most of our conditions. The European mountain ash 
 is a success if you can keep the body from sunscald. 
 European w^hite birch in most of the west does better 
 than the American type. The Russian olive is one of 
 the hardiest trees for the semi-arid west and northwest. 
 For 15 years under the 100th meridian in Nebraska it 
 took the lead for size and vigor of all the native trees. 
 After that it gave attention to producing seed in im- 
 mense quantities, which dwarfed it and allowed other 
 trees to get ahead of it. Eor a time it headed the list 
 as the best forest tree for the plains. The JSTorway 
 maples seem hardy in our Northwestern states. There 
 are often freaks also among our ornamental shrubs. 
 
 While in Manitoba I was surprised to see the spiraea 
 opulifolia, which I supposed the tenderest of the whole 
 family, doing well. We are a little fearful of things that 
 come from China and Japan, yet at Brandon there was 
 the villosa lilac, which I thought would prove the most 
 tender of all. The Japanese tree lilac is a great suc- 
 cess on the Minnesota experiment grounds and Prof. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 47 
 
 Green has raised them bj the hundreds from seeds 
 grown there. 
 
 As a general thing the deutzias are worthless in the 
 west and the syringa or Philadelphus is shy about cross- 
 ing the Manitoba line. They seem to be doing all right 
 on the experiment grounds of the agricultural college 
 of Minnesota. 
 
 So you see the need of consulting your nurseryman, 
 who has given years to patient research and experiments. 
 Don't trade off his experience for the alluring pictures 
 and smooth tongue of the tree fakir. It is of prime im- 
 portance to plant things that will live. It is sad to 
 think of the millions expended on failures. While out 
 lecturing for our university in a distant city, in an ad- 
 dress I noted that many things, especially azaleas, could 
 not be made to live in I^ebraska. A gentleman took 
 me to task. ^'You just walk three blocks and I will 
 show you one of the finest azaleas you ever set eyes 
 on.'' Said I: ^'I would walk ten miles to see a good 
 thrifty azalea growing in this vicinity for I lost 500 of 
 as fine plants as I ever saw and they were under a 
 screen at that. You cannot make them live in our soil." 
 ^^Well, I'll show you and I have ordered 12 azaleas. I 
 am to pay $12 for them." He triumphantly showed me 
 a fine bush which he and the owner said was one brilliant 
 mass of bloom. ^'But where is your azalea ?" I asked. 
 "That bush is a wigelia." The man was crestfallen. 
 ''Well," said he, ''I am in for it. But I'll let my order 
 stand." I told him he might as well plant oranges. 
 
 There are some things we cannot account for in 
 
48 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 shrubs. We can only determine their adaptability by 
 actual test. For instance Prof. G-reen says that in the 
 genial climate of the Kew Gardens of England the 
 hydrangea grandiflora is not considered hardy, while 
 it grows to a tree in Minneapolis and laughs at 40 below\ 
 I also saw it in Manitoba. 
 
 RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS. 
 
 In the west and northwest we often have strong drying 
 winds just at the time when we want to plant seeds. 
 Many of our perennials and annuals have very small 
 seeds. Even nurserymen do not attempt to raise colum- 
 bines, oriental poppies, gaillardias and phloxes from 
 seed, but get the plants from the east. Unless one is 
 short of means and has a little extra time he would bet- 
 ter not bother with seeds but get well established plants. 
 
 You must observe this rule about planting seeds : the 
 smaller they are the shallower. If you want to raise 
 celery (some of you have tried it) you have found it 
 could have only a slight covering, while if you plant a 
 black walnut it should go four or five inches deep. 
 
 Another thing : the ground must never dry while seed 
 is germinating. This is fatal. There may be moisture 
 enough to start them, then there comes a drying wind, 
 and that is the end of it. Often complaint is made 
 about the seeds when the trouble is with the grower and 
 the weather. Some extremely small seeds are best start- 
 ed in the house. Plant very shallow in a pan. Often 
 we just dust a little earth over them and then put on 
 sifted moss, which will retain the moisture. A piece of 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 49 
 
 gunnjsacking or soft cloth that will keep moist will 
 answer; and this is kept damp all the while, and is 
 removed as soon as the tiny plants appear. 
 
 I have been troubled immensely in trying to grow 
 seeds out of doors in the uncertain climate of the west, 
 till with long and patient experiments I solved the 
 problem. Take boards about a foot wide and build a pen 
 4x16; or make your bed according to the number of 
 plants you want to raise. I often have 20 of that 
 size. 'JSTail laths together on crosspieces to shut out half 
 the sun. It takes about 16 laths for a square. Your 
 crosspieces are nailed on about two inches from the ends 
 of the laths. Push the alternate laths over a little so you 
 will gain a little more than four feet in the length of 
 your square. You will find this an advantage, for they 
 will catch on the boards more readily and will not be so 
 easily blown off. You must brace the square so it will 
 not get out of shape, ^ow prepare the soil in your pen 
 thoroughly. You can do it best before your pen is made. 
 Have the gi'ound perfectly level. Sow the seed and 
 cover according to the size of the seed. See that the 
 earth is moist and in good condition before you sow. 
 Having covered the seed put gimnysacking over them 
 and give them a good soaking every night. Your screens 
 are made so you can put them on and off readily. You 
 must take them off to water of course. Keep them on 
 all the time. When your seeds begin to come up (and 
 they cannot help coming up with this process) take 
 of the gimnysacking and water as the plants need it. 
 If you are raising oriental poppies keep the screen on 
 
50 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 all summer. I lost 50,000 one year by taking off the 
 screen. It is different with gaillardias and columbines. 
 When they are well rooted take off the screens. They 
 do better in the full sunlight. 
 
 How $10 mn he made to groiu to $1,000. If I were 
 on a farm I know that in a few years I could accom- 
 plish it, and it is largely by the processes I am de- 
 scribing that I have succeeded in producing one of the 
 largest ornamental nurseries in the west in a short space 
 of time. If you only knew it, there is a whole bank of 
 money in your brain and hands: Six years ago I 
 found myself disabled, so I had to leave in a measure a 
 professional life which I had carried on for more than 
 forty years. My health was poor and nerves worn 
 threadbare by a strenuous life. I found myself without 
 money and the wolf of want was looking in at the door. 
 Too many under the circumstances would have been 
 appalled. But all along I had taken delight in horti- 
 culture and for years kept a state experiment station. 
 An important position in the east placed me in contact 
 with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, of which 
 I became a member, where I formed the acquaintance 
 with some of the foremost men in the nursery business. 
 Of course I got all I could out of them. I had a splen- 
 did opportunity to see the parks and private grounds 
 of Kew England, and get acquainted with the superin- 
 tendents and gardeners. I gathered and stored all the 
 items I came across, and when I must give up my life 
 work I had shattered health, no money to speak of — 
 just head and hands, ^^heart within and God overhead," 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 51 
 
 and good, kind old Mother Nature ready to take me by 
 the hand. I went to work and pulled a nursery out of 
 my head and hands which visitors tell me is the best in 
 its line west of Chicago, and I think they are correct. 
 
 Here are thousands of lilacs in 50 different kinds, 
 20 kinds of syringas and as many of spiraeas, a fine 
 lot of viburnums, $5,000 worth of paeonies in 400 
 varieties and perhaps 200,000 choice perennials. When 
 I talk of gold mines I am no parlor knight. I have 
 done most of the work myself at an age when most men 
 retire. I do not mention this in a spirit of egotism, but 
 simply to show what an old man thrown aside can do ; 
 and a young man certainly has greater advantages. 
 
 If we could call our powers into phay we could dress 
 up this dirty old world of ours so the angels would hard- 
 ly know it. 
 
 How it was done. 
 
 I planted a lot of evergreen seed, using the screen sys- 
 tem. Then a lot of perennials, and they grew. I 
 secured a few lilacs of leading sorts and grafted them, 
 a bit of scion on a piece of lilac root just as the nur- 
 seryman makes his apple grafts. I found that most 
 kinds of spiraeas, notably Van Honti and opulifolia, 
 would grow from cuttings like willows, and so with the 
 Philadelphus or syringas. One plant in a short time 
 would make 100, and then 1,000. I planted late in 
 the fall and mulched, or else early in the spring. I 
 secured a lot of choice trees when they were small 
 and then planted them on rich land, and looked on to 
 see them grow. Choice paeonies, some costing $2 to 
 
52 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 $5, I found, if well cultivated in rich ground, mul- 
 tiplied fast. And now, my dear reader, if I can only 
 ^^stir up the gift that is in you" and have your hand 
 know its cunning and your brain its power and re- 
 sources, I shall feel that I have done a good work. 
 We talk of waste and there is too much of it. For 
 two years the farmers of ISTebraska lost wheat enough 
 to easily feed the whole state, by just waiting for a 
 threshing machine so they could thresh out of the 
 shock. But the greatest waste is in our unused and 
 undeveloped powers and uneducated hands. 
 
 DOGS AND FLOWERS. 
 
 I sometimes think our boasted civilization lies along 
 the borders of barbarism, — a worthless dog preferred 
 to a winsome child. 
 
 ^^E'us," said a little felloAV who was taking an air- 
 ing in his little carriage, 'Vho yas dat lady wid a 
 little dog dat tissed me?" 
 
 "Why, that was your mamma." 
 
 There are thousands of childless people who center 
 their affections on a contemptible cur. 
 
 A friend of mine was taking a ride on the cars. 
 Near Kansas City a girl got in bringing a little pug 
 in her arms. She coddled him and petted him and 
 then said: "Does the little darling want a drink of 
 water?" She took a beautiful gold lined cup, got it 
 full of water and gave the beast a drink. He took 
 half of it, slobbering all over the cup, and she drank 
 the rest of it. Miss Dilletante, living down east, said 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 53 
 
 with a sigh, ''I must go to Florida this winter, for 
 Fido is ailing.'^ 
 
 Could such things cultivate flowers and dogs, too? 
 Here in l^ebraska a banker sent for quite a bill of 
 choice stock. He was willing to pay a good price. A 
 year after he wrote me that though the stock seemed 
 fine, yet it was not doing well. I went to see him, 
 and a more woe-begone and bedraggled lot of stuff I 
 never saw. The beautiful evergreens which should 
 have been a pride and a joy were sick and dying. 
 
 ^'How many dogs do you keep?" I asked. 
 
 ^^Six." 
 
 ^'I should think so, by the way they have got in 
 their work." 
 
 I was angry to see the finest trees that money could 
 produce ruined in that way. 
 
 I heard J. W. Manning, the leading horticulturist 
 of Massachusetts, say in the Horticultural Society of 
 Boston, '^that dogs ruined more evergreens and choice 
 shrubs than all other causes combined. The dog, like 
 death, loves a shining mark, and his peculiar system 
 of irrigation is death. So if you are bound to culti- 
 vate dogs you might as well give up flowers. On the 
 farm a good shepherd dog is often a necessity and he 
 has generally enough to do to keep out of mischief. 
 
 I am often annoyed by great worthless dogs rushing 
 in among my flowers and breaking or tearing them 
 down. A dog has no more right to run at large than 
 has a cow or horse. 
 
 It is sometimes pathetic to see a lady try to cul- 
 
54 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 tivate dogs and flowers in the same yard. She plants 
 a bulb and the dear little doggie digs it np to see 
 what it is. She has a choice bed of flowers and he 
 makes his bed among them, tearing them down at his 
 pleasure. Some people will persist in keeping a dog 
 to keep off chicken thieves, and his bark will keep 
 people awake for several blocks and he will rob the 
 neighbors out of a thousand dollars worth of sleep to 
 save a 50 cent chicken, when the chicken wasn't in 
 any danger. Well, take your choice, dogs or flowers; 
 but I would infinitely rather take the flowers. 
 
CHAPTER VIL 
 
 PLANTING FOR FOLIAGE EFFECT. 
 
 Landscape gardeners differ in taste and also in ad- 
 vice. Some plant a large number of trees with dif- 
 ferent shades in their leaves and some discard them 
 altogether and insist on the universal green. But ^Na- 
 ture loves variety and gives it to us and we may as 
 well use it. 
 
 TKEES OF SILVER FOLIAGE. 
 
 The Bollearm Poplar is a charming tree, in form 
 much like the Lombardy only more compact. The 
 upper side of the leaves is green and the under side is 
 white. I do not know how long lived it will be. It 
 does not seem as vigorous as some others, and though 
 hardy enough in resisting the cold it seems liable to 
 
 disease. 
 
 The Ahele also belongs to the poplar family. This 
 was brought from Europe and though quite hardy it 
 seldom makes a good straight tree, and sprouts as badly 
 as the black locust. 
 
 The Nivea, more recently introduced, is a desira- 
 ble tree. It is a more rapid grower, has larger leaves 
 and a much better form. 
 
 The Russian Olive is hardy all over the northwest. It 
 
56 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 is very attractive where you can get it into shape. But 
 growing it is the terror of the nurseryman. It re- 
 quires more training, trimming and scolding than 
 any other tree. It is inclined to sprawl and branch 
 and grow bushy. But once they get it in shape, it is 
 one of the finest we have. It has four silvery tints, 
 one on the upper and another on the under side of 
 the leaves. ' The growing twigs have yet another and 
 the fruit is burnished silver. You watch it when the 
 breeze is playing with it and mingling all these shades, 
 and you will deem it one of the finest you ever saw. 
 In the spring it is covered with little golden flowers 
 and each one seems a tiny phial uncorked to fill all the 
 air with a delicious fragrance. It is a delightful bee 
 pasture and a grove of them is filled with the hum 
 and roar of the delighted honey makers. 
 
 The Buffalo Berry belongs to the same eleagnus 
 family. They have an affinity and I have grafted one 
 onto the other successfully. It does not become as 
 large a tree as the other. In some localities it bears 
 enormously. This also has sweet scented flowers. The 
 fruit is excellent, fully equal to our currants, with the 
 advantage of holding on till midwinter. In some lo- 
 calities they are shy bearers, but on the University 
 experiment grounds at St. Anthony Park the limbs 
 were bending with their burdens of fruit. 
 
 The Regalis or Regal Willow is the most beautiful of 
 all the willow family. Two kinds bear this name, but 
 the real one has leaves burnished satiny silver, delicately 
 veined. I think it will prove hardy anywhere. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 
 
 GOLDEN FOLIAGE. 
 
 The Van Gertii Golden Poplar seems to be related 
 to the Carolina poplar and the cottonwood family. It 
 is quite yellow while young but as the tree gets age the 
 leaves turn to a pale green. 
 
 The English Golden Oak is a very popular tree. 
 But I fear '^lardy as an oak" will not mean much with 
 it. I noticed it killed back some with me last win- 
 ter. 
 
 The Golden Elm has very striking foliage. The 
 color is clear and good. Most of these trees do not 
 seem hardy when quite yoimg, but as they get age I 
 think they will be all right. These trees of rare foliage 
 should be sheltered a little from our burning suns. I 
 once secured some variegated catalpas. I saw them 
 growing in Waukegan, 111., and they were so charming 
 I must have them. I planted them under the 100th 
 meridian in Nebraska. No sooner did those beautiful 
 leaves appear than they were burned to a crisp by the 
 hot sun and drying winds. 
 
 A tree seems sometimes gifted with reason, and these 
 seemed to say, ''You don't like our style and we will 
 try something else." They put out no more variegated 
 leaves. The foliage was like the other catalpas, only a 
 shade lighter. But they stayed on and the trees grew 
 and kept up w^ith the others. 
 
 There is a Golden Leaved Ash, but I have not tested 
 it. There is also a golden variety of the silver maple ; 
 but I fear it would not be hardy in the west, for this 
 
58 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 species of maple is sensitive on being moved north 
 very far. And the red maple, so popular in the east, is 
 worthless in Nebraska. 
 
 The Golden Hop Tree is a success in most of the 
 west. It is a variety of the great hop tree family. 
 These grow wild in the Rockies and in many parts of 
 the United States. They bear great clusters of hops. 
 It is said they will take the place and do the work of 
 the vine hops. They have a strong hop-like odor. The 
 yellow type is fine, only it is somewhat difficult to get 
 the tree up into good shape. It prefers to sprawl and 
 grow bushy. 
 
 Among shrubs we have the golden elder, the yellow 
 spiraea and syringa. IsTature seems to love the gold. 
 Along the foothills and up in the Rockies there is a 
 marvelous prodigality of this color, as if they were hang- 
 ing out the sign to tell of the rich gold fields beneath. 
 
 TKEES OF PUEPLE FOLIAGE. 
 
 The most conspicuous and attractive of them all is 
 Rivers Beach. I secured some choice ones, for which 
 I paid a good price and had them well sheltered. I 
 bought also 500 common beach to bud the purple ones 
 on. These were under a screen of lath. They all got 
 up the worst strike I ever saw. They utterly refused 
 to grow and every one of them died. They joined the 
 great procession of azalias and rhododendrons which 
 had gone on before. 
 
 So you see the need of consulting your nurseryman 
 if you would avoid serious losses. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 59 
 
 The Norway Maple is hardy in the west and this has 
 three sports or variations that are worthy of all praise. 
 
 The Schwedlerii or Scliwedlers Maple is a glory, 
 in springtime unfolding a massive head of purple 
 like a giant flower projected against the sky. It hard- 
 ly seems possible that it could be only a tree. After- 
 wards the leaves turn to a dark green, while the new 
 shoots are all the while showing the purple. 
 
 Geneva is another distinct variety of nearly the 
 same color. 
 
 Then to match the Schwedlerii and balance up the 
 seasons, we have the Reitenhacli Maple, an excellent 
 and striking variety of pyramidal form. The foliage 
 is beautiful green in the spring, changing to purple 
 in midsummer and then to glov/ing scarlet in the 
 autumn. Here then we have three charming varieties 
 from this one family of ^NTorways. 
 
 The purple leafed birch does well also in the west. 
 I have seen some fine specimens in N^orthern Nebraska. 
 Tliere are two forms of elm that have purple leaves. 
 In one case the leaf is a solid color and in the other 
 case the foliage is edged with purple. 
 
 Among the shrubs we have the purple leafed bar- 
 berry. Justly or unjustly the barberry family is 
 charged with generating wheat rust just as the red cedar 
 is accused of generating the apple rust. 
 
 PLANTING FOR AUTUMN EFFECT. 
 
 Our forests and mountains are famous for their 
 splendid coloring after the first frosts have come. We 
 
60 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 have seen our western mountains clothed with marvel- 
 ous tints and colors. Often excursions are planned 
 from the Atlantic cities to the mountains of Vermont 
 and 'New Hampshire for the magnificent nature paint- 
 ings seen nowhere else. The whole landscape is like a 
 canvas broad and vast on which pictures are painted 
 which thrill the soul. 
 
 Said a gentleman to an English visitor as they were 
 standing before a scene of surpassing beauty, when 
 such glowing colors under the clear sky made the whole 
 glorious mountain seem a vast bouquet of loveliness: 
 "Did you ever see anything like that ?" "Well/' was the 
 reply, "don't you think it is a little tawdry?'' Thus 
 insulting nature in her glorious temple. He was 
 probably brother to the man who stood by l^iagara, 
 when the thundering waters were making the earth 
 tremble. "Did you ever see anything like that? Such 
 mighty volumes falling into such a tremendous abyss." 
 "Well, what's to hinder?" was his only reply. But 
 people are not all kickers and cynics. We love the 
 beautiful. And when I^ature puts on her autumn 
 dress we can but admire her. It is like the wild rol- 
 licking festival of the Latin countries just before the 
 world sobers down to Lent. 
 
 It is well to plant for this color effect. There are 
 many things that will greatly, aid us and our grounds 
 are large enough. We can have much enjoyment along 
 this line. Where the hard maples can be made to grow 
 you will see them with their crowns of gold. The wild 
 cherry is dressed in red and crimson. The black haw 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 61 
 
 is very attractive in its coat of many colors. The 
 spiraea arguta, the first to bloom in the spring, makes 
 its exit into winter with sumptuous garments of gold, 
 red and purple. This great show is IvTature's last at- 
 tempt to enliven the world when the flowers are all 
 gone and the leaves begin to fall, and it is well to help 
 her with her last carnival of colors. 
 
CHAPTEK VIII. 
 
 THE LILAC. 
 
 The name comes from the Persian word, lilag, a 
 flower. The common kind has been in cultivation for 
 ages. It probably originated in Persia. ^N'urserymen 
 and botanists now call these syringas, and the syringas 
 are classed as Philadelphus ; but as we are Avriting for 
 the common people we wilfuse their terms. 
 
 If one should ask the ordinary observer how many 
 kinds there were he would answer three, the common 
 purple, the white and the Persian. There are over 130 
 kinds now in cultivation, and the number is increas- 
 ing by hybridizing. Why this great family of hardy 
 ornamentals has been ignored and neglected all these 
 years, it is hard to understand, for they are exactly 
 what is needed to cheer up the great northwest. They 
 are among the hardiest things we have, and there is 
 hardly one in the lars^e collection but what will thrive 
 in Manitoba. The time of flowering reaches from ear- 
 ly spring till about the first of July, and the variety 
 of foliage is something wonderful, varying from the 
 large corrugated leaves of the Bretschneider to the 
 delicate foliage of the Pekinensis and the feathery 
 leaves of the cut-leafed Persian. We have secured a 
 photo of half a dozen kinds to show the rich variety. 
 
^^ ^ l^" 
 
 1$ ^" 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 65 
 
 In color the blossoms range from snowy white to pur- 
 ple, and if you have a good collection you will have 
 continuous bloom till the last of June. 
 
 The Vulgaris is the kind generally used in the west. 
 It is rather a shy bloomer in most places. They are 
 notorious for sprouting, and wander out from the pa- 
 rent plant almost as bad as the Canada thistle. Peo- 
 ple put up with their vagaries on account of their sweet 
 and generous blooms, but in this respect they are far 
 surpassed by some of the more modern sorts. Charles 
 the Tenth ranks among the best as a great bloomer. 
 Belonging to the Vulgaris family it is inclined to 
 sprout, however. There are manj striking variations 
 in this Vulgaris family, and, if growing near others, 
 seedlings from them will show quite a variation. We 
 have known parties to raise plants from seeds of the 
 common ones, but there is little chance of improvement, 
 for ''like begets like." At the Brandon station in 
 Manitoba the superintendent has a hedge raised from 
 the seed of Charles the Tenth, and I noted quite a 
 variation in the size of the bushes and in the foliage 
 also, showing that there was a mixed parentage some- 
 where. Mr. Bedford said that there was quite a dif- 
 ference in the blossoms also, that some were even 
 superior to the parent, which was saying a good deal. 
 
 The Persians. These have slender branches and are 
 sure bloomers. They do not sprout like the Vulgaris, 
 yet they multiply from the stool, and if these are taken 
 up and pulled apart a single clump will often produce 
 a dozen. 
 
66 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 There are three kinds : The cut-leafed, the common 
 purple, and the white — the blossoms are not pure white, 
 but nearly so : they have a slight tint. The cut-leafed is 
 one of the most delicate and beautiful plants in exist- 
 ence. The foliage alone is of such a peculiar type that 
 of itself would be a sufficient recommendation, but added 
 to this it has sweet purple blossoms. Closely allied to 
 the Persian, and hard to distinguish from it, is the Eoth- 
 mogensis, sometim.es called the Eouen lilac, because it 
 originated there. There are two types of this, the purple 
 and the white. They are hardy and vigorous, as well as 
 profuse bloomers. I imported quite a lot from France. 
 One trouble with the whites is, they are very tardy 
 bloomers. The common white, the virginal, and gTan- 
 diflora alba, all want to take their time. But the Roth- 
 mogensis alba commences almost at the ground. The 
 first year from France some of them showed bloom 
 when only twelve to eighteen inches high, and the next 
 year they were covered with flowers when only two 
 feet tall. I am highly pleased with them. 
 
 The Emodi is from the Himalayas. It is a strong, 
 vigorous shrub, having enormous leaves for a lilac, and 
 blooms in June. There is a species of this called the 
 Variegated. I secured some, and am highly pleased 
 with them. In the dry climate of the west, with hot 
 winds and hot suns, most trees and shrubs of variegated 
 foliage are sadly affected. However, this does not seem 
 to mind it, but preserves its rich coloring through it 
 all. I think this is a fine acquisition, and there will 
 be a great demand for it. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD 67 
 
 The Ohlata is from China. It has large, thick, 
 hesLYj, heart-shaped leaves, which never mildew. It 
 blooms several days earlier than any of the rest, head- 
 ing the whole procession by at least a week. It has 
 another attraction : it holds its foliage a long time, and 
 in the fall takes on a rich, dark russet color. Like the 
 Spiraea Argnta, it has attractions for both ends of the 
 season. We have two other remarkable ones from 
 China. One is the Ligustriana, resembling the Privet. 
 It has long, slender branches and rather small leaves. 
 It grows fifteen to twenty feet high. The flowers, 
 which are yellowish white, hang in large clusters, usu- 
 ally in pairs. This is quite hardy, and seems easy of 
 propagation. There is a variety of this called Argentia, 
 said to have silver leaves. I have never seen this, and 
 do not know how the foliage would stand our climate. 
 
 The Tree Lilacs. Securing these has been one of 
 the triumphs of horticulture. They are perfectly har- 
 dy all through the west. 
 
 The Pehinensis. Some fifteen years ago I planted 
 some of these under the 100th meridian, in Nebraska, 
 where we have one of the most trying climates in the 
 world. We had three consecutive years of terrible 
 drouth, and the American siroccos, the hot winds of 
 the plains, prevailed to such an extent that many trees 
 Avere wiped out of existence. Six kinds of poplars and 
 as many kinds of willows were entirely killed. I left 
 the place, and the lilacs were left to the weeds. Yet 
 the Pekinensis was cheerful and smiling with bloom 
 through it all, and when the mercury dropped to 35 
 
68 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 below it was all the same. I have a fine grove of these 
 trees, now six years old. Some of them are about a 
 foot in circumference, and. fifteen feet tall. They 
 are trees, not shrubs. They do not bloom as early as 
 the bush lilacs, but make up for lost time when they 
 get at it. They have great spikes of snow white, honey 
 scented flowers. If they never bloomed at all they 
 would be worth planting on account of their gracefully 
 drooping branches and fine foliage. The leaves are 
 small, and those on the young shoots have a purplish 
 tinge. They are yet scarce and high, but it pays to 
 have them. In the future they will be used for ave- 
 nues, where their splendid bloom and pendulous bran- 
 ches will be very attractive. They propagate readily 
 by grafting them on the root of the common lilac. 
 Only note this : If you use the lateral roots of the Vul- 
 garis they will sprout like the mischief. If you lake 
 the tap roots, they cannot sprout. You graft just as 
 the nurseryman grafts his apples in winter — a piece of 
 scion and a piece of root to match. Make a splic? or 
 lip graft, and wind with waxed thread. Sometimes, 
 when compelled to use a lateral root, I have taken 
 them up after the first year and cut off the Vulgaris 
 root, leaving only those thrown out from the scion. By 
 doing this you have them on their own roots. Grafted 
 trees should be planted deep, so you can get roots from 
 the scion of the tree itself. Otherwise if you depend on 
 the Vulgaris root your tree will be dwarfed. I much 
 prefer to sow the seed and draw^ on my friends east for 
 it. Then we have a tree on its own roots. 
 
JAPAX TREE LILAC ON THE GROUNDS OF C. S. HARRISON, OF YORK, 
 
 Nebraska. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 71 
 
 Eight liere let me say that the root of the Persian 
 lilac is the best to graft on of anything I ever tried. 
 Both the tree lilacs, and almost all the other kinds, 
 take ^vell on it, and it does not sprout like the Vulgaris. 
 You must train these trees to a single stem. If not, 
 they will branch too low, or be bushy. It is not a hard 
 matter to do this. They will grow about as fast and as 
 large as our native ash. They require rich ground and 
 good cultivation. I know several people who got small 
 trees, and put them in the sod, and then complained 
 that tliey did not do well. If any one doubts tlie ability 
 of the lilacs to make trees, let him see the splendid grove 
 of them here in York. 
 
 The Syringa Japonica or Japan Lilac. When this 
 was first introduced into the east it created quite a 
 furor, and the trees rapidly sold for $5 each. The 
 Shady Hill ISTursery sent to Japan for a bushel of seed, 
 and commenced growing them on a large scale. One 
 grcAv from seed, in the Arnold Arboritum, of J^oston, 
 in twenty years, to a height of thirty feet, and it was 
 tl-irty inches around three feet from the ground. I 
 measured it myself. It is said that in tlieir native 
 mountains of Japan they gTOw to be a foot through and 
 fifty feet tall. I judge this tree would not stop till 
 it reached those dimensions. They are hardy in the 
 north. Prof. Green has some fine ones on the experi- 
 ment grounds of the Minnesota University, and he has 
 raised hundreds from the seeds gathered from them. 
 They can readily be grafted on the root of the common 
 Persian lilac. 
 
72 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 The Villosa is a large, strong growing lilac from 
 Japan. You might call it half tree. I supposed this 
 would be the tenderest of all, but I found it growing 
 and thriving at Brandon, Manitoba. It has a purple 
 blossom in June. I wish some one would graft these 
 on tlie tree lilac and then plant the seed. I am sure 
 desirable results would be secured. At first this one 
 does not impress you. You see a few blooms, not ex- 
 tra large. But some summer you will be astonished 
 to find the whole bush turned to bloom, one great bou- 
 quet of fragrant loveliness. This does not graft well, 
 not even on its own roots, any more than does the snow- 
 ball ; but you can layer it just as you would the snow- 
 ball, with the same results. 
 
 Double Flowers. Following the order of develop- 
 ment we now have many lilacs with double flowers. 
 The same results are reached here as with the rose, car- 
 nation and dahlia, and we really know but little of 
 what is before us, but from what has been accom- 
 plished along these lines we may expect great things. 
 We have ' among the doubles Senator Volland, Jean 
 Bart, Emile Lemoine, De Humbolt, Linne, Madame 
 Lemoine and many others. 
 
 The Best Kinds. From my own experience at the 
 York experiment station, I would recommend all the 
 Persians, the two Rothmogensis, Dr. Bretschneider, 
 Josekae, the Emodi, green and variegated, Villosa, 
 Charles the Tenth, Pyramidalis, Senator Volland, 
 Glori d' Croncles, Ligustriana, and the two tree lilacs. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 73 
 
 It is a shame to let the front yard go imadorned when 
 such splendid things are waiting your beck to take their 
 places as part of the family. They are ready to do 
 their utmost to cheer and enliven the home. 
 
CHAPTEK IX. 
 
 THE VIBURNUM OR SNOWBALL. 
 
 This is quite a numerous and interesting family. 
 Most people suppose there is only one, and that the 
 old kind with which we are so familiar. 
 
 This is called Viburnum Sterilis. There are no seeds 
 following the great double flowers which appear in 
 spring time. It generally takes the bush form, though 
 with a little care it can be trained into a tree, and 
 when it is 15 feet tall, with massive head, covered with 
 a profusion of snowy blooms, it is exceedingly attrac- 
 tive. These are ordinarily propagated by layers. 
 
 Some keep bushes for that purpose. Pull down the 
 lower branches and cover them with six inches of 
 earth. Allow no weeds to grow near and in the fall 
 you will have nice, well rooted plants. These are cut 
 off and planted by themselves. I 'have sometimes 
 raised a dozen from a single bush. 'No home should 
 be without these snowballs. They are hardy and great 
 bloomers. 
 
 Viburnum Opulis is the high bush cranberry so com- 
 mon in the Minnesota forests. I well remember in the 
 early days that it was our delight in winter to come 
 upon clumps -of these berries in that northern land 
 when fruit was scarce and high. One trouble in rais- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD 75 
 
 ing this kind has been this : They grow in Europe and 
 in some of the eastern states and for a long time I 
 was disappointed in them for they were not hardy; 
 but, securing them from the north^ they were all right. 
 I never saw a finer collection than Professor Green has 
 at St. Anthony Park. He went into the woods and 
 secured the most prolific he could find, and propagated 
 from these, and they were very attractive. There 
 were great clusters of bright red berries hanging on 
 the bushes wherever there was a chance; in some 
 cases bending down the branches and making the 
 little trees graceful weepers. They do better shaded 
 from the sun, and will do best on the north side of a 
 grove. The Sterilis is a variation from this species. 
 They are alike in foliage and the habit of growth is much 
 ^he same. Here you have a plant highly useful as well 
 as exceedingly beautiful. You have blossoms in the 
 spring, and the whole bush in the fall is a splendid 
 bouquet, with its glowing red, and the foliage of both 
 species in the fall has the richest of tints, making a 
 combination of effects which cannot but be appreciated. 
 You secure these by sowing the seeds and letting them 
 remain two winters. Or buy the bushes ready grown. 
 
