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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



Gardening Without Backache 



THE wheel-hoe is the most important 

 garden tool invented within a century ; 

 at least, one gardener thinks so — a busy 

 housekeeper, who has undertaken the entire 

 care of' the' garden as a means of health and 

 pleasure. What can it do ? Almost every- ' 

 thing that hands', hoes' and rakes can accom- 

 plish, and does it better and faster. My 

 wheel-hoe has one small wheel and four kinds 

 of attachments — rakes, scrapers, cultivators, 

 and plow. There are more elaborate ones 

 with drill attachments and large wheels — 

 some with: -two wheels. They cost from 

 §2.25 to $ro. This may sound like a high 

 price, but :ours has long since paid for itself 

 several times over, because it is such a saver 

 of time and strength, and does its work so 

 well. 



The small-wheel kinds are best adapted 

 for soil that is in fairly good condition, but the 

 large wheel is better for rough land, because 

 it rides over obstructions more easily. 



The wheels make it possible to push the 

 tool in a series of jerks — drawing it back 

 every few feet for a fresh start; this will not 

 be found necessary in light, loose soil, or for 

 shallow cultivation. 



The most expensive attachment is the drill, 

 and this is invaluable to the market-gardener 

 and to the country gentleman, or to any one 

 who has a large garden, especially if the 

 rows are long and only one kind of plant is 

 grown in a row. In the small home garden, 

 however, where many kinds are grown, and 

 in short rows, the expense of a drill may be 

 saved. 



The scrapers are excellent for nipping off 

 a fresh crop of young weeds, keeping the 

 paths clean, or for shallow cultivation, but 

 in our experience the plow has been the 

 most useful of all the attachments, though 

 we have nothing against the others; they 

 are useful and satisfactory, but the plow 

 prepares the trenches for all but the 

 shallow-planted seed, covers the seed after 

 it is planted, does all the close 'cultivating 

 and a good part of the general cultivat- 

 ing between rows, and last, but not least, it 

 is in constant use as an edger for the beds 

 and vegetable rows; more than one washout 

 has been prevented in our garden by keeping 

 the crops ridged up by the indispensable 

 wheel-hoe. 



My ancient and orthodox hoes stand rusting 

 in a corner of the barn. Even the push-hoe, 

 once a prime favorite, and the ever-useful 



rake, are taking a rest, for the wheel-hoe 

 replaces them all, and, besides that, does 

 work which they never pretended or attempted 

 to do. My memory is still sore with thoughts 

 of the bone-racking motion of the primeval 

 hoe and the see-saw of the old-time rake. 



Think of the difference between that and 

 taking a stroll between your rows of vege- 

 tables, pushing that light-built, easy-running 

 gem of a tool — the wheel-hoe! The only 

 time mine has been really hard to work was 

 when I tried to plow too deep, or run it up-hill 

 or turn tough soil; although this work was 

 hard to do, it would have been impossible 

 with any other hand-tool. 



Ida M. Angei.l. 



Flowering Trees and Shrubs 



EIGHT SHOWY KINDS THAT CAN BE TRANS- 

 PLANTED FROM THE WILD IN FEBRUARY 



FEBRUARY is an excellent month for 

 transplanting flowering trees and shrubs 

 from the wild into home grounds, espe- 

 ciallv if the January thaw has bared the 

 ground and the air thrills with the promise 

 of spring. The trees are dormant, their roots 

 packed tight in frozen earth. It is harder 

 digging, but you get a better ball of roots. 



Certain flowering trees among our native 

 species are as beautiful as any exotics obtain- 

 able from a nurseryman. In fact, all the best 

 ones are sold by nurserymen. Where these 

 trees are common there can be no objection 

 to digging them up to take home. And these 

 trees are always dearer to the family than 

 trees purchased from a full purse by proxy. 



I suggest eight native trees for transplant- 

 ing to the home grounds this month. Go to 

 the woods and locate a full-grown tree. Bark, 

 shape, hanging seeds, leaves on the ground, 

 or the situation of a tree may enable you to 

 recognize it in winter. The winter bud is the 

 best means of identification. Next best is 

 the arrangement of buds, whether opposite 

 or alternate. A twig from the old tree will 

 enable you to find saplings of the same species. 

 The buds are exactly alike. First comes the 

 problem of selection. The younger a tree is 

 the safer is its transplanting. Choose shapely 

 young specimens that grow in open spaces. 

 Their roots are not entangled with those of 

 older trees. They have had sun and air. 

 Their buds are large. They will make a 

 quick, vigorous start, for their twigs are stored 

 with food. Their bark is thicker; they are 

 hardier than saplings in crowded places. 

 Tap-rooted trees are hard to dig and hard to 

 move. Fibrous-rooted ones are easier, for 



they are shallower and have a close grip on 

 the soil. Trees growing in clay loam are 

 more successfully transplanted than those in 

 sandy soil, for clay sticks and sand falls away. 

 The second problem is to dig a sapling so as 

 to save the highest percentage of its fibrous 

 roots and to keep these from exposure to the 

 air. In February, careful digging will usually 

 turn out a solid ball of earth. This may be 

 wrapped in a gunnysack to hold it together 

 on the home trip. 



The last problem is to set out the tree in 

 the hole previously dug to receive it. It 

 should be solidly packed with soil all around 

 and under the ball of earth. It should have 

 its old level — no lower, no higher. The top 

 must be pruned to offset the loss of roots. 

 No watering is necessary. 



In short, the philosophy of successful 

 transplanting of deciduous trees is that the 

 small feeding roots should be kept in igno- 

 rance of the change that is going on. 



Every garden needs a flowering dogwcod, 

 with its snow of white blossoms in spring. 

 It should be planted in the border of an open 

 lawn, but overtopped behind by large trees, 

 because it has no foliage of its own at flower- 

 ing time to make a background for the 

 blossoms. The price of such a beautiful 

 tree is careful transplanting and patience 

 with its slow growth. 



The tulip tree is another particular tree. 

 Its roots are fleshy and easily injured. To 

 get a young sapling home without bruising 

 the roots and unduly jarring the earth ball 

 requires patience and intelligence. 



The hobble-bush, or wayfaring tree of 

 America, bears white blcssoms in spring in 

 a flat cluster, the outer flowers of which are 

 large and showy, like the snowball's. The 

 shrubby viburnum loops down its slender 

 stems and strikes root at the joints. One 

 of these offsets will grow well and brighten 

 with its scarlet berries a moist and shaded 

 corner of the garden. 



The pink-flowered crab-apple is beautiful 

 in bloom, and its fragrance is spicy and deli- 

 cate. The native hawthorns should have at 

 least one representative in every garden for 

 its white blossoms, abundant showy fruit, 

 and picturesque, angular, and thorn-set 

 branches. The shad-bush, or Juneberry, 

 will as readily light up your yard with its 

 cloud of early white bloom as it does the 

 awakening roadside. The crab-apples, haw- 

 thorns, and Juneberries may be successfully 

 transplanted from the wild into ordinary 

 garden loam without taking extra care. 



The tree "pussy" grows on a bog willow 

 (Salix discolor). Cut twigs this month and 

 keep them in water. By the time you are 

 ready to discard them as bouquets the twigs 

 will be well rooted, and by setting them in 

 moist soil you will soon have pussy willow 

 trees. 



The witch-hazel is the last in the yearly 

 procession of flowering trees. It blooms in 

 October and ripens its last-year's seeds at the 

 same time. The yellow flowers are delicately 

 fragrant, and, though small, make a fair show 

 because of their abundance. The explosive 

 pods furnish much amusement. 



Julia E. Rogers. 



