216 



GARDEN GUIDE 



acid gas which may be liberated. The 

 boiling is then continued but the mouth of 

 the flask is covered with a piece of paper 

 which has previously been soaked in a 

 solution of lead acetate, then dried and 

 again moistened with clear water just be- 

 fore being used in the test. If the soil is 

 acid, the chemical reaction between the 

 fumes and the paper, described above, 

 turns the paper from white to light brown 

 or black, depending upon the amount of 

 acid in the soil. By comparing the color 

 of the paper at the end of a definite number 



of moments with a color scale or chart 

 which has been prepared by the inventor of 

 the test and which can be obtained from 

 the University of Wisconsin at Madison, 

 any observer can quickly determine the 

 approximate degree of acidity in the soil 

 and thereby the approximate need of lime 

 exhibited by it. This test has been de- 

 scribed in detail in a bulletin issued by the 

 Experiment Station of the Wisconsin 

 University, from which copies can be 

 obtained free as long as they are available. 



Wintering Celery in a Trench 



Celery properly stored in an outdoor 

 trench will keep in better condition and 

 longer than in any other place. The trench 

 should be made in a well drained spot, 

 preferably across the higher part of a 

 sloping field. A regular spade should be 

 used in making the trench, which should 

 be a spade wide, and have vertical sides, 

 and as deep as the celery is tall, when 

 measured after it is dug, from top of leaves 

 in their usual positions to the bottom of 

 root clump. Place the plants, beginning 

 at one end o£ the trench (and working back- 

 ward) one by one in an upright position, 

 crowding both root clumps and stalks 

 tightly together. This close packing is 

 important, since Celery will not keep well 

 when loosely packed. 



When the trench is filled it should be 

 covered with boards each 12 in. to 14 in. 

 wide and 3 ft. to 5 ft. long, laid on length- 

 wise of the trench. Thin boards should be 

 laid across the cracks where the ends of the 



boards meet. At first only two to three 

 inches of soil should be placed on top of the 

 boards, but when freezing weather is at 

 hand, a foot or more cf soil in all should be 

 heaped above the boards, and for a foot 

 beyond each side of these and, when the 

 ground begins to freeze, above the soil 

 should be heaped straw or hay or coarse 

 strawy manure, or leaves, to the depth of 

 about a foot; the thickness of soil and straw 

 covering depending upon the latitude. The 

 Celery can quite easily be trken out any 

 pleasant day in Winter by opening one 

 end of the trench. The short lengths 

 of boards make it necessary to uncover 

 only a small part of the trench at one 

 time; in fact, one can reach under the end 

 of the board, and take out Celery for part 

 of its length the first time and, on the 

 second visit, remove the board entirely and 

 take out the rest of the plants under that 

 board. Always recover closely the portion 

 of the ditch next to the remaining plants. 



Labeling Plants — Memorandum Book 



There are two main reasons why labels 

 are useful in the garden. First, it is well 

 to know just what has been planted in each 

 row of the vegetable garden, and when it 

 was planted. The date of planting is 

 always useful. 



The second reason for labeling plants is 

 one of great interest in the garden. It 

 enables you to give choice plants extra 

 attention . 



There is little fun in gardening without 

 labels when one has a lot of strange plants 

 in the yard. Find out their names, get 

 acquainted and label them before you 

 forget the name. 



Labels. An 18 in. wooden label is 

 strongly recommended for use; it will last 

 longer because it is stronger, cannot be 

 lost because it is of fair size and can be 

 used year in and year out. Write names on 



them, using a heavy blue pencil. Affix 

 day of month, month and year. This will 

 be found of value for reference all through 

 the season. In the following year partially 

 efface with the edge of a sharp knife the 

 blue pencil marks, and your label is ready 

 for use all over again. Such labels should 

 last 10 to 15 years, and as they stand well 

 above the ground, they are most service- 

 able. Zinc labels upon which the name is 

 written with indelible ink are useful. 



Garden Memorandum Book. A small note 

 book in which can be recorded the name 

 of plant, the date sown or planted, and the 

 first and last pickings, will form in interest- 

 ing record of the vegetable garden. The 

 notebook is useful too, year after year, in 

 comparing the qualities of certain varities 

 of flowering plants. Let this book be the 

 repository of garden receipts and sugges- 

 tions from friends. 



