What Amateur Gardeners Can Do in April 



THE hotbed should be ready for the 

 sowing of vegetable and flower 

 seeds. These may be sown directly 

 in the soil of the hotljed or in "flats" 

 or shallow boxes which should after- 

 wards be placed in the bed. See the arti- 

 cle on page 92. Always allow a little air 

 to come in at the back of the frame so as 

 to allow the steam to escape that always 

 arises from a newly made hotbed. A 

 little finely-sifted coal ashes placed on 

 top of the manure will help to keep in 

 the heat. 



Sow seeds of annuals in light sandy 

 soil whether in boxes or in the hotbed. 

 Sow very fine seeds on top of the soil ; 

 they do not need to be covered. Cover 

 seeds of asters, balsams, zinnias, petun- 

 ias, phlox, cockscombs, and so forth, 

 about the same depth as the size of the 

 seed. Always water the soil in the boxes 

 before sowing the seed. After sowing, 

 press the seed evenly into the soil with 

 some flat object. Darken the surface 

 with newspapers or cloth so as to cause 

 the seeds to germinate quickly. When 

 the shoots begin to show, remove the 

 cover. Watch the ventilation closely at 

 this period. 



The time for starting a hotbed depends 

 upon local climatic conditions. These 

 notes are for Toronto and vicinity. The 

 work is done earlier in the Niagara and 

 Essex peninsulas of Ontario and in Brit- 

 ish Columbia, and later in other parts of 

 Ontario and in Quebec and the maritime 

 provinces. 



If a hotbed is not available, seeds may 

 be started in boxes in the house. As 

 soon as the seedlings show, place the 

 boxes in a sunny window. 



Sow out-doors, as soon as the ground 

 is dry enough, seeds of mignonette, wall- 

 flower, snapdragon and other hardy an- 

 nuals. 



Transplant seeds of annuals when the 

 second pair of seed leaves are in course 

 of development. Handle them carefully. 

 Allow a small quantity of earth to ad- 

 here to the roots. Make a small hole 

 where the plant is to go. Place the 

 plant in this and press the soil firmly 

 around it. 



Strike in boxes of sand in the hotbed 

 or house, cuttings of coleus, ageratum, 

 geraniums and lobelias. As soon as they 

 are rooted, in about two or three weeks, 

 place them in small pots. Water 

 thoroughly and shade for a few days. 

 When established, place them again in 

 the sunlight. 



Canna roots may be divided, cleaned 

 and put into boxes, upon the bottom of 

 which should be placed a couple of inches 

 of soil. Water slightly and expose to 

 the light. When they have started 

 growth, they may be repotted if so de- 

 sired. Divide dahlia roots as well. 



When the ground is fit, plant or trans- 



plant perennials, such as peony, bleeding 

 heart and iris. Over-grown clumps of 

 perennials should be subdivided. 



Remove the covering from the bulb 

 beds. Avoid breaking the shoots that 

 have come through the ground. 



Prune hardy roses. Give the bushes 

 an application of good cow manure placed 

 around the roots. 



All plants, shrubs, rosebushes, and 

 so forth, that have been killed back, 

 should be pruned back of the point to 

 which the injury extends. 



When all the frost is out of the 

 ground and the weather is fairly dry, 

 the lawn should be rolled. Trim the 

 grass edgings evenly. 



Rake and clean up the garden, lawn, 

 walks and drives generally. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN 



Every garden should have an aspara- 

 gus bed. Start one this spring. Read 

 the article on page 92. 



The time for sowing vegetable seeds 

 out-doors varies greatly throughout our 

 Dominion with its wide range of cli- 

 mates. As soon, as the ground can be 

 worked nicely, sow seeds of peas, spin- 

 ach, lettuce, parsnips, parsley, leeks and 

 onions. A little frost or snow after these 

 seeds are in the ground will not hurt 

 them. As parsley and parsnips are slow 

 in germinating, often taking four or five 

 weeks, it is a good plan to sow a few 

 seeds of lettuce in the rows with them. 

 Lettuce will come up quickly, and will 

 mark the rows ; it will be used before the 

 space is needed for the parsnips. 



A week or two later sow beans, beets, 

 carrots and salsify. Sow early varieties 

 of radish and of table turnips as soon as 



possible and at intervals of two weeks 

 for a succession. 



Besides growing the standard sorts of 

 vegetables, why not try something new 

 this year? For a greater variety, sow or 

 plant Brussels sprouts, bush lima 

 beans, Swiss chard, kohl-rabi, endive, 

 Chinese mustard, cress and cultivated 

 dandelions. 



WITH THE FEtriTS 



Grape vines that have not been pruned 

 should be treated immediately to prevent 

 bleeding. Should this condition occur, 

 however, do not be alarmed because it 

 is not as serious as most people think. 



Finish pruning raspberries, blackber- 

 ries, currants and gooseberries. 



Plant small fruits when time for plant- 

 ing arrives in your locality. Have the 

 soil thoroughly prepared and enriched. 



Remove mummied fruit from peach and 

 plum trees and bury or burn them. They 

 indicate that the trees are infected with 

 brown rot. Arrange therefore to spray 

 them with Bordeaux mixture or some 

 other good fungicide. 



Remove the mulch from the straw- 

 berry bed when the plants begin to grow. 

 If not too heavy, leave it between the 

 rows to conserve moisture. In any case, 

 leave enough for this purpose. 



There is no feature of home gardening 

 that is more interesting than fruit grow- 

 ing. If you have no fruits in the garden 

 and have room for them, plant this 

 spring. 



Plant trees and shrubs mostly in 

 groups and on borders of lawns. 



Hardy ornamental grasses may be 

 used with good effect in borders and in 

 beds. 



Boat Hoaiet in the ClDadian Labrador where Gardeni Might be Ettabliihed Thraofli Proper Care 



An attempt is being made to induce the fisher-follt and other iiihabitanta of Labrador to plant 

 gardens. The Canadian Labrador Horticultural MisHion is engaged in the work. See pages 94, 97. 



