1, % ft .4? /, ;?y-^jr ^55P GARDENERS' HRONICLE \ (OF AMERICA) RATE D arcisst Syracuse Park Planned to Build Then Built to a Plan ".it If Knowing what you know about greenhouse planning and building isn't it surprising how few have looked ahead far enough to plan ahead for future additions ? Run over in your mind, the houses you know about personally; and it's ten chances to one that nine of them are more or less botched up because of having to meet conditions that ouglil to have been met, at the start, on tlie plan. When the Park officials at Syracuse, N. Y., considered the question of building houses, the plan to them was the first and last thing of importance. As a result, they now have a Palm house ami work room as a central feature, and four houses already erected on one side. A glance at the photograph below, shows the opposite side of the Palm House, constructed for connecting duplicate houses. Even the doors are in and ready. One or more houses can be added at a time, until the layout is complete in accord with the original plan. As a result, it will be attractive to look at, nnd economical to both work and heat. We are not saying that this plan could well be duplicated for the requirements of other parks, but it does meet the needs of this one. Each individual condition, should always gov- ern the layout, both as to size and arrange- ment. Which statement brings us right down to the basic fact, that when you are ready to talk plan, we will gladly plan to be there. Let us know w!ien and wliere. ofd,& BnrnhamCS. Builders of Greenhouses and Co iservatories Ji ^/^ t ^ r^-^. mVlNGTON NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA New York 42nd St. BIdg. Land Title Bldg. BOSTON CLEVELAND TORONTO Little Bldg, 2063 E. 4th St. Royal Bank Bldg. Eastern Factory Western Factoid Irvmgton. N. Y. Dea Plaines. III. CHICAGO Continental Bank Bldg. MONTREAL Transportation Bldg. Canadian Factory St. Catharines. Ont. ■^2 m This View from the Opi'osite Side of the Palm Houses, Shows the Provision Made fur Adding Future Houses iLWiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH^^ Joseph Manda, doing business under the name of Joseph Manda since 1895, announces the organization of a new company composed of himself and sons, Edward A. and WilHam J. Manda, under the tide of Joseph Manda Com- pany, to engage in a. general horticultural business, catering to the private estate. While the company will specialize in orchids, it will also handle a complete line of plants, bulbs, and horti- cultural sundries. Mr. Manda takes this opportunity to express his appre- ciation of the patronage he has enjoyed for the past twenty- five years, and solicits a continuance of the same for the new company which has taken over his business. Joseph Manda Company ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s — B u 1 b s — S u n d r i e s West Orange - - - New Jersey Joseph Manda Pres. & Treas. Williajn J. Maiula Vicc-Pres. Edward A. Manda Sccr'y- illllllUIIIIIII iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy 383 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiii:iiif:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiliiiiiiililililiiilililiuiiiililllillliu^ THE SEASON'S Leading Novelty will be mailed to all of our cus- tomers without their asking for it, but we want all who are in- terested in gardening to have a copy and will mail it free to those who mention this publica- tion when writing. DREER'S GARDEN BOOK FOR 1920 contains 224 pages, six color plates featuring Choice Vegetables and Flowers, also hun- dreds of photo-engravings, together with cultural notes written by experts, making it a dependable guide on all matters relating to Vegetable and Flower growing. Write today and we will gladly send a copy when it is ready. Hunt's Golden Sunrise TOMATO tlllllllll!lllll>lllllllllll'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIil>!IIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIilllllllllllllllllll!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!ll^ Possesses the FINEST FLAVOR of any Tomato in cultivation, being entirely FREE FROM ACID. Tlie handsome GOLDEN fruits are medium in size of rounded form and are produced in gigantic clusters. Matures ten days earlier than any other variety outdoors, and is unexcelled for forcing. SOLD IN PACKETS ONLY AT THIRTY-FIVE CENTS THREE PACKETS FOR ONE DOLLAR I William M. Hunt & Co. | I 148 Chambers Street, New York | .uiiiniiuiiiiiii!iiiiniliiiiii:iiiiiiiiNiiiiiiii»ililiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiililililiiililiiilliiniiiiiiiuiliiiiiiiiii^ jiiNHiniiiiiiii!iiNimiiiii:iiimiiiiiiii^nnni!»iiNiiiiiiiiii!iiii:iiiiinninnifiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiinitiniiiiniiii»iiniiiiiiniiiiiiiinit)inim Orchids If you contemplate buying semi-established, established or imported orchids, consult us first. We carry in stock about 25,000 species. A large stock of Laelie Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other choice hybrids. We specialize in supplying the private trade. Let us figure on your requirements — our quality is second to none. Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot hangers, always on hand. Send for our price list. G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK When in Doubt Plant Norway Maples Norway Maples are deservedly the most popular of all shade trees. They grow quickly; thrive in all soils, and increase in beauty as the years go by. We have them in sizes from 1 inch to 6 inches in diameter — all sturdy and healthy. When in doubt, plant Nor- way Maples. Harrisons' Evergreens are heavy. bushy specimens \vith strong root systems. Our Thunberg's Barberry and California Privet excel for hedges. We also sup- ply Flowering Shrubs in great variety. Harrisons' Fruit Trees are budded from our own fruit- ing orchards. Norway Maple — King of Shade Trees Everbearing S t r a w^ berry Plants and 30 Other Varie- ties afford w^ide choice. Write today for 1920 Catalog. ^IT J G.MARRlSON S SONS III PRQPBIfTOBS • Box 27, Berlin, Maryland 384 gimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiinmiiii I * * GREENHOUSE PLANTS FOR 1920 * * ROSES The New Roses which w^e are offering are the very best novelties we have ever offered for the private trade. CRUSADER is alone in its class, the best Red Rose we have ever grovs^n or seen. PILGRIM is wonderful. We wish you could see these roses grow^ing, and we invite you to come to Cromw^ell at any time. MRS. JOHN COOK is the new White Rose and everyone will like it. CARNATIONS We shall have plants and cuttings of any variety you wish, including LADDIE the most popular pink carnation toda3^ CHRYSANTHEMUMS (NOVELTY POMPONS) NELLIE IRWIN— A clear, light yellow. PAULINE WILCOX— Beautiful dark bronze. HELEN ANDRE— Orange-bronze. HELEN HUBBARD— Fiery crimson decorative. LORRAINE MEECH— Dull crimson, golden bronze reverse. (NOVELTY SINGLES) ELIZABETH McDOWELL — Orange-bronze single. EVELYN BOSWORTH— Bronze with a tint of salmon-pmk. CHARTER OAK— Clear, bright-yellow; late. KATHERINE HARLEY— Light bronze. GREENHOUSE PLANTS is the name of our 1 920 Catalogue, which gives a full list of the Roses, Carnations and Chrysanthemums which we are offering. Send us a card and a copy will be mailed to you at once. ANPlErySON INC. Ceommll Cai^ens Crpmwell Conn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiniiiii iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiii 385 i;i„ nil iiniiiiiiiiiiiii iiii imiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.iililllliiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiitmj inllllliliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilillllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiillilllllliililiiiiilllllliui^ MICHELL'S SEEDS \ || mean an early, pro- | j \ lific, satisfactory gar- j | f den and lawn, an at- | | f tractive conservatory | | | or greenhouse. | | 1 Our mammoth ware- | j | rooms are teeming | | j with the best in the | | j greatest variety of | | | Seeds, Bulbs and hor- | | I ticultural requisites. | j | Our Seeds, Bulbs, etc., are selected with the ut- | | f most care and exactness. I 1 I MICHELL'S ILLUSTRATED I CATALOG i I For 1920 I I IS READY NOW | I An authentic guide to successful gardening and | I lawn making, and also brimful of interesting | I farm and other facts. It will help you to grow j I bigger and better crops. I j WRITE TODAY FOR A COPY | I MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE | j 514 MARKET ST., PHILA. PA. | flllllltlllll1lllilllll1l1IIIilllllll1llllllll11illllllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIII!llllllllllli1IIII[lIltlllll!llllllllll!illllllllil[lllllllllllllllllllltl{llllllliIIIII^ ^iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiriiijiioiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiitimiiiiiiiiiniiiiKiitiiiiNiiimiiiniiiiiiiiii^ I GLOXINIAS I j We have just received a fine lot of bulbs | j in the following varieties: | I DUCHESS OF YORK— Purple, white bor- | I der. I I HER MAJESTY— Pure white. | I KING GEORGE V— Red. | j METEOR — Flesh color, deep pink border. | I READING PURPLE— Deep purple. | I READING SCARLET— Scarlet. | I $3.50 per Doz. $25.00 per 100. | j Extra selected bulbs, 50c. each, $5.00 per | I doz. 1 W. E. MARSHALL & CO., Inc. 166 West 23rd St., New York THE STORE OF Complete Garden Service Since 1877 we have served buyers of discrimination with the choicest products our line affords. Service and quality have been the keynotes, rather than price. You will again find this the pre- dominating factor in the Spring issue of Beckert's Guide to Better Gardens Like former issues, it offers the choicest products of America, Europe and Asia, in seasonable Seeds, Bulbs and Miscellaneous Garden Requisites. You will find our prices modest, our assort- ments comprehensive, our service beyond reproach. Try us on the basis of fair prices for quality goods and top-notch service. Your copy of our latest catalog is awaiting your call. Beckert's Seed Store f 101 and 103 Federal St., Pittsburgh Pa. ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiim iliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinimiiiiniiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiii.iiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Niii:iiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiimiiniinnniiiniiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|i^ Si .» A Garden for Every Home Spring 1920 SEEDS, BULBS AND REQUISITES Have you received copy of our catalog? It will be mailed promptly on request — other up-to-the-minute booklets on plants will be ready soon. Muller-Sealey Co., Inc. Horticultural Specialists 145 West 45th St. New York City Phone Bryant 9141 "I" " '"" '»" '"" "'"" "" ' '""""'""' " « '««««' I ««««'« I ««»»«'■«>« f Sfl 1 1 „ ,i„i,i iiiiii,, I iiiiiiii „ 1,1, „„„ „„„„, „„, 11,1, |,|,„|||, ,1 386 I nil III iiiiiiiii II nil I II I iiiiiiiii iiiiiii I iiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii III 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 III 1 1 1 1 1 III 1 1 III I III 1 1 inn 1 1 n I 1 1 II I I 1 1 1 1 inn 1 1 IIIIIII II nil iiiiiii 1 1 . iin Happy 5J^ui ^^ar ■>■> 1920 is here and our new General Catalogue is being- mailed you this week. If you do not receive your copy write us. In common with all other horticultural concerns we have been delayed t)n account of the printer's strike, but our list this year is "well worth waiting for." In CHRYSANTHEMUMS, it includes such varieties as "PINK TURNER" and "MRS. C. W. JOHNSON," etc., etc., which are the finest varieties we ha\e c\er distributed in Exhil)ition tvpes and a splendid lot of NEW POMPONS. In ROSES: "FRANK W. DUNLOP," and "MME. BUTTERFLY," will reign supreme, and will be welcome additions to the forcing Roses. New CARNATIONS: "ETHEL FISHER" an^ 387 ^^UBSQ^M Illllllllllllllllllllllllllll OUR NEW CATALOG Showing Eight of our Varieties of Gladioli with Natural Colored Plates is just out and if you are not on our mailing list already, write for it at once — it is free upon request. Anyone who is a lover of flowers should not fail to have a copy of it; it's a little book worth having in one's library, containing instructions how to plant and care for Gladioli as well as for Petunias. Our Gladioli are of a finer quality than ever before and our many varieties surpass any m exist- ence. The Thomas T. Kent, Anna Eberius. Jack London, Mrs. John Walsh and others which you will find in our catalog speak for themselves without the hundreds of testimo- nials that have been pouring in upon us continuously. Diener's Ruffled Monster Petunias have created a sensation wherever grown or exhibited. As they are continually flowermg all Summer there is hardly anything giving flower-lovers more satisfaction. Seed comes in separate colors — red, pink, white, purple, flesh-pink frilled, white frilled, variegated and mixed colors. Price per package, 50c. RICHARD DIENER CO., Inc. Keiitfield, Marin Co., Cal. .iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifliiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiniiiiiii giiiiiiiii' 11:1111:111 'iiiinii.iiii:iiui!;i: :i!ii:i:u :i:{:iiii: :iiiiiiii:iiii:iiii::iii:iniiiiii:..,iii!ililil!;i|iiilllllilllilill«liillilililiiililll^^ I'liiiiiiiMiipiiiiiiiniiiii I HOME GROWN I I iin»»iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiKiiiiiiittniiiiiii!ii»;i»iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiinN[iiiiiiiinitiii:iiij{)iiiiiiiNiijiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!ir FOR RESULTS USE NURSERY STOCK 1 1 MASTER BRAND BETTER THAN IMPORTED If YOU will come and see these plants, I will certainly get an order 500 double flowering pink and white JAPANESE CHERRY. 10.000 BUXUS Suffruticosa, (J in. 10.000 BUXUS Sempervirens, 6 in 10,000 EUCNYMUS Radicans Vegetus, J 4 \r, strong .iTnl l.nshv 10,000 EUONYMUS Radicans Vegptus, kootefl Cuttings. 500 AZALEA Amoena, 18 in 1,000 AZALEA Amoena, 15-18 in. 1,000 AZALEA Amo«na, 12-15 10,000 Hall's HONEYSUCKLE, ? vr» 3,000 TAXUS Cuspidala,',S in. 1,000 TAXUS Cuspidata, 2-3 ft. 2,000 ILEX Crenata, 12-18 in. 2.000 MUGHO PINES, Speci- mens, 2-J ft. 2.000 CORNUS Florida, 4-5 ft. 1,000 CORNUS Florida, 5-6 ft. 5.1X10 LEUCOTHOE Gales- baei, I.'^-IS ni. I.min CLETHRA Alnifolia. ,;.niX) EUONYMUS Alatus. 4,(Wl AMERICAN ARBOR VITAES. .i -I ft. 2.niXI AMERICAN ARBOR VITAES. 4 5 ft. l.nnn AMERICAN ARBOR VITAES, ? 12 ft .Ml tliese ARBOR VITAE^S .ire transpl.mted, growing .ipart, and finest qtialitv. 500 RHODODENDRON Ca- tawbiense. Transplanted rinnips, 1S-24-.W in. 5,000 PERRYWINKLE Clumps, Finest quality. 50,000 GERMAN IRIS, in 40 vnrieties 3,000 JAPANESE IRIS, in 15 varieties. 3.000 JAPANESE IRIS Seed- lines. 2 ^-rs. old . 5,000 HARDY PHLOX, 3 yr., in 20 varieties. 500 FRENCH LILAC. Norristown is 17 miles west of Philadelphia ADOLF MULLER Sterilized Sheep Manure Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phosohoric Acid Potash 2.2S', 1.50", 1.50% Concentrated Vine & Plant Manure Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash 5.00'- 2.00 : 1.00<~c DE KALB NURSERIES Norristown, Pa. Pr cipitnte Phosphatic Manure Available Phosphoric Acid 2$^/( NATURE'S MASTER SOIL BUILDERS Master Brand Manures are thoroughly sterilized in Rotary Direct Heat Driers. Absolutely free from all Live Weed Seeds and Fungus diseases. Does not con- tain IS to 30% excess moisture as is found in all air- dried manures. Will not rot out the Bags when placed in dry storage. Are adaptable for the feeding of a greater variety of crops than any other type of fer- tilizers. Full injormation and prices jurniahed on application. The Proto-Feed and Guano Co. 4121 S. La Salle Street CHICAGO Hiilliinuiiilllllililiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinn^ iiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiil iiiiiiiuittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii imiiinf tmu i [iiniiiiiniiii ' 'iiik»iiiiii iiiinniiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiriiini mini niiriiiiiiiiiH i luuiiig 388 ':^WW»iin;iiii;iiiriiii:niii«n:iili:ii»;iiinii:iiiiJiii:ilii:iili:iiiiiiiN iiiuiniiiiiii :iiii;iiii : iniiiuii. mi FOR 1920 m ■ I ANNUAL LIST OF NOVELTIES ALSO KECENT NOVELTIES AND SPECIALTIES OF INTEREST TO ALL UP-TO-DATE GARDENERS Novelties are sent out in original packets. Descriptions are those of introducers EUROPEAN NOVELTIES This List includes the 1920 as well as Recent Novelties and Specialties in Fiower and Vegetable Seeds. A copy will be mailed to you on request. Fcr Compleie Lisi of Seeds, etc.. Send for Our General Catalogue for 1920. BURNETT BROTHERS, Seedsn^en THE HOUSE FAMOUS FOR LAWN GRASS SEED 92 CHAMBERS STREET Between Broad A-ay and Church Street NEW YORK Telephone Barclay 6138 FOR 1920 iiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil|iiiiiiiiii:iiii:iiii:iiu;iiii!iiir ii>'iii''<<'? York illlllllllllllllUIIUIIIIIII iiiiiuuuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinupiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ 390 liiiainiiPiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii % GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture 1 Vol. XXIV JANUARY, 1920 IIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUillllllllllli No. 1 I Things and Thoughts of the Garden THE ONLOOKER ''Gardening w the purest of human pleasures, t»t greatest refrcsliment to the spirit of man.'' — Fraiiiis Bacon. THK.se words, written some three hundred years ago, should be emblazoned all over the land to-day, for never perhaps in the history of the world has there been such seeking after pleasure as now, nor has the spirit of men ever been in greater need of refreshment. For a long period of time gardening has been the study and recreation of men m all stations of life. To many it has been a life-work of absorbing interest, and to-day it still offers a satisfying charm not exceeded by any other occupation. Countless busy people seeking bodily recrea- tion and mental rela.xation have found in it a fascinating and delightful hobby, in the pursuit of which business cares have been stripped of their baneful influence and at the same time the spirit of youth has been renewed once more. Of late years especially, many agencies have been actively at work in the development of the home garden movement, lectures, demonstrators, magazines and catalogs, all are helping to "Make America Beauti- ful." The advantages of nature study and school gar- dening are being more widely recognized by those re- sponsible for the up-bringing of the rising generation, and there is no doubt of their being potent factors in the development of good citizens. Yes, indeed, there is much to be said in favor of gardening, whether followed as a profession or taken up for purely sentimental or recre- ational reasons, and a widespread love for the pleasure and beauties of a garden would undoubtedly create a more general feeling of contentment and happiness, of which there is great need in the world to-day. * :;: * Nearly everybody has an innate feeling of regard for ])lants and flowers which oftentimes struggles to ex- press itself under adverse conditions, as we may see here and there in the windows of a crowded tenement district. How those people whose little gardens are limited by the size of the window space must envy those who can go out on the ground and dig and plant and cultivate a real garden. No matter if it is but a few square feet in extent, it may still be one of the very best of gardens because of the pleasure it gives the owner and the person- ality it expresses. The best Rose garden I know of is not the biggest by any means, nor yet the best designed, but the best because of the true spirit of gardening which it portrays. The owner, an active business man, living in the suburbs of a thriving industrial city, has in his leisure hours literally surrounded his home with beautiful Roses. Starting with just a few plants, his enthusiasm was aroused, and year by year new beds were made, and really made the natural gravelly soil being removed to a depth of three feet and replaced with loam and cow manure. To-day practically every available foot of space is devoted to Roses, some thirty or forty varieties in separate beds of two to three dozen plants, while even more varieties than that are represented by just one or two plants in a trial bed to which new kinds are added every year. It is a genuine delight to visit that garden and spend an hour with this enthusiastic rosarian, and it is his pleasure to welcome visitors and freely impart of his knowledge and experiences. The influence of that garden has shown itself in and beyond the immediate neighborhood and our friend might well be regarded as a first-class demonstrator. Something of that kind has happened many times, for when the gardening fever gets well started the amateur gardener may very likely develop into a keen and en- thusiastic specialist with some one particular genus or family. Roses, Sweet Peas, Gladioli, Peonies and Dahl- ias are examples of popular flowers especially beloved by amateur gardeners amongst which are to be found some of the most successful cultivators. .•Xs a matter of fact, our gardens have been enriched in large measure as a I'esult of the labors of unprofessional gardeners, many of whom have made for themselves an enviable record in the matter of originating new varieties by hybridising and selection, as a critical study of the development of some of the races of garden plants will show. One of the good points of gardening is the wide range of subjects from which one may make a choice for sjiecialization if so inclined — plants to suit any individual taste, as we find expres.sed in this quaint old saying — "Difl^erent people has different opinions .