THE MONTH'S REMINDER, APRIL, 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, check off with a pencil, 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. 



OVER THE TOP" with rake and 

 hoe to roll up the greatest pro- 

 duction of food in the small gardens 

 of America that has ever been" 

 known! But — before leaving the winter 

 trenches for "fighting in the open," give 

 definite heed to these things: 



1. Have you prepared your campaign and 

 secured your supplies to every last detail? 

 Check up every item; order seeds and fertilizers 

 for succession and winter plantings; insecticides 

 and other sundries. 



2. Realize that this year you are not out 

 to beat your neighbor in the gardening game, 

 but to fight shoulder to shoulder against 

 the menace of a common enemy — Starva- 

 tion! Give all the help you can to any 

 neighbor trying to do his "bit." 



fall-planted bulb garden; don't leave it on too 

 long for the purpose of "protecting" the 

 plants. 



□ As soon as the new growth of foliage 

 starts, rake up the soil; this will destroy 

 any starting weeds. 



D Replant old clumps of perennials. 

 With the exception of Peonies and a very few 

 other hardy things, most hardy perennials 

 are better if taken up and separated every 

 three or four years. 



In the Greenhouse 



AX7TTH the warmer weather, everything 



» » will begin to shoot ahead with leaps 



and bounds. The big problem indoors this 



month is to keep up with the work. Don't 



In the Vegetable Garden 



' I *HE very first step — if not done last 

 •*■ month — is to Q get the manure upon 

 the ground. The more manure the better; 

 but if you can get only a limited amount, 

 spread it over the whole garden instead 

 of concentrating it upon one part. 



□ Plow or spade up your garden as 

 early as possible — but don't touch it before 

 it is ready. Wait till dry enough to crum- 

 ble apart after being gently pressed in the 

 hand, instead of remaining in a wet pasty 

 lump. 



□ As soon as the ground is fit to work 

 plant the hardiest things — which willstand 

 considerable frost;these includefirst plant- 

 ings of carrots, beets, radish, lettuce, on- 

 ions, smooth peas, swiss chard, spinach, 

 turnips from seed; and cabbage and beet 

 plants. 



D Second planting consists of — pars- 

 nips, parsley, wrinkled peas, potatoes, 

 salsify, from seed; and lettuce and cauli- 

 flower from plants. 



□ Set out vegetable roots as early as 

 possible — no danger of getting them in 

 too soon, i. e., asparagus, rhubarb, sea 

 kale etc. 



In the Flower Garden 



THIRST of all; D a general all-round 

 ■*■ clean up and scrub up! Leave no 

 old tops and refuse to carry and spread 

 disease. 



D Fork up the soil as soon as sufficiently 

 dried up about the roots; workin a generous 

 application of bone meal and a very light 

 dressing of nitrate of soda as the growth 

 starts. Nitrification in the soil is very slow 

 at this time of the year. 



□ The first thing to plant out of doors? — 

 Sweet Peas! Of course. Get the named 

 Spencer varieties. 



As the ground gets fairly dried out and 

 warmed up a bit, put in hardier varieties of 

 flower seeds such as D Asters, Candytuft, 

 Carnations, Celosia, Centaurea, Marigold, 

 Nasturtiums. These can be sown where 

 they are to grow, but earlier and quicker 

 results are had by making a special seed bed 

 in a frame. Sow thinly, thin out early, and 

 transplant to permanent place. 



G Prepare all flower beds and borders as 

 soon as possible. 



D Remove the winter overcoat from the 



Map of Planting Zones: The first planting time for any crop varies 

 according to location. The zones shown here indicate the general 

 relationships of different parts of the country (as prepared by the 

 Department of Agriculture) . The dates given below are averages and 

 will vary somewhat year by year. The common vegetables are con- 

 sidered in four groups as follows: Group 1 — Smooth peas, onion sets, 

 kale, early cabbage, potatoes, collards, and radishes. Group 2 — 

 Wrinkled peas, beets, carrots, parsnips, lettuce, salsify, and spinach. 

 Group 3 — String beans, tomato plants, sweet corn, and okra. Group 

 4 — Peppers, eggplant, lima beans, cucumbers, melons, sweet potatoes, 

 and squash. 



