The Garden Magazine, March, 1924 
21 
over in flats; put out in a gentle hotbed, where they will make fine 
plants for setting out at the end of May. 
Root cuttings of Alyssum saxatile. Divide up old plants of Erfordi, 
Luminosa, and Chatelaine Begonias; repot the pieces, or cut 
back, and take cuttings from the new basal growths. 
Make cuttings from stock plants of Hydrangeas saved for this purpose; 
or from the basal growths of those being forced into flower at this 
time. Take cuttings of Marguerites and Heliotrope. 
For an Early Supply of Flowers 
The important job is to “prick-off” the seedlings that are large enough 
to handle. Use plenty of leaf mold and sand. Cover the sur¬ 
face of the soil in the flats with a layer of sand; then prick-off the 
little plants. This carries away the water from around the stems, 
and to a great extent prevents “damping-off.” Give shade until 
re-established, then exposure to full light and sunshine to ensure 
sturdy, stocky plants. 
Sow Sweet-peas in small pots for planting outdoors next month. 
Pansies and Forget-me-nots brought in from frames will flower 
in a temperature of 50°. 
Thunbergia is a useful climbing plant. Sow the seeds now. Also 
seeds of the Castor-bean. 
Start fancy-leaved Caladiums for decorative purposes in sandy soil 
with gentle bottom heat. 
Start at intervals small batches of Godfrey Calla, Gloxinias, and the 
little blue Achimenes, for summer flowering. 
Gardenias may still be rooted provided one has plenty of bottom heat. 
They require a closed propagating case to root well. Pot them 
rooted, and carry along in pots until they are transferred to the 
benches where they are to flower. Use light porous soil, with 
plenty of leaf mold in it. 
Start Tuberous Begonias in gentle heat, potted or in flats. 
Pot Plants Under Special Supervision 
Look over vines, such as Ivies, Vincas, etc., saved from the window 
boxes and baskets last fall; repot if needed. 
Repot Dracaena indivisa that are pot bound; or top-dress. 
Early flowering indoor Sweet-peas should have a rich top-dressing of 
well decayed manure. Acid phosphate and sulphate of ammonia, 
an ounce to a gallon of water, is a good stimulant, but should be 
used with care. 
A heavy mulching of old cow manure will greatly benefit the Roses 
planted out in the benches at this time. Don’t use fresh horse 
manure; it will burn. Place a covering of loam over the bare roots 
before using the manure. Look after the young Roses, use care in 
watering; and keep them free from black spot. Bank the fire 
early on sunny days. 
Spireas will be showing color in the flower spikes at this time. 
Space them well apart so that the foliage may develop evenly, 
and to prevent it damping off as it very readily does when 
crowded. 
Water copiously, but have the foliage dry before night. Place saucers 
under the pots, and keep these filled with water. 
Keep the Rambler Roses growing in a temperature of 6o°. Avoid 
direct draughts of cold air, or mildew will result. 
Give Lilies subject to high temperature plenty, of water, and feed oc¬ 
casionally with liquid manure. Stake the plants. 
Stake up the Snapdragons, and remove side shoots. The side growths 
make good cuttings. Put them into the propagating bench. 
Poinsettias through flowering may be laid on their sides under a bench 
free from drip, and dried off. 
More Fresh Air Needed 
Peaches and Nectarines will be in bloom this month. Encourage 
fertilization by the admission of fresh air and sunshine on every 
favorable occasion. Tie in the young shoots of early started 
vines as required. 
Maintain a free buoyant atmosphere. Accommodate Primulas, 
Cinerarias, Cyclamen, and similar flowering plants now in bloom, 
with a light position on the north side of a cool house. 
Give more air as the days become warmer to Bay-trees, Oleanders, 
specimen Hydrangeas, and similar plants now in storage. As 
soon as occasion offers place outdoors, give a thorough hosing; 
retub, or top-dress as required. 
Procure Lilium speciosum for summer blooming now, pot into five-or 
six-inch pots, and grow cool; useful for brightening the show 
house or conservatory. 
At this time of the year bulb stock requires 20-25 days from the time of 
being brought indoors until flowers open. Double Tulips take a 
little longer. Figure your supply accordingly. 
Cut a few sprays of Forsythia, and Pussy Willow; place in a green¬ 
house, or warm dwelling for very early blossoming. 
SPRAYING IS INSURANCE 
JO QUITE a number of people the mere thought of having to use 
poisonous sprays and other means of controlling insects and 
fungous diseases awakens the horrible bugaboo of pestilential 
attacks that destroys all the pleasure of gardening. 
Now, as a fact, though there be a great number of devouring 
hosts it is entirely wrong to consider them as a united, organized band 
moving their ranks upon the orderly garden. A given kind of plant is 
prone to the onslaughts of a few individual insects or diseases, any one 
or two of which may be more or less always present; but it is very un¬ 
likely indeed that all the possible pests and parasites will develop 
simultaneously in an attack at a given point; and so far as the gardener 
is concerned he really does not have to know very much about the in¬ 
tricate life histories of these invaders. Let it suffice for him to make use 
of common-sense general methods of protection, remembering the 
basic principles and using his intelligence. 
For fungous diseases, use a preparation containing copper in some 
form—bordeau for instance. For insects that chew and 
bite up the tissues the remedy is to cover that tissue 
with a coating of a stomach poison; thus for caterpillars 
and the like something in the way of arsenic. And for 
the other type of pest that sucks the juices out of the 
plant (lice, scale, etc.), the gardener turns to a method 
of smothering by oils or extracts, or even a dust; the 
purpose being in either case to suffocate the invader 
with a film of oil or coating of powder. The preparation of these 
things in small quantities for the ordinary individual gardener is 
more or less messy, although perfectly simple and practical, but there 
is no necessity to go to this trouble when it is already done for you 
by manufacturers who put on the market definite preparations which, 
being sold under governmental inspection for ingredients, etc., can be 
relied upon. 
For a general dormant spray during winter time the gardener turns 
to lime-sulphur or miscible oils which are sometimes also offered 
under “brand” names. For use on growing crops in the garden from 
now on he has a variety of choice among contact insecticides contain¬ 
ing either nicotine sulphate or some thing of a like nature which are 
offered by established manufacturers and have a record of results. 
For a general poison spray which works two ways, smothering and 
poisoning, there are other makes, and for those who wish to make an 
all-around preparation for home use, prepare standard bordeau and, 
regarding it as “water,” make the standard preparation 
of an arsenic poison (for instance, lead arsenate), then 
adding one of the already named contact poisons. It 
is wise to use all these articles in accordance with the 
manufacturers’ directions on the several packages. 
It is good insurance to use the sprays occasionally 
before the pests are timed to appear so as to welcome 
them with a hearty meal. Prevention is better than cure. 