^omc likes horchids and some likes hinions." To speak of these two in the same breath might not be considered good taste in some society, but a good deal of wealth in this locality has been made by specializing in the pungent onion and so making it possible for some to gratify their desire for the aristocratic orchid. The work of originating and developing new plant varieties makes a strong appeal to the imagination even though the chances favor the drawing of more blanks than prizes. In sjiiie of all that has been done there is a 391 392 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE wide field to work in yet and open to all comers. Some amateurs could better give time and attention to this than the majority of their professional brethren. What has been accomplished in the past should be but a stimu- lus to take up this fascinating work, especially as the scientific principles of plant-breeding are now more widely known. •■:■• ■:• * Orchids have a great fascination for most people and are quite commonly regarded with a kind of mysterious awe, induced perhaps by thrilling stories of the experi- ences of some orchid collectors as well as by the large sums of money that have been ]5aid for certain varieties. There are many notable collections in this country and abroad and whenever orchids are placed on public exhibi- tion they are sure to attract a good deal of attention. Alany of the species require the attention of expert grow- ers, but there is at least one that may be grown to per- fection by anyone having a greenhouse, and that is the well-known Lady's Slipper, Cypripcdium insignc. Grown in a mixture of fibrous peat, lumps of turfy loam, sphag- num moss and charcoal, in well drained pots so that the abundance of water required at all times may not stag- nate, it is as easy to grow as a geranium and will reward with a good crop of flowers around the Christmas season, which in a cool house remain fresh for many weeks. It is just a hundred years ago since this useful plant was intro- duced into English gardens from India, and during that time it has given rise to numerous varieties. One of the best is the lovely pale yellow and white Sandcnc which never fails to e.xcite the admiration of all who see it. It appeared as a chance plant amongst a lot of newly-im- ported C. insigne in the famous Sander nursery at St. Albans, England, about thirty years ago. It proved to be a lucky find for in the first few years of its division several pieces were sold for one hundred guineas apiece. Some of our friends go south for the winter and write back of green growing things, but we don't envy them so much if we have a greenhouse in which we can spend some of the time when the thermometer is flirting with zero. When there is only a pane of glass separating arctic weather from tropical plants that is the time we a]5preciate a greenhouse most of all. As time goes on we shall expect to see more people wanting a small green- house to make their garden more complete, so that they may continue their gardening activities the year round. A great deal of pleasure can be obtained in this way at moderate cost. There are a number of plants from which to choose that grow and flower well in a house with a night temperature of about 55° F. and in the case of a conservatory attached to the residence it is often possible to heat it from the house system with little e.xtra expense. A greenhouse may become a very personal thing where the owner can enjoy intimate association with a few favorite plants. A friend of mine had such a one as a hobby and filled it mostly with orchids, of kinds not too exacting in their requirements. They were the joy of his life and a source of pleasure to his friends and neighbors. These little glass structures are useful in many ways. Plants for the flower garden can be carried over or raised from seed in good season, also early vege- table plants. Rhubarb and chicory can be forced under the benches for use in early spring, while later on a crop of melons or tomatoes can be grown to maturitv. so that it need never remain empty. Ciood light is a most important factor in the growing of flowering [ilants in the greenhouse at this time of year, and the location of a greenhouse should always be carefully determined with this fact in mind. One can alw"ays shade against the sunshine if necessary, but you can't get all the desired sunshine in if the house is wrongly placed. Under the best of conditions a con- tinued spell of dull weather makes a noticeable difference in the production of flowers. But in this respect we are much more fortunate than our English brethren, who labor under the disadvantage of gray skies most of the time from November till March. \'isitors from overseas are greatly impressed with the wealth of cut flowers we have here in the winter months, and are especially enthu- siastic over the fine Roses and Carnations. In the neigh- borhood of London especially, the grower of winter- flowering plants is greatly handicapped by the poor day- light, while once in a while a thick, penetrating, evil- smelling fog envelopes everything, making matters still worse. The poisonous gases of a genuine London fog have a 'very injurious effect on some greenhouse plants, Begonias in particular being very sensitive. Their flow- ers wither and fall off, frequently the buds as well, and many a bright disjilay has been shorn of its glory over night. ^ ^ '^ The Begonia ranks as one of the most important of the ornamental plants and anyone wishing to specialize with one particular genus could get a lot of pleasure in gathering together a representative collection from amongst the hundreds of species and varieties. One of the most noteworthy of the species is Begonia socotrana, introduced into British gardens from the island of So- cotra by Professor Balfour of Edinburgh Botanic Gar- den in 1880. It is a very distinct species, as would be expected from its natural environment, its chief dis- tinguishing character being the cluster of bulbils at the base of the stem by which means this species is propa- gated annually. As a winter flowering plant it is well worth growing for its own beauty, but it is as a parent of the beautiful winter-flowering hybrids that it is most famous. Previous to its introduction, growers had had visions of a new and wonderful race if only a cross could be effected between the shrubby section and the large handsome flowered tuberous-rooted section, but all attempts to bring this about had failed until it began to be regarded as an impossibility. But five years after the introduction of B. socotrana the first of the new race of hybrids was distributed, the variety John Heal, named for the famous plantsman with James ^'eitch & Sons, of London, who made the cross between socotrana and a tuberous-rooted variety. Thus was originated that new- race that had long been dreamed of, and as the years went by John Heal followed up his initial success with many other fine kinds, both singles and doubles. In more recent years Messrs. Clibran of Altrucham, England, have raised some very choice double varieties, adding to the range of colors. It is interesting to note that these varieties are be- coming more widely known on this side of the Atlantic and one may count them a decided acquisition to the list of choice greenhouse plants. They are propagated by stem and leaf cuttings and so far as known none of this new race have yet produced seed. In 1891 Lemoine crossed B. socotrana with B. Drcgii and obtained the popular variety Gloire de Loraine. of which there are now several improved forms. Another fine Begonia, also an ofTspring of B. socotrana is Gloire de Sceaux. This is a particularly handsome plant with its large bronzy leaves and soft pink flowers and well grown specimens five to six feet high, are something to be remembered. for Jnniinry, 1920 393 Landscape Possibilities with Brook and Natural Stream RICHARD ROTHE River, River, little River! Bright you sparkle on your zvay; O'er the yellozc pebbles daneiiig. Through the floz^'ers and foliage glancing ; Like a child at play. For the above sketch-like, but vivid image of a clear natural stream of water, as we may see it, coming down on its way through woodland and meadow, all that the poet needed was the space of five short lines written in a simple folk-lore verse meter. Committing" itself so easily to memory it brings the beautiful picture of some brook reflecting the blue sky and flowers and foliage lining its course almost life-like into our vision. In reality the sensitive eye of the lover of nature delights in watching;' its rhvthmical motion and eternal restless- L'nfortunately, however, the owner of the grounds hap- pened to be an eminently practical gentleman, believing in radical ways of proceeding. The consecpience was a con- tractor received orders to eradicate the zigzag cour.se and run cement walls along the new straight lines. When being told to have narrow beds prepared along the walls for having nasturtiums planted, the landscape gardener left with the last vestiges of his visions and dreams shattered. One of the most ingenious treatments of a brook the writer more recently saw at "Compton Garden" in Chest- nut Hill, near Philadel])hia. The very spacious grounds are famed for their extensive collections of new and rare trees and shrubs.- Several distinct laying-outs of Japanese gardens and decidedly the most artistic pond Brook Scciu'ry at "Coiuj'lon Garden." Chestnut l-litl, iirnr Phihdelf'lna. I'a. iiess. but to the landscape architect this: "Through the flowers and foliage glancing'' is suggestive, or even out- right inspiring. The possibilities of the treatment of a natural water course within the precincts of park, or when, by chance, traversing spacious private home groun.ds loom up. never to entirely leave his mind. A score of years ago I remember a very enticing prop- osition of this kind. The brook in question having con- sidcraljle fall, af heavy thaws and severe rain storms, cansed annoying washouts which were to be prevented. I'or the purjjose of making the 1)anks secure the land- scape gardener suggested natural rock settings and plantations of moisture loving trees, shrubs, and peren- nials with a strong, thickly growing root system. There was an excellent [wssibility for the construction of a natural waterfall at hand and in regard to having the stream "Through the flowers and foliage glancing" the landscape gardener, no doubt, had his virions and dreams. ."Cenery of I'hiladelphia add to the i)resiige of the estate. "Compton (jarden" also had its swiftly flowing brook with naturally winding course and subseepient flood and washout ])roblems. l!ut fortunately in its founder, owner, and designer, the late John T. Morris. "Comp- ton Garden" had an artist fully competent to cope with the situation. The rockbed and the rocky shore lines of this stream of water constructed under personal direc- tion of Mr. Morris cannot be pictured or described in a way to give the work justice. One ne^ds to see and study the infinitely varied details along its natural course and the more we study the more we are forced to admire the subtlety of vision and the wonderfully clear conception of the elements of beauty in rocks and natural rock com- position as applying to the water edge. Our illustration shows the brook in the innnediate foreground with a bench around a nearby tree for rest and enjoyment of jy4 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE what an artist and philosopher once pronounced an en- chanting piece of realistic brook poetry. The log cabin in the rear, by the brook, was built by the founder of "Compton Garden" for his hours of relaxation after re- turning from his city office. He knew the rejuvenating power of free nature and loved to listen to her voices around him. To go down from his mansion on a turbu- lent November day and in his log cabin alongside the open fireplace hear the driving rain on the roof, the raging of the wind through the crowns of the trees and the deep murmuring of the foaming brook was emotion stirring. Again during the month of May, with door and windows wide open the jubilant song of wooing birds, the buzzing of busy bees and the gleeful prattling of the brook was delight. Thus, when looking at the picture of the brook at "Compton Garden" it is to be borne in mind that the amiable character and simplicity in the composition of the scenery and the distinguished personality of John T. Morris are inseparable. The out of door fernery in connection with biook and natural stream is one of the most alluring possibilities. However to produce and maintain a luxuriant growth pal list ris and Pri inula rosea and Priiiuila veris appeal to us. We also know of meadow rue, ranunculus, trollius and valerians being suitable subjects for^our purpose. But not until we have seen the tropical lu.xuriance and the metallic lustre of the large-leaved funkias, above all of Funkia fortiinci gigaiitca; not until we have studied the possibilities of Iris pseudo-acorns with its strong flood- resisting root system : and not until we behold the gor- geous color displays of Japanese and Siberian irises can we fully realize the wide scope for artistic compositions along brook and -natural stream. It is in the tempered atmosphere near running water where grace in leaf and flower invested in stately specimens of Spiraea aruncus and Spiraea paimata in beauty vies with the heavy yet highly decorative foliage of Gunnera scabra and the dif- ferent species of Senecio. Many are the pleasant sur- prises we meet with at our work down along the brook and one of the happiest to me was to notice the vigorous growth of all the species of Astilbc, especially the in- comparable eft'ect obtained by employing the new As- tilbe Arendsi hybrids close to the water edge. Indeed the large, erect, feathery flower heads in beautiful clear Brook i'lantuig Late in Mii\ on Ihc Author's urvunds, Glcnsidc. I'a. and beautiful effect outdoors beside a natural stream of water necessitates partial shade and protection against high winds. Therefore the natural ravine with oppor- tunities for rock-pocket construction along more or less steep slopes will prove ideal for extraordinary displays. Visions and dreams cropping out of a yearning desire to work on some enticing problem are among the most obstinate and tantalizing things in human life. When at last mv brook zigzagged in sight I was more than ever bent on a realization of the poet's image with the inten- tion to accentuate the line : "Through the flowers and foliage glancing" as strong as possible. Beginning with the practical part it is self-evident that the moist grotind conditions along creek and brook call for moisture loving plants. For lining of our water edge we naturally first think of M\'osotis paliistris, the swamp forget-me-not. In tui'ii the ilifl"i'rent si)ecies of marsh marigolds: Calllia pink shades above a dense growth of glossy green foliage are among the most novel and attractive features of floral display at the immediate brook waterline. The two illustrations of brook views from the author's grounds at Glenside, Pa., convey samples of arrangement and character of vegetation in open sunny positions. .Similar to rock-garden building, landscape architecture in connection with brook and stream brings us closely hack to the beautiful in nature. Brook treatment com- pared with bog gardening and shore planting of lake and pond, however, offers infinitely more variety in highly interesting problems to solve. It taxes our faculty of im- agination and technical ingenuity to the utmost when the natural fall of the ground increases the mobilitv of our stream. In such cases the character of the work calls for unlimited freedom for the landscape architect to follow his conception in regard to form and composition. .Any for Juniiury, 1920 395 detailed workiiia: plan he would absoluteh' have no use for. I am fully aware of the fact that the brook and natural stream traversing- public parks or country home grounds is the exception. Sojourns within refined sub- m^: Fuukiii Ovata ami .IstUbc Arcndm,"Subnon Queen," Alo]iii tlir Brookliiw urban and country sections of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston however have convinced me of the excep- tion being by no means a rare one. Evidently what should have been recognized by the owner as a priceless gift, he still remains prone to look at as a troublesome object. Instead of providing for a brimful measure of enjoyment by having a natural stream of water: Brightly sparkling on its way. O'er yclloic pebbles dancing, riirougli the flowers and foliage glancing — we continue building straight lined cement canals for them and at the bot- toms have a sadlj^ chastised meaning- less flow of water run through our premises. Exploiting of brook prob- lems for landscape architects endowed with the faculty of becoming expo- nents of poetry ofifers splendid oppor- tunities for satisfying their ambition. In Europe the subject of late has been given considerable attention and special chapters on landscape architecture in connection with brook and stream ap- pear now in their current literature. To my knowledge very little has been done so far in this direction in this country. The nature of the work itself, however. is so enchanting and the prospects for beautiful results on a highly enjoyable order are so obvious that we can ill af- ford to further remain disinterested and inactive. FROST AND THE PLANTS' AWAKENING :\luch experimental work has been done of recent years on the Continent and in America with the object of discovering practicable means of forcing plants to come out of their resting state, and to develop and blossom before their proper season. Among the means which have proved effective are : Etherization, warm baths (submerging the shoots for some hours in tepid water), inject- ing drops of water into the stem beneath a bud, watering the plants with a weak solution of nutritive salts (nitrates, phosphates and salts of potash), drying, keeping plants in darkness, and exposing the plants to frost. In the case of many plants it has been found pos- sible to awaken them only by a combination of several of these methods. It seems reasonable to conclude from such facts as these that the resting state of plants in winter is a complex business, and that this state may be disturbed and growth awakened by attacking it at several different points. Let us endeavor to form a mental picture of the conditions which obtain in a plant in its state of so-called winter rest ! There is reason to believe that in the resting state the living [irotoplasm of each cell forms a resistent outer layer or skin, through which water and gases pass with great difficulty, if at all. In this condition the protoplasm is said to be im- permeable. There is also reason to believe that owing to the layers of cork in the stem, car bun dioxide, produced by the cells themselves when they were finishing oft' their active life in autumn, is imprisoned in the spaces between the cells of the deep tissues, and acts as a narcotic ; drugging the tis- sues as it were. And, furthermore, there is ground for the belief that this same carbon dioxide prevents the ferment or enzyme, diastase, from doing its normal work of changing solid starch into soluble sugar, and if it exert this paralyzing power on this enzyme, may it not also exercise a like eft'ect on other enzj'Uies, the activity of which is necessarj- for the growth of the luiiiy J i:,iu- l:li,-il in l>r,<,ii; {,,niii-nii:ii f" ''''' . iicii.^r s (,>•,»' I ,leiisidc. Pa. "My dear Mrs. Croesus, may I not put your name down for tickets to Professor Pundit's course of lectures on Piuddhism?'' "Oh, by all means ! You know how ]iassionatcly fon-.i I am of flowers." tissues? In accepting these statements we must pic- ture the cells of a dormant ])Iant as cut off from water sujiplies by reason of the impermeable outer layer of protoplasm, as drugged by the heavy charge of carbon dioxide in and around the tissues, and as starved bv 396 lack of soluble food-material such as sugar and other substances. Anything which tends to break down one of these barriers to activity may aid in awakening the plant, but if several of them can he broken down escape from winter imprisonment is more probable. Now, it is well known that a low temperature ren- ders the outer layer of the cell's protoplasm more permeable. For example, in a severe frost water escapes from the cells into the surrounding spaces, and its lodgment in these spaces may be detected by the rich green color that frosted leaves assume. Further- more, when the temperature falls, starch undergoes a conversion into sugar, as may be inferred from the fact of frosted potatoes having a sweet taste. Hence we must conclude that a failing temperature favors the action of diastase in producing sugar from starch. But the presence of sugar means that supplies of food are available, and the loss of permeability of the proto- GARDENERS' CHRONICLE plasm means that that food may pass into the cell. Both these conditions are favoral^le to growth, so if the plant can throw off the drugged lethargy produced by the self-generated poison gas (carbon dioxide), it is free to resume active life and growth. Probably with the loss of impermeability (water- and air-tight- ness) of the outer layer of the protoplasm, the carbon dioxide imprisoned in the cell escapes, and thus the cell is quit of the anaesthetic action of that gas. As will be judged from the foregoing, the proljlem is complex and difficult, and cannot be set forth in simple terms. In this case, though the explanations are incomplete and not altogether free from obscurity, we may see — as in a glass darkly — something of the nature of the struggle whereby the plant escapes from the grip of winter, and something of the way in which a touch of frost helps it out of its prison. — Gardeners' Chronicle (Fnglish). Keeping Bees in the Garden H. W. SANDERS There are few gardeners, either professional, or ama- teur, who need to be informed of the beneficial effects of the visits of insects to their blossoms, or the difficulty of obtaining fruit or seed from many of these without insect help." Chief amongst these visitors to the nectaries of flowers is the honey-bee, the only insect besides the silkworm that is of sufficient economic importance to be kept in captivity — or in such measure of captivity as to enable its produce to be gathered for the service of man. There was a time, not so long ago, when firuit-growers and beekeepers were almost at enmity with one another, for the fruitman charged the bees with destroying fruit, and the beekeeper found that indiscriminate sjiraying of the orchards during fruit-blooming time killed his bees by the thousand, often compelling him to seek another location for his apiary. Xow. however, all that is changed, for all progressive orchardists know that bees cannot damage sound fruit, and that their visits to' his blossoms in the spring when but few other insects are abroad ensures the setting of a good crop of fruit. Cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, citron, and many other of our garden crops need bees to cross-fertilize them, and the gardener who keeps a few colonies will find this a service that is most valuable to him. It is however for their honey that bees have been pri- marilv kept for many centuries — for bee-culture goes so far back that very practical works on their management are extant in the Roman Classics, while the Bible is full of references to bees and honey. Until the last century or so sugar was imknown and honey was about the only sweet in general use. The laws of nearly every civilized country reflect this and the w-riter received a clipping from an English newspaper recently in which an action was taken in court for the recover}' of a swarm which had got away and had been hived by some other person than the owner. The case was decided against him on the strength of a law many centuries old, whereby the owner of a runaway swarm has claim to them only as long as he can follow and keep his eyes on them. This, it inay be mentioned, is the basis for American law on the subject which is substantially in agreement with