This ground-rat lives on the roots of growing things, probably your 
most treasured plant or tree. The gophers sometimes throw up mounds 
of dirt where they come to the surface; this warns you they are work- 
ing near, but often your first knowledge is the withered branches 
which were green yesterday. 
You trap them if you can. You place poisoned grain in the holes. 
An old native gardener assured me that I ought to keep a pair of 
gopher snakes. Think of a snake big enough to swallow a rat, crawl- 
ing around your garden! Two of them! One day from under some 
leaves I raked out four feet of gopher snake! It might have been 
only three feet six inches; I didn't stop to measure. I called back 
over my shoulder emphatic orders not to keep that snake, I decided 
right then and there in favor of gophers; at least they stay under 
ground. 
I have great news to send : It has rained ! One f orty-five-hundreths 
of an inch of real water. Think of six months between rains when 
next you complain of a dry season. Yet our lawns have been green, 
our flowers abundant. Of course the explanation is irrigation. Now, 
to irrigate is merely to soak the ground; that's the whole secret — 
deep watering. 
Special Plant Societies 
American Carnation Society 
A. F.J. Bauer, Sec'y, Indianapolis, Ind. 
Chrysanthemum Society of America 
C. W. Johnson, Sec'y, 2242 W. lOQlh St. 
Chicago, III. 
American Dahlia Society 
E. C. Vick, Sec'y. 205 Elwood Ave. 
Newark, N. J. 
National Dahlia Society 
R. W. Gill, Sec'y, Portland, Oregon 
California Dahlia Society 
N. F. Vanderbilt, Sec'y, 725 Fifth St., 
San Rafael, Col. 
Southern Dahlla Society 
W. E. Claflin, Sec'y, College Park, Md. 
American Gladiolus Society 
A. C. Seals, Sec'y, Ithaca, N. Y. 
American Iris Society 
R. S. Sturtevant, Sec'y, Wellesley Farms, Mass. 
American Peony Society 
A. P. Saunders, Sec'y. Clinton, N. Y. 
Northwestern Peony and Iris Society 
W. F. Christman, Sec'y, 3804 Fifth Ave. 
Minneapolis, Minn. 
American Rose Society 
Prof. E. A. White, Sec'y, Cornell University, 
Ithaca, N. Y. 
American Sweet Pea Society 
William Gray, Sec'y, Bellevue Rd., 
Newport, R. I. 
Choosing To those who were unable to attend the various dahha shows last 
Dahlia Autumn, and having no notes on varieties to refer to, the present 
Varieties shower of catalogues, with their wonderful pictures and alluring de- 
scriptions, is fairly overwhelming. Possibly a word at this time might 
be helpful to those starting a dahlia garden. 
In selecting varieties, begin by asking the advice of someone whose 
taste may be depended upon. Fifty per cent of the success with 
dahhas is the choice of varieties; and choice must largely be governed 
by taste. Do not give any room in your garden to the old-fashioned 
pincushion dahlias of nondescript colors which have been growing 
there for years and years. Throw them all away, and pick out what 
you think you would like from among the following hst of standard 
varieties. They all bloom freely, have good habit, winter well in sand, 
and next year there will be four times as many — aplenty to exchange 
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