December, 1917 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



151 



One of the "capitate" Primulas (D. cashmeriana) a gem for 

 the cool greenhouse, flowering in early spring. Flowers lilac 



rosea floribunda, P. elatior in a variety of 

 colors of which I consider the Giant White and 



Yellow forms the best; the true English 

 Primrose (P. vulgaris also called P. acaulis), 

 P. Sieboldi, and P. japonica. The forcing 

 P. elatior, commonly- known as Polyanthus 

 are of particularly easy culture and will bloom 

 for many weeks. — W . N. C, Brookline, Mass. 



Comment on the Broomstick Scratcher. 

 — It was interesting to read your correspond- 

 ent's note on "A Broomstick Scratcher," 

 page 40, of the September issue of The 

 Garden Magazine. There may be many a 

 reader who wants the results of just such a tool 

 as that and yet would hesitate to make one 

 for himself. Won't you let it be known, 

 therefore, that there are at least three good 

 tools in the market, for sale at all seedstores 

 of any standing, that will fill the bill. One 

 is the Mehler Handy Gardener; another the 

 Magic Weeder, with either a short or long 

 handle; and the Norcross Cultivators. I 

 have used all three and found them satisfac- 

 tory. The order in which I have mentioned 

 these means nothing as I wrote them as they 

 came to my mind. Another tool, but one I 

 am less acquainted with, is the Pull Easy 

 Cultivator which is hinged in the middle like a 

 pocket rule and adjustable to any width row. 

 All sell for less than a dollar and are well 

 worth the amount invested. — S. F. Willard, 

 Jr., Boston, Mass. 



The English Primrose is easily brought into bloom in an fn- 

 heated greenhouse. Flowers pale yellow 



A Touch of Blue in the Fall Garden. — 

 I have always lots of Chrysanthemums and 

 the hard frosts have not injured any of my 

 plants of the Early Flowering Singles or 

 Pompons; neither, however, has the frost 

 hurt my beds of Scabiosa japonica, Acon- 

 itum Wilsoni or Aster tataricus — all fine and 

 worthy of growing. A fine touch of blue at 

 this time of the year (end of October) is 

 something I have never had before. — Frank H. 

 Presby, Montclair, N. J. 



SCfeing fkCH Rl STMAS^o/Zar 



**" %w/a c Dollars a ^/6rtr ** 



A*-. 



OH, THAT! Why, er— That's a Chris- 

 mas Present." Such was the final ex- 

 planation of the use of a certain 

 unrecognizable article displayed in a 

 department store, when the shopper finally ap- 

 pealed to the floorwalker. And, indeed, how 

 many of the articles that masquerade under 

 the name of "Christmas Presents" can ever 

 be put to practical use? 



Ask yourself seriously at this time if you 

 have ever made the best of that season-born 

 opportunity called Christmas, when it comes 

 to selecting logical gifts for the garden hobby- 

 ists among your inner circle of friends! The 

 hobbyist is a person full of sentiment about 

 one thing — his hobby. Since Christmas gifts 

 are sentiments expressed in a substantial 

 form, can you imagine a shorter cut to a 

 hobbyist's heart than to present to him some- 

 thing useful in his favorite pastime? 



Be a "spug." Turn your Christmas dol- 

 lars into channels that will increase both the 

 spiritual and material happiness of the recipi- 

 ent of the gift and his esteem of your judg- 

 ment. Convert your Christmas money into 

 definite objects designed to be of most prac- 

 tical service for a long time to come. Such 

 Christmas presents as are suggested here, will, 

 first of all, convince your gardening friends 

 that you take their hobby seriously — the 

 greatest tribute you can pay them; secondly, 

 by selecting gifts that appeal to their senti- 

 ment, besides being of definite usefulness, you 

 are correctly interpreting the spirit of these 

 momentous times when careless spending is 

 a crime, and thoughtful spending represents 

 sound investment. 



Invest your Christmas funds in gifts that 



live or that help make living more worth 

 while. Never before has the world been as 

 much in need of the peculiar benefits derived 

 from gardening as at the present time. The 

 alluring beauty of the ornamental garden 

 — be it one of trees, shrubs or plants — helps 

 humanity over many trials and disappoint- 

 ments. There is a companionship to be found 

 in the calm presence of the different forms of 

 plant life for which we look elsewhere in vain. 



On the other hand, the gardener who works 

 for material returns, will appreciate any gifts 

 that make those returns more certain. A 

 collection of vegetable seeds you yourself 

 have found dependable; a tool that will reduce 

 labor or make it easier; books that will point 

 the way to better gardens; garden furniture 

 that makes living in the garden a true recrea- 

 tion — these are just a few of scores of practical 

 garden gifts which present conditions lift above 

 the commonplace to a position of applied pat- 

 riotism. Which of the following will best serve 

 the needs of one of your garden friends? 



Nursery Stock. Live Christmas Trees 

 in tubs (to be planted out later and to become 

 permanent beautifiers). Groups of Ever- 

 greens (for screens, hedges, windbreaks, or 

 dwarfer kinds for foundation planting, beds 

 or borders). Large Specimen Evergreens or 

 Shade Trees (which may best be moved or 

 transplanted while the ground is frozen). 

 Groves of Trees with attractive foliage; Home 

 Orchards of fruit trees or berry plants; New 

 and Rare Hardy Plants, Roses, Chrysan- 

 themums, etc., to be presented now and de- 

 livered in due time. 



Seeds and Roots. Collections of Vege- 

 table Seeds (made up of kinds you have tried 



and found not wanting). Flower Seeds. Lily- 

 of-the-valley clumps or pips. Roots of such 

 vegetables as may be forced in cellars or under 

 glass, (like chicory, rhubarb, seakale.) If in 

 France, a box of sugar or a bag of flour is con- 

 sidered a distinctly practical and patriotic 

 gift, why not consider such things as will 

 help in food production, in a similar light? 



Bulbs for Winter and Summer Bloom. Gift 

 boxes of Canna, Dahlia or Gladiolus bulbs. 

 Narcissus or other winter-flowering bulbs, 

 complete with moss, pans, etc., ready to be 

 combined and started on the road to bloom. 



Potted Plants and Decorations. House 

 plants of all kinds, Ferns, Fern Balls, Palms, 

 Azaleas, Spireas and other seasonable plants; 

 wreaths of Christmas Greens, Smilax, Holly, 

 Mistletoe, or anj' of the cheer-spreading visi- 

 tors from the woods. 



Garden Implements and Accessories. 

 Wheelhoes (to serve as snow plows during 

 the winter). Spray pumps (for active winter 

 spraying or to wash the motor car, spray the 

 chicken house, or as a fire extinguisher). Tools 

 of all kinds (hoes, rakes, trowels, pruning 

 shears, knives, saws). Hotbeds, greenhouses, 

 sash, sprinkling cans, rubber hose, pots, pans, 

 jardiniers, flower stands, etc., etc.) 



For Inside and Outside the Garden Home. 

 Porcelain vessels for flowers, Bayberry can- 

 dles, pottery of all kinds, garden books, gar- 

 den furniture, pergolas, sundials, gazing 

 globes, birdhouses, weather vanes, etc., etc. 



Make this a truly patriotic Christmas by 

 selecting truly useful and practical garden 

 gifts for your practical gardening friends. 



