THE MONTH'S REMINDER, FEBRUARY 1918 



The purpose of the Reminder is to call to your attention the things which should be thought about or done during the next few- 

 weeks. For full details as to how to do the different things suggested, see the current or back issues of The Garden Magazine. (An 

 index of contents is prepared for each completed volume, and is sent gratis on request, the Readers' Service Department will also cite 

 references on any special topic if asked— that's its job.) To get the full benefit of this "Reminder," check off with a pencil (v) in the square 

 provided for that purpose before each paragraph, the items that apply to your own case, and use the page as a reference list. 



T 



HIS is the last chance to be fully 

 prepared for your war garden cam- 

 paign — act! 



It is pretty wintry yet; but work must 

 begin in earnest before the end of this month, 

 if things are to be comfortably under control 

 later. 



Before work, PREPARATION! Are you 

 prepared? Have you done up to date every- 

 thing there is to be done, to be ready for the 

 year's work? 



Look over last month's Reminder. Check 

 up. Order at once what you haven't ordered 

 and may need. Stocks are short in some cases 

 — help is short — railroads are short — every- 

 thing makes for delay in getting seeds and 

 supplies through this spring. Order now! 

 But order intelligently. Remember to study 

 types rather than varieties and help the seeds- 

 man by giving him leeway with your order so 

 far as possible. Read carefully the editorial 

 on page 9. 



In the Garden 



DLANS complete? If not, get busy. 

 A First steps in actual work can't be taken 

 profitably until you know all that you expect 

 to do. 



Order at once: Early cabbage, beets, lettuce, 

 fcohlrabi, cauliflower, onions — sow these in the 

 first batch. Tomatoes, peppers, celery — in the 

 second. Lima beans, melons, corn, squash, 

 in paper pots, in the third. Be sure to have 

 seeds, soil, flats, pots, etc., on hand before 

 actually needed. 



□ Manure. Nothing to be gained by 

 waiting. Sooner it's on the premises now the 

 better. 



Think now of all the little garden helps 

 you'll have use for later — plant forcers, plant 

 stakes, trellises, stakes to hold pea-wire, row 

 markers, wire tree protectors, lath, Sweet- Pea 

 supports, etc., etc. 



In the Flower Garden 



JK/I ' AKE up your mind! What flowers are 

 -* ' you going to want this year? Don't do 

 the old stunt of waiting until the 29th of May, 

 and then getting what you can find left over 

 at the local florist's. 



D Buy your Sweet Peas early — and then 

 start them early under glass. Get small pots 

 — paper are the best for this purpose. About 

 two inches in diameter and very deep. Two 

 or three seeds to a pot, thinned to one plant. 

 Little twigs will keep them upright. Grow 

 cool; and harden off thoroughly. 



□ Now is the time to make changes for 

 the better — in your mind's eye, and noted on 

 paper. Do the work later on. 



□ Phlox lagging? — small flowers and few, 

 weak plants? Probably been in too long; need 

 new soil and more room. Change 'em early 

 to get good bloom this season. 



In the Greenhouse 



A/TOST important work for this month 

 -*--*■ is starting seeds for vegetable and 

 flower gardens. First vegetables go in early 

 this month. This is earlier than they are 

 usually planted; but give them plenty of room 

 and grow them cool and slow. 



To get the very best plants (vegetable or 

 flowers), grow them in individual paper pots 

 or dirt bands. The latter are merely strips 



of paper, placed in a flat to hold them in 

 place, which confine the roots of each plant 

 so that when taken out they are not injured 

 in the least! 



□ Start cuttings for spring bedding plants. 

 New growth of wood (as result of getting 

 stock plants into active growth — see last 

 month's Reminder) should furnish good 

 supply now. Get fresh clean sand; medium 

 coarse, such as used for concrete work by 

 builders. 



Clean out cutting bed, and spray with 

 good fungicide; whitewash; be sure that 

 bottom and supports are strong as moist sand 

 is very heavy; put in fresh drainage material 

 to avoid possibility of disease; press down, 

 water thoroughly; and ready for cuttings. 

 Use only wood in good condition; too old or 

 too soft will not give sure results; should 

 "snap" when bent between fingers if in 

 proper condition. 



D Overhaul stored roots of Cannas, 

 Dahlias, etc., at once. Discard any injured. 

 Get moss and deep flats in which to "start" 

 them toward end of month; cover roots with 

 moss, 'keep moderately moist, and warm 

 (under bench, near heating pipes). As soon 

 as eyes or buds have begun growth, they can 

 be potted up. 



D Sow now for bloom inside Stocks, 

 Mignonette, and other quick flowering an- 

 nuals that may be wanted. 



