'74 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



October, 1914 



Keeping Geraniums Over Winter 



Is there any way, other than as house plants, that 

 geraniums can be carried over the winter? — W. J., 

 Maine. 



— In order to keep the geranium plants through the 

 winter, it will be necessary to lift the old plants, shake 

 the soil from them and hang them upside down in paper 

 bags in a frost proof cellar, which is not too dry and not 

 so wet as to allow them to rot. In other words, keep 

 the plants in any well ventilated frost-proof cellar. 



The Gathering of Herbs 



In my garden I have nearly all kinds of herbs. How 

 is tarragon used to flavor vinegar, when and how is sage 

 gathered, etc.? — W. G. S., Neb. 



— Different kinds of herbs require different treatment, 

 as with some it is the leaves, with others the flowers, 

 and still others the entire plant, that is utilized. There- 

 fore, we think it would pay you to purchase a copy of 

 Kains' " Culinary Herbs," of which the price, postpaid, 

 is 75 cents. To make tarragon vinegar, simply steep 

 fresh shoots of the plant in ordinary vinegar until a 

 product of the desired strength is obtained. Sage is 

 gathered before freezing weather, dried and kept in 

 any convenient manner to be used ground in dressings, 

 etc., or in the herb bags containing a mixture of such 

 plants with which many cooks flavor their soups, 

 sauces, etc. 



Transplanting Small Fruits 



Would there be any risk in transplanting raspberry, 

 currant and gooseberry plants this fall? — J. J. K., 

 Wis. 



— You can certainly transplant raspberries, currants 

 and gooseberries this fall. In fact, we would prefer 

 to do it at that time, since the spring is liable to bring 

 many other important duties. Any hardy shrubs can 

 be safely handled in the same way. The best planting 

 season is after the season's growth has stopped but be- 

 fore the ground has begun to freeze. 



Inducing Rhododendrons to Bloom 



Several years ago I purchased two rhododendrons 

 which were then in full bloom. They have not bloomed 

 since, although there has been a steady increase in 

 wood and leaves. Is there any way by which I can 

 induce the setting of buds for next year's bloom? — 

 R. H. M., Pa. 



: — The steady growth of wood and foliage on the rho- 

 dodendrons is an indication that the soil in which they 

 were put was richer than the one from which they had 

 been transplanted. It naturally follows that wood 

 growth and foliage will be developed rather than flower 

 growth until such time arrives that they have become 

 thoroughly established in their new quarters. When the 

 bed is full of roots so that there is no inducement to 

 make rapid root growth the flower growth will be all 

 the more glorious for having made a large root develop- 

 ment first. Flowering may possibly be induced by 

 withholding water, but you cannot very well at this 

 time alter the soil. Sometimes, too, it is possible to 

 throw the plants into flower by disturbing the soil 

 about the roots. 



Growing Cactus from Seed 



In the book " House Plants and How to Grow Them," 

 by Parker T. Barnes, there is a recommendation to raise 

 cactus from seed. Where is it possible for me to get 

 these seeds? — A. E. K., Ala. 



— Dr. Charles P. Steinmetz, an enthusiastic collector of 

 cactus, states that: " It is very difficult to raise cactus 

 from seeds, and, because of their slow growth, very 

 unsatisfactory; and therefore, as far as I know, never 

 done, especially as cactus are so very easily propagated 

 by slips. Practically any piece of cactus (including 

 cereus, opuntia, etc.), even a piece of the unripe fruit, 



when stuck in dry sand, makes roots and grows. Most 

 cactus when flowering are fertilized by insects, and as 

 the insects which do this are more or less unknown, and 

 probably cross fertilization is necessary, in domestic 

 cultivation it seems almost hopeless to produce seeds 



— at least, I have never succeeded in doing so with 

 most of them." The only other person that we know of 

 who is raising cactus from seed is Mr. Robert Cameron, 

 Curator of the Harvard Botanic Garden, Cambridge, 

 Mass. 



Garden Planning 



I am sending a diagram of my grouuds; will you 

 please mark on it what perennials and shrubs I should 

 plant, and where? — J. L., New York. 



— There are some things that the Readers' Service 

 cannot do. We cannot supply individual plans for 

 garden making, nor can we make planting lists for 

 individual purposes. In order to do this work it would 

 be necessary for us to employ an expert garden designer. 

 We are, however, very glad to make suggestions re- 

 garding garden designs or planting plans that are sub- 

 mitted to us. 



Books on Apple Culture 



What books on the cultivation of apples would you 

 recommend for a beginner? — O. A. G., New York. 



— Any of the following would be useful: "American 

 Apple Orchard," by F. A. Waugh, price Si.oo; "Field 

 Notes on Apple Culture," by L. H. Bailey, 75 cents; 

 "How to Make a Fruit Garden," by S. W. Fletcher, 

 $2.20; "Principles of Fruit Growing," by L. H. Bailey, 

 $1.65; "How to Make Old Orchards Profitable," by 

 F. A. Bates, 75 cents; "Apple Growing," by M. C. 

 Burritt, 70 cents. The prices quoted include postage, 

 and we can supply any books desired. 



Begonia Digitata 



Some time ago, in The Garden Magazine, mention 

 was made of Begonia digitata. Where may I purchase 

 it? — M.H., Calif. 



