50 
House & Garden 
May 
THE GARDENER’S KALENDAR 
Just as their 
flowers fall, give 
the fruit trees a 
thorough spray¬ 
ing for fruit 
worms 
Hedges should 
not he allowed 
to grow straggly; 
each clipping 
improves them 
Grass grows 
rapidly this 
month and 
needs frequent 
cutting until 
it gets well un¬ 
der way 
Fifth Month 
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iVhat is so sweet and 
dear 
rJs a prosperous morn 
in May, 
The confident prime op 
the day. 
And the dauntless 
youth of the year. 
When nothing that asks 
for bliss. 
Asking aright, is de- 
n ied. 
And half of the world 
a bridegroom is. 
And half of the world 
a bride? 
—William Watson 
6. If you have melon 
frames you can sow 
melons now. Have good 
rich hills and set the 
frames over the hill for 
several days before sow¬ 
ing ; this will thorough¬ 
ly warm the soil and 
promote quick starting 
of the seed. 
7. Flower seeds of 
all types can be sown 
now. They are usually 
sown in rows the prop¬ 
er distance apart and 
then thinned out, or 
the seed may be sown 
in prepared boxes and 
transplanted after- 
wards. 
13. Don't forget to 
edge up the grass on 
walks and borders. No 
matter how much other 
cleaning you do it looks 
unfinished until this is 
attended to. Use an 
edging knife and cut 
back very little at any 
one time. 
14. Early celery 
should be set out now. 
Use plenty of manure 
in making the trenches, 
set the plants about 8" 
apart and about 3' be¬ 
tween the rows. Keep 
the plants well watered 
for a while until they 
get under way. 
20. Don’t neglect to 
plow under cover crops 
in the orchard. Use a 
chain on the plow to 
turn the tops under, 
and then keep the 
ground well worked 
with a cultivator. Dig 
around the trees by 
hand. 
21. Sow now for suc¬ 
cession, peas, beans, 
corn, lettuce, carrots, 
beets, cucumbers, spin¬ 
ach, radish, turnip and 
kohl rabi. Proportion 
your sowings to your 
requirements, but don’t 
fail to sow at proper 
intervals. 
27. Preparation 
should be made now to 
stake all late plants. 
Dahlias, helianthus, 
h 0 11 yhock, sunflower 
and other plants of this 
kind should be staked 
when small and kept 
tied up as they grow, to 
prevent damage. 
28. A well prepared 
border near the green¬ 
house should be made 
ready for various forc¬ 
ing plants that are 
grown in the open dur¬ 
ing summer, such as 
bouvardia, stevia, Paris 
daisy, etc. Have it all 
ready in time. 
Hilling shotild not he 
overdone; hut peas, 
heans, corn, etc., need it 
While still small, spray 
cahhages and cauliflotv- 
ers for caterpillars 
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1. Plantings of all 
hard wooded trees and 
shrubs, evergreens, per¬ 
ennials, etc., must be 
completed at once; late 
planting always pves 
inferior results. Water 
well and mulch all new 
plantings to keep the 
sun from drying them. 
2. Sow now in rows 
or hills—and thin later 
those requiring it—let¬ 
tuce, peas, beans, car¬ 
rots, beets, chicory, 
corn, globe artichoke, 
parsley, parsnip, cucum¬ 
bers, spinach, squash, 
okra, onions and lima 
beans. 
3. If you haven’t 
plants from the green¬ 
house or frame, sow in 
beds now to transplant 
to rows later, kale, 
Brussels sprouts, cab¬ 
bage, broccoli, celery, 
egg-plant, peppers, cau¬ 
liflower, endive, leek 
and tomatoes. 
8. All bulbous stock 
should be planted, such 
as dahlias, gladioli, 
montbretias, caladiums, 
cannas, etc. The plants 
should not be set out 
during excessive wet 
spells, else they may de¬ 
cay before root action 
starts. 
9. This is the time 
to spray for elm leaf 
beetle. Just as the 
leaves burst out spray 
the foliage thoroughly 
with a solution of ar¬ 
senate of lead. A sec¬ 
ond spraying in a few 
weeks will save the fo¬ 
liage. 
10. Don’t neglect to 
spade up all fruit, 
shrubbery and perenni¬ 
al borders, around 
hedges and various 
places where no winter 
mulching was practiced. 
A little bone meal will 
start vigorous growth 
and give better results. 
15. Carnations should 
be set out in the field, 
where the ground is 
well prepared. Make 
the rows about 15" 
apart and plant 1' apart 
in the row. Spray for 
rust about every three 
weeks with Bordeaux 
mixture. 
