GARDEN GUIDE 
Information You Have Asked Us For 
The General Garden Information pages in last spring’s Seed Catalog met with such a warm reception that we are trying to answer some of 
the many questions that are asked in our stores and by mail about fall gardening. 
PLANTING BULBS IN THE GARDEN 
TULIPS: They may be planted any time after the first hard frost 
right up to the time the ground freezes, making it impossible to dig. 
They may be grown successfully in any good garden soil and in just 
about any location providing the spot is not too wet. Do not try to 
grow them where water stands for any length of time. : 
There are two methods of planting. The most common is digging 
a hole for each bulb and placing the bulb in it, making sure that it is 
right end up and its base firmly on the bottom of the hole. The second 
way is to take out all the soil in the place to be planted, set the bulbs 
in position, then replace the soil, using care not to tip the bulbs over. 
After you have covered the bulbs with soil spread some good fer- 
tilizer or complete plant food over the area planted. One pound of 
food to each twelve square feet is generally sufficient. If you have 
trouble with moles, mice or chipmunks, eating the bulbs, dust the 
surface of the bed with Napthalene Flakes. 
A 2-inch mulch of peat moss, straw, or coarse litter keeps the 
bulbs from the heaving caused by alternate thawing and freezing. Re- 
move this mulch in the spring when the shoots show above the surface. 
If you are going to use your bulbs another year, keep the old flowers 
picked off. If you dig your bulbs up each year, do it after the foliage 
has turned brown, dry the bulbs in the shade and store in a cool, dry 
place. Bulbs may be left right in the ground if you prefer. Just pull up 
the dry, dead foliage, and do your summer planting right over them. 
The foliage will dry and be ready to remove much more quickly if you 
will break it over with a light lawn roller, the back of a rake or by hand. 
The Icte-flowering Tulips will often last for several years. The early 
kind sometimes two years. 
NARCISSUS OR DAFFODILS: Plant these the same way you 
would Tulip bulbs, but earlier in the season if possible. Do not dig 
Narcissus bulbs up each year, leave them undisturbed in the ground 
for three or four years, then when the foliage has turned yellow 
three-quarters of the way from the top, dig, divide, or separate the 
bulbs and replant immediately. 
HYACINTHS: These require about the same care as the Tulips 
and last about two years. 
PLANTING TABLE FOR BULBS: The table at right above shows 
the number of bulbs required to fill a circular bed of the dimensions 
given. In planting begin at the outside row. Where bulbs are six 
inches apart, start three inches from edge of bed; where twelve inches 
apart, six inches from edge of bed. 
It is customary among professionals in planting a bed to set the 
bulbs somewhat closer together in the two outer rows, giving more 
space between each bulb toward the center of the bed. A square bed 
will take about the same number of bulbs. For an oval bed, add 
length and breadth and divide by 2. For example, an oval bed 9 feet 
long by 7 feet wide will require the same number as a circular bed 
8 feet in diameter. 

FOR VERY EARLY FLOWERS 
Sow the seed of these hardy annuals just before the ground freezes 
so that germination will not take place until spring. 
Alyssum Candytuft Dianthus 
Antirrhinum Centaurea Larkspur 
(Snapdragon) (Cornflower) Portulaca 
Calendula Clarkia Sweet Peas 
California Poppy Cosmos Shirley Poppy 
Pot up bulbs for winter bloom. Lift a few plants of Parsley for a 
sunny spot in the kitchen window. 
Now is the time to divide your plants and replant the perennial bor- 
der. September is the best month for planting and moving Peonies. 
Plant them shallow. Set the tubers only two inches deep; that is to say, 
let only two inches of earth cover them. Feed them well with bone 
meal and: avoid manure. 
Stop the feeding and cultivation of Roses in early September and 
let them rest so they become thoroughly hardened. 
At this time of the year, do not let a single weed go to seed. Don’t 
let the weeds even form seed pods, because many of these will ripen 
and shell out if they are cut when green; even though the plot is burned 
over later, it will be too late to prevent their sowing trouble for next 
year. 
As hardy Lilies often are not available until late October or Novem- 
ber, it may be necessary to keep the soil where they are to go from 
freezing with a heavy mulching of manure. 
A number of vegetables have been recommended for fall sowing. Put 
them in just before you have reason to expect things to freeze up for 
the winter so that they will not sprout this fall. Any of the following 
should prove worth a trial: Radishes, Lettuce, Spinach, Carrots, Smooth 
Peas, Turnips and Cabbage. 
HOW TO GROW HYACINTHS IN WATER 
Before placing the bulbs in the Hyacinth glass, the hard, corky root 
base of the bulb must be cut away cleanly. Fill the glasses with clean 
water until it touches the base of the bulb. The glasses are then put in 
a cool, dark closet or basement. Best temperature is 50 degrees. 
When tops have 4 inches of growth, take the glasses to a window in 
a warm room and add water if necessary. Never change the water 
completely. If the air in the room is very dry, it may help to moisten 
the flower buds once a day with cotton dipped in cool water. 

















