The Garden Magazine 



Vol. XI— No. 4 



Published Monthly 



MAY, 1910 



j One Dollar Fifty Cents a Year 

 ' Fifteen Cents a Copy 



[For the purpose of reckoning dates, New York is 

 generally taken as a standard. Allow six days' difference 

 for every hundred miles of latitude.] 



The Last Call for Early Sowing 



BEFORE the first of May, sow seeds for 

 first crop of all hardy vegetables, select- 

 ing the early varieties. A list of these was 

 given in the Reminder for April. During 

 May the most important thing for the vege- 

 table gardener to see to is sowing for succes- 

 sion, and also the transplanting of tender 

 plants — tomatoes, egg plants, etc. — which 

 have been started indoors. Details for 

 handling these things will be found in Mr. 

 McCollom's article on page 246. 



During this month sow seeds of French or 

 globe artichoke. Plants will winter with 

 slight protection, and will yield most next 

 year. Seeds may be sown in the open at 

 this time, as also kale, broccoli, Brussels 

 sprouts, all kinds of cabbage, cardoon, cauli- 

 flower, celeraic, celery, egg plants, endive 

 kohlrabi, leek, onion, pepper and tomato. 



During the month you will make two 

 sowings of bush beans, sweet corn, lettuce, 

 okra, peas, and be liberal in the quantity used. 

 It is better to have too much than too little, 

 and if crops overlap, no great harm is done. 



For sowing in the open ground, where they 

 are to stand without transplanting, are Jeru- 

 salem or tuberous artichoke, beets, carrots, 

 chicory, field corn, pop corn, corn salad, 

 cress, cucumber, mangel wurzel, melon, 

 mustard, nasturtium, parsnip, parsley, pump- 

 kin, sea kale, spinach and squash. Also 

 plant potatoes at the earliest opportunity. 



Sea kale is an almost unknown but high 

 quality winter vegetable, which you can 

 have in perfection next winter by sowing 

 seed now, if you will read the article in The 

 Garden Magazine for March, 1908, which 

 tells how to get the crop in nine months. 

 The old idea was that you had to wait from 

 two to four years. 



Radishes may be sown every few days, 

 "little and often" being the rule. Quick, 



succulent growth is the secret of good 

 radishes. Do not sow on dry, hot soil. 



If you have an abundance of water or a 

 running, shallow stream, try water cress. 

 Whether as a salad or as a garnish, it is 

 always useful. New beds may be made by 

 transplanting pieces of established plants 

 that will make roots at their node. But it is 

 very easy to grow from seed, in a sheltered 

 bed on the north side of the house or wherever 

 the soil can be kept really moist. Try 

 some in pots indoors, keeping plenty of mois- 

 ture in the saucer. Do it, and tell us about it. 



If your peas and beans have not grown 

 as well as other things in the garden, the soil 

 may lack bacteria. Think it over and look 

 into the subject. 



In the Flower Garden 



THIS is the busiest month of the year. 

 During the first part of the month sow all 

 kinds of annuals in the open ground. Make 

 the soil fine, keep it moist and shade from 

 intense sun. A cheesecloth roof will accom- 

 plish wonders. Plants started in flats 

 indoors or in frames must be gradually 

 hardened off. This means expose them to 

 the open air gradually, giving protection from 

 the mid-day sun. 



Sow in the open ground, without trans- 

 planting, all hardy annuals, such as arctotis, 

 bartonia, coreopsis, gillia, gomphrena, mari- 

 gold, wall flower, etc. Also, half-hardy 

 annuals may now be sown, such as : canary 

 vine, balloon vine, gaillardia, schizanthus; 

 also mignonette where it is to stand, it 

 does not transplant well. Morning glory: 

 soak the seeds in warm water to aid germin- 

 ation. Nasturtium: the vine kinds are par- 

 ticularly adapted to waste places. Plant 

 petunia and all members of the poppy family ; 

 see The Garden Magazine for March, 

 1909. Also plant snapdragons, zinnias and 

 sweet peas; the last named as early in the 

 month as possible. It is getting late. 



Tender annuals, (which includes amaran- 

 thus, castor bean, colosia, hop, ice plant and 

 ornamental gourds) , may be sown in the hot- 

 bed in pots to be hardened off and subse- 

 quently taken out for planting when the 

 ground is thoroughly warm. 



Salvia may be treated as an annual in this 

 group, and will give more burning hot 

 flowers in late summer than any other plant. 



When all danger of frost is past (usually 

 not until the last week in the month) plant 

 out all kinds of bedding plants other than 

 tropical. This includes asters, begonias, 

 coleus, abutilon, etc. Also all summer ten- 

 der bulbs like gladiouls and cannas. Cannas 

 are best started in heat, however, early in 

 the month. 



Dahlias may be put out toward the end of 

 the month, but there is no need to hurry. 

 They will do just as well any time next 

 month' — probably better. Read Mr. Fuld's 

 articles in The Garden Magazine for April 

 and May, 1909. A border of herbaceous 

 plants may be planted during this month 

 just as well as in the fall. Study Mr. Cam- 

 eron's striking photographs on pages 232 

 and 233 of this number, and decide- upon the 

 kinds and effects you wish for. 



All kinds of perennial plants that need 

 dividing should be given attention this 

 month. 



Dig Dutch bulbs as soon as the flower 

 stalks fade, and replant lightly in some shady 

 place to mature; fill in their places with 

 annuals. 



Bring house plants into the open air; they 

 will be all the better for having the pots 

 plunged in the ground. 



On the Lawn 



GET the lawn mower to work as soon as 

 the grass is two inches high, and keep 

 it going whenever necessary during the 

 summer. Do not allow newly made lawns 

 to run to seed. Remember this, however: 

 if your soil or if the season is abnormally dry, 

 do not cut the grass too close. You can 

 do better cutting with a well-sharpened and 

 well-oiled machine — the other kind tears. 

 Leave the clippings where they fall; they 

 will mulch the ground. 



Easter lilies that have done blooming may 

 be plunged outdoors, and the bulbs grown 

 on to bloom another year. 



Plant peonies and lilies if you did not get 

 them in during the fall. 



A note for Christmas: Sow seed of Chinese 

 primula before the 15th of this month. 



Look over the tools. Hurry up with an 

 adequate spraying outfit; see page 236 of 

 this month's number. 



In the Fruit Garden 



jO not delay pruning apple trees any 

 longer. Remove dead branches and 

 interfering limbs. Remove suckers from 

 around the trunks. 



Prune blackberries after the fruit buds 

 can be determined, because some "varieties 

 fruit on the main stem and others on the 

 laterals. Trim up the currant bushes and 

 plant new ones. 



Provide for the spraying campaign. Get 

 arsenate of lead, Bordeaux mixture, etc., 

 on hand. Also sulphide of potassium for 

 gooseberry mildew. 



Look over newly set strawberries and 

 pinch off all flower buds. Mulch the 

 ground. 



