Waking Up Your Garden in the Spring 
This is the happiest season of the year for the true gardener. 
The catalogs have arrived, no seed bills have come in, no 
plants have gone wrong, and no matter how sad last year's 
showing, hope springs eternal at the glowing thought of what 
another year may bring forth. In the political economy classes 
they say that dissatisfaction with the good in hand constitutes 
the spur to further economic endeavor and marks the distinction 
between man and the animals, which are content with what they 
and their ancestors have always had. Therefore, a gardener 
who plans for change and improvement is moving with the ages ! 
Gardex I hope you have kept some sort of garden record to go over 
Kecord now. A loose-leaved notebook or card catalog (5x8 is a good 
size) is very easy of reference and can be added to or weeded 
out as the everchanging needs of the gardener demand. I also 
have observed that a plain, typewritten record impresses more 
firmly upon my mind the importance of the memoranda than 
does a feebly penciled note, illegibly indited by my fevered 
. hand. It is well to remind oneself that certain winter work 
must be systematically done. Garden furniture must be painted 
Wixter so that ^ wn ^- De thoroughly dry when the spring fever makes 
Work y° u P nie to furnish all out-doors. Garden tools must be gone 
over so that if new ones are needed they can be included in your 
order. When put away, the tools should have been rubbed, of 
course, with motor oil thinned with kerosene to prevent rusting. 
Xew labels and garden stakes should be made and the old ones 
cleaned and given a coat of white lead. Flower pots are too 
expensive these days to be allowed to get broken and should be 
carefully stacked and put away clean. Moss on the pots is 
injurious to the plants as it interferes with proper drainage and 
ventilation. To clean, nest the pots according to size, lay them 
in a tub, covering them with water to which has been added 10 
per cent of sulphuric acid, leave for 24 hours, then clean with 
a stiff brush and clear water. If this does not effectually remove 
the stains, soak the pots in the following solution: 1 oz. carbon- 
ate of copper dissolved in a pint of ammonia added to 9 gallons 
of water. 
Bird There are certain classic dates to be remembered in waking 
Boxes up the garden. On February 22nd is the call to the cold frames, 
on March 17th a lining-up of the Sweet-peas, and on St. 
Valentine's Day, a mobilizing of the bird boxes. You want to 
attract all the birds you can to keep down the bugs and eat the 
weed seeds, so get the houses cleaned and securely fastened. 
Put new ones up early as the birds like weather-beaten houses, 
but do not put them too close together, for some birds, like the 
wren, are bad neighbors, and others are shy. Always keep 
bird boxes clean as gipsy moths and kindred pests occupy them. 
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