[14] 


No. of Bulbs No. of Bulbs No. of Bulbs 

DIAMETER Planted Planted Planted 
OF BED 6 in. apart 12 in. apart 18 in. apart 
3) ike. 28 7 eS 
4 ft. 48 12 6 
Se Mite 80 20 8 
Grins he 28 13 
Taahts az: 38 17 
Si tts 200 50 23 
9 ft. 256 64 28 
NOW hts 320 80 36 
libs tae 380 95 42 
lia tits 452 als 50 
(Sy “ine 528 ise 59 
14 ft. 612 les 68 
5) sik 704 176 78 
16 ft. 804 201 89 
eats 904 226 100 
18 ft. 1016 254 113 
19 ft. ele 283 126 
2O mitt: 1256 314 139 
DEPTH AND DISTANCE APART TO PLANT BULBS 
Deep Apart Deep Apart 
Early dulips: 3... 4 in. Sins Earths ne sree 2 in. 3 in. 
ate Ulips: an. Oulle Baim: Fritillaria— ‘ 
Hyacinths ...-:. 6 in. 6 in. Imperials .... 6in. 12 in. 
Narcissus Meleagris .... 3 in. 3 in. 
Large flowering 6 in. 6 in. Galanthus <. 5... 3 in. Sythe 
Small flowering 4 in. 6 in. Leucolum! eee 3 in. 4 in. 
Grocus Wea eee 3 in. 4 in. NAUSCCirieewerercnenete 3 in. 3 in. 
Chionodoxa .... 3 in. 3 in. Scillam hasaaeess 3 in. 3 in. 
POINTS TO REMEMBER 
Positively do not plant bulbs in borders or beds which are badly 
drained. Perfect drainage is vital and the most important instruction 
we can give you. Our guarantee does not cover losses from this cause. 
Never use any strong commercial fertilizer or fresh manure when 
planting bulbs. 
When picking the flowers do not cut away any more foliage from 
your bulbous plants than is necessary. Leaves and foliage store up 
food for next year’s blooming. 
Do not let seed pods remain on the stems after flowers have faded 
—it weakens the bulbs. 
Do not dig up bulbs before foliage shows signs of dying, changing 
to yellow or brown. 
Never dry bulbs in the sun—always in the shade. 
Do not grow Tulips year after year in the same place. Sooner or 
later they may be attacked with a fungous disease called ‘fire blight,”’ 
which attacks both foliage and flowers. Either change the soil or the 
location; in other words, follow the principle of crop rotation. 
Bulbs shculd not be stored in an air-tight container. 
Wait until the ground is well frozen before applying mulch to those 
plants requiring winter protection, Alternate freezing and thawing and 
heaving of the soil is what causes winter injury. 
Erect a couple of shelters or feeding stations for those birds that stay 
with us through the winter—destroying insect eggs and pupae. Place 
them where they are sheltered from the north winds and protect them 
from cats and other marauders by using wire screen or an inverted pan 
over the post on which they are mounted or a wire collar around the 
trunk of the tree. 
If you have not been putting out bird seed and*suet for the wild birds 
this past summer, start doing so at once. The faill and early winter birds 
are very interesting and easily attracted by a continued food and 
water supply. 
= > 
There is a new gadget on the market— 
a plastic bulb holder that fits the top of 
most glasses, holding the base of the bulb 
near the water and helps make bulb grow- 
ing in water very easy. We offer them at 
15¢ each; 6 for 75c 
Hyacinth Glasses are made especially to 
grow both Dutch and French Roman Hya- 
cinth bulbs in during the winter. Come in 
blue, amber and crystal. 
45 each; postpaid 55c 
Canker worms or inch worms humping their 
way across tree foliage are a nuisance in spring. 
A band of Tanglefoot or some sticky substance 
around the trunk near the base of the tree will 
keep fall canker worms from crawling up the 
twigs where eggs are laid to hatch next spring. 
