For Janiinry, 1922 



23 



Cuttings of lantanas and Jjouvardias sliould be inserted, 

 but use very slender growths and be careful to keep 

 shaded from sunlight. 



Cut all flowers rather earlier in the day than you did 

 a few weeks ago. There is plenty of ice to be had now 

 for the ice box and if yon have a cool cellar you will not 

 require ice. ISut avoid gas from the furnace. A too 

 frequent cause of carnations going to sleep after being 

 cut is from coal gas. Orchids are very easily injured 

 by it also. 



Do not be in too great a hurry to force tulips. They 

 detest heat, and the antirrhinums you grow with their 

 long stems are more suitable than stunted tulips. They 

 will come along all right later. 



Give the freesias a little Clay's fertilizer. Cinerarias 

 and cyclamen will appreciate a little also now that the 

 soil is getting exhausted. It is not how much feeding- 

 plants will stand as amateurs frequently ask. but when 

 the plant requires it, that helps in successful culture. 

 There is not a plant grown that will not benefit by ju- 

 dicious feeding. 



Soot water once a week for the palni^ is n(jw api)re- 

 ciated. The palms that were not repotted will develop 

 fine foliage if given a dose of Dried Illood, a talile- 

 spoonful to a 10-inch pot. Be careful when watering 

 not to w-ash it away carelessly. Between several batches 

 of palms repotted a year ago and a batch fed in the 

 manner described. I can see no dift'erence, and time and 

 labor is saved in not repotting. 



Keep all foliage plants in as small ])ots as ])Ossible. 

 They will take more water an fertilizer and be more 

 convenient to handle. 



WORK FOR THE MONTH IN THE GARDEN 



( Continued from page 2\ ) 



from the hose if it appears too dry. and moisten it 

 throughout. When it is fermenting evenly, make the 

 bed, the depths of which must be determined by the con- 

 ditions under which the particular crops must be grown. 

 It can usually be regarded as false economy to adopt a 

 sparing policy with the hot-bed. \\'hen filling the frame, 

 bring it up as near the glass as possible and tread firmly, 

 so that when it has sunk to the full extent the plants or 

 seedlings will be located where they can enjoy to the 

 fullest extent the sunshine and air. which they require 

 for perfect health. If it is intended to grow only seed- 

 lings in the hot-bed, use a much smaller percentage of 

 leaves ; the heat is stronger. Cover with a good compost 

 to a depth of four to six inches, according to the plants 

 raised. When the heat has subsided to a uniform steadi- 

 ness, sow such crops as early carrots, beets, radishes, 

 and lettuce. 



Give air whenever possible to plants wintering in cold 

 frames, or they may. during mild spells, start into pre- 

 mature growth. Keep the plants free froiu decayed 

 foliage and water verv carefullv. 



MICHAELMAS DAISIES 



(Continued from page 11) 



The cordifolius type is worth growing, if only for cut- 

 ting. Its small flowers on long, graceful sprays are 

 adapted for vase work. "Sweetheart" is recognized as 

 being one of the best. 



The Michrelmas Daisy because of its varied height and 

 color can be planted to advantage in many ways. It is 

 ideal for growing between Spring flowering shrubs for 

 it soon fills up any gap caused by pruning the latter and 



with Summer and .\ulunm flowering shrulis, keeps that 

 l)art of the garden bright until frost comes. Planted in 

 large beds with lielianlhus "Miss Mellish" or Tomcn- 

 tosKs, ])resent a very good effect. Another effective com- 

 bination is obtainetl by planting ]\Iicha?lmas Daisies with 

 the Boltoniie, mixing the pink and blue shades with 

 B. astcroides, and white flowering varieties with B. lat- 

 isquaJiia. (Boltoniie vary in height from nearly four 

 to seven feet. ) 



This flower also shows up to advantage in front of a 

 wall or trellis covered with English Ivy. Honeysuckle 

 HaUiano. or Pyracantha Lelandi. Planted in a wide 

 border with a tall hedge of Holly or Yew at the back, 

 as is so often done in England, the Mich?elmas Daisy 

 seldom faiis to produce a most striking and artistic effect. 



In nearly every cottage garden in England, can be seen 

 the Mich;elmas Daisy — hardy aster — and at the Autumn 

 shows special classes both for the amateur and profes- 

 sional are arranged for this flower. Each year new and 

 improved varieties are eagerly sought for and as long as 

 that progressive spirit is retained in horticulture, there 

 will always be flowers worth while and amongst them, 

 the Mich?e1mas Daisv. 



GARDEN PESTS AND REMEDIES 



VY/EED.S decrease our crop yields to such an enormous 

 extent, they interfere so seriously with our farming 

 operations, and they cause such tremendous losses in 

 dollars, that concerted eiTort should be directed to their 

 reduction and eradication. Any community, large or 

 small, that sets itself the task of practically eliminating 

 Its weeds and adopts and sticks to a program of action, 

 can work wonders. It is cpiite certain that everyone 

 knows what a "weed" is. Probably no one of us has had 

 the term defined but our conception of its meaning is 

 very clear.. It may be that at one time in our early days 

 we were told to pull the weeds in the corn field or garden ; 

 to mow the weeds along the fence ; and at such a time 

 it is certain that no' words of explanation were needed 

 to indicate which the weeds were. We have come to 

 consider as "weeds" those plants which tend to grow 

 where they are not desired ; plants which tend to resist 

 man's efforts to subdue them ; plants which resist frost, 

 heat, dryness ; which will grow in almost any. kind of 

 soil and under all conditions ; plants which produce seeds 

 in enormous numbers and have other rapid methods of 

 propagation ; plants in themselves sometimes tndy beauti- 

 ful, but that have for us lost their charm; plants useless 

 and troublesome. Emerson said of a weed : "A plant 

 whose virtues have not yet been discovered." 



A large Purslane plant will produce 1,250,000 seeds; 

 a single Russian Thistle plant will ripen 100.000 to 

 200,000 seeds; Tumbling IMustard, 1.500.000: Shepherd's 

 Purse, 50,000. 



The seeds of many weeds are very small and escape 

 notice. A pound of Clover Dodder has 1.841,360 seeds: 

 Common Plantain, 1.814.360 seeds: Lamb's Quarters, 

 604,786 seeds; Russian Thistle, 266,817 seed7: Wild 

 Mustard. 215.995 seeds; Wild Oats. 25.493 seeds. If 

 60 pounds of Wheat are planted to the acre, and this 

 \\nieat has 2 per cent of \\'ild iMustard seed, there will 

 be distributed over that acre 388,791 Mustard seeds. 



Xot only do weeds produce seeds in tremendous num- 

 bers, but seeds with an ability to live a long time. The 

 seeds of some weeds, when buried in the soil, may retain 

 their power to germinate for 15 to 30 years. Such is 

 true of the seeds of Tall Pigweed. Black Mustard, Shep- 

 herd's Purse. Dock. Yellow Foxtail. Chickweed and 

 others. — Garden Club of America Bulletin. 



