The Carden Ma 
T he gardener who considers that the month of September is 
one of harvest only is making a mistake for, on the contrary', the 
month offers abundant opportunity for the beginnings of next 
year’s results. The idea of planting during the late summer and early 
fall has become a well established purpose with many people and, in- 
deed, a canvass of the opportunities thus opened up will be a revelation 
to the uninitiated. Indeed, the opportunities for September planting 
(the most conspicuous of which are set down specifically on page 58) 
will make one recall the activities of spring. 
The importance of late summer planting has become definitely 
recognized among certain groups of planters. And for all plants that 
produce their blooms in the early spring, it is a logical time. And this 
is indeed especially true of herbaceous plants. All subjects that make a 
very early start in spring and produce their flowers on their new tender 
growths, will naturally give better results from late summer planting 
than from an early spring shift because, obviously, anything of that 
nature moved in the spring has a double tax upon its strength and vital 
processes. It must make new roots to establish itself in the ground, and 
at the same time fulfill its seasonal function of producing flowers and 
fruit, for which purpose an adequate root action is of prime necessity. 
There is no better illustration than the Peony which all the specialists 
now' acknowledge can be moved almost with indifference in the late 
summer, whereas spring transplanting is no better than if the work had 
been deferred until the following fall. Another plant that is strikingly 
successful in September transplanting is the Iris. 
If w'e had our choice of the season in which to make a general her- 
baceous border, we would do by far the greater part of the work at this 
season. And for several reasons quite apart from those suggested 
above. It is, for instance, a decided advantage to the amateur gar- 
dener to be able to do any constructive w'ork while the season’s impres- 
sions are fresh in the mind. In many cases the plants may be handled 
in their fully developed form so that the massing effects may be seen and 
studied in actuality. It is not every one who can carry in memory the 
exact habits of a number of somewhat unfamiliar plants. This period 
of the year offers splendid opportunity for the study of existing planta- 
tions of any sort, and the making of plans to remove, thin out, or re- 
arrange, according to necessity. 
X OF PARTICULAR importance at this time is attention to the 
lawns, both as regards the one alrea^ established and, more par- 
ticularly, the making of new ones. The summer’s trials will have 
revealed to us any weak spots and there is abundant opportunity to re- 
pair injury at this time and that, too, with a minimum of labor. Dead 
areas may be dug over, new soil and appropriate fertilizer introduced, 
and reseeding done. The natural conditions are such that there is no 
need to do anything else! The ground is receptive, w'ith adequate re- 
serves of both warmth and moisture, so that the seed has better op- 
portunity to grow than it frequently has, in the spring. September, 
indeed, may be considered, for by far the largest portion of the country, 
the ideal month for lawn seeding. 1 he seedsman, as a matter of fact, 
fully realizes this, and is always prepared to supply new season seed in 
lawn mixtures at this time; but strangely, the matter of September 
lawn seeding has not become a general “ fashion.” Grass seeding of any 
sort done now is out of the way, and an early spring growth is assured. 
We all know from experience how multifarious are the duties that 
clamor for attention in spring. We all know from experience how im- 
possible it is to do simultaneously all those things, and that in conse- 
quence some of them are left till a more convenient time. That “more 
convenient time” is here now, and unless the opportunity be taken up 
the result next spring will be the same as that of last spring. 
X JACKSON DAWSON, a man whose work was his life; to whom 
American horticulture owes a debt that can never be adequately 
w paid; the fruits of whose labors the gardeners of this countrv' are 
enjoying; yet a man known to comparatively few outside the circle of 
progressive workers in practical horticulture, died in Boston on August 
3. As superintendent of the Arnold Arboretum from its inception, he 
has handled from time to time millions of seeds of rarest value, and he 
had most extraordinary skill as a plant propagator. His skill, knowl- 
edge, intuition — call it what you may — seemed to approach the 
mystic, for he would succeed in raising and propagating new and strange 
plants the like of which he had never even seen. Jackson Dawson was 
indeed the veritable wizard of horticulture if ever there was one. Col- 
lections from all parts of the world would pour into the Arnold Arbore- 
tum, and whether the seed or graft or cutting lived depended absolutely, 
all those thirty-five years, on the technique o; this one man, Dawson. 
He seemed to know by a mere look at a plant what were its require- 
ments, and that he succeeded so amazingly is evidenced in the Arnold 
Arboretum to-day. Practically every tree and shrub forming that rich 
collection of plants hardy to the region was raised by Jackson Dawson. 
In this way we have become possessed of the living plants from the col- 
lections of Prof. Sargent, Mr. E. H. Wilson, and others. He also col- 
lected many thousands of native specimens for the Arboretum. Being 
occupied so much in introducing the collections of others, he had very 
little time to devote to experimental work of his own; but we are for- 
tunate, however, in that he was one of the very first to appreciate the 
possibilities in hybridizing the Rambler Roses, and our garden material 
is richer for some of his hybrids, such as the Dawson Rose and the 
William C. Egan, which was always a great favorite of his. The growth 
of many of the trees in the Arnold Aboretum is a triumphant demonstra- 
tion of what can be accomplished in the span of one man’s life. Daw- 
son would point with pride to many fine specimens which he had raised 
from seed. One in particular, an Oak seventy feet high, which over- 
shadowed the little greenhouse in which he did his work, had grown on 
the spot where it stands from an acorn planted there when the Ar- 
boretum was first established. Jackson Dawson was born at Hull, 
England, in 1841. 
4 IN RESPONSE to very many requests from our readers, we have 
made arrangements to reprint in book form the entire series of 
articles by Mr. E. H. Wilson, recently published in these pages. In 
announcing this to our readers, we wish to also take this opportunity 
of expressing our gratification at having been the means of introducing 
these writings to the public; and also to thank those of our readers who, 
by their expressions of interest in the articles. during the time of pub- 
lication, have encouraged us in following them up. The Editors are 
always grateful to have expressions of opinion from the individual 
reader, whether in praise or otherwise, because it is only by such ex- 
pressions that the Editors can really be guided into better serving the 
greatest interests of the greater number of individuals. 
X THE GRE.'\TLY increased cost of production, which has be- 
come well nigh universal, has as many of our readers already 
w know, largely affected the printing and publishing interests. The 
price of print paper has almost doubled, dyes for the making of ink are 
scarce and high priced, etc., etc., and there is no prospect of conditions 
again becoming any way near what they were a couple of years ago. 
Believing that the readers of this magazine would prefer to pay a slight 
increase in price rather than to have a cheapened product, the publishers 
announce that there will be an advance in the subscription rate in the 
near future. 
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