it. Bees were brought over from England very early in the history of the first American Colonies, for we find legal decisions in early days in which bees were men- tioned. Swarms escaped from the Pilgrim fathers' ajiiaries and took to the woods, gradually spreading westward, and they were known by ihc Indians as the "White Alan"s Fly," and were regarded as an omen of the spread of white settlements. Even now in remote districts a belief lingers that a swarm always flies west, though there is no basis in fact for it. There are an extraordinary number of superstitions connected with bees that one continually meets with, sometimes from the most unexpected sources. Perhaps the mysterious community life that even yet baffles the understanding, and invokes our wonder, caused these ideas to spread. One of the most picturesque is the be- lief that when there occurs a death at the beekeeper's house, the bees must be told that they may attend the funeral. The explanation lies in the fact that bees gather the natural gvnns of trees to make the "Propolis'' which beekeepers know so well. This attracts them to fresh varnish, and when a varnished coffin is carried out, bees will often hover around and alight thereon. With the improved methods of handling bees that have been evolved in the last 50 years it is now possible to produce crops of honey far in excess of anything our forefathers dreamed of, and from 100 to 200 pounds of honey is frequently obtained from a single colony in a season. But little care is needed, though it is most es- sential that it should be given at the right time. When the horticultural show comes around in the fall it gives no little pleasure to be able to add a neat pile of honey to one's other exhibit. There is an aesthetic side to beekeeping that every nature lover feels, and the pleasant murmur of the hives on some golden day in summer is the most peaceful sound that nature aft'ords. The visitor to the garden will nearly ahvays be interested to pause awhile by the hives on their bit of well-kept lawn, and to watch the busy thousands coming and going, the watchers at the door, the water carriers, and all the other fascinating workers of the hive. \\'here a gentle strain of Italian bees are kept there will be not nuich likelihood of any trouble from stings, and the prudent beekeeper is always careful to avoid the ex- posure of honey, or any other exciting element thai might cause trouble. The G.vrdeners' Chronicle has pleasure to annotmcc that articles will appear each month giving practical di- rection on the care aiid management of bees. These will be written from the standpoint of the amateur rather than that of the professional beekeeper and if they are a help to those who keeji bees, or to those who intend to do SI), we shall feel that they ha\e tilled their piu-pose. jor January, 1920 397 Plant Names and Their Meanings By WILLARD N. CLUTE Till', names of planls have ever formed an important part of Botany. The collecting of plants and the running down of their names hy the use of a "'Key" was long considered the end and aim of plant studies and even now this amusement has not entirely ceased to in- terest the botanizer. The question as to the exact name each plant should bear, originated shortly after the Chris- tian Era and still forms the subject for numerous acri- monious debates among the devotees of "the Amiable Science." Meanwhile the meanings that lie in plant names have received scant attention. To be sure, nearly all botanical Manuals attempt to give the derivations of the generic names but apparently with only indifferent success, if we may judge from the diversity of derivations suggested. Since the generic names are usually taken from the Latin and Greek, a correct derivation ought ordinarily to be easy, but frequently it is far from being so. In the case of the common or vernacular names, the difficulties in- crease. There is no recognized authority upon which we may depend. Common names have been derived from all countries and from all languages. They have been given by philosopher and peasant, physician and farmer, civil- ian and savage, soldier and statesman. Learning has given us names derived from classic sources ; ignorance has nuspronounced and misapplied these names and coined others. .\s a result, the vernacular names present many puzzling problems which stand -is a challenge to our ability, but the possibility of their solution adds zest to the study. Moreover, a wealth of tradition, poetry, folklore, fancy, custom, religion and other phases of life lie embedded in these names like jewels in the mine, and any extensive investigation is sure to be rewarded. Some of these names are older than the science of Bot- any itself ; others are even now in the making. It is manifestly impossible for any single individual to satisfactorily cover the whole field of plant names, but if any progress is to ensue, a beginning must be made, and it is purposed to set down here some observations on the subject which we trust will call out from others the ad- ditions, corrections, and further suggestions that the sub- ject merits. .\ good place to begin our studies is at that group of common, showy, and often poisonous species that long stood first in the botanical Manuals and is known as the Rammcitlaceae. This word is only part of the title of the group. It should really be Plantac Rammcitlaceae ; that is, Ranunculus-Wkii plants. .\s usually written, how- ever, the names of plant families leave oft' the first word. Inquiring into the meaning of Rainniciilits, we find that the word is derived from an animal rather than from a plant. Rana is the Latin word for a little frog and. be- cause many plants of this group grow in marshy places where frogs abound, the old naturalist Pliny gave the name Ranuuculus to one of the typical genera. From this name came the designation for the family and also for the order Raiialcs which includes, besides the Ranitn- culaccac. the MagnoUaccac. the Anonaccac. the Hcrheri- daccae. the Lauraccac, and several others. In anv discussion of plant names it is unnecessary to devote I'nuch attention to the specific names. These are usuallv descriptive of plant parts and such other char- acters' as size, habitat, color, abundance, and the like. A'arious proper names used are also self-explanatory. Some s])ecific names, however, deserve mention, as for in- stance in Clematis lionia where the specific name comes from two Latin words meaning ornament of the wayside. Raiiiuiciiliis sceleratus is of interest from an occasional mistranslation which makes it celery-leaved. The real meaning of sceleratus is acrid or biting. Zanthoxylum apiifoUum may be properly translated celery-leaved for that is what the name really means. Turning to the generic names, we hnd many of them dating back to periods earlier than the Christian Era. Some have been given in honor of heathen deities, others are the names of ancient plants entirely unrelated to the plants which now bear them, the titles having been mis- placed through the vicissitudes of time or the careless- ness of early writers, and still others are of such ob- scure derivation that the translations are at best mere guesses. Pacouia, the genus of plants we now call peonies, was named for a mythological personage, the physician Paeon, who is reported to have used the plant in medicine and to have cured the god Pluto with it. Old fashioned folk call the plant, piny, perhaps with better authority than we have for calling it peony, for properly pro- nounced the generic name is Pi-o-ne-a, easily shortened to piny. The larkspur genus Dclphiiiimn is named for a fancied resemblance of the flowers to the classic fig- ure of the dolphin (Dclpin). Anemone is usually supposed to be derived from the Greek anemos. meaning the wind, but the latest editions of Gray's Manual say it is a corruption of na-nian the Semitic name for Adonis "from whose blood the crim- son-flowered Anemone of the ancients is said to have sprung." Our first derivation seems to be more in favor lor it has given the vernacular name of windflower to several species. Wood's "Class-book of Botany" says that these plants were called anemones because many species love windy places. Whatever the derivation, it mav be mentioned in passing that the accent should be ])laced on the third syllable making the word sound exactly like .Annie Mon}-. Thus far this has been overlooked by those sticklers for the new way of jircnouncing Arbutus and Gladiolus. Ancmonclla, the generic name for the true anemone, is a diminutive of Aiieuioiie. The authorities also fail to agree as to the deri\ation of Clematis. Wood says it is from the Greek klenia a vine or tendril ; Gray says it is a name given by Dioscori- des to a climbing plant with long and lithe branches. As to .idonis, Wood says "Feigned to have sprung from the blood of Adonis when wounded by the boar" but Gray opines that "Adonis was a favorite oi' ^'enus and after death was changed to this flower." The globe flower genus, TroUius. is another lioiie of contention, .'\ccording to Wood it is derived from Trol- len meaning golden. Britton's Manual derives it from Trol. round. Webster's Dictionary says it is from Torolyn, the Hungarian name for the plant, and Gray explains it as irnm Trollhluine, the German common name. Troll, it will be remembered, is the German name for a mischievous dwarf or fairy. Perhaps the flower is named for the troll ! .Vnybody is at liberty to adopt whichever derivation seems to him most correct or to make one of his own. In any event, one can hardly look for accuracy in lesser writers when the authorities dift'er so markedly. Dioscorides is responsible for the generic name Tlialic- Iruin apjilied to the meadow rue. which Wood says nieans "to be green." Hcllehonis. usually regarded as of un- 398 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE known derivation, is said by the same author to come from two Greek words which mean "the food that causes death." The genus is well known to be poisonous. Aqui- legia is derived from Aquila, the eagle, in allusion to the spurs which suggest the talons of a bird of prey. Aconi- tum is reported to be derived from the Greek Akoniton, meaning without dust, because the plants grow in rocky places, while Hydrastis is assumed to come from the Greek word for water, though the translation does not go imchallenged. The other genera of tlie Raiiiniciilaccac are somewhat more easily interpreted. Actaca is the ancient name for the elder whose leaves the plants of this genus are said to resemble. Cumicifuga is from the Latin cimcx, a bug, and fugare to drive away, accounting for the common name of bugbane. .Zanthorhisa is the descriptive Greek for yellow root, and NigcUa is the diminutive of nigcr, meaning black. Coptis means to cut, in allusion to the divided leaves. Caltha, according to Wood, is from the Greek for goblet, the flowers being like golden cups. Gray says it was the ancient Latin name for the common marigold which, however, does not necessarily invali- date the original derivation. Myosurus is, in Latin as it is in English, mousetail, being so called because the car- pels are attached to a long slender axis. Troutvetteria is named for E. R. von Trautvetter. Gray says "an able Russian botanist" but Wood says "German" and the name looks it. Hepatica refers to the liver in the original Greek because of its leaves which are supposed to be shaped like the liver, and ErantJiis, or the winter aconite, means spring flower. Isopyruui is the ancient name for some species of fumitory. The number of vernacular names bestowed upon a given species depends in part upon its abundance, in part upon its conspicuousness, and in part upon its usefulness. Some may have as many as twenty common names and others lack a single one. It is interesting to note that the best known common names are nearly always generic : that is, they are applied to a number of species, instead of one, with, or without, qualifying adjectives. This is the case with Ranunculus where buttercup and crowfoot are common designations even when the flowers show no hint of butter color and the roundish and often undivided leaves could scarcely be likened to a crow's foot. Sucli adjectives as ditch, water, mountain, tall, dwarf, early, and the like are self-explanatory as in the case of the specific names ; in fact, they are very frequently literal translations of such names. The names of obscure derivation are the ones of most interest. Take, for instance, the word "knops" in such terms as golden knops applied to several species of Ranun- culus. This is archaic English for a flower-head and in all probability goes back to the Teutonic knopf or its equivalent, meaning a head, bud, or button. Spearwort, a generic term for several small species of Ranunculus , is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning a spire or shoot just as we still say a "spear" of grass. In all prob- ability the spears used' in combat were similar though larger spears. The three common species of Ranunculus, R. acris, R. bulbosus. and R. rcpcns, naturally have the greatest num- ber of common natnes. They might also be said to be joint owners of a number of names referring to their color, as yellow gowan, horse gold, gold balls, gold cups, gold weed, butter rose, butter cress, butter daisy, butter flower in addition to buttercup. Several of these terms may be applied with equal propriety to other species of the genus. The word gowan is now used in Scotland to indicate the daisy, but it once meant any kind of a flower or bud. When F.urns wrote of "gowans fine," he doubt- less meant wildflowers in general, r.uttcr daisy is a different rendering of yellow gowan. The word rose is another term that once had a less restricted meaning than we allow it at present, as witness rock rose, Christ- mas rose, rose moss and rose of Jericho. Butter rose is simply a butter colored flower. In horse gold, the word horse implies coarse, common, or spurious. It is often thus employed in flower names, as horse-mint, and horse- radish. The names blister flower, blister wort, blister plant and biting crowfoot are applied to several species noted for their acrid and biting juice, especially R. sceleratus, R. bulbosus and R. acris. The name of St. Anthony's tur- nip, applied to R. bulbosus, probably has the same sug- gestion. The Inflbous base of the stem is not unlike a turnip in shape, and St. Anthony is the saint above all others for which hot and blistering things might prop- erly be named. This species is also called St. Anthony's rape. Ranunculus sceleratus is called water celery and celery leaved crowfoot, but in reference to its leaves and not as a translation of the specific name. The worthless |)roperties of this species have earned for it the name of cursed crowfoot, but it is apparently not the only species ctirsed for R. arz'cnsis bears the names of hell weed and devil's claws. To this species also belong starve acre and hunger weed. The plant is said to re- ceive the last two appellations because when it is present in the field the crop will be short and the owner brought to want. Devil's claws quite likely refers to the way the plant lays hold on the field rather than to any par- ticular thought of the devil. R. repens is called ram's claws though no ram we have ever seen had claws. Pos- sibly the name is derived from the Icelandic ranir, mean- ing strong, in allusion to the way the species grasps the soil. Sitfast is another name applied to this plant whose hold on the soil makes it especially applicable. Ranunculus ficaria is called figwort from the fig-like shape of its roots. It also bears the name of lesser cel- andine, the true celandine being a yellow-flowered plant of the poppy family. Another of its names, crain, is un- meaning enough until we discover that crain or cran is an ancient name for marsh, hence cranberry and perhaps crane, a storklike bird. Ranunculus trichophylluj, owing to its much divided leaves is known as water milfoil. The true milfoil is usually regarded as belonging to the yarrow genus (Achillea) . Double forms of R. acris are some- times known as bachelors' buttons, as are many other buttonlike flowers. Finally, cuckoo-buds applied to some species of Rainniciilu.\' finds authority in .Shakespeare where "Cuckoo buds of yellow hue Do paint the meadow with delight.'' — Rr/'rnduct'd by ficntiis.vioii front The .hin-rican Bolanisl. THE GLORY OF A NATION. The true glory of a nation is an intelligent, honest, in- dustrious people. The civilization of a people depends on their individual character, and a constitution which is not an outgrowth of this character is not worth the parchment on which it is written. You look in vain in the past for a single instance where the people have pre- served their liberties after their individual character was lost. — E. P. Whipple. ^'iiiuiiiiniiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;^ I ADVANCE IN SUBSCRIPTION RATE. | i With the January 1920 number, the subscription rate i I of the Gardeners' Chronicle has been advanced to i g $2.00 a year. g g Present subscribers wishing to renew subscriptions 1 f from date of expiration may do so at the old rate up g I to February first. § "ii'iL'iiiiiiiniii I iiiiiiiiimiiniiiiimii i iiiniiiiiiiiiiiii iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiifliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiii? for January, 1920 399 Why Fruit Trees Do Not Bear ONE of the most trying and disapponiting experi- ences for a fruit grower, is to have his orchard reach an age when he expects a crop, only to find that it does not produce. As chief of the division of horticulture at the Oregon Agricuhural College one of the most common letters that I received from growers was, "^Vhy don't my trees bear?" To answer this question, we can to advantage, divide the trees into two classes. First, trees which do not bloom; second, trees which bloom but do not set fruit. The first class is influenced by many factors, such as var- iety and vigor. Many a grower has expected trees to bear at an age when they naturally could not be expected to bear. Some varieties will begin bearing at five years of age. But on the other hand, some varieties will not bear crops until they are seven years of age, and in some cases much older. I have known Northern Spy and Yellow Newtown or- chards to be unproductive until they were twelve to fif- teen years of age, but under such circumstances, I might add, wrong orchard practices had frequently been re- sorted to. The vigor of the tree determines the produc- tion of blossoms. The heavy pruning and intensive tillage • desirable for trees from one to five years of age, is undesirable for a tree from five to ten years of age, and if the practices are continued may keep some varieties of fruit from bearing crops until they are fifteen years of age. With trees from five to ten years of age in normal vigor, less tillage and irrigation, not very much cutting back but more of a thin- ning out process in the pruning, will encourage trees to come into bearing. It is to the second group of trees, namely those which bloom but do not set fruit, that we need perhaps to give the greatest attention. For though one may be disap- pointed if trees do not bloom, the disappointment becomes even greater if the trees bloom, yet fail to produce. There are many factors to be considered in answering the question why some trees will bloom and yet fail to l)roduce fruit. The climate is one of the greatest fac- tors for us to consider, and Jack Frost takes an annual toll from many trees. Not perhaps so much the actual freezing of the tissues, but the rapid thawing of frozen tissues is responsible for the huge loss in the early spring. Where orchards are not exposed to the direct sunlight early in the morning, or where a bank of fog or cloud drives in, we often notice that the damage is little or nothing. There is a relation between the vigor of the trees and the amount of frost damage experienced. Between the condition of vegetation and effect of low temperatures. The degree of development of the vegetation in the spring at time of frost, and its relation to resulting dam- age is a very interesting one. For a number of years, I have observed that trees which are just starting to grow. or trees which have reached the blooming or setting pe- riod suffered less from frost damage than trees which are half way between in their development. LTnder the heading of climate, we must consider cold weather during the lilooming period. There may not be frosts, but the temperature is so cold in the middle of the day that insects and especially bees will not fly. When the temperatures are around 50° or less, very few bees work, and T ha^ ■nown seasons when we experi- enced practically no killing frost, but a protracted cold raw spell. Such a sjjring is generally followed by a very lieht set of fruit. Lold rains and driving storms in the spring wash out tlic pollen and prevent the work of insects. In fact, high winds interfere wit;> ihe pollination of tree fruits if they are insect pollinated. The walnut and filbert on the other hand, are pollinated by wind, and a certain circulation of air might be an advantage in such cases. Diseases such as scab on apples and pears, and brown rot on the cherry and prune, will often destroy all the blossoms. Trees which have been severely winter injured are often so devitalized that they seem to lack vigor and strength to develop blossoms. The busy bee is the most important factor in the pol-- lination of our tree fruits. Fruit districts need more and more of these valuable insects. The vigor of the trees is one of the biggest factors in the setting of fruit. When trees come into bloom for the first time, they will often produce a profuse blossoming. Init give a very poor set. The d'Anjou pear is one of the best examples. This tree is often white with blossoms by the seventh year, but it is often very unfruitful. As this variety becomes older, it seems to gradually overcome this condition and begins to set better. Un- doubtedly some of the young orchards which bloom heavily but set poorly are somewhat too vigorous to bring about the best setting of fruit. In our older districts however, of the northwest, with pear, apple or prune orchards, the lack of vigor is respon- sible for the poor set. Leaving too much weak and de- vitalized wood in the trees, the lack of thorough tillage, arid above all the lack of keeping the soil supplied with nitrogen is the biggest factor in the failure to set fruit. In speaking of pollination, there are certain terms which we use that we should all understand. The word "fruit- ful" means the variety has ability to produce fruit. This fruit may or may not have seeds. "Barrenness" means the variety will not produce seeds which v.-ill germinate. 