The Garden 



azine 



Vol. Ill— No. 2 



Published Monthly 



MARCH, 1906 



I One Dollar a Year 

 1 Ten Cents a Copy 



[Note. — For Table of Contents of this month's number see 

 page 59.] 



The Truth About " 

 Orders" 



Early 



EVER since I can remember, the seedsmen 

 have been urging the public to order 

 early. 



I used to wonder whether they had any 

 selfish motive, and whether the amateur had 

 anything to lose by delay. 



Now *hat I have had a peep behind the 

 scenes, I doubt if the seedsmen get any more 

 orders by pressing this point. 



Their sole idea is to avoid killing them- 

 selves by overwork in April and May and 

 having nothing to do the rest of the year. 



On the other hand, there are four impor- 

 tant reasons why it is to the advantage of 

 the purchaser to order in March rather than 

 in April. 



i. You have more time to plan a better 

 garden and, therefore, a better chance of 

 discovering the quality varieties. 



2. You run no danger of "substitution" — 

 an odious disappointment. No other variety 

 is as good as the one you want. 



3. You avoid the spring rush on your own 

 place. The extra help can be hired before 

 everybody else wants it. And you will have 

 time to see that the right things are planted 

 in the right way at the right time. 



4. You get your trees and plants as soon 

 as it is safe to ship them. Thousands of 

 plants are ruined every April and May by 

 delays in transit, which cause the roots to 

 dry out or decay. 



In spite of these advantages the public is 

 just as late as ever, and the same volume of 

 complaint goes up every year about " substi- 

 tution," "plants ruined in transit," and "a 

 whole year lost." 



I cannot see that the thousands of dollars 

 spent by the seedsmen have made any im- 

 pression upon the public. 



It is only the few who have the best gardens 

 who have sufficient foresight to order in 

 March. The others have commonplace, un- 

 interesting gardens — gardens without imagi- 



nation, without new vegetables, without fruit 

 enough to last all winter. 



WHAT IF PLANTS SHOULD FREEZE? 



No decent seedsman or nurseryman will 

 send you anything in March that is likely to 

 be ruined in transit by cold weather. 



The best thing is to tell your nurseryman 

 when to deliver the plants, but if you don't 

 know what the dangers may be, say so, and 

 put your dealer on his honor. 



The leading firms always take care not to 

 ship tender things before it is safe, whether 

 you caution them or not. 



Many people now order roses in January 

 for April deliver}'. It pays. 



Order your seeds, trees, plants, tools, fer- 

 tilizers and spraying outfit, in March rather 

 than April, if you want to avoid the spring 

 rush and get better goods for the same 

 money. 



OUTDOOR WORK FOR PLEASANT DAYS 



Rake, fertilize and roll the lawn. Dig 

 out perennial weeds (plantains, docks, dande- 

 lions) and sow grass-seed in the bare spots. 

 Sprinkle bonemeal on the lawn. Have you 

 any sodding to do ? 



Walks and drives need new gravel and a 

 thorough rolling. You will be too busy to 

 attend to grading and draining in April. 



Remove from the garden bricks, stones, and 

 other rubbish that will not decay. 



Have you any shrubs out of place ? Move 

 them to positions where they will look 

 better. 



Is your shrubbery too crowded ? Remove 

 enough to let the others have full room to 

 develop. Cut back and tie up vines on perch 

 and trellis. 



Uncover bulb beds and the hardy border 

 March 15th, or earlier. Leave the mulching 

 material handy, so that you can replace it 

 at nightfall if a freeze threatens. Uncover 

 early and do all you can to harden the young 

 growths. 



Rearrange hardy border and rock garden 

 for better mass and color effects, and plan to 

 fill the gaps left by winter. 



Unless you live by the seashore sprinkle 

 salt on your asparagus bed. Scatter half a 

 pound over a square yard. 



Manure beds of asparagus, rhubarb and 

 sea-kale. In default of manure use nitrate 

 of soda. Apply one ounce to the square 

 yard and rake it in. Repeat three weeks 

 later. Or, use one ounce of nitrate to three 

 gallons of water and apply in liquid form. 



Graft old trees of worthless varieties of 

 fruit with scions of good varieties and they 

 will bear well in three years. 



Cut off strawberry runners, if you failed to 

 do so last season. Manure the bed. 



Preserve wood ashes for April use in the 

 garden. The pile must be kept dry. 



The Editor 



"Daffadils 

 That come before the Swallow dares, and taKe 

 The windes of March with beauty" 



