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GARDEN MACAZINE 

 READERS' SERVICE 



Help in need! Ask this department to answer your specific 

 problem. Replies of general interest only are printed here 



November, 19 15 



When and How to Plant Small Fruits 



I intend to plant about 3,000 strawberry plants, 600 

 raspberry, and 600 blackberry. If planted this fall 

 will they bear next year, what is the proper planting 

 distance for each variety and the proper method of 

 planting?— G. A. R., Penna. 



— Early fall is about the best time to plant straw- 

 berries since by so doing you will enable the plants to 

 become well established by winter and be in good shape 

 next spring to produce a crop. You can do this any 

 time from the first of August through September; but, 

 of course, during extremely hot weather, it will be 

 necessary to keep the plants well supplied with water 

 until they are thoroughly established. Raspberries 

 and blackberries should be planted later — that is, from 

 October first up to a week before the ground freezes. 

 While bushes planted fairly early may attempt to set 

 fruit next summer, it will be better to pinch off the 

 blossoms and allow all the growth to go into the root of 

 the plant for the sake of future results. Strawberries 

 may be planted a foot apart in rows three or four feet 

 apart or even closer if the ground is rich and hand 

 cultivation can be given. Raspberries should stand 

 three feet apart in rows not less than five feet apart, 

 and blackberries about four feet apart in six or seven- 

 foot rows. 



The best way to set the strawberries is to use a spade, 

 thrusting it into the ground and forcing it forward so as 

 to leave a narrow crevice in the soil. Into this drop 

 the roots spread out in a fan shape; then withdraw the 

 spade, thrust it in again a couple of inches away from 

 its first position, and squeeze the soil back and around 

 the roots. The crown should be just above the sur- 

 face when the soil is well settled. The brambles should 

 be planted like any small fruit tree; that is, any bruised 

 and broken roots should be trimmed off and the root 

 system spread out and the soil well firmed around it. 



Heating a Bungalow 



In a bungalow that is being built most economically 

 what kind of flooring is the best for the first floor, and 

 should the floors on the second floor be of the same 

 material? Where the temperature goes to 30 degrees 

 below zero, would hot air be the proper heating me- 

 dium?— M. A. T., Mass. 



— The flooring will depend on what you wish to pay 

 for it. Of course you can use cheaper grade lumber for 

 the bedrooms if you wish, but the cost will not be very 

 much greater to have the floors alike in both stories. 

 Georgia yellow pine, cypress, birch, or maple will give 

 very satisfactory floors. If you are planning to use 

 the bungalow in the winter season we would advise 

 steam or hot water heat. While the first cost is more 

 you will get enough better service from the heating 

 plant to pay the difference in the cost. Get estimates 

 from local contractors as to cost of heating plant. 



"Bud Dropping" on Sweet Peas 



Last season my sweet peas were affected with some 

 kind of blight that touched the buds only. The seed 

 (Spencer varieties) was planted April 3d in a trench 

 with about two feet of good loam and manure and good 

 drainage. The vines made a fine growth and were 

 given liquid manure and nitrate of soda when they be- 

 gan to bloom. The buds started all right, but began 

 to turn yellow when about half developed, and in two 

 or three days would drop off. I did not find any stem 

 that developed more than two blossoms and most of 

 them had only one. What was this trouble? — W. L. T., 

 Ohio. 



— These plants developed what is known as "bud 

 dropping" and the trouble is often met with in seasons 

 such as the one just passed. It is more prevalent on 

 vines which have been richly cultivated — in fact, the 

 stronger the growth, the more liable they are to drop 

 their buds should there be sudden changes in tempera- 

 ture with heavy rains. As a rule, however, the trouble 

 does not last long. I would never (unless under ex- 

 ceptional circumstances) give nitrate of soda to sweet 



peas. If the ground was thoroughly enriched with 

 farmyard or stable manure it will contain all the nitrate 

 necessary for the plants' perfect growth. In fact, it 

 may be that the entire trouble is due to feeding with 

 nitrate of soda. — G. W. K. 



Building a Bungalow 



I am planning to build a 5-room bungalow, and wish 

 it to contain a living room, dining room, kitchen, two 

 bedrooms, bath, sleeping porch, etc., etc. Can you 

 furnish me with any printed matter, such as plans and 

 specifications? — C. J. W., Calif. 



— We have no printed matter to send out on the sub- 

 ject of building, but we are very glad to answer 

 specific questions relating to building problems. A 

 few hints may be of interest. We would advise you to 

 make use of plans drawn by a competent architect, 

 as by doing so you will avoid making many mistakes. 

 Competitive bids from reliable contractors almost 

 invariably effect a saving over day work. This applies 

 to excavation, mason work — including foundation, 

 chimneys, and plastering — carpenter work and paint- 

 ing. It is necessary, of course, to first select the ma- 

 terials to be used. Rubblestone, concrete, and hollow 

 tile are most used for foundations. Stucco is very 

 popular at present, as a material for the side walls of 

 houses. The cost is from 2§ to 5 per cent, more than 

 wood, the increase varying with the exact type of 

 construction. Stucco over hollow tile costs an addi- 

 tional 10 per cent. Shingles furnish the cheapest of the 

 really attractive roof coverings, but, of course, they 

 are not fireproof. Wood, for interior finish, not too 

 expensive, can be had in white oak, chestnut, cypress, 

 Georgia yellow pine, red gum, hard pine, ash, and 

 maple. In designing a house it is always an easy 

 matter to use standard sized doors and windows and 

 frames and to adopt stock patterns of these as well as 

 columns, mouldings, balusters, etc. These are made 

 in large quantities and so are cheaper than when made 

 to special order. The following books of bungalow 

 plans are excellent: "Bungalows," by H. H. Saylor, 

 price $2.40 postpaid; "Artistic Bungalows," price $1 

 postpaid; "California Bungalow Homes," $1 postpaid. 