'T^'ertility" that the variety will produce seeds which will germinate, and "sterility" that the variety will not pro- duce seeds which will germinate. Now while a variety may be fruitful, or even fertile, when planted by itself, still nature seems to favor the crossing of fruits, and where two or more varieties are planted together, there is not much danger but what a good crop will be secured. However, there are several glaring exce])tions. For exainple the Spitzenburg apple is almost sterile, and the AMnesap produces no pollen. So that a combination like that would be bad. The question is often asked how does pollen affect the fruit ? It seems to affect the size, making the fruit larger, it gives more specimens to the tree and often makes them heavier and firmer. There is a seeming cor- relation between size and weight and number of seeds. Heavy apples have plenty of good seeds. Again the quality, and firmness, because of the pres- ence of the seeds, is greatly improved. Color is probably not affected directly, for if there is any effect of pollination on color, it would be indirect ow- ing to change in size of specimens. A close checking on this subject over a good many years, causes us to con- clude that color is not generally aft'ected by pollination. The bright bands of red on yellow apples, or the dif- ferent colored bands of red on certain apples which run from the stem to the calyx have been attributed as a result of pollination but a close study will show that this is really a bud variation character and not a pollination character. — C. I. Lewis, in American Fruit Grower. 400 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE UJ K ^ H ■"^ s a ^M -^ '"^ (£ 1^1 ** 2 UJ |l o CO ^H ^ C/0 ^H t-* C/0 H il UJ I iSE^iilM HH -i^ Wri-J^^ 9Bp _l UJ D (/ T ^ _i LU ° 0 I 2 C 4) z C 5 \- c/l UJ > O ■ >t ■ ^■l ^^^1 ■l ■ ^ H ■ ^^H ^^^H "3 Z ■ ^^^H ^^^^H ^^E 1 3 ■ ^^H ^^^H ^H| ■ ^ O ■ ^^^H ^^^^H ^^H ■ ^J O I ■ ^^H ■ a ■ l^^^^l UJ ■ I ■ ^^H ^^^1 ■ ^■■p ^^ M k9k ^^S^^Kbs ^ Iff ^p^- f \ ^' I^BI^SSnI * jaM^BBBBK^. t a^ -4 ™ d IR w •^^jjjMwB ) i 3^ :i^ ^ a "5 2 S ti. o ^ O ~ ^ "^ -^ IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIH^ for Janitfiry, 1920 401 Descriptive List of Hardy and Semi-Hardy Primulas HENRY J. MOORE LITTLE, if any, systematic experimenting has been done with the hardy and semi-hardy species and varieties of the Primula in the United States and Canada. Perhaps this is on account of the supposition that few of them are hardy enough to withstand tlie rigor- ous winters. \'ery few are entire!}' hardy as (hsclosed by the test of the following kinds, all of which have been grown for at least two seasons in the Queen \'ictoria Park, at Niagara Falls. Many beautiful kinds, however, are with a little protection so hardy that they survive the winters jiractically unharmed, and in Spring furnish a displav which well repays for any labor devoted to their culture. Generally speaking the plants in the following list merit the attention of all who are interested in spring gardening. As botanical descriptions would be of little use to horticulturists, the subjects are described almost purely from a horticultural standpoint. 1. Friiiiiila auricula varieties (The Auricula). — There are many beautiful varieties of P. auricula, some of them almost hardy. They are divided into classes according to some dis- tinctive flower character, the principal being the grey edged, white edged, green edged, selfs and .\lpines. In these classes the varieties are named and standardized. Many of the plants survive our winters with a protectioii of leaves or litter, and are unique for the herbaceous border. If potted in a mixture of one part of loam, leaf soil, rotted cow manure and coarse sand, with a little broken charcoal, and wintered in protected cold frames, the plants make splendid flowering subjects for the cool greenhouse during Spring. 2. Primula cortusoidcs. — The deep rose colored flowers of this species are borne well above the foliage to a height of fifteen inches. The leaf stalks and undersides of the leaves are hairy. Several flowering stems are produced at the same time. The plant is an excellent and graceful subject for semi-shady nooks in the border where it requires a light sandy soil with plenty of humus. It is hardy with slight protection. The flowering period is from May IS till July. 3. Primula cortusoidcs, var. Sicboldii. — The varieties which have originated from P. cortusoidcs are most beautiful subjects for the shady border. They are hardy and require protection only in zero temperatures. A fairly moist light soil is necessary to their welfare. Their flowering period is approximately May 20 until June 30. The variety Sicboldii and its hybrids should be grown in every garden. Queen of Roses, a plant with deep rose pink flowers, um- bellate, about nine flowers to the stem, which reaches a height of twelve inches, several stems being produced. The foliage is of a medium green. Maiden's Blush — The flowers are white suft'used with rose, and twelve inches high. Sirius — The large white flowers of this variety are from one to one and a half inches in 'diameter (as are the two fore- mentioned ones). The foliage is of a light green. Cortusoidcs and its varieties are all excellent for pot culture. 4. Primula capitata. — A plant with flowers of a deep violet blue, arranged densely in globular heads, which attain a height of about nine inches. The flowering stems arc covered with a white powder. The leaves are wrinkled and toothed, and arc powdered on the under side. The flowering season is from May till July. .\ semi-shady, fairly dry position is necessary. The plant is liettcr adapted to the rock garden than elsewhere, where it must be protected during winter. If grown in a cold frame and flowered in a cool greenliouse, it makes a charming poi plant. The flowers muf: i,^ ihr.ded from the sun. 5. Primula doiliculata rosea. — This beautiful variety shoulil be generally grown. The flowers are rose purple with a yellow €ye. The inflorescences which sometimes contain more than fifty flowers are dense and globular, and are in flower from ."Vpril 13th till May 26th. The plants are excellent for planting during Fall in beds or borders, where Spring flowers are required. If planted nine inches apart, the bed will be as distinctive as a bed of Hvacinths, which at a short distance the flowers resemble. The plants may be substituted for bulbs or be used in conjunc- tion with them. A soil containing much leaf soil is excellent for their culture. The leaves arc hairy, are covered with a white powder, and are coarsely wrinkled and toothed. The flowering stems attain a height of nine to twelve inches. 6. Primula drnticulata alba. — A white flowered form of the above similar in all respects except in color of flowers, and of leaves which are a paler green. The plants may be used to furnish a bed of white flowers for Spring flowering or be mi.xcd with the variety rosea. 7. Primula dciiticnlata cashmcriana. — This variety requires somewhat different cultural treatment than the two foremcntioned ones. It should he planted in a light soil in a somewhat raised position, so that its crowns will be well above water which in spring may collect, otherwise they will rot. A moderately sunny position is necessary. The plant flowers from April 18th until May 20th. The flowers are light purple with a yellow eye, and about twelve inches high. The undersides of the leaves are covered with a beautiful golden colored dust. The inflorescence is an umbel similar to the other varieties. Not being entirely hardy a protection of litter must during winter be afforded. 8. Primula clatter (The Oxlip). — This perfectly hardy plant is a cross between the English Primrose, P. 7'ulgaris, and the Cowslip, P. officinalis. The flowers are pale yellow and are horizontal or drooping on their stems. They are at their best from April 15th until May 15th. They reach a height of nine to twelve inches. The petioles of the leaves are somewhat winged. The plants are very useful for planting out in beds or borders during autumn for spring flowering. It is best to afford a light covering after planting. As a carpeting plant for beds of tall bulbous plants, it is good, and should be more generally used. May be propagated by division, or raised from seeds. 9. Primula frondosa. — A little alpine species with purple flowers. The stems and leaves are covered with a white powder. In height it is only four to six inches. It requires a semi-shady spot, with some protection during winter. It flowers from May 4th till the 26th. The plant is especially adapted to the rock garden. 10. Primula japonica varieties (Japanese Primroses). — Plants equally desirable for outdoor or indoor culture. The following varieties are all hardy and of great value. They are perhaps the best of the genus for associating with aquatic plants, as they are entirely at home along the margins of pools or streams, if planted in positions where the roots are above the water line. In a semi-shad}' position in the herbaceous border where a deep, rich and moist soil pertains, they flower splendidly, and over a considerable period, namely. May 30th until July 15th. The plants are easily raised if the seed is sown as soon as ripe. Rose Queen. — A variety with handsimie rose pink flowers, about eighteen inches high. Blush Beauty. — The flowers are a delicate blush white. Splendens. — .-V plant with large fiery crimson flowers. The tall- est variety, reaching a height of twenty-four inches. .^ most magnificent hardy Primula. 11. Primula ofUciiwHs (The Cowslip). — .\ hardy plant. The flowers of which are pale yellow, more or less drooping from their stems. The hei.ght is various, usually from nine to fifteen inches. This species is interesting as being one of the supposed pareiUs of the Oxlip. 12. I'rimula pulvcrulcnla. — .A half hardy perrenial, which has large handsome purple maroon flowers, borne in tiers on long stems, after the manner of P. japoiiica. The leaves are dark green, nine inches Icng. and are wrinkled and toothed. The species is excellent for border positions, in sheltered localities where it will probably survive with a covering of litter. .\s a pot plant for greenhouses with intermediate temperature, it is excellent and its color renders it valuable. In very cold localities it is belter to carry the plants over in cold frames, than to sub- ject them to the winter with chances of failure. 13. Primula z-eitchii. — A new half hardy perennial species of Chinese origin. The flowers are of a beautiful rose purple color, and are borne in umbels. The several stems reach a height of about twelve inches. It is best to winter the plant in frames. The leaves are hairy and somewhat palmate in shape. \ greater percentage of plants will germinate if the seeds are sown as soon as ripe. The flowering period is from May 29lh till July 1st. 402 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 14. Primula mdgaris (Common Primrose).— A hardy well- known perennial species, native of Great Britain. It may be used to advantage in many positions. Splendid for naturalizing in the wild garden or woodland, for massing in the herbaceous border, or in the rock garden. It docs equally well in a stiff loam as in a light rich soil. It is easily raised from seeds or by division of the root slock. Height of the flowers about three inches. Primula vulgaris varieties.— There are several white and also one or two good blue flowered varieties of P. vulgaris, which go under the garden name of P. acaulc. In regard to hardiness, uses and other qualities, they are equally as desirable as the species, and require the same treatment. They tlower from April 19th till May 28lh. 15. Primula variabilis (The Polyanthus or Cluster Primroses). —The Polyanthus, supposed to be a cross between the common Primrose (P. vulgaris) and the Cowslip (P. officinalis) has many splendid varieties. They are all hardy and useful for Spring flowering in beds or borders. Whether mixed or planted ni separate colors, they are hard to surpass for naturalizing in the wild garden or woodland. For the rock garden they are excellent, and equally so for pot culture in cold frames and cool green- houses. The following varieties are standard. In each case the flowers are umbellate and are held well above the foliage, differing in this respect from the Primrose proper. Munstead Giant White.— A plant with large white distinctive flowers, and deep orange eyes. The flowering stems are very strong, and about nine inches long. The plant flowers from April 15th till May 30th. Rose in Rose Yellow.— The flowers of this charming variety are of a golden yellow with deep orange eyes. Height aliout nine inches. This is a vigorous variety and excellent for beds and borders. Munstead Giant Red. — The large dark red flowers of this variety with their prominent orange eyes are very attractive. The flowering stems are about twelve inches in length. A most vigorous plant, and adapted to all the forcmcntioned uses. It flowers from April 30th until June. Ruby Red.— The flowers are of a beautiful ruby red with eyes that are alternately striped with orange and yellow, giving a curious effect. They attain a height of six to nine inches. The flowering period is from April 28lh until June 6th. The leaves are of a medium green. Barr's Orange Yellow. — This variety merits attention not only on account of its attractive flowers which are orange yellow with deeper orange eyes, but for the reason it will bear twenty or more flowers to the nmhel. It is one of the best. Its height is from nine to twelve inches. The flowering period is from May 2nd until June. The leaves are of a medium green. Gold Laced. — The gold laced varieties are not extremely showy, therefore not so useful as the other varieties. For pot culture or for exhibition purposes, they are interesting. F"or bedding or naturalizing they are of secondary importance. Their height is from six to nine inches. WooUer's White. — The pure white flowers of this variety have the usual orange eye. The foliage is light green. The flowering period is during May and June. All the Polyanthus varieties may be raised from seeds sown in Spring, or as soon as the seed is ripe. They may also be readily propagated by division during early Fall. PRIMULA MALACOIDES BEAUTIFUL i.s Primula inalacoidcs, the halt hardy or cool greenhouse .species. Its deHcate pale mauve or lilac flowers, which are delightfully perfumed, are borne tier upon tier on long scapes, the flowers com- prising each tier, with their long pedicils being whorled or verticillately arranged along the flowering axis, form- ing inflorescences which stand well up above the foliage, the deep green of which brings out in bold relief and enhances, if this were possible their delicate tints. The plant is very floriferous. It is, however, the combination of foliage and flowers so harmoniously blended which affords the charm and distinctiveness not surpassed by any other member of the genus. For greenhouse cttlture, and when in flower for the dwelling house or for any decorative scheme pertaining thereto, such as grouping with ornamental flowering plants or ferns, or for table decoration, it is eiiually desira- ble. The duration of its flowering period is long, it may be said to be almost perpetual. Primula malacoides alba, a white variety, is with the exception of color identical with the type, and may be used as a companion to the species in any decorative scheme, while both of these are excellent companions to the old Primula stcHata varieties so well known to florists. It would appear that these lovely primulas will, for a time at least, supersede many of the older kinds. Primula malacoides and its variety alba lay claim to a distinction enjoved by few primulas, if any. in that they are equally as desirable for fillitig baskets as for pot culture. This statement may be doubted by those who have seen the plants when commencing to flower, as the inflorescences grow quite vertically an4 are closely bunched ; ere long, however, they fall gracefially downward in light feathery sprays forming a perfect fountain of bloom, throtigh which the green of the leaves is interspersed in attractive combination. frimiila uialacuidcs may be increased by seeds or by division of the root stock. In regard to culture, no factor should discourage or deter any grower. No greenhouse primula is easier to grow. Soil and general requirements are practically the same as those suited to the Chinese primula, P. sinensis, and to P. stcllata.. A fairly light soil composed of fibrous loani one-third, leaf mold and sand two-thirds, screened through a one-inch screen will for potting purposes suffice. A small quantity of bone meal should be added to the compost. When sowing the seed, the surface layer of soil in the seed pan shotild be screened very finely. As the seed is small it should be covered very lightly, not more than its own depth in any case. Sow during February, March or April, place the pans in a temperature of 55 to 65 degrees, and shade from bright light until germination takes place ; as soon as growth is noticed remove the shading material, and when the seedlings crowd each other, transfer singly to boxes filled with light soil. When sufficiently large transplant into two-inch pots allowing the plants to remain until well established, then repot into fours. When sufficient roots have been formed to justify the procedure apply Clay's fertilizer, one ounce to two gal- lons of water once weekly, remove the plants to a shaded cold frame or to a cool shaded part of the greenhouse, afiford plenty of air, and spray the foliage daily in hot weather, not, however, during the hottest part of the day. Early in October take the plants from the frame and repot into six or seven-inch pots, in which they should flower. As soon as established in these continue to afiford liquid manure as advised, until the plants are in full flower. After flowering discard the old plants, with the e.xception of a few which may be experimented with as specimens for another year, or for propagation by division. When utilized for filling wire baskets a single plant will adecpiately furnish one of ordinary size. The bas- kets may be filled ere the flowering stage is reached. It is likewise advisable to fill them with plants when in ftill flower, as whatever the method employed the result will be the same. — Exchange. \\ h_v not plant nut-bearing trees ? Surely a beech tree gives as much shade as an oak, and a walnut as a maple. Why not nut-bearing trees as the final choice^ Horticulture promotes health, furnishes appetizing and invigorating food, is a most delightful means of recreation, cultivates a refined taste, indtices a spirit of cheerfulness, and awakens a sympathy with nature and a love for all the Creator's works. for }a 1920 403 An English Cottage Garden A^rOXG the many i)icuires afforded by the English country-side, few can Ije found more charmint; than the Httle peeps of harmonious coloring and form oftentimes met with in sequestered villages, where Roses climb at will beneath the o\-erhanging thatched eaves, clambering up to the chimne}- and garlanding it with a wealth of blossom. As one walks up the wind- ing village road, one notes how well the walls are clothed with climbing plants. Here the whole front of a cottage is veiled in pink summer Roses, and not only are these siTiall summer-blooming kinds employed, but on manv cottage wall other varieties may be noticed. Reve d'Or is a lovely Rose, and is often used on cottages. It is a very rapid grower, and will cover the side of a house in a few years. When garlanded with its golden-fawn blossoms, which cluster so thickly as to almost hide the leafage, it is indeed a "Dream of Gold." The foli- age is also abundant and graceful, being distinct from that of other Roses. Here and there in the south-west Marechal Niel may sometimes be seen re^"elling in the sunshine on a white-washed wall and bearing a goodly crop of handsome deep golden-yellow blos- soms, while climb- ing Captain Giris- ty, Lamarque. and many others very often take the place of the more com- monly grown clus- ter Roses. Here. one side of a cot- tage is wreathed with Jasmine, a mauve Clematis thieading the thick growth and ming- ling its blue stars with the white clusters of the Jas- mine flowers. Here against a white- washed wall crim- son Hollyhocks glow, here a flow- ering Myrtle sur- rounds a lattice window, here the Passion-flower has draped a gable with a \-fil of greenery, studded in the summer with blue or white flowers, and in the chill autumnal days with innumerable fruits of golden-orange that gleam like fairy-lamps amid the dark foliage. Throughout most months of the twelve, cottage gardens possess some feature of interest. In the darkest days of the year there are the Christmas Roses, and tlie Winter Jasmine mingles its golden flowers with the crimson !)erries of Cotoiicastcr microphyUa over the porch. Then we have the vivid scarlet of Pyriis japonica against the white-washed house and the white mantle of the .Irabis, often, in the genial south- CuurUay of ijinjtiiijtf; l!:i.slr\:;i\! (ICncIisIO. All English Thatched Roof Cottaiic Covered With the Atlraelive Cottage Carden in the west, in full beauty ere February has passed away, clothing the rude stone-retaining wall at the pathside. A little later the purple Rock Cress {Aubrietia) takes its place beside the Arahis, and the bright yellow of Alyssum saxalile gleams by the pathway. By the little gate that leads to the road, spreading its outer branches over tlie hedge, stands a great bush, almost a tree, of Rose Maiden's Blush, thickly studded in the early summer with fair, flesh-pink blossoms ; there the old Cabbage Roses flower profusely and load the air with the sweetest perfume ; and Moss Roses, pink and white, forgotten in many a garden, perfect their ex- quisite buds. Solanum jasminoidcs is a common climber on many cottages in the south-west, and there is no doubt that in a warm district it is the finest of all flowering climbers, since it often starts into bloom in the month of April, increasing in beauty until September, and often carrying flowers until Christmastide. The Wistaria, with its great drooping, lavender clusters, is a spe- cial favorite, and may often be seen garlanding cottage walls. The author of "The English Mower Garden" never penned a truer sentence than \\ hen he wrote : "Among the things made b}' man noth- ing is prettier than an English cottage gaiden." There is rarely much I)are earth in a cottage garden. The size of the plots is too smr.ll to permit of any groimd being wasted, and thus everywhere the Ijiown earth is cov- ered with flowers and foliage, which is as it should be in all gardens, but too rarely is. No- where do the li)\ely .Madonna Lilies grow in such unsullied chaste- ness and gracile vigor as in cottage gardens, though apparently but Httle thought is given to their cultural requirements, and one can only surmise that the clue t(i their unfailing health and beauty is to be found in Ruskin's words: "Flowers only rightly flourish in the gardens of