1902 
321 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
EVERYBODY’S GARDEN. 
I am trucking for the Atlanta market, 
which is 4^ miles distant. This is my 
second year in the business, and every 
time I turn around I meet an interroga¬ 
tion point, but feel that 1 shall succeed. 
1 intend setting one acre in Palmetto as¬ 
paragus next Fall, and am raising the 
plants myself. They were planted last 
May and made 12 to 30 inches growth last 
season; but were badly rusted. Would 
you advise setting out these plants or 
buying others in the Fall? Can I get 
plants that are not affected with rust? I 
do not know of anyone near here who 
raises asparagus, so think if I could pro¬ 
cure healthy plants they would remain so. 
Does the rust do much harm? w. w. s. 
Kirkwood, Ga. 
The letter Is quoted nearly entire, as 
the experiences of W. W. S. are, I think, 
common to most of us, and the interro¬ 
gation points are thrown into most of 
our life histories with a lavish hand. On 
general principles it would be very poor 
policy to depend upon diseased plants or 
seed of any kind; but Asparagus rust 
may be an exception. While i should 
much prefer to plant nothing but healthy 
roots or those as yet unaffected, I would 
not hesitate to use those you have to 
some extent. The rust is essentially a 
top and not a root disease, and entirely 
healthy plants set out next Fall may 
show the rust next year. 1 would, how¬ 
ever, depend chiefly on healthy plants, 
and depend upon spraying, liberal ferti¬ 
lizing and the most thorough culture as 
preventives. I should try these piauts, 
but depend mainly upon healthy ones. 
Nearly all the leading seedsmen adver¬ 
tise the plants, and ought to be able to 
furnish those that are not affected. Stip¬ 
ulate that point and they will doubtless 
use all proper precautions upon their 
part, it may be that plants grown far¬ 
ther north will be less liable to attack 
for the present at least, but 1 am not 
inclined to think others growing aspara¬ 
gus in your vicinity would make any 
difference. The disease is proving a ser¬ 
ious menace to profitable culture, but 1 
am not inclined to believe that it will 
prove ruinous. Science will doubtless 
come to our aid and bring successful 
agencies to bear upon it, but like suc¬ 
cessful fruit growing, it will be a con¬ 
stant battle. Mowing and burning tops 
will no doubt assist in keeping it in 
check, and, in fact, this ought always to 
be done, as it should not be allowed to 
mature seed. It not only exhausts the 
roots but tills the ground with volunteer 
plants, which is always objectionable. 
Location of Ftowejr Beds. —A few 
words on location may not come amiss; 
for the front lawn nothing is more de¬ 
sirable than an unbroken carpet of green 
sward, kept in order by weekly clipping 
with lawn-mower. Dispose of the climb¬ 
ers or vines in a judicious manner about 
the house, unsightly sheds, fences, 
stumps or rockeries. Never train them 
in such a manner as to obstruct the view 
or shut out sunlight and air from win¬ 
dows; rather let them cover spaces be¬ 
tween, form screens for sunny porches, 
and twine about veranda pillars; for 
the latter purposes, no vines are daintier 
than Adlumia, balloon vine, Clematis 
and cypress vine. A Summer-house made 
of poles in the form of a wigwam, cov¬ 
ered with m rning-glories, would be a 
charming playhouse for the little ones. 
An arbor covered with purple and white 
Dolichos, scarlet-runner beans and the 
different varieties of Coboea and moon- 
flowers would be a delightful place for a 
hammock or some easy chairs where 
Mother might read, sew or rest of an af¬ 
ternoon. A narrow bed following the 
outlines oi the house should be planted 
with flowers which bloom throughout 
the season; dwarf nasturtiums in all 
colors planted in front of the vines are 
charming; pansies will do nicely too if 
planted on the east or north side of 
house; Alyssum, candytuft and Petunias 
or Portulaca will do nicely on the sunny 
sides. Long, narrow beds at each side of 
the lawn will give room for shrubbery, 
tall growing perennials and such annuals 
as give a succession of bloom. Flowers 
for cutting purposes are best grown in 
the vegetable garden or back yard; but 
be sure to have a few beds of bright con¬ 
tinuous bloomers there; nasturtiums, 
Petunias, Phlox, poppies and Portulaca 
are all fine for the purpose. Locate 
them where they will catch the eye 
every time the busy mother or daughter 
glances through the kitchen window or 
doorway. 