16. Cutworms are 
liable to be active at 
this time. Paper col¬ 
lars around some plants 
will save them; cut¬ 
worm food is often ef¬ 
fective. A mixture of 
bran and Paris green 
placed on the ground 
will attract them. 
King of Spain born, 
1886. 
17. Clean out the 
rose house and make 
ready for new plants. 
Fumigate the house 
thoroughly, whitewash 
the benches with hot 
lime, use gooil soil in 
refilling the benches. 
Victor Hugo died, 1885. 
22. Don’t let the 
currant worm get the 
upper hand—it doesn’t 
take it long to destroy 
the foliage. A spraying 
with poison such as ar¬ 
senate of lead will do 
the work if applied in 
time. 
23. Just as the flow¬ 
ers fall on your fruit 
trees, they should _ be 
sprayed with a poison 
for the codling moth or 
apple worm. Two weeks 
afterward, see that they 
are treated with Bor¬ 
deaux mixture for foli¬ 
age diseases. 
Queen Victoria born, 
1819. 
24. Evergreen hed¬ 
ges and specimen ever¬ 
greens that are being 
clipped to form are 
sheared now in order 
to avoid holes. Just as 
the new growth starts 
is the proper time. 
29. If weather is 
favorable, bedding out 
can be started. Do not 
neglect to prepare the 
beds properly; break 
the ball of roots on the 
young plants by scratch¬ 
ing the bottom, and 
pinch them back a little 
to induce stocky growth. 
Decoration Day. 
30. Tender vegeta¬ 
bles such as egg-plants, 
peppers and tomatoes 
may be set out now. 
Nothing is gained by 
planting these too early, 
as a few cool nights 
will check or entirely 
ruin them. 
31. Asparagus loves 
salt. Give the bed a 
good application about 
every three or four 
weeks during the sum¬ 
mer. Besides nourish¬ 
ing the plants this will 
do much toward keep¬ 
ing down the weed 
growth. 
4. riant potatoes 
when the ground is not 
wet and soggy. Use 
plenty of fertilizers, cut 
the seed to one eye, and 
don’t neglect to soak 
the seed in formalde¬ 
hyde to prevent potato 
scab. A good crop will 
be worth having. 
Napoleon I died, 1821. 
5. If you have early 
started plants from the 
greenhouse or can buy 
some, cabbage, lettuce, 
cauliflower, early cel¬ 
ery, parsley, beets, car- 
rots, broccoli, onions 
and leek can be set out 
at this time. 
11. Roses should 
have some attention. 
Just as soon as the buds 
break they should be 
given a good applica¬ 
tion of manure water. 
The plants should also 
be sprayed with arsen¬ 
ate of lead and Bor¬ 
deaux mixture. 
12. Weeds cause 
more ambitious garden¬ 
ers to lose heart than 
does any other one 
thing. Keep after them 
all the time with the 
cultivator in the gar¬ 
den and hand weeding 
in places where you 
can’t cultivate. 
18. If rhubarb is 
desired it must be kept 
supplied with plant 
food. Liquid feeding 
or mulching will prove 
b e n e fi c ia 1 and you 
should see to it that 
you keep the seed pods 
removed at all times so 
they eannot ripen. 
19. If you have early 
sown sweet peas in pots, 
they should be planted 
out, about 6 inches 
apart. Use plenty of 
manure and leaf mould 
in preparing for ground 
and never let the plants 
suffer for water. Per¬ 
fection should result. 
25. The space around 
newly planted trees and 
shrubs should be kept 
constantly stirred. If 
you are not able to do 
this a mulch of sonie 
kind should be applied 
to prevent the evapora¬ 
tion of valuable soil 
moisture. 
26. While not ad¬ 
vised, you can plant 
perennials late this 
month if you will take 
pains to keep them well 
watered, and if possi¬ 
ble shaded for a few 
days. Spraying in the 
evening also helps to 
keep them going. 
This Kalendar of the 
gardener’s labors is 
aimed as a reminder 
for undertaking all his 
tasks in season. It is 
fitted to the latitude of 
the Middle States, hut 
its service should be 
available for the whole 
country if it be re¬ 
membered that for 
every one hundred 
miles north or south 
there is a difference of 
from five to seven 
days later or earlier in 
performing garden op¬ 
erations. The dates 
given are, of course, 
for an average season. 
A scuffle-hoe 
is one of the 
g a r dener's 
best allies 
in the war 
on weeds 
Boards 
make a 
good shade 
for trans- 
planted 
seedlings 
Have the 
ground well 
prepared, so 
you can 
plant icith 
your hands 
The young 
plant should 
not he set too 
deep, hut the 
soil needs 
firming 
