278 



What is a fair rental for a given 

 property? Ask the Readers' Service 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



May, 19 12 



Evergreens 



rown fur specimens at Andorra Nurserie 



Plant for Immediate Effect 



Not for Future Generations 



Start with the largest Stock that can be secured ! It takes over twenty 



years to grow such Trees and Shrubs as we offer. 

 We do the long waiting — thus enabling you to secure Trees and Shrubs that 



give an immediate effect. Spring Price List gives complete information. 



AN DORRA NU RSERI ES B <f .SiKHM^ 



WM. WARNER HARPER, Proprietor 



Collections to Make 

 Your Garden Shine! 



I specialize on collections of thrifty, well-grown 

 evergreens, perennials, and shrubs. By growing these 

 in quantities and giving then) extra care, I can afford 

 to quote very low prices and give exceptional values. 

 TEN LITTLE EVERGREENS for $2.50 Postpaid. 

 All different, interesting, leading sorts, 8-12 ins. high 

 PERENNIALS, Choicest Kinds, carefully grown, 

 splendidly developed. 15c each, $1.50 per doz., and up. 

 SHRUBS, Deciduous and Half-Evergreen. Selec- 

 tions most carefully made. 25c and 30c each. 

 Write for my 1912 booklet, free to intending purchasers. 



RALPH E. DANFORTH, Box 114-A, EAST JAFFREY, N. H. 



Are you interested in 



Hardy Northern Grown Evergreens 



and deciduous Trees and Shrubs that will grow? 

 Let us send you our illustrated catalogue. 



T. C. THURLOW'S SONS, Inc. 

 West Newbury, Mass. 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS Hardy Perennial 



My Chrysanthemums are all of selected varieties, 

 grown in the open and extra hardy. They bloom after 

 other flowers have been killed by frost. Send $1.50 

 for a dozen or $10.00 per 100. The present eboice is 

 white, dark red, yellow buttons and dark red buttons. 



J. L. Hoopes, Swarthmore, Pa. 



Here's a Summer Comfort Story for you 



PARIS 



C/1RTERS 



Can'IoutfiYoii A 

 TaiCoredtojTt: \ 



25 Cents 



A. STEIN E-CO. CHICACO, U.S.A. 



50 Cents 



The Proper Way to Trench 



DIGGING and trenching must be done in 

 either the fall or spring, when the beds or 

 borders are vacant. Do it in the spring, if possible, 

 before heavy rains saturate the ground, especially 

 if the soil is heavy, as rain and slight frost are 

 valuable ameliorators of such soils when in a 

 roughly dug state. 



Digging is the turning over of soil one spade (or 

 spit) deep, and is suitable only for well worked soils. 

 If soil is never dug deeper than that, growth will 

 be restricted, because the plants can only gather 

 food to that depth. 



Trenching is the turning over of the soil two or 

 more spits deep. Where time and circumstances 

 permit, trench three spits deep. This is "deep" 

 trenching and is essential to the cultivation of 

 prize flowers and vegetables, but "bastard" 

 trenching, two spits deep, will work marvels on 

 badly tilled soil. By stirring the soil we let in air 

 and water, and at the same time provide better 

 drainage, rendering the soil warmer in winter and 

 moister in summer. 



When trenching be careful not to bury the top 

 soil and bring the lower or sub-soil to the surface. 

 The lower soil in untrenched ground is inert and 

 sour and needs aerating. Correct trenching does 

 this, leaving the top soil still at the top and the 

 bottom soil below. 



If it is a large plot, open a trench across one end 

 two feet wide and one spit deep, put the soil in a 

 wheelbarrow and cart it to the other end of the 

 plot and place it on the path or in some place 

 where the soil is not to be dug. It will be wanted 

 for filling in the last trench. Or else the work can 

 be lessened by halving the plot lengthwise and 

 taking out the trench across one section only; 

 depositing the removed soil just off the adjacent 

 strip where the work of trenching will end. The 

 plot can also be quartered on the same lines if it 

 is of great width, a short trench being less tiring 

 to work than a long one. Having got out the first 

 trench, stand in the bottom, take out another one 

 foot wide and one spit deep, and form a second 

 heap with the soil near where the trenching will end. 

 We have now a step-like arrangement — surface; 

 trench one spade deep; trench two spades deep. 



To deep trench the soil, take a fork and dig up 

 the bottom of the lowest trench to the full depth 

 of the tines; this done, a layer of any vegetable 

 refuse or a strawy manure can be spread over the 

 dug surface. Now stand on the step above and 

 proceed to turn the soil over on to the refuse. This 

 finished, spread another layer of manure over the 

 new surface. We have now reversed the step 

 arrangement; in front is a trench two spits deep, 

 at the back is a step of dug soil having a refuse 

 layer sandwiched below it and a layer of manure 

 above waiting to be covered. We now mark out 

 on the plot another strip a foot wide and commence 

 to dig this up and throw on to the top of the manure 

 lying on the removed soil in the first trench. This 

 done, we find we have trenched a one-foot-wide 

 strip of our plot to the depth of three feet and 

 double manured it, and that we have now the 

 step-like arrangement of trenches waiting for a 

 repetition of the operations. By repeating this 

 process we slowly, but surely and thoroughly, work 

 our way to the end of the plot. 



New or little used spades and forks should be 

 used in order that the full depth of soil be lifted 

 each time. Clay soils are best attended to in early 

 winter, and the surface left as rough as possible 

 for frost to act upon; light soils are best trenched 

 in early spring. Also, in the case of light soils, 

 do not manure the bottom trench, but between 

 the upper and lower spits and on the surface. This 

 is because of the greater freedom with which water 

 filters through light soil, carrying away with it 

 manurial properties. Pigsty and cow-shed manure 

 are best for light soils, and stable manure for heavy 

 ones. 



Vegetable gardens should be so arranged that a 

 third of the area is trenched annually, the whole 

 being thus turned over two spits deep every three 

 years. Herbaceous borders can have similar treat- 

 ment by lifting the occupants, placing on a square 

 plot close together, covering with mats, etc., if 

 necessary, trenching and manuring the soil, and 

 then replanting. 



Canada. W. R. Gilbert. 



