THE MONTH'S REMINDER —^APRIL 
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 jour days for each degree of latitude, for 
each five degrees of longitude, and for each four hun¬ 
dred feet of altitude. 
IHE thrilliest month of all the year for 
nifjj the gardener is April! Every mild day 
brings old friends up from their winter 
slumber to greet the new season so that 
each visit to flowerbed and border is 
fraught with fresh surprises. The stirring of old 
Mother Earth out of her long slackness gets into 
our very bones, we too want to be up and doing our part to hasten the 
summer pageant. The forehanded gardener goes out to work or super¬ 
vise with a mind free to enjoy the month’s activities to the full— 
procrastination never pays and preparedness does, so if there’s anything 
forgotten or overlooked, buy quickly and buy the best. Besides seeds 
and plants, check up your stock of sundries; be sure you have bordeaux, 
melrosine, bonemeal, dysect, or whatever the garden is apt to require 
in the way of protection and of nourishment during the busy months. 
Flowers and Shrubs 
Vacant flowerbeds intended for bedding plants to be dug and got 
ready for summer occupants. Uncover beds of bulbs and rake 
over the surface soil to keep weeds in check. 
Sweet-peas to be sown outdoors as soon as possible, so they may root 
deeply before hot weather overtakes them. Plant out those that 
have been started under glass. 
Asters, and Stocks are very successful from sowings made outdoors 
this month; and sowings may be made of such Annuals as do not 
transplant very well; e. g., Mignonette, Alyssum, Poppy, Hun- 
nemania, Eschscholtzia, Lavatera rosea, Lupinus, as well as 
Candytuft, Nasturtium, Centaurea, Marigold. 
Plant Gladiolus for early flowering. 
Plant all deciduous nursery stock as soon as possible. Two essentials 
for success are planting as soon as received, and putting into well 
prepared soil. Should the ground not be ready to receive them, 
heel-in and water well until they can be set out. 
Stake or wire all newly planted trees, to prevent swaying by high winds. 
Water all newly planted material at frequent intervals if the 
ground appears at all dry, and winds are prevalent. 
Replant and rearrange Perennials, as the new growths show through 
the ground to distinguish them. Give all perennial beds an ap¬ 
plication of ground bone, and point over the surface to incorporate 
it with the soil, but be careful not to injure dormant crowns. 
Compost the winter protective materials as removed; they make 
fine summer mulch when decomposed. 
If not already done, uncover Roses, examine for scale, and if found, 
spray. When the buds begin to swell, prune back the Hybrid- 
perpetuals to three eyes, remove all weak wood on the Teas, and 
cut them back one third. 
Finish pruning late flowering shrubs. Prune and tie up vines on walls, 
arbors, and trellises. 
In the Vegetable Garden 
Plow or spade the earliest piece of ground as soon as it can be done 
without the soil adhering to the tools; when it will crumble nicely 
with raking, plant the hardiest of the vegetables as suggested in 
last month’s Reminder; viz: Swiss Chard, Onions, Turnips, Kohl¬ 
rabi, Carrots, Beets, Smooth Peas, Salsify, Spinach. They will 
survive any belated frost and snow. Use a good seeding machine 
if your plantings are of any proportions. It saves both time 
and seed. 
About a week or ten days later (as circumstances permit) these early 
plantings to be followed with plants of Lettuce, Beets, early 
Cauliflower, Cabbage, etc., from the frames after being thoroughly 
hardened off. 
Details of bow 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'’ which will be 
glad to cite references to any special topic, if asked 
for by mail, and also to send persona! replies to 
specific questions; a stamped, addressed envelope being 
enclosed. 
Plant for convenience in cultivating, which will 
mean a good deal in personal comfort before 
next fall. Standardize the width between rows, 
and so save time making adjustments on the 
cultivators when cultivating. Group together 
all early maturing vegetables, so that the ground 
may be used for another crop. Crops that 
occupy the ground all season should be arranged together. 
EarlvPotatoes to be planted. Treat with formalin solution for scab 
(one pint commercial formaldehyde to forty gallons of water). 
Don’t omit this; it is no longer an experiment, but a certain way 
of securing smooth tubers. 
Vegetable roots may be set out (Asparagus, Rhubarb, Sea-kale, 
Chives, Horse-radish, etc.) Onions and Leeks, started indoors 
for exhibition, may be planted out. 
Asparagus beds to be lightly forked over, and hilled up. 
Succession plantings of Peas, Spinach, etc. to be made as earlier plant¬ 
ings break the ground. 
Small sowings of herbs such as Thyme, Sage, Marjoram, Dill, etc. 
may be made. 
Bush and Tree Fruits 
New plantations of Raspberries and Blackberries to be made as soon 
as possible this month. Uncover and tie up to trellises or stakes 
those that have been laid down or buried with earth during the 
winter. 
Plant Strawberries at once to start new plantations. Rake the mulch 
from established beds, and dig in well-decayed manure between 
the rows. 
Watch the Currants as the young leaves develop (especially near the 
ground) for worms, spray at once as they appear, taking care to 
wet the under side of the leaves. 
Watch for steel gray beetles on the Grape-vine leaves and pick them 
off into a pan of kerosene. 
Fruit trees that do not bear satisfactory fruit may be grafted over 
to better varieties. In fact, several varieties may be grown on the 
same tree in the case of Apple and Pear. This work should 
be done before growth starts, and finished within a week after 
the buds swell. 
Planting of young trees to be completed as soon as possible. 
Examine Peach trees for borers by removing six inches of soil from 
around the base of the tree. Gum and “saw-dust” are the first 
visible signs of their presence. Clean these away, and run a 
wire into the holes to kill the grubs. Repeat the examination in 
a week or so to get later attacks. 
Getting the Lawn into Condition 
Clean the lawn of weeds, filling holes thus made with good soil, 
and reseeding. As soon as the grass is long enough to reach 
the blades of the machine it should be cut. Promote a strong 
root growth of grass by mowing frequently, but never cut 
extremely close. 
Roll light soils where hand machines are used for mowing; but where 
heavy horse or power machines with a big roller are in use, enough 
rolling is done while mowing, and particularly on heavy soils 
inclined to pack and become hard. 
As soon as the mud has dried up sufficiently, attend to roads, drives, 
and walks. Keep the original edges of these as much as possible. 
Use the scuffle hoe for weeds on the drive, or a good weed-killer 
if it can be applied without injuring the edges of the adjoining 
lawn. Repair ragged edges of turf by inserting pieces of sod, or by 
adding soil and seeding down. 
110 