 Viburnum Cassinoides has branches covered with 
 white flowers in June, followed by black berries in the 
 fall. 
 
 Dentatum or Dentated Leafed Viburnum proves to 
 be very hardy in I^ebraska, and I presume will be all 
 over the IsTorthwest. The leaves of deep green are 
 large, dented, wrinkled and corrugated, making them 
 
76 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 very attractive. They have white flowers in the spring, 
 followed bv great clusters of berries of shining blue. 
 They prove hardy in Manitoba. 
 
 Vihurnum Lentago is a native species, growing from 
 Maine to Georgia. It is a handsome, low growing tree 
 of great beauty. I do not know whether it has been 
 tested fully in the West. This is called the sweet 
 viburnum or sheep berry. Its flowers are creamy 
 white, and very fragrant. The foliage is light glossy 
 gTeen, It has a profusion of berries in the fall. 
 
 Laiiianoides is another small and shapely tree belong- 
 ing to this family. 
 
 Prunifolium or the black haw also belongs in this 
 list, and it is interesting to know that two of the impor- 
 tant branches of this family are natives of the I^orth, 
 and ^'hardy as the oak.'' 
 
 With w^hat avidity the schoolboy strays from the 
 direct path going home to regale himself with the ripe 
 rich fruit of the black haw. Plant masses of them. 
 Flower and fruit are attractive, and the autumn color- 
 ing is simply gorgeous. 
 
 Plicahwi is from Japan or ^orth China. It is a 
 marvelous bloomer, rivaling, if possible, the old Sterilis. 
 I have seen these bushes with great massive mounds of 
 snowy bloom in the East; but I have never succeeded 
 with them in the West unless they had shelter from the 
 sun. How far north they have been tested I cannot 
 say. Many things will thrive in northern Minnesota 
 which cannot endure the heat of ^N'ebraska and Kansas. 
 
 The Tomentosum is a beautiful sins^le form of the 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 77 
 
 Plicatum. *I was in Boston when a bunch of these 
 was brought into Horticultural Hall. It created quite 
 a furor. The branch w^as one mass of bloom of pure 
 delicate white. '^What is it?" "What can it be?" 
 were the queries which surrounded it. N^o one knew. 
 Just then Jackson Dawson, superintendent of Arnold 
 Arboretum, came in. He knows everything. Few 
 plants of the temperate zone ever escape him. He told 
 them what it was. T. C. Thurlow is a prominent florist 
 and keen as a briar. He went home and examined 
 his foreig-n catalogues and found a lot listed over in 
 France. He sent and bought the whole lot. He sold 
 quite a quantity to some florists who cut a large amount 
 of them green to propagate in a gTeen house. I remem- 
 ber I was there and helped cut great basket loads for 
 the purpose of propagation. This was some years ago. 
 They are now very well distributed. 
 
 I have not yet tested them, but will try to do so. 
 I am sure, however, that like the Plicatum, they will 
 need some shelter from the sun. 
 
 Both these last, like the Sterilis, are produced by 
 layering. 
 
 OTHER SHRUBS OF VALUE. 
 
 The Eiionymus. This is also called burning bush 
 and spindle tree. The American species is the Wahoo. 
 There is a town of this name in ISTebraska, so called, I 
 believe, on account of the fine clumps of burning 
 bush near it. In the eastern part of Nebraska you 
 often see them gi'owing wild along the streams. There 
 
78 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 are some beautiful specimens in my garden across the 
 road from where I write. The limbs are covered with 
 scarlet fruit. They are desirable as shrubs, with their 
 flowers in the spring, their rich foliage in summer, and 
 their showy berries in the autumn. When the leaves 
 fall the whole tree is simply ablaze with its profusion 
 of berries, giving a cheerful cast to the somber tints 
 and falling leaves. It is propagated from seeds, which 
 lie in the ground two years, and also from root offsets. 
 The European variety is worthless in the West. I 
 have had them kill to the ground. There is a creeping 
 type of the Euonymous extremely beautiful in the East, 
 with its richly variegated leaves, which, in favorable 
 localities, will stay on all winter. But it is of no use 
 in the West. T have tried it carefully under screen 
 of lath. It is bound to die. 
 
 The Hydrangea. There are several species of this, 
 some of which make valuable house plants. But the 
 only one of any merit for out doors is the Paniculata 
 Grandiflora. 
 
 There is probably no plant, shrub or bush that yields 
 such a profusion of immense flowers as this in propor- 
 tion to the height of the bush. The curious thing about 
 it is, it is not called hardy at the Kew gardens in the 
 mild climate of England, and it cannot endure the in- 
 tense heat and dry winters of our western plains, and 
 yet in Minneapolis and St. Paul it will grow to a small 
 sized tree, and be glorious with its great burden of 
 flowers. No yard is complete Avithout it. It seems 
 to do better planted in masses than when set out alone. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 79 
 
 There are many things inanimate which appear to be 
 of a social nature, and they love company of their o^vn 
 kind. So now these are set out mostly in clumps of 
 from six to twelve, and you have a perfect bank of 
 flowers. If the ground is good, and they have the best 
 of care, the flowers will sometimes be as large as a 
 man's head. They are white at first, and, as they get 
 age, they put on a slightly reddish tint. They seem 
 to know how to continue in bloom a long time, and then 
 die gracefully. 
 
 They are usually propagated in the hot-house from 
 green cuttings. They can be increased, however, by 
 layers. 
 
 You can take quite a branching bush and plant it 
 deep so the branches will be under ground, and they 
 will all take root, when they can be cut off and planted 
 by themselves. They are generally propagated on a 
 large scale in France and sent from there in immense 
 lots when they are small. I have often used these im- 
 ported ones. There will be some loss, and it takes time. 
 It is better to get good strong bushes from your nursery- 
 man. 
 
 The Sambucus or Elder. If we had to import our 
 Elder from Europe, and pay a high price for it, with 
 its great, massive blooms in spring time and flat masses 
 of dark berries in the fall, almost as large as dinner 
 plates, we would think a good deal of it; but as it is, 
 it is generally neglected. If, however, you have room 
 enough and wish a large wild garden, then you will 
 have a place for it. There are twelve varieties of 
 
80 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Sanibuciis in cultwation. Some, like Pyramidalis, are 
 too tender ; also the fern leafed. The weeping form is 
 also tender. The cut leafed seems hardy, and a rank 
 grower. Very attractive with its peculiar leaves. One 
 type, with red berries, grows in the Kockies. The 
 Golden Elder is hardy and desirable. The variegated 
 leafed is very striking. It does fairly well in Ne- 
 braska. I do not know how far north it can be moved. 
 Plumosa is a cut leafed, weeping variety; and then 
 there is the golden cut leafed. 
 
 The whole family are as easily propagated as wil- 
 lows, gTowing readily from cuttings. This is not gen- 
 erally known. 
 
 Some use the golden for hedges. It makes a good 
 windbreak, but, of course, is not strong enough for a 
 fence. This and the cut leafed are rapid growers, and 
 would make quite a hedge in a short time. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE SYRINGA, OR PHILADELPHUS. 
 
 Philadelphus was an Egyptian king in the long ago, 
 and in some way his name is fastened on these shrubs. 
 Whether he wore the flowers on his hat or in his button- 
 hole, or decorated his house with them we cannot tell, 
 but it has stuck to them ever since, and will probably to 
 the end of time. They are sometimes called Moch 
 Orange, because the flowers have the perfume of orange 
 blossoms. 
 
 They are an exceedingly vigorous and hardy race, 
 and as they are very reasonable in price, no farm or 
 house lot should be without them. 
 
 The little old sweet scented syringa is most generally 
 known. The flowers are small and bear no comparison 
 with those of more recent introduction. 
 
 There are several distinct families of these shrubs, 
 and as they grow readily from seed they have a ten- 
 dency to hybridize, and so new varieties are coming to 
 the front. They have fine foliage, and often grow to 
 the height of t^^'elve or fifteen feet, and when they are 
 covered with their snowy bloom they are very attractive. 
 Some have an early and some a later time of flowering, 
 and so there is quite a succession of bloom. Some of 
 these shrubs are natives of Central Europe; some are 
 
82 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 from Japan; some come from the Himalayan moun- 
 tainSj from whence we derive so many choice shrubs 
 and flowers; some are found growing in the Virginia 
 mountains ; and in the Rockies Ave have the Rubus Deli- 
 ciosus, which is closely allied. Its form is like the 
 syringa, though it bears berries. In the spring it is 
 like a snowbank of beautiful white roses. It is ex- 
 tremely hardy ; but its place is by a pond or stream of 
 water, or if on high ground it must be well watered. 
 It is not a success unless it can have wet feet. We give 
 a list of some of the varieties: 
 
 The Coronaris or Garland. This is a pure white 
 flower of peculiar form — four full blossoms and on the 
 top of them another, making a minature crown — hence 
 the name. Give it good cultivation and it has glorious 
 sweet scented blossoms. 
 
 Floi'e Pleno is a variety partly double, and very fra- 
 grant. 
 
 Nanus is of a dwarf habit ; a low, compact bush and 
 very shy bearer — used mostly as a border plant. 
 
 Zyheri. I secured some of these last spring and am 
 watching them closely. They seem quite vigorous, and 
 well adapted to our climate, and the entire family stood 
 the terrible heat of summer without flinching. This 
 has a large odorless flower, and is very late — making it 
 very valuable in lengthening the procession. 
 
 Golden Leafed Syringa. This is a beautiful plant, 
 somewhat dwarfish in habit. It retains its golden color 
 all through the season. Last summer the leaves 
 scorched a little in the burning sun. It is well to keep 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 83 
 
 a treasure like this a little in the shade, when it will 
 be all you can ask. Aside from the golden color it has 
 lovely white flowers. These should be planted where 
 they can show marked contrast with the green of others, 
 or where they can stand by some purple leafed shrubs. 
 We must learn to plant for color effect. 
 
 The Gordoiiianus is a yery prince of the family, a 
 vigorous grower, slightly fragrant and blooms late. 
 
 Speciosissimus is of dwarf habit, forming a bush 
 about three feet tall, Avhich is covered with large white, 
 sweet scented flowers. 
 
 Laxus has an upright habit of growth. This also 
 has good sized flowers, richly perfumed, and it is a 
 very valuable sort. 
 
 Avalanche. This was sent out a few years ago as a 
 new variety. A dwarf loaded and smothered with 
 flowers. I sent 50 cents for one and got a dwarf sure. 
 It was so much of a dwarf it could hardly be discov- 
 ered with the naked eye. But I planted the little thing, 
 and it has done well, and though it has not flowered yet, 
 I have great hopes of it. 
 
 Lemoine's Dwarf was a companion of the Avalanch, 
 and much like it in form and in the promise of flowers. 
 That was very small, but the best of care has brought 
 it out and it is a plant of promise. 
 
 Lemoincs Ereda Syringa is a charming variety of 
 upright growth. It has small fragrant flowers of yel- 
 lowish white, completely covering the bush. 
 
 Microphyllus h'as very small leaves, which show well 
 
84 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 in contrast with the larger ones of other kinds. This 
 is a dainty little thing v/ith tiny white hlossoras. 
 
 Nivalis has scentless flowers, the stamens of which 
 are cream colored, and this gives the entire blossom an 
 almost snowy white appearance. 
 
 Penhinensis is, of course, a Chinaman. It has 
 creamy white bloom which is very fragrant. 
 
 Primulaeflorus is remarkable in that the flowers are 
 well nigh double and are delicate white. 
 
 Hoary Leafed Syringa has large downy foliage as 
 well as large white blossoms, which are late, thus length- 
 ening the season. 
 
 Willow Leafed Syringa is very unique in that it has 
 borrowed the leaves of the Avillow for its clothing. The 
 leaves are curled at the edges. It is of a dwarf habit. 
 
 Speciosus is of distinct and well marked habit with 
 late flowers. 
 
 Yohohama is from Japan. It is of upright and com- 
 pact form, with a sort of plaited foliage. Flowers very 
 odorous, making a very desirable plant. 
 
 We notice that quite recently there have appeared 
 important additions to this family. I have just re- 
 ceived a catalogue from a large nursery in France and 
 have sent in an order for the following to test them in 
 Nebraska : 
 
 Ketelors Syringa, which is double flowering. Flow- 
 ers by nature are single. Dbuble flowers are the work 
 of nature and art. The tendency of improved flowers 
 is to grow double and larger. 
 
 Glorious as syringas are, we believe there is a splen- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 85 
 
 did future for them, and Avlien bees are plenty to mix 
 the pollen, and you have the full group by planting 
 the seeds, you stand a good show for something new 
 and fine. 
 
 We notice next Sutzman's Syringa, then Silver Bell, 
 which comes out with great promise ; also Candalabre, 
 noted as being a very free bloomer. Then there is the 
 Mantle of Ermine and Mount Blanc. 
 
 G-randiflorus has a very large pure white flower, 
 somewhat fragrant. It is a very vigorous grower. 
 
 Years ago I was on the grounds of T. C. Thurlow, 
 of West E"ewbury, Mass., and there I saw a new kind 
 with immense blossoms. They had been imported from 
 France. I got him to send me some cuttings the next 
 winter. But two of them lived. They prove to be the 
 strongest growers of all. I saw one sprout had made 
 ten feet in a single year. The flowers were two inches 
 across, and they hung in chains from the branches. I 
 never saw anything like it. They were not the Grand i- 
 fiorus. They were much larger. I named them 
 French Mammoth. They will do in ^N'ebraska, though 
 the tops killed back some. I may send some to Pro- 
 fessor Green and have him test them. 
 
 In the Arnold Arboretum I saw one, the blossoms of 
 which were very large, and, in giving the origin, Mr. 
 Dawson told me he had raised it from seed. It bore 
 striking resemblance to the French one, only the bush 
 was not quite so vigorous. 
 
 Lemoine of France has been a very successful horti- 
 culturist alonsf manv lines. He is almost as much of a 
 
85 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 wizard as our own Burbank. He originated Ava- 
 lanche Lemoine and Lemoine Erecta, all of dwarf habit, 
 and now I have just secured for testing newer kinds. 
 
 Boule df Argent, with flowers quite double, with deli- 
 cate fragrance. 
 
 Candelahre is a dwarf plant, very prolific bloomer, 
 with large white flowers. 
 
 Coulteri is another new kind — short, erect habit, flow- 
 ers large, solitary at the ends of the branches, pure 
 white, and of great substance'. 
 
 Fantaisie is described as an altogether distinct variety 
 — a very prolific bloomer, flowers pure white, pale rose 
 in the center, and delightfully fragrant. 
 
 Fimbriatus is a very unique variety, "branches 
 arched, covered with large white flowers deeply toothed." 
 
 Gerhe de Neigo has flowers very large, and so many 
 of them the branches bend beneath their weight. 
 
 Manteare d'Hermine has flowers double and semi- 
 double, creamy white, spread up and down the branches. 
 
 Perle Blanch forms a dense shrub with large double 
 pure white flowers. 
 
 So we see the evolution under human skill of the 
 single transformed to the double, and in time these will 
 grow fuller and larger. 
 
 From this review what a splendid family we have 
 to chose from, and what an addition to parks and home 
 grounds. 
 
Spirea Arguta. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SPIRAEAS. 
 
 Just as I am writing this chapter, Bulletin 47, on 
 trees and shrubs tested in northwest Canada, comes to 
 me from the director. Dr. Saunders. I am very glad 
 to welcome it, for we want the benefit of their patient 
 research, and things that will thrive in those cold re- 
 gions will do further south. 
 
 Their experience corresponds with that of the York 
 Experiment Station in that we cannot raise any of the 
 Deutzias. 
 
 We have been at great expense in testing these, and 
 have to throw tliem out altogether. The result is the 
 same with the Beeches. In no case have they passed 
 the w^inter in either station. 
 
 With the Spiricas it is different. There are about 
 fifty varieties of this family. There is a wide range 
 both in foliage and bloom. Planted for a succession, 
 we have flowers nearly or quite all summer. They are 
 very easily propagated. Many grow from cuttings, and 
 the rest multiply by ofF-shoots very rapidly. So there 
 is no reason why they should not be had in abundance. 
 
 The first to bloom is the Arguta, said to be a cross 
 between Thunbergii and Multiflora. This blooms with 
 the tulips. It is in such haste to blossom that it does 
 
90 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 not wait for the leaves, but opens a perfect snowdrift 
 of white. Having quite a hedge row of them the 
 passers-by in the spring would stop to admire them 
 and ask what they were. They are the heralds which 
 head the procession of beauty. The leaves are fine and 
 delicate, and remain on the bushes till December, and 
 before they fall they change into garments so rich in 
 the varied colors of autumn that a row of them seems 
 to be the last of the flowers. 
 
 'No collection should be without them. 
 
 The lliunhergii is very delicate in appearance — the 
 leaves are small and the tiny white blooms make it 
 ^^a little daisy'' among the group. 
 
 Prunifolia^ or Bridal Wreath blooms next. This is 
 sometimes called the button flower, for it is shaped like 
 a small white button. It has a double blossom like a 
 tiny rose. This is a profuse bloomer, but is not quite 
 as hardy as some of the rest. They bloom about the 
 first of May, the flowers hanging in clusters along the 
 stems before the leaves appear. 
 
 Van Houttei. This is deservedly a great favorite. 
 It seems hardy everywhere, and is such a wholesale 
 bloomer it is one mound Oif beauty. It propagates 
 readily, both from off-shoots and cuttings, and can 
 be had for hedges. It is much used by the railroad 
 gardeners of the East to cover embankments and hide 
 rocks, and when in full bloom it is like riding beside 
 snowbanks of fragrant beauty. 
 
 Callosa has great masses of pink flowers growing in 
 large flat heads, in shape much like the blooms of our 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 91 
 
 native elder. The blossoms appear early in June and 
 continue several weeks. 
 
 Callosa Alba lias white flowers much the shape of the 
 latter, but not quite so large. It blooms later, and 
 retains its beauty a long time. This is a very desirable 
 plant. 
 
 Superha belongs to this same Callosa family. It is 
 dwarfish in growth, with pinkish white flowers that 
 appear in June. 
 
 Bumalda is a vigorous little dwarf from Japan. It 
 often kills to the ground, but does not stop for a trifle 
 like that, but is up and at it again, and in June is 
 clothed with a profusion of pink flowers in flat clusters, 
 and then it keeps at it all summer. It never grows very 
 tall, and is useful for the border and placing in front of 
 the taller ones. 
 
 ANTHONY WATERER. 
 
 There is probably a greater demand for this than 
 any other, unless it is the Van Houttei. It is a seed- 
 ling of the Bumalda, and is much like it in form and 
 habit and shape of the flowers. While the former are 
 pale pink, these are crimson in the bud and continue 
 so some time after opening. Then they turn to red or 
 deep pink. If the floAvers are removed they will con- 
 tinue to bloom nearly all summer. These, like the 
 parent, often kill down in Avinter, but throw up new 
 shoots and are ready for business in June and on till 
 frosts. 
 
92 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Rotundifolia has round leaves of dark green color, 
 Avith a graceful habit of growth and cluster of white 
 flowers in June. 
 
 OpulifoUa is indeed opulent in its foliage. This is 
 the giant among the spiraeas, and seems hardy every- 
 where. I saw it growing all right in Manitoba. This 
 is called the tree spiraea. It is an easy matter to train 
 it into tree form, when it presents a fine appearance. 
 At this station we have had them grow six feet the first 
 year from cuttings. The flowers are white at first, and 
 are in the form of hemispheres. Put two together and 
 you have a ball about one and a half inches in diameter. 
 Eventually the blossoms turn to gold. They hang on a 
 long time, seeding heavily. These seeds grow readily. 
 
 Aurea is a variety of the Opulifolia. It is not 
 q^uite so rank a grower. Its golden leaves contrast 
 richly with the neighboring green. The flowers are 
 of the same color and form as those of the parent. 
 
 Sorhifolia, or ash leafed, is a unique and cliarming 
 shrub about six feet tall. The foliage is very fine, and 
 the bush is surmounted by massive spikes of flowers of 
 grayish Avhite. 
 
 Reevesii. This grows to be four feet tall, and has 
 beautiful clusters of Avliite floAvers the last of May. 
 
 Double Reevesii. While the last-named are single, 
 these have double Avhite floAvers, Avhich appear a little 
 later. Both varieties are compact in their habit, and 
 have slender branches. 
 
 Billardii has spikes of rosy pink flowers and Doug- 
 lassi is much of the same form. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 93 
 
 The Duniosa grows in the Rockies. It has massive 
 spikes of grayish white flowers. 
 
 A MOUXD OF SPIKAEAS. 
 
 Where you have room you can phmt with fine effect 
 in the following manner : Put Opulifolia in the cen- 
 ter. The next in vigor of growth would Be the Aurea. 
 Then Van Houttei. ^ext Bridal Wreath. Then a circle 
 of Arguta. I^ext a rim of Thunbergi. Then Bumulda 
 or Anthony Waterer. If you have room you can put 
 in other sorts. Then you have a beautiful mound with 
 a rich variety of foliage and also a succession of flowers 
 from early spring till fall. 
 
 Herbaceous Spircecus. These have strong roots, but 
 the tops are annual, and kill down like those of the 
 paeony. I think you can count on their being hardy 
 everywhere. If there is any doubt about it, mulch well 
 in winter. 
 
 Lohaia, sometimes called Queen of the Prairies^ is a 
 stately plant. It grows in the meadows of Pennsylva- 
 nia. The flowers, which are of peach color, are very 
 fine. It is much improved by cultivation. 
 
 The Astilhe is from Japan. A fine plant, with pure 
 white flowers, in large branching panicles. We have 
 tested this, and it is all right. 
 
 The Aruncus or Goafs Beard, is a fine species, grow- 
 ing wild in the Catskill and Allegheny mountains. 
 
 Palmafa is a fine variety, and then there is the Ul- 
 maria, a double sort. The Humholdtii has greenish 
 blossoms. 
 
94 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Other Plants, The Hibiscus kills down in winter, 
 but comes up in the spring. It has broad leaves and 
 large, white flowers, with crimson ejes. This race is 
 distinct from the other Hibiscus family, which is called 
 the Althea. The kind we are describing has strong 
 roots, which push up their sprouts with gi-eat vigor in 
 the spring. They bear immense masses of blossoms. 
 
 The Polygonum is somewhat of this habit, making 
 a vigorous growth in summer, giving quite a profusion 
 of bloom, and killing down in winter. There are two 
 varieties on the Minnesota experiment grounds. 
 
 The common name is the Mountain Fleece. One 
 species was introduced from the Himalaya mountains, 
 Avhence we derive so many of our choice shrubs. 
 
 Incidentally, I would say that neither the Altheas nor 
 Wegelias are hardy in the great E'orthwest. 
 
 THE ROSE. 
 
 Personally I do not pay so much attention to this 
 flower as to the paeony, which is rapidly taking its 
 place, being much hardier, much more easily cultivated, 
 and as satisfactory every way. Yet there are thousands 
 of people who will prefer the rose to every other flower. 
 
 1^0 other flower has had such a history. It reaches 
 back into the far-off ages, and you find it in writings 
 both sacred and profane. 
 
 The Romans made much use of it in their social 
 gatherings. Roses were placed over the principal en- 
 trance, and he who passed under them silently bound 
 himself not to reveal anything that was said or done 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 95 
 
 at the feast. Of course, if wine flowed freely, there 
 might be scenes and sayings which wonld not look well 
 if given publicity, and he that passed under the rose 
 must not gossip. The ''Sub Kosa" now used means 
 "keep mum." 
 
 There are about 100 native species. You find them 
 in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Even in Iceland and 
 Greenland, and other parts of the far north, they are 
 foimd. In our own land we have many members of 
 this great family, — the Avild ones always of the single 
 type. 
 
 The Ccntifolia (hundred leaves) or Cabbage Rose 
 is one of the oldest members of the family. It is a 
 native of eastern Caucasus, and is supposed to be the 
 one mentioned by Pliny, the old Koman historian. A 
 very numerous family have been produced between this 
 and the Gallicia, or Provence roses. These are all 
 beautiful and fragrant, and the flowers have a compact 
 and cabbage-like form. 
 
 The Moss Rose is supposed to be a sport of the Prov- 
 ence rose, for seedlings of this variety will often be 
 found of that type. 
 
 The Damascus Rose is an old favorite, having been 
 introduced from Syria. It is now extensively culti- 
 vated in the gardens about the ancient city of Da- 
 mascus for the purpose of making rose water and the 
 Attar of Koses. 
 
 The 8weet Briar is a native of England. This has 
 a delightful fragrance of foliage as well as of the flow- 
 
96 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 ers. It has been crossed with other varieties so that 
 we have now many of a double form. 
 
 The Banhsinia Rose was introduced from China in 
 the early part of the last century, and Avas named 
 in honor of Lady Banks. 
 
 THE JAPAIS^ESE ROSES. 
 
 We have three of the single type that are marvels of 
 beauty. 
 
 ROSA RUG OS A. 
 
 Probably no recent introduction has had a larger run 
 than this. There are two varieties, the white and red. 
 Though the flowers are single, yet they are very large 
 and clear in color, and they are perpetual bloomers. 
 If you have a row of them you will always, from spring 
 till the frosts of autumn, find flowers on them. 
 
 If the bush had no blooms, it would pay to plant 
 it for ornament alone. The leaves are glistening pol- 
 ished green, large, deeply wrinkled and corrugated. 
 The bush is strong, vigorous and hardy, thriving as 
 far north as Manitoba. There is a gTcat demand for 
 this flower. Planted singly, in masses, or hedges, it 
 is very satisfactory. One peculiarity is its enormous 
 bright red seedballs, — like red crab apples, — which 
 hang on a long time, making a fine display even after 
 the leaves have fallen. 
 
 Ruhifolia has reddish leaves. It is a strong grower 
 and a prolific bloomer, the foliage contrasting beauti- 
 fully with the neighboring green. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 97 
 
 MuUiflora is a marvel in blooming time. The bnsh 
 is literally covered with a flood of light pink flowers. 
 I have been watching these three varieties in our ex- 
 periment station in York and find them every way sat- 
 isfactory. All of them are hardy, vigorous and pro- 
 lific bloomers. 
 
 They are easily raised from seed. Get a few plants, 
 take the seedballs and rub off the pulp, put them in 
 sand and let them freeze, or plant in the fall. Those 
 in sand you plant first thing in the spring. They come 
 up readily, and you will soon have enough for masses 
 or hedges. They are so easily raised no one should 
 be without them. 
 
 CLIMBING EOSES. ■ 
 
 These are a numerous famih\ We have Queen of 
 the Prairies, Seven Sisters, Baltimore Belle, Tennessee 
 Belle, and many others. But far transcending all 
 others, and worth more tlian all put together, is the 
 Crimson Ramhler. 
 
 Some winters I have had twenty other kinds of roses 
 killed to the ground, and this would be unharmed. I 
 presume that in our extreme north it would be well 
 to take them down and cover in the fall. As a bloomer 
 there is nothing like it, unless it be the multiflora. 
 
 Every stem and twig seems ambitious to do all it 
 can. It is no uncommon thing to find thousands of 
 flowers on a single bush. Though they have no fra- 
 gTance, they make it up in the wild, rollicking prodi- 
 gality of bloom. Other kinds have borrowed the name 
 
98 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 of this rose to float into popular favor. The White 
 Rambler and the Golden Rambler have been sold by 
 the thousand. With us they are utterly worthless, 
 killing to the ground in winter, and if with care you 
 nurse them over till spring they are very shy bloom- 
 ers, and they have been consigned to the brush pile in 
 disgust as frauds. 
 
 The summer roses bloom in June and July. The best 
 of all is Harrison's yellow, which originated years ago 
 in Maryland. It is extremely hardy, an early and pro- 
 lific bloomer, and I have never known it to be injured 
 by any degree of heat or cold. It would probably be 
 hardy anywhere. The moss roses are very popular. 
 They are not quite as hardy. 
 
 Then we have Madam Plantier, which is white, and 
 a very prolific bloomer. In fact, there is quite a fam- 
 ily of these June roses, which are hardier as a general 
 thing than the perpetuals. 
 
 THE HYBRID OR PERPETUALS. 
 
 These have been extensively planted in the West, and 
 people have been sorely disappointed with them, and 
 why ? In the East and in England they have a milder 
 climate. When the hot winds are raging, scorching 
 everything they touch, roses cannot bloom. I have 
 seen at Rochester, N^. Y., in AugTist, great fields of 
 roses in full bloom, where the same kinds planted in 
 ^Nebraska some dry seasons would not show a single 
 flower. If, however, the fall is moist there will be a 
 good many blooms. I will name a few of the most 
 
Harrison's Yellow Rose. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 101 
 
 popular sorts of the perpetuals, as I have seen them 
 in the Boston flower shows, and also in the West : 
 
 American Beauty is of a large, globular, deep pink 
 form. It is especially adapted to the greenhouse, and 
 there are j)robably more of this kind raised under glass 
 than any other. 
 
 Baroness Rotlischild is light pink, very symmetrical, 
 very distinct, with a character of its own, but, unfortu- 
 nately, with little or no fragrace. 
 
 Genl Jacqueminot, abbreviated to Gen'l Jack. This 
 is one of the standard sorts, and very popular. It is 
 brilliant crimson, large and fine. It also forces well 
 in the greenhouse. 
 
 Mahel Momson. This is white, with a blush tint, 
 which makes it exceedingly beautiful. 
 
 Margaret Dickson is of fine form, white, with pale 
 flesh center, very fragrant, and fine every way. 
 
 Marshall P. Wilder is another favorite. It is a 
 seedling from Gen'l Jack. It is vigorous in growth, 
 flowers large and hemispherical in form; color, cherry 
 carmine. 
 
 Paul Neyron. This is probably the best of the 
 hybrids. It is the largest of all. The flowers are im- 
 mense, and of deep rose color. The wood is nearly 
 free from thorns, and it is the hardiest of all the per- 
 petual family. 
 
 Ulrich Br Liner is brilliant cherry red, flowers of fine 
 form. It is very vigorous and hardy for its class. 
 
 VicVs Caprice is a striking sport. It is large, pink, 
 striped with white and carmine. 
 
102 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 PEEPAKING ROSES FOR WINTER. 
 
 This is an important item in rose culture, for, if left 
 to themselves in the bleak I^orthwest they would soon 
 die. There are four systems of winter protection : 
 
 First. Put a headless barrel around your bushes and 
 fill it with leaves. If too tall, cut back. Take your 
 climbers down and cover those with leaves or straw, or, 
 better yet, with earth; or wrap with straw and burlap. 
 
 Second. Many lay them down, putting on a sod to 
 hold them in place, and then cover with leaves, straw, 
 sods or earth, to be taken up in the spring. 
 
 Third. Cut all your hybrids down to the ground and 
 burn up the brush. Then throw heavy mulching or 
 earth over the stubs, and take it off in the spring. 
 Gardener Hadkinson had five acres of roses under his 
 care at the St. Louis exposition. He pushed them the 
 first year, and they made a remarkable growth. His 
 idea was to develop a strong root system. In the fall 
 he cut them all to the ground without mercy, and 
 mulched the stubs. In the spring this was removed and 
 those strong roots were ready for business, and you 
 might have seen the finest rose display on earth. 
 
 This system removes the slugs and insects which 
 might be lurking in the bushes, and every spring you 
 get a new and clean start. Koses always form on new 
 wood, ynd not on the old. If you have the bushes 
 standing you will note that they must throw out new 
 branches before they can bloom. 
 
 Fourth. This system is my own, discovered in the 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 103 
 
 following manner : Along in the 80's I was connected 
 with Franklin Academy, in western ISTebraska, lying 
 under the lOOtli meridian. This was a difficult place 
 in which to raise choice flowers. I had a quantity of 
 Madam Plantier, wliich are white roses. They suf- 
 fered much, and killed back with the winter drouth, and 
 then by no device could I propagate them. They would 
 not root from layers. Again, they would bloom about 
 two weeks before commencement, to the disappoint- 
 ment of the girls, who wanted white roses and plenty 
 of them for that day. So I put all these things to- 
 gether and sought a solution of the difficulty, and found 
 it. In the fall the bushes had made a splendid growth. 
 I must save them from winter killing. I Avanted to 
 propagate them, and also retard their blooming for two 
 wrecks. I laid, the bushes on the ground like the spokes 
 of a wheel, and put posts on them to hold them in 
 place. The soil was rich and mellow. I put on six 
 inches over the whole and did not allow^ a single bud 
 or tAvig to show^ itself. The earth was not taken off in 
 the spring. There lay the tw^igs uninjured by winter. 
 I watched that not a branch or bud should be exposed. 
 They were compelled to come up through the 'ground, 
 and they did, great masses of them. Of course those 
 twigs were perfectly healthy and the bloom was re- 
 tarded two weeks, and the young ladies were delighted 
 Avith having all the large fragrant white roses they 
 needed for commencement. That was not all, when 
 cold weather came and the leaves fell I dug up the 
 plants and found twenty well rooted bushes Avhere I 
 
104 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 had one before. Instinctively the twigs as they came 
 through the earth put out roots. 
 
