192 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



August, 1907 



month and transplanted to the border 

 late in the fall or early next spring, to 

 furnish bloom for next season. If 

 transplanted in the fall, care should be 

 taken not to injure the roots or the 

 small seedlings, or allow them to wilt. 

 They should be protected when trans- 

 planted and afterwards against severe 

 freezing weather. 



Many of the best annuals are in flower. 

 If one wished to improve the size and 

 color of such varieties as they ^re grow- 

 ing-, they may do so by seed selection. 

 Mark and save the seed from such flow- 

 ers as meet your ideal. In a few years, 

 one may have a strain of seed much 

 superior to any that can be purchased. 



An interesting feature of an amateur 

 garden may be made by budding several 

 varieties of roses into the same stock 

 and training it into tree form, or rose- 

 buds may be put into apple, pear or 

 other trees with fair success. The opera- 

 tion is not a practicable or commercial 

 one, but is a novelty worth trying by 

 amateurs. 



THE INDOOR GARDEN 



All who intend to have a window 

 garden this winter should get things 

 started this month. Decide upon the 

 plants you want to have and make all 

 necessary preparations for them. 



The narcissus should be planted in 

 August if wanted for Christmas bloom. 

 Rich, porous soil should be used and the 

 bulbs should be set deeply. Place bulbs 

 in a cool place and where it is dark, so 

 that they will not start into growth. In 

 about six weeks they may be brought 

 into the light . The season of bloom may 

 be lengthened by bringing only a few 

 pots into the light at one time. 



Bermuda liUes wanted for Christmas 

 should be planted early this month. 

 Supply plenty of drainage and use clean 

 pots. Place them outside on a bed of 

 ashes to avoid trouble with worms which 

 might crawl into the pots. A covering 

 of hay or straw will be needed to pre- 

 vent too rapid drying out. 



Pot some freesias for early flowers. 

 Place eight or ten bulbs in a five-inch 

 pot. Be sure to use plenty of drainage 

 material. Place them away in a shady 

 place, give water sparingly until growth 

 begins to show. Bring to a lighter 

 place after growth is well started. 



Put in cuttings of geraniums, heUo- 

 trope, coleus and so on for winter bloom 

 or display. Pot begonias, cyclamen and 

 primroses for winter flowering. Most 

 of the plants intended for the winter 

 garden will now need re-potting. Those 

 out in the garden should be gone over 

 and prepared for lifting in a few 

 weeks. 



A week or two before pansies are 

 wanted for a show, give a watering with 

 some weak liquid manure twice a week. — 

 E. F. Collins, Toronto, Ont. 



SHippirv^ rio-wers 



Most amateur gardeners have occasion 

 at some time or other to send flowers by 

 post, express, or other conveyance. What 

 is more annoying to both sender and 

 recipient than to have the flowers ar- 

 rive in a somewhat damaged condition? 

 The causes are various. The flowers 

 may have been too far developed, or 

 perhaps, were cut at mid-day, when 

 much of their freshness has been lost. 

 Unsuitable receptacles, such as thin 

 cardboard boxes, which are very easily 

 crushed, or paper alone should not be 

 used. 



Whatever receptacles are used they 

 should at all times be shallow, or the 

 flowers will be injured by their own 

 weight. Baskets are very well for 

 short distances, and if well lined with 

 paper give satisfactory results. Always 

 allow the paper to extend beyond the 

 ends and sides, as it can then be folded 

 back over the top. Ship flowers that 

 are just opening, and they should be 

 gathered in the early morning, as they 

 are then quite stiff and fresh. Should 

 it be preferred to gather them in the 

 evening, they should be placed upright 

 in water in a cool store-house, ready 

 for the following morning for packing. 

 Forced flowers and ferns should be 

 favored with the same temperature as 

 that they have been grown in. 



