HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 



HOW EARLY MAY I PLANT? 



There is probably no gardening question so frequently asked as "How Early May I 

 Plant?" and no question about which it is more difficult to give advice. As the subject is 

 of so much interest to many, we quote a sample letter received by us from a Western cus- 

 tomer, and our reply: 



"I greatly appreciate the Garden Guide and Record you sent me with my recent 

 purchase, and note that you will appreciate suggestions for improving it. 



I would suggest that you include a table of latitudes which approximately designate 

 the time of beginning gardening operations in spring, giving the cities nearest those latitudes 

 as for instance at 40 degrees, the cities of Philadelphia, Columbus, O., Quincy, 111., and 

 Denver, Colo., would be nearest this latitude. 



The others could be shown in the same way, going across the country." 



PETER HENDERSON & CO.'S REPLY 



" We very much appreciate s'our suggestion regarding a planting table arranged 

 in latitudes to sow certain seeds and set out certain plants. Your latitude theory while 

 theoretically appealing we do not think would work out, for altitude is such an important 

 factor. As a rule the higher the altitude the cooler and more backward the season, and 

 yet there are exceptions. Take your illustration for an example: the cities near the 40th 

 degree latitude extending from Philadelphia to Denver. The former is probably not over 

 50 feet above sea level and, therefore, should have a warmer and earlier spring than 

 Denver, which is 5,200 feet above sea level, yet yesterday's highest temperature in 

 Philadelphia was only 50 degrees, while that of Denver was 70 degrees, accounted for by the 

 fact that the prevailing winter winds at Denver are from the South; thus the temperature 

 is greatly modified by the winds coming from the dry, warm regions of Arizona, etc. 



In addition to thermal waves, latitude and altitude, there are other conditions to con- 

 sider, viz., early, late and normal seasons; the lay of the land and the consequent effect 

 of the sun; the soil, whether light, well underdrained and "early" or compact and clayey, 

 which means cold and late. Even in localities in comparative proximity these local condi- 

 tions may make advisable planting dates vary from one to two weeks." 



Dr. Bailey, the Dean of Horticulture at Cornell, explains the matter well in his recent 

 book entitled "The Manual of Gardening," from which we quote as follows: 



"A person who is intelligent enough to make a garden, does not need an arbitrary calendar 

 of operations. Too exact advice is misleading. and unpractical. Most of the older garden- 

 ing books were arranged wholly on the calendar method— giving specific directions for each 

 month in the year. We have now accumulated sufficient facts and experience to enable us 

 to state principles; and these principles can be applied anywhere — when supplemented 

 by good judgment — whereas mere rules are arbitrary and generally useless for any other 

 condition than that for which they were specifically made. Seasons and conditions vary 

 so much in different years and different places that no hard and fast advice can be given 

 for the performing of garden operations." 



A Few Principles to Consider in Gardening Operations: Phenology— The observ- 

 ing and noting local annual progression and decline of seasons as indicated by animal and 

 plant life, dates of migration, leafing, flowering, maturity and defoliation. If these physio- 

 logical epochs of the year are carefully studied, they will enable one to determine, among 

 other things, whether spring in your locality, is awakening fitful and variable or in a thor- 

 ough and general manner, and this should be the planting guide. Only a few plants, 

 trees or shrubs should be chosen for observation, and these should be those that do not 

 respond quickly to a few prematurely warm spring days. Among the reliables for yearly 

 records are apple, quince, cherry, strawberry, lilac, dogwood, grape, etc. Noting the 

 progressive swelling of the leaf buds and expanding leaves of the grape has been the writer's 

 infallible guide for several years as to when spring had really come. It should be realized 

 that the soil's temperature, only a few inches from the surface, seldom varies over one-third 

 of that of the atmosphere and the real problem with which seeds, plants, etc., have to con- 

 tend is below ground. 



