For June, 1920 



213 



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The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse I 



I HENRY GIBSON 



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DURING this month the big item is to maintain the 

 pace already set, and make the most of the grow- 

 ing crops, by frequent and persistant cultivation. 



Xo matter how good the soil it will not produce good 

 crops, without proper cultivation. It not only helps 

 the crops along by keeping down the weeds, but actual- 

 ly saves a vast amount of labor in watering, by con- 

 serving the moisture in the ground. Of all gardening 

 operations cultivation is one. that cannot well be over- 

 done. Do it during wet weather as well as during 

 fine, as by doing so any signs of trouble from too much 

 water will l)e materially relieved. The loose surface 

 soil becomes aerated and dries out more readily, 

 there! .}• checking any tendency to stem rot, which 

 oftentimes proves such a menace during extended wet 

 periods. 



Certam of our garden crops grow rapidly at this time 

 of the year, and soon deplete the surrounding soil of 

 all available plant food, which if not furnished results 

 in stunted growth. Here liquid plant food is valuable. 

 insomuch as it is already in a form quickly available 

 to the plants, is easy to apply, quick in showing re- 

 sults, and allows more latitude to the user than any 

 other form of fertilizing. There are several forms of 

 concentrated plant food on the market, accompanied by 

 explicit direction how to apply, that are well worthy of 

 the attention of those whose crops show signs of soil 

 exhaustion. Onions, parsnips, salsify and similar 

 crops may be fed lightly during the month, and more 

 abundantly later in the season. 



l^eas will be plentiful this month though coming in 

 somewhat later than usual. Pick the pods every day 

 when the vines are bearing, and don't let them get 

 hard and yellow before using them up. If certain of 

 the varieties you have selected seem hard and dry it 

 is because they have been left on the vine too long. 

 Keep the pole beans tied up as they begin to run and 

 save yourself considerable trouble later on. Use the 

 spinach when it is young, and should drouth overtake 

 it turn on the hose freely. The potatoes should be well 

 cultivated, and sprayed, in fact more so than ever be- 

 fore, since from present indications they are likely to 

 lie scarcer, and more costly than ever before. 



.\s the succession crops of vegetables come on keep 

 them properly thinned out. Don't neglect this important 

 phase of work until the damage done is irreparable. 

 .■\!1 plants that require staking should be attended to 

 as they rer|uire it. Tomatoes should be kept tied up. 

 and eggplants and peppers may need some support 

 especially in exposed situations. As soon as one can 

 do w-ithout it cutting of the asparagus should stop. 

 Don't make the mistake of cutting it until .'Xugnst, and 

 expect good shoots next year. The plants should have 

 an opportunity of rebuilding themselves, and just as 

 soon as the cropping for the season is over is the time 

 to apply a good dressing of well rotted manure supple- 

 mented with a complete commercial fertilizer, then 

 one may reasonably expect a full supjily of shoots an- 

 other season. The asparagus beetle inust be looked 

 out for, and greeted with a good dose of poison when 

 he puts in an appearance. 



The muskmelons must be kept well spraved : there is 



nu sure cure for blight, Ijut spraying frequently with 

 Bordeaux will in most instances prevent it. 



Birds are being considered as friends of the gardener 

 today, but like the gardeners' bo\- they have an hal)it 

 of violating the neutrality of the strawberry patch, and 

 some protection is necessary. A net is best. A series 

 of strings run along the rows with wdiite cloth strips 

 attached, will also help, and we have seen a cat in a 

 wire cage do some useful work. Bush beans, beets, 

 carrots, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, chard, cucum- 

 bers, endive, radishes, lettuce, spinach, muskmelons, 

 watermelons, etc., may be sown now for succesions. 



Lettuce should be sow'n frequently and in small 

 patches at this time of the year and wherever possible 

 provision should be made for a semi-shaded position 

 when setting out the young plants, as the strong sun 

 in Summer causes the heads to run to seed quickly. 

 English Frame Cucumbers can be grown in the open 

 or better still in a cold frame or spent hotbed if one 

 is available. Lay dow-n a few pieces of pea brush for 

 the vines to climb over so that they will be oli' the 

 ground. Several plantings of corn shotild be made 

 during the month. C'n small areas rows are preferable 

 to hills, insomuch as they are more easily handled. 

 The rows should be three to four feet apart, accord- 

 ing to the variety and the plants thinned out to from 

 eight to twelve inches apart. 



Keep the sweet peas picked clean when they com- 

 mence flowering. Don't allow any pods or seed to 

 develop or the vines will stop producing. Nor should 

 they be allowed t(.) sufl:'er for want of water. Once the 

 vines begin to turn yellow there is no hope for them. 

 Complete the setting out of bedding plants as soon as 

 possible, keeping any surplus in reserve for filling 

 blanks that may occur. Stakes should be oil hand and 

 all flowers tied up as they reqtiire it. 



As soon as Achillea is through flowering cut it down 

 to the ground so as to get another crop of blooms later 

 on. Keeping all dead flowers picked off not only helps 

 the plants but adds materially to the general appear- 

 ance of the garden. Ca>ropsis cut close will make a 

 show of color all the season. 



Labeling and marking of plants to be nuncd later 

 should be done whilst they are flowering. 



Sowings of annuals may still be made, for it is not 

 yet too late to start a flower garden. There is a vast 

 number of seeds which, if sow-n at this time, will pro- 

 duce freely of flowers between now and the first frosts. 



Asters. .Annual Gaillardias, Clarkias. Larkspurs. 

 Lupines. Poppy. Amaranthus, Arctis, Zinnias, Candy- 

 tuft. Alyssum, .Annual Gypsophylla, Cornflowers. Mari- 

 golds, and many others afford one a wide choice. 



The ro.ses need attending, too. .\ little li(iuid manure 

 applied occasionally will help them a lot. Don't how- 

 ever, over-do it or a weak soft growth may result, 

 which is not conducive to free flowerin,g. Keep the 

 rose bugs picked of? the plants. Wq have now a com- 

 mercial commodity which, it is claimed, will kill these 

 pests by sprayin,g it on, but we prefer to extend our 

 acquaintance w-ith it further before we can vouch for 

 its efficiency in this respect. 



Sprayin.g of the fruit trees should be continued as 



