188 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
April, 19 17 
I want to send you <;T 
my beautiful, illus- 
trated book called “The Glad- 
iolus.” It contains a short 
history of this beautiful flower, 
tells the best planting location, 
the kind of soil, when and how 
to plant, the care and cultiva- 
tion of the plants while grow- 
ing, how to water, how to 
properly cut the flowers, and 
how to take care of the bulbs; 
or, in a few words, it contains 
the result of my experience with 
Gladiolus covering a number of 
years. 
Gladiolus Bulbs 
Developing my own varieties and 
growing only gladioli, my offerings are 
unaffected in quality or in price by 
the vagaries of foreign importations. 
I have listed some of the most suc- 
cessful varieties with prices. Many 
of these are offered now for the first 
time, and are the very best of my 
prize winning collection. Two very- 
beautiful and popular varieties, Daisy 
Rand and Mary Fennell are illustrated 
in four colors. 
Send for a copy. 
Mary Louise 
Hawkins 
Lancaster 
Mass. 
Our Spring List- 
OF 
Dahlias, Gladioli, Lilies, 
Phlox, Iris 
and other summer-flowering bulbs and hardy 
perennials is now ready. Send for it, and we 
will also send later our Fall Catalogue of the 
Best Dutch Bulbs 
procurable in this country 
Franken Brothers 
Deerfield, Illinois 
f Continued from page 186) 
crop will lose days or weeks of the most fa- 
vorable growing weather of the whole season. 
After the question of seed should be con- 
sidered the question of soil. The texture of 
soil in which potatoes ought to be grown is 
really of vital importance for tubers are in- 
tolerant of soil which is hard, tough, cohesive, 
or sour, l he plants demand good drainage; 
and soil that is rich in humus, mellow in con- 
dition, deeply worked and pulverized until 
it is very friable. Few soils are naturally 
in this condition, regardless of whether they 
are new or have been under cultivation. It 
should, therefore, be understood how best 
to improve soil in which potatoes are to be 
planted. If the area is extensive the best 
method is to apply manure liberally in the 
autumn, to plow under this fertilizer, and to 
leave the land fallow over the winter. If, in 
addition to this fertilizer, a good sod has been 
turned under, the soil will be in admirable 
condition for growing the crop in question. 
Soil treated in this way should, in the spring, 
be thoroughly w-orked with disk harrows until 
not only the surface but the body as well have 
become thoroughly pulverized. If the area 
to be handled is small, the chemical condition 
of the ground may be brought to a state ap- 
proaching perfection by the addition of liberal 
quantities of woods earth, sifted coal ashes, 
and materials of a similar nature. Care, 
however, must be taken not to enrich the 
land too highly with fertilizers having a heavy 
percentage of ammonia, for this will cause 
the crop to develop tops at the expense of 
tubers. 
Ideal potato soil is rich, loose, loamy, sandy 
or gravelly; therefore, as any soil is made to 
approach a soil of this kind, it becomes adap- 
table to the growing of the best potatoes. 
After the seed has been selected and the 
soil prepared, the potatoes should be carefully 
planted. Growers differ as to the proper depth, 
but 4 inches has given excellent results. 
Where the soil is very loose, inclined some- 
what to be blowy and powdery, 5 inches would 
not be too deep to plant. Questions also 
arise concerning the spacing of the rows and 
of the individual plants in the row. I wish 
to quote descriptions of several notable crops 
grown a few years ago. These descriptions 
mention the points in question: 
“The first prize in the potato contest for the 
states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and 
Connecticut was won by Mr. A. W. Butler, 
Brockton, Massachusetts, whose yield was 
365 bushels from 1 acre. Mr. Butler’s acre 
was planted on rocky loam. The rows were 
36 inches apart and seeded with Green Moun- 
tains, cut to 2 eyes, planted 14 inches apart, 
by hand, and covered 3 inches deep. I he 
piece was cultivated 5 times by machine: 
First, when the potatoes were 2 inches high 
and then about every two weeks. The 
acre was sprayed with Pyrox when the plants 
were ;rbout 4 inches high and then about 
every two weeks until they had been sprayed 
5 times.” Another prize acre yielding 503 
bushels and grown by Mr. Alvah B. Cobb, of 
Penobscot, Maine, employed the following 
spacing: The rows were 33 inches apart; the 
plants were 10 inches apart in the row, and 
the seed pieces were covered 4 inches deep. 
In this same contest the second prize was 
awarded to Mr. O. B. Keene, of Liberty, 
Maine. His crop was 4i9Tiushels. He had 
dropped the seed pieces 8 inches apart in the 
rows, and covered them from 6 to 8 inches 
deep. 
{Continued on page iqo) 
Galloway Landscapes 
are “Different”! 
They lend character and distinction to a place, mak- 
ing it stand out from the rest. Their pleasing, artistic 
effects, worked out with well chosen trees, shrubs, and 
plants, satisfy that longing for the beautiful things of 
Nature, which most of us possess. 
Our years of experience, both in this country and 
abroad, have given us the ability to handle successfully 
landscape work of every character. Beautifying the 
Home, School, Factory, Park or Cemetery Grounds. 
Laying out Sub-divisions, etc. The Galloway Plan of 
Landscape Gardening, expressed in a nutshell, means — a 
COMPLETE landscaping service. 
Those interested in landscape work are invited to 
correspond with us. Our charges are reasonable, con- 
sidering the time and thought we put in on each plan; 
our service prompt and satisfactory. 
GALLOWAY BROS. & CO. 
Landscape Architects Waterloo, Iowa 
xr rx 017 17 D I T IT f rom your trres if you keep 
IVIUKL P I\UI l them free from San Jose 
Aphis, White Fly, etc., by spraying with 
GOOD'SSSFISH OIL 
SOAP N?3 
Kills all tree pests without injury to trees. Fertilizes 
the soil and aids healthy growth. 
C pCp Our valuable book on Tree and 
r I\LL Plant Diseases. Write today. 
JAMES GOOD, Original Maker, 931 N. Front Street, Philadelphia 
ORCHIDS 
Largest importers and growers of 
Orchids in the United States 
Send twenty-five cents for catalogue. This amount will be refunded 
on your first order. 
LAGER & HURRELL 
Orchid Growers and Importers SUMMIT, N. J. 
Ever- 
^ greens 
Beautify 
Homes 
furnishing choice, hardy evergreens to people 
all over America. We offer you the choice of 
the greatest evergreen stock in the world — over 
50,000,000 evergreens on hand. 
We give expert advice free — furnish sugges- 
tions on tree arrangement. Write for Hand- 
somely Illustrated Evergreen Book — trees shown 
in true-to-life colors — Free! Get the book. 
Don’t risk failure with evergreens of uncertain 
quality. Get the book and get posted. 
D. HILL NURSERY CO. 
BOX 1066 
Evergreen Specialists 
DUNDEE, ILL. 
The Readers’ Service is prepared to help you solve your gardening problems 
