Transplanting Seedlings 
The best time to transplant seedlings is after 
the plants have fully developed their first pair 
of true leaves. These are usually the second 
pair of leaves developed on a young plant. 
Remember, when transplanting into the open 
to expose the young plants gradually to out- 
side temperatures. 
The Compost Heap 
The compost heap is a “must” for 
the permanent garden. Select a spot 
behind a shed or otherwise hidden (if 
your garden is in the open) and 
spread out your garden wastes over 
this area in a layer six inches deep. 
Use weeds, old vegetable and flower 
plants, vegetable waste from the kitch- 
en and lawn clippings. Trimmings 
from lawn edging are particularly 
valuable. 
On each six inch layer, sprinkle a 
little lime and a liberal amount of 
good mixed fertilizer. The fertilizer 
will feed the bacteria that cause the 
vegetable wastes to decay. Then apply 
a layer of good garden soil over the 
lime and fertilizer. Repeat until the 
pile is two feet high. Wet down if 
rain doesn’t fall. 
In six months all weed seeds and 
other vegetable matter will be broken 
down by the bacteria into a rich, home 
made “manure” that will help make 
yours a perfect soil. 
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Plant Late 
In the fall, when plants naturally distribute 
their seed is a good time for certain plant- 
ings. As in Nature, large percentages will 
be lost to winter, but some varieties will 
develop handsomely and grow during win- 
ter's warm days, to give you a head start. 
Garden Sanitation 
Along with a regular program of 
insect control, plan on destroying 
weeds along the edges of your gar- 
den, the place where insects hide dur- 
ing the winter. If possible, control 
the weeds for a distance of at least 
25 feet on all sides of the garden. Not 
only will this eliminate insect hiding 
places, but it will reduce the number 
of weed seeds that might otherwise 
blow onto your garden. 
Apply a 5% dust of DDT to the 
grass and weeds about every three 
weeks, so that most insects that might 
otherwise move into the garden will 
be killed. So will mosquitoes and 
chiggers. 
Herbs For Spice 
Herbs are again becoming an im- 
portant crop in many gardens. Orig- 
inally they were grown because every 
home needed the flavorings, medi- 
cine, and periume which the herb 
bed provided. Now that modern 
science has eliminated the necessity 
for these uses, the herbs are grown for 
beauty and choice flavorings. 
When herbs were a necessity they 
were grown in beds or in a special 
garden. Herb gardens depended more 
on design for their effectiveness as 
most of the plants are green or gray- 
ish color with unattractive flowers. 
Some people are making small herb 
gardens or herb beds today. 
Chives are an excellent low border 
plant. Attractive foliage is crowned 
with showy purple flowers in spring. 
The leaves are tasty in salads. cheese. 
and egg dishes. Sage is an interesting 
plant for the garden. The crinkled 
eray foliage is attractive, and the pale 
lavendar flowers are interesting. The 
leaves are famous for use in dressings. 
Basil, marjoram, thyme, and rose- 
mary are pleasing as border plants, 
while parsley is superb for edgings. 
Every garden has a place for several 
of the herbs. and many gardens can 
have quaint herb beds or gardens. 
Space Saving for Small Gardens 
Where space is a problem, close planning be- 
comes a necessity, Frequently, leafy plants can 
be more successfully grown in a limited space 
if planted in alternate rows with large root 
varieties. For instance, interplant lettuce with 
radishes. Save by planting climbers, like pole- 
beans, with an upright grower, such as corn. 
Staking Increases Yields 
Properly staked plants insure an 
orderly garden. Lack of proper stak- 
ing means that you are reasonably 
sure to have some wrecked and messy 
beds later in the season. A heavy rain 
or wind storm is likely to knock over 
tall and heavy foliage plants which 
naturally have stems not sufficiently 
sturdy to stand up under such circum- 
stances. 
Careful tests have shown that on a 
given ground area more tomatoes can 
be grown on plants pruned toa single 
stem and tied to a stake or fence, than 
in any other way. They ripen earlier, 
too, and in many ways this method is 
best for the small vegetable garden. 
Keeping tomato plants pruned and 
tied needs constant attention. At the 
joint where each leaf grows on the 
main stem, a branch will develop, and 
this must be cut or pinched off before 
it is four inches long, otherwise its 
removal may weaken the plant. 
Delphiniums are the first plants in 
the garden to show the need for 
staking. The heavy spikes of bloom 
on these stately perennials make them 
singularly susceptible to destruction 
by winds or heavy rains. Stake them 
before the buds start to open. 
Gladiolus with heavy spikes of 
bloom are likely to need stakes. Lilies 
and iris of the taller types also need 
Tall 
French marigolds are tipped over by 
this assistance. African and 
wind or rain and become a jungle. 
The first requisite of good staking 
is that the stakes should be strong and 
capable of holding up the plant, but 
unobtrusive and painted a dull green. 
39 
