64 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



March, 1914. 



A Shady, Bordered Path 



the more commonly known varieties of 

 shrubs. He also gjrows successfully the 

 Magnolia, which had just got through 

 blooming before my visit. Cuddled up 

 at the foot of this shrubbery is a fine 

 row of Japanese anemones. 



There are some three acres to this fine 

 place, and it would be impossible for 

 Mr. Puddicombe, who is a busy man, to 

 attend to it. He has a man who has 

 been with him for years, and between 

 them they have made a success of The 

 Beeches, and it is hard to know which 

 takes the most interest in developments 

 there — the proprietor or the gardener 

 Jacques. 



There is one magnificent beech, close 

 to the house, that has a spread of over 

 70 feet, and during hot Sundays a nephew 

 who frequently visits them holds the 

 Church of England service under the 

 leafy dome. 



Planting New Shrubberies 



John Gall, Inglewood, Ont. 



Whether the proposed new shrubberies 

 are to be on a large scale or otherwise, 

 every effort should be made to prepare 

 the soil well, to put in the most suitable 

 kinds of shrubs, and to arrange them in 

 the most attractive way. Even a very 

 small shrubbery makes the home look 

 more substantial and comfortable. Not 

 only does the cultivator derive great in- 

 terest from watching the growth of his 

 shrubs, but in association with them he 

 can, all the more effectively, arrange 

 other subjects in his garden. 



Very fine shrubs can be grown in quite 

 poor soil if it is well treated. Many cul- 

 tivators are under the impression that 

 it is useless for them to attempt the 

 growing of shrubs, or to form a shrub- 

 bery, because the rooting medium is 

 different in regard to quality. Of course 

 good rich soil helps matters consider- 

 ably; but there is a large amount that 

 is of poor quality, and those who have 

 to grow shrubs in such, should make it 



a2> suitable a* pu&kiblc bclorc puLliu^ in 

 their plants. 



~ In preparing the ground, it is absol- 

 utely necessary to have it dug as deeply 

 as possible, adding a good quantity of 

 manure. This being done, it is always 

 wise to mark out the stations, before 

 commencing to plant. The need for a 

 careful spreading out of the roots and 



for firm planting must be insisted upon. 

 After the operation is completed, water 

 must be applied freely, so that it may 

 sink deep down to the roots. 



A few deciduous kinds of shrubs, judi- 

 ciously mixed with the evergreen sorts, 

 always add to the general appearance, 

 and give additional interest to those of 

 a non-floworing character. 



March Work in Indoor Garden and Greenhouse 



Henry Gibson, Staatsburg 



With the advent of March the pro- 

 gressive amateur finds plenty to do to 

 keep everything in good shape and pre- 

 pare for Easter. Decorative foliage 

 plants will be greatly improved in ap- 

 pearance by a good spraying with some 

 such insecticide as Lemon Oil, Fir Tree 

 Oil or Aphine. No matter how careful 

 and attentive you may have been, either 

 scale or mealy bug will have found an 

 abode somewhere around the stem or fol- 

 iage. A thorough going over with any 

 of the insecticides mentioned when they 

 are used according to directions accom- 

 panying them, wilJ account for these 

 pests and leave your plants in fine shape. 



After the cleaning each plant should 

 be unpolled or some new soil added as a 

 top dressing. In the latter case, remove 

 the old soil down to the active roots. 

 This should be done very carefully with a 

 piece of wood, so as not to injure the lit- 

 tle rootlets. For a compost use good 

 loam that has been enriched with thor- 

 oughly decayed barnyard manure and 

 bone-meal. Give the tubs or pots plenty 

 of drainage material in the bottom to 

 allow the water to pass off freely. 



As the sun gains more power to raise 

 the temperature, more air should be giv- 

 en, and as the weather becomes brighter 

 some means of preventing the direct rays 

 of the sun from striking the plants will 

 have to be devised. This can be accom- 

 plished by placing them in a somewhat 

 shaded corner of the house, and in the 

 greenhouse by whitewashing the glass of 

 the section they occupy. 



EASTEE FLOWERS 



If you are bringing along a few lilies 

 for Easter these should be showing buds 

 now. It takes on an average six weeks 

 for these buds to develop without undue 

 forcing, which leaves nothing to spare, 

 as Easter falls on April 12th this year. 

 Keep them well watered and the atmos- 

 phere moist, and you will have fine 

 blooms for the holidays without much 

 trouble. Liquid manure applied weekly 

 until the buds begin to turn from green 

 to white will be beneficial, but as soon 

 as this happens it should be discontin- 

 ued. Spraying or fumigating should be 

 attended to regularly to prevent aphis 

 from getting a hold on your plants. 



Should any plants color so early as to 

 be past their best by the holidays, place 



ihem in a cool room. This treatment will 

 retard their progress considerably. 



Where it is intended to have Dutch 

 bulbs in bloom for the holidays these 

 should be attended to about the middle 

 of the month. It takes very little over 

 three weeks to flower tulips, narcissus 

 and hyacinths, after being brought into 

 the house. Avoid giving them a warm 

 place. They do not need it and they will 

 only become drawn up. The cooler you 

 can grow them the sturdier they will be, 

 and consequently they will keep better 

 and longer. A few hot days will forward 

 these subjects far ahead of all your ex- 

 pectations, but such fxjssibililies should 

 be guarded against by ample ventilation, 

 and if in the greenhouse some shade on 

 ihe glass. Do not forget to lay news- 

 papers on the tulips on hot sunny days 

 when the flowers are opening. 



sow PRIMULA SEED 



The middle of March is a good time to 

 sow seeds of primula that are wanted to 

 furnish bloom next fall. Prepare seed 

 boxes or pans with a mixture of loam, 

 leaf mould and sand. Sift some of this 

 mixture very fine for the top and on this 

 sow the seeds. Place in a moist, close 

 place, where a temperature of about six- 

 ty degrees at night can be obtained, 

 cover with glass and a sheet of news- 

 paper until all the seeds germinate, 

 which should be in two or three weeks. 

 When sufficiently large to handle prick 

 them off into flats, and keep well up to 

 the light so as to ensure a sturdy growth 



The South End of the Garden, Looking Weit 