 This system is the best of all. Only it takes room, 
 and you must have just the right kind of soil. But 
 try it as you will ^^eternal vigilance'' will be the price 
 of roses in the Northwest. You cannot depend on fall 
 blooming, and so paeonies are far preferable. Usually 
 they are longer in bloom if you plant for a succession, 
 and they give you no trouble. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE LONICERA, OR HONEYSUCKLE. 
 
 These, which comprise the upright and climbing vari- 
 eties, were named from a noted German botanist, Loni- 
 cer. They are a very numerous family, with a wide 
 variety of form, foliage and bloom. In the main they 
 are extremely hardy and will thrive most anywhere, and 
 they are quite a success all over the I^orth. 
 
 THE BUSH OK TREE HONEYSUCKLES. 
 
 There is quite a family of the Tartarian group. 
 
 The golden herried makes a fine symmetrical bush. 
 The flowers are fragrant, and when it is covered with 
 golden berries it is quite attractive. 
 
 Grandiflora has very large pink flowers, which ap- 
 pear in May. It is vigorous and compact in growth, 
 something of the Lombardy poplar shape. It is one of 
 our best. 
 
 The 7'ed hcrried belongs to the same grouj) and has 
 been planted more than any other. 
 
 The Ruprechtiana is from Manchuria. This is more 
 bush-like than the Tartarians. It is a bountiful bloom- 
 er, and is overwhelmed with a profusion of red berries 
 in July. 
 
 The Philomelae has rosy pink flowers which appear 
 
106 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 in pairs in each leaf axil. It blossoms about the last 
 of April. 
 
 Orientalis was sent out hj Thos. Meehan & Sons, of 
 Germantown, Pa. This has pink flowers, and is 
 worthy of a place in the collection. 
 
 The Chinensis is much like the above, being a very 
 vigorous and hardy shrub. 
 
 The Marroioii. This is very popular in the East. 
 It is of a broad spreading habit, and is used largely 
 on railroad embankments and hillsides to cover rocks, 
 and for this purpose is quite effective. It has light- 
 colored flowers and a profusion of amber fruit. It is 
 very hardy. 
 
 Siberica has pinkish white flowers, which appear iri 
 pairs. In form it is much like the Tartarian group. 
 
 Alherti has violet, bell-shaped flowers. It is very 
 hardy, and of creeping habit, and is a sort of a cross be- 
 tween the bush and climbing families. 
 
 Fragrantissima. This is from China. It retains 
 its leaves nearly all winter, and might be classed among 
 evergreen shrubs. The flowers are very sweet scented, 
 and continue in bloom a long time. This is the only 
 one I have found that was not quite hardy. In fact, 
 I have not yet found an evergreen shrub hardy in cen- 
 tral or w^estern E^ebraska, on account of the winter 
 drouth, which seems to burn the foliage. Many plants 
 will endure any degree of cold which cannot survive 
 the winters of this section. 
 
 Standishi much resembles the above, but is rather 
 more dense. It has ripe red berries in June. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 107 
 
 PLANTING A GROUP. 
 
 For mound effect, where yon have room, pnt the 
 Tartarian Grandiflora in the center. Then the red ber- 
 ried. Then the golden berried, Avhich is not quite as 
 vigorous. Then form circles of those of more bushy 
 habit, like Ruprechtiana and Morrowi, and you have 
 quite a contrast in form and in the shape of the leaves, 
 quite a succession of bloom, and a rich variety in the 
 size and coloring of the fruit. 
 
 PROPAGATION. 
 
 I once visited the grounds of W. B. Whittier, a 
 nurseryman of progressive stamp, at South Framing- 
 ham, Mass. There I saw a very remarkable honey- 
 suckle. It was simply glistening with immense masses 
 of red berries, and seemed fairly staggering under its 
 burden. 
 
 ''Mr. Whittier, where did you get that V 
 
 ''1 raised it from seed.'' 
 
 It was a notable hybrid — a sort of a combination of 
 the excellencies of them all focused in that one plant 
 by the enterprising bees, which are our most efficient 
 aids in generating new varieties. 
 
 So it turns out that the Loniceras have three modes 
 of propagation : 
 
 First — From seeds. Wash off the pulp and plant 
 the seed, which will probably come up the next spring. 
 
 Second — By off-shoot. In a short time heavy stools 
 are formed, like currants or lilacs. Dig them up and 
 tear them apart and plant. 
 
108 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Third — By cuttings. Late in the fall or very early in 
 the spring. Plant as you would cottonwood or willow 
 cuttings. If you wait till spring you must be quick 
 about it, for they are among the first things to start. 
 
 CLIMBING HOXEYSUCKLES. 
 
 The Belgica. This is about as popular as any. It 
 blooms from May till December. Always at it, and 
 never tired. It has bright red fragrant flowers. It is 
 quite hardy. 
 
 The TIalleana is from Japan. It is quite a thrifty 
 vine. The leaves of bright green hang on till Decem- 
 ber. Flowers are pure white, changing to a yellow 
 tinge. They are very fragrant, scenting all the air. 
 Where you have them in profusion, as when they cover 
 an arbor, in the still twilight of a summer evening they 
 seem to load all the air with a delicate fragrance. 
 
 The Chinese Fragrant. This is a vigorous grower, 
 having a profusion of flowers in spring time, very use- 
 ful ^\\\e\\ you wish to cover a trellis or shelter a porch. 
 
 Canadensis. This grows wild in many of the forests 
 of the interior. It is a very robust, hardy and thrifty 
 gTower, with white on the under side of the leaves, and 
 large yellow flowers. 
 
 Common Woodbine is a strong native, with showy 
 flowers, red outside and buff within. 
 
 Japan Golden Leafed is quite showy in foliage. It 
 does well in the eastern states, and perhaps would do 
 Avell in the West if it could be sheltered from the hot 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 109 
 
 sun which, with our dry air, is so fatal to many things 
 with delicate foliage. 
 
 Variegated Euonymous is exceedingly beautiful in 
 the East. Its foliage is a flower of itself, but it cannot 
 be made to live in the West. This is a creeper, and 
 would be very desirable if we could make it live. But 
 even under a screen it refuses to grow. 
 
 OTIIEK CI.IMBERS. 
 
 In eastern catalogues you will find glowing descrip- 
 tions of Actinidia Arguta, a strong growing Japanese 
 vine. Let it alone. It is worthless in the West. I 
 tried 100 under screen and in the open. They all 
 killed down to the ground till in disgust I hunted out 
 and dug up the last worthless root. Let your experi- 
 ment stations and nurserymen test these things. You 
 cannot afford it. 
 
 The Japanese Ivy is very popular East. In Boston 
 it creeps up the sides of and covers buildings of stone 
 and brick. It succeeds in some favored locations in the 
 West, but we cannot recommend it for general planting 
 for the 'Northwest. 
 
 Quinquefolia or five-leafed ivy, often called Vir- 
 ginia creeper, grows wild almost everywhere, and is 
 very hardy. You can get it in the woods or of your 
 nurseryman. If you want something coarse, vigorous 
 and hardy to hide some old buikling, or to climb a dead 
 tree, or cover an arbor, you can depend on this. You 
 can grow it from cuttings or from layers. 
 
 Dutchman s Pipe is a popular old favorite that does 
 
110 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 fairly well in most locations. It has large leaves and 
 flowers like an old-fashioned pipe. 
 
 Clematis. These are very popnlar climbers, and are 
 planted in immense quantities. 
 
 Ere da. This is very hardy and satisfactory. It is 
 rare, and there are hardly enough for the demand. It 
 is herbaceous, like the paeony, and blossoms about the 
 same time. In fact, the two go well together, and the 
 great groups of snowy white flowers do nicely for the 
 backgTound for a boquet of these charming blooms. 
 It grows about three feet tall, and bears immense 
 masses of white flowers. It is increased by root divi- 
 sion and from seeds, which are borne in gTeat profusion. 
 
 The Paniculata. This is a marvelous bloomer, and 
 pours out its beauty in a flood of white. I have them 
 growing beside the hardy Virginia creeper. The leaves 
 of the latter are killed by the first hard frost, and then 
 is the time for the Paniculata to get in its work. When 
 most of the other flowers are gone these come on in 
 the greatest abundance. I have cut large armfuls for 
 church decorations and for weddings. They are very 
 effective where you want massive wreaths or wish them 
 to adorn large rooms for festive occasions. 
 
 The Jachmanni is one of the most beautiful, and at 
 the same time one of the most aggravating things I have 
 ever known. Once in a while thej^ will live and grow 
 and cover the side of a building ^yith a profusion of 
 rich violet-purple flowers. But as a general thing you 
 have to plant about a dozen to get one to live. I have 
 had them do well and groAv eight or ten feet and be 
 
Clkmatis Panic llata. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 113 
 
 covered with bloom, and then they would take the sulks 
 about something I never could find out and die. Yet, 
 where they do succeed, they are all that you can ask for. 
 
 Graveolens. This is a vigorous, hardy vine. It will 
 often spring up from seed and groAv on its own account. 
 It is a late bloomer, and has beautiful golden flowers 
 and these are followed by great masses of feathery and 
 fluffy clumps to which the seeds are attached. These 
 last are about as interesting as the flowers themselves. 
 
 The Duchess of Edinburgh has great masses of double 
 white flov/ers. 
 
 Madame Edward Andre has large flowers of beauti- 
 ful bright velvety red. It is said to be a prolific and 
 continuous bloomer. 
 
 Trwnpet Floiver Radicans. This is a vigorous 
 climbing plant, generally hardy. It will kill back 
 sometimes, however, but the root is of such vigor it 
 will push up again. It bears trumpet-shaped red flow- 
 ers in August. 
 
 Wistarias. The American purple is a very hardy 
 vine ; in fact the hardiest of all. It is not quite as free 
 flowering as some of the foreign sorts. There is a white 
 variety of this vine. 
 
 The whole family was named from Wistar, once a 
 professor in the Pennsylvania University. 
 
 The Sinensis is from China. It was introduced in 
 1818. It has long pendulous clusters of pale blue flow- 
 ers. There is a white variety of this same species. 
 
 There are Japanese wistarias, also very beautiful, 
 but not having tested them I cannot vouch for their 
 hardiness. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 PERENNIAL FLOWERS. 
 
 In spring the great Northwest lies at the busy end 
 of the world. The plowing and sowing must be done. 
 The success of the crop often depends on the seeding, 
 which must be done early. The winters are long and 
 when warm weather comes every moment seems crowd- 
 ed, and so if one is to have a fine yard it is a great help 
 to have an abundance of choice perennials. These stay 
 planted. You do not have to put them out every 
 spring. 
 
 Farmers are waking up to the importance of flowers 
 for home use. 'Not long ago a man asked a nursery 
 agent what he had that would do for cut flowers. ^Tlie 
 young folks must have them for their parties and so- 
 cial gatherings and they must be ordered from the 
 city, and the team must be stopped to go to the depot 
 after them, and they cost a good deal,'' and he did not 
 see why they could not raise their own and have them 
 fresh, and when he showed his bills, the agent said that 
 for what he paid out in one year he could have a pro- 
 cession of beauty all his own and an abundance for 
 all occasions from early spring till frosts came. Let 
 me name this procession. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 115 
 
 FIKST^ TULIPS. 
 
 You plant these in October about four incbes deep 
 in well prepared soil. When the ground freezes 
 put on some well rotted manure. Plant a lot of them ; 
 get the double rose and double white, and some mixed. 
 You ought to have $5 worth which would get two or 
 three hundred. They fight their way up through slush 
 and frosts and are the glorious harbingers of spring. 
 You can take them up after they bloom or let them 
 stay. Mr. Terry of Iowa 30 years ago planted tulips 
 on a hill and had not touched them and they were 
 blooming last year. It is perhaps as well to take them 
 up and replant once in a while. 
 
 I^ext come the columbines, which begin before the 
 tulips are through. 
 
 The pansy is the last to bloom in the fall, and be- 
 gins with the tulips or before. They are easily grown. 
 In a mild winter I have seen them bloom in the open 
 ground in Massachusetts in January. 
 
 Before the columbines are through you have the orien- 
 tal poppies and paeonies. Then the gaillardias begin, 
 and keep at it all summer. In the meantime the irises 
 begin their work along with tlie lilies. Then come the 
 glorious phloxes and tlieir time of blooming can be 
 regulated from June till October or N'ovember even. 
 
 Running parallel with your perennials your hardy 
 flowering shrubs are in continuous bloom. 
 
 The Delphiniums and the foxgloves come on with 
 their magnificent display. 
 
116 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 There are over 100 kinds of perennial asters and 
 only a few of them have been cultivated. They get in 
 their work after the frosts. 
 
 Many annuals come to their blooming in the middle 
 of the summer when it is hot and dry, and they are 
 not well enough rooted to stand the severity of the 
 climate. Again most of the seeds of the annuals are 
 very small and it is difficult to make them germinate. 
 Among these, however, we must place the modern 
 white asters which closely resemble large chrysanthe- 
 mums. As they come on in August and September 
 they are very important factors in keeping up the pro- 
 cession. 
 
 YUCCAS. 
 
 There are many varieties of these plants, some of 
 them not hardy in the ^North. I saw some growing in 
 Alabama that were natives there. They were six inches 
 through and eight to ten feet tall. They are said to 
 be very beautiful in bloom. 
 
 The two kinds in ordinary cultivation are the Rocky 
 Mountain or Spanish bayonet and the Filamentosa. 
 
 The former is by far the hardier. It grows not only 
 in the mountains but comes down in the plains as far 
 west as the 100th meridian. It seems to delight in 
 dry situations, but nevertheless grows well in rich soil 
 and responds to good cultivation. It has a long stiff 
 leaf which is pointed by the sharpest kind of a needle. 
 As it grows, the root lifts itself out of the ground like 
 a large beet. This is the soap weed of the Mexicans, 
 who often use it at the present day. The. roots also, 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 117 
 
 pounded up, are used for a hair wash, which is said to 
 be excellent to keep it healthy and from falling out. 
 It has a stiff spike from which pure white flowers hang 
 like lights about a chandelier. This species I think 
 would be hardy anywhere. Thej^ do not seem to mind 
 any degree of heat or cold. They would seed plentiful- 
 ly and do, when they have a chance, but the cattle 
 which roam over the mountains and plains, though 
 they cannot eat the tough and leathery leaves, are sure 
 to take the flowering stem as soon as it appears. 
 
 In my trips to the mountains I often gather seeds 
 which readily come up and the plants make rapid and 
 vigorous growth. The leaves are compact masses of 
 tough fiber quite useful for ropes and cords. 
 
 The Filamentosa is so named from its filaments or 
 threads. These leaves are very tough and are used for 
 cordage or tying, much as rafia is now used, only it is 
 not as long or as pliable. 
 
 There are three forms of this — the common and 
 Filamentosa Recurva. The leaves, instead of growing 
 erect, curve downward. There is not much difference 
 between the two, though nurserymen often make quite 
 a distinction in favor of the curved leafed ones. 
 
 Bicolor is probably a sport of the Filamentosa 
 Erecta. It was sent out and recommended as hardy, 
 but it is tender and utterly worthless outside of the 
 greenhouse. 
 
 THE FILAMENTOSA. 
 
 The Filamentosa has an immense flower stalk with 
 branches, and in good rich ground it will grow to be 
 
118 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 six or seven feet tall, and when it is covered with a 
 great mass of white blossoms like lilies, it is one of 
 the most imposing flowers we have. Both have ever- 
 green leaves which have a fresh color all winter. 
 
 THE IRIS OR FLEUR DE LIS. 
 
 This is "the rainbow deified." These are also called 
 flags. There is a remarkable family here, varying from 
 the little blue dwarf beside the walk, that blooms with 
 the tulips, to the majestic and imposing Kgempferi 
 from Japan. These last have flowers of immense size 
 and imposing beauty. Unfortunately I have never 
 succeeded in raising them in JSTebraska. I am now 
 testing some under screen. They are growing finely 
 and I have some hopes of them. 
 
 THE GERMAN IRIS. 
 
 These are hardy everywhere. I saw them flourish- 
 ing in Manitoba. I think there are over 50 kinds of 
 this family alone. These should be planted in full 
 clumps. They multiply rapidly from the root and 
 should be taken up every few years or they will begin 
 to crowd each other. 
 
 THE SPANISH IRIS. 
 
 The Spanish Iris is quite hardy and beautiful. But 
 1 think one of the finest we have of recent introduction 
 is the Siberian. I note that it is hardy everywhere. 
 The leaves are narrow and long, the flower stalk is tall 
 and slender and is surmounted by flowers of the most 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 119 
 
 intense blue. I am liighlj pleased with it, and saw it 
 growing at Brandon, Manitoba, so you can depend on 
 it anywhere. There is another branch of the family 
 with snowy white flowers which are exceedingly beauti- 
 ful. These I am sure will give satisfaction. 
 
 The Digitalis or Foxglove should not be omitted. 
 They have long flower stems, blossoms are purple and 
 white. The grandiflora has yellow blossoms. 
 
 The Dicentra or Bleeding Heart is a very hardy 
 plant with a profusion of heart shaped flowers in the 
 spring. They are beautiful in the morning when, in 
 full bloom, the sun shines on them. 
 
 The Exima is everblooming, while the first men- 
 tioned bloom early and then the foliage becomes dingy ; 
 the latter keeps fresh, growing and blooming all sum- 
 mer. It is very hardy and as it multiplies from the 
 I'oot rapidly one root would soon give an abundance. 
 Yon take up both kinds either in the spring or fall and 
 divide and replant as you would paeonies. 
 
 THE EUDBECKIA OR GOLDEN" GLOW. 
 
 This is a native of Xorth Carolina, but is hardy every- 
 where. Care must be taken to keep it in bounds or it 
 becomes a weed. The clumps should not be allowed 
 to become too large for then the flowers will be small. 
 The tall stems need some support. These should be 
 set in the background of the border. They are too large 
 for tlie front. 
 
 The Campanula or Bluebells should not be forgot- 
 ten. 
 
120 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 The hardy pompon chrysanthemums should not be 
 left out. There are now about 100 kinds of these. 
 They are very effective when you most need them. 
 They are in their full glory about the time of the first 
 frosts and continue to bloom like hardy asters some 
 time after, or until the killing frosts come. 
 
 COREOPSIS LANCEOLATA. 
 
 This is very hardy and takes good care of itself with 
 but little attention after it is once established. It has 
 beautiful double white flowers, small but fine. 
 
 COREOPSIS GRANDIFLORA. 
 
 has golden yellow flowers on long stems. 
 
 THE SUNFLOWER. 
 
 This is an annual, but it has been so improved that 
 we would hardly know it. The latest is an immense 
 head and instead of a rim of yellow around the outer 
 edges the face is one grand full glorious flower. This 
 can be used in the background along with castor beans. 
 
The Coerelia, or Rocky Mountain Columbine^ the State Flower 
 OF Colorado. 
 
" CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 COLUMBINES. 
 
 It is strange that such attractive and hardy flowers, 
 so radiantly beautiful, should receive so little atten- 
 tion. They are easily grown, require but little ef- 
 fort, and repay all care and labor needed a hundred 
 fold. Light itself has been dissolved, and all its pris- 
 matic rays have been woven into their bloom. I think 
 one trouble has been they have not been planted on a 
 scale large enough and in generous masses, so that 
 their charms could be seen to advantage. People per- 
 sist in getting a lonely flower and giving it the task of 
 enlivening dreary surroundings, and the poor thing 
 cannot show to advantage. Then no single one, beau- 
 tiful as it may be, can represent them all. 
 
 Before my window as I write there is a large bed 
 of them. Does one realize what a great family they 
 are, over fifty native species ? I have at least as many 
 sorts. No flowers hybridize more readily. You se- 
 cure a large variety, and then sow seeds from these, 
 and you have a marvelous permutation of beauty. 
 'No two flowers of this second cropj Avill be entirely 
 alike. The bumble bees especially delight in their 
 nectar. They seem almost intoxicated as they revel in 
 it. Of course they carry the pollen from one flower to 
 
124 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 another, and the result is something new. There is au 
 intense fascination in watching the various changes 
 wrought, and to see the bewitching loveliness of some 
 of the new arrivals. If one could sort out some of 
 these and name and describe them, he could give some 
 rare treasures to the floral w^orld. By this process you 
 would have the pleasure of forming new acquaintances 
 whom no one else has yet met. 
 
 Let us take a look at some of these before us. That 
 tall one, so striking in appearance, is the Chrysantha, 
 the golden. Tlie color is yellow, and not only that, 
 there is a good deal of it. It is intense, as though the 
 flower had secured all it could and had packed and 
 pressed it together in the most lovely form imaginable. 
 What long and delicate spurs it has ! We saw it grow- 
 ing wild in the Yellowstone [N'ational Park. There 
 it was small and comparatively insignificant; but 
 transported to our rich prairie soil, with good cultiva- 
 tion, it gives grateful response to our kindly attention. 
 A flower does not blush as well unseen, while it ^Vastes 
 its fragrance on the desert air,'' as when there are 
 admirers to appreciate its beauty. Many a flower, 
 comparatively unattractive in its wild state, will bloom 
 in a i^rodigality of loveliness under the influence of 
 cultivation, and where it can be seen and enjoyed. The 
 Picea Punges, the king of beauty among the conifers, 
 nowhere in all the mountains does as well as when trans- 
 planted in the rich soil of the prairie, or the eastern 
 states, and receives the attention it deserves. Then the 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 125 
 
 needles are longer and the slieen is far brighter and 
 more radiant than in its own habitat. 
 
 Here is another of attractive appearance, with long 
 and delicate spurs. The petals are snowy white and 
 intense blue. It seems a photograph of the sapphire 
 of the sky and the fleecy clouds. This is the Coerelia 
 of the Rockies, and the state flower of Colorado. We 
 often see these in masses at an altitude of eight or nine 
 thousand feet. In many places they grow to great size, 
 as some localities seem better adapted to their develop- 
 ment than others. When taken down to the plains they 
 need some shelter from the burning sun and hot winds. 
 This variety readily hybridizes with others, and its 
 motherhood is seen in many types in recent years. So 
 readily does it cross that though the original plants 
 will be all right, yet the progeny varies so readily and 
 to such an extent that pure seed must be secured from 
 the mountains if you would be sure. I keep a remote 
 nook in the further corner of the nursery, as far re- 
 moved as possible from the others, for their exclusive 
 use; and even here there is some danger that the bees 
 may find them, and I cannot be absolutely sure of all 
 those grown from them, so I make it a practice to secure 
 fresh seed every year or two. 
 
 There is one of deepest, darkest blue, so much so it 
 is almost black. It is a large, solid flower. It has no 
 spurs whatever. It is quilled like the Dahlia. An- 
 other is salmon pink lined with white, a gorgeous flower, 
 and the blooms hang like lamps in a chandelier aroimd 
 the parent stem. Here is one that is a large, compact. 
 
126 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 snowy white. It is a full and prodigal bloomer, and 
 near it is a single white, well spurred. In close prox- 
 imity is one of deep blue, a single flower, with long, 
 slender spurs, much like the Coerelia, to which it prob- 
 ably owes its parentage. In the crossing it doubtless 
 got enough of the blue from one of those of deep azure 
 to eliminate the white. 
 
 Yonder is a double maroon on a strong stem, and its 
 color blends well with the garments of its neighbors. 
 Here is a large, double pink of curious form, shaped 
 like a tiny barrel. One is lilac color and semi-double. 
 In short in color there are samples of almost all the 
 shades known to us. There is a tall, independent 
 one, a sort of a blend of blue and maroon, lilac and rose 
 color, showing that the pollen of several different ones 
 had entered into combination to form one so fresh and 
 rare. 
 
 Time would fail to describe them all. The Golden 
 is less liable than others to enter into crosses. One 
 reason is that it is so much later, and yet there are 
 several that show its influence, and many of the golden 
 ones have been somewhat swerved from their distinct 
 form. These flowers commence blooming with the Tu- 
 lips, and continue to flower for two months, while the 
 Chrysantha will break out now and then all summer. 
 Imagine if you can a blend of these charming colors 
 in a mass of several hundred, some early, others late, 
 some single and many double, many of them tall and 
 others dwarfs. In color from purest white to deepest 
 purple. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 127 
 
 There is a Columbine Society at Boston, hard at work 
 to have these adopted as the national flower. Tliey are 
 Aquilegia, related to our bird of freedom. They are 
 Columbines, which sounds something like our own 
 Columbia. Then we have quite a number of native 
 varieties. So the society is making a strong plea. 
 Many designs in decorations are taken from these 
 flowers. And as one of the states has adopted one 
 of the family as its own flower, this may be the begin- 
 ning, and 2>erhaps ultimately the Union may follow one 
 of our richest states. 
 
 HOW TO GROW THEM. 
 
 Get a quantity of mixed seed and sow early in the 
 spring. The seeds are small, and of course must be 
 planted shallow. But here is the trouble, especially in 
 -the west — the ground dries before the seed can germi- 
 nate. Contrive some way to keep the surface wet all 
 the while, day and night, till they come up. But you 
 would better trust to experts, who make it their business, 
 and buy the plants, which can be had at very reason- 
 able rates, three to ten dollars a hundred, and thus save 
 a good deal of care and vexation and a year's growth, 
 as they will bloom some the first season. Put in rows 
 eighteen to twenty-four inches apart, and twelve to 
 eighteen inclies in the row, and they will soon stool out 
 and cover the ground. It is best to mulch well with 
 coarse manure after the ground freezes, and in the 
 spring rake it between the rows. I do not always take 
 this trouble, for they are very hardy. If the season 
 
128 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 is wet, some of the seeds, as they fall, may grow, and 
 thus extend the area. The seeds have great vitality. 
 Some sow them in the fall. Columbines are used a 
 good deal for cut flowers, though they are not as good 
 keej)ers as Paeonies. They are in season on the nation's 
 great flower day, when we decorate the graves of our 
 dead. Some late springs they are about the only out- 
 door flower we can use, as was the case in 1904, when 
 they were in the full glory of their bloom in great 
 mass'es. 
 
 So plant Columbines. There should be a flower 
 procession from the opening of the Tulips to the hard 
 frosts of autumn, and these should have a prominent 
 place. The more .you have of them the more you will 
 admire them, and when you get well acquainted with 
 them you could not get along without them. 
 
 DELPHINIUMS. 
 
 In our search for hardy perennials we have found 
 this among the most showy and beautiful. If you 
 travel in the Rockies you will meet these flowers in all 
 their glory. In the rich valleys you often see them 
 six or seven feet high, and the tall, strong stem lined 
 with a covering of flowers of deepest blue. 
 
 This flower, sometimes called the Larkspur, has been 
 much improved. In the Boston flower shows I have 
 seen gorgeous sj^ecimens of grand, radiant flowers which 
 seemed at gi-eat remove from our native plants. These 
 tall ones are clothed with the splendor of sapphire, and 
 so intense is the color it would seem as though all the 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 129 
 
 shadings and tinting which conhl be extracted were 
 there in a marvelous blending. I have some very rich 
 specimens, which draw the attention of visitors. They 
 are about six feet tall. Some are like great posts fres- 
 coed wdth bloom ; others are branching, and all are 
 grand. They follow hard after the Paeonies, and 
 bridge the chasm between them and the Phloxes. 
 
 Over in England they have made great improvements 
 in these flowers, l^j careful selection and hybridizing 
 they have secured a race far superior to our native? 
 sorts ; but thoua'h these choice strains mav do well in 
 the milder climate of that country, they do not winter 
 well with us. But we have such a rich variety there 
 is no reason why we also cannot improve, and thus 
 secure hardiness w^ith beauty. 
 
 I give the following as an English tribute to this 
 flower : 
 
 Delphiniums — As permanent subjects in the hardy 
 flower garden we have few plants more worthy of special 
 attention than the Delphiniums. For producing a 
 striking display over a long season they are probably 
 unique. Eor general effect in groups or beds they are 
 extremely valuable as a whole, but one is easily carried 
 away on closer inspection by the exquisite beauty of 
 their flowers, particularly those with clear, sky-blue 
 shades. Indeed, they have many points of excellence, 
 any one of which alone should entitle them to popu- 
 larity. But to appreciate their beauty one must see 
 them growing, for it is almost impossible to convey any- 
 thing like an adequate idea of their worth by mere 
 
130 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 description, and it is equally impossible to place their 
 towering and densely-flowered spikes before the public 
 at the summer exhibitions in a manner worthy of them. 
 Those who have not the opportunity of seeing these 
 plants in flower, or a collection of them well established, 
 may form some idea of a group with the flower spikes 
 five to eight feet high, and densely clothed for about 
 half their length with exquisitely beautiful blooms. Of 
 course the plants do not reach such perfection in the 
 first year, but in the second year they certainly con- 
 stitute the grandest possible display. While making 
 the garden gay for a long season, they are in the great- 
 est perfection in June and July, but a judicious selec- 
 tion of them may somewhat extend that period. Where 
 seed is not required the plants should be cut down as 
 soon as flowering is over, and in the late summer months 
 many of them will yield another set of spikes, not so 
 fine, of course, as the first ones. The shades of blue, 
 both light and dark, are very numerous; others, again, 
 have flowers of the deepest indigo and violet, while less 
 numerous are those with bronzy and metallic hues com- 
 bined with other shades. — Gardening Illustrated. 
 
 I here give place for an excellent article from 
 E. Hemming, in Florists' Exchange of July 9, 1904: 
 
 Among hardy perennials the Delphinium, or Peren- 
 nial Larkspur, has held front place for the past two 
 weeks. Closely following the late varieties of Paeonies, 
 they stand out as the most showy border plants bloom- 
 ing at the present time. A good, large collection of 
 these plants is a sight to be remembered, especially 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 131 
 
 when well grown and cared for. The exquisite shades 
 of blue have to be seen to be appreciated. While the 
 named kinds grown so extensively in England soon die 
 out and require great care to perpetuate them in this 
 country, they are so easily grown from seed, and so 
 invariably give good results if a good strain of seed is 
 procured, that they should be better known among flor- 
 ists. A visit among the gardens along the Hudson 
 revealed the fact that they grow exceptionally well in 
 that locality, and spikes towering up to eight and nine 
 feet high were not at all uncommon. 
 
 Delphinium Elatum, or Exalatum, is a native of 
 x^ortli America. This is supposed to be the origin of 
 the tall garden varieties, often called English Delphin- 
 iums, that have been so much improved by Kelway and 
 other nurserymen. 
 
 Delphinium Formosum is of more branching habit, 
 seldom exceeding the height of three feet, but a prime 
 favorite, owing to its beautiful color, which is a combi- 
 nation of indigo, violet and sky blue, 
 
 D. Grandiflorum, or Chinensis, as it is often called, 
 is a very fine cut-leafed kind, having several varieties. 
 
 All the above are good, and well worth growing, be- 
 ing useful for cutting and attractive in every way, and 
 the same treatment will suit them all. 
 
 Of course it is necessary to propagate named kinds 
 by division or cuttings. This should be done in the 
 very early spring. Growing them from seed, however, 
 is the most satisfactory way. D. Formosum and D. 
 Grandiflorum come fairly true from seed, producing 
 
132 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 very few poor forms if the seed is. procured from a reli- 
 able source. The seed should be fresh, as it seems to 
 lose its germinating power very rapidly. Sown in early 
 spring, it will produce plants that will flower the first 
 year. Of course the flower spikes are not very large, 
 but sufficiently so to select the best to plant out in the 
 position they are wanted to fill. When in a young state 
 care should be taken to keep a sharp lookout for snails, 
 as these pests seem passionately fond of the plants, and 
 will make sad havoc of them in a short time. 
 
 Quite a percentage of Kelway's hybrids will come 
 double from seed, but it is an open question if the 
 double forms are superior to the single ones. 
 
 As regards the after treatment, or when they are 
 planted in the open ground, deep, generous cultivation 
 and good, rich soil is what they like; and, when plant- 
 ing, see that the crowns are well below the surface of 
 the soil; one and a half to two inches is not too much. 
 As soon as the plants have done flowering, unless they 
 are wanted for seed, the flower stems should be cut 
 down. This will induce a second crop of flowers. 
 While perhaps not equal to the first crop, they will be 
 found to be well worth looking after. 
 
 The seeds of this plant are quite small, and it is very 
 difficult to germinate them, as the ground dries up 
 while they are sprouting. It is perhaps as well to get 
 the plants in the spring and give them the best of care. 
 They will bloom in good season. 
 