Planting Dates. Zone E: Group 1 April 15 to May 1, except 

 collards. Group 2, May 1 to May 15. Group 3, May 15 to June 1, 

 except okra. Group 4, June 1 to June 15, except eggplant, melons, 

 sweet potatoes 



Zone D: Group 1, April 1 to April 15. Group 2, April 15 to May 1. 

 Group 3, May 1 to May 15. Group 4, May 15 to June 1. 



Zone C: Group 1, March 15 to April 15. Group 2, April 1 to April 15. 

 Group 3, April 15 to May 1. Group 4, May 1 to May 15. 



Zone B: Group 1, March 1 to March 15. Group 2, March 15 to 

 April 15, except salsify. Group 3, April 1 to April 15. Group 4, 

 April 15 to April 30. 



Zone A: Group 1, February 1 to March 1. Group 2, February 15 

 to March 15, except salsify. Group 3, March 1 to March 31. Group 

 4, March 15 to April 15. 



those on solid benches) can be watered with 

 an irrigation sprinkler or with a line of pipe 

 fitted with greenhouse nozzles, cheaper than 

 hand labor. 



More and more air ! The more ventilation 

 you give now the less watering to do and the 

 better the plants will be. Get "the air on" 

 early in the morning; close up early in the 

 afternoon, before the temperature begins to 

 run down. 



□ Get all growing stuff" out into the 

 frames as rapidly as possible for hardening off. 



□ Plant melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, 

 beans, radishes just as fast as there is room 

 indoors. In planting, don't use fertilizer with 

 too much nitrogen in it as there is probably 

 already plenty in a readily available form in 



the soil. Depend upon the use of nitrate 

 of soda as a top dressing to keep them 

 growing rapidly enough. Fine ground 

 bone and unleached wood ashes, added to 

 a soil already rich with thoroughly de- 

 cayed manure will give a "balanced ra- 

 tion" — or use a high grade complete fer- 

 tilizer. 



□ Take late cuttings now. There's 

 plenty of time to root up another batch 

 including cuttings taken from seedlings 

 that have been started from seed. 



The Frames 



TUT ERE, as in the greenhouse, water, 

 ■*- ■* water, water! If you have more 

 than two or three sash, rig up a pipe 

 line with irrigation nozzles two feet or so 

 apart. 



D An important job with the cold- 

 frames this month is the starting of the 

 late or tender crops such as lima beans, 

 melons, cucumbers, squash and so forth, 

 in dirt bands or paper pots ready to set 

 out in the garden as soon as the weather is 

 warm enough. Each hill can be started 

 in a five or six inch pot and set out com- 

 plete. 



Avoid overcrowding plants in frames; 

 almost any kind of an old improvised 

 frame will do for protecting plants 

 now. 



Shrubs 



think you "can put off 'til to-morrow what 

 should be done to-day" — it will not be put 

 off. Seedlings that need transplanting and 

 plants that need repotting are "ready 

 to-day and spoiled to-morrow." 



Don't waste any surplus plants in the 

 greenhouse this year if it is possible to keep 

 them. Those you do not need will find a 

 ready sale. * ' . . = = 



More and more water ! Keeping growing 

 plants in a sunny greenhouse sufficiently moist 

 may seem like pouring water into a sieve; but 

 it must be done. One day's neglect may see 

 them wilted to the drooping point. Make a 

 habit of watering late in the afternoon. 



Keep your watering equipment up to date. 

 Have plenty of hose and keep it all in good 

 condition. Many things indoors (especially 



127 



CTART off with the growth in a healthy 

 ^ condition. □ Examine for scale before 

 leaves come out and give a dormant spray 

 if necessary. 



D Go over all shrubs. Take out dead 

 and surplus wood. Those that bloom late in 

 summer or in fall may be pruned now. Spring- 

 blooming shrubs have their flowers already 

 formed and if cut back now cannot flower. 



Plant and transplant all you want before 

 growth starts. Cut back the tops quite 

 severely, and cut the roots off clean, instead 

 of pulling and breaking them. 



Walks, Roads, and Drives 



□ Just as soon as the mud has dried up 

 and the sod has begun to get firm again, the 

 edgers, scuffle hoes, and other tools for 

 drives and walks should be put to use. Keep 

 the edges of all walks and drives where they 

 were originally. Mend ragged edges by 

 inserting sod where necessary or by adding 

 soil and seeding down. 



