For April, 1920 



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The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse 



HENRY GIBSON 



The Garden 



WITH the passing of the deep snows we have ex- 

 perienced during the past Winter much damage 

 is being revealed, by mice and rabbits girdling 

 trees and shrubs, and in some cases vines on walh have 

 fallen victims. In our own observations grape vines, 

 Privet, Climbing Roses, and English Ivy have been the 

 most accessible; fruit trees coming through almost un- 

 molested. Reports however indicate that a vast amount 

 of damage has been done by these pests. 



In the case of small trees and shrubs they are readily 

 replaced, and orders for such should be forwarded forth- 

 with. With large trees it is more difficult ; they are not 

 so easily duplicated. In many cases it may be possible 

 to save them by bridge grafting, but simple as this opera- 

 tion may appear from ])rinted instructions, yet it is no 

 undertaking for the inexperienced. It is work for the 

 expert, and where a tree can be saved in this way it is 

 worth many times the cost. 



Where the Winter or dormant spray has not yet been 

 applied to fruit trees and shrubs infested with scale, no 

 time should be lost in getting this work done. It is not 

 a pleasant job in itself, but it has to be done and done 

 well to be effective. Of those who are applying Lime Sul- 

 phur solution a little care in doing the work is needed. 

 This solution is not a poison in the sense that arsenate 

 of lead is. It has caustic properties, however, which may 

 prove injurious both internally and externally if due care 

 is not exercised. Keep on the windward side of the spra> 

 as much as possible, avoid leaking hose, nozzles, and 

 shut-off. The hands should be protected by a pair of 

 good rubber gloves, and the face with vaseline. 



Selecting and Preparing Seed Potatoes. — The stimulus 

 given to home gardening during the war, and the ever 

 soaring H. C. of L., is likely to result in larger plantings 

 than ever before of the "humble spud," yet it not infre- 

 quently meets with but scant consideration when it comes 

 to selecting and treating the tubers for planting. With 

 the home grower whose sole purpose for planting is 

 home consumption, there is generally nothing but culls 

 rejected from the kitchen to select from, which are as 

 a rule small stock. These, however, are by no means 

 to be shunned for seed purposes if they were properly 

 matured when dug. and are free from disease. Small- 

 ness due to prolonged drought, or poor culture will not 

 materially affect the yield from such seed, biU wherc- 

 ever practicable potatoes of average size should be 

 selected, and as uniform as possible. 



The treatment of the tubers against scab, and Rhizoco- 

 tonia, .should never be omitted. The benefits from such 

 treatment are beyond the experimental stage. Organisms 

 carrying diseases are carried through the Winter on tu- 

 bers infested with the disease of the past season only to 

 again infect the new crop. One pint of 40 per cent forma- 

 lin to 30 gallons of water is effective against scab only, 

 while 2 ounces of powdered corrosive sublimate to 15 gal- 

 lons of water will deal effectively with both diseases. 

 Wooden vessels only should be used, and the potatoes may 

 be allowed to remain in the formalin solution two hours, 

 one and a half hour Ijeing enough for the corrosive subli- 

 mate treatment. P.oth solution.-; may be used several 



times. Tubers require to be thoroughly dried before 

 planting. 



The size of the seed piece has long been a debatable 

 question, an.l one sometimes hears of crops of potatoes 

 raised from planting peelings, but the practice of eating 

 the potato and planting the skin is not likely to become 

 general yet, even for home consumption. For general 

 purposes a seed piece weighing about two ounces, and 

 containing not more than two eyes is very satisfactory. 

 The pieces should be short and thick rather than long and 

 thin as they retain the moisture better. 



Our ennui after a long and protracted Winter is liable 

 to cause Spring enthusiasm to overrule prudence, and 

 (although most of us know better) we are anxious to 

 get out and make a showing. Preparation of the soil is 

 the first step towards success, but unless it is dry enough 

 to crumble as it leaves the spade more harm than good 

 is likely to accrue. In soil that will crumble when dug 

 there is not much difficulty in making a fine seed bed, 

 but if wet when turned over it will lie heavy, and in lumps, 

 which will dry oft" so hard that when it is raked it will 

 l)e full of hard pieces that will not break up readily even 

 when rolled. It is of course an advantage to get the 

 ground turned over some time previous to sowing, since 

 then it has a chance to settle and fill up any open or air 

 spaces underneath. 



In laying out the garden plot plan to have the taller 

 growing crops at the north side of the lower growing 

 one, so as to avoid any imnecessary shade being cast over 

 them. .\ measuring stick is also indisjK'nsible for meas- 

 uring the distance between the drills. Lay oft" the dis- 

 tance from the boundan- fence where the first drill will 

 come, mark the spot with a label, and do likewise at the 

 other end of the plot. One may strike a pretty straight 

 line with the eye, only to discover when the young plants 

 are breaking through the ground that the line was far 

 from being as straight as it was intended to be. A gar- 

 den line the length of the plot is a good investment, at- 

 tach it to a couple of good stakes, sharpened at one end, 

 and you can stretch the line as taut as you wish. Then 

 after giving it a snap to insure straightness drawing out 

 of the drill may be proceeded with. 



Beginners ofttimes find themselves the source of much 

 amusement to the older hands at gardening in- their first 

 attempts at making drills, but go ahead undaunted, re- 

 membering the while that they too had to Icarn the art 

 of opening drills. A hoe, jilant label, or the handle of 

 the garden rake may be used in making the drills, remem- 

 bering that small seeds like lettuce, radish, onions, tur- 

 nips, etc., require shallow drills, while peas are sown 

 in wide drills, made by holding the side of the hoe against 

 the line, and opening tlie drill the width of the hoe. 

 Potato furrows arc usually dug or plowed out, but on 

 the snirdl home ])lot they can be convenientlj' made on 

 a small scale with either spade or hoc. Special seed- 

 ing machines are now available, with any number of 

 attachments which make them useful for cultivating the 

 ground after seeding is completed. For the home gar- 

 den these machines are a valuable asset, not only in the 

 economy of labor, but in saving seeds. Used according 

 to instructions sent with them, there is little loss from 

 loo dee]) or shallow planting as there is an adjustment 



