Book of Garden 



103 



April 



THE GARDENER'S CALENDAR 



Fourth Month 



The ground between 



rows should be kept 



■well stirred with a 



wheel-hoe 





K 

 1 





'9 



k- 





mm 



M If 



m 



1^ 



u 



L 



Tke dead leaves 



may be swept from 



the ivy with a long 



handled broom 



The garden rows 



should be laid out 



before sowing is ac~ 



tuallv besun 



SUNDAY 



MONDAY 



/ wonder if ihey like it — 



heing tretjs? 

 1 suppose they do. . . . 

 It must feel good to have the 



ground bo fiat. 

 And feel yourself stand right 



straight up like that — 

 So stiff in the middle — and 



then branch at ease. 

 Dig boughs that arch, small 



ones that bend and blow. 

 And all those fringy leaves 



that flutter so. 

 — Charlotte Perkins Stetson. 



TUESDAY 



6. I f t h e 

 asparagus bed 

 was mulched 

 last fall it can 

 be turned un- 

 der now. Hill 

 the soil up to 

 the rows if you 

 like your 

 asparagus 

 white. Salt in 

 liberal quanti- 

 ties should be 

 applied to keep 

 down the 

 weeds. 



13. Seeds of 

 the more hardy 

 flowers such as 

 snapdragon, 

 asters, alys- 

 sum, calendula, 

 centaurea, 

 pansies, violas, 

 scabiosa, etc., 

 may be sown 

 outside at this 

 time. Have the 

 soil well pulv- 

 erized, as flow- 

 er seeds are 

 very fine. 



20. Keep the 

 soil constantly 

 stirred between 

 the garden 

 rows. Seeds 

 that are slow 

 in germinating 

 can be protect- 

 ed by placing 

 the line be- 

 tween the 

 labels. Soil cul- 

 tivation Is more 

 necessary with 

 young plants 

 than old. 



27. Bean 

 poles can now 

 be put in place 

 for the limas. 

 Dig liberal 

 sized holes for 

 them, working 

 plenty of 

 manure into 

 the soil when 

 refilling. The 

 mound or hill 

 should be 

 about 4" above 

 the adjoining 

 grade. 



7. That un- 

 productive or- 

 chard can be 

 made to yield 

 abundantly if 

 you resort to 

 the proper use 

 of cover crops. 

 To prove this, 

 sow now a mix- 

 ture of Canada 

 field peas and 

 oats, and plow 

 them under 

 when they are 

 about 2' liigh. 



14. Plantain 

 tubs intended 

 as specimens 

 for the grounds 

 should be 

 watered freely 

 with liquid 

 manures. 

 ^\'here it Is not 

 convenient to 

 make or use 

 this, a top- 

 dressing of pure 

 cow manure 

 can be applied 

 to them. 



21. Start 

 hardening off 

 the bedding 

 plants in the 

 greenhouse or 

 frame now. It 

 is certain death 

 to set out 

 coleus, gerani- 

 ums, etc., un- 

 less they have 

 been properly 

 hardened, 

 which ordinar- 

 ily takes about 

 two weeks. 



28. This is 

 the proper time 

 to have the 

 greenhouses 

 overhauled. 

 Broken glass 

 should be re- 

 placed, loose 

 glass can be re- 

 set, and the 

 woodwork 

 should be pro- 

 tected by at 

 least one coat 

 ofgoode.\terior 

 paint. 



1. Straw- 

 berries should 

 now be uncov- 

 ered for the 

 season. The 

 winter miiich 

 of manure can 

 be forked un- 

 der. If no 

 mulch was ap- 

 plied, however, 

 give the bed a 

 good top dress- 

 ing with bone 

 meal before 

 digging. 



WEDNESDAY 



S. If you 

 have not 

 pruned the 

 hardy roses it 

 must be at- 

 tended to at 

 once, because 

 roses start into 

 active growth 

 very early. 

 Prune the hy- 

 brid types to 

 three eyes, but 

 leave about 4" 

 of new wood on 

 the teas. 



15. All bor- 

 ders or open 

 spaces around 

 plants should 

 be kept loosen- 

 ed up with a 

 digging fork 

 This admits 

 the necessary 

 air to the soil 

 and also pre- 

 vents the rapid 

 evaporation of 

 the moisture if 

 the weather is 

 dry and sunny. 



