MAY I 7 19J5 
The Carden Magazine 
Keep 
Planting 
I T IS just as well to keep in mind 
that the garden will yield re- 
turns in proportion to the labor 
that is spent on it. You must 
learn to cultivate if you wish suc- 
cess; plants must be hilled as re- 
quired; stakes must be provided for 
those that need support; seedlings 
must be watered carefully to assist 
growth. Consistent attention and 
labor is the price of a bountiful 
garden. Do not procrastinate; the busy time is just commen- 
cing, and what you neglect to do now you may never find time 
for later on. 
T HE month of May presents many opportunities for the gar- 
dener. Planting and transplanting is yet to be done. Fruit 
trees can be set out and the entire list of herbaceous plants for the 
hardy border will be needing attention now, planting them as fast 
as they are received. 
Plant evergreens too, of course, after it is too late 
for the deciduous kinds if you prefer, which means that 
the latter must be seen to first, if you can do only one thing at the 
time, as their season is shorter. Now is the time to put out box- 
wood, rhododendrons, yew, junipers, etc., for base planting about 
the house. 
Early in the month belt or border screens of shrubs in general 
may be set out — lilacs, spireas, hydrangeas, barberry, etc. And 
still there is time to complete the orchard and bush fruits: apple, 
cherry, currant, blackberry, etc. 
K EEP the asparagus bed clean. If you haven’t applied any 
salt do it now. When sowing seed of any of the root crops 
(such as beets, radishes, etc.), mix with the soil some lime, tobacco, 
dust or soot, to stop the ravages of underground worms. 
If you haven’t already started your potatoes you 
should get them in at once. Remember that plenty 
of cultivation and frequent sprayings with arsenate of 
lead are necessary. 
Keep the seed pods off the rhubarb, and if you are fond of this 
vegetable and want the crop to continue feed freely with liquid 
manure or apply a mulch of well rotted manure. 
The tomato trellis should be put in place and preparations made 
for setting out the plants which can be done safely after the 15th. 
Eggplant and peppers can be set out late this month, but they 
suffer considerably from any cold weather, so don’t hurry in getting 
them out unless the weather seems settled. 
Give the strawberry bed a thorough cultivation and apply at the 
same time a good fertilizer. Then the customary mulch of 
clean straw or hay can be applied to keep the berries clean. Be 
sure to have ready a few baskets for the first picking of ber- 
ries. They are also useful for many other purposes around 
the garden. 
Early celery started in the greenhouse can be set out this month. 
Some plant in deep drills. Flat cultivation is the up-to-date method. 
COMPILED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE HOME GARDEN, FROM 
THE TEN YEARS' DIARIES OF A PRACTICAL EXPERT GARDENER 
For reckoning dates, the latitude of New York City is generally taken as a 
standard. In applying the directions to other localities, allow six 
days’ difference for every hundred miles of latitude 
Seeds to 
Sow, etc. 
Vegetable 
Garden 
O NIONS, when wanted for eating 
green in salads, can be had on 
hand always by making continuous 
sowings about three weeks apart. 
Contrary to popular 
belief sweet potatoes can 
be grown in the latitude 
of New York. Order a supply of 
plants now if you want that crop. 
All sorts of pole beans can be 
sown at this time; it is best to al- 
ways set the poles before sowing the seed. Start sowing string 
beans regularly at two week intervals. 
Late cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale can be sown 
late this month. Make an outside bed for this purpose. Have 
some bordeaux mixture on hand for the melons and cucumbers and 
start using it just as soon as the vines begin to run. Citron, water- 
melon, cucumbers, and muskmelon can all be sown now in the open 
provided you haven’t a greenhouse or frames and have the benefit 
of early started plants. 
Several sowings of peas can be made this month. Make the drills 
about six inches deep and gradually fill in as the plants grow. 
Pumpkins and squash should be sown now; these two vegetables 
suffer from the attack of insects when they are very small. A strip 
of tin about four inches wide placed around the hill with some net- 
ting over the top will protect the plants. Force the tin about one 
inch into the ground to keep away the cutworm. After the plants 
have outgrown the frame they are perfectly safe. 
Make a couple of sowings of beets and carrots. Use these vege- 
tables when they are young, don’t wait until they get old and woody. 
Make frequent sowings of corn to insure having at all times 
young, milky ears. 
Lettuce of all types and endive should be sown at short intervals 
to keep up a proper succession. These are all sown in beds and 
transferred to rows when large enough to handle. The use of paper 
plant protectors, bell glasses and other protectors for young plants 
certainly do improve a garden. The paper protectors are very 
cheap. 
can be 
started in earnest. It is well, however, to wait until the 
ground is in workable condition as to set plants out in wet, cold, 
soggy soil is ruinous. All plants of this character (such as cannas, 
pi w r geraniums, coleus, etc.), should first be gradually but 
Garden thoroughly hardened off. All the more hardy annuals 
started indoors (such as balsams, stocks, verbenas, etc.), 
can be planted out at any time this month. 
When plants were not started early in greenhouses or frames, 
seed of all kinds of flowers can be sown in the open ground, some of 
the more hardy kinds early in the month, the more tender kinds 
later in the month. 
Keep the perennial beds well cultivated and fill in any bare 
spots with annuals until the time arrives for making proper 
changes. 
This would be a good time to visit some nursery and select what 
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