 Intense blue among flowers is a striking color, and 
 is needed to cover the range of beauty. Many of our 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 133 
 
 choicest families, like the Paeoiiy and Rose, avoid that 
 color altogether. But when you see the Delphinium 
 in all its glory, with those rich tints, and all the delicate 
 penciling and tracing done with nature's most skillful 
 touch, you will feel that you have the link you need in 
 the chain of beauty. 
 
 I was delighted in a trip to the extreme north to find 
 these glorious flowers in their perfection. They were 
 in evidence in the parks of Winnipeg, and in many 
 private grounds. It was encouraging to see them like 
 posts, six feet high, covered in their robes of blue. 
 Their extreme hardiness is a matter of great encour- 
 agement. In the border, set them back near the shrub- 
 bery, for they are too rank to place them near the walk. 
 
 When you can have such imposing flowers as these, 
 you need not wait long to surround your home with as 
 much beauty as can be found anywhere. 
 
 THE LILY. 
 
 There are about fifty species of this glorious flower, 
 ranging in size from the attractive little Tenuifolium 
 to the immene Giganteum, which must have five years 
 to complete bulb, which throws up a stem six inches 
 through and ten feet high. 
 
 There is also a wide range in the time of flowering, 
 which covers a good portion of the summer. It is not 
 practical to secure the whole of this family, but enough 
 of the leading kinds can be planted to have a cheering 
 variety. 
 
134 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 One trouble has been in nnclerstanding tliem — their 
 nature and needs. Siberian lilies are covered deep with 
 snow in winter^ so are those of the Kockies, and the 
 natives of Minnesota and the E'orth. There are fine 
 ones growing in the woods of Canada. All these are 
 carefully covered up with the snow mantle in winter, 
 and this is the best covering ever devised. JSTow, 
 take these same plants from their OAvn habitat and 
 plant them on the open, bleak prairies of the West and 
 many of them will perish. The bare ground freezes 
 deep. They are often planted shallow, and so they die 
 for want of protection. Many are so hardy they will 
 endure anything. 
 
 This is true of the Hermorocallis family and some 
 others. ■ ^ 
 
 Generally, the soil is not prepared thoroughly enough, 
 and they are not planted deep enough.' Some dig a 
 trench, put manure in the bottom, then some fine earth, 
 then plant a foot deep, and cover with sand or light 
 earth, so the plant can readily push its way up. 
 
 C. L. Allen, in a recent work, gives the following 
 directions: ^^To prepare a proper home for the Lily 
 the soil should be thrown out to the depth of two feet. 
 Then, in the bottom of the trench, put six inches of cow 
 manure ; then put on twelve inches of well rotted sod ; 
 on this put two inches of clean sand; then plant the 
 bulbs and cover with fine earth. But for the western 
 prairies this is not deep enough.'' From my own expe- 
 rience, I think a depth of eight to twelve inches is 
 preferable. Only be careful of the kind of earth witli 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 135 
 
 which YOU cover them. If jou put on stiff clay it will 
 be hard for them to bore their way through. Light 
 earth, mixed with old and thoroughly pulverized 
 manure, should be used. In no case allow the bulbs 
 to touch fresh manure. Then, when winter comes, put 
 on about six inches of coarse manure. In this way you 
 will obtain protection for your bulbs, and, though the 
 ground may freeze, they will not be near enough to '^all 
 out of doors" to hurt them. The bulb, like that of the 
 Paeony, carries the life and sustenance of the plant. 
 
 Cared for in the way described, the lilies will retain 
 their vigor, and all up and down the stem new bulbs 
 will form. [N'ever plant them on wet ground. Though 
 they need water in a dry time, they cannot endure wet 
 feet. 
 
 I think tliere is no soil better for their propagation 
 than our rich, light, prairie loam. Here they bloom 
 gloriously, and propagate freely. 
 
 THE TIME TO PLANT. 
 
 The Candidum, or Annunciation Lily, with its bloom 
 of purest white, should be planted in its dormant con- 
 dition, which is the last of Augiist and the first of Sep- 
 tember. After a brief period of rest it begins to grow, 
 and produces quite a tuft of foliage before winter sets 
 in. We cannot speak too highly of this exquisitely 
 beautiful flower. It is often used for forcing, to pro- 
 duce flowers for Easter. Its purity of whiteness and 
 delightful fragrance make it a favorite. It does not 
 seem to be a hard plant to raise. I have planted them, 
 
136 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 when badly grown, as late as October, and they did well, 
 in spite of the shock of moving at the wrong time. 
 
 The Lily should not remain out of ground long before 
 planting, and must never be allov/ed to dry. Tliere is 
 a great advantage in securing home-grown instead of 
 imported ones, for, unless properly packed, they must 
 suffer for being so long out of ground. 
 
 Some kinds do best with partial shade, while others 
 flourish in the open. I have a grand one from the 
 ^orth Carolina mountains, sent out by Fred Kelsey. 
 It does not do well in the open ; it does not grow^ so tall 
 or flower so freely as those under partial screen and 
 good surrounding shelter. These grow to be seven feet 
 high, with glorious clusters of freckled yellow flowers. 
 They have a rich, soft coloring, and give them forest or 
 native conditions, with plenty of water in a dry time, 
 and they will be all you can ask for. 
 
 The beautiful Golden Funkai, or Day Lily, is an 
 early one. It has a clear, yellow color. There is an- 
 other, much taller and later, which is very satisfactory. 
 
 One of the hardiest, most showy, as well as attractive, 
 is the Elegans. It blooms along with the Paeonies, and 
 goes into the wholesale business, covering the whole 
 plant with a mantle of bloom. These propagate read- 
 ily ; the stem under ground has a string of bulblets on it. 
 Dig up the whole ; plant the larger ones for next year's 
 flowering, and the small ones for another year's growth. 
 
 Then come the double and single Tiger Lilies. 
 These are very robust, hardy and prolific of bloom. 
 Up and down the stem tiny bulbs are attached, about 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 137 
 
 the size of blackberries. Do you wish to multiply them 
 as rapidly as possible? Then cut off these stems as 
 carefully as possible, so as not to shatter off the tiny 
 bulblets, and plant them in good, light soil, covering 
 about two or three inches deep. The embryo bulbs 
 seem to feed on the stem, and in the spring they come 
 up good and strong. It takes a couple of years or so 
 for them to be large enough to flower. 
 
 The Pardanthus Chinensis or Leopard Flower rather 
 belongs to the Iris family, yet it is called the Black- 
 berry Lily. It is rather late, blossoming in mid-sum- 
 mer. It has a very pretty little flower, and when that 
 is gone a blackberry takes its place, continuing the 
 attraction of the plant. These berries hang on a long 
 time. If you wish for more of these flowers, plant the 
 blackberries in the spring, and they will grow readily. 
 
 The Plantain Lily grows to have very large stools 
 of beautiful foliage. They have snowy white blossoms, 
 very much like the Candidum. They bloom in August. 
 
 The Homerocallis are strong plants. These do not 
 have bulbous roots, but are propagated by root sepa- 
 ration, and also by seeds. 
 
 The Tenuifolia is the sweetest and daintiest of all. 
 Charming; blooms hano- like chandeliers around the 
 stem. These roots are edible, and the traveler in the 
 woods of Siberia finds a plant with a charming flower 
 at one end and a potato at the other. 
 
 Many kinds do not multiply rapidly, though the root 
 makes it up by producing seed, Avhich can be planted 
 
138 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 in the spring, care being taken not to allow them to 
 dry during germination. 
 
 J. Wilkinson Elliot, of Pittsburg, Pa., gives this 
 description of a garden of lilies : 
 
 ^^A correspondent complains that we have told him 
 too often of the lawyer's garden; but it is still the 
 best garden in this vicinity, and a good garden cannot 
 be told about too often. 
 
 ^^Our friend, the lawyer, has a garden of Lillies. Many 
 other things he has in his garden — great banks of Mol- 
 lis and Ghent Azaleas that are worth a long journey 
 to see ; an entire hillside is covered with hybrid Rhodo- 
 dendrons and Kalmia Latifolia; Tulips, Daffodils and 
 Crocuses are everywhere in the spring, and the glori- 
 ous show of Japanese Irises in June is a sight not easily 
 to be forgotten — but he has Lilies by the hundred and 
 by the thousand, and in so many varieties that from 
 June until November there is always a fine display of 
 Lily fiowers. Such a garden ! By daylight it is splen- 
 did, by moonlight it is fairyland, and the air is filled 
 with fragrance. Such a garden to visit, as we do visit 
 it, and travel forty miles a dozen times a year, and 
 come away wdth our arms filled with great stalks of 
 Lily bloom; for this is a garden in which there are 
 always flowers to cut and to spare. It is not the mis- 
 erable garden of bedding plants in which its owner finds 
 it difficult to cut a little nosegay to give to a friend. 
 We wish you who are content to grow such common- 
 place things of so little beauty as Cannas, Geraniums, 
 Coleus and Alternantheras, could visit this garden of 
 
Gaillardia Grandifloea. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 141 
 
 Lilies, and then say what excuse you have to offer for 
 your poor taste. Xot that of cost, for Lily bulbs are 
 to be had for as little money as bedding plants, and as 
 Lilies are hardy, their first cost is their only cost, while 
 bedding" plants must be bought every season.'' 
 
 We are to remember this was written of the east, and 
 that Azaleas and Kalmias will not grow in the West. 
 
 THE GAILLARDIA. 
 
 This perennial is beginning to receive much atten- 
 tion, and with reason. There is no plant so susceptible 
 of improvement. In England the Ivelways have made 
 marvelous success as regards size and color. They have 
 produced some five inches across. A bed of them pre- 
 sents a very lively and brilliant appearance. They are 
 l)rodigal bloomers. I doubt if there is any flower 
 which can give such an abundance of continuous bloom 
 as these. Commencing in June, they are clothed in 
 beauty until the hard frosts of Autumn. They endure 
 dry Aveather well, and seem hardy every way. As cut 
 flowers they are brilliant and showy and among the 
 longest keepers. 
 
 They need heavy mulching with coarse manure when 
 the ground freezes. It would be as w^ell to leave the 
 tops on and throw the mulching on them, thus giving 
 ventilation as well as protection. The seeds grow read- 
 ily. A portion can be started in the house and then 
 set out after danger of frost is over. Of course it is 
 better to get the plants, but the roots are small, com- 
 pared to the upper growth, and seem insignificant. 
 
142 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Seed sown in the open germinates readily, and the 
 plants become very vigorous and commence to bloom 
 as soon as large enough. These flowers you can de- 
 pend on. Others, like Eoses, Paeonies and Lilies, have 
 their season and pass on. But the Gaillardias take all 
 the season, and when others fail, you can count on 
 them. Though new to most people, I find they take 
 well when ordinary floral displays are needed. 
 
 The Grandiflora is a fine, large flower. In color it 
 is a madder, maroon and gold, often with other tints. 
 Some will have very open faces and others will have 
 petals compressed at the base and expanded in the 
 outer rim. It is easy to see how, with such a variety 
 of form and color, selections can be made, and they can 
 be increased in size. The English have pushed things 
 so far that the most highly developed ones are not 
 hardy. I think perhaps if these gorgeous ones were 
 crossed with our own natives, we might have some of 
 hardier strains. Should you ever get imported ones, 
 I would advise you to take up the roots in the fall 
 and store in boxes of earth till spring. I had quite 
 a quantity, and even heavy mulching did not save 
 them. 
 
 I had for some time supposed that all Gaillardias 
 were perennials, but I find they are not. 
 
 Lorenziana is a double with a full cushion richly 
 variegated. 
 
 Amblydon is blood red. Sow these early in the 
 spring and they blossom in June and keep at it all 
 summer. 
 
Gaillardia Lorenziana. 
 
Okiental Perennial Pop^y. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 145 
 
 A native Gaillardia grows in Western l^ebraska 
 which flowers freely. This also seems to be an an- 
 nual, blooming freely in the summer. Grandiilora is 
 perennial. 
 
 THE ORIENTAL POPPY. 
 
 Years ago, visiting one of the eastern parks, I saw 
 a marvelous flower. It was a very blaze of splendor — 
 dazzling in its effulgence. The blossoms were of im- 
 mense size, and of flame color so brilliant as to amaze 
 you. They were often seven inches across, and within 
 a seed pod of exquisite symmetry, and set around it 
 were featherj^ and delicate stamens. The inner sides 
 of the petals were adorned with the most remarkable 
 tracery and pencilings, and all this inside work was 
 done in ebony. Taken as a whole, its immense size 
 and exquisite workmanship made it a marked flower. 
 I had tried so many choice things from the east and 
 found them failures in the west, I was a little afraid 
 of this. The next year I secured some, and found to 
 my delight that they are well adapted to all the West 
 and Is'orthwest. Since then I have seen them grow- 
 ing without winter protection in the Yellowstone Park 
 in a garden near the Mammoth Hot Springs. They 
 prove hardy in Minnesota, and I saw them in Mani- 
 toba, so that there is no doubt of their hardiness. 
 
 The root is in shape and color like a small parsnip. 
 The seeds are so small it is a diflicult matter to raise 
 them. You must put them under a screen, and put 
 burlap over them, and water that every night till the 
 
146 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 plants begin to come np. Then take the cloth off at 
 night, and water carefnlly with the sprinkler, care 
 being taken to keep the screen on. I lost abont 50,000 
 at one time by taking off the screen. The sun burned 
 them up. It is as well to get the plants. They can 
 be sent by mail. Get good one-year-old roots, and 
 some of them will bloom the next year. The best time 
 to plant is in the fall. If you cannot do this, plant 
 early in the spring. A gentleman visiting our place 
 from Illinois said that he had plants bloom twenty-five 
 years in succession without any covering; but I think 
 it is well to throw some coarse litter over them. After 
 they bloom in June, the tops seem to droop and then 
 die, and 3'ou might think the whole thing dead, root and 
 all; but they are only going into a dormant condition 
 for rest after producing those enormous flowers which 
 seem to exhaust them. But about the first of Septem- 
 ber they begin to revive and send up new leaves and 
 the roots put on new vigor for the next summer's work. 
 
 They bloom with the Paeonies. The individual flow- 
 ers last but a few days ; but if you have a good sized bed 
 of them, there will be a succession of .flowers for weeks. 
 
 Of recent years there has been great improvement 
 in them. The Orientale is bright scarlet. The Brac- 
 teatum is deep crimson, and with a double set of leaves 
 — a grand and stately flower. There are sometimes 
 sports or variations; for instance, last summer I found 
 one of salmon color, which I am saving with great 
 care. Silver Queen is silver blush. Pilosum is pale 
 
Seedling Phloxes in York, Nebraska, in Bloom Nov. 1st, 
 ^Several Severe Frosts. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 149 
 
 lurid scarlet, very showy and distinct, and of a cop- 
 pery hue. 
 
 We are probahly on the eve of great advance with 
 this flower. As soon as they begin to turn from the 
 original type, you may expect rapid and wide varia- 
 tions. 
 
 I have recently secured a few of the newer sorts and 
 will soon see what can be done in the way of crossing 
 them. 
 
 This flower is a native of Armenia. 
 
 PHLOXES. 
 
 I once gathered a lot of seed for planting and laid 
 them in a vacant room upstairs. A few nights after, 
 in the stillness of the night, we heard a noise much like 
 popping corn. Going up to find out the cause, there 
 was another sharp snapping sound, and I saw a phlox 
 seed shoot across the room. Then I learned another 
 lesson on the intelligence of N^ature. I found out 
 afterwards that in the garden the ripe seeds would 
 snap out quite a distance from the plant. Of course 
 the design is to extend their scope and area and gradu- 
 ally possess more ground. This opened my eyes to 
 the possibilities of their improvement in raising them 
 from seed. 
 
 This is not a difiicult matter if you know how. If 
 you don't, you will make a failure. 
 
 An old and careful florist who had rare success on 
 other lines told me he never could raise phloxes from 
 seed. I asked him Avhat his method had been. He 
 
150 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 said lie sent to the best florists for the very choicest 
 seed, and he planted ^t time and again and not a seed 
 grew. 
 
 "Did you plant in the fall or spring?" 
 
 "In the spring, of course." 
 
 "Well, there is just where you missed it. If you 
 will watch N"ature, you will see that she throws the 
 seed on the ground, where it lays subject to the heat 
 and cold, lying in the slush and snow and freezing 
 and thawing, and then the seeds will come up like 
 hardy weeds in the spring. If the winter has been 
 wet and cold Avith a good deal of freezing and thawing, 
 you will see hundreds of little ones coming up all 
 around the parent plants." 
 
 Sometimes these are hoed up for weeds, sometimes 
 the gardener thinks they will amount to nothing; that 
 they will be nothing but scrubs, and so he hoes them 
 up, and thus thousands of promising little plants have 
 been destroyed. The w^ay is to pick the seed just be- 
 fore they are ready to burst from the pod ; put them in 
 a basket or large paper box with a cover on so they 
 will not pop out. Sow them in the fall under a screen 
 or where you can water them well in the spring. See 
 that they do not dry when germinating, and you will 
 have a fine bed of strong plants which will begin to 
 bloom the first of July and continue till the hard frosts 
 of autumn. The accompanying picture shows a group 
 of seedlings in bloom jNTovember 1st — of course, after 
 several frosts. 
 
Ckepuscule Phlox. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 153 
 
 A DISCOVERY. 
 
 It is a well known fact that some fruits and. flowers 
 have a marvelous degree of motherhood. The Con- 
 cord grape, the Wealthy and Duchess apples have a 
 numerous progeny. This is true in the floral world. 
 For years I had been raising seedling phloxes. I found 
 no deterioration, and often improvement. If you plant 
 a choice kind away by itself, it will be reproduced 
 from the seed to a large extent, and often when inter- 
 mingled the progeny will surpass the parents. 
 
 Of course, it was necessary to have a mother with 
 the choicest of characteristics. What was needed was 
 a full head, large flowers and continuous bloom. 
 
 This was found in the Crepuscule of French origin. 
 The flower is as large as a silver dollar. It has a com- 
 'pact, massive head, as though it was one large blossom. 
 The bloom is white with violet shade and a large bright 
 carmine eye. It is rather dwarf in habit, for it prefers 
 to make bloom rather than stem or wood. Every way 
 it is an ideal flower. 
 
 I planted this in the midst of others. Right by the 
 side of it was the Coquelicot, also of French origin. 
 This has blossoms of intense flame color, but unfor- 
 tunately the flowers are small, and they sunburn badly. 
 In themselves they are worthless. But Mother Cre- 
 puscule imparted both size and hardiness to the ofl^- 
 spring of these jolants. On the other side there were 
 those that were red, some magenta and others of various 
 colors. Seeds of these gave fine distinct flowers and 
 
154 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 large size. In short, as the result of that companion- 
 ship I found I had at least twenty varieties, and most 
 of them much finer than any I could import. A noted 
 florist came to see them. Of course, it was diflScult 
 for me to keep still after my discovery. He was de- 
 lighted. Taking out a silver dollar, he laid it on one 
 of the flowers of one of my new creations. He found 
 it would not cover it, and then, to be exact, he said 
 facetiously, ^'Tt would take just about one dollar and 
 thirty-five cents to cover that single bloom." While 
 that was the largest, there were several others which 
 would strain a dollar to cover them. Of course, this 
 opens a new chapter, and I am now on the highway of 
 other discoveries. I have sent for the largest I can 
 hear of and intend to follow this matter up. 
 
 There is this difference between phloxes and paeonies. 
 You plant the seed of the former, and you get your 
 results within the year, often in ten months; whereas 
 with the latter it will take five to eight years. 
 
 TIME OF PLANTING. 
 
 I find it is best to jDlant in the fall. Have your 
 ground rich and friable — well pulverized so the plant 
 can easily assimilate the food. If you want a plant to 
 do its best, you must do your best by it. Always mulch 
 in winter. 
 
 You may put the finest kind that money will buy 
 in the sod, and give it neglect, and the flowers will be 
 small. Then you say the florist has deceived you, when 
 if you would go to his grounds you would find every- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 155 
 
 thing as he represented. Now if a pL^nt like the phlox 
 is to do its best work, it must have the very best chance. 
 Pnt them about two feet apart each way and give them 
 the best of cultivation, and you will have your reward. 
 If you were fitting a lot of choice cattle for the show, 
 rino', you would not feed them on straw and treat them 
 with utter neglect. Your great Holstein must have 
 something besides rotten and mouldy hay if you ex- 
 pect a good flow of milk. So if your flowers are ex- 
 pected to go on dress parade, you must give them some- 
 thing to make their beautiful garments out of. 
 
 It is not wise to send for seeds. People often ask 
 me for them. I refuse. It is hard to separate them 
 from the pods. The better way is to get the plants, 
 if only a few, and raise your own seed. You can have 
 the time of blooming under absolute control from June 
 till November. If you have a large bed, when they 
 are six inches to a foot high, mow off a portion. This 
 retards them, and you can vary this method to fit the 
 time you wisli them to flower. Again, you may have 
 a bed a year old. These, if undisturbed, will bloom 
 early. Then will come the fall planted ones, a little 
 later in blooming. Then those planted in the spring.. 
 Lastly those grown from seed will take the remainder 
 of the season, till the hard frosts of autumn. 
 
 It is well to take up and separate the roots every 
 fall. Under good care they readily double every year, 
 and some plants will give you three or four. Do not 
 plant them in heavy clay lands, for the fibrous roots 
 
156 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 are very tender and will break as you separate the stiff 
 earth from them. 
 
 THE NAME PHLOX. 
 
 The signification is flame, on account of the bril- 
 liancy of the flowers. In the early days of Illinois, we 
 used to see great fields of these plants in the fullness of 
 their beauty. Along in the fifties I used to ride over 
 the vast prairies of Minnesota, where there would be 
 great flower gardens of thousands of acres, which filled 
 the air with their fragrance ; and the tonic of the fresh 
 air laden with perfume, and the immense fields of grow- 
 ing beauty would bring a new zest to life. 
 
 In the Yellowstone Park there is a beautiful creep- 
 ing Phlox, which blooms in spite of the frosts. It 
 spreads out in clusters, often covering the rocks. It is 
 flesh, or light pink, in color, and a very attractive 
 flower. 
 
 The Phlox is a native of I^orth America. It was 
 taken to Europe, and in the hands of florists there, it 
 has shown variations of form and color that are amaz- 
 ing. Its cultivation has great possibilities for the am- 
 ateur. The family is so large and the variations so 
 extensive that hybridization is yet going on. Their 
 improvement and development have reached that stage 
 where, with a little care, we can have a marvelous di- 
 versity in form and color. Plant the choice varieties 
 by themselves ; save the seed, planting it under a screen 
 in the fall, and you stand a chance of securing the 
 same. Of course, if vou raise for the market vou 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 157 
 
 should wait till thej flower, and eliminate everything 
 not np to the parental pattern. 
 
 The Paniculata. Is a strong growing native variety. 
 
 The Maculata. Is of a more dwarfish habit. These 
 two have been hybridized by European florists, till now 
 we have perhaps a hundred choice kinds. 
 
 The Divaricata. Is yet another variety of our na- 
 tives. 
 
 Phlox Dnnnmoncli. Was found growing in Texas 
 by a botanical collector, Mr. Drummond. He sent the 
 seed home, but soon after died of the fever, so this va- 
 riety, which is an annual, was named from him. This 
 has been greatly improved, and it is claimed that some 
 of the finest perennials have a strain of the Drummondi. 
 The plants should have the best of care. They need 
 Avater in hot, dry weather. I have known them to 
 stand up well under 110 in the shade, with the hot wind 
 raging, provided they had plenty of water. 
 
 SOME OF THE VARIETIES THE WHITE. 
 
 Independence. Is a full, snowy white, one of the 
 early ones. It is a free bloomer and quite attractive. 
 
 Jeanne d' Arc. Is massive, fine and late, a great 
 mass of purity. 
 
 The Pearl. Is another very fine one. 
 
 But the grandest of all is Praulein Gr. Von Lossburg. 
 This is far in advance of any white one yet produced. 
 The flowers are of glowing, sheeny whiteness, and are 
 of immense size, sometimes measuring nearly two inch- 
 es in diameter. These are very rare, and so are quite 
 
158 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 expensive. But in this superb variety you have tlie 
 very triumph of horticulture, showing the Avide contrast 
 between this new creation and the original stock. 
 
 Coquelicot. Is French for poppy. This is flaming, 
 bright, orange scarlet, almost the color of the brilliant 
 oriental poppy. They are the brightest of all, but our 
 hot suns are almost too much for them. They should 
 have some shelter from the fierce heat of July. 
 
 Crepuscule. Has a flower larger than a silver dol- 
 lar. It has a compact, massive head, as though it was 
 one large blossom. The blooms are white, with violet 
 shade, and a large, bright, carmine purple eye. 
 
 Huxley. Is violet purple, with a large center of 
 pure white. 
 
 Esperence. Has a lovely shade of light lavender 
 pink, with great lustrous eyes of white; compact, a 
 free bloomer, and very beautiful. The head is like a 
 great, solid, symmetrical cone of beautiful shadings. 
 
 Cross of Honor. This is not a large flower, but is 
 very peculiar, on account of each petal having a clearly 
 defined cross. 
 
 Eclaireur. Has flowers of immense size. They are 
 bright violet purple, dazzling in their splendor. In the 
 center are marks and stars. This, by some, is consid- 
 ered the finest of all. It is one of the earliest. The 
 stem is dwarf, but not the flower. 
 
 Amarante. Is dark violet amaranth. 
 
 Bacchante. Has enormous flowers, deep rosy car- 
 mine, with purple eyes. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 159 
 
 DUCHESS D OELEAXS. 
 
 This variety is remarkable in that it has variegated 
 foliage^ the leaves being bordered and mottled Avith 
 ^vhite. Flowers are salmon color — a very distinct va- 
 riety. 
 
 Emanuel. Is very rare and of unusual color — vio- 
 let blue, with purple center. 
 
 Le Soliel. Is light rose, shading to white near the 
 center. 
 
 Lord Kelvin. Is very large bright red. 
 
 Lothair. Is salmon red, with carmine eye. 
 
 Ornament. Is bright clear rose, with very large 
 pyramidal panicles. 
 
LIBRARY. 
 
 Didsion of KorticuKure, 
 
 N. 0. Dep't of Agnoi^lture. 
 
 CHAPTEK XVI. 
 
 THE PAEONY. 
 
 This flower is the highest triumph of floriculture. It 
 is the hardiest and has the widest adaptation of alL 
 It flourishes north and south, east and west, and thrives 
 up to the Artie circle. 
 
 Many varieties have the fragrance of the rose, often 
 surpassing it in form and loveliness. Some have the 
 odor of the pond lily, others the perfume of the helio- 
 trope, and some are cinnamon scented. With a proper 
 selection of early and late varieties they continue in 
 bloom from six to eight weeks. 
 
 In handling them they are so hardy that losses can 
 seldom occur, and invariably you plant a success in- 
 stead of a failure. They multiply rapidly instead of 
 growing less and less and going out entirely as is the 
 case with many valuable plants. They are seldom 
 troubled with disease, and they do not suffer' from in- 
 sect pests such as often destroy the rose. 
 
 They are both patrician and plebeian in character. 
 They will grow and bloom as well in the gardens 
 of the poor as in costly estates of the rich. They are 
 the joy of the poor girl as well as the lady of fashion. 
 Their cheerful faces are an antidote for the blues. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 163 
 
 Every blossom is a smile of Providence, sliowing that 
 God is near, giving choicest gifts to men. 
 
 They are the interpreters of the unseen love which 
 is lurking in the shadows waiting for a revelation to 
 the toilers and the despondent. 
 
 'No more heroic flower ever bloomed. 
 In the great prairie empire, so dreary and vast, 
 Where roses are slain by the terrible blast. 
 Where sirocco and blizzard in tournament vie, 
 And flowers of the Eastland grow homesick and die ; 
 Where gardens are lonely and homes are forlorn, 
 There bravely our queen lifts her beautiful form 
 And laughs at the tempest and smiles at the storm. 
 And mothers whose eyes have grown weary with wait- 
 ing, 
 And girls whose sweet spirits for beauty are aching. 
 Shall smile on the march of our glorious flower. 
 And souls that are hungry her beauty devour. 
 Xo more shall the homestead be sad and forlorn. 
 An invasion of beauty the land shall adorn. 
 How sweetly her blossoms the senses beguile, 
 And the weary revive with the breath of her smile. 
 
 What tremendous strides have already been made, 
 and the successes of the past are only prophecies of the 
 future. Fifty years ago there were only twenty-five 
 varieties. Now there are over 2,000 named, besides 
 thousands of others in the background. An interest 
 is being awakened unknown before. 
 
 One man has recently planted 35 pounds of the 
 choicest seed he can gather, and hundreds of others are 
 
164 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 endeavoring to call out of the unknown, clioicer ones 
 than have jet been discovered. 'No flower so richly 
 rcAvards the propagator. Among a thousand seedlings 
 there may be only one of superior excellence, yet each 
 one will be distinct from the rest, and not a poor or 
 worthless one among them all. 
 
 To show the awakening interest in the fall of 1904 
 the leading papers of the West, aggregating a circula- 
 tion of over 300,000, have given special illustrated is- 
 sues awakening an interest in the great empire of the 
 N^orthwest, where such flowers are so much needed and 
 where they succeed so well. 
 
 There is no plant or flower on earth which gives so 
 much pleasure and profit and so richly rewards its 
 friends. 
 
 CLASSIFICATIOZ^ OF TPIE ORIGINAL VARIETIES. 
 
 I have spent much time in the endeavor to search 
 out the original families of this remarkable flower. 
 From the number we judge that there is yet great room 
 for progress, and perhaps we have only just begun with 
 our hybridizing. By permission I quote from J. W. 
 Manning, in ^^American Glardening,'' of March 5th, 
 for which I tender grateful acknowledgment: 
 
 ''Until the forthcoming Paeony list of the American 
 Paeony Society is published, I believe quotation of va- 
 riety names should be used with great care, and believe 
 that the best interest may be served by giving the fol- 
 lowing list of species and their distinctive characters: 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 165 
 
 Paeonia Albiflora, Pallas. A Siberian species in- 
 troduced about 1756, and one of the forerunners of the 
 hybrid herbaceous forms, two to three feet high, with 
 deep, rich green, often veined red, leaflets, and bearing 
 clusters of three or more very large, broad, overlapping 
 petaled white to light pink single flowers, and showing 
 globular masses of golden anthers in the center of each. 
 June. Reevesiana, Fragrans, Whitleyi and Festiva 
 show close affinity to this species. 
 
 Paeonia Anomala, Linn. From Europe and Asia, 
 with finely dissected, smooth foliage. Solitary, single, 
 bright crimson flowers, and distinct in the large size 
 of the petals and the peculiar compound, leaf-like sepals. 
 Two feet. May. Its varieties, Insignis, Peter Barr, 
 Smoutti and Intermedia are now recognized, being more 
 distinct in the character of foliage than otherwise. 
 
 Paeonia Arietina, Anders. A tall south European 
 species, distinct in the stems, being hairy toward the 
 top; the foliage quite glaucus and downy beneath. The 
 flowers are large, dark red and solitary, and the seed 
 pods are prominently covered with hairs. The varie- 
 ties range through shades of pink and red. 
 
 Paeoni Browni, Dougl. A northwest American 
 dwarf species with glaucus foliage and dull, brownish- 
 red flowers, borne on re-curved stems. 
 
 Paeonia Broteri, Boiss and Beut. An early-bloom- 
 ing, European species, similar in foliage and habit to 
 Paeonia Officinalis, with red flowers varying to white. 
 
 Paeonia Coccinea. A reported species in the Royal 
 Botanical Gardens at Glasnevin. 
 
166 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Paeonia Corallina, Retz. Asia Minor. A vigor- 
 ous species, two to three feet high, with dark green 
 foliage, the lower leaves of which are only twice divid- 
 ed. Bright crimson flowers, with short, rounded pet- 
 als and seed vessels of a bright red color. 
 
 Paeonia Coriacea, Boiss. Similar to Paeonia Albi- 
 flora, with even broader leaflets, bright crimson flow- 
 ers, purple stigmas and smooth seed vessels. 
 
 Paeonia Corsica, Sieber. Closely related to, if not 
 the same as, the last. 
 
 Paeonia Decora, Andees. Prom southern Europe. 
 A close species to Paeonia Arietina, with peculiar hori- 
 zontal foliage diminishing toward top of the stems, 
 which are two to three feet high. The crimson flowers 
 are small, with few narrow and small petals. Pallasii, 
 with narrow leaflets, and Elatior, with broadly oblong 
 leaflets, are recognized varieties. 
 
