Have a Compost Pile 
To assure having sufficient hu- 
mus for your garden, start a com- 
post pile. In a corner of your gar- 
den (perhaps behind a screen of 
bushes) dig a trench about | foot 
deep, 2 or 3 feet wide, and 3 or 4 
feet long. Make frame extending 
above ground level. 
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Humus is decomposed vegetable 
or organic matter. In building a 
compost pile the idea is to accu- 
mulate such matter in a way that 
will encourage decomposition and 
increase its plant food value. 
After you have a layer of mate- 
rial (grass cuttings, plant leaves, 
vegetable tops, straw, etc.)6 inches 
or more deep, scatter over it a 
coating of chemicals to aid de- 
composition (sulphate of ammo- 
nia, superphosphate, limestone) 
and water well. Forking over oc- 
casionally and wetting well dur- 
ing the season speeds decomposi- 
tion. Place a l-inch layer of earth 
at about 6-inch intervals to pre- 
vent bad odors. (Avoid using dis- 
eased plants or weeds, which 
should be burned.) 
Gower Notes 
Cut and remove hollyhock, fox- 
glove, phlox and delphinium stalks 
as fast as they fade. Burn them to 
keep down mildew and black spot. 
eee 
Plants subject to ground pests, 
such as asters, should have pow- 
dered tobacco mixed generously 
with the immediate topsoil when 
planted and again just before 
blooming time. Sulphur and to- 
bacco are usually safe things to 
mix in the soil. around the plant. 
eo e¢ @ 
Cultivate often until July first 
and then, if you wish to avoid 
labor and watering, try mulching 
with an inch of peat humus or 
peat moss, keeping this material 
slightly away from the stem. This 
can be raked off in the fall or left 
to be cultivated into the soil. 
ee ® 
Stake such tall plants as del- 
phinium at once. Tie a raffia strip 
to the stake first and then to the 
plant. Remove all blossoms as 
soon as they fade to induce a 
prolonged flowering season. A sec- 
ond flowering can be secured from 
such plants as Canterbury bells 
by this method. Cut delphinium 
stalks to the ground after flower- 
ing to get new bloom stalks. Pan- 
sies bloom continuously if not 
allowed to seed. 
30 
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PETUNIA, Glamour — 1942 All-Amer- 
ica. Huge 5 to 6-in. blooms; appear 
when plant is only 5 to 6 in. tall. 
First appear double, but as they 
mature, petals fall back, exposing 
throat. Pkt. 25c, 

COSMOS, Orange Ruffles—Semi-dou- 
ble, large, vivid blossoms. Very 
free blooming over long period, if 
old flowers are removed. 10 days 
earlier than Orange Flare. 3 to 4-ft. 
plants. Pkt. 10c. 
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MARIGOLD, Butterball — All-America 
1942. Dwarf French double. Com- 
pact 6 to 10-in. plants, uniform and 
continuous blooming. Very early. 
Scabious-flowered blossoms 1}/2 in. 
across. Pkt. l5c. 

MARIGOLD, Mission Giant Yellow- 
stone — All-America 1942. Bright, 
warm, clear yellow flowers, 2/2 in. 
across. Incurved chrysanthemum- 
like form. Plants, 3 to 5 ft. tall. Late 
blooming, last until frost. Pkt. l5c. 




SCABIOSA, Tall Double Mixed 
(Mourning Bride or Pincush- 
ion Flower) — Very fra- 
grant. Will bloom from 
midsummer until frost if 
not allowed to go to seed. 
Pkt. 10c. 

PETUNIA, America Alldou- 
ble — 1943 All-America. 
The first ‘‘double’’ ever 
created in America; 100% 
true for doubleness. Flow- 
ers up to 214 in. diam- 
eter. Will bloom from 
early summer to frost. 
Pkt. 35c. 
