IT’S TIME FOR... 
The Big Spring Feeding for the entire 
garden — any time after February 15, the 
most important fertilizing period of the 
year. Heavy rains have leached out any 
existing nitrogen. Many plants are turning 
yellow from long chill air, cold ground and 
wind, and from other accumulated adversi- 
ties. Fertilizers which have been used here 
and there during short daylight hours and 
cold nights have been only half effective. 
So now at the beginning of spring we must 
feed practically everything. Either start at 
one end of the garden and go on around 
until finished, or begin with the yellowest 
subjects first. 
What to use and how much perhaps no 
two growers will agree upon. The important 
thing to remember is that a FERTILIZER 
HIGH IN NITROGEN is imperative at this 
season. Ammonium phosphate contains 
169% nitrogen, Sulphate of Ammonia 21%, 
Grorite pellets 11%, Blood Meal 13%, 
Descanso 25°. We suggest that for this 
project you ignore Sulphate of Ammonia 
and Blood Meal — UNLESS USED IN LIQ- 
UID FORM. Certainly you can't beat Am- 
monium phosphate or Descanso. Grorite, 
though a trifle mild for the year's first teed- 
ing, is particularly good if you are the too- 
generous type. Ammonium phosphate 
should be applied at the rate of two pounds 
to 100 square feet well worked into the 
soil, or one-quarter cup to a shrub of five 
gallon size. Another good spring recipe, 
which we called your attention to last spring, 
is one ounce Irontone, three ounces Epsom 
Salts (Magnitone), one ounce Ammonium 
sulphate, all to three gallons of water. 
If your ground is inclined to cake on top, 
by all means mulch — with equal parts of 
steer manure and Georgia peat and half a 
part humisite. Plants that particularly show 
nitrogen need include Hibiscus (which 
haven't been fed since October, we hope}, 
Bamboo, Citrus, Bougainvillea, Murraya, 
Xylosma, Philodendron, Bananas. 
Plantwise, it's time for deciduous Oriental 
Magnolias, ($6.50 to $20); the Pink Horse 
Chestnut, Aesculus carnea ($7.50, bare- 
root;) the Flowering Peaches (from $5.50); 
Flowering Crabapple, dark leaved or not 
($4, up) and Hawthorne (Cratageus Au- 
tumn Glory) for the experimental ($5.50). 
PEG. 
H Ug I, Cvans 
(Continued from front page) 
numerous even to attempt a description. 
There is nothing more interesting than 
to procure from some far region plants or 
seeds of some new thing perhaps long 
sought, to watch the germination (if they do 
germinate) and to regard anxiously those 
minute and fragile green objects, on which 
all our hopes and fears are centered, look- 
ing forward to the day of their prime and 
beauty. 
A talented and learned horticulturist, now 
alas no longer with us, used to maintain: 
that we already had enough plant material 
without introducing any more. Surely this 
is not so; we cannot stand still. Mexico, 
Central and South America still have an 
abundance of plants which would be happy 
here in California — plants of all kinds from 
palms to herbs — and so, too, have Africa 
and the Australasian countries. China has, 
| suppose, been more widely searched for 
plant material than any foreign land, but 
yet the late Ernest Wilson brought back 
trom there literally thousands of new species 
and present day collectors are still adding. 
to the list. 
It goes without saying that some of the 
material we seek to acclimatize will not suc- 
ceed. We have to be steeled to disappoint- 
ment and disillusion in this matter of plant 
introduction and acclimatization, but suc- 
cess with one new and praiseworthy plant 
makes up for a dozen disappointments. The 
true plantsman is like the Athenians in St. 
Paul's time, he is always looking for some- 
thing new, nursing an unconquerable hope. 
PLANTS OF THE MONTH 
BIRTHDAY BOUQUET 
As we surveyed nursery and garden for 
the plant of the month,"’ we were amazed 
to see the many plants, currently in flower, 
introduced to local trade through the ef- 
forts of Mr. Hugh Evans. Flowering now 
as a sort of birthday tribute, are Chamae- 
laucium uncinatum (Geralton Wax Flower); 
Calliandra inaequilatera (Pink Powder Puff); 
Thunbergia Gregorii (orange - flowered 
vine;) Epidendron O'Brienianum (red bed- 
ding orchid); Brunfelsia calycina floribun- 
da (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow); 
Beaumontia grandiflora (Easter Lily Vine). 
Visit our garden to see Mr. Evans’ plants 
of the month! 