 Paeonia Emodi, Wale. A Himalayan species, two 
 to three feet high, closely related to Paeonia Anomala, 
 with smooth, finely cut foliage, pale beneath. Flow- 
 ers pure white, borne in clusters of four or more. 
 
 Paeonia Humilis, Retz. A French species of low 
 growth, with somewhat velvety foliage, and with bright 
 red flowers on short stems, and borne in clusters of three 
 or more, with smooth seed pods. 
 
 Paeonia Lutea. Recently discovered species from 
 Yunnan, and introduced by Abbe Delavay, growing 
 about two feet high and bearing small, bright yellow 
 flowers. The plant is somewhat shrubby in habit, and 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 167 
 
 allied to Paeonia Moutan. Not sufficiently tested as 
 yet as to hardihood. 
 
 Paeonia Microcarpa, Boiss and Keut. Closely al- 
 lied to P. Humilis, with even dwarfer habit and more 
 downy foliage. Presumably a native of France. 
 
 Paeonia Mollis, Anders. A dwarf Siberian species, 
 with dark green upper surface to foliage, and distinctly 
 glaucous and velvety below. Plowers pink or red, and 
 borne singly. 
 
 Paeonia Moutan, Sims. The well-known Tree Pae- 
 ony, a native of China. 
 
 Paeonia Officinalis, Lixn. The oldest cultivated spe- 
 cies, first grown in 1548, with dark green foliage above, 
 pale green beneath, growing two to three feet high and 
 producing single, dark crimson flowers, and with re- 
 curved crimson stigmas. Early blooming, and a par- 
 ent of many double anemone-flowered and semi-double 
 varieties. A native of Europe. 
 
 Paeonia Paradoxa, Andees. A very dwarf, almost 
 tufted, Turkish species, with three-lobed incised foliage 
 and purplish red flowers borne singly, and with seed 
 vessels closely pressed together. There is a variety, 
 fimbriata, with double purple flowers and projecting 
 purple stamens. 
 
 Paeonia Peregrina, Mill. A European species 
 similar to Paeonia Officinalis, but with very smooth, 
 deep green foliage above, pale green, hairy beneath. 
 Flowers bright crimson. This has given rise to two 
 good double forms and a number of varieties witli 
 single whorls of petals. 
 
168 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Paeonia Obovata, Maxim. A little known species, 
 with ^%wer leaves not more than twice ternate; flow- 
 ers large, red-purple, and glabrons seed vessels." 
 
 Paeonia Pnbens, Sims. Allied to Paeonia Arietina. 
 Leaves hairy below, margins red. 
 
 Paeonia Riissi, Bivo^^i. A Sicilian and French 
 species varying from Paeonia Corallina in decidedly 
 hairy undersnrface of foliage. 
 
 Paeonia Sessiliflora, Sims. Nearly related to Pae- 
 onia Mollis; very low; flowers short-stemmed, pure 
 white. 
 
 Paeonia Triternata (Daurica) Pallas. Three feet. 
 Differs only from Paeonia Corallina in the rounded 
 leaves, greener stems and rose-colored flowers. A na- 
 tive of Caucasus. 
 
 Paeonia Sibrica. A little known species in the Glas- 
 nevin Ex)yal Botanic Garden list. 
 
 Paeonia Tenuifolia, Lixx. (Abbreviation of Lin- 
 neus.) A Caucasus species eighteen inches high, with 
 light, soft green, very finely divided foliage, and dark 
 crimson, yellow anthered flowers and spirally recurved 
 stigma. The earliest blooming species. There are 
 double and semi-double types of this. 
 
 Paeonia Wittmanniana, Stev. A Caucasian and 
 north Persian species about two feet high, with coarse- 
 ly divided, dark green foliage, downy beneath and bear- 
 ing showy, incurved, pale yellow flowers, one to a stem. 
 Rare. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 169 
 
 PROPAGATION. 
 
 It is liigHy important to know how to mnltiply these 
 vahiable flowers, for the process is slow at best. 
 
 You buy a choice Syringa or Philadelphus, and you 
 can divide the roots and phnnt cuttings and increase 
 them very rapidly. You can, in a few years, run a 
 new kind of a fruit tree up into the millions, but you 
 cannot rush the Paeony. One of the best on the list 
 originated in 1835, and it is impossible now to sup- 
 ply the demand. If you raise from seed you never 
 reproduce the original, and it takes from five to eight 
 years to know what you are getting. But with care, 
 by root division alone, you can secure from one to two 
 thousand in ten years. There are three modes of prop- 
 agation,— by division, from roots and from seed. 
 
 We have a different system, where we raise for roots, 
 than where we propagate for flowers. By the best of 
 care on the richest ground you can hurry them consid- 
 erably. But there is a great difference in them. L'Es- 
 perence and Victoria Tricolor multiply rapidly, while 
 J. Discaisne, though a glorious flower, wants about four 
 years to double itself. Others equally as good in bloom 
 are much more profitable. From Baroness Schoder, 
 • La Tulipe and Richardson's Rubra I have cut thirty 
 roots in four years from one. By dividing every two 
 or three years you have perfectly healthy and vigorous 
 roots. I have bought those that must have stood twelve 
 or fifteen years. The buds were partially decayed, and 
 they had great, club-like roots. There is no advan- 
 
170 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 tage in such large roots. A two-jear-old plant, sound 
 and vigorous, is mucli to be preferred. 
 
 A neighbor wished me to do something for his Pae- 
 onies. They had been twenty-five years in grass and 
 weeds. They were crowding and exhausting each other. 
 They would bud, but had no vigor to expand the bloom. 
 I took up great clumps, and found them much decayed. 
 I cut them up, planting the buds and what little root 
 I could secure with them, and in two years had as strong 
 and vigorous stock as I ever saw. My land consists 
 mostly of city lots, so I must plant closely in rows, 
 about eighteen inches apart, and eight inches in the 
 row. Of course they could not stay long. I have the 
 advantage of irrigation if necessary. I have often 
 planted buds alone, with no root whatever. One fall 
 1 put in thirty, and the next year had twenty-seven 
 fine plants. 
 
 DIVIDING THE EOOTS. 
 
 This is difficult, and requires patience and judgment. 
 Some have a distinct cleavage, and are easily separated. 
 Others, like Marie Lemoine, have no cleavage, but are 
 gnarled and twisted. Some, like Princess Ellen, have 
 roots like a ball. Many are very tender, and as you 
 begin to divide, they will snap like pipe stems. This 
 is bad, for there are the roots, and you need them to go 
 with the buds. If you lose them it will take a year or 
 two to replace them. Let them lie in the shade a few 
 hours and wilt. This toughens them and does not hurt 
 them a particle. You can immediately restore them 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 171 
 
 to their plumpness by putting tliem in wet moss, or 
 keeping in or planting in moist earth. This is a very 
 important matter. I got onto this process after a good 
 deal of annoyance and vexation. In planting, have 
 yonr ground in the best of order. I have deep, rich 
 soil, fertilized with hen manure when I can get it; 
 only prepare your ground beforehand, so the fertiliz- 
 ing will be assimilated. Make a deep, wide hole with 
 the spade, insert the root, press the earth close about, 
 put the bud two or three inches below the surface, and 
 be careful not to bruise it. It is a good idea to put 
 a coat of manure over them in winter. 
 
 PLANTING FOR FLOWERS. 
 
 You can raise roots and blossoms at the same time, 
 but you cannot multiply as rapidly as where you raise 
 solely for the increase. Of course you will raise many 
 flowers while you are propagating. The ready bloom- 
 ers will get in their work the second year, and at that 
 time we often have quite a burden of bloom. Some 
 sorts require time to come to their best. Usually the 
 largest and latest sorts need a year longer than the 
 others, while some kinds will bloom on the least provo- 
 cation. Victoria Tricolor is noted as an early, prolific 
 bloomer, and a ready multiplier. It often blossoms 
 the first year. 
 
 To raise the largest and finest flowers, the ground 
 should be very rich. We often cart on soil and manure 
 to increase the depth. Hich, bottom land, well ma- 
 nured, is best. The ground to be planted in the fall 
 
172 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 should be prepared in the summer. It should be spad- 
 ed two or three feet deep. Plant in rows four feet 
 apart and three feet in the row, so you can cultivate 
 with the horse, if necessary. Sometimes I have pre- 
 pared ground in this way: On an eighth of an acre 
 there were scattered eight loads of hen manure, and 
 a strong team plowed it two furrows deep and too^ 
 the whole day for it. This thorough preparation is 
 necessary for the best results and the largest blooms. 
 Of course you do not have to be at such expense. They 
 will grow, thrive and bloom on good corn ground. By 
 this process you are raising roots as well as flowers, 
 and at the end of ten years you will have an enormous 
 crop of the former, but they will be large and not so 
 easy to handle. 
 
 In planting to raise flowers, be sure to take good, 
 strong roots. Such will come into bearing much soon- 
 er than small ones. I should not plant clumps, but 
 heavy ones, and they will make the clumps soon enough. 
 
 I have gone into detail because I deem the Paeony 
 the queen of flowers, and it should have the best pos- 
 sible chance. 
 
 RAISING FEOM ROOTS. 
 
 I have watched this process closely for years, and 
 have found one thing, perhaps not discovered by oth- 
 ers. The root is small where it joins at the top; it 
 swells in the center and then tapers. ^Row if a root 
 is broken at the center, the lower portion never can 
 form a head. It will try hard. A callous will be formed 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 173 
 
 at either end. The poor thing will do its best to put 
 a head on itself, but cannot make it. At the end of 
 the first year the root will jet be sound, the second 
 year the top will begin to decay, and the third year it 
 will be rotten. The upper portion of this same root, 
 where it breaks from the plant, will have a good show 
 for forming a head. Kinds differ. The Edulis Su- 
 perba and others of its class are stored with vitality. 
 I have often stripped off roots, like fingers from the 
 hand, and planted them, and almost invariably a bud 
 would form the first year and be ready for business 
 the next spring. Sometimes it will take two years to 
 form a head, but in the main you will succeed better 
 to carefully divide and plant root and bud together. 
 
 A good way to accelerate the development of roots 
 and latent buds is to pack in moss or moist earth, and 
 keep them over winter in a cellar which does not freeze. 
 I have often known roots to develop twice the buds 
 they had before, and those with no buds at all by spring- 
 would have some fairly well started. 
 
 PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING. 
 
 The propagation of the pacony as compared with 
 fruit trees and shrubs is slow at best, so grafting is 
 often resorted to. 
 
 Understand, every paeony root is anxious to live. 
 We show elsewhere how a root will work three years 
 forming a callous at either end in the effort to live. 
 Take a root far enough removed from what we term 
 the crown, so it cannot develop a bud of its own, and 
 
174 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 by the cleft graft system insert a bud of some choice 
 variety. The root will rather rejoice that a head has 
 been given it, and will throw out roots to match it, 
 while there will be no danger of its reproducing itself. 
 Thus the roots of common vigorous sorts can be made 
 to accelerate the production of the costlier kinds. Graft- 
 ing should be done late in the fall or winter. The 
 grafts and cleft in the root should be carefully waxed 
 and laid away in damp moss. Then place in a cool 
 cellar till spring. It would be better not to have them 
 freeze, though freezing Avould not seriously injure 
 them. 
 
 A paeony si>ecialist just writes me, ^'I have some 
 plants the eyes of which alone are worth $1 to $2, 
 and what shall I do with them V^ I gave him the 
 foregoing process, which I am sure will succeed. 
 
 Suppose you get a choice root of some variety for 
 which you pay $3 to $5. It has only one good vigor- 
 ous root, and perhaps half a dozen eyes — ^more eyes 
 than the root can carry to advantage. I^ow you can cut 
 off the eyes and put in moist earth in the cellar, and 
 each one will throw out tiny roots, and in the spring 
 you can put it out carefully. Shelter it a little from 
 plunging rains, and it will make a plant. It may take 
 two or three years to make a saleable plant of it. By 
 grafting you would have speedier resiilts. 
 
 RAISING FROM SEEDS. 
 
 We must pay more attention to this. There is no 
 I'eason why we should not produce more rare sorts. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 175 
 
 There is a fascination here. Yon never know what 
 is coming. Jnst beside you, in the nnknown, there is 
 a rare, lovely and fragrant flower waiting to surprise 
 you. You wish to give it a chance to materialize, so 
 you are on the alert to welcome your new creations. 
 One in a hundred will be fair ; perhaps one in a thou- 
 sand will be superior. 
 
 How about hand pollenization ? I should let tlie 
 bees attend to that. 
 
 ^ote this fact : You must • secure seed from the 
 VERY CHOICEST KINDS. Here we are handicapped. 
 Great, splendid ones, like Festiva Maxima, Tecumseh 
 and Richardson's Rubra Superba, can go no further. 
 Those grand, double ones have reached their limit. It 
 is well-known that the single and semi-double are very 
 prolific, and yield any amount of seed. When Terry 
 and Rosenfield, in the west, commenced their work, 
 they secured seed from the very best. Thirty years 
 ago Mr. Terry began with seeds from the choicest flow- 
 ers that would yield any, and he has given us some fine 
 ones. So with Rosenfield, Avho gave us Floral Treas- 
 ure and Golden Harvest, that now stand well at the 
 head of the procession. 
 
 Other propagators I know of have used, I am sure, 
 seeds from inferior plants;, and as like begets like, they 
 have very inferior strains. One grower, by a good 
 deal of enthusiasm and fulsome praise, has sold sev- 
 eral which prove to be a disappointment. The whole 
 stock, with a few exceptions, is coarse and cheap, and 
 does not sustain itself. It is remarkable that vou mav 
 
176 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 raise a thousand seedlings, and there will he no two 
 exactly alike. 
 
 What shall be done with the thousands of rejected 
 ones ? We have too many named ones already, about 
 two thousand. Shall wei throw them away? By no 
 means. If you had never seen a Paeony and were intro- 
 duced to the thousand left behind, you would call them 
 fine flowers, and so they are. In the hosts of these 
 common, ones I never saw a really poor one. They 
 are all good, but there are the better and the best. I 
 would say keep them. They can be used for parks 
 and in masses. Put them on your cheap list and clas- 
 sify them in colors. There are many people who in- 
 sist that a "piny" is a "piny,'' and that is all there 
 is of it, and they will insist that you keep a "bargain 
 counter," for they think they are terribly cheated if 
 they have to pay more than twenty-five cents for a 
 "piny." They are much like the young darkey who, 
 by mistake, got a license to marry Lucinda, when he 
 had agTeed to marry Katie. It would cost him some- 
 thing to get a new license. He proved equal to the 
 occasion, "Dere ain't no $1.75 difference between dem 
 two niggers, and I'll just marry Lucinda." 
 
 W^e are glad to note cheering success in originating; 
 new varieties in America. We need to go in on a larger 
 scale. Mr. Kelway, of England, and Mr. Terry, of 
 Iowa, have given us over 100 each. The main differ- 
 ence between them is, Kelway has used the most ink. 
 I think Terry has never photographed one of his grand 
 creations. We are happy, however, to present some 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 179 
 
 in this Manual. I think it would be much better to 
 go heavily into the business of propagation than to send 
 so much money to Europe and import so many disap- 
 pointments. 
 
 There is a future for this industry. For instance, 
 the new Japanese, with their peculiar stamens, are 
 very unique. I have about twenty-four kinds. They 
 seed readily, and, having them hemmed in with other 
 fine varieties, I have great hopes of a new race of hy-^ 
 brids. I also intend this fall of 1904 to plant about 
 two quarts of the very choicest seeds that I can secure. 
 I have large quantities of my own and have engaged 
 more, and from the coming thousands I hope to see 
 some of superior merit. As to those which will not 
 be named, keep them. The great empire of the North- 
 west will need them. Most of those raised by Western 
 growers yet go East, and the bleak E'orthwest is ^vak- 
 ing up to their merits, and will yet absorb millions. 
 
 CARE or SEEDS AND PLANTING. 
 
 It is better to gather the seeds before they get thor- 
 oughly dried, and plant immediately, or mix them with 
 moist sand and plant just before the ground freezes. 
 In the West, often our falls are so dry that seed, at 
 the ordinary depth, would dry out. Those can be 
 planted that are thoroughly dried, but it takes two, and 
 even three, years for them to germinate. They should 
 be planted in rows about two inches deep. If, in the 
 spring the ground should incline to crust, it may need 
 pulverizing with a rake, so that the little plants can 
 
180 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 come lip readily. If sown in a seed bed they can be 
 removed when a year old. Though the roots will be 
 small they will be full of vitality. If far enough apart 
 so they can have a fair chance to develop, it is better to 
 let them remain till they bloom. But it takes some 
 years for them to fully show their individuality so you 
 can know what to depend on. Don't be in a hurry. 
 I have known rejected ones to develop flowers equal 
 to almost any, and I have one which was discarded while 
 young, which is now near the head of the procession. 
 Young plants do not often go back, but show up better 
 as they grow old. The Paeony has almost infinite pa- 
 tience, and you must have a little even in this age of 
 steam and lightning. 
 
 THE HAEDINESS OF THE PAEONY. 
 
 We know of nothing in the vegetable world which 
 has the vigor and hardiness of this plant. The root 
 is like the gripsack of the traveler, which contains the 
 supplies for his journey. It will come to us from 
 Europe and bring in compact form foliage, flower and 
 life. We know of nothing that will stand more hard 
 treatment, exposure and neglect. It may be left on 
 the ground, exposed to the sun, for days, and be badly 
 withered, and yet it will revive and grow. Often we 
 find, where we have cut up plants in the fall, that tiny 
 buds, so small as to escape notice, after freezing and 
 thawing all winter, will throw out shoots and tiny root- 
 lets, and we have often saved them. One spring two 
 roots of La Tulipe were left in the barn two months, 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 181 
 
 till, to all appearance, they were dead. They were 
 planted the first of Jnne, and they immediately revived 
 and grew. 
 
 One winter we had several boxes stored in a root 
 cellar. They were poorly packed. 'Some one left the 
 door open and they were all frozen solid. The door 
 was closed, and they remained frozen till spring, when 
 they were planted, without the loss of one. It is no 
 uncommon thing to keep a lot in boxes seven months 
 at a time with but slight packing. I once had a re- 
 markable experience with a lot from Kelway, England. 
 They came over in reasonable time, but were delayed 
 in a warm office at Lincoln, 'Neh., a month before T 
 was notified. The box was dried out and full of cracks, 
 and the moss was dry as powder. The roots were black, 
 and snapped like sticks. The buds were shriveled. 
 I had the expressman look them over, and all pro- 
 nounced them dead. There were thirty roots, some of 
 which cost $2.50 each. Of course the express com- 
 pany had to pay damages. Taking them home about 
 the first of November, I cut off the dead roots and 
 planted the buds in moist earth in a box in the cellar. 
 At the end of a month the buds began to swell. De- 
 cember 1st, they were planted out, and were frozen all 
 winter. They all grew but one, and one of them 
 bloomed. Of course it took an extra year to form 
 new roots. They seemed much like the Mexican resur- 
 rection plant. 
 
 They are like the Eocky Mountain burro that bears 
 any amount of misuse or neglect, and yet patiently 
 
182 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 plods along. Often for years they must bear neglect 
 in grass, or the hard earth tramped solid about them. 
 And yet they hang on, doing the best they can. Yet 
 while they patiently endure so much, there is nothing 
 that responds with more grateful alacrity to generous 
 treatment. A neighbor had an Alba Sulphuria, which 
 had bloomed in utter neglect for twenty-five years. I 
 bought the clump, he retaining a couple of roots. He 
 planted his in the grass and hard earth, digging but 
 a little space for them. In four years they have not 
 bloomed or grown. They could not. They could only 
 live. I planted my part in. the richest ground, and 
 how they increased and blossomed. In about four 
 years I had nearly one hundred plants. 
 
 All the great West and E"orthwest are well adapted 
 to them, and, it should be a rnatter of encouragement 
 that the finest flower that blooms will give its cheer 
 to a vast region VN^here other flowers cannot grow. They 
 are hardier than the pieplant. We pay out millions 
 for choice roses, and other things which cannot endure 
 our winters. It is much better to plant an absolute 
 success than a sure failure. 
 
 Possessed of sn marvelous patience, this plant will 
 often bide its time, and seem dead, when it is only gath- 
 ering its forces for a vigorous push. 
 
 One fall I planted quite a row of the splendid Prin- 
 ceps. l^exi spring not one of them came up, nor did 
 they show any signs of life during the summer. I was 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 183 
 
 preparing to use the ground for sometliing else, when, 
 after lying dormant for eighteen months, the whole 
 row pushed up' and commenced a vigorous growth. 
 
 When you dig a lot from the gTound, there will 
 be many spring up the first year, and often more will 
 show the second year, having taken so long a time 
 to form a head. It is my custom in cutting up, to re- 
 plant the same row to the same kind, to avoid any 
 mixture, and if I cannot do this I am careful to plant 
 between where the rows were, so the strays will not 
 come up in the same row with those I am planting, 
 but between them. 
 
 THOROUGHBRED LIVE STOCK AND THOROUGHBRED 
 FLOWERS. 
 
 I used to keep thoroughbred Jerseys and Shorthorns. 
 Though I enjoyed it they were a constant care. One 
 nidit I was awakened bv a fearful crash. I wakened 
 the boys and told them to bring the lanterns. Bush- 
 ing out, I saw in the barn two balls of fire. They be- 
 longed to the Shorthorn. He weighed a ton, and ev- 
 ery pound of him was in fighting trim. Aiming a 
 pitchfork a suitable distance below those blazing orbs, 
 I caught him in the nose. Then the lights came. We 
 secured him and led him back to his stall. It seemed 
 the Jersey got loose and thought it a good time to take 
 revenge. The Shorthorn tore himself loose, drove the 
 Jersey back to his stall, and, with one tremendous 
 thrust, hurled him through the side of the barn. I 
 was younger then, but I don't want any more. I have 
 
184 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 seen men who had built up a fine, choice herd of hogs ; 
 then came the cholera and wiped them out. Beautiful 
 flocks of fowls melt away with disease, become the prey 
 of sneaking beasts or the chicken thief. 
 
 It is different with thoroughbred Paeonies. They 
 do not tear themselves in wire fences. You know where 
 they are nights. They do not eat their heads off in 
 winter. The food costs nothing. You can go off on 
 your summer vacation, and they will be there when 
 you come back. They multiply as fast as live stock. 
 There is more money in them, legitimate, honest gain. 
 Sixteen years ago a man laid out $50 for choice strains. 
 For some time he has been selling $1,000 worth a year. 
 
 I bought a fine plant for $1. In five j-ears I sold 
 $18 worth, and had eighteen roots left. One choice 
 variety in the same length of time brought in $34, and 
 I had fifteen roots left. One fall I had an order for 
 500 common mixed sorts for $6 per 100. It took but 
 a small piece of ground to furnish them. My man, 
 who had worked on the farm, was astonished. ''Here," 
 said he, "we have dug $30 from a few rods of ground, 
 and if we got that from two acres of farm land we 
 would do w^ell.'^ 
 
 Is Paeony raising a fad, that will soon pass away ? 
 It cannot pass; people will not allow it. In staid old 
 Europe the interest has fairly commenced. In our 
 Eastern states, where they can raise Azaleas, Kalmias 
 and Rhododendrons, the demand is on the increase. 
 Most of the stock of Western growers yet goes East. 
 In the West we cannot raise the flowers above men- 
 

IN THE FRONT YARD. 187 
 
 tioned. They will have nothing to do with us. Thej 
 are aristocratic Easterners that will die before they 
 will live with us. I thought our hot suns and drying- 
 winds too much, so I got 1,000 of the hardiest kinds 
 I could hear of, and put them under a screen. Kal- 
 mias, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, all died in a year, de- 
 spite the tenderest care. Do you wonder that we love 
 a flower that will step in and take their places, one 
 that never grumbles or pines, and is never homesick, 
 that is more fragrant and lovely than the best of them ? 
 I have attended some of the most famous flower shows 
 of the East, and here in E'ebraska we can raise as fine 
 Paeonies as anywhere on earth. We plant roses, and 
 they kill down and dwindle away, but the Paeonj^ stays 
 by, us. Millions are needed for our Western states. 
 Billions are needed for the Dakotas, Minnesota and 
 Manitoba, where they do as well as in England. When 
 the finest flowers on earth are fitted for such a vast 
 empire, and they will grow and thrive where other 
 things will not, you can depend on them. 
 
 Talk about Ginseng for profit! Go to raising Pae- 
 onies. This is work for ladies. Already many are 
 going into it. There is much less care and expense 
 than in raising chickens, though as light work the two 
 go together. The hen is mightier than the sword. 
 She seems insignificant, yet her produce and progeny 
 every year are greater than the output of all the gold 
 mines, and the more eggs and chickens you raise, the 
 higher they get. The two enterprises are in woman's 
 realm. Mrs. Pleas, of Indiana, has raised some fine 
 
188 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 new sorts. One she sold for $100, and another for 
 $150, besides having thousands of dollars' worth of 
 enjoyment from her floral friends. 
 
 When you take into consideration the growing value 
 of cut ftowers, you have three harvests from your Pae- 
 ony bed, one in the spring, the blossoms in summer, 
 and again root sales in the autumn. This delightful 
 and profitable employment, together with the fascina- 
 tion of raising new kinds from seed, will give a zest and 
 joy to living which cannot be found in any indoor em- 
 ployment. There is the delight of seeing a transform- 
 ation going on, the brown earth putting on robes of 
 beauty while you are calling forms of loveliness out 
 of the unseen, taking the rainbow and moulding into 
 shapes of wondrous fascination. 
 
 ADAPTATION. 
 
 The Moutan or Tree Paeony does remarkably well 
 in England and in our Atlantic States. It blooms 
 grandly and grows to be quite a bush. I have grown 
 them in 'JSTebraska for more than fifteen years, and find 
 them very shy bloomers. They will grow and increase 
 all right, but I think the buds are sensitive to our try- 
 ing climate. It is possible these will do well where 
 the herbaceous ones are not satisfactory. I think, as 
 you go south into the Gulf States, especially into the 
 sandy soils, the Chinensis will not be satisfactory, and 
 perhaps those regions will be just the place for the 
 Moutan. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 189 
 
 I understand they can be used successfully for forc- 
 ing, and think this would be feasible. The trouble 
 with those grown out doors is supposed to be the se- 
 vere spring frosts. This difficulty would be obviated 
 by bringing them into the greenhouse. In those sec- 
 tions where you can depend on them, the blossoms are 
 of resplendent beauty, some of the newer sorts almost 
 as large as a dinner plate. 
 
 They are usually propagated by putting a slip into 
 the fleshy root of the herbaceous kinds. It will use 
 this for a time and then discard it for its own. The 
 stools can be readily separated, and if you wish to in- 
 crease faster, graft the tops on their own roots much 
 as the nurseryman does his young apple trees, using 
 the lip or splice graft. Care must be taken, however, 
 to let them knit well before planting out. But if you 
 have patience you can wait for the root division. 
 
 The Tenuifolia are the earliest of all. They are 
 single and double. They are not quite as hardy as 
 the Chinensis, as they need mulching in the West in 
 winter, where the cold will be excessive and sometimes 
 there will be no snow\ I have had them bloom as early 
 as May 5th. The blossom is like a rose, seated in that 
 delicate, soft, fern-like foliage. The only drawback 
 is, it is not fragrant. Yet it has an important place 
 to fill. 
 
 The Officianalis is the ^'piny" of our mothers. I 
 remember with a shudder the steeping of the ''piny 
 toes" for the ills of childhood. For years I looked 
 with contempt on the whole family on account of the 
 
190 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 rank and disagreeable odors wliich came down out of 
 the past. Tliougli this has been one of the mothers of 
 the new and fragrant race, yet much of the indifference 
 regarding the modern flower dates back to the mem- 
 ory of the sickening odor, so indelibly impressed on 
 childhood. 
 
 Again, they are not hardy in the West and N'orth- 
 west. Thousands have planted them and failed, and 
 think the whole family a fraud. We get letters from 
 Minnesota, telling of failures, and in every instance 
 you trace it back to the same old "piny." Six years 
 ago I planted a dozen good, strong roots. The first 
 winter eleven of them died, and it took the survivor 
 six years to furnish one bloom. 'No wonder, when peo- 
 ple judge from these, that they are prejudiced against 
 the whole. The Officinalis multiplies slowly. Others, 
 beside this lone one, have blossomed gloriously and in- 
 creased rapidly. 
 
 • I know there are clumps here and there in !N^ebraska, 
 and when once established and not disturbed, they 
 give early blossoms, following hard on the Tenuifolia. 
 Both these kinds have an entirely different system of 
 roots from the Chinensis, — something like clumps of 
 sweet potatoes. In separating them, as in case of the 
 dahlia, you must have a bud go with the root. So 
 please bear in mind, if you live in the bleak ISTorth- 
 west, that you are never to order the Officinalis. 
 
The Festiva Maxima. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 193 
 
 CHANGES OF SOIL AND CLIMATE. 
 
 Some kinds are more sensitive to their conditions 
 than others. Many varieties of fruits which do well 
 in one locality are worthless in others. Some of these 
 flowers will do hetter in certain, soils and climates than 
 others. Baroness Schroder is called flesh colored in 
 England. In Massachusetts, sometimes, instead of be- 
 ing pure white it has a grayish tint. In ^N'ebraska it 
 is of snowy white, and one of the most perfect flowers 
 that ever bloomed. 
 
 Charlemagne is called an enormous flower in Roches- 
 ter, but it has been something of a disappointment in 
 other locations. We must not condemn a variety as 
 a fraud if it does not meet our expectations, for it may 
 be a success elsewhere. While we say this, there is 
 probably no flower that does so well under varied con- 
 ditions. Difference in soil will have something to do 
 with it. Of course it cannot do as well in light sand or 
 stiff clay as in the rich loam of the West. 
 
 For instance, some apples which do well in the East 
 are of no account in the West. It is so with all kinds 
 of hardy fruits. So we must give a little chance for 
 the Paeony to show its preferences. Giganthea is a 
 fine, early pink, producing an enormous flower. It is 
 popular and satisfactory in the Atlantic States. Test- 
 ing it three or four years, it does not come up to its 
 Eastern standard. A large single one said to be nine 
 inches across and a splendid flower in Indiana has ab- 
 solutely done nothing for five years in ISTebraska. It 
 
194 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 may rally in time. Generall}^, Paeonies will do the 
 best tliey can, but some do seem a little sensitive to their 
 conditions. 
 
 MISTAKES AXD MIXTUEES. 
 
 There has been no end of trouble from these causes. 
 As we have had no Paeony society till recently, we have 
 had no check on loose methods. So one name has been 
 given to several diiferent sorts. Often the choicer the 
 kind the more substitutes it has. At least six kinds 
 have been sold for Pestiva Maxima, and one of our 
 best firms innocently sent out Grandiflora Alba for 
 jT-ars for this varietv. There has been no end of con- 
 fusion regarding the genuine Humei or Thorbeckii, 
 one of our very best. I have bought from many of our 
 leading firms those bearing this name, which were not 
 even distant relatives of it. It is so with the Duke of 
 Wellington. 
 
 Holland firms are notorious for their carelessness. 
 
 I bought of . They were not what I sent 
 
 for. They insisted that they were, when I returned 
 their own labels and my order. Then they were not 
 true to name. About that time I bought quite a bill 
 of an American firm, and they proved the worst mix- 
 tures I ever saw, though they were packed with the 
 greatest care. I notified them. They supposed they 
 
 were all right, for they got them of . So many 
 
 of the Dutch firms are so unreliable that we are sure 
 of nothing. Before me lies a letter of one of our lead- 
 ing gTOwers. He has had no end of vexation. Such 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 195 
 
 methods are in wide contrast to most of our American 
 firms. Visiting the grounds of Rosenfield, I found he 
 had the different kinds in beds by themselves, and while 
 blooming every plant was watched, and if perchance 
 there was a stray, it was marked with a stake. 
 
 A noted firm in England, which has done more to 
 bring this flower to the front than anyone else, has 
 fallen into careless ways. So one dealer says, ^'We get 
 only the sweepings of their fields." This is bad, for 
 we supposed we had a firm Ave coukl absolutely depend 
 on. Their' prices were very high, but we did not care 
 so much for that, provided we got pure stock. Some 
 time ago I sent for Iavo roots of Lady Alexander Duff, 
 supposed to be the best Paeony on earth. They were 
 five dollars a root. I watched them grow, and had my 
 friends look at those plants which were to surprise us 
 with the grandeur of their bloom. When the flowers 
 opened we looked on in a daze of expectancy, when lo, 
 they showed us some inferior single blossoms, on stems 
 about a foot high. They were very short lived, the 
 petals falling in two days, along with our expectations. 
 They were just fair 10-cent plants. When I ordered, 
 I charged them to return the money if they did not 
 have the genuine plants. 
 
