780 



GARDEI^ERS' CHRONICLE 



Praag for an exhibit of Pansies, and to 

 H. E. Rogers for a plate of Quinces, and to 

 Scott Bros, for their exhibit of Chrysanthe- 

 mums. Finley J. Shepard exhibited a very 

 fine plant of Banana in fruit, also Ginger, 

 Cinnamon and Coffee plants, etc., which at- 

 tracted a great deal of attention, and was 

 awarded Certificate of Merit. 



Six silver cups were awarded as well as 

 over six hundred dollars in cash prizes to 

 those who exhibited. The Tarrytown ex- 

 hibition is known to be an exhibition from 

 private estates. 



The competition was so keen that the 

 judges had difficulty in making the awards. 

 The judges were as follows : First day, 

 Robert Spiers. John F. Johnston and Robert 

 Williamson; second day, Williaiii Brock, 

 William Morrow and Charles Davidson. 



RESTORING THE GARDEN WITH 

 ANNUALS 



Happily this year provides a definite 

 turning point in the affairs of the flower 

 garden. There are not wanting signs of 

 a great restoration. It is safe to pro- 

 phesy that this year will be specially noted 

 for the revival in the cultivation of annuals. 

 It becomes the duty of every home owner 

 to make the garden as pleasant as it can 

 well be made, and there is nothing to equal 

 annual flowers to restore the garden to its 

 full gliiry in the shortest space of time. 



Certain annuals are indispensable. Fore- 

 most among them is the Shirley Poppy. 

 Then there are Asters, Stocks, Clarkias, 

 Cornflowers, Coiro[>sis, Eschscholtzias (bet- 

 ter known as Californian Poppies), Gypsoph- 

 ilas and Phlox Drummomtii, to mention 

 only a few, for there are many others, in- 

 cluding Sweet Peas. There are well known 

 flowers not strictly animals that might well 

 be included here, viz.. Antirrhinums, or 

 Snapdragons, Aquilegias and Wallflowers, 

 all of which are best grown from seed. 

 Certain annuals, once they are introduced 

 into a garden, never fail to put in an ap- 

 pearance each year. We have in mind Pot 

 Marigolds, now so very popular in Scottish 

 gardens. Candytuft and the ubiquitous Nas- 

 turtiums. One of the charms of flower 

 gardening is that it grows upon one, but 

 the novice must be cautioned about the 

 over-anxiety to get the seeds into the 

 ground early. Annuals are often sown too 

 soon in the open, and the result is prema- 

 ture blooming and a poor display. 



Whatever the weather may be does not 

 interfere with the sowing of seeds under 

 glass. They can be sown in pots, pans or 

 h'^xes ; a very convenient size box is 14 

 inches long, 9 inches wide and 3 inches 

 deep. The box must be well drained with 

 crocks and rough leaf-soil. A suitable com- 

 post for sowing consists of two parts of 

 loamy soil and one of leaf-mold, with one 

 part of coarse sand. Pass this through a 

 fine mesh sieve, leaving the rough stufl' re- 

 maining in the sieve for putting in the bottom 

 of the box for drainage. Fill the box lightly 

 with soil, then press down moderatcl'- firm 

 with a flat board. With many seeds it is a 

 great advantage to sow under glass, after- 

 wards pricking off the seedlings and trans- 

 planting outside. Antirrhinums are best 

 grown this way. the simplest course being 

 to treat them as half-hardy annuals, prick- 

 ing off the seedlings into pans or boxes and 

 then planting out after the Wallflowers and 

 other Spring bedders have been removed. 

 The tall varieties are very beautiful for 

 mi.xed borders, but for general bedding pur- 



NURSERY STOCK WANTED 



We gladly pay for infor- 

 mation about rare, large, or 

 special stock. 



We are always glad to hear 

 from gardeners seeking em- 

 ployment. 



Lewis & Valentine Company 



47 West 34th St., New York 



TDlOEDKrl INDmARK — 



Hardy Perennial Plants 



All Varieties 

 Price List Free on Application 



THOMAS WYLIE 



5138 Holly St. Seattle, Wash. 



poses the intermediate section is the most 

 striking, and at the same time the flowers 

 are of great value for cutting. Larkspurs are 

 among the most popular of all blue flowers. 

 They are perfectly hardy, and the fine 

 spikes of bloom are most graceful for room 

 decoration, while very delightful effects can 

 be obtained by putting these annuals in beds 

 by themselves. — Exchange. 