It is a bad plan to pack too many 

 layers of flowers in one box. Foliage 

 may be used at the bottom, and Hght 

 greenery such as. Asparagus Sprengeri, 

 smilax, and fern, may be used between 

 the flowers and the lid. Flowers should 

 also lie in small bunches as thev are 

 gathered. Start at one end of the box, 

 and lay them in regular order, their heads 

 all pointing one way, and one bunch 

 deep, having these a little farther back 

 so as to avoid the flowers of the second 

 row pressing on those of the first. 

 Should it be necessary to pack more than 

 one layer in a box, use a layer of soft 

 tissue paper between them. Firm pack- 

 ing is very essential, rendering move- 

 ment impossible, but the pressure must 

 be so slight that crushing is avoided. 



C&re of tKe La-wn 



R. L. Canning, F.C.C., R.H.S.E., Davenport, Ont. 



The care and treatment of a lawn is 

 a subject that should interest both the 

 amateur and the professional alike. It 

 is not simply the mowing of the grass 

 that makes or mars a lawn, it is the 

 attention that is given it in the early 

 stages, in its preparation, and in the 

 springtime of each year. Watering and 

 mowing will not make good grass if the 

 grass is not there in the first place. 



In the making of a lawn see that it is 

 level, that the drainage is good, and 

 that the depth of soil is sufficient to 

 insure good root action. WHien the 



ground is fit to receive the seed, sek-ct 

 a mixture of grasses that will stand hard 

 wear and usage. Sow thickly, roll well 

 and evenly, cover the seed with the back 

 of a wooden rake, or better still, a brush 

 stuck between two boards, and draw this 

 over the ground and crossways, which 

 will insure an even distribution of seed 

 and a fine surface. When the seed has 

 germinated and is about an inch high, 

 roll well and persistently. Watch for 

 bare spots. Should these appear, sow 

 more seed and roll well. 



Be very carefid when mowing in the 

 early stages. See that the knives are 

 not too low and do not mow too often. 

 If dry weather sets in, water when con- 

 venient and with judicious management. 

 As regards leaving the grass on the 

 lawn when cut there is only one answer : 

 "Don't doit." Collect it, or better still, 

 use a machine with a box attached. 

 During the summer, roll as often as 

 good rains permit and where circum 

 stances allow. 



In the springtime a dressing of some 

 kind should be given to every lawn, either 

 of fine soil or of light manure or a dressing 

 of soot, sown when rain is near at hand. 

 Sulphate of ammonia is a splendid top- 

 dressing, but it must be sown very spar- 

 ingly and even all over and watered in, 

 or sown when rain is falling or just 

 previous. It is surprising what it will 

 do in making a bright sward. Roll well 

 and level any obstacles or worm hills 

 after the winter has passed away and 

 make a solid turf for the ensuing summer. 

 As to weeds they can be kept in check 

 by attention, such as hand weeding, 

 which is, after all, the most effectual and 

 satisfactory. 



Aconitum. — Monk's Hood. — The acon- 

 itums vary in height from three to four 

 feet. They also vary in color from 

 white to dark purple, and are hard to 

 surpass for color in the border. They 

 resemble very much the Delphiniums, 

 and as cut flowers for large vases they 

 are excellent. Unfortunately people are 

 afraid of them because they are poison- 

 ous; but so are laurel, arbutus, fox- 

 glove, oleander, Primula ohconica, and 

 others. The aconitums flower from 

 July to October, and the best varieties 

 are as follows: Aconitum barbatum, 

 Aconitum ficheri, Aconitum aiitumn-ale.K: 

 and variety bicolor. This last one pro 

 duces blue and white flowers, and is very 

 beautiful. — Roderick Cameron, Niagara 

 Falls South. 



Not only are beach plums. Primus 

 maritima, valuable for their fruit, but 

 the bush itself is an excellent one for 

 planting near the sea. It delights in 

 such a situation, the soil and air being 

 just to its liking. 



The one important item in working 

 clav land is timeliness. 



I 