22. Do not 

 neglect the 

 sweet peas 

 when they are 

 small — see that 

 they are prop- 

 erly hilled 

 when about 4" 

 high. Support- 

 i n g them 

 should not be 

 postponed un- 

 til they have 

 been flattened 

 by wind or rain 

 and damaged. 



29. Have you 

 spraying ma- 

 terials on hand 

 for the host of 

 bugs and 

 diseases that 

 are certain to 

 visit you this 

 summer ?Spray 

 the currant 

 bushes now 

 with arsenate 

 of lead to de- 

 stroy the green 

 currant worms 

 while small. 



2. R a s p - 

 berries, black- 

 berries, cur- 

 rants and 

 gooseberries 

 that were 

 buried last fall 

 can now be un- 

 earthed. An 

 application of 

 good manure 

 worked into 

 the border now 

 will materially 

 improve the 

 Iruit. 



9. The secret 

 of success with 

 potatoes is 

 early planting; 

 these plants are 

 quickly de- 

 stroyed by hot, 

 dry weather. 

 To avoid this 

 danger plant 

 now. so that 

 the crop will 

 come to matur- 

 ity before the 

 trying weather 

 strikes it. 



THURSDAY FRIDAY 



3. Weather 

 conditions 

 vary, but usu- 

 ally it is safe 

 to start sowing 

 seeds of the 

 more hardy 

 tj'pes of vege- 

 tables now. 

 Peas, spinach, 

 radishes, 

 onions, p a r s- 

 nip, beets, car- 

 rots. Swiss 

 chard, etc., are 

 all seasonable. 



16. The peren- 

 nial border 

 should be over- 

 hauled. Any 

 existing voids 

 must be filled 

 in either by 

 new plants or 

 by dividing 

 those which are 

 left. Dig under 

 some good 

 manure or give 

 the beds a toi>- 

 dressing of raw 

 crushed bone. 



23. Any large 

 trees that have 

 been recently 

 transplanted 

 must not be 

 neglected. Lib- 

 eral watering is 

 essential, and 

 heavy mulch- 

 ing is also a 

 good practice, 

 ilake soil tests 

 to see that the 

 soil below the 

 roots is suffi- 

 ciently moist. 



30. If you 

 grow any crops 

 for the live- 

 stock the 

 ground for 

 them should 

 be made ready. 

 i\Iangels, car- 

 rots and sugar 

 beets are 

 staples and can 

 be sown now, 

 although corn 

 must wait for 

 warmer wea- 

 ther. 



10. If prop- 

 erly hardened, 

 plants of the 

 more hardy 

 types of garden 

 vegetables can 

 be set out now. 

 such as cab- 

 b a g e , cauli- 

 flower, lettuce, 

 onions, etc. 

 Cover them 

 with plant pro- 

 tectors or paper 

 on dangerously 

 cool nights. 



4. Early 

 planting is the 

 first essential 

 to success. Fin- 

 ish all plant- 

 ings of decidu- 

 ous trees and 

 shrubs at the 

 first opportun- 

 ity. Firm the 

 plants well in 

 the soil and 

 don't allow 

 them to suffer 

 from lack of 

 water. 



SATURDAY 



17. Frames 

 for the melons 

 must be set in 

 place now. See 

 that the hills 

 are well pre- 

 pared inside 

 them, using 

 plenty of good 

 manure and 

 chopped sod. 

 The seed may 

 be sown just as 

 soon as the soil 

 is thoroughly 

 warmed up. 



24. It is a 

 mistake not to 

 make what 

 sowings are ne- 

 cessary to give 

 a continuous 

 supply of quick 

 maturing crops 

 such as peas, 

 beets, carrots, 

 spinach, etc. 

 The common 

 rule Is to sow 

 when the pre- 

 ceding sowingis 

 above ground. 



II. Have you 

 stakes on hand 

 lor dahlias and 

 other tall flow- 

 ers, raftla or 

 jute cord for 

 tying, an arbor 

 for the garden 

 roses, a sundial 

 for the flower 

 garden.You are 

 sure no essen- 

 tial has been 

 f orsotten? This 

 is the time to 

 check them up. 



IS. This is 

 the proper time 

 to start some 

 plants from 

 seed for flow- 

 ering next 

 winter in the 

 greenhouse. 

