The Garden Magazine, June, 1923 
241 
Fruit Garden 
Thin the “set” of Apples, Pears, Peaches. Much finer fruit will 
result, with superior flavor, and the aggregate weight at least 
equal. True also of Grapes. 
Crops of Gooseberries, Currants, Strawberries depend to a large extent 
upon the amount of moisture maintained about the roots. Use 
grass clippings and other mulching material. 
Summer pruning (pinching out the tip of the young growth) will 
keep the young fruit trees in better shape and induce fruitfulness. 
Retard the Currant crop and gather fresh fruit in August by covering 
bushes with muslin or burlap before fruit ripens. Watch Black¬ 
berries and Dewberries for orange rust, burning affected bushes as 
soon as discovered. 
To feed fruit trees scatter stable manure over the ground as far as the 
spread of the branches; or use 4 to 5 pounds of phosphoric acid 
for each large tree, and, after raking it in, mulch the surface with 
the weeds and other refuse taken from the garden. Trees with 
rank, vigorous growth and little fruit do not need manure; those 
with small, undersized fruit and little or no annual growth will 
be benefited. 
The Intruding Hosts 
Plant lice, or aphis, on Cantaloupes, Cabbage, etc., may be checked by 
spraying with Black Leaf 40 , or any approved nicotine extract 
or by some of the special aphis preparations. Do the spraying 
during the cool of the evenings and take care to wet the under 
side of the leaf. 
Squash needs protection from the striped cucumber beetle and flea 
beetle while they are still small; use arsenate of lead powder, one 
ounce to three pounds of dry land plaster, or air-slaked lime, or 
very finely sifted ashes. To a certain extent the squash bug may 
also be thus attacked, but at times that pest appears to be im¬ 
pervious to poison, and hand picking has to be resorted to. If 
the leaves show signs of wilting, examine the stem near the root 
for the borer, and if it has not gone too far it may be cut out and 
the vine will recover. In any case, it is a good plan to cover 
several of the vine joints with soil to encourage the formation of 
independent roots. 
For rust and blight of Celery and dark brown spots on the Beans, spray 
with bordeaux, or better still with bordeaux-arsenate, and get 
some of the leaf-eating pests at the operation. 
Irregular holes in the Cabbage leaves? Either arsenate of lead or 
paris green, one ounce to ten gallons of water; and use it on Cauli¬ 
flower, Kale, Brussels-sprouts, Kohlrabi. Slug-shot is a handy 
material for general use in the vegetable garden against worms 
and caterpillars—it is not poisonous but is effective. 
If cutworms nip off the newly set plants, feed a supper of bran mois¬ 
tened with sweetened water until it will crumble, and add paris 
green one ounce to three pounds of bran. Put it around the 
plants at night. 
Potatoes require the arsenate-bordeaux spray against blight and po¬ 
tato bugs to “kill two birds with one stone”; and look out for the 
Egg-plants, too! 
An all-round three-in-one spray for chewing bugs, sucking pests and 
fungus is made thus: (a) prepare standard bordeaux (for fungus) ; 
(b) use a as water in preparing arsenate of lead solutions (for 
chewing worms); (c) considering the mixture of a and b as water 
add a nicotine or similar preparation (for lice and sucking pests). 
The Greenhouse Plants for Next Winter 
This is preparatory season for next winter’s supply of cut flowers, pot 
plants, etc. A general clean-up is essential. Discard old plants, 
renew soil, and generally overhaul. As many subjects as possible 
that are to be carried over should be accommodated in frames. 
Adiantums (Croweanum, cuneatum, and gracillimum); Pteris; 
Cyrtomiums; Polypodiums; Davallias, and Nephrolepis; Cycla¬ 
men; Primulas, and other flowering plants are amenable to frame 
culture at this time. 
Antirrhinum seedlings intended for an early winter crop should now be 
large enough to prick off. Give a fairly rich soil and plenty of 
room. 
Still time to root a batch of the exhibition Chrysanthemums. They 
will make fine dwarf plants in six-inch pots. Early rooted plants 
to be potted on as fast as they fill the pots with roots, until they 
are in their flowering pots. Plants for bench culture to be planted 
into flowering quarters now. 
Sow seeds of Primula malacoides and its varieties, also Cineraria; give 
the latter every protection from heat and grow as cool as conditions 
will allow. 
Celosia sown now will provide bloom'ing plants by the end of August. 
Plants on hand to be repotted to larger pots. 
Gloxinias to be well shaded and grown cool. Fumigate for thrips. 
Begonias of the Lorraine type require shade and careful watering. 
Keep near the glass to secure stickiness. 
Gardenias require frequent and thorough syringings to keep them free 
from mealy bug. Keep the atmosphere moist by frequent damp¬ 
ing down of the paths and walls. 
Cyclamen to be potted on as required, using a light but rich compost. 
Well-rotted cow manure and bonemeal are good sources of food for 
these subjects. 
Poinsettias to be potted up for winter flowering. Azaleas are worth all 
the care that can be bestowed upon them now; plunge out-of-doors 
after they have flowered with others of their kind to ripen. 
Roses to be planted with all possible speed; avoid overwatering, 
cultivate regularly to keep weeds down. Fumigate if green fly 
troubles. 
Carnations in the benches may be discarded. Continue cultivating the 
young stock outdoors and keep the leading shoots topped as they 
begin to make headway. If your soil is such that you have to 
resort to watering the plants in the field this month, reduce the 
supply toward the middle of the period so that the plants will not 
be too soft for benching early next month. 
Plunge Amaryllis up to the rims of the pots in frames and keep the 
sashes elevated all the time. They are making their growth now 
for next season’s flowering and, in addition to an abundance of 
water, a top-dressing of commercial preparation of fertilizer or 
applications of liquid manure will be of benefit to them. Seedlings 
to be kept growing along, having no rest until they have flowered. 
Pelargoniums for propagating to have the water supply reduced so the 
wood will ripen. 
Decorative plants are now at the height of their growing season: see 
that growth does not become too soft. Shade only enough to 
break direct rays of the sun and give abundant ventilation on all 
favorable occasions. Old plants of advanced age and size should 
be repotted if necessary. 
Christmas Peppers and Bouvardias planted outdoors to be pinched at 
frequent intervals to induce bushiness. 
Calanthes now growing freely will take water liberally; do not feed until 
the pots have plenty of roots in them. Syringe overhead on 
favorable days, but do not leave the foliage wet overnight. Ca¬ 
lanthes like a brisk, moist heat. 
Pot fruit trees need room. Nets underneath will catch any fruits that 
may fall off. Young Peach trees trained on trellises, making first 
year’s wood for the forming of the main branches of the trees for 
years to come, to have the young wood laid in right or they will 
never look as they should. As the last fruit is taken from the 
early peach house give a thorough syringing to dislodge any red 
spider. Give water if the border is on the dry side, and a little 
feeding will help the plants to build up flower buds for next season. 
Keep ventilators wide open. 
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m m m 
NATIONAL GARDEN JVEEK FOR 1924 
April 20—26th 
