The Garden Magazine 



Vol. XVII— No. 2 



Published Monthly 



MARCH, 1913 



j One Dollar Fifty Cents a Year 

 I Fifteen Cents a Copy 



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REMINDER 



[For the purpose of reckoning dates, New York is 

 generally taken as a standard. Allow six days' differ- 

 ence for every hundred miles of latitude.] 



Where to Work in March 



IN the garden proper, doing the first real 

 outdoor work of the year. In the 

 hotbeds, where things should be in full 

 swing. Among the fruits, getting ready 

 for the growing season. About the grounds 

 fixing up after a winter of enforced idleness. 



For best results, both summer and winter, 

 you should have a little greenhouse. Al- 

 most as good is a permanent, well built 

 hotbed. 



Even a simple coldframe, or individual 

 protecting boxes are mighty helpful. 



And if nothing else is possible, a few 

 flats or seed boxes in the kitchen are infi- 

 nitely better than nothing. 



Whichever it is, get busy at it right away. 



What You Can Do With Flowers 



HPAKE Cuttings of allamanda, carna- 

 -*- tions, chrysanthemum, coleus, eupa- 

 torium, euphorbia, fuchsia, geranium, 

 heliotrope, impatiens, lantana, mahernia, 

 perennial myosotis, Panicum variegatum, 

 pelargonium, roses (for next winter) salvia, 

 stevia, Streptosolen Jamesonii, Vinca rosea, 

 var. alba and V. major. 



Repot Cuttings of acalypha, maranta 

 and double petunias now well established; 

 and the ferns and palms that have been in- 

 doors all winter and seem to need a little 

 encouragement. 



In repotting use a pot but slightly larger 

 than the old one ; in the case of large mature 

 plants, simply replace the loose soil with a 

 new, well enriched compost. 



Sow indoors seeds of ageratum, 

 aster, tuberous begonia, calendula, cos- 

 mos, cyclamen, lobelia, mimosa, nico- 

 tiana, oxalis, pennisetum, petunia, phlox, 



primula, rhodanthe, salpiglossis, salvia, 

 stock, sunflower, torenia, verbena, vinca, 

 zinnia and all other annuals that you 

 can think of. 



Sow outdoors, plenty of sweet peas. 



Some Bulbous Duties 



START begonia, caladium, canna, gladi- 

 olus, and gloxinia in light, rich soil 

 and moderate heat. 



Give plenty of water to those bulbs that 

 are growing and blooming. 



As fast as the blossoms fade shake the 

 earth off the bulbs and store them where 

 they will keep cool and dry. Later, after a 

 resting period, they can be planted out- 

 doors, and if hardy left for spring flowers 

 next year. 



To save time with dahlias, start the 

 bulbs in moist sand, moss or soil and when 

 planting time comes set out cuttings several 

 inches long. 



Remove the mulch from perennial beds 

 and borders. Always keep a little pro- 

 tective material handy in case of a cli- 

 matic relapse. 



In the Greenhouse 



SHADE the young and tender plants. 

 If few, a screen or curtain will answer; 

 for more extensive results whitewash the 

 roof. 



Admit plenty of air — carefully — every 

 day. 



Remove all dead leaves from the house 

 plants. Syringe them to drive away the 

 red spider. Fumigate with tobacco for 

 the green fly. 



Plants that look poorly should be repotted 

 or plentifully supplied with liquid manure. 



Starting the Vegetables 



UNDER Cover: About March i, beets, 

 cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery 

 lettuce. 



About March 10, onion, leeks, tomatoes, 

 melons, cucumber and squash. 



About March 20, peppers, eggplant, 

 beans. 



Outdoors: as soon as the ground can be 

 worked, peas, spinach, parsley. 



Spread well rotted manure along the 

 asparagus row, to be worked in later. 



Sprout some potatoes in an open tray in 

 a cool, moist place. By planting sprouts 

 or cuttings you gain several weeks at the 

 other end. 



In sowing peas, remember that the 

 smooth varieties are the hardiest and should 

 be started first. 



83 



What You Can Do For the Fruits 



PRUNE the brambles; cut out old and 

 small canes; leave a few strong ones 

 — blackberry 3 to 3J feet long, raspberry 

 2 § to 3 feet. 



Then build a support to hold the canes 

 up and make cultivating, spraying and 

 picking much easier. 



Clean up the stubs of branches broken 

 from the fruit trees during the winter. 



Scrape the trunks of old, shaggy trees and 

 burn the scrapings. 



Dehorn undesirable trees and top work 

 with improved high quality varieties. Graft 

 not more than a third of the tree each year. 



Finish spraying with those strong, effec- 

 tive scalecides. 



Rake most of the mulch off the straw- 

 berry rows. After forking in what is left 

 spread clean straw or marsh hay (any 

 coarse grass if you are inland) between the 

 rows. 



For the Sake of the Looks 



IF YOU manured your lawn last winter 

 rake off the coarse litter that remains. 

 If you didn't, top dress the grass with bone 

 meal and, when growth really starts, nitrate 

 of soda. 



Meantime seed down thin spots, fill in 

 depressions and level off humps, and roll 

 thoroughly while the ground is moist. 



To make new lawns, grade, level, seed 

 and roll as soon as you can get on the 

 ground. 



For all lawn work — creating or repair- 

 ing — buy the best, even if highest priced, 

 seed. 



Roll the paths and driveways, too, not 

 forgetting to develop good crowns. 



What precautions have you taken against 

 the washing of these drives? Have you 

 gutters or curbs of brick, stone or tile? 

 Now is the time to lay such things. 



Trim and tie up vines on wall, pergola 

 and summer house. Of course, ivy, euony- 

 mus and such dingers don't need much 

 support or trimming. 



But if there are dead, brown leaves on 

 the ivy, clean them off with a broom. 



Wax for Grafting 



HPHIS is good to have around not only 

 *- for budding and grafting, but for 

 covering small wounds, cracks, etc. A 

 standard recipe is resin four parts, bees- 

 wax two parts, tallow one part (by weight). 

 Melt together, pour into cold water, then 

 pull with greased hands until very fight 

 colored. 