— Unusual plants, like Begonia digitata, are not usually 

 listed in catalogues, but we think you may be able to 

 obtain the plant through some one of the following 

 dealers: Henry A. Dreer, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.; or 

 Arthur T. Boddington, Peter Henderson & Co., 

 J. M. Thorburn & Co., New York City. 



Farm Magazines and Books 



Please give me the names' of a few good farm maga- 

 zines and books containing general rudimentary infor- 

 mation about farming and stock raising. — P. E. B., Colo. 



— We name the following general farming books with 

 the suggestion, of course, that they be followed up by 

 more technical volumes, a list of which can easily be 

 obtained as you become familiar with any special phase 

 of farming: "Farm Management," by Warren, price 

 $2.00; "American Irrigation Farming," by Olin Price, 

 $1.50; "Principles of Agriculture," by L. H. Bailey, 

 price $1.37; "How to Choose a Farm" (with a discussio*n 

 of American land), by Thomas F. Hunt, price $1.90. 

 The various publications of the Department of Agri- 

 culture, Washington, D. C, lists of which can be ob- 

 tained from the Secretary of State and Superintendent 

 of Documents, Washington, D. C, will also prove of 

 great assistance. As to magazines, we suggest The 

 Breeder's Gazette, Chicago, III.; The Ohio Farmer, Cleve- 

 land, Ohio; The Dakota Fanner, Aberdeen, S. D.; 

 and The Irrigation Age, Chicago, 111. 



Books on Asparagus Culture 



What is the best book on asparagus culture for the 

 home garden? — H. A. B., Maine. 



— "Asparagus," by F. M. Hexamer, is the only book 

 published in America which is exclusively devoted to 

 the raising of asparagus for home use as well as for 



market. It is a practical and reliable treatise. Price, 

 50 cents. "Asparagus Culture," by James Barnes and 

 William Robinson (price 50 cents), and "The Book of 

 Asparagus," by Charles Ilott (price $1.10), while of 

 interest, are both imported and would not meet your 

 requirements as well as the Hexamer volume. 



Dahlia Culture 



Do dahlias revert to some original color at times? 

 Is there a reliable book on their culture? — C. L. B., 

 Conn. 



— Dahlias that are grown from seed will produce all 

 kinds of results. One can never be sure of the colors 

 in this method of propagation. Certain varieties have 

 the peculiarity of developing different colored blooms 

 on the same plant. We can hardly say that there is a 

 reversion to an original type, as all dahlias are variations 

 of one original species and are not hybrids. The best 

 American book on the subject is "The Dahlia," by 

 Lawrence K. Peacock. 



The Hardy Garden Chrysanthemum 



Where may I obtain the hardy garden chrysanthe- 

 mum mentioned by Mr. Kerr in his article in The 

 Garden Magazine about a year 'ago? — H. E. D., 

 So. Car. 



— Seeds of the hardy Japanese chrysanthemum may be 

 obtained from A. T. Boddington, New York; W. Atlee 

 Burpee, and Henry A. Dreer, Inc., of Philadelphia, Pa.; 

 and R. & J. Farquhar & Co., Boston, Mass. Plants 

 may be purchased from Charles H. Totty, of Madison, 

 N. J., and Scott Bros., Elmsford, N. Y. and Head's 

 Bergenfield Nurseries, Bergenfield, N. J. 



White Scale on Red Cedar 



How should the white scale on red cedars be cured-? — 

 W. J. McM., New Jersey. 



— The general feeling is that the white scale on red 

 cedars is not a particularly serious pest. Spray with 

 whale oil soap or some similar preparation several times 

 during the spring and early summer. Ready prepared 

 lime-sulphur washes may be used and are quite effective. 



Books on Native Trees and Shrubs 



What books on native shrubs and trees do you re- 

 commend ? — M. W. J., New Jersey. 

 ■ — "The Tree Book," by Julia E. Rogers, price $4.44, 

 postpaid; "Evergreens, How to Grow Them," C. S. 

 Harrison, 50 cents; " Familiar Trees and Their Leaves," 

 F. S. Mathews, $1.92; "Guide to the Trees," Alice 

 Lounsberry, $1.92; "North American Trees," Nathan- 

 iel L. Britton, $7.70; "Our Native Trees and How to 

 Identify Them," Harriet L. Keeler, $2.20; "Shrubs of 

 Northeastern America," and "Trees of Northeastern 

 America," two volumes in one, by Charles S. Newell, 

 $2.20. Any of these books may be obtained through 

 us by mail at the prices quoted. 



Cannas or Phlox? 



In a circular flower bed 10 feet in diameter, in a 

 prominent place on my lawn, would hardy phlox or 

 cannas make the greatest display? — O. H. B., 111. 



— We do not know whether you want flowers early in 

 the season or late, nor do we know the height you 

 wish to have the plants. Our own preference would be 

 for the phlox rather than for cannas, in which case we 

 would use chrysanthemums for late bloom. Phlox 

 makes almost a solid sheet of color and it will last 

 through the early part of the summer, also giving 

 blooms later in the season. Cannas will give fine 

 foliage effects while growing and they flower quite late 

 in the summer and early autumn. Cannas will also 

 give greater height but are somewhat limited in 

 color; reds and yellows predominate, with some pecu- 

 liar pinkish tints in the newer types. Cannas must 

 be lifted in the fall and stored in a frost-proof place 

 during the winter whereas the phlox is quite hardy. 



