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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



May, 19 12 



Readers' Service 



TO SUPPLEMENT the magazine itself we have established the Readers' Service, by which the whole organization of the 

 staff of experts, with whom the editors of the magazine are in touch, is brought right to the door of the individual 

 reader. All that is necessary for the reader to do is to send an inquiry by mail, and every effort will be made to give a 

 complete and satisfactory answer — by return mail, if possible — or, at all events, to put the inquirer in the way of getting 

 the knowledge sought. Only answers of general interest will be published here. 

 This special service has been of real value to many readers, as dozens of letters testify. And it is all available to every 

 reader of The Garden Magazine upon request and without expense (although a stamped and addressed envelope for reply is 

 appreciated). Through this service each reader of The Garden Magazine, therefore, has the advantage of the most expert 

 advice that the editors of the magazine can procure. 



There are some things we cannot do. We cannot, for instance, undertake work that properly belongs to expert professional 

 service. We cannot supply plans for garden design or for garden making or for buildings, because this really requires intimate 

 knowledge of the special conditions and a personal inspection; nor can we make complete planting lists for individual purposes. 

 We are, however, in such cases ready to give references to people who we think could adequately serve the inquirer. 



We are always ready, however, to answer specific questions and to make suggestions regarding garden designs or planting 

 plans that may be submitted to us. Address all inquiries to The Garden Magazine Readers' Service, Garden City, Long Island, N. Y. 



Vines for fences 



I want a clinging evergreen vine that will require 

 little care and is suitable for permanently covering 

 a board fence. — H. A. W., New Jersey. 



— There is only one vine which will answer these 

 requirements — the English ivy — and it may not 

 thrive in the situation you have available. Hall's 

 honeysuckle is a hardy, free-growing vine, but it is 

 not self-supporting. 



Ivy on oak trees 



English ivy is growing on a few of my specimen 

 oak trees; in one case it is even up to the top of the 

 tree. Is there any danger of the trees being lost? 



— S. E. P., New Jersey. 



— A small tree would certainly be injured by hav- 

 ing a large vine growing over it, while an ordinary 

 vine on a large tree would probably do no injury. 

 There would be no harm to the tree from a moderate 

 growth of the ivy but do not allow it to grow so 

 vigorously as to cover all the branches. 



Planting privet 



How should the soil be prepared for California 

 privet?— F. C. E. P., New York. 



— In planting California privet dig a deep trench, 

 put in a layer of manure and then some soil. Place 

 the plants so that they will stand in the soil two or 

 three inches deeper than they were originally, and 

 below the ground level. As cultivation is given 

 the trench will gradually be filled up. 



How vines twine 



What is the difference in direction in which hop 

 vines and bean vines twine? Do all vines twine 

 in the same direction? — B. W. F., Alabama. 



— The hop vine twines in the same direction as 

 that in which the hands of a clock move. Some 

 vines twine in one direction, others in another; 

 but each species always twines in the same direction. 

 The bean vine twines against the sun and the hop 

 in the opposite direction. 



Supporting vines 



What is the most approved method of support- 

 ing vines, climbing roses, etc.? — C. T. H., New 

 Jersey. 



— Vines can be supported by driving staples into 

 the side of the house. This, of course, does not 

 apply to the climbing varieties. Roses that are 

 not too large can be supported in this way; but 

 for twining vines, the most practical thing is a 

 trellis of poultry wire stretched on a frame made of 

 gas pipe. 



Dahlia buds dropping off 



Why do dahlia buds drop off, breaking close up 

 to the bud, soon after they commence to grow? — 

 M. G. T., Maryland. 



— The dropping off of dahlia buds is a common 

 trouble. It is due to some local condition, and in 

 some regions can be overcome by not planting until 

 the beginning of July. If the plants are too far 

 advanced when the extremely hot weather sets in, 

 they are sure to go wrong. 



Trimming roses 



How and when ought roses, like the Hermosa, be 

 trimmed? — G. E., Ohio. 



— Prune roses in the spring before growth starts. 

 Cut back according to requirements. If you want 

 large flowers, cut back very severely; if you want 

 a profusion of smaller flowers, thin out rather than 

 cut back. The rose flowers on new wood and the 

 stronger you can induce the new wood to grow the 

 better flowers you will have. 



Seeds of perennials 



What is the best time to plant perennial seeds 

 for next year's blossoming? — A. M. R., Connecticut. 



— We prefer to sow perennial seeds in August — 

 that is, as soon as the seeds are ripe. By waiting 

 until the following spring the seeds are likely to 

 become over-dry and germination is slower. Of 

 course if you sow in August seed which is a year old 

 you are in a worse predicament than if you had sown 

 seed in April, because you did not get the necessary 

 current year's growth. 