those who love them." Cottagers show their taste in the appreciation of fragrance, and many of their gardens are filled with sweet odors through the long summer twilight. Great Lilac-bushes, with their w-ealth of perfumed flower-spikes, often overtop the low, thatched eaves, wliile by the village road the ycllow-tassellcd Labiiniitiii hangs its shower of gold. — (Jardciiing Illustrated. (English.) / 'iiies and Climbers. Foreground. Note 4U4 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE A''utiiiiiiiiiiiNi[iintiiiii:iiiilllHiiillliililililllillliiilillllillllliililliliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiii^ I The Month's Work in the Greenhouse | I HENRY GIBSON | ^ItlllllllllllllllllllllllllllNltlllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliniHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIillllllllllMliliMltlllllllllllllllllllNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM JANl'ARY is a busy niontli in the greenhouse, there are many preparations to make for the coming sea- son, and in some cases work that was left over from last fall may be taken up. English daisies, pansies and forget-me-nots, omitted from fall sowing, may still be sown if done at once, so as to have nice sized stock to plant out in the spring. Plans for next summer's bedding should be outlined and an estimate made of the number and kind of plants needed, so that propagation may begin at once. L)ld stock plants of geraniums should be placed on a bench in a light position and spaced out so that they will give a crop of cuttings. Such plants as fuchsias, heliotrope, stevias, coleus. alternanthera, etc., should be propa- gated forthv\'ith. The new catalogues from the seedsmen are now com- ing in, and no time should be lost in getting such seeds as J'iiica rosea, and its varieties, sown. They need a warm, sunny house to get them to flowering size by bed- ding-out time, and would be tnore likely to attain this were they sown in December. Begonias of the lumi- nosa type, pentstemons for bedding, aquilegias, snap- dragons, shasta daisies, and many other seeds may be sown this month. Hardy phlox and larkspurs, lifted last fall and win- tered in flats in a cold frame, may be placed in a carna- tion house temperature, where in a few weeks they will furnish fine cuttings. Canterbury bells, wallflowers and coreopsis, the last named lifted from the borders last fall may be brought into a cool house towards the end of the month, where they will furnish a supply of flowers that will be much appreciated in the early spring months. The supply of flats for pricking off seedlings should be gone over, and needed repairs made. Roses of the rambler type intended for use round the Easter holidays should be brought in from the cold frames or pits where they have wintered, top-dressed, with good loam and bone meal and placed in a violet house temperature. As they, show signs of swelling the buds they may be given more heat, and as they continue to advance still more until they are in a temperature of ■60 degrees at night, which should be the maximum if strong, vigorous plants free from mildew are wanted. Hydrangeas may be got under way towards the middle of the month. They need about 43 degrees to start, ad- vancing by degrees to 50 and then to 55. When needed for house decorations almost all of the French types, as well as the old timers, such as Otaksa and Dr. Hogg, are better for having a week or ten days of cool house treat- ment after having flowered before being taken into the dwelling house. Hydrangeas while undergoing forcing like plenty of water, but one should not overlook giving too much. They soon show their resentment of wet feet continuously, by yellow leaves, which never add anything towards enchancing the beauty of the ])lants. Giganteum lilies will now be from three to four inches high, and should be kept growing steadily in a tempera- ture of 60 degrees, ^^^-ltering should be done with care, and the plants should be fumigated frequently to keep -them clear of green aphis, which are very partial to them. Cold storage lilies may still be ]ilanted for use at the "Easter festival, as thcv can be flowered in twelve weeks. l)ut between now and April 4, which is Easter day this year, there is not much time to be lost. Some care is necessary in handling cold storage lily bulbs, particularly with regard to watering, keeping them too wet is apt to result in premature top growth without roots, which nnist inevitably spell failure to the plants. A low tem[3erature is not likely to offset any careless wat- ering. Keep the bulbs at the outset rather on the dry side, after the pots have had one thorough watering, which together with a fair proportion of sand in the pot- ting soil will help them get a start, under the bench in a carnation house temperature. Leeks and onions may be sown in the greenhouse for e.xhibition purposes. Cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce may be sown this month to be later transplanted to hot- beds. Rhubarb, asparagus, seakale and chickory should be taken in for forcing. The last named forces well under a carnation house bench. Successions of each may be made to maintain a regular supply during the early S[)ring months. .\ little time among the palms, ferns and stove plants will be profitably spent, as many of these will as likely as not lie infested with either scale, mealy bug or red spider, all more or less numerous. These parasites suck the energy out of the plants in a very short time unless checked. Many palms will need topdressing, or repot- ting, and when this is done, given heat and plenty of water, will start out with renewed vigor and develop into fine specimens. Those who are not fortunate enough to have a green- house whereby they may satisfy their winter of discon- tent during the cold days of January will find plenty of interest in taxing their ingenuity preparing for the sea- sen's flowers and vegetables in spite of the lack of green- house space in which to start the plants. The average dwelling house is more often than not heated to 70 de- grees, ample heat to start the supply of seeds at home. It lacks the humidity and freedom from draughts and the direct sunlight of the greenhouse, yet withal much may be made of home conditions for raising seedling plants. A little study will soon enable the more enthusi- astic to get together an arrangement which will enable one to start seeds in close proximity to the stove, or radi- ators, without having the receptacles in which they are sown come in close contact with the source of heat so as to dry out the soil unduly. Covering the boxes or pots of seeds with a pane of glass will help to prevent too rapid evaporation from the surface. Watering of the receptacles should be done by immersing them in a dish of water so that the water may travel upwards through the soil thereby saturating the whole body of it, and also prevent washing out the seeds as is too often the case when water is applied from the surface. Seedlings started in this way may be transferred to a hot bed located on the south side of the house, and which may be heated by having a cellar window open into it, thus utilizing the heat from the furnace. One can readily arrange this by placing the frame against the window- and cutting an ojiening in the back to admit the warm air from the cellar window. for January, 1920 405 ^uluwiiiiiiiiiMiiiiniiiiitim(NiiMiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirtiiiiiii[i[[itmii[[initiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiif^iiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiuiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiimiiiiitiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mill iiiiiiiini iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiimmiiimiiHiiHriiiiiiiiiiiumimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimnmtii'^ The Month's Work in the Garden | JOHN JOHNSON | "iiiiiiiiiinii'iii' IK iiiiiniinmiiiimi ii;m iiiiiinii iiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiini i itm i nm i iinnmiimi iiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiimiiniiil THE writer extends New Year's Greetings to readers of the Chronicle. May this year bring with it increased success, and may the many who have hitherto been denied the pleasures of a garden find op- portunity for the development of their asthetic talents by cultivating gardens during 1920. All who have made gardening their life work appre- ciate the advantages of a good start. They realize that it is not too early during January to lay their plans for the year. The importance of this early start is not, how- ever, always appreciated by the amateur or small grower. As soon as the catalogues arrive begin in earnest to pre- pare the seed order. Exercise careful thought in its preparation that everything be included to meet all de- mands for the season, and further, order from the most dependable source. Our leading seedsmen adopt every conceivable means of preserving the productive power of the seeds they handle and it is a matter of ordinary wisdom on the part of garden lovers to patronize repu- table seed firms in preference to the general monger who displays his seed wares in cheap gaudy packages. The aim should always be to place an order with a view to getting the best, for none but seeds of high germinative quality will produce sturdy vigorous stock, no matter how much care is expended later in the plants' life. We have always advocated the annual testing of vari- eties listed as novelties, and yet to never discard a variety of proven worth until something better really warrants its displacement : See that the supply of tools, insecti- cides and other sundries is replete to avoid disappoint- ment when anything in this line is actually wanted. The work of the month in the average garden must be regulated largely according to weather conditions. Orchard pruning should be done whenever possible and s])raying operations must take a similar course. Methods of pruning are indeed variable but it is safe to say that the old practice of wholesale "heading in" is fast falling into disrejHite. The greater freedom of growth now permitted by fruit growers not only results in a more fruitful tree in the early stages but the tree itself attains greater dimensions in a young state. The .great aim in pruning .should be to control and maintain a projjcr bal- ance of growth. Admit sun and air by thinning out the top growth. Cut out interfering and cross branches and weed imperfect wood. Thus the tree is rendered acces- sible for spraying and fruit picking. If large branches must be removed smear the wounds with tar, or lead l>aint to prevent decay. In old orchards it is often neces- sary to scrape the loose rough bark oiif the trees to eradi- cate insect and fungoid pests. This of course should be done before spraying. However, in orchards which have been spi^ayed annually and otherwise given the required attention, scraping becomes unnecessary. Young trees sometimes suffer injury by the gnawing of rabbits. If the trunks of the trees are likely to be girdled take pre- ventive measures by wrapping the lower portion with tar paper or other protective material. Spraying may be done any time during the winter season except when the weather is actually freezing, therefore, select a still dav during a mild period for doing the work. Lime and sulphur is a popular and effective spray, and the miscible oils are also nuich in demand. If attempted, spraying should be done thoroughly. Clear snow and ice away from gutters on drives and garden paths to prevent erosion during thaws. Shake newly fallen snow from specimen evergreens to prevent damage, and keep frames clear of snow unless the stock IS in a dormant and frozen condition. Ample protection must be given frames in which lettuce, endive and parsley are growing. Uncover the sash whenever weather per- mits and admit air. Remove decaying foliage and stir the surface soil to keep it sweet and fresh. Commence the propagation of bedding stock as helio- trope, verbena, alternanthera, geranium, pentstemon and any other kinds required in quantity. Seeds may be sown of such kinds of Trachelia vinca rosea, tuberous be- gonias, canna and others of slow growth. These re- quire a temperature of 60° to 65° to assure good .ger- mination and should be sown in a light porous compost. Many of the hardly perennials if sown in heat at this time will flower the first season. Hollyhocks succeed well treated in this way particularly in gardens where rust is troublesome. In the case of these plants it is well to remember that a large amount of growth must be pro- duced within a short time so that the treament afforded them should be generous throughout. Cabbage, Cauliflower, and lettuce may be sown in gen- tle heat for later transplanting in frames to furnish early supplies, and now is the time to sow onions and leeks of the exhibition type. Tomatoes never come to the table too early in the season and where space can be given a few plants under glass can be grown in almost any fashion to suit the convenience of the grower. A com- post of loam, leaf-mould and sand is suitable for seed sowing and a temperature not lower than 60° should be atiforded if possible. .\n early variety of potatoes may b? started in pots where room can be afforded, although it hardly pays to bother with this crop under glass since .Southern grown potatoes find ready sale in our Northern markets early in the season. Grown in pots potatoes re- (|uire a light rich soil. Sharpen pea brush and ]3oles for beans. Tie the brush in bundles and put them together in various sizes so as to have them ready for tise at the proper time. Do everything now which might be calculated to lessen the pressure of work later on. Sui-\'ey the home grounds to find out what might be done to imjirove the winter cfifect. Some .shrubs are especially beautiful during the winter with their snow laden twigs hanging in graceful tracery, and many too even at this late date are resplendent with lingering red berries, .\mong the kinds suitable for massing along the boundary line are the Spiraeas, Red-twigged Dogwood, I')eri)cris, Rosa riii;osa, and Scarlet Thorn. Low growing liardy evergreens alwaj'S give to the foundation of build- ings a cheerful appearance, and of these there is a wealth of material upon which to draw. KaJniia lati- folia, Rliododciidroii iiia.viiiia. .\ndromeda in variety, Malwnia aqiiifoliiiiii, and Cotoncaster in variety. In addi- tion to the foregoing there are numerous dwarf conifers as : Ta.rus cuspidata, ftinipcnis sabina, Picca cxcclsa piiinila. Phiiis montana Mughiis and Rctinospora filifcra. Actual i)lanting cannot be done at this time, but in this as in other matters be ready. 406 GARDENERS CHRONICLE The Resting Period of Plants XT O matter hnw successfully summer flowering ■^ ^ bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants maj- have been grown, or \\hat their appearance during summer may be, this is no criterion of the grower's ability to grow them to perfection, unless he is capable of doing this every year. It is a more difficult matter to success- ftilly store away the bulbs and tubers and to care for them over winter than to grow them. This may be proven by the large numbers that die during the winter resting period. Therefore to successfully bring them through the winter is really the criterion of ability in the culture of these subjects. Many forget that bulbs and tubers live during the resting period as during summer. The difference is that they are not visibly growing, though actually they are. Even in dormancy certain essential changes take place, the only difference being that vitality is reduced. This resting may be likened to the sleep of a person. Surely by no stretch of. the imagination can we regard a person in this state as dead. Once the grower of bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants becomes impressed with the idea that he is not handling dead, worthless things, he will give them proper living conditions even during winter, when it is necessary for them to rest or "sleep." Another important thing we are apt to forget is that the summer flowering bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants we store away during winter are all, or nearly all, tender exotics, and, therefore, not being hardy they cannot stand the low winter temperatures, as clo our native plants. The two important things then to bear in mind are, that bulbs and tubers during their winter's rest are alive, though dormant, and that the reason we store them away is that they are too tender to withstand low temperatures, or that other outside conditions are un- favorable for their preservation over winter. Bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants vary greatly in their requirements even during their "sleeping" period. They must have a certain temperature, a certain con- dition of atmospheric humidity, and in some cases a certain condition of the soil or other medium in which o{ necessity they must be stored. It is not sufficient merely to throw the subjects into a box or shed. A certain temperature is necessary for all plants to live. Tropical or sub-tropical plants require a greater degree of heat during their growing and resting periods than do temperate plants at these respective times. As the temperature falls below normal during the rest- ing period vitality is correspondingly reduced, and if, in the case of tender subjects, the temperature falls very low (even if it does not freeze) and remains so for a considerable time, death may ensue. Perhaps you have known of tubers of cannas, dahlias and elephant's ears (Caladiums), tuberous begonias, gloxinias and a host of others which in spring, on removal from storage, were found to be dead, although the temperature did not fall to the freezing mark. All other conditions be- ing right, the tubers died because the temperature was too low over a prolonged period to allow the plants to live. The metabolic process, that, briefly, being the chemical change necessary to the life of the plant, could not take place at the low temperature. Just as the temperature may be too low, so it may be too high for l)ulbous and tuberous rooted plants dm-- ing the winter resting period. A person cannot sleep or rest in a temperature which approaches tlie heat of his blood. This unnatural condition excites and pro- duces a state of restlessness which cannot be overcome until the temperature is lowered ; so it is w itli the cannas and other bulbous and tuberous plants. A high temperature will excite the metabolism and growth will commence at an unnatural time, with consequent injury to the subjects. From these remarks, it will be seen that somewhere between the extremes of heat and cold there is a temperature just right for the welfare of our subjects when they are in a state of rest. Some bulbous and tuberous rooted plants require a dry atmosphere in their storage place, others a normal one. Bulbs or tubers of a firm texture like the gladioli and tuberous begonia require the former, while tubers of a succulent nature like the dahlia, canna, elephant's ear, and gloxinia require the latter. Were the iast mentioned subjects stored away in a room with a very dry atmosphere, their cells would quickly lose their moisture, the cell walls would collapse, and the tubers would shrivel and become useless. Such is a very Common occurrence, though easy to obviate. Were is possible to have the atmosphere just right, and just sufficient moisture therein, it would not be neces- sary to store many subjects in soil, sand, or other material. In all cases, howe\er, where the atmosphere is very drj-, it is the safest practice to cover the bulbs or ttibers w4th some material to prevent the excessive escape of moisture from their cells. Generally sand will be found excellent for the purpose, but in no case should the crowns of the tubers be buried, or bulbs be covered to a great depth. It should not be forgotten that it may be necessary to occasionall}- water cannas, caladiums and dahlias in a dry position, even when covered with sand, and if the crowns are below the surface water will penetrate and cause the tubers to rot. ^Vatering should not be done in any case as long as the tubers are plump and hard, but as soon as the, first signs of shrixelling occtu", delay in this respect will be dangerous. — Tlie Canadiatt Florist. PLEASURE PLUS PROFIT IN PLANTING IN the furnishing of our homes we are guided by at least three main aims : Beauty, comfort and material utility. Each is as important as the other in the per- fect enjoyment of the home life. The same objects should guide us in the planting of the home grounds. Not often enough is there found a perfect balance of these three, for in the ftirnishing of the garden the question of space and individual likes and dis- likes play an important part. Sentiment and the love of the beautiful are, perhaps, the strongest motives that urge most people to plant the things which, from a purely economic viewpoint, are more lovely than useful. This is indeed fortunate and perhaps a wise provision after all, for the garden thus is enabled to exert a powerful uplifting influence. Moreover, if we were to strip horti- culture of sentiment, our business would soon go to the bow-wows. We need never fear, however, that such a thing will ever happen, since it is an inherent quality of the human race to take a keen delight in all things thai grow out of the earth. There is another class of people who spend lavishly on ornamental planting, not alone for the love they have for flowers and jjlants, but for the pleasure it afTords them to know that they have the best furnished grounds in their immediate circle. To receive the praise of the visitor or guest is a sweeter reward than the pleasure they derive from the plantings on which they have spent almost fabulous sums. for Januury, l'>20 407 Still another phase of the matter, and one which af- fects almost all garden owners, is the question of the selection of plants which will give both pleasure and profit to the owner, in other words, plants which are use- ful as well as ornamental. Our enjoyment of the garden will not be diminished, but rather increased, by having plants that serve a twofold purpose. The Cherry, the Apple or the Pear will often be equally as desirable orna- mentally as a Norway Maple and will give ten times as much beauty and service as a greedy Carolina Poplar. The Crab Apple, Peach and Quince are delightful in floral display and often might fill many a position now held by some fleeting beauty whose fruits previously mentioned are with us to be enjoyed by all the senses. Much more planting of fruit trees would be done w-ere it not for the annoyance of having voung people without proper respect for the rights of others appropriating for themselves the fruit that rightfully belongs to the owner of the trees. The restraining hand of the law fails to hold under subjection that impulse to steal. Respect for the property of others and a correct understanding of what true liberty means must come as the result of the child's early training. However, were fruit trees more com- monly seen in gardens perhaps there would be less notice taken of them and thus the desire to take the fruit would not be so strong. Xow that "old PI. C. L." is such a persistent guest in every home there seems every reason for the planting of such things as will, in some measure, offset his sapping- in- fluence and bring real enjoyment to the greatest number of our people . — Edwix Matthews in Florists' Ex- chaiizc. Mushroom Culture OF the several kinds of edible fungus the jMushroom Agaricus cam['cstris is the best known and has been used as food for 2,000 years. Like all fungi, this thrives in dark places and is grown in France in caves luider ground. Special houses are devoted to mushrooms, also grown as a side crop under greenhouse benches. A dark cellar that can be kept about 57° would be an ideal place for growing mushrooms. The temperature could be con- trolled by placing barrels of fermenting manure in the cellar replacing these as needed (Fig. 8). The tempera- ture should not be allowed to fall below- 45° and after spawning, care should be taken not to get the beds too wet by giving only a light sprinkle with tepid water if the soil looks dry (Fig 7). To grow mushrooms, it is most important to secure good spawn. In making the beds procure fresh hcjrse manure anil mix with it V3 its bulk of fresh loam (Fig. Ij. Turn this daily to prevent over- heating and when sufficient quantity is secured to make the bed, put it in the cellar or mushroom-house. In mak- ing the bed ram down the manure firmlv (Fig. 2) and when finished place a hotbed thermometer into it. When the temperature of the bed declines to 90° it is safe to spawn, (Fig. 3). Break up the spawn and plant into the bed about 1 foot apart and 4 inches deep, (Fig. 4). In a week or 10 days, when the spawn has spread through the bed, cover with 2 inches of fresh loam and press down smooth and even, (Fig. 5). Afterwards cover with straw, (Fig. 6). After spawning the temperature .