March, 1913 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



with a special water-proofed "protecting 

 cloth" stretched over a light wooden frame. 

 This cloth costs but a few cents a yard, and 

 comes in light, medium and heavy weights, 

 and may be put on in a single layer, or 

 double, stretched over both the upper and 

 lower surface of the frame, to provide an 

 air space between. The cloth sashes have 

 the advantage over the glass in that they 

 provide some ventilation and require much 

 less attention. They will not, however, keep 

 out quite as much cold nor let in as much 

 sunlight. Plants, however, thrive well be- 

 neath them. They are an almost indis- 

 pensible aid to the gardener, and as they 

 cost very little (forty to seventy-five cents 

 complete) everyone who grows vegetables 

 at all should provide himself with several. 



BIG CROPS OUT OF SEASON 



The vegetables which are suited for this 

 frame gardening may be considered in two 

 classes — the hardy and the tender ones. 



All of the former will stand being frozen 

 slightly, especially if care is taken to let 

 them thaw out in the shade, and to give 

 them a good drenching with the cold water 

 available. They include lettuce, radishes, 

 beets, cauliflower, carrots and turnips. The 

 frame should be so situated that perfect 

 drainage is possible, and the soil made rich 

 and light by the addition of a thick coating 

 of old, well-rotted manure, thoroughly 

 spaded or forked in. Water too, should 

 be available in generous quantity. 



Lettuce: This peerless salad plant is 

 ideal for growing in frames, as it thrives 

 in a cool temperature, occupies little space 

 and matures quickly. Into the first hot-bed, 

 prepared in February or March, put a few 

 dozen plants of some good forcing sort, 

 such as Grand Rapids (loose-headed) and 

 Hot-house, Hillinger's Belmont, or Big 

 Boston and Rapids may be planted six 

 inches apart each way, but the others should 

 go at least eight inches, in rich soil. Water, 

 sparingly at first, and only on bright sunny 

 mornings, keeping the foliage as dry as pos- 

 sible. After the plants are well started a 

 very little nitrate of soda, sprinkled about 

 them, but never touching the leaves, will 

 hurry them along. If you have not started 

 your own plants in the house, you can get 

 them from some local greenhouse, or by 

 mail. The night temperature should be 

 forty to forty-five, and the ventilation 

 should be given in the day as soon as the 

 tempertature reaches sixty-five to seventy. 

 The more air the healthier the plants ! For 

 a succession, seed should be sown every 

 two or three weeks, in a plot, and then 

 transplanted to about three inches each way, 

 before setting in permanent position. 



Radishes: Rapid Red and Crimson Giant 

 Globe are two excellent sorts for forcing 

 in frames. I plant them in alternate rows, 

 four inches apart, and the former are ready 

 to pull by the time the latter, which grow 

 much larger, need all the room. Work a 

 little land plaster into the soil, sow the seed 

 thinly to avoid much thinning, and give the 

 bed a good watering to insure quick germi- 

 nation. Temperature same as for lettuce. 



Beets: Early Model is one of the best 

 quality forcing sorts. Seed should be 

 started and once transplanted, same as let- 

 tuce, before setting in soil. Or they can be 

 sown directly in the soil, and a crop of let- 

 tuce or radishes taken off between the rows, 

 which are ten to twelve inches apart, before 

 the beets require the room. Set on thin 

 to four inches apart in the row. 



Carrots: Early Xantes and Chantenav 

 (Model; are good for growing in frames. 

 Sow in rows one foot apart, with two rows 

 of radish, or one of lettuce (Grand Rapids, 

 Tom Thumb or Mignonette plants) be- 

 tween them. 



Hodgson Portable Houses 



Artistically designed and finished, made of the most durable materials and practical 

 at any time of the year in any climate. Made for innumerable purposes. Erection of 

 buildings extremely simple and can be done by unskilled labor in a few hours'time. 



Send for illustrated circulars and state what you are interested in. 

 E. F. HODGSON CO., 116 Washinaton St., Room 227 , Boston, Mass. 



Pony- 

 Stable 



are supplied every year direct to more American planters than are 

 the seeds of any other growers. Do your seeds come direct from 

 Philadelphia? If not, we should like to make your acquaintance. 

 Simply send us your address (a postal card ■will do) and you -will 



receive Burpee's Annual for 1913, — a bright book of 180 pages, which has long been recognized as "The Leading 



American Seed Catalog." Kindly write to-day! Address 



Burpee's Seeds 



W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO. 



Burpee Buildings, Philadelphia 



Start a Fernery 



Brighten up the deep, shady nooks on your lawn, or that dark 



porch corner — just the places for our hardy wild ferns and wild flower 



collections. We have been growing them for 25 years and know 



what varieties are suited to your conditions. Tell us the kind 



of soil you have — light, sandy, clay — and we will advise you. 



Gillett's Ferns and Flowers 



will give the charm of nature to your yard. These include not only hardy wild 

 ferns, but native orchids, and flowers for wet and swampy spots, rocky hillsides 

 and dry woods. We also grow such hardy flowers as primroses, campanulas, 

 digitalis, violets, hepaticas, trilliums, and wild flowers which require open sunlight 

 as well as shade. If you want a bit of an old-time wildwood garden, with flowers 

 just as Nature grows them — send for our new catalogue and let us advise you 

 what to select and how to succeed with them. 



EDWARD GILLETT, Box D, Southwick, Mass. 



The Scientific American Boy 



I 



By A. RUSSELL BOND. 320 pp.,. 340 lllus. $2 postpaid 

 A STORY OF OUTDOOR BOY LIFE 



Suggests a large number of diversions which, aside from affording 

 entertainment, will stimulate in boys the creative spirit. Com- 

 plete practical instructions are given (or building the various arti- 

 cles, such as Scows. Canoes. Windmills. Water Wheels, Etc. 



Rare Beauty 

 TasteJElegance 

 ForYourHome 



A little money, wisely invested 

 in thrifty evergreens, transforms 

 an ordinary place into one of dis- 

 tinction and character. Make your 

 home surroundings more eye-pleas- 

 ing. Make your property more ' 

 valuable/ 



Hill's Evergreens 



Best for over 56 years 



are hardy, certain of growth. Largest, 

 choicest selection in America. Don t 

 risk failure. Plant Hill's Evergreens — 

 ^get finest trees, handsomest foliage. 

 Send Today for Hill's 

 Free Evergreen Book 

 Write at ONCE for this beau- 

 tiful color-illustrated book. 

 Learn Hill's perfected 

 method of growing, trans- 

 ( planting, shipping. This 

 I new bonk and our expert 

 [idvice absolutely free. 



D.Hill NurseryCo., Inc. 

 261 Cedar St. 

 Dundee, III. 



Christmas 

 Roses 



Six varieties 



Send for Catalog. 

 The Elm City Nursery Co, 

 New Haven, Dept. M., Conn. 



YOU can 

 grow prize 

 winning 

 Chrysanthe- 

 mum blooms 

 like this pict- 

 ure and giant 

 carnations if 

 you buy the young plants now. Grow 

 on in pots or boxes until May, then 

 plant in garden. We furnish 20 strong 

 plants assorted, either or both, for $ 1 .00 

 postpaid by Parcels Post. All colors 

 known included. Or you can make 

 the 20 up in part of other plants ; 

 heliotropes, marguerites, geraniums, 

 double nasturtiums, ivies, icepinks 

 and any bedding plant in general 

 Cultural Directions included. 



The Harlowarden Greenhouses 



GREENPORT, NEW YORK 



