The Garden Magazine 



Vol. XII— No. 6 



Published Monthly 



JANUARY, 1911 



( One Dollar Fifty Cents a Year 

 ' Fifteen Cents a Copy 



[tor the purpose of reckoning dates, New York is 

 generally taken as a standard. Allow six days' difference 

 for every hundred miles of latitude.] 



Snow and the Garden 



SNOW in the garden is useful and wel- 

 come as a mantle on the ground. 

 It is the best kind of mulch and helps the 

 bulbs and everything else that is living 

 over the winter. 



If you have specimen evergreens or very 

 fine shrubs that hold the snow on the 

 branches or in the foliage, it is an entirely 

 different proposition. Sometimes the 

 weight of the snow will cause a tree or a 

 limb to bend over and if it remains any 

 length of time its original upright position 

 is never regained. Therefore, after heavy 

 falls of snow, take a stick or a broom and 

 knock the snow off from all the specimen 

 evergreens. 



Do not bother about removing the snow 

 from beds and do not worry if you have to 

 throw the snow over the beds when clearing 

 the walks. It is much better to have the 

 snow there than the bare ground. Bare 

 ground lets off moisture in the sunshine 

 and in the wind. 



If not done before winter arrived and 

 you have plenty of stable litter on hand, 

 it will be a good plan to mulch around 

 all plants, trees and shrubs that were set 

 out in the fall. Put the mulch on the 

 snow, but be careful if there is danger of 

 injury from field mice or rabbits. 



If you have coldframes with vegetables, 

 give air whenever possible — that is, when 

 the sun is shining directly on the frames. 

 There is very little else to be done. But 

 the spring opening will soon be here and 

 now is the time to attend to all repair 

 work, seeing that the tools and equipment 

 are ready. Look over the stock of seeds, 

 get the catalogues, and make out your 

 new orders for the season's supplies. Re- 

 member that old seed of carrot, leek, let- 

 tuce, and parsnip had better be thrown 



away. Most other vegetable seed can be 

 used if one year old. 



House and Window Plants 



THE day light is at its lowest ebb at 

 this time of year, and remember, 

 therefore, that growing plants must only 

 just be kept alive. Do not try to force 

 them into active growth until the sun 

 begins to get more powerful after the turn 

 of the year. 



Plants that have been put into new pots 

 late in the fall need very careful handling; 

 otherwise they will be killed. On the 

 other hand plants that are naturally 

 coming into flower at this time will take 

 plenty of water, such as cannas. Also, put 

 them in the warmest place, if the best 

 development of flower is wanted. 



From time to time wash off the leaves 

 of all house plants, using perhaps just 

 the merest trifle of soap in the first 

 washing water. Some people use a drop 

 or two of ammonia in the washing 

 water, and while it will clean the leaves 

 efficiently, it will do no harm — if any- 

 thing, good. Use tepid water and a clean, 

 soft sponge. 



Old fuchsias put in the cellar last fall 

 can now be brought into light and repotted 

 after new growth has started. Be careful 

 not to let the leaves of plants touch the 

 gl^ss during frosty weather. 



You may sow seed of some of the \'ery 

 earliest hardy annuals, such as alyssum. 



Make cuttings now of plants that are 

 to be used for bedding in the summer — 

 i. e., geraniums and heliotropes, etc. Also 



make first sowings of annuals in green- 

 house frames or in window gardens. 



Sow pansies if you did not get the seed 

 in the frames last August. Pansies are 

 really cool weather f)lants and the earlier 

 you can get them started now the longer 

 the season of bloom. 



Sow verbenas and lobelias, too. 



If you have convenience for forcing for 

 indoor flower, bring in all kinds of bulbs 

 and astilbe, as necessary. 



Bulbs that were potted and bedded in 

 the cellar can be brought into light now, 

 and by bringing them in at different times 

 a succession of bloom can be had until 

 outdoor flowers begin. 



If you have the convenience of a green- 

 house, you can make cuttings of roses, 

 sow fern spores and root carnations. 

 Easter lilies will grow best at a temperature 

 of 60 degrees and lily-of- the- valley wiU 

 take 90. 



On the Grounds 



/^UTDOORS, when the snow is not 

 ^^ troublesome, a great deal of prog- 

 ress can be made with pruning that was 

 not done in early fall. Grapes, currants 

 gooseberries should receive attention, and 

 all heavy pruning in the orchard can be 

 done now. Remember not to prune during 

 hard frosts. 



During this month attend to any con- 

 struction work, mending of paths, levelling, 

 draining, etc. Do tile draining wherever 

 necessary. Was your lawn unduly wet 

 last year? Is it covered with moss? 

 Tile draining will improve it. 



How Much Can a Half-Acre Yield? 



jLJAS any reader of THE GARDEN MAGAZINE proved to his satisfaction what is 

 ■*■ -*■ the best possible arrangement and cropping of a home garden ? We want to know 

 how the best all-round garden is managed and its actual yield in dollars and cents. 

 In order to get at the facts, the Editors of THE GARDEN .MAGAZINE offer 



A Prize of $SOO.OO for the Answer. 



Our object is to demonstrate the greatest productiveness of a half-acre. The above 

 sum will be given for the best account of a well managed half-acre garden in the 

 year 191 1. The competition is open to all. The only conditions are:— r- 



I. 'Notice of intention to compete to be given not later than May sot/i, 1911. 



2 A co?nplete record of work to be submitted at the end of the season, ^uith iicunes of varieties grotvn, 

 yields., etc , and an exact record, in detail, of all labor and ixpense, with bills andvouchcrs. 



3. All entries must be accompanied by a plan of the garden and its succession plantings. 



4. All contestatits jmist submit their manuscripts not later than October 2,\st, 191 1. 



5. The prize-winnino manuscript, with photographs, etc., to become the property of THE GARDEN 



MAGAZINE. The right is reserved to purchase any other MSS. at our regular rates, or 

 not to award the prize at all, if the MSS. submitted are not sufficiently worthy. 



261 