-hould be kept as near 57° as possible and cold draughts should be avoided by constant watch- fulness. The mushrooms should appear in 5 or 6 weeks after spawning. 408 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Common Sense in Painting Greenhouses JAY D. EARLMAN A CERTAIN friend of mine has a hobby, it is his greenhouse. And unHl-ce some greenhouse owners, he didn't build it as a material evidence of his prosperity. In fact, from one or two remarks he made, I think he had to scrape a bit to indulge himself, but he bought it becnuse he loves flowers and all manner of growing things. This friend of mine is a successful business man. and a thrifty one. Although he devotes a great amount ol attention to the greenhouse and its stock of growing things, he attempts to operate it on a business basis — as economically as possible. I use the words "attempts'' because I think he is in- consistent ; specially referring to the question of painting that greenhouse. In spite of the fact that as far back as a half a century ago it was proved that ready-mixed paint is far superior to the old-fashioned hand-mixed variety, some folks just can't seem to see the light. .\nd so, because Charley Burson is a friend of mine. J just naturally sat down beside him the other evening and told him where he is not only behind the times, but throwing away good money besides. Am not sure, but believe he now understands. The following, in substance, is what I told him : In the first place, the one great outstanding" mark of superiority of the machine-mixed paint over the hand- mixed lead and oil, is found in the mixing itself. The modern mixing machines found in a luodern paint fac- tory can in a short time mix the necessary paint-produc- ing ingredients in a manner that never has been and never will he approached by the old-school jiainter with his stirring paddle and his good right arm. Properly mixed paint means paint that has a film of linseed oil wrapped completely around each pigment particle, which film will protect that pigment from the action of the destroying elements and at the same time bind it together with its fellow pigment particles. Hand- mixing cannot accomplish this. One great trouble experienced by the man who at- tempts to mix his own paint is that of obtaining a mixture of the proper consistency. Suppose, for example, he starts out with three gallons of oil and a ijuantity of white lead. He mixes the two together and liegins the stirring operation. He needs more lead, so he puts it in, and continues stirring. More lead is needed, so he adds it — generally adding a little too much — making his mixture too thicic. This means he must add more oil, which he does. Ten to one he adds a little too much oil, which necessitates the addition of more pigment to obtain a proper working mixture. And not onh- amateurs, but many journeymen painters, as well, have in this manner mixed from one to two gal- lons more paint than was necessary for the job. Of course, the property owner paid for the waste. So much for the higher cost of lead and oil. Next, consider the results that are expected — yes, ex- pected. It should be borne in mind that if about 30 per cent of zinc is not added to the pigment, the first coat of lead and oil will soon chalk off. I don't say it is liable to chalk off, I say it tvill ; and it will do this as soon as the linseed oil has dried, due to the oxygen of the atmosphere acting upon it. And when the ground coat jiecls oft', the top coat or coats go riglu along with it. Now, ready-mixed paint contains all the ingredients that years of paint-making experience have shown to be necessary. Not only contains them, but they have been- introduced in just the right proportions and are thor- oughh' mixed. Every batch of paint is made according to a fixed formula (usually determined by weight), which means that all preceding and succeeding batches of paint will ha\-e the same consistency and workability, and produce the same results. These formulae enable the paint manufacturer to match colors perfectly, insuring that the batch of paint being made today will be of exactly the same shade as that he made last month, or even last year. The "mix-my-own" jiainter can only aoproximate the shadjs he once produced, because he has no rules or formulae. Paint manufacturers have used all manner of convinc- ing propaganda during the last half-century to convince pamters and property owners that their products are su- perior to lead and oil, but their one obstacle in putting the idea across universally has been the opposition of the painter himself. This because the old-time master painter was wont to throw an air of mystery about his mixing operations,, which accounts in a measure for some of the older paint- ers holding to the earlier traditions. And while in many cases, a painter will not hesitate to buy a ready-mixed paint if a color is desired, he seems to like hand-mixed, lead and oil when painting greenhouses white. Perliaps this is one reason why so many greenhouses re(|uire painting every year. I recently had occasion to visit a large paint factory in the middle west. On the roof of one of the buildings are a number of large racks, holding in the aggregate, I should say, about four hundred wooden paddles, each painted with a different kind and color of paint. The president of this particular concern is very particular as to the quality of every kind of paint he makes, which ac- counts for each and every color of each and every kind of l^aint being tested on this "roof garden.'" .\nd this test is a severe one. The paddles are inclined at an angle, similar to the slojiing sides of the green- house roof, which means that dust, soot, rain and snow will remain on the surface instead of dropping off. This means that these paddles receive unusually drastic ex- posure, and you can understand from this that an ex- posure of three years on this roof is equal to an exposure of from six to eight years on the ordinary dwelling. The painted frame of the greenhouse roof is, of course, exposed to the same conditions, 1 ut in addition, the glass panes reflect on the frame an intense heat and highly concentrated light rays, which combine to tear down the paint texture. The majority of greenhouse owners are today using ready-mixed paint for two reasons : it looks better and it lasts longer. A third reason is that it costs less. True, the best ready-mixed paint costs more per gallon, but it always costs less per jol> because it spreads out ftu-ther and covers better. The ffreenhouse painted with hand-mixed lead and oil has to be painted every year. When painted with the best grade of manufactured paint it will not require paint- ins: tor three years. jor January, 1920 ~1S9- |IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN »ll(lilllllfllllllllllllHIII!llll|i:i I A Lesson on Soil Formation and Its Bacteria I Being One of a Series ot Lessons of a Home Study Course on (hardening. Appearing Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle iririiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiuiniiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim^^^^^^ iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii III! iiiiiiiiiiiiiNiniii 111)111 1 Ill iiii;iiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:i iiiiii mi: im iiNiiiNiiiiiiiiiuiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil IN choosing subjects to be dealt with in this department, our aim has been to select those having some special connection with the work of the particular month in which each appears. However, as at this time there is little connected with gardening outside which can be called seasonable, it appears that this is a fitting period to spend a little while at the Fireside University and to go somewhat deeper mto the whys and wherefores of matters which have previously been given merely a passing glance. We believe that gardeners, whether professional or amateur — and we are glad to know that there are a con- tinually increasing number of the latter who read this journal — will always find that the more they know of the complex processes which are going on in the soil and in the plant, and the more they know of i^-liy certain re- quirements are necessary to produce the highest results, the more interesting the work will be and the more pleas- ure they will derive in carrying it out. Subjects connected with the soil and plant life are so co-related and so inextricably interwoven that it is a practical impossibility to avoid at all i;imes some repeti- tion in dealing with the various seasonable phases to which they refer. SUIL POPULATION, BOTH GOOD AND EVIL. The soil, and the spectacle of a living plant growing and building itself up from it, was the theme of some in- teresting stories, both in prose and ver.se, written by the most learned philosophers who lived several hundred years before the Christian era, and from their writings we gather that our practice today is. broadly speaking, verv little, and in some ways not at all, farther advanced than it was then. But we today know something about the whvs and wherefores of which in those ancient times nothing was known. About the first discovery relating to causes was made at the beginning of the nineteenth cen- tury by the application of analytical chemistry to both the soil and the plant, but the most momentous and far- reaching step along these lines was made only some twenty-five years ago when the first knowledge of the work of bacteria in connection with plant growth was gained. Tliis discovery opened up a vast unexplored re- gion, the boundaries of which have nut been reached, nor are they in sight. Today we know that soils are peopled by myriads of micro-organisms containing numerous distinct species, each species carrying on its appointed work, which causes the soil to be more suitable, or less suitable, according to the nature of the work, for plant life. It has been esti- mated that in a grain of average .soil there are from sixty thousand to five hundred thousand beneficial and injurious bacteria. (In case any reader should not be aware of the fact, it may be mentioned that a gram equals 15.432 grains avoirdupois.) This tremendous soil population is always busy, .\mong them division of labor is the rule, and it has been foune remembered that there are no short cuts to. fertilitv. Science does not promise any way of getting round the old injunction "in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." What science has done, and is doing, is to dignify the gardener's and the farmer's calling by revealing" something of the romantic wonders and beau- ties of the principles involved; it shows how their labor may be better directed as their konwledge of the pro- cesses of Nature become fuller and more enlarged. True Cooperation \\'hat is it to lo\e one's neighbor as one's self? Why, to wish him equal . . . ad\-antages, and character, and to do what is possil)le to help him secure them. But it takes time to liuild a man. much more time than to build a house, or a busines, as a rule. Wealth alone makes neither superiority, equality, nor inferiority ; neither character nor happiness. To pauperize one's neighbor by merely presenting him with the fruits of another's careful thought and hard work is not to love him as one's self. To put him in a position where he can claim what he has no fitness to do, or be, or have, is not to love him truly. To encourage him to magnify the material, as compared with the intellectual and spiritual, is not Christian love. "Cooperation" is in- deed a Christian ideal; but such cooperation should be genuine, hearty, not merely technical, — not an en- forced, but a \oluntary cooperation, — if it is to bear good fruit. K. P. Harrington. ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiinuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii^ DO you find the columns of the Garden- | ERS' Chronicle interesting? Car- I I tainly you do, or you would not be perusing | I them. Your gardening neighbor, were he j I familiar with them, would become equally | I interested. Why not recommend the Gar- j I DENERs' Chronicle to him as a guide to | I his garden work? He would appreciate it 1 I — and so would we. | [iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii»iii:iiiiii»{;iiiiiiii«iiii:iiiiiiin:iiiiiim# for Jnnuary. 1920 iaillllllllllllllillillllillllllllllllilllllllllillllllllllllliiiiliiilliiilliiilllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllillllllll^^ 413 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiii,iiiiiiiiim>iiii:iiii;iiii.iiiMiiy National Association of Gardeners Office; 2Si. FIFTH Je.vsex. President, St. Louis, Mo. M.^CKIXTOSH, Vice-President. Stillwater, Minn. Trustees for 1920 Peter Duft". Orange, X. J.; William W'aite. Rumson. N. J L. P. D. L \\"F., NEW YORK. Thom.vs \V. Head, Treasurer, Lake Forest, 111. M. C. Ebei., Secretary, Madison, N. J. (To serve until 1921) — William N. Craig, Brookline, Mass. Arthur Smith. Elheron, \. .!.; Robert Weeks, Cleveland, O.; William H. Griffiths, Detroit, Mich. Directors L. P. Jensen, St. Louis, Mo. William Hertrick, San Gabriel. Cal. ; W'illiani Gray, | _ Newport, R. I.; G. Hennenliofer, Great Falls, Mont.; Thomas Hatton, New London, Conn.; Albin Martini, Lake Geneva, Wis.; (To serve until | J 1922) — George Wilson, Lake l''orest. 111.; James Stuart, Mamaroneck, N. V.; William Kleinheinz, Ogontz, Pa.; John F. Huss, Hartford, | M Conn.; Edwin Jenkins, Lenox, Mass.; Carl N. Fohn, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Joseph Tansey, Tuxedo Park, N. Y. (To serve until 1923) — | S Robert Cameron, Ipswich, Mass.; Theodore Wirth. Minneapolis, Minn.; George H. Pring, St. Louis, Mo.; (jeorge W. Hess, Washington, | 1 D. C. ; Daniel J. Coughlin, Locust Valley, L. I.; John Barnet, Sewickley, Pa.; A. C. Jordabn, Palm Peach, Fla. | liiiiiiiiiiiwii;iiiiiiiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:;i;?i;:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;Nii:iiii:iiiniii;iiii:iiiniiriiii:iiiM!iii:i«^ THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Fellow Members : — 111 e.xpressiiig my appreciation to you, for tlie honor which you bestowed on me, by electing me your president at the Cleveland convention last August, I can not but feel the large responsibilities which you thereby placed on my shoulders. I fully realize my limitations of ability and the magnitude of the work before us, and that our success in future advancement will rest, not only on the active work and enthusiasm of myself and those who serve with me officially on the board of dijectors or on committees, but largely on the individual members of the as- sociation. With proper support from the membership at large financially, and by generous contributions of notes and articles to our official organ, and an active participation of the individual members in the affairs of the association, the year 1920 should, and will be, one of phenomenal advancement for the association and the pro- fession which it represents. 1 can not but emphasize the great value of the service bu- reau to the individual member, and the publicity campaign to the profession at large, but for the success of these undertakings funds must be forthcoming, sufficient for their proper main- tenance. As these funds must come from voluntary subscriptions 1 urgently appeal to every member to do his part, in a way com- parable to his means. A comparatively small contribution from each member would result in lasting benefit to the entire profes- sion. Members should contribute more articles to our official organ. The G.vrrener's Chronicle. Not enough is written by the practi- cal man whose perconal experiences and observations should be published for the benefit of the craft, short notes on new methods and plants, being of particular value. If sufficient in- terest is taken in this matter by the members, there will be little need for quotalioi's from other sources. We should make our official organ a national authority on matters pertaining to gardening. Our association is becoming, year by year, more national in cliaractcr, and I feel that the selection of the city of St. Louis for the place of holding our 1920 convention was a step forward, not because it happens to be the city of my home, but because it will be a means of adding to our membership roll, the pro- fessional gardc-ners of the Middle West and .South, and stinnilate the interest and advancement of gardening in this large territory, extending our intluence to the Gulf of ^lexico. The result of this will be a demand to hold our conventions successively. East, West, Northwest and South, instead as previously in the East. This will not only cause a continued interest in our association and profession throughout tlie country, but give the tncmbcrs an opportunity to get in touch with their fellow craftsmen of every section of our land, and benefit by an enlargement of observa- tion, obtained under the most favorable circumstances. In this age of specialization in various branches of gardening, it is of vital importance that we establish a close relation of co-ope- ration with the various allied organizations. Our activities dove- tail into each, and all of them in some particular, and the investi- gations and experimentations of these specialists should be volu- able to the all around professional gardener. The placing of your president on the executive board of the Society of American Florists and Ornamental Horticulturists, should result in a spirit of co-operation, which should be of mutual benefit, and co-operative ties of a similar nature should be established between our association and those of the nursery- men, fruit growers, vegetable growers, landscape architects, seeds- men, arboriculturists, park superintendents, federal and state horticultural organizotions and also local gardeners' clubs and societies. Our field of co-operation should be even broader than this : because of the nature of the occupation of our members it be- hooves us to assist those who strive for the preservation and pro- tection of our national natural resources, and for the preserva- tion of the scenic beauty of our country. To quote the words of William Morris : " 'Tis we ourselTCS each one of us, zvlio must keep ti'atch and z^'ard over the fairness of the earth and each zvith his own soul and hand do his due share therein, least we deliver to our sons a lesser treasure than our fathers left to us." A partial means of interesting the younger men in our profes- sion may be the active co-operation in the school garden work. This work we should enter not only as an association, but also as individuals. Another is to accept suitable men from the Federal Board of Vocational Education, and to give them all possible encouragement to take up the study of our profession. I would like, at this time, to add a word for our untiring and efficient secretary, Mr. Martin C. Ebel. Let us demonstrate that we appreciate his great service to the association by showing him our gratificotion, by a hearty co-operation in the various propositions which he so masterfully conducts from our head- quarters in New York City, The important and intricate problem of a just and fair class- ilication of those desiring to change or better their positions, should be borne in mind by all of us, that a solution of this I)roblcm may lie [iresented at our next convention. The fraternity and the people of the city of St. Louis are looking forward to the pleasure of entertaining you as iheir guests, and we expect a banner attendance. Do not miss tliis op- portunity. In conclusion, I wish to state, that my heart and soul is en- grossed in the welfare of the association and the advancement of gardening and the gardener. I place myself at your service. Fraternally yours, L. P. .1 EN-SEX. President. PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENTS President Jensen has appointed the following directors to serve until 1923: Robert Cameron, Ipswich, Mass.; Theodore Wirth, Minneapolis, Minn.; George H. Pring, St. Louis, Mo.; George W. Hess, Washington, D. C. ; Daniel J Coughlin, Locust Yalley, L. I.; John Barnet, Sewickley, Pa.; A. C. Jordan, Palm Beach, Fla. To succeed Thomas W. Head, elected treasurer (whose term expires 1922), George Wilson, Lake Forest, III.: and to succeed -Arthur Smiih, elected trustee (whose term ex- pires 1921), G. Hennenhofer, Great Falls, Mont. As it was voted at the Cleveland convention to abolish all standing committees, there arc no committees to be appointed at this time. President Jensen will appoint special coniinittces as the occasion arises. ■(14 GARDENERS- CHRONICLE SERVICE BUREAU PUBLICITY FUND The following contributions have been received for the Service Bureau Publicity Fund to January 5th : Previously acknowledged ■ • $262.00 Joseph Bailer, New York Citv 5.00 William Brock, Chester, N. Y •■ 4.00 William Goodall, Mancliester, Mass 5.G0 John Barnet, Sewicklev, Pa ■ • 5.00 Henrv A. Brown, Port Chester, N. Y 5.00 R. Fischer, Bernardsville, N. J 10.00 James Donald, Natick. Mass. • ■ 5.00 Ross Gault, Chester, N. Y 5.00 Robert Finnie, Quincey, Mass •• . 