 What is the lesson from all this ? Patronize Amer- 
 ican growers. They are responsible. They keep as good 
 kinds as the world produces, and will gladly correct 
 mistakes. They do not hide behind an ocean. We 
 must o-o to raising new varieties on a large scale. Our 
 
196 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 growers have now hundredsj soon to go on the market, 
 as fine as we import. 
 
 DIFFICULTIES. 
 
 Where one has several hundred varieties it is hard 
 to keep the stakes all right. The weather will wear off 
 the names in a few months, and they must be re-marked 
 with care. Sometimes the stakes will be broken down. 
 Perhaps an inquisitive visitor may pull one up to read 
 the name and set it back facing the wrong way. So, 
 with the greatest care, mistakes are inevitable. I have 
 bought of the leading firms of America and Europe, 
 and have never yet found one which did not have 
 more or less mixtures. Of course, among the most care- 
 ful, the strays would be insignificant. Anything seri- 
 ous, of course, is corrected as soon as possible. This 
 goes to show that very few of us are infallible. One- 
 of our western growers was sick, and hired a man to 
 plow out his plants, and he, like a ^Svild bull in a china 
 shop," knocked down most of the stakes, so the plants 
 had to be sold as a mixed lot. 
 
 THE PKOPER WAY. 
 
 is to wait till the plants bloom before stock is put on the 
 market, unless you have it from some reliable firm. If 
 mistakes occur, rectify them as soon as possible. I find 
 the best way is to have good, strong stakes, at least two 
 feet tall, painted, with the bottoms dipped in coal tar. 
 I know one dealer who received a very abusive letter 
 from a purchaser who bought two years before, and 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 197 
 
 claimed that in quite a bill thej were all spurious, and 
 he wished he could find an honest man to deal with. 
 
 Tlie dealer replied he supposed he had received the 
 stock from a reliable firm, and was sorry for the dis- 
 appointment. He told his customer he could not afford 
 to and would not receive any more such letters, and 
 he immediately packed and sent quite a bill of choice 
 varieties which he had tested, amounting to twice as 
 much as the original bill. Of course confidence was 
 established after that. 
 
 I^ever denounce a man till you have given him a 
 chance to rectify mistakes. I have bought certain 
 kinds from four different dealers and every one of them 
 were different, though the dealers may have been 
 honest. You might send to three men for Queen Vic- 
 toria and each would give you a different kind, and 
 honestly, too, for there are three bearing that name. 
 
 KEEPING THE PAEONIES BACK IN THE SPUING FOR 
 SELLING. - 
 
 We do not all of us have cold storage, and unless very 
 cold, they will start, if kept moist, at a very low tem- 
 perature. I have kept boxes of Paeonies frozen, and 
 as soon as the frost was out they began growing. It 
 will not do to leave them in the field if we expect to 
 sell them, for buds grow rapidly and are very tender, 
 and often orders come in when the plants are two feet 
 tall. Of course it is not a good time to plant, yet ens- 
 
198 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 tomers want them as late as May, and are disappointed 
 if they cannot get them. 
 
 It is very easy to keep them back. Instead of pack- 
 ing them in wet moss, which would bring them forward 
 immediately, keep them cool and dry ; even if wilted a 
 little it will not hnrt them. One spring I received a 
 lot from France. They came late, and were packed 
 dry in an open basket. They were badly wilted. 
 Placing them in water a short time revived them. 
 They lived and grew, and some of them bloomed the 
 same season. Of course it is not necessary to keep them 
 very dry. They can be placed on a rack, like cannas 
 or dahlias. 
 
 LATE BLOOMIISTG. 
 
 If you wish to continue the flowering season into 
 July, take large roots with plenty of buds, and keep 
 them partially dry, as noted above, or in cold storage, 
 and plant out from the middle of May till the first of 
 June. But there may be this trouble about July 
 blooms: In Kansas and !N"ebraska the sun gets very 
 hot, and delicate flowers might have the sun scald. I 
 have seen this sometimes in the case of Madam Chaumy, 
 which is a large, late and very beautiful flower; also 
 with Richardson's Perfection. Where there is any 
 danger, set up stakes and stretch gunny sacking over 
 them. It is well to plant those for late flowering in 
 groups, so they can be easily protected. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 199 
 
 IN PLANTING^ THE CONDITION OF THE BUD MUST BE 
 TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. 
 
 This is very important. Tlie Paeony usually goes 
 into a dormant condition about the middle of August. 
 I have had excellent success in planting at that time, 
 for the buds that form for the next spring are small and 
 tough, and they can be handled Avithout danger of in- 
 juring them. As a general thing, however, Septem- 
 ber is the best time, for if very hot in AugTist it will 
 not do to ship. If packed too moist they might rot. 
 When planted at this time little rootlets begin to grow 
 and the plant is all ready for its spring growth. You 
 will notice that those left in the ground and apparently 
 dormant are making a fine growth of fibrous rootlets, 
 and the longer they are left the more numerous they will 
 be. The buds are growing too, and often old roots will 
 have a net of rootlets around them, and the buds will be 
 much larger and more liable to damage than if planted 
 earlier. Of course Paeonies can be planted any time 
 from the first of September till the middle of the fol- 
 lowing May; but we are speaking of the best time. 
 I have often planted strong, left over roots from the 
 first to the middle of May, and if the ground is rich 
 and in the best condition, have cut good crops of flowers 
 from them a few weeks after planting. 
 
 There are various ways of lengthening the flowering 
 season. A lady had occasion to dig a cellar, and eight- 
 een inches of dirt were thrown over a strong clump. 
 She supposed of course they were dead, but two weeks 
 
200 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 after the rest were up these came on, blooming so much 
 later than the rest. It would not do to try this, save 
 on strong, well established clumps. I have heard 
 that mowing off the tops when they are a few inches 
 high would retard them, but never wished to try it. 
 
 This plan works well: Suppose you have a row ten 
 •rods long. At one end you have no mulching; then 
 you put on a little, increasing it till you put it on a 
 foot deep at the farther end. The covering should be 
 put on when the ground is frozen solid. You will note 
 quite a difference in the same row in the time of bloom- 
 ing. On the other hand, up in Minnesota, some Pae- 
 onies that were not mulched were very late in coming 
 up, after a severe winter. What was the trouble ? One 
 fall in that state T had occasion to dig up a large clump, 
 to transplant for a friend. The previous winter had 
 been bare of snow, and very cold. I found that the 
 exposed buds had all been killed. But the plants would 
 not give up. They had absolutely formed new buds, 
 and of course that took time. Though as far north as 
 Manitoba they come out all right with just a snow 
 mulching, yet it is much safer to put on a covering, 
 because some seasons the snow may be light. When 
 I can do so I mulch in this latitude. It is not neces- 
 sary for root protection, and yet a good coat of manure 
 pays. Many are at the trouble of using liquid manure ; 
 but if you have plenty on the ground, every rain will do 
 the work for you, and if it is dry, irrigation will serve 
 the same purpose. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 201 
 
 NON-BLOOMING PAEONIES. 
 
 The following is such a characteristic letter that I 
 insert it here. It is a sample of the scores of inquiries 
 that come to me along the same line : 
 
 "Mr. Harrison : — What is the matter with my Paeo- 
 nies ? They will not bloom. I surely paid enough for 
 them,— a dollar for six. I have had them five years, 
 and only one bloom all this time, and that a little, infe- 
 rior thing. I bought them for different kinds, but 
 from the looks of the foliage I believe they are all one 
 kind, and I guess they are afraid to bloom, because of 
 the deception. The most aggravating thing is, my 
 neighbor has some of the most beautiful ones I ever 
 saw. They are loaded with the choicest flowers every 
 season. I have had manure spaded around mine, and 
 have mulched them in winter, with no result save great 
 clumps of leaves. What shall I do, and what is the 
 trouble V 
 
 ANSWER. 
 
 ''My Dear Woman : — I am afraid you have been pat- 
 ronizing the 'bargain counter.' If you paid only one 
 dollar for six plants, you could not expect to get good 
 ones. You have what you bought, a cheap lot. What 
 will you do with them ? Dig them up and throw them 
 away. Be sure you dig deep enough to get out all the 
 roots so you will not hear from them again. You 
 have probably been insisting that a "piny was a piny," 
 and that was all there was of it. ISTow you see your 
 mistake. There are thoroughbreds in flowers as well 
 
202 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 as in cattle. A $15 scrub cow bears no comparison with 
 a choice, thoroughbred Jersey, which costs ten times as 
 much. 
 
 ^'Think what economy there would have been in start- 
 ing right. Had you bought one glorious Festiva Maxi- 
 ma with your dollar you would have had blooms worth 
 while, and fifteen or twenty good roots by this time. 
 You might have bought the beautiful I'Esperence or 
 Andre Laures for 50 cents each, and had early and late 
 blooms, and a wholesale lot of them. Your experience 
 was worth all you paid for your worthless roots, and 
 remember there are many dealers who keep just that 
 kind of stock for just such customers. It pays to get 
 the best. We have several that cost $2.50 a root, whole- 
 sale, in England, and some that cost $5 a root; but it 
 pays.'' 
 
 Is it not strange, that in fitting up a home, one is so 
 lavish on the furnishings and so parsimonious on the 
 outside adornment? I have known a man with large 
 and beautiful grounds and a home that cost thousands, 
 to throw up his hands in horror at having to pay $40 
 for choice trees, shrubs and flowers for the lawn. You 
 build a costly house, and the moment you enter it, it 
 begins to depreciate in value. You fill your yard with 
 choice things, and they begin to increase. There is a 
 gold mine there. Work it, and you will be rich in the 
 beauty it gives. Don't be content with a single flower. 
 Get masses of them. 
 
 I look out on thousands of glorious columbines, ming- 
 ling their beauty ; hundreds of the oriental poppies, that 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 203 
 
 blaze in their splendor ; a host of gaillardias, that are 
 always in bloom, from June till I^ovember; and there 
 are 5,000 phloxes vieing with each other. Why not 
 be generous Avith yourself out of doors as well as in the 
 house ? If you were furnishing a new home, you Avould 
 not go to a second hand store and get old rag carpets be^ 
 cause they Avere cheap, and rickety chairs and other 
 furniture, AA-ith a lot of old bedsteads. 
 
 In fixing up your front yard, Avliy not haA^e the best, 
 and plenty of it? A 25 cent Paeony does not match 
 that fine parlor set, and a lone floAver or tAvo Avill look 
 cheap compared AA^th the $50 rug. It is much better 
 to put less in the house, and more on the outside, where 
 it Avill groAv in A^alue, Avliile the house and everything 
 in it begins to deteriorate as soon as you enter it. 
 
 CUT FLOWERS. 
 
 More and more choice floAvers are groAving in favor. 
 It is amazing hoAv great the demand is for roses, carna- 
 tions, lilies and others. The Paeony stands among the 
 best. Properly handled, it keeps a long time. They 
 should be cut in the cA-ening, just as the buds begin to 
 open. Use a long stem. Strip off the lower leaA^es and 
 put the stems in Avater over night. They absorb mois- 
 ture enough to feed the flowers and keep them from Avilt- 
 ing. These are carefully packed in a box and sent to 
 their destination. If there are too many in the box 
 and the floAvers are Avet they Avill heat in a few hours. 
 In Avet Aveather it is hard to get the remaining blooms 
 and leaves dry enough to ship any distance. We have 
 
204 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 found the safest way is to put moss and oiled paper 
 around bundles of twenty-five, packing them as care- 
 fully as possible, and leaving the box a little open. 
 When the flowers reach their destination they are put 
 in cold storage, where they are kept dormant till needed. 
 White flowers are much used for weddings and funerals. 
 When Mark Hanna's youngest daughter was married 
 the house was most beautifully decorated with white 
 Paeonies. There is a great difference in the' keeping 
 qualities of these flowers. The single ones are much 
 admired while growing in the garden, but they are much 
 more short-lived than the large double ones. Then 
 there are some that grow old gracefully, like La Tulipe, 
 Baroness and Festiva Maxima. Others are very dilapi- 
 dated and ugly in their dotage. Richardson's Rubra 
 Superba and Tecumseh are fine keepers. . So is Grand- 
 iflora Rubra. The former can be kept in cold storage 
 a long time. 
 
 Usually the first flowers of a plant are the best. If 
 you wait for some to bloom, and then cut the buds of 
 those that follow, you do not get as good specimens. If 
 you are shipping, watch them closely, and the first har- 
 vest will prove to be the best. 
 
 This is the most popular of all the flowers for Decora- 
 tion Day. Some seasons they are then in their full 
 glory. There is much call in our northern cities for 
 those raised further south. In most of our northern 
 states early bloomers can be secured. L'Esperence, a 
 lovely, fragrant, French pink, is generally on time with 
 great masses of bloom. Florists should especially draw 
 
By Courtesy of W. A. PetersoNj Chicago. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 207 
 
 the attention of their customers to these flowers for 
 decoration, and create a demand bv giving their names 
 and cliaracteristics. I know of one florist who secured 
 a fine lot from Euroj^e, but lost their names, and when 
 he went to sell them he called them "pinys," which of 
 course recalled the rank odors of childhood. 
 
 Let the florist keep the finest. What rose can put 
 the Solftare to blush, or shame the Thorbeckii, with its 
 cinnamon fragrance, its sumptuous beauty, grand in 
 size, with its rich coloring varnished into its petals ? 
 
 CUTTIXG FROM XEWLY PLANTED ROOTS. 
 
 Where you have strong roots, planted in the fall in 
 very rich ground, on some varieties there will be quite 
 a crop of flowers. Some growers carefully nip off all 
 the buds the first year, thinking it will exhaust the 
 })lant. Others will cut them close. We are to remem- 
 ber, however, that it is impossible foT a plant to do its 
 liest the first season. It takes three and sometimes 
 four years for some varieties to show what they can do. 
 I often receive pitiful letters from ladies who are so 
 disappointed that their Paeonies have not done better, 
 when they had been planted but a few months. One 
 lady, hearing this Manual was to be published, hastened 
 to order it in the hope that it would throw some light 
 on her trouble. Inquiring what that was, we found 
 she had j^lanted some Paeonies a few months before and 
 the foliage was not as rank, or the flowers as large, as 
 those of her neighbors. An excellent remedy in such 
 cases is to wait. 
 
208 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Beware of cutting your flowers too close. I have 
 known plants to be killed loy cutting off every flower 
 stem with all the leaves, and others sadly injured. 
 Don't be too greedy. Always leave some foliage to go 
 with the plant through July and August. 
 
 PAEONIES AND INSECTS. 
 
 It is said truly that these plants have the fewest in- 
 sect enemies and diseases of any of our flowers. Yet 
 complaints come in regarding ants. These often cover 
 the bud, and sometimes, it is said, injure the flower. 
 What is the reason for this ? I once forced some Paeo- 
 «iies, and had a chance to watch them closely. I found 
 the buds exuded small drops of purest honey. Tasting 
 it, I could not tell the difference between it and the 
 genuine article. After that I noticed that ants and 
 bees and all sweet-loving insects- were very busy in 
 blooming time. Perhaps it is not generally known that 
 a field of Paeonies is one of the finest of all bee pastures, 
 and for weeks the air is filled with the hum and buzz 
 of honey gatherers. This honey is what the ants are 
 after. They are in evidence mostly before the buds 
 open. Sometimes they invade the flower for the nec- 
 tar hidden there. The bee is busy then mixing the pol- 
 len, so that we can have a larger variety. One remedy 
 is to have more flowers, so the insects will not concen- 
 trate on the lonely few. Those who grow them in quan- 
 tities are never troubled. Another remedy is to put 
 an old saucer at the base of your plant, with syrup mix- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 209 
 
 ed with a solution of arsenic. But as this is hardly 
 fair for the bees ; you had better try the first remedy. 
 Perhaps in time people will learn to plant in masses. 
 Have a few choice ones ; and then you can always get 
 cheap ones that will flower, too, for $6 to $10 per hun- 
 dred. Flowers need company. They are social things. 
 
 DISEASES. 
 
 While remarkable for robustness and health, yet 
 sometimes when it is very wet, the foliage will rust 
 badly. This was the case in Nebraska in 1903. The 
 remedy is to spray Avith Bordeaux Mixture. I did not 
 do this. It is only a transient affair, and the next 
 spring and summer I never saw more vigorous foliage. 
 
 Eecently there has come to us an account of what is 
 called the "drooping disease." A white mold forms on 
 the diseased stem and clings to the root over winter. 
 The remedy is to remove the stems and the earth and 
 put fresh earth around the plant. Lime would prob- 
 ably be of assistance. We know, nothing of this in the 
 west. 
 
 THE FIVE POIXTS OF EXCELLENCE. 
 
 A first-class Pacony should be: Pirst, symmetrical 
 and beautiful in form; second, fragrant; third, a good 
 keeper as a flower ; fourth, a prolific and ready bloomer ; 
 fifth, the plant, to be profitable, must be vigorous, and 
 propagate readily. We have many that score well on 
 all these points. 
 
210 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 MISSION OF THE TOPS. 
 
 It is a wise provision of JSTatiire that the tops should 
 fall down and shelter the roots and buds in winter. 
 Thej make a good covering in the absence of other 
 mulching. If they grow in the open the snow naturally 
 drifts in, detained by the fallen tops, and so you have 
 a snow bank for additional protection, and also spring 
 irrigation when the snow thaws. Yet in a visit to one 
 of the finest Omaha cemeteries I found they mowed 
 oif the tops, to have the surface uniform, and to pre- 
 vent the snow drifts, and the plants were blooming 
 beautifully. This might do in our present cycle of wet 
 seasons, but when years of consecutive drouth return, 
 it would be better to leave the tops. 
 
 FEEAKS. 
 
 Though generally sedate, yet this flower is sometimes 
 erratic. I just received a severe censure from a man 
 because his Rubra Triumphans, blooming a few months 
 after planting, came singly instead of double. He 
 bought of me because he thought I would be reliable, 
 and he didn't buy any single Paeonies, and wanted the 
 wrong righted. E'ow this flower, as well as many oth- 
 ers, is ambitious to show bloom as soon as possible, and 
 not having strength to produce a great, double flower, 
 gives a single one. Victoria Tricolor will bloom any- 
 way. If the root is small and out but a few months 
 it is bound to bloom. That seems to be its mission. 
 But it always cuts the coat according to the cloth. If 
 
Kblway's Paeonies. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 213 
 
 it has material to make a great, double flower, it will 
 gladly make it. If, however, it is short of capital, it 
 will do the best it can. Seedlings will often bloom single 
 for years, and then turn double. We have the record 
 of one that blossomed single for twenty years, and then 
 bloomed double. It is not wise to discard seedlings till- 
 fully tested. Absolutely the finest crimson I ever saw 
 was found in a lot of rejected seedlings. After a hard 
 freeze in spring some floAvers will refuse to bloom at 
 all, and others, damaged in the bud, may have inferior 
 blossoms. Others, like Floral Treasure, will do their 
 very best after the worst abuse. Very often the last, 
 out of season blooms of our best double ones will be 
 little, inferior, single flowers. 
 
 Do not sit in harsh judgment on flowers at their flrst 
 blooming. You can tell little about them except their 
 color. A white one should not be red or 'crimson. As 
 to form and size, suspend judgment. There is such a 
 confusion in names. You buy a genuine Humei, an 
 M. Valliant and a Thorbeckii, and you have one and 
 the same flower, yet one of our very finest. You get 
 Bryant's Ilumei, Andre Laures, Fragrans, Fragrant 
 Rose and Late Rose, and if you don't get the same thing 
 every time, you come very near it, and all the parties 
 honest in it, too. Our Paeony society is very busy 
 getting the tangle out of all this confusion. 
 
 AVILL ANYTHIXG KILL PAEONIES ? 
 
 They are called hardy as paving stones and as tough 
 as Scotch thistles. Yes, it can be done if you know 
 
214 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 how. Plant them in low, wet ground, where the water 
 can stand on them, and you will succeed. Put them 
 in wet, undrained soil. Let the snow drift on them 
 before the ground freezes, and then it can be done. I 
 have known some in grass and weeds during three years 
 of consecutivei drouth to be absolutely dried out and 
 killed. It has been done by driving over them or 
 tramping on them till the earth is like a brick bat. But 
 they will stand all that any plant can and offer patient 
 and quiet resistance as long as possible, and let go of 
 life reluctantly. 
 
 The spring of 1903 gave them the hardest test I ever 
 knew, and showed the diiferent degrees of hardiness. 
 April had been prematurely warm. There was a pros- 
 pect of very early blooming. The stalks were some of 
 them two feet tall and the buds were swelling rapidly. 
 Then on the night of the 29th there came a genuine, 
 wintry, sleet storm, and the plants in that tender condi- 
 tion were frozen solid in a coat of ice for two days. 
 When they thawed out they all looked tired, drooping 
 and water soaked ; but to our surprise a few days after 
 they stood erect and went right on with their prepara- 
 tion for blooming as though nothing had happened. 
 But I noticed that some varieties on low ground took 
 such treatment to heart. After the freeze came floods. 
 Fifteen inches of rain fell in May. Ground usually 
 well drained became a quagmire. Some kinds could 
 not endure it. The Duke of Wellington could survive 
 Waterloo, but not such treatment. Why the name of 
 a grim, old warrior should be given to such a flower I 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 215 
 
 cannot understand. Little, delicate Purity was too 
 tender for such a world. Drop White dropped white, 
 and everything else. The loss was not heavy, — ^just 
 enough to show that they could be killed. 
 
 Right beside the tender ones were La Tulipe, Thor- 
 beckii, Alexander Dumas, Model of Perfection, Bar- 
 oness Schroder and fifty other sorts. The main planta- 
 tion was in a rich, well-drained valley, but the railroad 
 built a bridge, which proved to be a dam, and this gave 
 way, flooding the field four feet deep. So you see what 
 they had to go through. Sleet storm when near bloom- 
 ing, a flood and three terrible hail storms, and yet there 
 was no loss of plants in that field, but a good crop of 
 flowers. 
 
 A GOOD LIST FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 We often receive letters asking for advice on the 
 best kind to plant, something hardy and vigorous, that 
 will increase rapidly and that will bloom freely. Vic- 
 toria Tricolor, Peine Victoria, Victoria Modesta, Thor- 
 beckii or Genuine Humei, I'Esperence, Edulis Superba, 
 Rubra Triumphans, James Vick, Andre Laures, Late 
 Rose, Grandiflora Alba, Compte de I^antuel. These 
 should be had at quite reasonable rates; good, strong 
 roots. One need not be entirely confined to this list 
 There may be an abundance of others as good. 
 
 WHAT OF THE FUTURE IN PAEONY GROWING ? 
 
 Evidently the cheaper sorts will remain at about the 
 same price, for the number will be swelled by rejected 
 
216 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 new ones. The standard varieties will remain about 
 as they are, with a slight advance. The new or rare 
 sorts of especial merit will keep up at the present high 
 rate, or even advance, for thousands of people will be 
 found who will have the very best, and the high priced 
 ones will be as sure an investment as a poor man can 
 make. An invalid lady can engage with success in this 
 industry. If you go into carnations or roses you will 
 need costly green houses. If you wish to raise Paeo- 
 nies, which will be just as profitable, the directions in 
 this book will give you just as good a chance as the 
 millionaire has. There is probably no industry so im- 
 portant and profitable that can be carried on with such 
 little expense as this. You may be poor, with only 
 a little home and a small garden. You have a baby 
 girl, and you look forward to the time when she will 
 enter on womanhood, and shudder as you think she 
 will have nothing with which to begin life. Buy a 
 genuine Baroness Schroder, or Lady Alexander Duff, 
 or Marguerite Gerard; one good, strong root, and let 
 it grow, and take care of it. One thousand in ten years. 
 How many in twenty years ? A thousand multiplied 
 by a thousand. You would in fifteen years have enough 
 to retire on. This is not counting chickens before they 
 are hatched. There are no broken or addled eggs 
 among them, and they will grow for the poor man as 
 well as the rich. ^^The business may be overdone in 
 twenty years ;" then all the flower business will be 
 done for, and there will be no more call for carnations 
 or roses. Festiva Maxima for more than half a cen- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 217 
 
 tury has been on the market, and the market is hun- 
 gry yet, and will be. If yon are a young man and have 
 a little ground, and want to insure your life, buy a 
 Paeony, the best you can hear of, or take what you 
 would require for your first payment and purchase sev- 
 eral, and they will take as good care of you as the 
 insurance companies could. These companies live on 
 lapses, and those securities don't lapse. Should you 
 die, you are sure of what you paid in, with compound 
 growth, which means compound interest. 
 
 The English say this is the flower for the "millions 
 and the millionaire.'' I think they would grow better 
 for the poor man than for the rich, for he would regard 
 liis bed of choice plants as his gold mine, and would 
 take the best of care of it. It takes years to learn a 
 trade and learn it well, a trade that will lay up money 
 for old age. It takes a good deal of cash to go into 
 business which will bring in adequate returns. But it 
 takes but little time, or cash either, to get a few of 
 these choice plants, and then love them and care for 
 them. A little capital invested in this way can be kept 
 sacred for the future, and insure comfort in old age. 
 There are no doubtful and uncertain board of trade com- 
 plications about the business. Set a little aside, and 
 how much incidental enjoyment you would reap from 
 it. Those worshipful flowers in queenly garments sa- 
 luting you, and they are all your own, and their num- 
 bers increasing as the years go by ; an income from the 
 
218 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 blossoms and a greater income in the way of princely 
 enjoyment. And thougli poor and hard working, your 
 flowers will treat you as well as if you were rolling in 
 wealth, swelling with pride and riding in an automobile. 
 
CHAPTEK XVII. 
 
 A LIST OF SOME OF THE LEADING SORTS. 
 
 In giving this list we have aimed to give some out of 
 the 2,000 named, so the reader can have an idea of 
 the marvelous variety in this great family. The fra- 
 grant ones have not all been marked fragrant. We 
 have not always given the names of the originators. 
 Most of these we have tested ourselves ; others we have 
 taken from leading French, English and American cata- 
 logues. 
 
 It may not be satisfactory to the connoiseur — prob- 
 ably will not. The idea of this book is to introduce this 
 flower to the masses. 
 
 I confess we have given some prominence to western 
 productions, because their merits have not hitherto been 
 brought to light. Eaising them for years, side by side 
 with imported ones, we feel they should have a fuller 
 recognition. All honor to Father Terry, now 78 years 
 old, who, in a quiet, patient way, for over 30 years, has 
 been hard at work, giving us the best results of his 
 persistence and skill, from which, as yet, he has reaped 
 but little benefit. 
 
 DESCRIPTION or OVER 200 CHOICE KINDS. 
 
 Admiral Dewey — Guard petals deep rose, with cen- 
 ter of pink and cream. 
 
220 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Alice — Blush rose, changing to white, center with 
 straw shadings; fine flower. 
 
 Agnese Marj Kelway — Guard petals of light rose, 
 yellow petaloids. 
 
 Andre Laures^ — Perfect rose in form and fragrance. 
 
 Alba Sulphurea — Fine white with sulphur center. 
 
 Alexander Dumas — Mixed pink, double center, very 
 double, quite fragrant. This is every way satisfactory, 
 scoring the fine points readily. 
 
 Baroness Schroder — In England this is called flesh- 
 colored; in Massachusetts it is sometimes grayish 
 white; in !N'ebraska it is the purest, softest white. In 
 the central petals there is the faintest lingering of gold- 
 en tints. It is as sweet as the rose, and in form and 
 grace of outline surpasses' any of the rose family. 
 Withal, it is so fluffy, sprite-like and ethereal, it seems 
 as if it might float aw^ay. It is vigorous, and a ready 
 bloomer. After it had grown two years I cut one root 
 into eight, and six of these bloomed the next spring. 
 They are very scarce, and spurious kinds are put on the 
 market. This exquisitely beautiful flower scores the 
 five points easily. 
 
 Beauty's Queen — Is a large white ; outer petals blush 
 rose. 
 
 Bunch of Perfume — Full double, vivid rose, very 
 sweetly scented. This does not do as well in the west, 
 probably, as in England. 
 
 Bioni — Guard petals light blush, with thread-like 
 petals ; not as vigorous as we could wish, though a love- 
 ly flower. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 221 
 
 Bicolor — Outer petals white, with rose tinge; cream 
 center, fringed; crimson blotch on center petals. 
 
 Belle Hough — Large flower, light crimson, late and 
 fine. 
 
 Bertha — Brilliant crimson, full double and late; a 
 very satisfactory flower. 
 
 Belle of Crescent — Bright rose, free bloomer, large 
 double, very showy. 
 
 Belle of York — Large, flesh-colorod, a strong, robust 
 flower, new. 
 
 Baron James de Kothschild — Semi-double pink. 
 
 Bridesmaid — Fine, semi-double, fragrant, white. 
 
 Blushing Maid — One of Rosenfield's latest, fine blush 
 and sweetly perfumed ; not yet fully tested. 
 
 Canisto — A large lovely flower, light flesh in color, 
 fading to white ; fragrant. 
 
 Carnation — Bright crimson outside petals, broad in- 
 side finely fringed, very fine. Grand, late bloomer. 
 Very striking in appearance. 
 
 Clara Barton — This is one of the earliest. It is of 
 purest white, like the spirit of its namesake. Its petals 
 are delicate and almost transparent in their tissue-like 
 form, not quite full double, but exceedingly attractive. 
 
 Crimson Queen — Both petals and petaloids are of the 
 same deep color. It is finely fringed, but the whole 
 flower is of that solid, intense coloring. 
 
 Commodore Dewey — Is deep, dark rose, of intense 
 color. It is a large and attractive flower, one of our 
 finest new ones. 
 
222 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Col. Wilder — Is bright rose, very double, blooming 
 in clusters. 
 
 Compte de Paris — A vigorous and imposing plant. 
 Flower on strong stem. Guard petals pink. Yel- 
 low center. A mingling of pink, cream and gold with a 
 dash of red. 
 
 Charlemange — Very large flowers, double;, flesh white 
 center, tinted lilac and chamois. This does not always 
 sustain its reputation, being, apparently sensitive to soil 
 and climate. 
 
 Compte de j^antuil — Blush white, center tinged yel- 
 loAV. Having tested this for years I can commend it 
 for beauty of bloom and vigor of plant. 
 
 Chrysanthemefolia — Rosy white guards, with a deli- 
 cate chrysanthemum folded in the center. 
 
 Comptesse de Montalivet — ^Flesh, fading to white. 
 Fragrant. 
 
 Cardinal Richelieu — Solid red, no stamens, large 
 guard, very fragrant. 
 
 Carnea Elegans — Large, variegated pink, rather light 
 color, with rose guard petals. A strong plant. 
 
 Duke of Devonshire — A very large flower of striking 
 appearance, crimson in color, with satiny finish. One 
 of Kelway's best. 
 
 Delicatissime — Very beautiful, light brilliant crim- 
 son. 
 
 Due de Wellington — Soft white, with pale, creamy 
 white center. Very lovely, fine form. Plant not 
 strong and vigorous. 
 
 Delacheii — Fine, dark crimson. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 223 
 
 Drop White — Pure white, splashed with crimson, 
 fragrant and full double. 
 
 Double Decker — Is a fragrant and beautiful two- 
 storj flower, named Pallas by Terry, the originator. 
 First it appears single; in a day or two another blos- 
 som sits in the lap of the first — a charming and unique 
 flower. 
 
 Duchess of Orleans — Pale rose, with salmon center. 
 
 Defiance — Brilliant crimson, tall and fine. Single. 
 
 Dr. Lindley — Large flower, tall and strong. Dark 
 crimson. 
 
 Ella Adams — Light crimson. Very attractive. 
 
 Etta — Bright, satiny, light rose. Strong grower, 
 late bloomer. 
 
 Euphemia — Flesh colored, with crimson blotches. 
 
 Excelsior — Dark crimson, large, fine, symmetrical 
 flower, very striking in appearance. 
 
 Esther — Outside petals deep rose, inside Avhite, rose 
 tinted, a full bloomer. 
 
 Edulis Superba — One of t4ie standard varieties. 
 Shell pink, large, well formed, fragrant flower, and a 
 very rapid multiplier. 
 
 Emperor of Russia — A magnificent, deep crimson. 
 Very handsome. 
 
 Edulis Plena, or Albiflora Plena — White. 
 
 Eclatante — Is deep rose. 
 
 Fragrans — There are three that bear this name, ono 
 named by Kelway, a light purple; another is solid 
 pink, with rather full petaloids, all the same color, and 
 
224 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 yet another, Avliicli is the late rose Paeony, nearly, if 
 not quite, identical with Andre Laures. 
 
