1.14 



THE CANADIAN HORTIC L L 1 L uio 1 



Floral F.ditioi 



frequently sprayed to keep down red 

 spider. About the end of June it could 

 be placed out of doors, but must be 

 provided with a shady position during 

 the hot summer months and the spray- 

 ing should be kept up at least until 

 September. By this time the buds will 

 have formed, and if the plant is taken 

 inside before frost, there should be no 

 difficulty in bringing the blooms to 

 perfection. 



Saving Sweet Pea Seed 



IN saving your own seed from sweet 

 peas, do not try to get flowers and 

 seed from the same vine. Pick out 

 the sturdiest vines and cut out the 

 poorer flowers, leaving the best with 

 three or four flowers to the stem to seed. 

 When ripe, pick the pods which will 

 contain about seven seeds each. Those 

 at each end of the pods will be smaller. 

 Discard these and keep only the large 

 seeds for next year. You will probably 

 secure improved plants and flowers from- 

 them. The earliest flowers are the best 

 for this purpose, as those which mature 

 in hot weather do not seem to have the 

 same vitality and strength. 



Disease of Gladiolus 



Mrs. G. A. Bonistcel, Belleville 



THE only disease which affects the 

 gladiolus is a dry rot, although 

 this is not very prevalent; bulbs 

 so affected are recommended to be 

 soaked in a solution of formaldhyde, 

 one ounce to four gallons of water, for 

 twelve minutes; however if we find a 

 bulb we are suspicious of carrying dis- 

 ease it is best to burn it unless a valuable 

 variety, when we might give it a chance. 



Occasionally a bulb may appear 

 rather scabby and stunted one season 

 and entirely recover the next. The 

 writer had practical experience with 

 this a few years ago when having only 

 two bulbs of a choice variety, the end 

 of the first season they looked hopeless, 

 but after nursing them along for two 

 years they developed into a rank grow- 

 ing, large bulb variety. It is quite 

 possible that the first year these bulbs 

 were burned from the application of 

 fresh fertilizer. 



The only enemy that I have ever had 

 attack Gladioli was the cut worms, last 

 year, when they were bad in our section. 

 After applying the poisoned bran, we 

 lost no more plants. 



While the propagation and growing 



of the gladiolus require a certain amount 



of care, there is no flower so worth while 



. for the cost of the bulb and attention 



needed to bring to maturity. 



A vigorous growth of clover in a lawn 

 is a good thing. It enriches the soil in 

 nitrogen and humus, rendering it in 

 the best conditions for a succeeding 

 crop of grass. 



The Kitchen Garden in June 



C. B. Alden, Toronto 



WHEN planning and planting the 

 home garden, plenty of seed 

 should be sown to provide a 

 surplus of certain kinds of vegetables 

 for canning. Crisp young radishes and 

 lettuce are best eaten fresh from the 

 garden; whereas the succulent string 

 bean, the prolific tomato, the iron-rich 

 spinach, to say nothin;,' of carrots, beets, 

 peas, corn or asparagus, will delight the 

 palate and enrich the diet many months 

 after they mature in the garden, if 

 properly put up in cans or jars and stored 

 in pantry or cellar. 



It is not enough to enjoy these vege- 

 tables when they are fresh. From 

 October to June the storage cellar and 

 the grocery store are likely to yield only 

 potatoes, turnips, old carrots, cabbage 

 and onions, and the use of these vege- 

 tables is likely to prove monotonous 

 without occasional reminders of the 

 summer garden. It may take a little 

 more time to plant and cultivate two 

 rows of beans or two dozen tomato 

 plants instead of one, but if it furnishes 

 these vegetables for winter as well as 

 summer use, it is worth the while. 



The amount of each kind of vegetable 

 to be canned depends on the preference 

 of the household, and the garden must 

 be planned, accordingly. A family of 

 five — mother, father and three children 

 —or four adults — may well use 70 

 pounds a week of fruits and vegetables 

 weighed fresh or uncooked. This would 

 be the equivalent of such a combination 

 as eight pounds canned, three pounds 

 dried, and 44 pounds of fresh material. 

 Of this allowance, half, or 35 pounds a 

 week, may well consist of fresh or 

 canned vegetables. Four pounds, or 

 two quarts, of canned vegetables are 

 considered a minimum weekly allowance 

 for the winter months. 



the ground. If the plants are to b« 

 trained, they may be set in rows 

 close as two and a half feet or three, ai 

 spaced 18 inches in the row. If they art 

 not to be trained, the plants should Ik 

 set three or four feet apart in each 

 direction 



To Grow Good Tomatoes 



EVEN though tomato plants have 

 been hardened after starting in the 

 hotbed, it may be necessary to 

 cover them for a few nights with several 

 thicknesses of newspaper to protect 

 them from the cold after they are set 

 in the garden. Tomatoes require a 

 moderately rich soil, not too rich, but 

 such soil as will grow a good crop of 

 corn or potatoes. A little well-rotted 

 manure can be worked into the spot 

 where each plant is to be set, and a 

 tablespoonful of high-grade fertilizer, 

 sprinkled over a space about one foot 

 in diameter and mixed with the soil, 

 will aid in giving the plant a good start. 

 Planting distances will depend upon 

 whether the plants are to be pruned to 

 a single stem and trained to stakes or 

 are to be allowed to grow according to 

 their natural habit of spreading over 



Eggplants and Peppers 



EGGPLANTS are very sensitive U 

 frost. They should not be set it 

 the garden until all danger oi 

 frost is over. They require a warm 

 rich soil; well-manured and of fine 

 texture. Plant in rows 30 to 36 inchei 

 apart, allowing 18 to 24 inches betweer 

 the plants. Give same general cultiva 

 tion as for tomatoes and cease whet 

 the fruits reach about mediun size. 



Peppers are another crop that wil 

 not stand frost. The soil should be s 

 sandy loam, well-drained and warm 

 On heavy soil the plants will produce 

 an abundance of leaf but usually onlj 

 a few fruits. Set in rows two feet apart 

 allowing one foot between the plants 

 Peppers also require the same cultiva 

 tion as for tomatoes. 



• Watering the Garden 



WHENEVER the moisture contem 

 of a garden soil falls below £ 

 certain point the crops suffei 

 There is a right and a wrong way t( 

 remedy this condition. The two besi 

 ways are by irrigation, or applyins 

 water, and by placing a "blanket' 

 over the soil to hold the moisture. Thi: 

 blanket may consist of fine manure 

 fine straw, lawn clippings, leaves or i 

 thin layer of finely divided soil, callec 

 a dust mulch, such as is produced b} 

 hoeing and cultivating. Such a blanke 

 tends to stop the flow of moistun 

 through the capillary tubes, or pores 

 of the soil and thence into the air 

 Plenty of manure or organic matter ii 

 the soil also adds greatly in holding thi 

 moisture. 



When watering a crop, the firs 

 essential is to soak the soil thoroughly 

 After doing so, do not put on any mor 

 water until the land has partially driei 

 and one or two good cultivations hav 

 been given. The method of applyin 

 the water will depend upon local facili 

 ties, conditions and established prac 

 tices. Any other method is better tha 

 frequently sprinkling just a little wit 

 the hose or other sprinkler. Sprinklin 

 is all right if plenty of water is applie 

 at one time, after which no more shoul 

 be given for several days. 



Running water in small furrows alonj 

 side the rows of plants is one of th 

 best methods of irrigating garden crop 

 After the water has soaked into tti 