5.00 Robert Marshall, Glen Cove, L. 1 5.00 James Davidson, Tuxedo Park, N. Y .... 5.00 Kalman Nagy, Bernardsville, N. J 2.00 James MacAlister, Cedar Hill, N. Y 7.00 Arthur Stratford, Somcrville, N. J 5.00 Harry Cartwright, Lenox, Mass • 4.00 William Gray, Newport, R. 1 5.00 William Mills, Ashland, N. H 3.00 Ernest Carman, Washington, D. C 2.00 A. Bieschke, Noroton, Conn 5.00 Robert Williamson, Greenwich, Conn 15.00 James Warr, Seal Harbor, Me ■•.... 5.00 D. L. Mackintosh, Stillwater, Minn 6.00 G. H. Fellows, So. Euclid, Ohio 5.00 Andrew L. Dorward. Newport. R. 1 5.00 H. Sears, Hartford, Conn 5.00 Gust Malmquist, Wayzata, Minn 2.00 James Brown. Newport, R. I ■ 3.01.1 Henry Saljot, Somcrville, N. J 2.00 Duncan Mclntyre, New Rochelle, N, Y... ••.... 3.00 Charles Ashmead, West Orange, N. J 2.00 James Wiseman, Pittsburgh, Pa • • 5.00 Charles F. Spcllman, Winchendon, Mass 3.00 Philip Bovington, Louisville, Ky 5.00 Joseph Tansey, Tuxedo Park, N. Y 15.00 Charles A. Ruthven, Mt. Kisco, N. Y 5.00 Will. J. Devery, Marion, Mass 2.00 George C. McDonald, Newport, R. 1 5.00 William Mulliss. Kennett Square. Pa ......25.00 John I. Foxcroft, So. Manchester, Conn 3.00 Ernst A. MuUcr, Yonkcrs. N. ^' 2.00 John Forbes, Oyster Bav, N. Y 3.00 George Wood, Glen Head, L. 1 5.00 Wm. H. Griffiths, Detroit, Mich 10.00 David Gustafson, Elberon, N. I ■■ 5.00 R. Gardner, Newport, R. I....' 2.00 Walter Troup, West Rindge, N. H 1.00 John Conroy, Greenwich. Conn 5.00 Frederic Carter, Newport, R, I . 5.00 Herman Rapp, Leetsdale, Pa 3.00 Carters' Tested Seeds, Inc.. Boston. Mass 25.00 Total . . $.^41,110 EMPLOYERS' FUND The following amount has been recei\'ed for the proposed fund to start a campaign to arouse the interest of young men in the profession of gardening. Previously acknowledged $100.00 .•\. R. Speck (W. (iritfith, gardener), Detroit.. 25.00 Total $125.00 Boston. Mass.. Jan. 4, 1920. Service Bureau Publicity Fund Committee, National Assoc, of (iardeners, 286 Sth Avenue, New York. Gentlemen : It is with pleasure that we note from the last issue of the Gardeners' Chroxicle that you have so far se- cured the amount of $262.00 towards the Service Bureau Pub- licity Fund and as this Bureau and what it stands for has our full approval and best w-ishcs we take pleasure in enclosing you our contribution of $25.00 which we herewith enclose. Our present action is the result of a communication received from Mr. Robert Cameron, Supt. of Castle Hill Farm, Ipswich, Mass. In this communication he states that your organization is trying to put the Gardener and his profession on a higher plane. If at any time wc can, through our connections, assist you to accomplish this result, we are at your service. Your very truly, C.\RTERS TeSTKP SkEDS, Ixc, M. I. Collins. SUSTAINING MEMBERS Mrs. Edwin Thorne. Babylon, L. I. (Herbert, Brown, gar- dener) ; Mrs. David Dows, Brookville, L. I. (Henry Gibson, gardener) ; Irenee du Pont, Wilmington, Del. (J. Buckingham, gardener), have become sustaining members of the association. NEW MEMBERS The following names have been added to our membership list : Earl Robertson, Ralph W. Walton, Cleveland, O. ; Thomas M. Rowe, Gates Mill, O. ; Albert H. Laine. Willoughby, O. ; Frank L. Baiogh, Youngstown, O. ; E. Batchelor, Akron, O. ; John Kull- man, Cleveland Heights, O. ; Robert Budd, Granville, O. ; George McMahon, Des Moines, la.; George Davies, Nutley, N. J.; Paul Hamer, Woodhaven, L. I. ; Robert Mackie, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. ; Herbert Stuart, Larchmont, N. Y. ; Herbert W. Tickner, Donald Campbell, Convent, N. J. ; Dennis Foley, Newport, R. I. ; Philip J. Lucking, Mill Neck, L. I. ; Claude W. Bonner, Woodmere, L. 1. ; Frederick Duncan, New Hamburg, N. Y. ; William H. San- son!, Huntington, L. I. ; Edwin Saunders, Henry Sabot, Somcr- ville, N. J.; Ellis B. Wilson, Hartford, Conn.; Michael Decgan, Port Washington, L. I.; James P. Murray, Newark, N. J.; James MacDonald, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. ; Percy W. Kennaday, Montclair, N. J. ; Bror E. Erickson, New York City ; Frederic Ostner, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Gustave H. Beckman, New York City ; An- drew Kneuker, Shrewsbury, Mass. ; Kenneth Cedarman, River- dale, N. Y. ; Alexander Robertson, Chappaqua, N. Y. ; George Donoran, Glen Cove, L. I.; William Quigley, New York City; Stephen Bernath, Bronx, N. Y. ; Robert Irving, Shrewsbury, Mass. ; David B. Allen, Jr., Port Washington, L. I. ; W. Port- niann, A. Hackmann, E. Baumgartner, C. G. Swenson, Clayton, Mo.; J. Prapuolenis, L. Baumann, J. F. Silva, St. Louis, Mo.; Theodore Hansen, West Orange, N. J. ; Leamon G. Tingle, Pitts- ville, Md. ; James Murdock, Greenwich, Conn.; Lars P. Han- sen, Beaumont, Tex. : Karl S. Landolt, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Alex- ander Valentine, Hackensack, N. J.; Peter Smith, C. J. Young, Glen Cove, L. I. ; Thomas Davies, Roslyn, L. I. ; John Wilkin- son, So. Tacoma, Wash.; Patrick McCormack, Scarsdale, N. Y. ; David Hanlon, Washington, D. C. ; G. Hennenhofer, Great Falls, Mont. ; John R. Warr, Revell, Md. ; Louis Seplavy, New York City; Theodore Chase, Greenwich, Conn.; Michael Fascella, Co- coanut Grove, Fla. ; John Clarkson, Nantucket. Mass.; Paul Pow- ers, Suffern, N. Y. ; Bartholomew Pow ors. Tuxedo Park, N. Y. AMONG THE GARDENERS Henry Gibson secured the position of superintendent on the estate of Mrs. David Dows, Brookville, Glen Head, N. Y. Alexander McKenzie resigned his position as superintendent on the A. W. Davis estate to engage in the nursery business with his brother, Kwen iMcKenzie, White Plains, N. Y. John Forbes has succeeded Mr. McKenzie as superintendent iif the A. W. Davis estate, Oyster Bay, N. Y. Ernest Grey, for eight years gardener on the William (lu Pont estate. Montpelier. Va., has accepted a similar posi- tion at Fairmount Farms, Eairmount, W. Va. Edwin Saunders until recently in charge of the fruit houses. Duke's Park, Somcrville, N. J., has accepted the position as gardener in charge of the greenhouses under Thomas W. Head, superintendent, Mellody Farm, Lake Forest, 111. ^miiii) riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ I OF INTEREST TO COUNTRY | I ESTATE OW NERS | g The National .Association of (hardeners takes this op- 1 I portunity to place its Service Bureau at the disposal of i i owners of country estates when requiring competent i i gardeners, in the rapacities of superintendents, head = I gardeners or assistant gardeners — thoroughly qualified in 1 1 every particular to assume the responsibilities the posi- 1 i tions call for — gardeners truly efficient in their profession. § I The Bureau is maintained entirely at the expense of 1 I the association and makes no charge to the employer it 1 I may serve or to the member it may beneii!. 1 i N.ATIONAL AS50CI.ATI0N OF GARDENERS | I M. ('. Ebel, Secretary i I 286 Fifth .Ave. New York | fiiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiaiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiHiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiii;iiii'iitiiiiiinii;iiiliniliiiiii«iiliiiiiliiiiiiiiilin for jnnunry. 1^*20 415 m. 1 Jpvjr A Giant Everbearing Quality Fritit wliich the U, Dept. oi Agriculture states, "should be tried gardens in all parts of the country." LaF ranee King' of Raspberries (ELverbearing) Raspberries from June to November! From your own garden to your own table! La France Ever- bearing Raspberry is Scheepers' latest introduction to the world of horticulture. Immense clusters! Giant berries — twice the size of the ordinary va- rieties ! Firm, luscious fruit ; deep colored, wonderfully rich-flavored! And few seeds! Tested and Proved for Three Years — Continuous Crop — Easily Propagated La France Everbearing is a remarkable plant. Its hardiness and habits — its prolific bearing qual- ities, and its ease of propagation — make it a horti- cultural phenomenon. Planted early in the spring, it loses no time getting started. Begins bearing as early as the first week of July (the first season!) and "never lets up" — keeps right on with break after break, cluster- laden shoots, un'il all vegetation is completely frost-checked for the season. Even then its remark- able nature continues in evidence: La France has demonstrated its hardiness by surviving tempera- tures as low as 30 below zero. La France Everbearing Raspberry propagates freely and very rapidly. A dozen plants will produce a Rood- sized berry patch in an incredibly short time. Its rapid growth, its hardihood to withstand extreme cold, its immunity from fungus and insect diseases, its remark- able all-season production of fruit, make La France Ever- bearing by all odds the raspberry for home gardener, fruit grower or farnicr. Now's the Time to Order. Supply is Very Limited. Plant La France early this spring and have berries the first days of July. But order now. Six plants for $10.50. Twelve plants for $20. One hundred plants for $150. JOHN SCHEEPERS, Inc. 2 Stone St., New York City IS'urseries—Soitnd livtuli^ Conn.; lirooktillc, N. V. Write for booklet on *'La France Everbearing Raspberry." Includes additional expressions from noted horticulturists, etc. La FRANCE FIRST-CLASS AWARDS Massachusetts Horticultural Soc— New York Florists' Cub— •Horticultural Soc. of New York— "Morris County Horticultural Soc— 'Tarry town Horticul- tural Soc— The American Institute, New York— Nassau County Horticul- tural Soc— Fairfield and Westchester Horticultural Soc. *And Silver Medal. Also other Show and Fair awards wherever exhibited. What a few La France growers say: T. A. Havemeyer, Pres. Hort'l Soc. of N. Y. — "Far superior to any other raspberry. Very prolific. Large cliis- sU'FS. Luscious l>erries- A remarkable plant. Should be grown by every garden owner, fruit grower, farmer, uurser>Tnan." F. A. Bartlett. Tree Specialist, Stamford, Conn. — "Tbe finest aci|ui5ition in years. \Vint..T of 1917-18 killfil all mv vari-'tivs except La France." Wm. Ziegler. Great Island, Conn. — "La I'laiiro S-ft. ranes loadt.'d with large clus- ters. Shall discard all other varieties and t:r"w only La France." J. B. Cobb, Stamford, Conn. — "Produces large crop for almost four months. Consider La France King of Tta'iijiw'rries. " -jie GARDENERS' CHRONICLE MnniiiiniiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim^^^^^^^ THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers on- nr.itcd to irate free «se of this deparimeiU to solve prublcins that max arise in their garden work. Questions on 'the ordinarv pursuits of gardeiuiig. that can be readily answered by applying to the usual reference books shonld not be re- ferred to the Questionnaire. Is it advisable to use manure every year in beds planted to Geraniums, and can too much be given?— A. L., Conn. Cerlainlv one can give tuo much manure to the Geranium, and especially highly ni- trogenous manure from horse stables. !•- has been our experience that Geraniums do best and flower more freely in soil that is not manured too frequently. Every secona or third year is enough to apply manure to the soil, and then it ought to be thor- oughly decayed. Only a few weeks ago we saw a bed of red Geraniums standing near- ly three feet high and scarcely any bloom on them. From inquiries we made we dis- covered that the plants had been supplied once a week with an abundance of sheep manure, which resulted in luxuriant growth, really beautiful leaves, but no flowers to speak of. — H. G. I have a border, four feet wide, on one side oi my lawn, running from the house to the sidewalk on the highway. I want to plant it to perennials, so as to have some blooms from early spring to late fall I want blue and white flowers chiefly, but would not mind a few other colors.— S. M., N. J. Your correspondent does not state whether or not the border is in close prox- imity to trees, and is heavily shaded, or has an open, sunnv position, .\ssuming, how- ever that there is little shade, we would suggest that the first thing to do in an en- deavor to have a border that will bloom from frost to frost, is thoroughly prepare the soil by incorporating plenty of well de- caved barnvard manure into it, and break- ing up the' soil to a depth of at least two feet. , . , Taking a selection which would, we think, cover a long season of bloom, we will take the tallest varieties first for the back of the border. . Delphinium, Var. Belladonna. 4 to o teet high, will flower during June and July, al-_ ternating clumps of these with clumps ot Salvia Azure Grandiilora. blue, height 3 to 4 feet, flowering .\ugust and September. .A. few clumps of Aconitum Fishcrii may be added to carrv the blue into October. In front of these may be planted, without tak- ing up much extra space. L. Candiduin and L. Auratum. white; these, together with Phlox Miss Lingard, Phlo.v Paniculala, Var. Perfection, and F. G. Von Lassburg w'ill give a display of white from June until Sep- tember. The flow^ering taking place in the following order: Phlox Miss Lingard. Tunc and July; Lilium Candiduin. July; L. "4Mra/!n)i, July and August; Phlox Perfec- tion, Tune "and July; F. G. Von Lassburg, Julv, ".August and September. By cutting ofif the fading flowers of the phloxes they can be induced to flower a second time, thus prolonging their season. Anemone .laponiea alha. and Whirlwind together with Chrysanthemum Queen of Whites wmII carry the white well through October to frost. IJdging the border you may have Ajuga Rel>eii.<:. which grow'S three inches high, and produces purplish blue flowers in .April, Then behind this, and in front of the taller plants enumerated, one may have aloniT the front of the border, groups of Iris cristata. W. A+lee Burpee Co.. Seed Growers Phtladelphta W. At lee Burpee Co., Seed Growers Philadelphia. BURPEE'S ANNUAL FOR 1920 The Leading American Seed Catalogue I'>iir])c'e's Annual i.s a C(implete guide to the \ egetalile and Flower garden. It fully describes the lUirpee- Quality .seeds with a hundred of the finest vegetables and flowers illustrated in the colors of nature. If you are interested in gardening lUirjiee's .\nnual will be mailed to }-ou free. ^^'rite for }-our co|)^■ t(Hlav. W. ATLEE BURPEE CO. Seed Growers Philadelphia for Jdiiiiury, 192(1 417 6 inches high, uitli blue llowers in May. Iris Florcnlina, 2 feet high, has white flow- ers in May. Arabis Alpina. white. May flowering; Achillea. "The Pearl," white, June and July: Ibcris Scmpcrvircns, May; .Istcr Alfiinus. V'ar. Fairchild, white, and blooming in Angust. and Linuin pcrciiiic, in blue and white flowering in May, will make for a season of continuous bloom. — H. G. Here and There From Day to Day Out in the Fields with God The little cares that fretted me, I lost them yesterday. Among the fields, above the sea. Among the winds at play ; Among the lowing of the herds. The rustling of the trees, Among the singing of the birds. The humming of the bees. The foolish fears of what may hap, I cast them all away Among the clover-scented grass. Among the new-mow-n hay ; Among the rustling of the corn. Where drowsy poppies nod. Where ill thoughts die and good are born tint in the fields with God. — Elizabeth Barrett Browning. AMERICAN HOMES GARDENS. AND \\ e in America have chosen with lavish hand such types of architecture and land- scape gardening design from every land as best suit our individual tastes ^nd condi- tions, and are surely developing a type of landscape gardening which may be termed distinctly American ; it is subtly, yet as clearly marked as our other gradually crys- tallizing national characteristics. Its dom- inant note is in common with all our other activities, characterized by a freedom in our choice of the best that the world has to offer; it is an appreciation of the necessity "f the furnishing of the grounds and gar- lens immediately about the house, with lastc commensurate with the indoor fur- nishings of our homes, for our outdoor life must needs be as pleasant as the hours spent within doors. Setting our "out-of-doors living-room" — our gardens, a bit apart for our own en- joyment and that of our friends, we clioose to separate them from the outside world by a park-like treatment of borders and boniidarv plantings of trees and shrubs, rather than the h-gh walls of brick or stone behind which our friends in other lands maini-^in their privacy. These living walls of trees and shrubs on border and boundarv serve better to screen objectionj'ble views, and presenting vistas across shaded lawn or ineadow — form the most pleasant and agreeable setting for the house and gar- dens. This type of .American landscape gardening is well defined in its essentials, the details of appropriate trees a"d shrubs and plants for the setting of the house and gardens, the proper types of trees for lawn and screen, or other situation vary slightly in each case. Results in the planting of our grounds must he quickly obtaitted, for we are_ not satisfied to wait for tedious years while tiny plants and trees grow^ to such size as will make a fitting setting for the pome of grand-children — we prefer to live in the atmosphere of beautiful surroundings ourselves.— .-J iirfurra Xiirxrrics' Book-lcl. It's High Time You Wrote for That Ten-Ten Catalog When I said that very same thing to a gardener yesterday, he replied: "What do I want of another seed catalog 'f Already have a pile as high as your head. Heaven knows. I'll never have time to wade through them, let alone even looking through yours. "Besides, what's all that Ten-Ten bunk, anyway? Who ever heard of a catalog being called Ten- Ten.^ Sounds like the naine of a gambling game." "Vou have struck the nail plumb bob on the head," says I. "Of course you haven't time to go through all those calatogs. That's why we made one that you could. Made it the Ten-Ten waj'. The way a lot of your gardeners said you wanted it made. Describing the Ten-Ten in a nutshell — everything is grouped in tens. The ten best of everything that's best, whether it be seeds, hardy plants, roses or evergreens. .Send for it, and if you don't go through it care- lully. from cover to cover, and thank us for mak- ing the kind of catalog you gardeners would make, instead of the kind printers want to make — then you just let me know, and I'll send yon one of the Ten-Ten group of roses with my com- pliments. "uliuS* T^eKr5* Ccr Ai Tho Sifo of The Trge Box 20 Rutk»rford N.J. ECONOMIC BOTANY. It is difticuli to understand why the study of botany is so repcllant to the average person. It is rarely one meets with a stu- dent who takes up this study out of love for it. and when the college or high school course is done, what they do learn is promptly forgotten. I'"veu among our own profession wdiere you woidd think a good knowledge of botany was almost essential, very few are interested in it. In fact, the practical grower seems to think that a knowledge of it would be detrimental to him. It is quite true that he can get along without it, as it does not seem to be an essential part of the growing of plants. This, however, is an e.\tremely superficial view of horticulture. When we stop to realize that directly or indirecllv a very jarge proportion of the wealth of the world is derived from the vegetable kingdom, such as food, clothing, building material, medi- cines, rubber, oil, dyes, resin, etc.. it is a wonder that more students do not follow the study. It may be there is not much direct profit in studying systematic botany or the classi- fication and nomenclature of jilants. or in geographical botany which relates to their distribution, but with the economic botanv which confines itself to the sttidy of the values and uses of plants to mankind, there 418 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE piiiiiiiiiiiiNiiniiiiiiliiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii[iiiiiiiiuiiiiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:ii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiii^ I DO YOU WANT THE NEW PLANTS? I BUDDLEIA HYBRIDA EVA DUDLEY is one of the best. It has the form and color of "B. MAGNIFICA" and the sweetness of "B. ASIATIC A." Both the parents were col- lected by Mr. E. H. WILSON. W rite for our 1920 catalogue, offering many of the Arnold Arboretum Plants and other recent introductions. R. & J. FARQUHAR COMPANY 6 So. Market Street, Boston, Mass. niitlllliniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiinuiiiiMiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimin^ is a rteld that would be- attractive to ilie most materialistic mind. The potential wealth hidden away await- ing the experimenter and investigator is tremendous. Some of our insignificant common weeds may have great wealth stored away in them, which only awaits the discoverer. At one lime the potato and tomato were semi-poisonous weeds. The call has al- ready pone out for some plant from which to make paper. Forests are fast being used up and some plant other than trees will have to be found for this purpose. There are thousands of acres of swamp land that are available for the purpose if the right kind of plant can be found that will make suitable pulp or libre. There are thousands of unknown drugs and chemicals still hidden away awaiting the investigator; edible fruits to be in- vestigated, grown and exploited. Praise- worthy efforts are being made in many of our schools, colleges and experiment sta- tions to arouse the interest of the young men of the country and to teach them the importance of the science -of botany in its economic aspect. — National Nurseryman. THE WEED PROBLEM. The surprise is that more discussion and more attention is not given to the weed problem. Weeds decrease our crop yields to such an enormous extent, they interfere so seriously with our farming operations, and they cause such tremendous losses in dollars, that concerted effort should be di- rected to their reduction and eradication. Any community, large or small, that sets itself the task of practically eliminating its weeds and adopts and sticks lo a program of action can work wonders. It is quite cer- tain that everyone knows what a "weed" is. Probably no one of us has had the term defined but our conception of its meaniny is very clear. It may be that at one time in our early days we were told lo pul! the weeds in the corn field or garden ; to mow the weeds along the fence ; and at such a time it is certain that no words of expl.