Seed Bed. —With the exception of 
some climbing vines and a few flowers 
such as mignonette, poppy and Portu¬ 
laca, which should be sown where they 
are to remain, most flowers do better if 
first sown in seed bed and transplanted 
after attaining three or four leaves; this 
also makes less work, as a small bed 
will hold plants enough for a number of 
large permanent ones, and the latter can 
be better fitted if you have plenty of 
time to do the work thoroughly, while 
the seedlings are growing. Locate the 
seed bed in the sunniest spot you have, 
which is.sheltered from cold winds; ele¬ 
vate it a bit, which will help make it 
warm and dry; put on a top-dressing 
of very fine rich garden soil and put it 
in fine mellow condition. When the 
apple trees are in bloom is a good gen¬ 
eral time to sow flower seeds; sow them 
in rows about six inches apart crosswise 
of the bed; cover lightly and press the 
soil over the seeds with a narrow strip 
of board. Fine seeds should not be cov¬ 
ered too deep. A good way is to sift a 
little soil over them and press into the 
ground with the board. Do very little, if 
any watering, but stir the soil between 
rows every day. The best implement 
for the purpose is a child’s garden rake, 
costing about 10 cents. Be sure to pull 
out all weeds, as they appear in the 
rows. Do not neglect this seed bed a 
single day, as a good vigorous send-off 
will help out wonderfully in the after¬ 
growth of your plants. 
Permanent Beds. —The long, border 
beds should not be more than 2 y 2 feet in 
width if they are devoted exclusively to 
flowers. Mass each variety by itself, in 
rows crosswise of the bed, making the 
rows about 12 inches apart, and setting 
the plants from six to 12 inches apart in 
rows; according to variety. Study de¬ 
scriptions given in catalogues, and if 
plants are branching in habit allow room 
for full development. 
Formal or Geometrical Beds. —If 
you feel you must have them put them in 
the back yard; at best they are stiff and 
unnatural, and unless made perfectly ac¬ 
curate in every measurement and detail 
in planting, and kept so by clipping 
every few days, they become perfect eye¬ 
sores. A circular bed filled with Portu¬ 
laca or Verbenas is pretty, and can 
easily be made perfect in outline. A 
heart-shaped bed filled with blooming 
pansy plants is also charming; to get 
the correct outline, take one of the very 
large sheets of wrapping paper (4x6 feet) 
fold in the middle lengthwise and cut in 
the form of a half-heart, having the 
point exactly on the fold of paper at bot¬ 
tom of sheet; open out and lay the pat¬ 
tern on the ground where you wish to 
plant the bed. Drive several small pegs 
through the paper into ground to hold 
in position. With a sharp spade cut 
straight down, going entirely around the 
paper heart, and you will have a perfect¬ 
ly shaped outline (provided your pattern 
was a good one). Spade the bed deeply, 
work into it some finely rotted manure, 
leaf mold and about a quart of air- 
slaked lime, have the bed slightly raised 
above the surrounding surface; fill it 
with young pansy plants just commenc¬ 
ing to bloom. Set the plants about six 
inches apart, and be sure you preserve 
the outlines in perfection. A little varia¬ 
tion in distance between plants in cen¬ 
ter of bed will not be noticeable after a 
few days. Keep the bed well watered; 
about once a week use diluted liquid cow 
or hen manure. Never allow the surface 
of bed to become baked or hard. Each 
morning pick every blossom which open¬ 
ed the previous day, and your pansy bed 
will prove a heart’s-ease throughout th,e 
season. j. e. morse. 
I When you write advertisers mention The 
' R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
Poor 
Soils 
are made rich¬ 
er and more 
productive and 
rich soils retain 
their crop-pro¬ 
ducing powers, 
by the use of 
fertilizers with 
a liberal percentage of 
Potash 
Write for our books—sent free — 
which give all details. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau Street, New York City. 
GUTTERS 
RIERS. 
AND SHREDDERS 
FOR EN8ILAGE A DRY 
FODDER. Also Latest 
Improvements in Car- 
HARDER MFG. CO., COBLESKILL, N. Y 
SQUASHES, MELONS, and CUCUMBERS 
of the finest quality are quickly grown by using from 500 to 800 pounds per 
acre of Bradley’s Fertilizers at time of planting. 
It will greatly increase the crop to use 300 to 500 lbs. more scattered broadcast 
in the rows and cultivated in soon after the plants are up. 
One season’s test will convince any market gardener that it pays to use 
BRADLEY’S on all of his crops. Be sure and use them this spring. 
