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F. F. Rockwell garden and grounds. When a direct personal reply is desired please enclose a sclf-adddressed stamped envelope 
June 
T’S hard to stay and work in a hot and 
dusty garden these June days, when 
the white roads point away to wooded hills 
or the cool recesses of a vine-shaded ver¬ 
anda invite all one's spare hours. It seems 
time to pause in garden work: and it is— 
but not to loaf. It is time to pause and 
check up your work, and to take stock 
for late summer’s and for winter's supply 
of vegetables. 
In the Flower Garden 
TTENTION must be given to all the 
little seedlings that will be coming 
along from seed sown last month. Whether 
they are in the seed-bed or in their perma¬ 
nent places, they must not be allowed to get 
too big before thinning, and without thin¬ 
ning it will be impossible to get thick stocky 
plants, that will give satisfactory results 
when put in their permanent positions. 
Sorts that tend to run up into one straight 
stalk should be pinched back a third or a 
half when they are budded, to induce a 
branching growth. 
Do not neglect to stake plants that are 
apt to become bent or ‘‘lodged” by wind 
and rain, especially when they are planted 
in exposed positions. Chestnut stakes, 
one-quarter to one inch in diameter, may 
be had cheaply of any local milling com¬ 
pany, and cheaply cut in desired lengths, 
pointed and painted at home. Painted 
green or white, and used with raffia— 
either in its natural brown color or dyed 
green—they make neat, inconspicuous sup¬ 
ports and by being stored under cover in 
winter will last many years. 
Do not overlook the fact that it is just 
as necessary to maintain a soil mulch, by 
frequent cultivation, in the flower beds, 
and even around isolated plants, shrubs 
and vines, as it is to properly cultivate 
the vegetable garden. Light dressings of 
nitrate of soda, or of liquid manure, will 
often produce surprisingly good results. 
Getting Plants from Left Overs 
AYE you any Begonias? If so, take 
some of the leaves and after making 
several inch cuts in them lay them on a 
box of coarse sand, dampened, and in the 
course of a few weeks you will have a 
new plant from each place of incision. 
This is mighty interesting and profitable 
work. Or have you any dracenas that 
have been doing poorly ? Cut up the stem 
into several pieces and bury them in 
coarse sand that is kept damp, but never 
too soggy. Each piece will give you a 
new plant. Boston Fern also multiplies 
very rapidly. An old plant that is going 
back should not be doctored. One young 
plant is better than a dozen old ones. Sep¬ 
arate the old plant and pot the divisions. 
Then during the summer plunge them out 
in the ground and see that the little run¬ 
ners that they throw off have a smooth 
piece of ground to spread on. From these 
runners dozens of new plants will spring 
up. This is the way to get new thrifty 
plants. 
Are there any hydrangeas in the cel¬ 
lar? Take some cuttings and start them 
It is not too late to plant bulbs of the gladi¬ 
olus which will well repay your trouble 
(448) 
in sand. They will take hold without any 
trouble and later the small plants can be 
set out for the season and by fall will be 
worth looking at. This is a cheap way to 
get a stock of hydrangeas. There is no 
difficulty about it; it is just as simple as 
the directions I give. 
Do you admire the Boston Ivy? You 
can have all you want by taking cuttings 
and starting them in loam. They root 
easily. 
Saved any cannas? If so separate 
them and either pot each piece or put them 
all in a shallow box with loam. If you 
haven't any and would like a beauty, buy 
a couple of clumps of King Humbert and 
separate them. One good sized clump will 
give you many plants, for each tiny piece 
will make a new plant. All that is neces¬ 
sary is to have an eye in the piece. 
One thing you can do in the seedling 
line is to start some Grevillia robusta. 
The seed is very cheap and the methods 
of propagation are very simple. The 
plant is most beautiful and not used as 
generally as it should be. Start the seeds 
in shallow boxes and pot the seedlings 
when sufficiently large. The resulting 
plants will more than please you. for they 
grow very rapidly and the fern-like mark¬ 
ings of the leaves make them seem almost 
fragile, but, on the contrary, they are 
really tough. They are to be recommend¬ 
ed highly for a house plant and will 
weather conditions that the ordinary palm 
would go down under. I have had a 
couple in the house this winter and their 
keeping qualities certainly surprised me. 
They are most attractive. Take three or 
four small plants and put them in a large 
pot with a larger plant for a centre and 
you will have a stunning combination. 
There is no mystery about starting them. 
Just sow the seed as you do any other 
seed and results will speedily come. L. D. 
Cultivation of the Gladiolus 
N cultivating the gladiolus the first con¬ 
sideration is to obtain fine varieties 
from the florists, or of your neighbor who 
makes a specialty of this popular flower. 
A study of reliable floral catalogues will 
help in the selection. 
A friend of the writer is in love with this 