 Primula, cycla- 

 men,snapdrag- 

 on and many 

 others should 

 be started now 

 and grown 

 during summer 

 in frames. 



25. Summer 

 flowering bulb- 

 ous plants as 

 gladioli, mont- 

 bretias, begon- 

 ias, etc., are 

 very little ef- 

 fort and are 

 worthy a place 

 In any garden. 

 They may be 

 planted any 

 time now, the 

 gladioli at bi- 

 weekly Inter- 

 vals. 



5. The lawn 

 should be 

 looked over 

 carefully to as- 

 sure a velvety 

 green sward 

 this summer. 

 Sod any small 

 bald spots, and 

 spade and seed 

 down large 

 spaces. An ap- 

 pllcation of 

 bone meal or 

 wood ashes is 

 advisable. 



12. Before 

 the trees and 

 shrubs leaf out 

 It is advisable 

 to go over them 

 carefully, de- 

 stroying any 

 caterpillar 

 nests before 

 they hatch. An 

 asbestos torch 

 is the best wea- 

 pon to use; 

 slight scorch- 

 ing will not in- 

 jure the plants. 



19. Do not 

 let your green- 

 house be idle 

 all summer. 

 Therearemany 

 worthy crops 

 which can be 

 started now, 

 such as potted 

 fruits, melons, 

 tomatoes, 

 cauliflower and 

 chrysanthe- 

 mums. Do not 

 let the house be 

 empty. 



26. Thinning 

 out crops is 

 more import- 

 ant than many 

 suppose. Plants 

 that are allow- 

 ed to crowd be- 

 come soft and 

 spindly and 

 can never de- 

 velop health- 

 ily. Crops that 

 require thin- 

 ning must be at- 

 tended to when 

 very small. 



This calendar of the gardener's labors is 

 aimed as a reminder for undertaking all his 

 tasks in season. It is fitted to the latitude 

 of the Middle States, but its service should 

 be available for the whole country if it be 

 remembered that for every one hundred 

 miles north or south there is a difference 

 of from five to seven days later or earlier 

 in performing garden operations. The 

 dates given are, of course, for an average 

 season. 



TT/'E'l/'E been fixiti' up to-day, spring -cleanin the grounds, yc might say. They was a lot a' stuff — twigs 

 rr from the winter prunin', straw covers from the strawberry beds;, branches busted otf'n the trees by 

 the zvind, dead grass an' things zve overlooked las' Fall — which had to be got out o' the zvay. Me an' Sam lit 

 into 'em right after breakfast, rakin' an"" haulin' an' pilin'. By supper-time we was throJtgh, so we iired the 

 piles. Most o' the stuff was pretty dry, an' jiminy, how she did burn! The big pile at the edge o' the 

 orchard biased so hot zvc couldn't hardly git close enough to throw on anythin' tnorc. an' ye could hear it 

 cracklin' clear iip_ to the house. I took a look at it 'long about dusk, to make sart'in it couldn't do no dam- 

 age ditrin' the 7itght. It had all burned down to gray ashes with c little pile o' red coals in the middle,, an' 

 the sky in the west was gray and red, too — kind o' background, like, for a picture. A still evenin' it was, 

 with millions o' peeper frogs jes' bustin' their throats down in the lower medder an' the smoke from the iircs 

 layin' in streaks close to the ground. It smelled different, that smoke, from what it did in the Fall. Then 

 it made ye sad, 'cause it meant that the year was dead; but last evenin' it was full o' ideas 'bout flowers an' 

 areen lear-es an' new croPs aittin' awav to a fresh start. 



— Old Doc Lemmon. 



Maples are primed 



just as the foliage 



expands. Paint the 



wounds 



Peas shoidd be hilled 



when 4" or 5" high, 



to protect them 



from breakage 



Indoor started sweet 

 peas and other 

 hardy things may 

 now be planted out 



Cxdtivate the soil 

 close up to the 

 plants, especially 

 when they are small 



Melon frames should be put in place several 



days before the seeds are sown, so as to 



warm up the soil and promote quicker 



germination 



During this month many of the flower seeds 

 may be planted out where they are to grow. 

 Often annuals are good to supplement per- 

 ennial plantings 



Contemplated 

 changes in the per- 

 ennial garden should 

 not be forgotten 