 Francoise Ortegal — A striking French crimson. 
 One of the popular old sorts. 
 
 Fulgida — Is another purplish crimson. 
 
 Formosa Alba — White, with cream center. Very 
 fragi'ant, and one of our fine ones. 
 
 Faust — Is rosy white, large and full double. An 
 exceedingly attractive flower. 
 
 Festiva Maxima — Is the queen of all. Almost with- 
 out exception it is placed at the head of the list. It 
 has every point of excellence. The plant is one of the 
 most robust. You can usually tell the genuine by the 
 shape of the large leaves. This, we understand, was 
 introduced from Belgium in 1835, and all this time it 
 has been propagated, and, it is impossible to supply the 
 demand. The Joliet Paeony farm, one of the largest 
 in the world, wholesales them at $1.00 each, or $60 per 
 100. I am informed that the flowers bring $2.00 per 
 dozen, wholesale, in Chicago. The flower combines 
 great size with wondrous beauty. I have raised them 
 seven inches across, a glorious form of purest w^hite, 
 flecked here and there Avith crimson, which seems to 
 bring out the w^hite in clearer relief. This flower seems 
 to have reached the ultimate, beyond which we cannot 
 go. It is so full double it seldom, if ever, produces 
 seed. ^Rature. all along the line seems intent on repro- 
 duction, but in a case like this she seems to say, ^^I can 
 go no further." This is a good pattern to' work by. 
 Feed this grand flower. Let it do its best. And the 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 225 
 
 resplendent form of beantj seems to saj, ^^Beat this if 
 jou can.'^ Men liave tried for seventy years, yet we 
 will keep on trying. 
 
 Festiva — Is fragrant, pure Avliite, globular in form. 
 A beautiful flower. 
 
 Floral Treasure — This is one of Rosenfield's, and it 
 reveals the fact that we need not always go to Europe 
 for choice ones. It was first put on the market for 
 $12.00 per 100, but as soon as people found out its mer- 
 its it shot up to $50.00 per 100, and the supply was 
 short. It is a splendid hemisphere of fragrant loveli- 
 ness, a good keeper, and has a long, strong stem to up- 
 hold the splendid bloom, which will sometimes be nearly 
 seven inches across. 
 
 Fairy Queen — Is one of Terry's. Outside petals 
 broad, inside fringed, full double, large flower, regarded 
 by Mr. Terry as one of his best. 
 
 Fragrantissime — Beautiful white; very fragrant. 
 
 Grandure — A very fine, large, semidouble lilac rose, 
 fragrant. We have had this several years. It has pe- 
 culiar tints and shadings, which add materially to the 
 attractions of a general collection. 
 
 Grizzel Muir — This is among Kelway's best. Pure 
 Avhite, good fonn and very fragrant. We are well 
 pleased with it. 
 
 Grandiflora — There are several wearing this name, 
 of different colors. The most striking among them is a 
 late, immense, full double flower, blush in color, very 
 solid and compact, with a stem not strong enough to 
 hold the immense weight of beauty. These should be 
 
226 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 planted in a mass and should be sheltered with a screen 
 from the burning sun. This is probably one of Richard- 
 son's 
 
 Glori de Doual — Deep crimson, semi-double. 
 
 General Jacqueminot — Color like the Jack Hose. 
 Large flower, fragrant and a good keeper. 
 
 General Grant — One of Terry's fine ones. An im- 
 mense flower of dazzling red. The only trouble is it 
 does not furnish stem strong enough for the flower. 
 
 General Sherman — Another of Terry's. A strong, 
 vigorous grower, rose color, tinged with purple. Late 
 bloomer. 
 
 Grovcr Cleveland (Tecumseh) — This in another of 
 Terry's. It is a little freaky. One year it was de- 
 scribed as follows : ^Tt is a system of deep colored, rich 
 flowers, packed and pressed together into a shapely ball 
 of dazzling red, the solidest of all. You could almost 
 stone a dog with it. It is one of the best keepers we 
 have." Cut while the bud is opening, it retains its 
 beauty a long time. Sometimes it is more open in form, 
 but always a splendid flower. Another season it will 
 open v^ith a broader bloom, but wh<atever form it as- 
 sumes, it is fine. 
 
 Grandiflora Carnea Plena — This is one of our best, 
 and hard to describe. It has pink guard petals, with a 
 mingling of many tints in the center. It is fragrant ; 
 globular and compact in form. It gives a long suces- 
 sion of bloom, and the flowers are fine keepers. The 
 early ones grow lighter with age, and new ones come on, 
 clothed in their showy tints, so that a single row gives 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 227 
 
 such a variety of shadings that one might think there 
 were several kinds in one fine blend of loveliness. 
 
 Golden Harvest — Rosenfield's. The more you see 
 of this the better you like it. It is a free bloomer. 
 You can depend on flowers the first spring after plant- 
 ing, even in six weeks after spring planting. At that 
 stage of development it shows a center of pure gold. 
 The next year it shows the same, only more. In the 
 center is a miniature, snowy white flower, like a con- 
 densed Festiva Maxima, with dashes of carmine. The 
 next year the whole plant seems to break from all ante- 
 cedents and give you a wild, rollicking prodigality of 
 beauty, in blush and white, in cream and gold. The 
 flowers are large and almost smother the plant, so great 
 is their profusion. The bloom may not keep as long as 
 some others, yet it will score all the points, as it is very 
 fragrant withal. This and Floral Treasure are Eosen- 
 field's advance guard. He has fifty to one hundred 
 more in the procession, and we can take off our hats 
 as they pass by and cheer for beauty and l^ebraska. 
 
 Golden Wedding — We have long been looking for a 
 pure golden flower, and here we have it. It is fragrant, 
 semi-double, with extremely delicate bloom, and a very 
 attractive flower. It is a very vigorous plant. Singles 
 and semi-doubles do not keep as long as full doubles. 
 This is the only drawback to this lovely flower. 
 
 General Cavignac — Very fragrant, rose pink, of solid 
 color, compact head, imbricated with a deeper shade, 
 like a carnation. 
 
 General Lawton (Pleas) — Bright rose pink, edged 
 
228 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 with white, often triple headed, which gives it a mas- 
 sive appearance. It is very robust, flowers large and 
 sl'ghtly fragrant. 
 
 Globosa Grandiflora — Large, globe-shaped, white and 
 very fragrant. 
 
 Grandiflora Rosea — Is a host in itself. The enter 
 and center petals are red. It is slightly fragrant. It 
 is a very prolific bloomer, robust and vigorous. The 
 flowers turn lighter in a few days, and remain on the 
 stem a long time. Looking at the bed you would say 
 there were several kinds. In this respect it is much 
 like the ^"^Seven Sisters" among the roses. 
 
 Grandiflora Alba — There are several kinds that bear 
 this name, but the best is a strong, vigorous plant, with 
 a good stem, and a large, fragrant flower. Pink guard 
 j)etals, sulphur center, splashed often with crimson, the 
 whole changing to snowy white in a short time. It is a 
 good keeper and a prolific bloomer. These have been 
 sold by the thousands, innocently too, by some of the 
 best firms, for Festiva Maxima, which in full bloom 
 they closely resemble. 
 
 Humea Alba — A very fine and rare variety. It has 
 the beautiful blush of the morning. The guard petals 
 are light pink. The center has a thread like collar 
 of light flesh petals. It has a delicious fragrance. 
 There are two Paeonies which bear this name. 
 
 Humei Carnea — There has been an infinite amount 
 of confusion regarding this Paeony. At least six kinds 
 have been sent out under this name. Many of our lead- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 229 
 
 iDg growers are at fault, and some writers also. Andre 
 Laures has been sent out for it, and other varieties en- 
 tirely at variance, and a recent work on Bulbs is 
 at fault. Yet it is one of the most distinct types of 
 all. It has a foliage peculiar to itself. The color is a 
 rose pink. The petals look as if the color was var- 
 nished into them. It is a large, compact, solid, glori- 
 ous flower, of symmetrical form and cinnamon scented. 
 It ranks among the best, and scores the full five points. 
 This is often confounded with the large M. Valliant. 
 It should probably be called Thorbeckii. 
 
 Ilalseus — Is a French white. It first opens with a 
 pinkish flush, gradually growing lighter. 
 
 Hesperides — Is white, with flesh guard petals. 
 
 Henry Demay — Is a striking and beautiful flower. 
 Light crimson, fine form and symmetrical. 
 
 Hercules — Terry's. Is tall, light rose, tipped white. 
 
 Herman — Terry's. Is a tall, strong grower. Petals 
 broad. Pale, purplish rose, inside straw-tinted. 
 
 Irma — Soft rose, flesh tinted. I secured this from 
 France, and am well pleased with it. 
 
 Ilion— Has white guard petals, and also narrow white 
 center ones. 
 
 Insignis — Described in French catalogue as a grand 
 flower, of brilliant carmine. 
 
 Jeanne d'Arc — Had a slight mention in former bul- 
 letin. We now hasten to do her justice. Some plants 
 do best when the stools have had three or four years 
 in which to become established. Then they burst forth 
 in a very splendor of loveliness. Thus did our Jeanne. 
 
230 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 The flower opens light pink, but gradually grows white 
 as the soul of the war maiden. The center of the flow- 
 er rises like a crown, and the pure whiteness seems 
 sprinkled with drops of blood, symbolic of the cruel 
 death she suffered. It was a delight to visit those fra- 
 grant and lovely flowers and linger over them and drink 
 in their sweetness. 
 
 Jennie Lind — Has suddenly sprung into prominence 
 and value. Clear, rose pink, long stem, fragrant and 
 good keeper. 
 
 Jugurtha — Is a dwarf, .^bright pink. 
 
 James Kelway — Y e r y fine, white, beautifully 
 scented. 
 
 Joan Seaton — Double, bright cherry rose, each petal 
 edged with lighter color. A rose-shaped flower, show^- 
 ing anthers among the petals. 
 
 Juno — Is fiery, flashing crimson. 
 
 Jupiter — Is large, full double crimson, tipped light. 
 
 Kelway's Queen — Light pink, a most delicate and 
 lovely sort. Very fragrant. 
 
 Kitty Green — Rosy lavender, large flower. Fra- 
 grant. 
 
 La Reine — Terry's. Delicate blush, changing to 
 snowy white. Center light yellow, sometimes touched 
 with crimson. We are well pleased with this fine, fra- 
 grant flower. 
 
 Lucretia — Light blush, good size, shapely, with a 
 sort of twilight lingering in its petals. 
 
 Lady Curzon — We are favorably impressed with this 
 flower. White guard petals, with cream colored inner 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 231 
 
 petals, a faint blush permeating the whole flower at 
 first. It is of good size, and delicately perfumed. 
 Every way worthy of the lady whose name it bears. 
 
 Lady Alexander Duff — This flower has been spoken 
 of as the very queen of the whole family. It is de- 
 scribed by Kelway as lovely French white. One of 
 the grandest in existence; tall, robust and highly per- 
 fumed. The roots of this flower are worth $10 each 
 and hard to get at that. 
 
 Lady Bramwell— Is silvery rose. A most charming 
 flower, perfect in form, compact, symmetrical and ex- 
 ceedingly fragrant. It is one of our fine ones. It wears 
 well on a long acquaintance. There are hardly enough 
 to keep up with the demand. 
 
 Lady Beresford — Described as a large-flowered va- 
 riety of soft lush shade, delicate and beautiful. The 
 petals are tipped in carmine. I sent for two of these. 
 One was an inferior, little, single one, and the other 
 a small pink. 
 
 Lyde — Is rose color, with pink center. 
 La Coquette — Is( on the diamond list of Paillet, of 
 France. Center and guard petals pink, balance salmon. 
 A fine, large flower and a good keeper. 
 
 La Tulipe — I know of no flower so attractive in the 
 bud as this. First a ball interlaced with green, red 
 and light. As it grows, these interlacings are more 
 pronounced. There is no bloom whose unfoldings you 
 watch with greater interest. Men, women and children 
 gather around it in delight.' Finally it opens, a solid 
 ball of softest blush, with streaks of carmine. There it 
 
232 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 sits in all its beauty, a glorious flower in a chalice of 
 veined marble, emitting a delightful perfume. Gradu- 
 ally it fades to purest white, looking much like Festiva 
 Maxima. It is a splendid keeper and scores the five 
 points to perfection. 
 
 L'Esperence — Said to be almost, if not quite, iden- 
 tical with Duchess de J^emours. This is an excellent 
 variety. In the first place it is a pink rose in form and 
 fragrance. It is especially valuable in the northern 
 states, as it is a strong, hardy and robust plant, and 
 often is on time for Decoration Day. It is a good 
 keeper. It is on the diamond list of the leading French 
 dealers. It scores the five points. 
 
 Limosel — Very bright, clear lilac rose. A large flow- 
 er, full double, with broad guard petals and narrower 
 ones in the center. Very fragrant. Having had these 
 for several years they stand up well to the description. 
 
 Louis Yan Houtie — Is a splendid, rich crimson, a 
 magnificent bloomer. It stands well at the front. 
 
 Morning Star — Is one of the most dainty of the whole 
 family. Though exceedingly delicate looking, the plant 
 is hardy. It is well named. Starry rays radiate from 
 its heart of gold. 
 
 Mrs. Fletcher — Terry's. Is an attractive flower of 
 deep, dark rose color. We have found it very fine. 
 
 Mrs. Rudd — Outside petals broad "and white, inside 
 straw color, petals finely fringed. 
 
 ISTigra — Is one of the darkest crimson, full double. 
 
 Marie Crousse — Very large, full, globular bloom; 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 233 
 
 soft salmon pink, shaded witli glossy lilac, very fresh 
 color. 
 
 Marie Stuart — Beautiful anemone-shaped flower, 
 with collar of bright clear, pink petals ; center sulphur 
 white. 
 
 Madam Chaumy — Is a large, symmetrical, solid 
 pink flower, fragrant and very charming. In form 
 and color much like Lady Bramwell, only it is much 
 later and larger. 
 
 Mme. Camille Bancel— Described by Ward: Very 
 full, enormous, globular flower, color lively blush lilac 
 pink, with center shaded with salmon. 
 
 Madam Geissler — Is light purplish rose, solid color, 
 massive and very fragrant. One of Mr. Peterson's fa- 
 vorites. 
 
 Marguerite Gerard — Described by Ward : Immense 
 flower, with very large, well formed petals ; color clear 
 flesh, fading to tender, creamy white. Center creamy 
 white, with petals occasionally spotted and tipped with 
 carmine. Ward & Shaylor place this high on the list. 
 It is one of the more recent French productions. 
 
 Modesto Guerin — Large, anemone-shaped flower; 
 color uniform, bright carmine. Very attractive, stand- 
 ing well up on the list. 
 
 Mons. Jules Elie — Described by Ward : Very large, 
 full, globular flower, with broad, imbricated petalage. 
 Color glossy pink, deepening at the base of the petals ; 
 reflex silvery pink ; flower of nice form, and quite fra- 
 grant. 
 
234 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Mons. Paillet — Probably named from the noted 
 French florist. It is a very large flower, light pink, 
 shading to white, with pond lily fragrance. 
 
 Mons. Ronsselon — Guard petals are rosy pink, center 
 petals the same color with delicate shadings, slightly 
 flaked with carmine — a very distinct and beautiful 
 flower. 
 
 Madam d' Yernville — Father Terry goes into raptures 
 over this flower. It is well at the head in merit. De- 
 scribed by Thurlow as a very valuable new Paeony; 
 globular form ; white center petals tipped with carmine ; 
 very fragrant, vigorous and floriferous. I was happy 
 in securing a quantity of these and shall watch them 
 with intense interest. 
 
 Model de Perfection — Described by Peterson : Far 
 superior to the sort generally sold under this name. A 
 solid, clear pink, with crimpled center, set on large 
 guard petals, forming immense globular buds and flow- 
 ers on strong stems. Years ago we secured some of 
 these from Mr. Peterson. They are eminently satisfac- 
 tory. Hardy, full bloomers, fragrant and good keepers. 
 
 Marie Lemoine — The Lemoines are noted florists, 
 but their names are a little too numerous. We have 
 several among the Lilacs, also among the Philadelphus, 
 and here the name is stretched to cover two entirely 
 distinct varieties. One fathered by Calot is lovely, 
 ivory white, an early bloomer, emitting a delicious fra- 
 grance, with a root tangled and twisted, and hard to 
 separate. The other, fostered by Crousse, has a large, 
 full double bloom; color sulphur white; center petals 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 235 
 
 lightly edged with pink. Very late and one of the very 
 best. 
 
 Madam Breon — There are two flowers bearing this 
 name. One, outer petals rosy pink; pale yellow cen- 
 ter, changing to white; and the other is fine, shapely, 
 solid crimson. This latter was sent out by T. C. Thur- 
 low. 
 
 Magnifica — Described by Kelway as delicate pink, 
 turning to blush white ; large, full and free. That usu- 
 ally sent under this name is nearer red, turning to pink. 
 
 Magnificent — Is a medium sized flow^er and fragrant. 
 It is of the pink, cream and gold order, with drops of 
 carmine. Much like Triumph de Paris, only smaller. 
 
 Madonna — Outer petals rose, center creamy chamois. 
 
 Moonbeam — Is one of Kelway's newer ones. Large, 
 white, tufted in the center. 
 
 Mme. Schmidt — One of Paillet's; is rosy, lightly 
 tinted white, large flower; does well in I^Tebraska. 
 
 Marie — Is white, in light rose tints. 
 
 Maxima — Is white, with short petals. 
 
 ISTymph — ^ew. It opens a single flower, with white 
 petals. It has a pond lily fragrance. In the center 
 are incurved snow-white petals and these are dotted 
 with crimson, making it a most attractive flower. Lat- 
 er, the inner petals expand, forming another perfect 
 flower sitting in the lap of the first, separated by several 
 rows of stamens. It continues in bloom a long time, 
 and it is a delight to watch its varying forms of loveli- 
 ness. 
 
236 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 ^N'oblissima — Is a fine flower of rosy lilac; very at- 
 tractive. 
 
 l^e Plus Ultra^ — Is a fine flower, peach-color, edged 
 with white. 
 
 Nivalis — Is pnre white. 
 
 Princess Ellen — Opens delicate flesh, changing to 
 white; large flower and a good keeper; very desirable. 
 -Princess of Wales — Terry's. Large, white, mot- 
 tled with rose; a fine flower. 
 
 Prince of Wales — Terry's. Purple, edged silver, 
 large, full double, often in clusters. 
 
 Prince of Wales — Kelway. Soft lilac rose; large 
 flower, rather shy bloomer. 
 
 Princess Beatrice — Pink guard petals, inner petals 
 yellow and pink ; a fine variety and free bloomer. 
 
 Peter the Great — Is deep, rosy purple. Sunburns 
 badly in Nebraska; needs shelter. 
 
 Plutarch — A satin crimson, exceedingly brilliant 
 and striking, with pond lily fragrance; a very choice 
 flower. 
 
 Pulcherima — Light, satiny rose, center blush white. 
 
 Pulcherima Odorata — Shaded pink, with yellow cen- 
 ter, and fragrant ; very fine. 
 
 Pottsii — Purple crimson, with thread-like petals; a 
 very conspicuous flower and in great demand. 
 
 Pomponia — Pine large, flesh colored blossom fading 
 to white. 
 
 Queen Victoria — There are three distinct flowers 
 which seem to be wearing this name. One that has been 
 raised by Terry for 40 years is described by him dark 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 237 
 
 rose with ligliter edges, center straw color, largo flowers. 
 Kelway describes his as flesh colored, large, compact 
 center, and red blotch in the central petal — a grand 
 flower. The other in most common use is identical with 
 the Whitleji, which is blush white with cream center. 
 Red Jacket — As several deep crimson, new Paeonies 
 have come into the writer's possession, he has named 
 them after Indian chiefs. One is King Philip, a tall, 
 robust plant ; one is Red Cloud ; one named Shabona ; 
 an extremely fine one is Pocahontas ; and a dainty little 
 single is called Pappoose. Red Jacket is a finely formed 
 flower, deep rich color and very fragrant, which is a 
 little unusual in deep crimson. I think it much sur- 
 passes both in form and fragrance the new Bunch of 
 Perfume. The only drawback is it may be a tardy 
 bearer. 
 
 Rubra Triumphans — This is the earliest of the crim- 
 son family. It is not quite full double. It has a golden 
 center. It is valuable in that it is often on hand for 
 Decoration Day. 
 
 Richardson's Rubra Superba — This is one of the 
 grandest of the whole race. It is very robust and of 
 immense size ; as Peterson says, one of the finest that 
 ever happened. It is among the very latest, deep crim- 
 son in color, of immense size and firm form. It is very 
 valuable as a cut flower. Taken just as the buds swell 
 and put in cold storage it will keep for a long time. 
 
 Richardson's Dorchester — Is another very fine one, 
 beautiful, soft cream color, with pink tinting, rather 
 
238 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 dwarf. A beautiful flower. This was taken to England 
 and appears in Kelway's list as a $2 flower. 
 
 Sunbeam — 'New; fragrant; radiant silver, ethereally 
 beautiful; very striking. 
 
 Sainfoin — Kelway. Described as the most striking 
 of all. The flowers full, large and brilliant self rose. 
 
 Snowy Coles — Blush white, with narrow, thread-like 
 petals; very sweet. 
 
 Souvenir de la ExjDOsition — Blush outside petals, with 
 white, narrow central petals. A fine, large, imposing 
 blossom. 
 
 Splendid a — Light lilac, edged white. 
 
 Sada Evans — Terry's. Outside petals broad, deli- 
 cate rose, inside fringed and straw-colored, the whole 
 molting into a beautiful white. 
 
 Stephania — Considered by Terry as one of his finest. 
 Pale rose, nearly white ; center pure white with crimson 
 stripes. 
 
 The Bride — Is a charming white flower. 
 
 Thomas Meehan — Terry's. Light rose, silver tip- 
 ped; large double flower, worthy of the noble man 
 whose name it bears. 
 
 The Amazon — New. If you wish size and show and 
 a good deal of it, this is the flower. There is nothing 
 refined or delicate about it. It is exceedingly prolific 
 and robust, and bears an enormous burden of great, 
 rose colored flowers. It is full, free, hearty and gen- 
 erous, and a good one for beginners. 
 
 Victor — Terry's. Deep red; a fine, fragrant, solid 
 flower, and a good keeper. Very desirable. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 239 
 
 Virgo Maria — Pure, snowy white. 
 
 Victoria Tricolor — Is one of the most vigorous and 
 prolific bloomers we have. The first year it will put out 
 small blooms, according to the material it has. The 
 next year they will be larger, and the third year the 
 plant will be fairly deluged with bloom. It is also 
 fragrant. Though the flower cannot rank among the 
 finest, yet it is very desirable. 
 
 Victoria Modesta — Is a very fragrant flower, borne 
 on a long, strong stem; outer petals pink, inner ones 
 white. 
 
 E-eine Victoria — Is a fragrant pink. These, three 
 Victorias, while not ranking among the very best, yet 
 on account of their fragrance and vigor should not be 
 omitted. 
 
 Zoe Callot — Is Grandiflora Rosea on a smaller scale. 
 
 Grandiflora Rosea. A fine flower with light pink 
 outer and inner petals. 
 
 Zenobia — Is one of Terry's. A full double rosy crim- 
 son. 
 
 Zonvon — Is a deep, dark, bright flower from Holland. 
 
 SINGLE PAEONIES. 
 
 These are very beautiful in the bed, but not so desir- 
 able as cut flowers. They are not as long-lived, and have 
 a tendency to fold their petals at night, yet some of them 
 are of marvelous beauty. They are not as popular in 
 the west as in the east. I name a few of the leading 
 ones from Kelway's list : 
 
240 • THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Bridesmaid. Single white. 
 
 Captain Holford. Clear rose. 
 
 Countess Cadogan. Lovely flesli color. 
 
 Countess of Warwick. Delicate, soft flesh. 
 
 Doris. Bright rose. 
 
 Duchess of Sutherland. Large, flesh pink; a lovely 
 flower. 
 
 Earl of Morley. Light purple. 
 
 Earl of Powis. Cherry rose. 
 
 Earl of Onslow. A good purple. 
 
 Flag of Truce. Pure white. 
 
 Flag of War. Deep, blood crimson. 
 
 Ideality. Deep rose; grand. 
 
 Kimberly. A very pretty, rosy pink. 
 
 Lady Helen Vincent. White; tinged flesh; very 
 beautiful. 
 
 Lady Jeune. Blush white; very delicate. 
 
 Lord Annaly. Deep crimson ; a fine, rich shade. 
 
 Meteor. Bright, dazzling crimson. 
 
 Other single ones of American birth : 
 
 Defiance. Terry. Brilliant crimson ; tall and fine. 
 
 Full Moon. New. This is one of the most striking, 
 immense crimson, with strong outer petals and a full 
 moon of golden stamens. A hearty, open-faced flower. 
 
 Terry. Is a sort of lilac rose, very rich color. 
 
 St. Sophia. Terry's. Is deep rose, and has the long- 
 est succession of bloom of any of the single family. 
 
 Wild Rose. Pleas. Is a fine, open-faced crimson 
 flower, with a large, golden cushion. 
 
 May Davidson. Is a large pink, striped with silver. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 241 
 
 The Queen. Terry's. Large white, with cushion of 
 pure gold. 
 
 We have several others on the way, whose merits are 
 not fully established. 
 
 THE JAPANESE PAEONIES. 
 
 These are a distinct family by themselves, single and 
 semi-double, with very pronounced golden centers. They 
 are prodigal bloomers, often covered with a profusion 
 of beauty. They are very hardy. Some of us are en- 
 deavoring to raise a new race from seed, and here there 
 is a vast field. The nomenclature of this whole family 
 is in a chaotic state, and the Paeony Society is hard at 
 work naming and classifying them. I have in all some 
 thirty kinds. I append Henry Dreers' list: 
 
 Apollo. Deep pink, shading lighter toward the edges. 
 
 Diana. Blush, Avith creamy white center. 
 
 Exquisite. White, with yellow stamens. 
 
 Fabiola. Delicate blush. 
 
 ^NTeptune. A fine shell pink. 
 
 Ophir. Dark carmine. 
 
 Saturn. Rosy pink, with yellow stamens. 
 
 Souvenir. Flesh pink, creamy white center. 
 
 Titian. Soft, delicate pink. 
 
 Yesta. Purplish red. 
 
 Topaz. Deep rose, shading lighter at the margin. 
 
 Undine. Bright pink, with darker shading. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 GLADIOLUS, THE SWORD LILY. 
 
 The diminutive of "gladus/' the sword. The mean- 
 ing is ^"^little sword.'' 
 
 There are about 90 varieties of this beautiful flow- 
 er. They are found growing in the region of the Med- 
 iterranean, in Asia and most of the species are from 
 South Africa. Marvelous improvements have been 
 made in recent years in this flower. Blossoms of im- 
 mense size have been produced and these are of great 
 beauty. 
 
 It is true the bulbs must be planted every spring and 
 must be taken up every fall. Yet, there is no hurry in 
 the spring. These with dahlias and cannas are plant- 
 ed after the rush of spring work is over. 
 
 SOILS. 
 
 Our Western rich prairie loam is just the thing for 
 them. Some people stake the stems. As a general 
 thing this is not necessary if properly planted. The 
 soil should be heavily manured the year before so the 
 manure will be well incorporated and the ground fine 
 and friable. Then plant at least 4 inches deep. When 
 I first commenced I had a good deal of trouble with 
 the long heavy stems tipping over. I found the trouble 
 
PliESENTED BY ARTHUR COWEB, BERLIN, N. Y, 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 245 
 
 was I had not planted deep enough. You can have 
 your rows about two feet apart and put them four 
 inches apart in the row. They need thorough cultiva- 
 tion. When they first come up, before they are very 
 liigh, go over the whole ground with the rake. That 
 lightens the soil and kills the weeds while the plants are 
 set deep enough so they are not disturbed by the rake, 
 j^ever grow anything in partnership with weeds. Ir- 
 rigate with the hoe and cultivator. More and more we 
 are finding out that constant cultivation is absolutely 
 essential to success. This keeps the ground from dry- 
 ing out and kills the weeds. Cultivate after every rain 
 if possible. This closes the pores in the soil and re- 
 tains the moisture. 
 
 PKOPAGATION". 
 
 It is easy to raise them from seed and then you have 
 the charm of discovery. You are sure of something- 
 new. Save seed from your best plants, prepare a bed 
 thoroughly, put the seed in shallow drills and cover 
 about an inch deep. See that they do not dry out in 
 germinating. If in the open it is well to cover them 
 with burlap till they begin to come up. In the fall dig 
 and dry them and store in a dry cellar. ' Plant again 
 the next spring and they will be large enough to bloom 
 the year following. 
 
 Do not plant on the same gTOund in succession. 
 Choose a fresh place each year. 
 
 When you take up the bulbs in the fall you will find 
 rows of tiny bulblets attached to them. Sometimes 
 
246 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 there will be from one to two hundred of these tiny 
 corms attached to a single bulb. You take these off 
 and plant them as you would peas the next spring. Of 
 course these will be like the parent root, while the seed- 
 lings will give you something new. 
 
 We are often asked if paeonies, dahlias, cannas and 
 other flowers will not mix and change color by being 
 planted near together. 'Never. This is impossible. 
 The seeds will of course bring different results, but 
 merely growing side by side will never effect any 
 change. 
 
 THE FLOWERS. 
 
 While in Minneapolis in the summer of 1904 the 
 florists told me there was no sale for the flowers and 
 they went begging everywhere. Looking at the blos- 
 soms I did not wonder, for they were little, out-of-date 
 affairs. Not much like the grand, full, radiant ones 
 of more modern types. 
 
 The Childs & Groff's hybrids and Burbanks outrank 
 the old sorts and by constantly selecting seed from the 
 best there is a chance for great improvement yet. 
 
 When the first flowers begin to open, cut off the stem 
 and put it in water and it will keep on blooming a 
 long time. 
 
 There is an almost infinite number of named sorts. 
 
 Arthur Cowee of Berlin, N. Y., is quite a specialist 
 in this line and sends out a very neat little booklet with 
 various approved varieties and directions for obtaining 
 the best results. He has immense fields of them and 
 seems to keep at the front. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 247 
 
 SUCCESSION OF BLOOM. 
 
 This can be regulated both by varieties and also by 
 the time of planting. In a bed of several hundred 
 some will bloom very early and others late. I have had 
 them bloom in November while others of the same 
 planting will blossom early in July. For a succession 
 plant about the first of May. Plant another lot the 
 first of June and you can plant again in July. In fact 
 late blossoms are the best because they come on after 
 the intense heat of summer has passed. If you wish 
 the best results while they are blooming in the hottest 
 part of the season and it is very dry, shelter them with 
 burlap or muslin. 
 
 FORCING THEM. 
 
 Having had no experience in this line I quote from 
 an expert, C. L. Allen, of Floral Park, N. Y. : "The 
 gladiolus for decorative purposes during the winter 
 season has of late been considerably used ; many gi'ow- 
 ers having been very successful in bringing it in at the 
 proper time, making it a profitable branch of their in- 
 dustry. This had the tendency to induce others who 
 had not sufiicient knowledge of its requirements to 
 make a success of the enterprise, to plant on a large 
 scale. Like all other undertakings, with hope, rather 
 than experience as a guide, it has not been as profitable 
 as might be desired." But a few men have been suc- 
 cessful, among them John Thorp of Peal Kiver, N. Y., 
 who knows the o-ladiolus well and acts accordingly. 
 
248 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 The flowers he produced reach the full measure of 
 their capabilities. We quote what he says: 
 
 ^'The gladiolus when grown as a forced flower is ap- 
 preciated to a greater extent than when grown out of 
 doors. Like many other flowers it is better under the 
 protection of glass. When well cared for the flowers 
 are larger, the colors purer, and the spikes longer. To 
 force them successfully, however, requires attention at 
 just the right time, and its wants should always be an- 
 ticipated and supplied. Here is the routine of my 
 practice. The bulbs I forced this year were also forced 
 last year. They were planted February 8 and the first 
 flowers were cut the 30th of May. This year's work 
 began December 27 by putting each bulb in a four-inch 
 pot, using sandy loam without manure, and placing the 
 bulb on top, pressing it down to hold it without any 
 other covering. They were watered and then placed 
 under the benches of the carnation house until the be- 
 ginning of February. At that time those plants which 
 had grown four inches were brought to light and again 
 watered. Placing them close together on a bench near 
 the light, a little water was given them from time to 
 time, retarding the top growth and encouraging the 
 root action as much as possible. 
 
