THE MONTH'S REMINDER—EM ARCH 
Copyright, 1924, Doubleday, Page & Company 
How to Use This Guide. When referring to the time for out¬ 
door work of any sort latitude 40 at sea level (i. e. New York 
City) in a normal season is taken as standard; but at best 
dates can only be approximate. Roughly, the season ad¬ 
vances or recedes fifteen miles a day. Thus Albany, 
which is one hundred and fifty miles from New York, 
would be about ten days later, and Philadelphia, 
which is ninety miles southwest, about a week earlier. 
Also allow four days for each degree of latitude, for 
each five degrees of longitude, and for each four hun¬ 
dred feet of altitude. 
9 QME mild days are bound to appear in 
March to lure the ready gardener out- 
y-m, of-doors. Now is the zestful commence- 
ment of the new season’s activities 
with its chance to transmute mere 
Details of how to do each item may be found in the current 
•or back issues of The Garden Magazine —it is manifestly 
impossible to make each number of the magazine a complete 
manual of practice. References to back numbers may 
be looked up in the index to each completed volume 
(sent gratis upon request); and to further help the 
reader we have a “Service Department 1 ’ which will be 
glad to cite references to any special topic, if asked 
for by mail, and also to send personal replies to 
specific questions; a stamped, addressed envelope being 
enclosed. 
Sprinkle salt on the Asparagus bed, also nitrate 
of soda, using about i§ lbs. per square rod. 
Encourage Rhubarb into growth by placing bar¬ 
rels over the crowns, and banking round the 
barrels with hot manure. 
paper plans into glowing actualities. No worry 
or hurry for the forehanded man who goes 
joyfully to work putting well thought out projects into execution. 
Revamping Shrubbery and Border 
Clean up the shrubberies, stacking the leaves in a large pile to rot. 
They will be useful next August for mulching. Burn all other 
rubbish in a smother fire, and use the ashes for fertilizer. 
Loosen the ground among the shrubs with a spading fork. Attend to 
the climbers round the dwelling, tying up any growths that have 
fallen out of place during the winter. 
Order any other plants of this class that may be needed. Late in the 
month remove the wind screen, and other temporary protection 
afforded choice shrubs and evergreens; likewise from Roses, 
bulbs, and flowerbeds. 
As the crowns of the plants show through the ground, do any needed 
alterations and replanting in the herbaceous border. 
Plant deciduous shrubs, and trees. 
Trim grass edges as soon as conditions permit. 
Apply fertilizer to the lawns, top-dress bad spots, and reseed. 
Spraying and Pruning 
This is positively the last call for dormant spraying and for pruning. 
It is of little use to spray and spray again the fruit trees, if near-by 
ornamental shrubs infested with scale are left untreated. 
Prune the late-flowering shrubs but leave alone the early-flowering 
ones until just after they have bloomed; which in a single sentence 
gives the governing principle for all ornamental flowering shrubs. 
Early bloomers flower on the wood made last year, late bloomers 
bear the flowers on new wood of this season. 
Prune and tie in all Rambler Roses, but leave Tea Roses until all 
danger of hard frosts is past—wait until the eyes begin to swell. 
Dig all Parsnips, and Oyster plants that have been 
in the ground all winter, and store in a cold cellar. 
Whenever possible dig the vegetable patch, and endeavor to get a little 
deeper than ever before, to break up the hard-pan which cuts off 
the water supply during the growing season. 
As soon as the soil is dry enough to dig without sticking to the 
tools, plant all of the most hardy vegetables, without regard to the 
fluctuations of the thermometer. Plant thick and shallow. 
Lettuce and Cauliflower pricked-off into frames to mature will be 
ready for the table some time ahead of outdoor plants. Sow 
Beans (String) in a frame where they will mature. 
Frames in Full Action 
The big job is to make up the main batch of hotbeds. Details of 
procedure appeared in last Month’s Reminder. 
Air on all favorable occasions frames that have been in use during the 
winter carrying over plants; protection is still necessary on very 
cold nights. 
Transplant such plants as were started last month. Make sowings of 
Peppers, Eggplants, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Melons. 
Sow Annuals as required, such as: Annual Larkspurs, Snapdragon, 
Drummond Phlox, Pentstemon, Sweet-peas, and Verbenas. 
These require cool treatment when once started; avoid extremes. 
Continue to repair the coldframes, glaze the sash and have ready 
for pricking-off the young plants as needed. 
Deep frames with a northern exposure with 2-3 ft. of head room are 
useful for keeping bulbs in after the flowers have opened. Lay 
newspapers over the sash above Tulips on bright days. 
Air freely Pansies, English Daisies, and Myosotis wintered in frames, 
plant out into flowering quarters as soon as conditions warrant. 
Set out in the hotbed small plants of Pansies, Myosotis, Phlox, Hardy 
Poppies, Shasta Daisies, etc., from seed sown in January. 
For a Full Yield of Berries 
Last year’s wood of Gooseberries will yield the best fruit; therefore 
cut out all superfluous shoots, and trim the points only of those 
that remain. Keep the main shoots six inches apart, and the 
middle of the bush open. This will let light and air into the 
plants, and greatly facilitate picking the fruit. 
Red-Currants may be “spurred-back” to a couple of buds; with a few 
shoots left longer for extension, if needed. Merely cut away 
exhausted branches of Black-Currants and encourage basal 
growths to take their place. Spur back side shoots that are 
too numerous. 
Get at Raspberries and Blackberries that were not thinned out and 
headed back after fruiting last fall. 
Among the Vegetables 
As weather conditions permit uncover the Asparagus and Rhubarb. 
Flower Seeds to Sow in Heat 
Sow Primulas for flowering next fall and winter (P. malacoides and its 
varieties are best sown in June). 
Sow Heliotrope and Centaurea gymnocarpa in a temperature of 50° 
for bedding out in May. 
Sow Schizanthus retusus. Transplant to flats, later pot and grow on 
in a cool temperature, rich soil, and good drainage. Pinch off the 
flower buds until required to bloom. 
Sow Clarkias and grow on to flower in six-inch pots. No pinching is 
necessary. Pick off dead blossoms and they will continue to 
bloom well through the summer. 
Sow Hunnemannia fumariaefolia in paper pots for summer flowering. 
Annual Gypsophila can be used in conjunction with almost any 
other flower for table decorations during the summer months. 
Make a sowing now in the hotbed for June flowering, again three 
weeks hence, and so on through the summer to keep up a succession. 
SPRING GARDENING UNDER GLASS 
[Full advantage of these directions is only possible with a greenhouse , but so far as opportunity allows they also apply to hotbeds.} 
Pot up early rooted Chrysanthemums. Don’t leave them in the sand 
after the roots are an inch long. 
Continue propagation of Chrysanthemums and bedding stock, as 
cuttings are available. 
Complete propagation of Carnations as soon as possible, now that the 
days are getting brighter, which makes rooting more difficult— 
make the most of every opportunity to get a “crack of fresh air’’ 
on the ventilators. Warm weather brings swarms of thrips. 
Look out for them, spray and fumigate. 
Pot on bedding stock propagated from cuttings last fall and space out 
on the benches as they show signs of crowding. 
Alternantheras may still be rooted in sand. Divide up plants wintered 
20 
