34 



The Readers' Service is prepared to 

 advise parents in regard to schools 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



February, 1909 



The successful growing of roses depends: 



( 1 ) On the selection of the right varieties 

 for your locality. 



(2) On getting plants with thrifty root- 

 growth and sturdy tops. 



(3) On proper planting, cultivating, fertiliz- 

 ing and pruning. 



(4) On keeping them free from insect pests 

 and fungus diseases. 



Comply with these conditions and success is assured. 



The sure and easy way of growing out-door roses 

 is all clearly explained in our new little manual 



"How to Grow Roses" 



in which will be found an answer to every im- 

 portant question that can be asked by the ama- 

 teur rose-grower. 



And the right roses for your locality will be 

 found among the list of "101 Best Roses that 

 thrive best and bloom best in America." 

 Among them are roses sure to bloom profusely 

 in your garden. 



The price of "How to Grow Roses" is 10 



cents in stamps or silver. We want every 



reader of "THE GARDEN MAGAZINE" to have 



this trusty little manual "How to Grow 



Roses" and as an incentive we will send to everyone complying 



with conditions of coupon opposite, a 25-cent Guaranteed to 



Bloom Rose free of charge. 





if. 





W* Wo 



Write to-day for a copy of our catalogue " The Best 

 Roses in America." 



^ardf^nA^ 



trove* 



Remember the Star Box 24_B 



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merit in the soil, when the stems get thin 

 and fibrous. Keeping the plants too dry will 

 also cause poor stems. 



Taste differs as to whether the ideal car- 

 nation should be shell or fringe edged. 

 The fringe edge is by far the most popular 

 today, and all the newer carnations are 

 extreme specimens of this type. The shell 

 or plain-edged varieties have a full, wavy 

 effect on each petal. 



Beacon, without any doubt, is the best in 

 the scarlet class, the color being a brilliant 

 orange scarlet; the flower has size, com- 

 bined with good stem, and the plant is truly 

 wonderful in quantity of flowers. Victory 

 is my choice as second best in this class. 



Harlowarden is the best of the crimson 

 type, but the crimson carnations are about 

 five years behind the other colors. Crimson 

 Glow I place second. 



Imperial I prefer in the variegated class; 

 a good grower, the flowers large, the color 

 pinkish white with scarlet variegation. 

 Mrs. M. A. Patten, a pure white sort, with 

 scarlet markings, for second choice. 



White Enchantress possesses more quality 

 than any other white, long-stemmed variety, 

 with large, well-formed flowers. You will 

 probably get more flowers from White Per- 

 fection, but the quality is not up to the 

 standard of White Enchantress. I have a 

 failing for Lady Bountiful, a lovely pure 

 white, of excellent form, but it is not nearly 

 so good in yield as the two former. 



Enchantress I consider the best of the 

 light pinks, and it is probably the best all- 

 around carnation on the market to-day. 

 Winsor is a good free-flowering variety, and 

 although the stem is shorter and the flower 

 smaller than in Enchantress, it has more 

 color. 



Pink Imperial is a solid pink, with long 

 stem, and large, well-built flowers, but I 

 would certainly consider Pink Enchan- 

 tress the best of the dark pinks if the 

 color did not bleach out from the ends of 

 the petals. 

 . New York. W. C. McC. 



Flavor in Muskmelons 



THERE are more "fool notions" afloat 

 about muskmelons than about any other 

 fruit or vegetable. The funniest of these 

 popular fallacies is the idea that muskmelons 

 will have their flavor spoiled if you grow 

 pumpkins, squashes, or cucumbers near them. 

 It is true that cross-fertilization takes place 

 but the results cannot be detected until the 

 second year. Plantings have often been 

 made to determine the point, and no one 

 has ever been able to detect the slightest 

 change during the first year. Perhaps, 

 you will accept the highest horticultural 

 authority in the land? Professor Bailey in his 

 book "Principles of Vegetable Gardening" 

 says (page 417): "The notion that musk- 

 melons are contaminated by cucumbers that 

 grow near them is an error." 



It is just the kind of picturesque fable 

 that we all dearly love to swallow. The 

 story about the vitality of mummy wheat is 

 another. 



Pennsylvania. E. D. D. 



