214 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



December, 1905 



Squash by June! By planting in rich compost 

 on March 30th, they were in flower by May, when 

 ordinary folK are just planting. Is this the record ? 



Nothing can be more beautiful than this 

 combination. 



Meadow rue grows rank after it is through 

 blooming, and must be cut down by the 

 middle of July. 



California poppies come up from self-sown 

 seed each year. Their slender stems can 

 be seen about the meadow rue in June. 

 When it is cut down they trail like magic over 

 this new territory and cover it with golden 

 glory through July and August. 



Early in May we planted nasturtiums by 

 the fence. They bloomed from July to 

 frost. The foliage makes a good background. 



Three rows of zinnias were sown at the 

 same time. They formed a strong rank in 

 front of the nasturtiums. They bloomed 

 from the first of July to frost. We also found 

 some room in the back bed for marigolds. 

 They were kept closely picked and bloomed 

 for the same period. 



On April 2 2d and May 15th we tucked 

 gladiolus bulbs in the soft earth among the 

 iris rootstocks. The foliage is much the same. 

 Through August and early September they 

 seemed to re-create the iris. 



The flowers grew and bloomed as follows: 



March 25 through April.. Hepaticas; snowdrops. 



May Iceland poppies, yellow; pansies, 



purple (to frost). 



June Sweet alyssum, white (to frost); 



iris, in variety; meadow rue, 

 white; peonies, pink. 



July California poppies, yellow; nas- 

 turtiums, orange (to frost); 

 zinnias, mixed (to frost); mari- 

 golds, yellow (to frost). 



August-September Gladiolus, mixed; late blooms of 



Iceland poppies. 



All the parts of the beds given to annuals 

 are dug up every fall and well-rotted manure 

 raked into the open ground. It is spread 

 over the perennials after frost, and raked 

 away in the spring. Bone dust is added 

 from time to time. This keeps the ground 

 from wearing out, and gives us the assurance 

 of an abundance of flowers each season. 



Corn an Umbrella for Cauliflower 



Gertrude Whitlock, Long Island 



/^\UR early cauliflowers were set out in the 

 ^-^ highest, dryest and most exposed part 

 of the garden instead of in a place the direct 

 opposite of this, and to neutralize these con- 



ditions we planted a crop of second early 

 corn with them — two or three kernels between 

 each head of cauliflower, which were set in 

 rows 30 inches apart and 16 inches between 

 each head. The cauliflowers had been 

 raised in the hotbed and were set out in the 

 open ground on the 20th of April, and the 

 corn was planted on the 3rd of May. 



As the cauliflowers were, perhaps, a foot 

 high before the corn was planted, they had 

 all the benefit of the sun in the cool spring- 

 time, when they make their most rapid, 

 growth, and by the time the heads had begun 

 to form and the days to grow hot the corn was 

 big enough to afford a shelter without actual 

 shade. Under these conditions the cauli- 

 flowers throve as never before, most of the 

 heads ripening perfectly without the necessity 

 of tying them up in their outer leaves, as is 

 necessary under ordinary conditions. 



As each head ripened it was pulled out, 

 root and all; as the roots grow straight down 



Brussels sprouts left outdoors all winter but pro- 

 tected liKe roses with a straw jacKet are wonderfully 

 good eating in spring before the early vegetables 



into the ground without spreading much, 

 there is no danger of uprooting the corn at 

 the same time. By the time the last of the 

 cauliflowers are ripe, one has a flourishing 

 crop of corn and a practical example of two 

 crops on the same ground at the same time. 



"iTV 



These sweet peas were blooming on May 5, 1905. 

 They were planted in the open ground late in No- 

 vember, 1904, and were protected with mulch till 

 March, 1905. Is there a better record than this of 

 Mr. Harry R. Browne, of Cincinnati, Ohio ? 



Lima beans without poles. No. 10 fence wire 

 stretched tight maKes a strong support without the 

 ugliness of bean poles. Planted in hills four feet apart 

 and the rows also four feet apart 



Heresy in Squash Culture 



HOW TO EAT SQUASH WHEN OTHER PEOPLE 

 ARE WATCHING IT BLOSSOM 



Grace L. Weeks, Long Island 



ALL the garden books tell us to wait until 

 danger of frost is past before planting 

 one's squash. This means some time in May 

 in the vicinity of New York City. The crop 

 is then due in July. We always have our 

 first squash ready to eat before those planted 

 in May are in blossom. We have a compost 

 heap in the corner of the garden upon which 

 all refuse is thrown — over-ripe vegetables, 

 weeds, and bushes that are through bearing; 

 this makes a famous top dressing and is 

 spread over the garden in the spring with the 

 other fertilizer and plowed under. Through 

 this source we have been surprised to see how 

 many seeds have the vitality to survive a 

 winter out of doors, for here and there over 

 the garden young plants have appeared. Last 

 spring there were tomatoes, potatoes, onions, 

 watermelons and squash — hints for fall 

 planting. 



Acting upon this suggestion, we planted 

 a few squash seeds on March 30th, when 

 planting first peas. They all came up despite 

 the fact that a light fall of snow covered the 

 ground on April 17th, were in bloom by 

 regulation time, and full of fruit before the 

 others had budded. If the little renegade 

 squashes come up in the way of the regular 

 crops they can be transplanted after a rain, 

 in which case they will not bear fruit quite as 

 soon as those that are undisturbed. 



Brussels Sprouts Badly Out of 

 Season 



A CANNY DEVICE FOR GETTING " BABY CAB- 

 BAGES" FROM FALL TO SPRING 

 G. L. Whitlock, Long Island 



WHILE the fall of the year is the recog- 

 nized season for Brussels sprouts, 

 by a little management this delicious and 

 healthful vegetable can be enjoyed for a much 

 longer period of time — even as long a period 

 as the following spring. We plant a supply 

 greater than for our immediate needs, be- 