Entrances in Bird Houses 



What is the proper size to make the openings in bird 

 houses intended for wrens, bluebirds, martins, chicka- 

 dees, and woodpeckers? — M. E. L., Penna. 

 — The size of the opening in a bird house depends upon 

 the kind of a bird that is to be attracted. For wrens 

 it should never be more than one and one fourth inches; 

 for martins not more than one and one half inches; 

 and for bluebirds about one and three fourths inches. 

 If the hole is more than one and three fourths inches 

 in diameter, sparrows will occupy the house and drive 

 other birds away. 



A Leaking Chimney 



I have a brick chimney furred out with wood and 

 covered with metal lath and stucco. The stucco has 

 become badly cracked, and the chimney leaks quite 

 badly. Is there a paint that could be used over the 

 stucco to make it water proof? — F. L. W., Conn. 

 — It seems probable that the cracks are due to a 

 movement of the support given the stucco, either due 

 to the fact that the metal lath is insecurely fastened to 

 the furring or that the furring itself is not firmly at- 

 tached to the chimney or to the adjoining wooden con- 

 struction. Successful repairs of a break like this form 

 a rather serious problem for they mean either a new 

 lath furring, which will bridge the movement producing 

 the cracks, or repairs to the construction so that the 

 movement will not continue. If the cracks are in the 

 plastering only, repairs may be made by cutting out the 

 cracks to a fair width, say 2 inches wide, removing all 

 loose plastering and patching with new plaster. If 

 waterproofing is necessary the best form is one of the 

 cement paints which would, of course, preferably be 

 about the same color as the stucco in order that the 



wearing effect of time and weather need not disclose 

 too great a difference in color when, in the course of 

 years, the stucco begins to show through the paint. 



A Cistern Equipped with Filter 



Please tell me how to build a cistern with a filter? — 

 C. S., Missouri. 



— An underground storage tank for rain water with 

 a filtering system attached may be built in two ways: 

 In one the pumping system is placed in the storage 

 tank, and in the other a very deep cistern is dug and 

 the storage tank placed well above it. A cistern 

 10 x 10 ft. and 8 feet deep will supply an ordinary 

 household with all the water demanded. The cistern 

 must be placed near the house where the pipe leader 

 can easily conduct the rain water from the roof. Make 

 the walls of the cistern of stone laid in cement, but the 

 bottom should be made of good concrete not less than 

 four inches thick. If the whole of the storage tank is 

 cemented so that the water cannot leak through there 

 will be a great saving of water. The pumping cistern 

 runs down through the centre of the tank and is en- 

 closed in good weather bricks such as are used for the 

 tops of chimneys, or good porous tiles. These tiles 

 should be laid up in circular form with good cement, so 

 as to resist any pressure from the surrounding water. 

 The wall should be at least four inches thick. The 

 water from the roof is led directly into the storage tank, 

 and then it filters through the hollow circular cistern 

 wall of tile to the pump where it can be drawn off as 

 needed. By filtering the rain water through four inches 

 of tiles it is purified and sweetened and will thus make 

 excellent drinking water. The pumping cistern should 

 be at least three or four feet in diameter so that the 

 supply will never be drawn off. There is an overflow 

 pipe to the storage tank which lets the leaves, dirt, and 

 other sediment pass off. Once a year the tank should 

 be cleaned. 



An Automobile Turn-Around 



In a space 42 feet wide I want to place an automobile 

 driveway. Will this make a circle large enough to turn 

 a machine with a 123-inch wheel base. How wide 

 should the driveway be made? — A. P. M., Iowa. 

 — If you have more space for the circle it would be 

 advisable to use it, but 42 feet will be sufficient for the 

 purpose. On large estates 90 feet is generally allowed 

 for the circle. The driveway should be 12 feet wide. 



Elderberry Blossoms 



I have read that there is a market for elderberry 

 blossoms. Can you tell me what they are used for and 

 where I can find a market for them? — H. G. M., Mich. 

 —In a recent number of The Garden (English) ap- 

 pear two recipes for elderflower wine, or Frontignac. 

 One involves the following materials and practice: 

 6 gallons water, 18 pounds lump sugar, 5 pints fresh 

 gathered elder flowers, juice and rind 6 lemons, 6 

 pounds raisins cut small, and 5 tablespoonfuls new 

 yeast. Boil the sugar and water half an hour, and 

 when at slightly less than blood heat, add the other in- 

 gredients. Let it work four days, stirring twice daily 

 then strain into a cask with 5 ounce isinglass and close 

 tightly. In six weeks it will be ready to bottle. The 

 other uses in general the same ingredients except the 

 isinglass for which it substitutes the whites of two eggs 

 which are added to the water with the sugar. The 

 elderflowers (i peck) are added before the syrup is 

 taken from the fire; the lemon juice (6 spoonsful) 

 and yeast when the liquid has cooled and the third day 

 in the cask add the raisins. We understand further 

 that there is, or used to be, a product obtained from 

 elder flowers called "elder flower water," to which were 

 attributed diuretic and aperient qualities. Whether 

 this is still made in any quantity, or whether there is 

 any market for either flowers, water or wine, we do not 

 know. You may be able to find out by writing to the 

 Division of Drug Plant Investigations of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture. 