Fertilizer facts 



What are the comparative merits of manure and 

 commercial fertilizer? Which is the less expensive 

 and more beneficial to use on land rented for one 

 season only, and which has a more lasting effect 

 on the soil and should be used on land permanently 

 producing and needing to be worked a second year? 



— B. R., New Jersey. 



— The question of expense depends on the avail- 

 ability of the two fertilizers. If you have stock on 

 the place the manure will certainly be cheaper than 

 any of the commercial fertilizers at $25 to $40 per 

 ton. The manure is a balanced fertilizer, con- 

 taining all three of the elements of plant food — 

 nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid — but are 

 in a less available form than in a commercial 

 fertilizer and therefore give results more slowly. 

 On land rented for one season the self-interest 

 method would be to use a quickly available fer- 

 tilizer, such as nitrate of soda, muriate of potash, 

 etc. Crops will immediately assimilate these but 

 there will be no addition to the fertility of the soil 

 for the coming year. In using manure the greatest 

 benefit will be derived by crops sown the second 

 year after the application of the manure. The 

 texture of the soil is a factor in determining this. 

 On light, sandy soils manure will give greater mois- 

 ture-holding capacity, but the commercial ferti- 

 lizer will give bigger crops the first season. 



Yellow flowers for all summer 



I want to have a bed of yellow flowers all sum- 

 mer. What shall I plant? 



New York. A. C. B. 



— For the earliest spring bloom the beds should 

 have been filled in the fall with bulbs, such as 

 crocuses and narcissus. These can be left in the 

 beds all summer. When the flowering season is 

 past, fresh manure may be lightly forked into the 

 soil without disturbing the bulbs. Let the leaves 

 of the bulbs ripen well before they are finally cut 

 off. The other plants will soon cover the ground, 



hiding the foliage of the bulbs. The suggestions 

 are for planting from the centre outward: (1) 

 Canna Austria; Helianthus debilis, var. Stella; 

 coleus Golden Bedder; Celosia pyramidalis , var. 

 aurea (or feathered cock's comb). (2) Celosia 

 pyramidalis; Calendula Prince of Orange (old- 

 fashioned marigold); canna Buttercup; coleus 

 Golden Bedder or Yellow Verschaffeltii. (3) Core- 

 opsis lanceolata; Gaillardia aristata; any of the 

 Helianthus family; hardy chrysanthemums in 

 variety.— J. T. S. 



Making a pasture 



I have a plot of ground now covered with weeds. 

 Can I prepare the soil and plant grass seed so as 

 to pasture cows on it this year? — J. H., Missouri. 



— You cannot plant grass seed and have it ready 

 for pasture this year. Barley may be sown as early 

 as possible, followed by four or five sowings of oats 

 and peas at weekly intervals. The oats and peas 

 will serve as soiling crops for July. When the last 

 sowing of oats and peas is made, sow corn, or corn 

 and sorghum, for use in August and September. 

 The ground occupied by the oats and peas will be 

 free by the end of June; sow millet and barley for 

 use in late September and early October. 



Flowers to follow hollyhocks 



What good perennial plants — preferably tall 

 growing — can I use to follow hollyhocks in bloom, 

 which will grow well in the partial shade of the 

 large leaves of the hollyhocks? — F. R. C, Penn- 

 sylvania. 



— There are no plants which will grow in the sit- 

 uation described. The only practical way to keep 

 a succession of bloom is to transplant flowers in 

 pots to the border after the hollyhocks have 

 bloomed. There is nothing that will grow in the 

 constant shade of the hollyhock leaves. If the 

 hollyhocks are spaced well apart you could put in 

 Helenium, chrysanthemums and other compositae. 



Fertilizing with poultry manure 



What is the most efficient method of utilizing 

 poultry manure as a fertilizer? With what, and 

 in what proportion, should it be combined? — 

 G. C. B., Massachusetts. 



— Hen manure furnishes fertilizing elements in 

 more concentrated form than any other manure. 

 Owing to this fact, it should be mixed with some 

 less active material to increase its bulk. The 

 character of the material to add depends on whether 

 the soil is light and sandy or a heavy clay. For 

 either light or heavy soils it may be mixed with 

 wood ashes if it is to be used at once, using three 

 parts of the manure to one of wood ashes. For 

 light, sandy soils with little humus, mix with three 

 or four times as much leaf mould or loam. For 

 heavy soils use a sandy loam in place of the leaf 

 mold, or road dust or even ashes. Either of these 

 composts may be applied as top dressings or directly 

 to the plant. If the hen manure has not been 

 properly cared for during the winter by being 

 composted, it is probably of very little value now as 

 it rapidly loses its ammonia through decomposition. 