 "My soil is rather of a heavy sandy loam, and in this 
 the bulbs were planted ; the depth of the bed being a lit- 
 tle over four inches. The bulbs were scarcely covered 
 at this time and this I find prevents the plants from 
 damping off during the dull days when they have com- 
 menced to grow rapidly. By the middle of March each 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 249 
 
 plant was tied separately to prevent its falling over. A 
 light mulching of stable manure was then put on and 
 well watered. 
 
 ^'Three things I find necessary to successfully force 
 the gladiolus: 
 
 ^Tirst — The pots must be well filled with roots before 
 the plants are finally set out in the benches. 
 
 ''Second — The nearer the bulbs are to the surface the 
 less liable the plants are to damp off. 
 
 "Third — The bulbs must be well ripened before us- 
 ing.'' 
 
 You will note the entirely different system used in 
 the greenhouse or indoors. In this case you plant near 
 the surface. In the open you must plant at least four 
 inches deep. 
 
 UNNAMED VARIETIES. 
 
 These are very numerous. I think the better way 
 is to get choice mixtures. They come cheaper and you 
 get the different shades and colors. Different dealers 
 I note advertise the Groff, the Child's, Lemoine and 
 Burbank mixtures, and they are all fine and come 
 cheaper than the named sorts. 
 
 SOME POPULAR KINDS. 
 
 Canary Bird is a large fine yellow flower. 
 
 Shakespeare is called one of the best. Flowers large 
 on a long spike, creamy white, with delicate carmine 
 rose tintings and quite a blotch on the lower divisions. 
 
 La Candeur is fine and large with strong spikes well 
 lined with beautiful blooms, nearly white. 
 
250 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Romulus is very early, dark red, with pure white 
 blotches. 
 
 Isaac Buchanan is clear yellow. 
 
 John Bull is white. 
 
 Napoleon III is a bright scarlet flower striped with 
 creamy white. 
 
 A good way is to get the finest mixtures. Mark the 
 best when you take up the roots. Save the bulblets from 
 them and keep them separate. ]!^ame them if you 
 choose. Keep at it year after year and you will soon 
 have quite a stock. If you wish entirely new ones save 
 seed from the very choicest and begin at the founda- 
 tion and develop something entirely new. 
 
 CANNAS. 
 
 There is a growing interest in these flowers. They 
 make an imposing appearance in the garden. At first 
 they were used largely for foliage effect. The leaves 
 are large, and some deep green, some light green and 
 others of bronze color. But great improvements have 
 been made of late years so that now they are highly 
 prized for their blossoms as well. They are not of 
 much value as cut flowers, but for imposing effect of 
 bloom and foliage they are not surpassed. 
 
 When you have a collection put the rankest growers 
 in the rear. The Pillar of Fire is immense in growth 
 and a fine bloomer. Plant next to this those of slower 
 growth, then come down to the dwarfs and you have a 
 stairway of beauty, rising till they reach the Pillar of 
 Fire, which overlooks them all. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 251 
 
 They multiply rapidly. One root may have 15 or 
 20 divisions. You separate, these and plant about the 
 first of May or earlier perhaps, as it takes some time 
 for them to come up. It is sometimes difficult to keep 
 the roots. Of course being tropical plants, they never 
 get ripe. They are always killed down by the frost and 
 of course the roots are green. If they get too dry they 
 do not like it, and if too wet they will rot. You must 
 watch them and perhaps bring them out and air them 
 on mild days in winter. They are much harder to 
 keep than the dahlia, which you can treat as you would 
 potatoes. I have received the latter when almost en- 
 tirely dried up, but they would grow all right. Cannas 
 should be planted four or five inches deep in very rich 
 ground. Put them about 18 inches or two feet apart. 
 They must have rich ground as they are rank feeders. 
 If very dry you had better mulch heavily if you can- 
 not water them. 
 
 RAISING FROM SEED. 
 
 This is an easy matter. Some will put seeds in a 
 pot and start them early. I have planted, however, in 
 the open in the latter part of April and had blooms 
 of marvelous beauty and heavy roots the first year. 
 Some were fully up to many of the named sorts. Some 
 were fiery scarlet, others were red and gold, some yel- 
 low and highly freckled— in short there was a menag- 
 erie of beauty and a perfect surprise of loveliness. 
 
 The seeds are very hard. I brought water to the 
 boiling point and then took it off a few moments to 
 
252 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 take off keen edge, then poured it on and stirred rapidly 
 for several minutes ; then covered them up and left them 
 standing a day or two and had a beautiful stand. Soak- 
 ing in quite warm water a few days and changing the 
 water twice a day will do well and you take no risk of 
 overheating. Plant about two inches deep in light fine 
 soil. 
 
 The following are described by & Co., Tarry- 
 
 town-on-the-Hudson, N. Y. : 
 
 Mrs. Kate Gray — This is an extraordinarily grand 
 canna in every way. Flowers are of gigantic size, meas- 
 uring six inches in diameter, much larger than Italia 
 or any of the Italian varieties. The Italian varieties, 
 in fact, are not to be compared with this variety in any 
 way — size of flower, freedom of bloom, or substance — 
 the flowers of this variety lasting as well as almost any 
 of our leading standard sorts. In color, the flowers are 
 very brilliant, deep orange, round and full, and are 
 thrown high above the foliage, making them very showy 
 and effective. It is one of the most effective bedders 
 we have. It is a very free bloomer, and bears a large 
 number of flowers on each spike. It is also a very 
 strong grower, and would be valuable on account of its 
 beautiful and luxuriant foliage alone, which is tropical 
 in its luxuriance, much resembling the Abyssinian Ba- 
 nana; but added to this are its gigantic flowers, borne 
 in large clusters, towering on large flower spikes high 
 above the foliage, and produced in the gTeatest pro- 
 fusion, l^otwithstanding its immense size, it is as free 
 a bloomer as any of our best standard sorts. All who 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 253 
 
 have seen it in our grounds the past summer unite in 
 pronouncing it the finest thing in cannas sent out for 
 a long time. 
 
 Pennsylvania — Another new, grand, giant-flowered 
 variety, fully as large as Mrs. Kate Gray and an 
 equally free and abundant bloomer, but entirely distinct 
 in color, being a deep, rich scarlet. 
 
 Betsy Ross — We consider this the finest pink canna 
 ever introduced. It is a fine, strong grower and an 
 exceedingly free bloomer, flowers being borne on large, 
 erect trusses, held well above the foliage. 
 
 Buttercup — Almost absolutely pure golden, or but- 
 tercup yellow — pure yellow except for the very faintest 
 possible markings on the lower petal. Very free bloom- 
 er, producing large and handsomely formed flowers on 
 large trusses, which are always bright and clean. This 
 variety is valuable on account of its exceedingly bright 
 color, and particularly so on account of its very dwarf 
 habit, growing not over three feet high — about the same 
 height as Pierson's Premier — giving us a first-class 
 dwarf yellow sort, which has long been needed. 
 
 Black Beauty — By far the handsomest of all the 
 dark-leaved cannas. While the flower is insignificant, 
 the exceeding beauty of the foliage more than compen- 
 sates for this, and where foliage effect alone is desired, 
 nothing richer and handsomer can be found. Foliage 
 is large and massive, of the richest bronzy purple color, 
 shaded with black, with beautifully crimped or undu- 
 lating edges. Foliage is almost as rich and striking in 
 color as a dracena. 
 
254 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Pandora — A rich dark-leaved variety — as highly col- 
 ored and as glossy as a dark-leaved dracena. 'Next to 
 Black Beauty, the most beautiful dark-leaved variety. 
 Besides its beautiful foliage, it is a large-flowered vari- 
 ety of the Italian type, with flowers as large as Italia 
 or Austria, scarlet marked with orange, — almost the 
 same color as Mrs. Kate Gray. 
 
 Tarrytown, the Finest of all Cannas — This variety 
 sent out four years ago for the first time, was very 
 highly recommended, but we are glad to state that it 
 has exceeded our anticipations in every Avay; we be- 
 lieve we can justly claim it is the finest canna 
 for bedding grown today. No variety approaches it for 
 display. The flowers are large but its particular value 
 lies in the earliness with which it blooms, the abun- 
 dance of flowers produced, its branching habit, and the 
 lengths of time the flowers remain after they open. 
 Another point of superiority is the fact that the flowers 
 are thrown well above the foliage, and the heads of 
 bloom are held very evenly, and so freely produced that 
 the foliage is almost hidden. One characteristic of this 
 variety which largely gives it its value is its wonderful 
 branching habit, two or three spikes of flowers being 
 in bloom on the same stem at the same time, producing 
 a mass of bloom. The flowers, which are an exceeding- 
 ly brilliant carmine crimson, have decidedly more sub- 
 stance than any other variety, and last for an unusually 
 long time. The stem carries no withered, dried-up 
 flowers, but is always bright, clean and fresh. There 
 is so much substance to the flowers that heavy wind and 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 255 
 
 rain storms liave no effect upon them, leaving them 
 bright and fresh, when other varieties have been knocked 
 to pieces. It is a fine, strong, healthy gi'ower of moder- 
 ate height. InTo variety compares with it in any way 
 for a constant, continuous display; it is perfectly safe 
 to say that it showed six times as many flowers for the 
 same amount of space as any other variety in our fields. 
 Wherever it was planted, it stood out prominently 
 among the best. Many canna experts who have visited 
 our trial grounds invariably pronounce Tarrytown un- 
 questionably the finest of all bedding cannas introduced 
 up to this time. It cannot be praised too highly. It is 
 as much ahead of all other cannas today for bedding 
 as Mme. Crozy was ahead of all its contemporaries at 
 the time of its introduction. '^N'otwithstanding the fact 
 that this variety has been offered for four years, the 
 demand for it last season exceeded the supply. 
 
 Rosemawr — A grand pink variety. Rich shade of 
 soft rosy pink, slightly dappled with deep rose. One 
 of the freest-blooming cannas that we have, either in- 
 side or out. Flowers are very large and of good shape, 
 with broad, well-rounded petals, frequently two inches 
 across and uncommonly thick and of good substance, 
 and the trusses are enormous. Dwarf habit, averaging 
 about three feet in height. A wonderfully fine acquisi- 
 tion; no up-to-date collection is complete without it. 
 It occupies the front rank among cannas of any color. 
 
 NEWER AND SCARCER SORTS. 
 
 Improved Pillar of Fire — An exceedingly brilliant 
 variety^ — fiery crimson scarlet. A giant of its class, 
 
256 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 growing six to seven feet liigH, and a very free and 
 early bloomer. Invaluable for centres of beds. 
 
 Crimson Bedder — A grand bedding canna. Intense 
 crimson scarlet, dazzling in the extreme. An exceed- 
 ingly free bloomer, quite dwarf in habit and very bushy 
 and when in flower makes a perfect blaze of color. Tew 
 if any of the newer cannas equal this variety for ef- 
 fectiveness as a bedder. 
 
 L. Patry — Orange salmon, showing a pinkish sheen 
 on the older flowers — an entirely distinct color; very 
 bright and effective. Lar^e flower and truss. An ex- 
 ceedingly free bloomer. 
 
 Luray — A very fine new pink^ variety, with flowers 
 ' and trusses of the lararest size. Flowers are as large as 
 Rosemawr, but are very much darker, being a dark rose- 
 pink. An exceedino^ly free bloomer, and a fine thing 
 in every respect. 
 
 Martha Washington — A grand new pink canna with 
 extra large flowers. Yery deep, bright pink. Most of 
 the flowers have five petals, which are very broad and 
 long. Trusses are of the largest size, and are perfectly 
 erect. A grand variety. Yery distinct and very su- 
 perior. 
 
 Michel Favrichon — An exceedingly free and early 
 bloomer and a very strong grower. Flowers are ex- 
 ceedingly large and very showy ; bright orange, slightly 
 shading to carmine and dotted with carmine. 
 
 Philippe Rivoire — Bright scarlet, mottled and tinged 
 with carmine, with a very narrow golden margin. Yery 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 257 
 
 handsome and distinct flower. Eather tall grower with 
 beautiful foliage. Free bloomer. 
 
 Souv. de Mme. ^ardj — A beautiful mottled variety 
 — bright golden yellow, heavily spotted with the most 
 intense scarlet. The variegation is similar to that of 
 Florence Vaughan, but the colors are much deeper and 
 brighter. It is entirely distinct • from Florence 
 Vaughan and is one of the most beautiful variegated 
 cannas ever raised. Tall grower. 
 
 Pres. Max Michelli — This is the finest and largest 
 flowered of all the dark-leaved varieties. Bright orange- 
 scarlet, shaded carmine, with bright carmine splashings. 
 FlowTrs are as large and fine as any of the green- 
 leaved cannas. Dwarf grower. 
 
 Admiral Avellan — A fine dark-leaved canna. An 
 exceedingly free and early blooming variety, being a 
 mass of color all summer. Deep orange, much darker 
 than J. D. Cabos. Fully as free a bloomer as Egan- 
 dale and considerably taller. 
 
 Alphonse Bouvier — One of the earliest, showiest, and 
 freest blooming varieties grown today. Tall groAver; 
 under good cultivation grows from seven to eight feet 
 high. The heads of bloom are of the largest size, bril- 
 liant scarlet crimson; very effective. 
 
 Alsace — The only white variety; the nearest ap- 
 proach to a pure white canna yet introduced. Flowers 
 at first are a light sulphur yellow, changing to a rich 
 creamy wdiite. Flow^ers are not so large as some, but it 
 is an immense bloomer, being loaded with blossoms all 
 through the season. 
 
258 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Beaute de Poitevine — A fine dwarf, compact grower. 
 Flowers are of good size, crimson scarlet, with no shad- 
 ing of any kind. A free bloomer, throwing up large 
 trusses of bloom. Foliage is very distinct — ^glaucous 
 green. 
 
 Egandale — This is a dwarf, very compact, free- 
 blooming dark-leaved variety. Foliage is dark greenish 
 maroon; flowers bright cherry. An exceedingly free 
 bloomer, and a favorite sort. 
 
 F. N'euvessel — A fine dark-leaved variety; foliage 
 is very handsome. Orange scarlet flowers, showing a 
 pinkish tinge on the older blooms. Tall grower and 
 very free bloomer. 
 
 Florence Vaughan — A very effective and showy va- 
 riety. Flowers are of the largest size, brilliant yellow 
 spotted with scarlet. This is the finest variety of its 
 color and the standard spotted sort today. 
 
 Mile. Berat — This is a pink canna of French origin. 
 Dark carmine pink. Heads of bloom are held erect 
 and well above the foliage. A showy, effective bedder. 
 Tall grower and exceedingly free bloomer. 
 
 Mme. Crozy — Scarlet, with golden edge. This va- 
 riety is the one that tended to popularize this beautiful 
 class of plants, and is still considered very desirable. 
 
 Philadelphia — Exceedingly brilliant; a bright, glow- 
 ing crimson, very rich and velvety. It is very early, 
 very dwarf, and a very profuse bloomer. Extra good 
 and extra desirable in every way. 
 
 President Cleveland — A fine, compact, vigorous 
 grower, throwing up numerous flower spikes of im- 
 
Mrs. Roosevelt Dahlia. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 261 
 
 niense trusses and flowers of very large size. One of the 
 showiest varieties. Color, bright orange scarlet — about 
 the same shade as Eobt. Christie. 
 
 Duke of Marlborough — Darkest of all cannas — very 
 dark crimson. Very free bloomer and a tall, strong 
 grower. Very desirable. 
 
 Souv. d'Antoine Crozy — This is a superb variety in 
 every respect, and is one of the very finest that we have 
 today. In color it is an intense, vivid scarlet, bordered 
 with a narrow band of the deepest golden yellow, the 
 yellow border intensifying the brilliancy of the scarlet. 
 The effect of a group of these flowers in the sunlight 
 is dazzling. It is an exceedingly free bloomer. The 
 heads of bloom are very large, and the flowers are re- 
 tained upon the spike more than an ordinary length of 
 time. It grows about six feet high. Those who wish 
 to have the best cannas should certainly have this va- 
 riety. 
 
 THE DAHLIA. 
 
 AVhen the procession of the earlier flowers, like the 
 tulips, columbines, paeonies and roses have passed by, 
 we need a companion to the glorious phlox which falls 
 into the line and cheers us till frost comes. 
 
 Today is the 20th of October, and before my 
 window are great masses of Dahlias in full bloom. 
 They commenced in June. They give off an immense 
 amount of cheer. They are easy to raise, and can be 
 kept like potatoes through the winter. 
 
 The Dahlia, more, perhaps, than any other flower, 
 shows the wonderful skill and patience of the florist. 
 
262 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 It was first discovered in Mexico by Baron Humbolt 
 and was sent by him to the botanical gardens of Madrid. 
 It was named Dahlia in honor of a noted botanist, Dahl. 
 After its first introduction it seems to have dropped out 
 of sight. It was reintroduced into Holland, the land of 
 flowers, in 1804. It was single at first and I suppose 
 there were almost countless efforts made to improve it 
 and finally after long experiments a double form re- 
 warded the florist. Then improvements followed thick 
 and fast untibwe have the almost infinite varieties of 
 form and color. Almost every shade but the blue has 
 been produced. There is growing in Mexico the Dahlia 
 Excelsa, which grows 30 feet high, covered with a pro- 
 fusion of bloom. Dahlia Imperialis is a distinct spe- 
 cies growing 10 to 15 feet high with fine branching, 
 treelike form, producing in the fall pure white droop- 
 ing, lilylike flowers three inches in diameter. Of 
 course these last named are too tender for our north- 
 ern climate, and the seasons are not long enough for 
 their development. 
 
 A few years ago there w^as a decline in the demand 
 for this flower. But as prosperity returned and the love 
 of flowers has grown, a need was manifest for a flower 
 which would reach from the paeony to the time of frost 
 and so the want grew and the Dahlia grew to match it ; 
 till now one man in ISTew Jersey has 80 acres and the 
 flowers were sold by one firm in Philadelphia. 
 
 Our small cities and country towns are very slow to 
 take up things of merit. Flowers may be ever so beau- 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 263 
 
 tiful, but if they are not roses or carnations from the 
 greenhouse there is little call for them, while the larger 
 cities appreciate things on their merit. 
 
 For cut floAvers some of the finer forms are of ex- 
 quisite beauty and the marvelous variety of shape and 
 color make them all that v^e can ask for. 
 
 PROPAGATION. 
 
 There are four methods. Division of roots, by cut- 
 tings, by grafting, and by seeds. Increasing by cut-, 
 tings and grafting is done mostly in greenhouses. The 
 other two processes can be used by the amateur, for they 
 are very simple. 
 
 One day I was in the store of a florist in Omaha and 
 a lady asked : ''Why won't my Dahlias grow. I sepa- 
 rated the roots and planted the tubers ; but not more 
 than a fourth grew at all." The florist replied, ''Were 
 you careful to have a bud on every root ?" 
 
 "N^o ; I never thought it necessary." 
 
 "Things can't ^row without a- head," was the reply. 
 ^NTow a large paeony root, broken off near the crown 
 forming a ]>erfect tuber, will take a year to put a 
 head on itself; but the dahlia cannot do this and so 
 must have a head to begin with. Note this then : in 
 dividing your clumps have a bud with every tuber and 
 if some tubers have no eyes leave them to help out 
 those that have, thereby giving it extra force. Take up 
 your roots in the fall before the hard freezes or frosts 
 come on. Dry them and store them in a cool cellar 
 where they will not freeze. If there is danger of the 
 
264 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 frost creeping in, take a box, line it with paper, wrap up 
 your roots in paper and carefully " store them away. 
 Throw loose paper on the top and put some old blanket 
 over them. 
 
 They should be planted as early in the spring as it 
 will do, about the first of May. Put them in about 
 four inches deep. 
 
 They are rank feeders and do best on the richest 
 ground. If you cannot water them thoroughly, then 
 irrigate with the hoe, by giving the best of cultivation. 
 
 Dahlias love the sun and cannot thrive in the shade, 
 SO' give them a good chance. 
 
 SUPPORTS. 
 
 Usually frames are made. for them, but for extensive 
 cultivation this is not feasible. Instead, they are se- 
 verely trimmed. When the branches appear cut them 
 back as you would in planting a young apple tree. This 
 makes them grow more stocky. I find this system 
 works well where they stand in exposed places. They 
 adjust themselves to the winds like a tree out in the 
 pasture. But if they are planted rather close in seclud- 
 ed places the stems will be weak and they, must have 
 supports. 
 
 VARIETIES. 
 
 There are two general divisions, the single and double, 
 and these again are subdivided. 
 
 Tlie doubles are grouped in sections something like 
 the following: 
 
 The Cactus — These have peculiar petals quilled and 
 
Cactus Dahlia. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 267 
 
 twisted, having a shape entirely unique and different 
 from anything else. I give a few of the leading va- 
 rieties : 
 
 Alpha is mainly white, sprinkled with purple, crim- 
 son and lilac. 
 
 Beatrice is deep rose color, with long pointed petals. 
 
 Cinderella is beautiful flame-like crimson. 
 
 Gabriel is described by Peacock as follows: ''The 
 ground color is soft velvety crimson, having a faint 
 cinnamon hue at the bases of the florets. The upper 
 part of each floret for about half its length is snow 
 white. A very showy flower." 
 
 Henry F. Mitchell is very large and irregular in 
 form with colors varying from soft yellow to intense 
 orange red. 
 
 Juarezi is the mother of the cactus group. It is 
 deep scarlet, with long, narrow, twisted petals. 
 
 Lady Penzance is pure yellow, with long twisted 
 petals. 
 
 ^liss A. ^Nightingale is deep yellow, tipped red and 
 semi-double. 
 
 Matchless is a dwarf, strong and vigorous, of branch- 
 ing habit, flowers large, rich, varnished crimson, over- 
 laid with maroon. Quite early, and a wholesale 
 bloomer. 
 
 Sea Queen is purplish, with a bluish sheen. 
 
 Spitflre is scarlet, with clawlike petals. 
 
 I give only a few of the 120 mentioned by Mr. Pea- 
 cock — just enough to give an idea of the character of 
 
268 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 the family. If a man has 80 acres, as he has, in Dah- 
 lias, he can take care of the whole group, but the rest 
 of us with small spaces must be content with a few sam- 
 ples. 
 
 Then there is an extended list of the 
 
 DECORATIVE DAHLIAS. 
 
 These have large flowers and are very imposing in 
 appearance and I have watched them with much inter- 
 est. 
 
 Over forty-five kinds are named and these are not 
 all; for new ones have been added all along. 
 
 Black Beauty is a fine maroon. It is of such deep 
 color as to be almost black. 
 
 Clifford W. Burton has large golden flowers. I have 
 watched them unfolding till late in October. They are 
 fine and symmetrical, like a large chrysanthemum. In 
 color bright, clear yellow and the flowers are continuous 
 and very large. 
 
 Maid of Kent is cherry red, tipped with white. 
 
 Mrs. Roosevelt is a large flower of superior beauty. 
 The blossoms are double — six inches or more across. 
 The color is delicate bluish white. 
 
 William Agnew is a great favorite. Flower seven 
 inches across, full center, fine form, color clear shade 
 of intense red. 
 
 SHOW DAHLIAS. 
 
 These are of compact ball shape. Some of them are 
 wonderful in their exquisite tinting and shadings. It 
 would not seem possible that so much delicate beauty 
 
Mars — Bright, Rich Cactus Dahlia. 
 
Decorative Dahlias. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 271 
 
 could be crowded into a ball of loveliness. About 75 
 kinds are given with their varying shades. We can 
 give only a few of them. On our own grounds these 
 have been the most satisfactory of all; though some 
 kinds have been sent out too insignificant in size and 
 so dull in color as to have no real merit and they might 
 as well be discarded. 
 
 Aleta is fine, light pink in color, flow^ers in balls, 
 moulded in perfect form. It is one of the first to bloom 
 and after the 20th of October I have seen it loaded 
 with a profusion of flowers. It seems very conscien- 
 tious, as if it had to be done. 
 
 Beauty is snow white and of perfect form. 
 
 Golden Canary is clear yellow of very fine shape, a 
 perfect flower and profuse bloomer. 
 
 Honest John is brilliant maroon, richly shaded and 
 often mottled with black. 
 
 Queen Victoria is one of our best golden ones. 
 
 Storm King is new, a symmetrical white flower. It 
 is in great demand as a cut flower. 
 
 FANCY DAHLIAS. 
 
 This group is set aside as another class, something 
 like the last mentioned only on a larger scale. Many 
 of them are almost indescribable in their beauty. Some 
 have marvelous edgings, tintings and touches of re- 
 markable shadings. Some are variegated with ex- 
 quisite blendings of colors. 
 
 American Flag has ground color of pure white, with 
 
272 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 a border of deep red and sometimes bars of red striping 
 with the white. 
 
 Elegans is rosy red, banded white. 
 
 Olympia is one of the finest of this attractive group. 
 It is six inches in diameter. The color is rose pink, 
 striped and edged with crimson. 
 
 About 40 kinds are given in this group. 
 
 POMPON DAHLIAS. 
 
 These are of dwarfish habits, profuse bloomers and 
 have a rich variety of colors. 
 Then we have 
 
 THE DWAEF CLASS. 
 
 These are used for borders. 
 
 Then there comes the Pigmy or Tom Thumb fam- 
 
 Then there is a very large family of Single Dahlias. 
 Another class are called Orchid Flowers. 
 
 STILL ATs^OTHER CLASS. 
 
 are called collarette, because the flowers all wear col- 
 lars. 
 
 KEEPING CUT FLOWEES. 
 
 E'early the same rules must be followed as in the 
 preparation of paeony blooms for market. 
 
 Remove all the neighboring buds and side shoots. 
 Leave the foliage on the stem to which the flower be- 
 longs, then put the stem in water and allow it to ab- 
 
Decorative Dahlia. 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 275 
 
 Horb its fill. You can then pack and ship or put them 
 on exhibition. 
 
 There is a great future for these flowers. The ama- 
 teur has a wide field in sowing seeds, and watching 
 new developments. In fact it is hard to keep up with 
 .tlie pace this flower has set for us. 
 
 We prefer perennials if possible. We plant them 
 and they stay planted, but the ease with which these 
 are propagated, the immense returns they give for 
 good cultivation, and the little care required in carrying 
 the roots over will make them favorites. They are rank 
 feeders and require plenty of room. 
 
 In planting, put the largest and strongest in the 
 background. Then those of less growth. Then put the 
 Tom Thumbs at the front, so you can take in the whole 
 at a glance. 
 
 A rAPvTING WORD TO THE PIONEERS. 
 
 Brothers, we have worked hard in carving out a 
 new empire. We are of the West and a part of it. 
 We have seen it grow from childhood to stalwart man- 
 hood and have done what we could to make it ffrow. 
 We are now^ on the down hill way, and we cannot climb 
 back again. We have earned the right to be rich and 
 to enjoy ourselves. But there are treasures outside of 
 gold and stocks and bonds. He is the rich man who 
 is contented with a pleasant home and is out of debt. 
 I note that often the farmer leaves his home and moves 
 into town where he is often restless and dissatisfied. 
 If he stayed by his farm to the last and beautified and 
 
276 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 adorned it, he would keep himself young among his 
 flowers and life would have an enjoyment he cannot 
 find on a narrow town lot. For myself I have heen a 
 hardworking man. I began life in Minnesota in 1857. 
 I was there when the state was born. I am 72 years 
 of age, but I cannot feel that I am growing old. I seem 
 standing on the borders of eternal youth. True, my 
 feet move more slowly and I cannot match the full 
 vigor of my prime, but the soul is young. I am going 
 towards the sunset, towards the ^^golden gate''; but it 
 is not a dreary or wintry way. 
 
 Often have you watched the glowing splendors of 
 the evening, when the stately clouds like heaven's own 
 sentinels escort the retiring day to his chambers in the 
 west. What brush can portray those inspiring displays ; 
 what pen can describe the robing of the clouds. It is as 
 if the choicest gems of earth were melted together and 
 then piled up in mountain vastness. There are great 
 masses of opal, amethyst and gold, and beyond the 
 fields of sapphire the scene is glory, set on fire, and the 
 vast procession trailing its splendors seems as if escort- 
 ing a conquering soul into the eternal joy. 
 
 ISTo, this is not old age; it is but the promise of an- 
 other morning. 
 
 "We all do fade as a leaf." But how do the leaves 
 fade? Go into some of our mountains after the touch 
 of the frost and the whole landscape is a splendid gar- 
 den robed in indescribable loveliness. What a rich 
 blending of color. The gold of the maples, the purple 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 277 
 
 of the oak and cherry and all the shades and tints of 
 the other trees of the forest give us such a picture as 
 only gifted nature herself can paint. 
 
 And yet this resplendent golden summer of the year 
 is called the symbol of death. 
 
 We have much to do in adding to the pleasure and 
 happiness of our declining years. As the day is closed 
 by the resplendent curtains of the clouds, so we can 
 make the hither shore a promise and a prophecy of 
 what lies beyond. You can gloomily wait by the river 
 in a barren land or you can wait in fields Ely si an amid 
 the fragrance and beauty of the choicest tributes which 
 earth can cast at your feet. You are already heir of 
 all things, and have had your coronation here of ^^riches 
 and honor.'' Hovering over and around you are the 
 choice tributes of the infinite love. Why not reach 
 out and take them ? You are sons of a king ; better be 
 princes than beggars. Time is the porch of eternity. 
 Earth is preparatory to heaven. We strive to have our 
 souls in accord with the peace and the purity, the har- 
 mony and sweetness of the heavenly state. Why not 
 educate also for the beauty of heaven ? 
 
 Stand on the threshold of the future. Listen to the 
 salutations of the universe, ''All things are yours." 
 Think of a home whose foundations are gems, whose 
 dome is sapphire, whose walls are jasper, with gates of 
 pearl, with opal sea flashing in the supernal brightness, 
 with streets gold paved, with a mansion built by the 
 hand wdiich hung those mantles on the suns, which 
 touched so deftly the petals of the flower, which put 
 those tints on the clouds. 
 
278 THE GOLD MINE 
 
 Then look out on the vastness, on the boundless 
 abysses of glory, where the stars are the bouquets of 
 God, where the infinite fields are gardens of flowers 
 sprinkled] with stars of various hues, and is there nothing 
 to be learned here of the beauty of our Lord ? 
 
 So fill the closing days with cheer. Let beauty leap 
 from your brain and fall from your hands. Use your 
 creative powers. Show your birthright by making the 
 earth smile with gladness. Be yourself a creator of 
 the beautiful. Call forms of loveliness from the sun- 
 beam, from the rainbow, which is ready to melt and 
 dissolve in beautiful bloom for your enjoyment. It is 
 wrong to let God's great unseen processions of beauty 
 pass by without a recognition. 
 
 It is Avrong to take a piece of God's fair earth and 
 let it go to weeds or simply raise from it something 
 to feed the stomach, and raise nothing for the soul. 
 
 There is that patient wife, mother of your children. 
 What a woman she has been ; how heroic she was when 
 you were starting in life; how meager the fare; how 
 she suffered with the cold. More than once tears came 
 to your eyes as von thought of her privations. 'Now 
 the battle is won, and to her soul has come a great long- 
 ing for the beautiful. E'o queen more worthy than she. 
 You can plant trees which will nod her welcome, you 
 can have a soft carpet of green for her weary feet, you 
 can plant flowers which will rise up and call her bless- 
 ed, which all summer will put themselves on dress pa- 
 rade for her and worship her with their incense. Why 
 not have a little pleasure in your old age ? 
 
IN THE FRONT YARD. 279 
 
 Again let the farmer keep his soul and liis speech 
 clean. When I was a boy and men used to change work 
 in threshing time it was awful. They seemed to vie 
 with each other in using the foulest language and he- 
 fore the boys at that, and as the result many of the 
 sons grew up vile and debased and lived in the base- 
 ment rather than in the upper story of farming. 
 
 The farmer works with God. The one furnishing 
 the capital, the other the labor, and thus the world is 
 fed. He of all men lives the nearest to Grod. And 
 when he receives his warranty deed from Him and 
 from the United States government he is under the 
 highest obligation to make the most of himself, of his 
 family and of his farm. He should see that his children 
 are brought up clean and not weakened by debasing 
 habits. Surroundings have much to do in the develop- 
 ment of character. I would much rather children 
 would be brought up in beautiful grounds where beauty 
 and purity would greet them every^vhere than in a 
 yard which Avas the home of pigs and a hospital for 
 sick machinery. 
 
 There is no farm in the great Northwest which can- 
 not be greatly improved and made homelike. A man 
 should have an ambition to make the most possible of 
 his home. It should not be an eyesore and a plague 
 spot. It should match the greenness of the fields, the 
 beauty of the prairie and forest and the repose of the 
 waters and all the loveliness of nature, and so, my 
 brother, you will fix up, won't you? 
 
 ^ C. State Collet 
 
THE END. 
 
 • 
 
MsM