WINTER WINDOW BOXES 



What looks so forlorn as an empty win- 

 dow box. Perhaps it has been gay with 

 petunias, geraniums or some other flowers 

 all through the summer months. But when 

 these blooms have been cut down by the 

 autumn frosts it becomes a bare and cheer- 

 less object. Need it remain so through the 

 winter? By no means. There is no reason 

 why it shouldn't be just as handsome 

 throughout tlie winter season as in the sum- 

 mer, although in a different way. The solu- 

 tion lies in the use of evergreens. But to be 

 successful with them it is necessary to have 

 boxes that can be taken into the house at 

 intervals or else to have the little evergreens 

 stand in pots in the boxes. 



Naturally, there is excessive evaporation 

 from evergreens occupying such a position. 

 This must be compensated for in some way. 

 If the plants can be taken into the house 

 once a month and .given a thorou,gh soaking 

 with water they will go through the winter 

 in perfect condition, and be ready to set in 

 the ground when spring comes. If the little 

 trees are in pots it is best to set them in a 

 pail of water or in the bath tub and leave 

 them for several hours until the air has been 

 driven out of the earth and the soil saturated 

 with moisture. If large pots are used, wa- 

 ter should also be applied to the top. This 

 same practice, obviously, is required for 

 larger trees which are kept in tubs or in 

 pots on the porch or at the entrance of the 

 house during the Winter. 



There are no better plants to use for out- 

 side boxes or tubs than the Blue Spruce, the 

 White Spruce, Engelman's Spruce, .Arbor- 

 vitae and Ground Junipers. .Arborvitae is 

 especially desirable for houses which are 

 tiuilt of cement, stucco or stone, as they give 

 mass without formal lines. Their winter 

 colorin.g. however, is bronze or purplish 

 green which, while pleasing to many people 

 with artistic tastes, is not liked by every- 

 body. 



Increasing interest is being shown in ever- 

 greens as house decorations, and this ex- 

 tends even to the Christmas tree. In many 

 homes the living Christmas tree is now pre- 

 ferred to any other kind. It is bought early 

 in the fall, kept growing throu.gh the winter, 

 and given a favored location in the garden 

 when the spring comes. — Horticulture. 



PU LVER I ZED 



Sheep Manure 



Wonderful natural fertilizer for amateur 

 or professional growers— unequaled for 

 lawn, flowers, vegetables, fruits and 

 shrubs — effectively sterilized — no weeds or 

 chemicals — safe and dependable. 

 Ask your seed or garden supply man for 

 WIZARD BRAND or write direct for full 

 information. 



The Pulverized Manure Company 



No. 18 Union Stock Yards, Chicago 



December Gardens 



Indoors and Out 



Pot plants will be greatly benefited by a little 

 fertilizer. Pots of Bulbs about to bloom" will pro- 

 duce larger flowers of more intense color and 

 sweeter scent by a little aid. 



Nothing is quite so convenient, nor quite so good 

 as Stim-U-planT, the concentrated, odorless, stain- 

 less fertilizer tablets, now so generally used by up- 

 to-date gardeners. 



Crops in greenbouse bencbes and hot beds quickly 

 respond to this treatment, making its use highly 

 profitable. Outdoor crops in the Soutli and tem- 

 perate climates of the Pacific Coast much more than 

 repay this convenient attention. 



Order by name, there is no substitute. Sold by 

 Seedsmen or delivered anywhere bv the manufac- 

 turers. 7d cts. per 100; $3 ".0 p^r 1.000 delivered. 



80 



ers. 7d cts. per 100; $3 ".0 p^r I'OOO deliveret 



Earp-Thomas Cultures Corp. 



Lafayette St. New York City 



>RECOME A 



Dignified, Exclusive Pro- 

 fession not overrun with 

 competitors. Crowded 



V^iP!^.-^"' with opportunity for money- 

 making and big fees. $5,000 to 

 $10,000 incomes attained by experts. 

 ~ Easy to master under our correspond- 

 ence methods. Diploma awarded. We assist 

 students and graduates in getting started and 

 developing their businesses. Established 1916. 

 Write for information; it will open your eyes. 

 Do it today. 

 American Landscape School. ^fewark, N. Y. 



PLANT NAMES 



AND THEIR MEANINGS is the title of 

 a series of articles now appearing in The 

 American Botanist where a multitude of 

 other things of interest to the plant lover 

 are also discussed. Quarterly, $1.50 a year; 

 specimen copy, 25 cents. 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 

 Joliet, III. 



THE FLOWER GROWER 



Published Monthly for both Amateur and 

 Profesaitmal Flower Growers 



GARDENERS: You should grow flowers 

 in quantity and help beautify your surround- 

 ings and brighten the lives of those who 

 visit your gardens. 



The subscription price of THE FLOW- 

 ER GROWER is $1.50 per year, three years 

 for $.^,50. Sample copy 15c. 



Madison Cooper, Publisher, Calciuo^ N. Y. 



