Such an early spring has its drawbacks for those of us who left 
our shrub and tree planting till now instead of finishing it during 
that long mild autumn. I intended to plant a shrubbery of dormant 
shrubs on April first, but when I went to the Nursery to choose 
them I found them in tiny leaf and so had to content myself with 
tagging them and waiting till fall. 
The local florists are wonderfully painstaking and agreeable 
about starting seeds and pricking them off for you and not getting 
labels mixed! It's an awful nuisance with all their bustle of spring 
work, and yet I have never had one of them refuse to do it, or to give 
my tender plants winter shelter. We should patronize local nur- 
serymen wherever we can instead of sending away, for in this way 
we can be mutually helpful. Indeed, it has been said wherever there is 
a specially enlightened nurseryman, cherckez lafemme (Garden Club). 
"Mums" Hardy Chrysanthemums should be planted in May. The fol- 
lowing varieties are particularly attractive and healthy: Beatrice; 
Ida Skiff; Mrs. Albert Phillips; Mrs. Max Behr; Charles Jolly; — 
all $2.00 a dozen from Charles Totty, Madison, New Jersey. And, 
Blanche; Pink Lady; Lillian Doty; Eden; Madame August Nonin; — 
all $1.50 a dozen from A. N. Pierson, Cromwell, Connecticut. 
Dahlias Send for the Abridged Dictionary of the DahUa for 192 1, pub- 
Hshed by Alt. F. Clark, Netcong, New Jersey. It is a most com- 
plete list of all the new, as well as the standard varieties, and most 
helpful. If I could only have seven DahHas they would be : Caecilia; 
Bertha von Suttner; Attraction; Gertrude Dahl (Mrs. Stouts'); King of 
the Autumn; Golden Gate; and Woden (Dreer). They are in full bloom 
about three months after planting, so we put ours in on June first 
as we want them for early September. Another Hst, given us by a 
DahHa speciaUst, includes Madame Bidjostem; Bianca; Crystal; 
Mr. Limberry; Mrs. 0. Chapman and King of the Autumn again, — 
the latter seems to be the favorite with everyone. 
Gladioli Gladioh, too, take about ninety days. We make three plantings 
of them. May 10 and 20, and June first. We cannot speak too 
highly of the Primulinus Hybrids in mixture for use in groups of ten 
in the mixed border. Their coloring is so soft that it harmonizes 
with anything, but they are seen at their best near mauve flowers. 
Roses Three choice climbing Roses which were forgotten in the March 
number are Evangeline (Bobbink and Atkins) and Gardenia, and the 
lovely old creamy Aglia or Yellow Rambler (the last two to be had 
from A. N. Pierson). 
Compost It is more important than ever to save all decaying vegetable 
matter, lawn rakings, spent manure and, above all, dead leaves, 
letting them slowly decay in a heap in some shady place, for the use 
of motors has so reduced the number of horses that manure is well- 
nigh impossible to obtain. 
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