206 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



April, 1914 



FENCE .?& PURPOSE 



FURNISHED 

 AND ERECTED 



ANYWHERE 



MAKERS AND BUILDERS ANY- 



Poultry and Dog Runs THING IN 



Tennis Court Enclosures im-mr /~>n 



Rose Arches, Tree Guards IRON OR 



Stable Fittings, Gates WIRE 



WRITE FOR PRICES 

 A. T. BROOK 

 37 Barclay Street 

 New York City 



RHODODENDRON 

 CAROLINIANUM 



New American Species 



Clear Pink 



Absolutely Hardy 



Send for prices and full 

 description, and Catalogs 

 of the only large collection 

 of Hardy Native Plants. 



Highlands Nursery 



Boxford Nursery 



HARLAN P. KELSEY 



Owner 



Salem, Mass. 



WARREN H. COLSON 

 184 Boylston Street, Boston 



is a liberal buyer of old letters bear- 

 ing stamps, stamp collections, and 

 autographs. The advanced collector 

 is offered selection from one of the 

 largest and without exception the 

 choices stock of stamps in America. 

 Mr. Colson is prepared to travel and 

 meet clients in person anywhere. 



Sacrifice Sale 



One Million 

 White Pines 



at little more than cost of digging 



Twice Transplanted Trees 



EACH IN LOTS OF 1000 



1 to lii ft. 



100 trees $8.00 



6c 



8 EACH IN LOTS OF 1000 



C Hi to 2 ft. 100 trees $10.00 



1»7L/ EACH IN LOTS OF 1000 



/ /2C 2 to 3 ft. 100 trees $19 



Packing at cost 



$4.50 per 1000 trees $0.75 per 100 trees 



Plant White Pine 



For wind breaks, dust and noise breaks, to screen un- 

 sightly spots; for roadsides and dry barren hillsides; for 

 underplanting in shady places, beautifying your estate, 

 and for forest planting. 



Has wonderful adaptability. 



Transplants easily 



Grows rapidly 



Send for FREE Catalog 



American Forestry Company 



17 Beacon Street 



BOSTON, MASS. 



Dahlias 



The 

 rea- 



Imported and home grown, 

 very best to be found at 

 sonable prices. 



All in field grown tubers. No 

 plants sent out unless wanted. 



Southern grown bulbs are full 

 of vitality. One clump had eighty- 

 three blooms, not counting buds. 

 Six hundred varieties. Send postal 

 for Catalog. 



MRS. H.A.TATE 

 Old Fort, N. C. 



Baltimore Nurseries 



California Privet 



Any quantity, size and age. No better grown. 

 Shade and Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Vines. 

 Full line of Fruit Trees and Plants. 



Get our prices and catalog 



Franklin Davis Nursery Co. 



BALTIMORE, MD. 



and inspect them for borers. They are usually 

 found at the base of the tree near the ground, and 

 their presence is evident if sawdust-like castings are 

 discovered. The only way to kill them is to insert 

 a wire into the hole where they are working inside 

 the tree, but if they cannot be reached with the wire 

 inject a few drops of carbon-bisulphide into the 

 hole, and plug up the opening with wax or putty. 

 Connecticut Garrett M. Stack. 



Making a New Asparagus Bed 



IF YOU are planning to start an asparagus bed 

 this spring, the first consideration must be 

 where and how to procure the plants. If you would 

 like to raise your own plants, a few packets of seed, 

 purchased from any reliable seedsman, will give an 

 abundance of plants. Soak the seed in lukewarm 

 water for twenty-four hours; then plant rather 

 thinly in rows in some out-of-the-way corner, where 

 the plants can remain undisturbed for one year. 

 Simply keep the weeds in control and the soil mel- 

 lowed, and if very dry, an occasional soaking will be 

 a great help. The next year these tiny plants 

 will be read) r to set out in their permanent quarters. 



But this means a year's delay. A better plan is 

 to buy twenty-five, fifty or one hundred plants (the 

 last is none too many) according to the ground you 

 can spare for them. And at the same time sow a 

 packetful of seed so as to have some surplus plants 

 to replace those which die out, as some surely will 

 do. Plants are not at all expensive, and can be 

 procured from any reliable seedsman at from sixty 

 cents to one dollar per ioo. They should be set out 

 just as early as the soil can be made ready. 



If the bed is to be a large one, plowing and plow- 

 ing deeply (sub-soiling some call it) is best. If im- 

 possible to plow, spade the soil deeply. Remember 

 that you are doing this to last for years, and a deep, 

 thorough cultivation is absolutely necessary if you 

 wish to obtain the best results. 



When thoroughly prepared dig the trench or 

 trenches one foot deep and one foot wide. If you 

 have plenty of space and horse cultivation is pos- 

 sible, make the rows four feet apart. But in a 

 small suburban garden, put the trenches two feet 

 apart. In the bottom put four inches of well rot- 

 ted manure, cow manure being preferable. But 

 any kind will do at a pinch, rather than none at all. 

 Remember this is an absolute essential to success. 

 Asparagus must be well fed. If it is absolutely im- 

 possible to obtain manure use some good commer- 

 cial fertilizer according to directions furnished with 

 the fertilizer. Chicken manure may also be used, 

 but it should be exposed to the air and frequently 

 turned, with some sand mixed in, for several days 

 previous to its use. Whatever you do use, cover 

 it with about two inches of soil before setting out 

 the plants; and if it is at all dry, soak the plants 

 well before setting them out. Put them about 

 eighteen inches apart, or twelve will do if your space 

 is limited; spread out the roots, cutting off any rot- 

 ten or diseased parts, cover about one or two inches 

 deep and firm the surrounding soil. If the weather 

 is dry a thorough watering is excellent. 



After this all that is necessary is to keep down the 

 weeds and, as growth progresses, gradually fill in 

 the trench until by fall it is level full. Late in the 

 fall, when killed by frost, cut the tops and bum them 

 and cover the bed with old rotted manure, if you 

 can procure it, to a depth of from two to six inches. 

 In spring, rake off the coarsest as soon as possible 

 and spade in the remainder, digging gently and not 

 too deeply, being careful not to injure the crowns. 



Do not cut any stalks the first or second years and 

 not too long nor close the third; but after that, if the 

 bed is well manured and fed, you can cut all you 

 can find for about six weeks. An occasional appli- 

 cation of nitrate of soda between the rows during 

 the cutting season is of great benefit, but care should 

 be taken not to use too much, nor to put it too near 

 the roots of the plants as it burns therru 



I have two small beds of about twenty-five plants 

 each and am setting out a- third one of fifty or sev- 

 enty-five plants this spring. We like asparagus best 

 when it has been cut in pieces about two inches long,, 

 all the tough stalks being discarded (they make 

 delicious soup). Boil the stalks in water that has 

 been a little salted, add butter and cream, and 

 serve on slices of toast. 



Xew York Mrs. E. B. Murray. 



