THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



573 



DREER'S POT-GROWN 



STRAWBERRY PLANTS 



The best varieties, both new and old, and best methods of plant- 

 ing to raise a full crop of strawberries next year are fully particu- 

 larized in 



Dreer's Mid-Summer Catalogue 



Also Celery, Cabbage, and other vegetable plants. A select list of 

 decorative plants, Palms, Ferns, etc.; Seeds of old-fashioned Hardy 

 Perennials and other flowers for summer sowing, Seasonable Farm 

 Seeds, etc. 



Write today for a copy, FRF.F.. and please mention this magazine. 



HENRY A. DREER 



7 14 CHESTNUT ST., 



PHILADELPHIA. PA. 



The bark disease kills the tree by girdling the trunk, 

 and does not cause unsound or decayed wood, which is 

 the result of attack by fungi or insects. Until two 

 years after the death of the tree the wood generalh- 

 remains sound, though at the end of that time insects 

 have commenced working in the sapwood. Three 

 years after death the sapwood is honeycombed with in- 

 sect burrows ; in four years it has decayed, and begins 

 to dry and peel off in the fifth 3'ear. After this the 

 heartwood checks badly. To avoid loss, therefore, all 

 timber should be used within two years after being 

 killed. 



At a recent meeting in Trenton, N. J., foresters 

 were present from most of the States in which the 

 chestnut bark disease is prevalent. Connecticut, New 

 Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Vir- 

 ginia, North Carolina, and the Forest Service and the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry were represented. Repre- 

 sentatives of the States approved the investigations 

 undertaken by the Forest Service, and recommended 

 that the individual States give particular attention to 

 the development of local markets for stands of blight 

 killed chestnut. Owners of such timber should apply 

 to the State foresters or to the Forest Service for fur- 

 ther information upon the uses and markets for chest- 

 nut. 



THE SALESMAN. 



When the train pulls in and you grab your grip. 

 And the hackman's there with his frayed-out whip, 

 And you call on your man and try to be gay, 

 And all vuu get is "Nothing doing today," 

 Then you're a PEDDLER! 



When you get into town and call on your man, 

 "Can't you see me. Bill?" "Why. sure, I can." 

 You size up his stock : Make a rough count, 

 And Bill presently says: "Send the annual amount." 

 Then you're an ORDER TAKER! 



When 3'ou travel along and everything's fine, 

 And don't get up until half past nine ; 

 When 3'ou see each customer and talk conditions. 

 And write it all home with manv additions. 



Then you're a TRAVELING MAN! 



When you call upon tlie gardeners and they talk 



"Hard Times," 

 "Lower prices" and decided declines. 

 But you talk and you smile, make the world Ipok 



bright. 

 And send in vour orders everv blamed night, 

 Then you're a SALESMAN! 



SUMMER PRUNING OF SHRUBS. 



The best time, and really the one time to prune or 

 cut back specimens of shrubs such as Spiraeas. Snow- 

 balls, Wergelas, Dentzins. Philadelphus, Forsythias, 

 Flf)wering Almonds, Lilacs, and other early flowering 

 subjects is right after blooming, or before the summer 

 is far advanced. The present is a good time, says "The 

 Field," as practically all of the early bloomers have 

 passed their period of flowering. 



The pruning of a Spir.'ea \ an Houttei, say early in 

 spring or late in fall, would mean the sacrifice of much 

 wood that would bear quantities of flowering branches, 

 and would result in a serious check to the graceful 

 habit of the plant itself. Proper pruning of such a 

 plant necessitates the expenditure of much time, and 

 the one performing the operation should be possessed 

 of some skill, or of suflicient knowledge of tlie habits 

 of the plant to enable him t<i do the work intelligently. 

 Many fine speciinens are ruined through the incompe- 

 tence of the pruner. Trimming is not pruning by any 

 means. Irregular outlines should be maintained as 

 much as possible ; the top of a plant should never be 



made to 'look like a broom. As much of the old hard 

 wood should be removed as is necessar^^ to preserve 

 a pleasing outline, and when cutting it out, follow the 

 branches clear down to the ground; it is not pleasing 

 to view a lot of stumps in lengths of a foot or two, so 

 cut them right out. 



Tliere is an especial tendency in a Spirsea Van Hout- 

 tei to grow top heavy in time. Often there may be 

 seen a specimen on a lawn 10 feet high and the top al- 

 most as much in diameter, the plant su])portod by just 

 a few bare stems. A plant of this kind is anything but 

 handsome in appearance ; after a rain it will droop in 

 sorry fashion, and in winter a heavy snow fall may 

 break down tl^ branches. A number of other shrubs 

 may be referred to in the same way, but the Spiraeas 

 are' perhaps, the worst examples. 



With proper pruning after flowering all such shrubs 

 will ])roduce a new and graceful growth from below, 

 and nice, shapely specimens will be the result. By 

 "shapely" is not meant a plant perfectly formal, such 

 as a globe or pyramid shaped Boxwood or evergreen. 

 There is hothing natural about such things, formed, 



