The Garden Magazine 
Voi. VIII—No. 1 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY 
[For the purpose of reckoning dates, New York is 
generally taken as a standard. Allow six days’ difference 
for every hundred miles of latitude.] 
Why You Want a Greenhouse 
VERY reader of THE GARDEN MaAGa- 
ZINE should have a greenhouse or 
some substitute for it. Begin this month 
to lay your plans, for if the full benefit of a 
greenhouse is to be had during the coming 
winter, construction should be completed 
in late summer so that, as the crops of 
the garden outdoors mature and autumn 
approaches, succession crops may be started 
under glass to yield an unbroken supply 
until the spring opens up again. 
Have you ever thought what great oppor- 
tunities you miss if you do not have a green- 
house or, at all events, some hotbeds? The 
latter are partial substitutes, and if you 
begin with them you are almost sure to 
want a little greenhouse as time goes on. 
It is not true that you can get nothing 
for less than a thousand dollars. A 
hundred dollars has given other people 
really practical houses. Read the article 
on page 15 of this month’s GARDEN MacGa- 
ZINE and get inspiration from that. 
When winter comes and outdoor vegetation 
is at a standstill, the owner of a green- 
house serenely goes along enjoying work 
among growing plants, raising seedlings 
and producing flowers. By no means the 
least important advantage is in an abundant 
supply of luscious, tender, fresh, vegetables 
all the year round. 
' The easiest way to build a greenhouse 
is to get the lumber for the frame from 
someone who makes a specialty of green- 
house construction materials, and have it 
put together by a local carpenter. If you 
want the most perfect building ask some 
of the horticultural builders to give estimates 
on the proposed work. 
Elaborate details of construction do not 
improve the growth of the plants inside, 
although they may facilitate operations in 
AUGUST, 1908 
ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
| FIFTEEN CENTS A COPY 
some way; but they are chiefly employed 
to make things look prettier. Better begin 
with the simple, businesslike house of the 
commercial style having an even-span roof. 
If you have any hotbed sash these can 
be used for the roof and sides by building a 
frame support of any convenient material. 
Such a greenhouse is a cheap one, because 
the sash can be taken off in summer and 
used for other purposes. 
SEEDS FOR INDOOR SOWING 
“New crop” vegetable and flower seeds 
are ready for delivery during the month. 
Send in your order early and get your supplies 
for winter forcing. Beans, lettuce, cucum- 
bers, radishes are easily grown vegetables. 
Among flowers pansies, cineraria, cyclamen 
and mignonette must all be sown now for 
early flowers next year. 
During August sow seeds for the winter 
supply of cauliflower, melons, tomatoes 
and cucumbers. ‘These are all tender plants 
and require the winter protection of a green- 
house. But just think how welcome the 
crops will be when no one else can get them 
from the garden! Cucumbers can be sown 
now in hotbeds and will yield in early 
winter. 
Carnations that have been growing out- 
doors during the summer must now be 
lifted and brought into the greenhouse for 
winter bloom. They will supply cut flowers 
until March or later. 
Pot up Easter lilies for forcing. Keep 
them in a cool, dark place under the benches 
until they are well rooted. 
Cyclamens that have been grown from 
seed must now be given their final shift 
into the flowering pots. 
SOW THESE OUTDOORS 
As the various crops mature clear the 
ground immediately, dig it over, turning 
in manure if necessary, and sow vegetable 
seeds for late crops. Most people miss this 
opportunity of having these vegetables, 
young and succulent, in late fall: Bush 
beans, peas, sweet corn, lettuce, beets, 
collards, turnips, and mustard. 
Sow rutabaga for winter storage. For 
next year’s plants make sowings now of 
salsify and globe artichoke. 
Harvest onions as soon as they are ready. 
Thin late sown crops that are above the 
ground so as to give plenty of room to the 
plants that remain. Success in late crops 
depends largely on giving the plants every 
opportunity to grow — thin out and cultivate. 
Sometimes mushrooms can be grown 
successfully in outdoor beds by spawning 
in August. If the compost material is 
available, it is worth while making the 
attempt. An old spent hotbed will often 
give surprisingly good crops. 
WATERING AND CULTIVATION 
Keep the wheel hoe working hard all 
through the summer drought. This is as 
good as the hose and an excellent substitute. 
The garden that is cultivated continuously 
does not suffer from absence of water. 
In the vegetable plot cultivate deeply 
cabbage, cauliflower, and celery. 
Water fruit trees, berry bushes, and 
everything that is making growth now for 
crops next year. 
Attention to bearing fruit trees now will 
show wonderful results in larger, more 
juicy fruit. Remember, the whole process 
of good development is pumping water 
from the soil and giving the tree a chance 
to do its part. 
Cut off strawberry runners that are not 
wanted for layers. Keep the beds tidy and 
trimmed. Plant new beds from pot-rooted 
layers any time after the first of the month. 
The dealers offer pot-grown strawberry 
plants now, and by setting them out during 
this month, you can be sure of getting 
reasonable crops next June. 
Cut out old canes of raspberries and 
blackberries, and thin out the stools to three 
or four shoots each. Top the bushes four 
or five feet. Cultivate, water and lay up 
the foundation for next year’s crop. 
BULBS ARE ARRIVING 
The earliest bulbs to arrive from Europe 
reach us in August. ‘These are from France 
and include the Paper White narcissus, 
Trumpet Major daffodil, alliums, jonquils and 
Lilium candidum; also autumn flowering cro- 
cus. Place your order at once and get the pick 
of quality. ‘First come, first served.” The 
reason why so few people get satisfaction with 
early forced ‘‘ Dutch bulbs” is because they do 
not get their orders into the dealer’s hands 
sufficiently early to get the French stock. 
Lilium candidum for outdoor planting must 
be handled in August, and every day that 
it is out of the ground weakens its vitality. 
It is perfectly hardy and once established, 
the beautiful white flowers of the Madonna 
lily will appear every summer. 
Take time by the forelock and send in 
your Dutch bulb order at the same time. 
Order now what you want of hyacinths, 
tulips, crocuses, Van Sion and Horsfeldii 
daffodils, and any other named sorts that 
have taken your fancy this year. Get the 
bulb order off your hands all at once and 
ask the dealer to ship “as received.” In 
this way you will not only get the best stock 
but you will be conferring a favor on the 
seedsman by relieving the usual rush later. 
