XX 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



March, 1908 



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stubby side branches. Aim to make these 

 plants renew themselves almost wholly. A 

 profusion of flowers depends on new and 

 vigorous growth. 



Do not prune hydrangeas at this season if 

 you have any reason to think flower-buds were 

 formed last fall. If you do, you will sacrifice 

 this season's crop of flowers. If no buds show 

 after the plants have begun to grow well, it 

 will be safe to prune. This plant can be cut 

 back sharply, as it sends out many new 

 branches to take the place of old ones that are 

 cut away. 



Chrysanthemums will put up many sprouts 

 from the old roots. Cut these apart and pot 

 them, to grow into plants for fall use. 



Take tuberous begonias and gloxinias out 

 of the soil in which they were left in the fall 

 and spread them out on a damp cloth in a 

 warm spot to sprout. As soon as growth be- 

 gins put them into six-inch pots of light, 

 porous soil. The reason why sprouting before 

 potting is advised is it is not always easy to 

 tell which side of the tubers ought to go up 

 or down until sprouts appear. If planted 

 wrong side up they often refuse to grow. 



Bring out your canas, caladiums, gladiolus 

 and dahlias, and look them over carefully to 



make sure of their condition. Throw away 

 every root that shows any tendency to disease. 

 Do not take these roots back to the cellar after 

 having brought them up, but wrap them in 

 paper and store in a cool, dry place until plant- 

 ing time. 



Fuchsias, being early bloomers, ought to be 

 repotted before they have made much growth. 



Pelargoniums should be showing buds now. 

 Fertilize well, and be sure to keep the aphis 

 from injuring them. Give plenty of sun- 

 shine and little heat. If any have bloomed 

 and completed their flowering period, cut the 

 plants back sharply — in fact, leave little but a 

 stubby framework upon which, or from which, 

 to form a new plant for another season's use. 

 I would advise, however, starting new plants 

 from cuttings made from the branches pruned 

 away, as young plants are more satisfactory 

 for window-garden use than old ones ever are. 



Look the flower-garden over, and see what 

 needs doing there this spring. Mark for re- 

 moval all shrubs of inferior quality. You 

 can afford to grow only the best. 



If any shrubs seem to have outlived their 

 usefulness, order others to take their places. 

 Have these sent so they can be planted as soon 

 as the ground is in working condition. 



A FEW YARD FRUITS 



{Continued from page x) 



do not know where we will find anything 

 handsomer than Diamond. This is truly mag- 

 nificent in size, while the tree is sturdy and 

 productive and hardy. Mary proves to be an- 

 other sturdy tree, bearing a yellow fruit of fine 

 quality. Monarch is a very late plum, of 

 huge size and fine quality, but I am not quite 

 sure of the tree. Peter's Yellow Gage is an 

 old plum, but it ought not to be overlooked 

 in a small yard. It is the best yellow plum I 

 have ever tasted. Grand Duke is a thoroughly 

 satisfactory plum, ripening in October. The 

 tree is very erect; the plum very large and 

 very good. Reine Claude is nearly as good 

 as the Green Gage, bears heavily, and ripens 

 nearly as late as Grand Duke. After testing 

 a large number of Mr. Burbank's introduc- 

 tions, I like best of all Shiro. The tree is 

 absolutely hardy, and the plum a light yellow, 

 of large size, and exceedingly beautiful as well 

 as good. For late his Gold is the best that I 

 have tested, and it is a noble plum. These two 

 sorts show not the least sign of rot. America 

 I like much better than I did, for a very early 

 sort ; and the tree is entirely hardy. It al- 

 ways bears heavy crops. I find that it must 

 be picked, like Abundance, as soon as it be- 

 gins to color, and ripened in the house. Red 

 June and Sultan have not proved entirely 

 hardy, but the first is of fine quality, while 

 Sultan can hardly be exceeded. The Sultan 

 is red-fleshed, and rather a straggling grower. 

 On the whole, Abundance can not be dis- 

 pensed with, for both cropping and quality. 

 I have not yet fruited the Apple plum, nor 

 the Climax. I like the Bartlett for its growth, 

 being very much like a small Lombardy 

 poplar. 



If anyone cares to try peaches in the North 

 I can recommend Crosby and Champion as 

 two of the hardiest. Fitzgerald has given me 

 no fruit. Carman has fruited once. I should 

 select at present Alton, Champion, Illinois 

 and Carman. Waddell is almost a copy of 

 Carman and about as hardy. In my Florida 

 garden I select from a list of very late sorts 

 collected by my friend Munson, of Denison, 

 Texas. Try growing seedlings. 



I have two new grapes from Mr. Munson's 

 hybrids, which are doing admirably well with 

 me in New York, the Headlight and the 

 Wapanuka. I notice two new grapes, which 

 I have not yet tested, but feel very sure of, 

 the Sunrise and the Eclipse. Of the older 

 sorts I would hold myself pretty closely to 

 Worden, Moores Early, Lindley, Niagara, 

 Goertner and Herbert. These must be so 

 planted that the Lindley and Herbert shall 

 be pollenized from the others. Brighton is 

 incapable of self-pollenization ; but planted in 

 the row with Moore or Niagara will be fine. 

 Nectar is one more that must not be over- 

 looked. 



STUDY ARCHITECTURE 



EASY LESSONS 



OR STEPPING-STONE TO 



ARCHITECTURE 



BY THOMAS MITCHELL 



A SIMPLE TEXT-BOOK telling in a 

 ■*■■*■ series of plain and simple answers 

 to questions all about the various orders, 

 as well as the general principles of con- 

 struction. The book contains 92 pages, 

 printed on heavy cream plate paper, and 

 illustrated by 150 engravings, amongst 

 which are illustrations of various historic 

 buildings. Tbe book is 12mo in size and 

 is attractively bound in cloth. 



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