Deoember, 1913 



THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



iH9 



Open Border Notes for 

 December. 



All summer seedlings should go in 

 without much delaj-. Half the battle in 

 giving them a good start is to have the 

 ground well watered a day or two he- 

 forehand, so that it is moist and kindly 

 to the touch when dug and raked over. 

 Also water the seedlings well before 

 taking out of the seed box or pot, plant 

 them firmly but not too deeply, and 

 water and mulch at' once. If bought 

 seedlings are wilteti before you have a 

 chance of putting them in, it is a good 

 plan to plant the whole packet, without 

 undofng the wrapping, in moist earth, 

 water them well, and cover them with 

 a pot or box for a few hours. 



Sabvias, Asters, Petunias, Dianthus, 

 Gaillardias, Zinnias. Phlox, Marigolds, 

 Celosias, Amaranthus, Cosmos, and 

 Calliopsis are a dozen which will give 

 you no trouble. 



Cannas are one of the hungry ones. 

 The)' will not make the lusty, vigorous 

 growth which makes such an addition 

 to their beauty unless they have plenty 

 of water and a good mulch of manure 

 which has some body in it. Some weak 

 liquid manure once a week will also 

 help them along. Mention of the canna 

 reminds one that seed should be sown 

 now. It is very hard, hence their name 

 Indian Shot, and will be none the worse 

 for a thorough soaking. Pour very hot 

 water over them and let them steep in 

 this for twelve hours. 



Other seed which can be sown to 

 advantage this month are Cineraria (do 

 not, by the way, forget the Stellata type, 

 of which we saw such a beautiful show 

 last month). Cyclamen, and Primulas, 

 either for indoor or outdoor flowering. 

 Gloxinia, Calceolaria, and Begonia 

 where you have facilities for growing 

 them. The always popular Pansies and 



Stock at the end of the month, though 

 you may get there almost, if not quite, 

 as soon with much later sowing. Bal- 

 sam grow and flower very quickly, and 

 if you have room for a packet or two, 

 in not too sunny a place, why just dib 

 them in nine or ten inches apart. Hoe, 

 mulch and water and you won't be dis- 

 appointed. Small patches of summer 

 flowering annuals just to make up for 

 failures in earlier sown lots may be 

 made, ljut in a general way we should 

 have finished with the late flowering 

 plants of this season and be looking 

 forward to the early flowering ones of 

 next. Snapdragons, Penstemons, and 

 Columbines are three you should sow 

 if you have not already done so. Don't 

 hurry the seedlings when they appear, 

 just keep them gently moving. 



Don't forget that the nurserymen are 

 able to sell you some very nice dahlia 

 plants in pots, which will be flowering 

 in three or four months' time. That is, 

 they will flower if you do your share. 

 In planting out see that they have been 

 well watered beforehand and that the 

 soil is nice and mellow. Knock them 

 gently but firmly out of the pots, and 

 please do not pull them out by the stalk. 

 Plant them firmly, but you can do this 

 without your numljer nine boot. Boots 

 and the brittle roots of the dahlia do 

 not agree. Early planted tubers and last 

 year's clumps of the coarser kinds will 

 be making very strong growth. Unless 

 you want them to flower at the hottest 

 and most trying time, try cutting them 

 down and let them begin again. Some 

 plants might object to this treatment, 

 but the dahlia appears to thrive on it. 

 You. do not want to rush this plant 

 along at this time of the year, as long as 

 they are healthy and making moderate 

 growth you can be a little easy with 

 the water tap. 



Cut back carnations which are show- 

 ing a lot of old stems. Keep them well 

 mulched and watered and you will be 

 delighted with the fresh lease of flower- 

 ing life which will result. Verbenas 

 will respond to the same treatment. 

 Geraniums which may be looking shabby 

 will also be all the better for it. 



Don't forget that you do as much 

 good by spreading a dray load of man- 

 ure, or a barrow load for that matter, 

 on the surface of the garden as by dig- 

 ging it in. Some, at least, of the "good- 

 ness' goes down with the watering, and 

 what is left of the mulch in autumn 

 will do as much good in opening and 

 lightening the ground then as now. 

 Plant food in super, bone dust, and 

 potash is more cheaply bought than in 

 manure, and in any case what you save 

 in water by the use of a good two, three 

 or four inch mulch will go a long way 

 towards paying for any artificial sub- 

 stitute. 



Mulching naturally reminds one of 

 the roses. Those which were cut back 

 after the first flowering are making pre- 

 parations for a second and perhaps un- 

 natural crop in a few weeks' time. They 

 will be helped by a regular weekly al- 

 lowance of some gentle stimulant in the 

 way of manure water. Do not forget 

 the chrysanthemum bed when trundling 

 the mulching barrow. Where ordinary 

 decorative blooms are wanted it will 

 be time to cut the plants down. They, 

 like the dahlia, will not mind at all. 

 Water as they need it. but do not flood 

 the bed. Delphiniums and Pentste- 

 mons will both be candidates for any 

 you have to spare. Keep the former 

 clear of old flowered spikes and all 

 new growth securely staked as soon as 

 it becomes necessary. 



If you have not divided up your vio- 

 let, polyanthus and primroses it may 

 still be done or can be left till March 



CARNATIONS. 



LANE'S NOVELTIES— STRONG- 

 PLANTS NOW READY. 

 INSPECTION INVITED. 



Cut Flowers of all kinds aJways on 

 hand and cut to Order. 



J. O. LANE, 



NUXSEHYMAN, WALKERVIIiLE 