D Take heed now for Easter. Plants to 

 be "forced" want starting now. Azalea, 

 Lilacs, Roses, for "baskets" and trellises; 

 Acacias, Deutzias, etc., are adapted for this 

 purpose. Start in moderate heat — 45 to 50 

 degrees night; increase gradually to 60 degrees; 

 hold about there unless season is backward 

 and they have to be rushed the last few days 

 to come in for Easter {i.e. March 31st). 



General Orders 



T>ESTART old bulbs. Callas, Amaryllis, 

 ■*-^- Gloxinias, Tuberous Begonias, etc., held 

 over for rest period, are ready for start- 

 ing now. Knock out of old pots; shake 

 off soil; put in fresh soil or compost — plenty 

 of sand and old manure — water sparingly and 

 keep moderately cool till growth starts; then 

 bring along rapidly. 



□ Repotting time. Now is the time to 

 go over all benches in the houses. Discard 

 old plants that are just wasting room. Repot 

 and retub large plants; make general clean 

 up, and "reorganizing"; get all empty 

 bench space possible for new plants and 

 potted cuttings that will be coming along 

 next month. Provide space where possible 

 under benches on sunny side of house for 

 potted bulbs, cuttings in thumb pots, and other 

 things which will not require head room for a 

 few weeks. Clean house in general for the 

 big spring rush! 



□ Fumigate and spray now! Just before 

 the new stock comes on, make a special drive 

 against all insects and diseases. 



□ Vegetables for growth indoors — repot to 

 maintain active growth, and set out in per- 

 manent positions, as soon as ready, cukes or 

 tomatoes, or melons started last month for 

 growth inside. If to be grown in solid beds, 

 bottom heat may be given. 



□ Make sowing of beets, lettuce, cauli- 

 flower, beans, etc., for crop in greenhouse 



12 



and frames. Cauliflower may be carried along 

 in pots inside until half grown, then set in 

 frames. 



D Start vegetable roots. Asparagus, rhu- 

 barb, Witloof, seakale, etc., available. They 

 force readily now. 



Time now to buy new stock. Get plants 

 while they are small at a quarter or so what 

 they would cost you in May. Grow them on 

 yourself. Do you know the newer Geraniums, 

 for instance? 



In the Frames 



'TpIME now to get out the hotbed \ It will 

 _•*■ take ten days to two weeks from time 

 you get manure until seeds can be planted. 



□ Not too late yet to get a "miniature" 

 greenhouse, or grown-up frame with lamp 

 heating apparatus, to start this year's plants 

 and have extra early vegetables. 



□ Once again — are your old sash all fixed 

 up tight? Last time we're going to warn you 

 about this! 



D Get coldframes ready soon as possible. 

 Even if you have greenhouse or heated 

 frames to start seeds in. Get sash on cold 

 frames, and keep snow off at all times, to 

 get ground thawed and warmed up ready for 

 plants or planting. Lettuce, beets, etc., can 

 go in as soon as ground is ready to dig. Beans 

 can go in the hotbed now, but not in cold- 

 frame until the ground is really warmed up. 

 Use a frame variety. 



Small Fruits 



T OOK over the mulch on strawberries 

 -'—'and see that it is "down" properly. 



D If you haven't yet been over cane fruit 

 prune out now, down to the ground, all the 

 old canes that fruited last year. Leave only 

 the strongest of the new canes. 



The Lawn 



NOT much work now; but an ounce of 

 prevention — see to it that no coal carts 

 or heavy autos get on to your lawn, or back 

 up on to the edges of it in turning round. 

 Remember, too, that there will be work to 

 do on the lawn later. 



□ Order now the things you will need — 

 seed, humus, bone meal, sod-perforator, mower, 

 and roller if your lawn is a large one. 



The Orchard 



"T\ON'T put off pruning and dormant 

 **" spraying that should be done now. 



□ Get a stock of "whips" or "buds," 

 of some of the new varieties of apples to add 

 to your orchard. (You may not have room 

 for more trees, but you have for a few ad- 

 ditional limbs.) Keep them on sand in the 

 cellar, or in sawdust in the icehouse — cool 

 and moist enough to prevent shriveling. 



Plants in the House 



CPRAY regularly to keep plants perfectly 

 ^ clean. 



□ Cut back and feed up old plants now, 

 to get material for cuttings next month. 



D Start Oxalis, Gladiolus, Amaryllis and 

 other bulbs for late spring bloom. 



Don't use any sweet oil, coffee grounds, or 

 other decotions on your potted plants. Prune 

 back; repot if necessary; add a little bone 

 meal; and water carefully. No other tonic 

 needed. 



