Chrysanthemums in Georgia 



FEW plants produce so beautiful a dis- 

 play of large flowers with as little trouble 

 to the grower as the chrysanthemum, and 

 their already great popularity with Southern 

 people is rapidly increasing. 



In this section, chrysanthemums will 

 succeed on any garden soil if planted in a 

 sunny situation, but their preference is 

 for a rich loamy soil that is neither too dry 

 nor too wet. 



Two or three weeks before planting, spade 

 up the soil at least a foot deep and spread 

 well-decayed manure over it, digging it in 

 at once. Select and order the plants at least 



The large-flowered chrysanthemum is one ol the 

 best border flowers In the South, succeeding every- 

 where. Plant in March 



two or three weeks before they are actually 

 needed, and specify exactly when you want 

 to have them sent. By sending your order 

 in early you will get better plants, for the 

 first orders received are usually the first 

 ones filled. Always buy the named sorts. 



Plants can be set out at almost any time 

 during the winter when the soil is not frozen, 

 provided they are covered lightly with straw, 

 but the best time for this work is during 

 the early spring. I prefer March to any 

 other month. 



Where the bed is to be devoted to chry- 

 santhemums only, and the soil is not very 

 wet, set the plants eighteen inches or two 

 feet apart each way; but if they are to grow 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



in a mixed border, allow a space of sixteen 

 inches. Be careful to firm the soil about 

 each plant and shade the plants for about 

 a week after they are planted out. When 

 they begin their growth keep the soil free 

 from weeds and grass by giving a thorough 

 cultivation at least every two or three weeks 

 until the first of September. 



During the hot, dry weather the plants 

 must be mulched with oat straw or green 

 grass to keep the soil cool and to aid in hold- 

 ing the moisture. If it becomes necessary 

 to water the plants in order to keep their 

 growth from being checked, make trenches 

 on one side of each row three or four inches 

 deep, five or six inches wide, and the length of 

 the row, and apply the water in these trenches 

 late in the evening two or three times a week. 

 Allow at least a gallon of water for each 

 plant, and cover over the trenches after the 

 water has thoroughly soaked into the soil. 

 Remember that a light watering is worse 

 than none. 



To keep the plants from being beaten down 

 by the wind and to hold the flowers well up 

 from the soil, put a strong stake in the ground 

 at each plant and tie the plant to it loosely. 



If big flowers are desired, do not allow 

 more than three shoots to a large plant 

 and two to a small one, though better re- 

 sults are had with just one to a plant. Keep 

 all the buds cut off except one or two of the 

 central ones to each shoot. Give liquid 

 manure (or nitrate of soda) every week or 

 two from the middle of August until large- 

 sized buds have formed, allowing one gallon 

 of liquid manure (or one-half ounce of nitrate 

 of soda in a gallon of water) to each plant. 

 The flowers produced are about double the 

 size of those not disbudded and given the 

 fertilizer. 



After the flowering season, spread coarse, 

 straw manure lightly around each plant, not 

 only to protect them from possible freezing, 

 but also to aid in promoting a rapid, 

 healthy, sturdy growth the following spring. 



A Trial Ground for Cotton 



COTTON would certainly be a paying 

 crop if Southern farmers would plant 

 only the best improved seed. You will find 

 it cheaper in the end to pay as much as a 

 dollar a bushel for seed, provided, of course, 

 that the variety purchased is suited to your 

 soil and section. Have your own trial patch 

 and buy the seed from a reliable grower 

 near by. Small packets containing two or 

 three ounces of seed can be obtained, how- 

 ever, from almost any seed house for five 

 or ten cents apiece. 



Continue the trial patch from year to 

 year, and experiment with seed corn as well 

 as with cotton. If you expect to give the 

 improved seeds a trial, it would be better to 

 order them no.w. 



The cotton and corn culture bulletins of 

 the various state experiment stations are 

 also very helpful in selecting varieties for 

 planting. They are free, and anyone can 

 have them sent to him regularly by ap- 

 plying to the director of his state experiment 

 station. 



March, 1909 



Fertilize fruit trees, vines, shade trees, rose 

 bushes, and other shrubs now. Don't spread 

 the fertilizer too close to the tree or vine, and 

 do not leave it unmixed with the soil. In that 

 condition it will be likely to injure the trees. 



A fertilizer rich in nitrogenous matters 

 should be used when a great amount of 

 growth is desired; but if flowers or fruit are 

 wanted, use a fertilizer rich in potash and 

 phosphoric acid. 



In my opinion the frame cucumber is 

 the best for the table. Plant the seed the 

 last week in the month in open ground, as 

 in this vicinity it must be started early to 

 succeed in open ground. If cool, frosty 

 weather comes, spread thick paper over 

 them at night. Keep the soil loose and free 

 from weeds and the plants well supplied 

 with water during dry weather. They will 

 produce fine fruit over a long season pro- 

 vided none is allowed to ripen. 



Georgia. Thomas J. Steed. 



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A Seed-Bed for Annual Flowers 



INSTEAD of scattering seed broadcast 

 when making your garden,, why not 

 make a little seed-bed and transplant from 

 that the largest and best plants as they are 

 needed elsewhere? 



If you sow seed broadcast the plants will 

 come up too close together, and few people 

 have the moral courage to thin them out 

 properly — it seems such a waste of good 

 material — but if it is not done promptly 

 and rigorously the result is sure to be 

 spindly plants and few flowers. 



Make a seed-bed for your annual flowers 

 m a shaded place near the house, where 

 you can watch it daily. Transplant from 

 this whenever gaps in the garden occur, 

 and see if you do not get better results. 



New Jersey. George Jackson. 



Make a seed-bed for starting plants, from which 

 you can transplant later as gaps occur elsewhere 



