[Editor's Note. We have established this 

 new department of The Garden Magazine 

 under the direction of a practical horticul- 

 turist who has had experience on both coasts. 

 The climatic conditions of the western slope 

 of the American continent are radically 

 different from those of the whole region east of 

 the Rocky Mountains. The two are so 

 utterly different indeed that their floras are 

 not interchangeable. Only a very few plants 

 thrive equally well under both conditions. In 

 a broad general way it may also be graphically 

 stated thus: The plants of Europe may be 

 taken to California and vice-versa, whereas 

 the best additions to the Eastern region of 

 America are those that come from China, as 

 witness the most popular flowering shrubs of 

 our Eastern gardens to-day. The necessity 

 of specially treating the conditions of the 

 Pacific slope with the cooperation of a resident 

 of that region is evident.] 



Opportunities for September 

 Planting 



ALTHOUGH daisies may be planted 

 practically the year around in Cali- 

 fornia, I want to call your attention to 

 them this month in particular. Burbank's 

 Shasta daisy is without doubt the very 

 best. It is such a profuse bloomer and 

 bears such large flowers that it is doubtful 

 if a daisy will ever be found to excel it. 



The quickest and best way to get a start 

 is to purchase plants. The plants are best 

 when divided every second year and, at the 

 time of division, a strong plant will usually 

 make half a dozen others. The seed may 

 be planted this month, however, if the 

 plants are not available. 



If you have plants of your own, the ideal 

 way of improving your bed is to divide 

 only those that produce the largest blossoms 

 and destroy the others. Practically each 

 plant raised from seed has a different size 

 of blossom, but a division of any one plant 

 will give others that will produce blossoms of 

 equal size. 



A friend has found a splendid practical 

 use for the daisies. His garage is rather 

 close to the road and was not a very 

 expensive building. He could not afford 

 a better one and it hurt his pride somewhat 

 to have his friends see the cheap building 

 standing out in all its boldness with nothing 

 near to attract the eye away from it. 



Two years ago, he planted a row of 



Shasta daisies on either side of the drive 

 and now there is such a profusion of beautiful 

 blossoms the summer through that people 

 do not notice the garage because they are 

 admiring the flowers. Moreover, the gar- 

 age doesn't look so "cheap" as it did before. 



If you followed the suggestions of last 

 month (page 24), you have your bulb 

 garden laid out and well started. Sep- 

 tember is the month to continue the planting 

 and some of the very best flowers are to be 

 added this month. 



Put in the following bulbs: Amaryllis 

 belladonna (no California home is com- 

 plete without them), gladiolus, crocus, 

 Spanish iris, ixias, narcissus, and Easter 

 lilies. 



In addition to planting the well known 

 America gladiolus, try some of the newer 

 varieties. Some of these are very fine in 

 coloring and texture expecially Radio, 

 Esthetic, Pinnacle, Elegance, and Conquest. 

 The bulbs of these varieties are rather 

 expensive. They will soon multiply on 

 your own grounds, however. 



Crocus bulbs are not expensive. Plant 

 them lavishly. I prefer to set them close 

 together with the colors mixed. One Cali- 

 fornia seed company advertises them for 

 40 cents per 100. Buy at least a dollar's 

 worth and set apart a place on the lawn 

 where they will not receive too much 

 moisture, more to prevent too rapid growth 

 of the grass rather than to hold back the 

 bulbs. There is nothing quite so cheering in 

 spring as the little crocus blooms dotting 

 a big area on the lawn, just peeping above 

 the grass enough to cheer you as you pass. 



Columbines can now be obtained in almost 

 any color. Some varieties have particularly 

 long spurs and are considered to be the 

 most attractive of 'all. The columbine 

 should be planted in a location where it 

 need not be disturbed for it is a perennial 

 and will care for itself after it once gets a 

 good start. 



Boston ivy is one of the very attractive 

 climbers of which we have so many in 

 California. Plant the seed this month. 

 It has a beautiful purplish green foliage in 

 spring which turns to the delightful autumn 

 scarlet in fall, the time of year when we all 

 seem to need those somber shades. 



Also plant abronia, abutilon, alyssum, 

 anagallis, argemone, Australian pea vine, 

 or batchelor's button. 



49 



Some plant sweet peas for early blooming, 

 but special care is required if planted this 

 early. It is easier to get a good crop if the 

 seeds are held until later. A few might 

 be tried this month, however. California 

 has so many climates that it may be that 

 your garden is in just the locality for 

 planting this early. If it is, you are fortu- 

 nate and should take advantage of your 

 opportunity. 



See that the vegetable garden is well 

 cultivated and thoroughly weeded. Weeds 

 will grow with renewed vigor from now 

 on and if you start in with a good crop, 

 what will you expect in December? The 

 best motto is, "A weedless garden the year 

 around." 



Unless you already have a good supply, 

 the following vegetables may be started this 

 month: Collards, kohlrabi, beets, brussels 

 sprouts, winter cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, 

 corn salad, kale, endive, lettuce, peas, 

 parsley, parsnips, radishes, spinach, and 

 turnips. If you have a dark cellar, try a 

 few mushrooms. Buy the spawn grown in 

 California if possible. 



Dry the Surplus Pears 



"\17"E HAVE had so much good from our 

 * * dried pears that I want to tell others 

 how we do it and what we save. Our 

 orchard is perhaps rather larger than the 

 average home orchard, but the plan we 

 use will be just as valuable to those with 

 smaller places. 



At first we sold our surplus to the can- 

 nery, but they would take only the largest 

 and finest of the fruit. Finally we learned 

 that we could get just as much good out of 

 the poorer grade that was left as out of the 

 larger specimens. We dried all of the wind- 

 falls and scabby and undersized. 



Drying is a simple operation. The 

 fruit is stemmed and cut in two once the 

 long way. It is then spread out on trays 

 with the cut side up. These trays are 

 piled on top of one another and placed in a 

 room where there is little chance of the 

 sulphur fumes escaping — the pears must 

 be sulphured before they are dried. 



We have made a large frame over which 

 we tack a heavy paper in drying time and 

 use this for the sulphuring apartment. It 

 requires about one pound of sulphur to 

 each 25 pounds of fruit. This we usually 

 burn in instalments. It seems to do the 



