176 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



December, 1913 



Root cuttings, the third type, are the easiest of all to handle 

 and may be taken from Japanese anemone (Anemone Japonica), 

 Stokes' aster {Stokesia cyaned), oriental poppy (Papaver orientate), 

 alkanet (Anchusa Italica), perennial phlox, and many others. The 

 two or three inch pieces of root, or in some cases, (more accurately), 

 underground stem, should be plunged in sand deep enough so that 

 after watering they will show but an eighth of an inch above the sur- 

 face. The one important precaution is to keep the tops of all the 



cuttings one way so that none will be plunged upside down in 

 the sand. 



For multiplying carnations take the young growths that appear 

 in the axils of the leaves. Cut away a little of the foliage and 

 treat like other cuttings. 



Calceolaria and cineraria plants now in frames should be 

 moved to a cool greenhouse where they can receive abundant 

 sunshine and where there is no chance of frost. 



CHRISTMAS TREES WITH 

 ROOTS 



IT SEEMS ridiculously incon- 

 sistent that so many garden 

 lovers, whose aim it is to see and make 

 things grow, should support an archaic 

 Christmas tree custom that means the 

 destruction each year of thousands and 

 thousands of young evergreen saplings. 



It was this that led us, in the past, to 

 urge the use of living trees and their sub- 

 sequent planting in the home grounds 

 rather than the use of cut trees and their 

 destruction on " Twelfth Night." 



This year there comes from one of our 

 readers a practical letter that we gladly put 

 before the others : 



"It has always seemed wicked to denude 

 our beautiful young trees for Christmas 

 use. Even granting that many children 

 are amused by them, the fact remains that 

 the enjoyment is short lived. 



"Yet no one is fonder of Christmas trees 

 than I, and we try to have one each year to 

 brighten the Yuletide. But — we are 

 putting into practice the thought 'Why 

 not have Christmas trees with roots? ' 



"For the past five years I have 

 bought my trees from the nearest 

 nurseryman, trying to have a differ- 

 ent kind each time — a spruce, a 

 hemlock, a balsam fir, a Nordman's 

 fir, and so on. This year I think 

 it will be a white pine. 



"The trees are planted in a 

 box or keg and kept in the 

 house until after New Year's 

 Day, then planted outdoors as 

 soon as possible. It is best not 

 to buy too large a tree as the 



Jfeius Aotes and Comments 



B 1 



smaller ones stand transplanting better. 

 Of the five I have used two have died; 

 but in those that have lived, and will live, 

 I am fully repaid for the effort made each 

 season." — Aime B. L. Polk., Penna. 



The point that the smaller specimens are 

 best is well taken; moreover, it should be 

 remembered that nursery stock is better to 

 be used since field grown trees will rarely 

 stand the shock of potting and replanting 

 unless root pruned in preparation, early 

 in the previous fall or summer. 



But, as our correspondent truly remarks, 

 even if a f good many 



attempts .1 I £> fail, the 



occas fC TiiA l m^ ional 



cess 



giving such results as those pic- 

 tured below are generous reward. 

 And if instead of a half million 



___ dead trees of the old sort, there can 



be a third or even a tithe of this 

 number of new, living specimens planted 

 in yards or parks, or school grounds, each 

 year, the "Christmas Tree Spirit" will 

 take on a fresh significance. 



USING THE SEED CATALOGUES 



>EFORE long, the advance guard of 

 the coming season's catalogues will 

 begin to arrive. 



The selection of the catalogue from which 

 to order, and the seedsman with whom to do 

 business, is almost as difficult as the selec- 

 tion of the best varieties of seeds for one's 

 purpose. After this problem has been 

 solved, a short study of the introductory 

 part of the catalogues usually makes the 

 ordering of seeds comparatively easy. 



Yet it is extremely necessary that you 

 should analyze your needs thoroughly and 

 make up your mind what you want before 

 ever putting a pen or pencil on paper. Be 

 sure that you know whether you want 

 "flat green-podded," or "round green- 

 podded," "flat wax-podded" or "round 

 wax-podded" beans. Then, there are 

 lima beans that climb on poles, and 

 bush limas for the home garden of 

 small size. About 50 varieties of beets, 

 of early, mid-season and late matur- 

 ity, are represented in most seed cata- 

 logues, and cabbages offer an even 

 greater diversity of varieties, shapes, 

 qualities, etc. 



After deciding what you want, and 

 studying the introductory direc- 

 tions to avoid making mistakes 



This nursery 

 tree used for 

 Christmas five 

 years ago is 

 now growing 

 finely 



Four years 

 ago this tree 

 was bought 

 and later 

 planted out 

 as shown 



An evergreen conifer lifted thus in winter with a good solid ball of 

 earth and wrapped with burlap should move safely from any nursery, 

 A tree lifted from the woods if not previously root-pruned would need a 

 much larger ball or will surely die. 



