DECEMBER: FIRST WEEK 321 



emulsion for scale and for the sucking nymphs of the white 

 fly. Cold water applied with as much force as possible 

 will help to dislodge the red spider; a small brush dipped 

 in alcohol or kerosene will quickly dispose of the pernicious 

 mealy bug. 



Propagating Bushes and Shrubs 



If you have use for any more grapevines, gooseberry 

 or currant bushes, or such shrubs as deutzias, weigelias 

 and forsythias, you can propagate your own. All these 

 things may be bought at reasonable prices, but it is fun to 

 do the work yourself. The cuttings should be six to ten 

 inches long, and made of new growth that is ripe enough 

 to be firm. At least two buds or pairs of buds should be 

 taken in each cutting, the bottom one being quite close 

 to the lower end. These cuttings should be placed in a 

 small box of sphagnum moss, sand or sawdust in the cellar. 

 For convenience, if you are making several of each sort, 

 tie them in small bundles, carefully tagged. This winter 

 storage allows the cuttings to callus and to undergo other 

 changes that make them ready to root quickly when set 

 out in spring. 



Set New Varieties of Flowering Plants Now 



Every enthusiastic gardener likes to add to the collection 

 of flowering plants the newer varieties. Frequently, how- 

 ever, these cost in the spring from two to five times as 

 much as standard plants of the same size. If you are 

 keeping plants in the house and have room for a few ad- 

 ditional pots, buy now small-sized plants of these newer 

 things, and grow them on during the winter. This will 

 give you not only several additional months of enjoyment, 

 but also good stocky plants at half or quarter what they 

 would cost you if you waited until May or June. If you 

 are near a florist you can generally buy small plants of 

 these newer things and have them repotted when you 

 get them; they will then grow without further attention, 

 so far as pots are concerned, for some months. 



