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Garden Correspondence 
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Conducted by W. C. EGAN 
A HEDGE INJURED BY SHADE TREES 
We have a California privet hedge which in some 
places passes within two or three feet of soft wood 
maple trees. The hedge has been planted two 
years and is thriving in all places but where it passes 
the trees. I would thank you greatly for a remedy 
which would overcome this trouble, as the beauty 
of the hedge is spoiled by these places. I am 
sending an addressed envelope for a hurried answer. 
S. L. 
Undoubtedly the strong growing roots of the soft 
maple have entered the trench prepared for the 
hedge and is robbing the privet of food and moisture. 
You will never have a perfect hedge with that maple 
so near. You may help matters along for a while 
by watering that section quite frequently, espe¬ 
cially if you use manure water, or if you have 
none prepared, place a coating of manure at the 
base of the plants and water through it. This is 
merely a case of double feeding on account of the 
double demand. 
EXTERMINATING ELDERS 
In planting my grounds, some ten years ago, 1 
unwisely used some native shrubs and trees, which 
have since become a great cause of anxiety owing to 
their spreading habit, and after a vain attempt to 
have them grubbed out, 1 am turning to you for 
advice as to how to exterminate them. First the 
common elder, of which I had a most beautiful 
clump at the base of a four foot terrace, have thrown 
their roots back into the bank, to such a depth that 
1 find it impossible to exterminate by digging. I 
have spent $25.00 in that way and the shoots continue 
to appear through the bank and have spread into 
my- wild garden where I had a beautif ul collection 
of hardy, half shade loving perennials which it has 
taken years to establish. How can I exterminate 
these elders, sumac and locust ? There must be 
a way to do this without further useless tearing up 
of my grounds. I have no recollection of ever seeing 
this subject treated either in House and Garden 
or any of the similar publications for which we 
subscribe. 
Any light on the subject will be most gratefully 
received. I enclose stamped envelope for personal 
response. Mrs. j. P. McC. 
I know of no way of eradicating the elder suckers 
other than grubbing them out. A thorough soaking 
of the soil with some of the “weed killers” used 
on roadways and walks might eradicate them, but 
it would so poison the soil that nothing could be 
grown on it for some time. The elder, common 
sumac and some of the poplars are very troublesome 
in suckering and should be used with caution. 
TRANSPLANTING PERENNIALS 
I have a few hardy perennials in my border which 
I want to move to new places if that can he done 
this fall with a degree of certainty of future success 
for their growth. I have always moved and planted 
Oriental poppies, peonies, bulbs and lilies in the 
fall of the year, hut have always set the other hardy 
stuff in the early spring, so I do not know much 
of anything about fall planting of perennials except 
what 1 gather from books, magazines, etc. At this 
high altitude the winters set in early and the earth 
freezes deeply, hut we do not have any heaving of 
the earth. 
Here is something I would like to know about. 
Some books say not to move hardy herbaceous 
perennials in the fall till the leaves have dropped off 
naturally, and the sap gone from the stems, as 
shown by the yellowish, dying appearance of the 
top growth. 1 should think, from our conditions, 
that the sooner the plants are moved to the new 
quarter in the fall the better for them, and I have 
wondered if 1 ought to move mine along the fore 
part of September, regardless of condition of top 
growth or to wait until the tops had ripened. 
Do the hardv lilies follow the same general rule ? 
What varieties of lilies have proved hardy and 
permanent with you ? I have a few elegans and 
tiger lilies but not long enough to know how they 
will do here. 
We have had an unusually cold season and I have 
had no flowers to speak of. Many of the columbines 
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