October, 1909 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Vil 
like altalta in the North, and then plowed 
under to add nitrogen and humus to the soil. 
We hope that the fool work of wasting by fire 
what nature tries to give us is not likely to 
continue much longer. It is of no use to any- 
body but the cattle-rangers, and really is 
not as good for them as a good stout stock law 
would be. In the orchard we are accustomed 
to using beggar-weed and cow peas for a sum- 
mer cover crop. Anyone who can succeed in 
fruit growing in the North ought to succeed 
in this soil and climate, but a lazy lout will 
starve here as easily as in Massachusetts. 
THE SAND-BOX 
By Ida D. Bennett 
NYTHING which makes for ease and 
A convenience in gardening should be 
welcome to the gardener, and in the 
sand-box one finds a convenience which solves 
many vexed questions of management of those 
plants which are not in evidence during the 
summer, and yet must have attention to fit 
them for their place in the window-garden 
and conservatory during winter. 
It is intended primarily for the housing—if 
one may use that term for an out-of-door con- 
struction—of young plants which are too 
tender or unsuited for planting out in the 
open ground, or of a size to be brought into 
the house for winter blooming, and also for 
those house plants which it is not desired to 
have bloom during summer, but to get into 
the best possible condition for winter bloom- 
ing. 
It consists of a shallow box of any desired 
dimensions, preferably long and narrow, or 
at least not too wide to reach across comfort- 
ably when sitting in a chair beside it. It 
should not be more than five or six inches 
deep. It should be mounted on some kind of 
a support of a substantial character, as, when 
filled with plants and sand, the weight is con- 
siderable, and of a height that will be conve- 
nient when sitting on a chair or stool. It 
should be filled with clean, white sand—that 
from the lake is best—kept constantly moist. 
Into this moist sand the pots are plunged to 
their rims, the tall ones in the rear and the 
smaller ones in front. It may be made at- 
tractive by trailing vines over the sides and 
ends to hide the supports. 
The best position for the sand-box is on 
the east side of the house where it will get the 
morning sun, but be screened from the hot 
sun from the south and west. 
The wet sand keeps the roots of the plants 
cool and moist at all times and in the best 
possible condition for growth, while the mois- 
ture evaporating from the sand creates an 
atmosphere similar to that in a greenhouse 
with the added advantage of fresh air and 
sunshine. 
In this favorable situation tender seedlings 
such as cinnerarias, gloxinias, begonias, carna- 
tions and the like will make a rapid, healthy 
growth and no better place can be found for 
the rootings of cuttings. I have never found 
a cutting that would not root here, roses espe- 
cially find in the sand-box a congenial place 
to rodt and grow, and it is only necessary to 
thrust the cuttings—the stems from cut flow- 
ers may be utilized for this purpose—into the 
sand between the pots to insure growth. 
Gloxinia and begonia leaves laid on the 
sand and the stems thrust under the edge of a 
pot will quickly root, the gloxinia forming 
first a callous and then a bulb and root. As 
nearly all plants will grow freely in clean 
sand, if one forms the habit of sticking any 
cuttings that come to hand during the summer 
in the sand-box they will find themselves with 
an excellent collection of well-rooted plants 
by fall, only one must never allow the sand 
to become dry. 
In other days when the good people 
went to the grocery for soda crackers they 
got just common crackers in common paper bags. 
NOW 
Uneeda 
=f it 
come to you in that wondrous package 
that enables you to enjoy such soda 
crackers as those old folks never knew. 
NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY 
Farr’s Hardy Plant Specialties 
For October 2x Early Fall Planting 
PEONIES—wmy collection has a world-wide reputation. I have 
ready this fall more than 100.000 strong roots, in some 420 kinds. 
which will be sure to bloom next year. 
IRISES—My surpassing collection has no equal in America. 
It embraces every good one of the innumerable varieties in the 170- 
odd known species. I have hundreds of kinds, all of proved merit. 
PHLOXES—a superb assortment, embracing all the latest 
novelties. A specially fine stock of healthy young plants sure to 
bloom next season. Special prices on application. 
DELPHINIUMS—The finest lot of hybrid kinds I have ever 
grown or seen—many of them the superior of all the named 
varieties. 
SPECIAL OCTOBER OFFER, WHILE THEY LAST, 
of Farr’s Hybrid Delphiniums $2.50 per doz. $18.00 per 100. 
Stock limited. 
Shall I send you my catalogue? It is free to all who are interested 
in hardy plants, And you will find it worth while. 
BERTRAND H. FARR, 809 E Penn St.’ 
Wyomissing Nurseries, Reading, Pa. 
IThe Candy of Character 
On the Character of Candy 
depends its fitness for 
gift making. 
{No Candy is so well fitted 
and graciously accepted as 
‘* Candies of Rare Quality.” 
ANTIQUES 
I have a very large stock of Old China, Old Mahogany 
Fumiture, Brasses, Coppers, Pewter, Antique Jewelry, 
etc. My twenty-page Catalogue quotes descriptions and 
prices of all, Sent to any one interested in Antiques. 
ADA M. ROBERTS 
Box 63, WASHINGTON NEW 
HAMPSHIRE 