-iiia- lion were needed to indicate which the weeds were. We have come to consider as "weeds" those plants which lend to prow where they are not desired: plants which tend lo resist man's cflforfs to subdue them ; plants which resist frost, heat, dryness; NEW DECORATIVE IDEAS WITH ME EH AN PLANTINGS We have a large, diversified stock on hand from which choices of rare discrimination can be made. Whether the grounds are large or limited in extent there are un- doubtedly among our stock trees or shrubs that would make an attractive addition. Our 62 years' experience as Nurserymen assures the quality of all stock and the soundness of our knowledge of nursery art. We will be glad to send you our Hand Book of Trees and Hardy Plants. A personal talk is often more satisfactory; an experi- enced nurseryman will call on postcard request and d'scuss, without obligation^ our new stock. '^komas MFFHAN S-Sons THE PIONEER NURSEBvYMEN OF AMERICA 6765 Chew St., Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. Farr^s WW J A treatise on the lianly riClTdy garden, containing- informa- n/ A. tion on upward o[ 500 vari- "i-ClTlt eties of Peonies (the most Q • Js.*^g, complete collection in ex- jpGClQltleS istcnce), Lenioine's new and rare Deutzias, Philadelphus and Lilacs, and the Irises (both Japanese and German), of which I have all the newer introductions as well as the old- time favorites. An abridged edition will be for- warded to garden lovers tvho do not have a copv of the regular Sixtli Fditiou, {s.'nted in 1919. BERTRAND H. FARR Wyoinissing' Nurseries Co. Ill GarBeM Ave., Wyomissing, Pa. ANDORRA Evergfeens, Trees and SHruDS of d i sti nction ANDORRA NURSERIES Wm. Warner Harper. Prop. Chestnut Hill. Phi la., Penna. for January, 1920 419 wliich will grow in most any kind of soil and under all conditions; plants which pro- duce seeds in enormous numbers and have other rapid methods of propagation; plants in themselves sometimes truly beautiful, but that have for us lost their charm ; plants useless and troublesome. Emerson said of a weed : "A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." A large purslane plant will produce 1.- 230,000 seeds ; a single Russian thistle plant will ripen 100,000 to 200,000 seeds ; tumbling mustard, 1,500,000; shepherd's purse, 50,000. The seeds of many weeds are very small and escape notice. A pound of clover dod- der has 1,841,360 seeds; common plantain, 1,814,360 seeds; lamb's quarters, 604,786 seeds; Russian thistle, 266,817 seeds; wild mustard, 215,995 seeds; wild oats, 25,493 seeds. If 60 pounds of wheat are planted to the acre, and this wheat has 2 per cent of wild mustard seed there will be distrib- uted over that acre 388,791 mustard seed. Not only do weeds produce seeds in tre- mendous numbers, but seeds with an ability to live a long time. The seeds of some weeds, when buried in the soil, may retain their power to germinate for 15 to 30 years. Such is true of the seeds of tall pig- weed, black mustard, shepherd's purse, dock, yellow fo-xtail, chickweed and others. — Colorado Experiment Station Bulletin. — replaces 2 horses for lawn mowing. THE POWER OF GROWTH. There is no human engineering which can compare in power with the silent ma- chinery of a growing forest. It has been estimated that the physical energy of the sap in the plant is fourteen times that of the blood in man. Professor Clark, of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, has succeeded in measuring the power of the growth of a squash. He harnessed it in iron, put it in prison, and gave it a weight to lift. The squash, thus harnessed, was placed in a box in such a way that it could grow only by pushing upward, and lifting the long lever with the weights suspended on it. The result was that the squash stead- ily pushed its way upward, carrying the bar and weight with it. On August 21, it was lifting 60 pounds; September 15, it was lifting 1.400 pounds ; October 18, it was lift- ing 3.120 pounds; and on October 31, it reached the 5.000 pound figure. How much more it could have carried is not known, for at this point the harness cut into the rind of the squash. — Country Life. THE TREES. The trees have music of iheir own, a soft and soothing monotone, that lulls a man to rest. I have a volume to peruse, but, under them, I snore and snooze, my chin upon my breast. To sit beneath a swaying birch is much like being in a church ; your drowsy eyelids close and to the realms of dreams you hie, until an active, loathsome fly camps down upcm your nose. How often 1 have lain awake until I saw the morning break, and slumber would not come; and I would sadly leave the hay, to face another toil- some day, all innik and on the hum. My nights are often things of dread, I toss around upon my bed, and find no comfort there; but when I sit beneath a tree, the sweet restorer comes to me, its coattails in the air. The trees have voices sad and sweet, their world-old music they repeat, a solemn, sylvan choir; the same old son'» they used to sing when F.arth was bin a half-baked thing, and mortals worshipped fire. They croon their mournful lullaby vvhile rnen are born, grow up and die, they sigh with every breeze; and when t quit this vale of tears T hope to sleep a million years beneath the nodding trees.— W.vlt Mason in The Canadian Countryman. Cuts Lawn-Mowing Costs Actual tests on the Minneapolis City Golf Course at Glenwood Park, under supervision of Supt. Theodore Wirth, showed a saving of 40% in operating costs in favor of the Beeman Triplex niowing outfit as against 2 horses with triple mowing outfit. Consider also the many other advantages of using the Beeman instead of horses, it v^^'orks faster, mows 25% to 100% more ground in the same length of time; it does not have to be fed or cared for when not working; it can be worked as long as necessary in an emergency; it mows close to fences, bushes, trees and goes under low brushes; it does not damage the turf as horses hoofs do; it can be used for haul- ing, plowing and as a self-propellng 4 HP. power plant for belt Work when not in use for mowing. It's a mighty handy machine to have around on golf courses, parks, cemeteries, country clubs, etc. Write for interesting illustrated booklet on how to use the Beeman for cutting lawn-mowing costs. Beeman Tractor Co., ^'^ ''"^ItlZ^ZM Minn. OlALITY RED POTS Made of best material by skilled lalx>r, uniformly biirned BDd carefully packed. Famous "Moss-Aztoc" Ware IneUides Azalea Pots. Kem IHshes, IlanKinK Baskets. Lann Vastti, etc. Write for calalogui* ami price ll.st. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanuville. Ohio i - L CUT FLOWER BOXES EDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO ■AaurACTUHKHB ^HILAOKLPNIA, PA. 4^ L SULCOV.B. CliiirleH Fremd'H Formula Sulphur— Fish Oil— Carbolic Compound A Combined Contact Insecticide niui Fiiniricidc of known rdijibiliti-. Con- trols scnle insects, also many species of lice find fundus diseases on trees, plauLs jiikI nnitnals AT YOUR DEALERS OR DIRECT. >lunnfiirttirerN of Standard Klsh Oil Soap. Unnkh-t Vr>H-. A(l(lr..ss COOK & SMAN (0.. INC., SulcoDept. V 148 FroDt St., New York, U.S. A. 420 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE REVIVING WILTED BLOSSOMS. Many lovers of wild flowers have doubtless been annoyed by the apparent -impossibility of getting certaih beautifiil species home in good condi- tion. Among the flowers of the eastern States which wilt almost while one is pkicking them, the dainty little Sprmg Beauty and the gorgeous but bashful Cardinal flower come to mind. If one but knows how, one may freely gather these and others like them, and take them home in the thoroughly disreputable condition which they at once effect, with calm certainty of being able to re- store them to their natural beauty. It is merely necessary to conquer the inevitable in- stinct to place them in cold water, and instead use the fluid piping hot, with more or less alcohol added, according to condition of the flowers and experience with the various species. This method of restoration applies equally well to culti- vated blossoms as to wild flow- ers.— Scientific American. THE MOCCASIN FLOWER. Most people who have roamed through the rocky hills of the Northern States during May or early June are familiar with the Pink Lady's Slipper or Moccasin Flower. These strange-looking plants are orchids, and this particular kind inhabits moss-covered sand overlying rocks at con- siderable elevation above the surrounding country; also it may be said that they keep away from civilization as far as possible. Hogs destroy them and mice will eat tlic roots, which together with picking liy people, probably ac- counts for their aloofness. Ordinary soil would not do at all, and they seem in their way as exacting as the hothouse orchids. The Pink Lady's Slipper (Cyprifcdium acaule) is the State flower of Minne- sota, adopted back in 1893, and the first State flower of the first State to take such action. The flowers are borne singly on stalks 8 to 12 inches high. The plant prefers partial shade, that of the pine usually. The flowers are pink and are strik- ing in appearance, resembling _ a huge spider. The leaves are very distinct also and even without the flower are at- tractive and interesting.— W. E. D., in Rural New Yorker. OF GENERAL INTEREST On January 29, 1920, in the Museum Building of the New York Botanical Gar- den an Iris Society will be organized. The organizers are Lee R. Bonnewilz, James Boyd, W. F. Christman, H. A. Gleason, Mrs. Francis King, B. Y. Morrison, Miss Grace Sturtevant and John C. Wister. This film is this Paint- To know what this paint is, is to first know what the film is. To know what the film is, send at once to us for a piece. When you see how flexible it is — how like a piece of rubber, how impervious to moisture, and then consider that although two coats thick, it is less than one-hundredth of an inch thick, ilicn ycu will begin to realize how good Lowe's Paint has to be, to stand weather's wear and tear the way it does. If when sending for the film ycu include 10c. in stamps for the Happy Happening Book, you will know why it is that Lowe's Paint goes further and costs less to make it go. But that isn't all — you will have in that book a friend, counselor and guide for all your paint and varnishing problems. Its several pages on Help Hhits you will partic- ularly value. You will find thatLoweBrothers' Paints and Var- nishes are sold by the one best dealer in each town. ^"IxMoBrothors (^/^ EAST THIRD STREET, DAYTON, OHIO Boston New York Jersey City Chicago .\tlanta Kansas City Minneapolis Toronto ORCHIDS Wf' lup Spi-rialisls in (^r^■llill^ wv- lolliM-t. srow, import, export :ina spII orchids ex- l' cluslvelT. If von nre In the market for orcliUlH We s"Iirir vonr iihiiiires nml orfleTS. Catn- logues and sv'cial lists on application. IMAGER & HURRELL (relilil Growws and Importm Summit, IM. J. „ HARRY BA.LD'WIIV Manufacturer ot Greenhouse Shading Latti Roller Blinds MAMAROMECK. IM- Y. The New Hardy Dwarf Edging and Low Hedge (>ri[jinnt<'rs 'iniii niiiiiii nil i iiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllilliiiiiiig The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A PUIMF is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free o( •"■'^ '^^''^-'-^ the disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides excellent as a wash for decorative plants FOR THE GARDEN-A* . pOR THE GREENHOUSE dy against all sap sucking insects infesting — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants flov^^ers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is ^^ the greenhouse and conservatory free of most effective. insect pests. FUNGINE For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V r.r\ IVIINr. For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON, N. J. si iiiiiiiiuii iiiiniinmn n iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niiiniiniiiniiiiiiiii nil i iiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiin ninii i iiiiin iiiiiiimintiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiii i i iiiiiuiiiii iiiimiiiiiiiih w////////yy//y/yx/y//^^^^^ THE GREENHOUSE BEAUTIFUL ■W7HETHKR larsc or .small — a greenhouse adds to any grounds an atmosphere of distinction. To insure this to the fullest degree the structure must be "right" in every detail as in every essen- tial. Ruilt on such a standard Foley Greenhouses Today lead in reputation for true worth. Scien- tifically planned — carefully made and skillfully erected — they give owners and gardeners the greatest measure of satisfaction. When ready to talk greenhouse building, let us prove to you that a "Foley Greenhouse" is "better-built." 1 he I-olcy (iii'dilumse Mamifaclnring Co. Designers — Builders — Heating Engineers 194 North State Street, Chicago, 111. ^^/V/WV/ WMMM/M//^^M^/^^^////yWW//WWWM////WWW/M//M////, aniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiilllllllllllillillllllilllliiliiiiiiiiniliiiliiiiiliiililiiiiilllillllliilHiilliiiiiiiiiiiiiliHiiiiiiiiiiililliillillilllll^ I Competent Gardeners | I '* The comforts and products of a country | I home are increased by employing a competent | I gardener; if you want to engage one, write us. | j Please give particulars regarding place and | I say whether married or single man is wanted. | I We have been supplying them for years to the | I best people everywhere. No fee asked. | I PETER HENDERSON & CO. | I Seedsmen and Florists I I 35 and 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK CITY | iiiliiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiliiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiiiNiiimiiiw^^ I ARTHUR SMTrn J j Country Estate Efficiency Expert. I Gardening — Lantl!^ca^)ing — Forestry I I Farming — Cost Accounting. i I .Ajipoiiilmonts made for consultinf: on thr 1 operation of any dopartnicnl of a gentleman s I country estate. I 286 Fifth Ave. (Room 301) New York I Residence Address, Elberon, N. J. '_, iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuiiniiiiiiii iniiiminiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiinin iiiiiiiiininniiiiiiiiiiintiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiamiii. §iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii»niiiiiiiiniiiiiiiii!!iiiiiy I ARE YOU TROUBLED WITH ROSE-BUGS? | I MAURICE FULD | i Announces the First and Exclusive Offering of I I "MELROSINE" | 1 A POSITIVE REMEDY AGAINST THE ROSE-BUG I The discovery of a private gardener, Mr. Hugh Balfour Barclay, Merion, Pa. "Melrosine" will positively kill the rose-bug and not leave the least mark on the flower. — Read what Mr. Wm. Kleinheinz, Supl. to P. A. B. ff'idener, Philadelphia, has to say about it. — "I have tested your insecticide for destroying Rose-bugs several times during the rose season of 1918 and it has proved to be as you claimed. By applying with the spray nozzle, the bug will turn brownish and will die in a few minutes after being hit with the insecticide. Another good point is that no marks or stain whatever will be left on the flowers and the plants do not suffer in any v^^ay.'* We have testimonials from scores of private gardeners, rosarians and renowned horticulturists all over the United States. For further particulars address MAURICE FULD Plantsman - - Seedsman 7 West 45tli St., New York .lilUllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll [iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu §! There Is This Something About U-Bar Greenhouses The reason why some folk have Packard or Fierce-Arrow cars, is not only tliat they are such superior car?. It's likewise because, having them, sort of puts the owners into a desirable class. Or to say it another way. Upon the things we possess is our position or standing frequently judged. There are some of us who won't ride in a Ford Taxi when we are in New York. There are others of us who buy our clothes at a certain tailor's^ because — well, because we sort of tvant our friends to see the label on the inside. of the collar. And all these things add to the pleasures of living. It's meant that it should be so. [n like manner^ you who work in U-Bar greenhouses, knowing that they are the top-notch of green- houses, take pride in letting folks know about it. For exactly the same reason, a ^;*'^ U-Bar house appeals strongly to "^^r, most employers — especially the "**:' "Mrs.'* With this thought in mind, you may like to suggest that we send some one our U-Bar Catalog. Or call on you and talk things over. It's un to you, which. ^.1 U-BAR GREENHOUSES HStcKltiSCs ^ Cpinpany General Offices and Factory: Elizabeth, N. J. 1170 Broadway 201 Devonshire St. New York Boston ^-■^v >S-S> ^P^ ^^ 422 Once For All Let's Settle This ''Locally Grown" Aro^ument f^THER day. \vc received a letter from a man in Chicago. It said, among other things, "Your seeds did remarkably well, much to my surprise, for I was told I could do nothing with English seeds in this climate." Now, we've heard that statement before. . .And we've had similar letters from every civilized country in (he world. And from many that aren't civi- lized. From Northern Canada and Southern South .America; from the veldt of the Transvaal, and the plateaus of Thibet, and the steppes of Russia. Letters telling of suc- cessful gardens grown from Sutton's Seeds. We Wrote to Every Experiment Station in the United States So we knew, when we began selling Sultott's Seeds in the United States, that they would grow. We knew, because of what Sutton's Seeds had done in other parts of the world; and we knew from the results that many private gardeners, who took the Sutton Seed habit across the seas with them, were get- ting in some of America's finest estates. But we wanted to get all the evidence we could in the case. We wanted to settle, once for all, the general principle, whether it is important to have seed locally grown or not. So we wrote to the Directors of all the Experiment Stations in the United States. The replies we received, were almost unanimous in agreeing that it is more important to grow seeds of vegetables and iiowers where tlicy reach the highest degree of perfection, than to grow tliem near where they are to be planted. And the great importance of having care- fully selected, thoroughly fixed strains was emphasized with equal unanimity. Sowing seeds there's any question about, makes painful and l>roIitle.'*s gardening. American Seeds Not "Locally Grown" Another thing that was pointed out was that practically no vegetable or flower seeds sold in America arc grown in the locality where they are sold. They are grown where soil and climate con- ditions favor the production of the differ- ent seed crops— largely in California— J,000 miles from the Eastern sea-board, the garden spot of the United States, 'nie fact that they are sold locally cannot, of course, affect their growth! 'Many European grown seeds— such as celery and carrots from France, and cabbage and cauliflower from Scandinavia — have been bought, by American seedsmen, as the best that could be had. Much of the flower seed before the war was imported from Germany. Seed growing has been so largely sectional- ized, because conditions permitting a slow, natural, long season of growth and unhurried maturity produce the best seeds. Such are the condition.s where our seed crops grow. And you c.in rest assured they will grow for you, as well as they have for the fol- lowing, who have, unsolici- ted, sent us these reports: "The results I have ob- tained from your seeds, both Vegetable and Flower, warrant my saying that they cannot be excelled, and certainly are n o t equalled by any that can be procured locally." Dr. Robert E. Rose, Ph. D.. Seattle, Washington. "On my very hard soil, your seeds give bet- ter results than any I have ever tried," Mrs. J. B. Mason, Durham, North Carolina. "I have had better results from your seeds than from any others I have ever tried," Miss Constance Emery, Portland, Maine. "I have taken first prize for Tomatoes for four consecutive years at our State fair, from your seeds. Last Fall I had 83 Competitors," Mr. R. M. Greig, Anaconda, Montana. "Your seeds were exceptionally fine— the best we have ever bad." Mrs. F. N. Double- day, Oyster Bay, I^ong Island. The Sutton Catalogue— a treasure trove of fresh garden material— with complete cul- tural directions,— is sent for 35 cents, which is returned with an order for $5. To you, who are gardeners, we will send it free if you will enclose your employer's letter head. Our booklet "SEEDS" is full of seed-facts you should know. It's sent for the asking. Siilton'.s Seeds: Bred by Sultons for more than a century. Deniuiiileil In tlie best gardeners of five continents. The S. T. Blake Co. 431-C Sacramento St. San Francisco, Calif. MJ(tJ^7iyfS( GICO "• ^- Winter & Co. 66- C Wall St. New York City II i This picturesque tree has been reclaimed for future generations by Davey Tree Surgery. When Davey experts first examined it, decay had zvorked its way »/> and doiwi the entire trunk. The decay was removed, the interior disinfected and waterproofed, and cement was filled in by the Davey sectional method, which allows for sivaying and prei'ents cracking. Note the peculiar type of bracing which was re- quired. Michael Gorman, gardener for the estate of Andrezc Adie, Chestnut Hill, Brooklinc, Mass., and one view of the estate. JOH.W DArBY Father of Tree Surgery The tribute of Michael Gorman to Davey Tree Surgery Chestnut Hill, Brookline, Mass- The Dave}' Tree Expert Co., Inc., Kent, Ohio. Gentlemen : — The work put in by your experts on Mr. Adie's estate is fine. Some of the work, which was put in several years ago, is. still in perfect condition, and the trees are responding to the treat- ment by sending out new growth over the cement fillings. I would be glad to recommend your company to all estate owners- whose trees need attention. Sincerely yours, .Michael Gorman. The saving of priceless trees is a matter of fir.-^t importance on every estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the maximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will be made by appointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc., 312 Elm St., Kent, Ohio- Branch Offices with telephone connections: New York City, 225 Fifth Ave.; Chicago,- Westminster Bldg.; Philadelphia, Land Title Bldg.; and Boston. Write nearest ofiice. Permnnont roproseiitHtivos avnilable in districts surrounding Boston. Springfield. 1-enox, Newpurt, Hartford. Stamford, Albany, PouElikeepsie. White Plains. Jamaica. Montclair, New York, Phila- delpliia. Harrislmrg, Biiltimore. Washington. Kichmond. Buffalo, Toronto. Pittsburgh. Cleveland^ Detroit, rhicngo, Milwaukee. Canadian address: 252 Laugauchitere West. Montreal. DAVEY TREE SURGEONS E-Jcry real Da;cy Tree Surgeon i* in llie emfloy of The Davey Tree E.rfcrl Co., !»e., and the pnblie is eaiilioned against those falsely representing themselves CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) ILLUSTRATED HO $2.00 A YEAR Ulci XIV. No. 2. Published monthly by The e Press, Inc., 286 Fifth Ave.. New York FEBRUARY, 1920 9:^ Entered as second-class matter Nov. 3, 1914, m post office at New York under the act of Ifarck i The Advantage to You of Standard Width Houses r f -^.-- 'v-s Whoever started the rumor that we had arhitrarily adopted 11, 18 and 25 feet as the widths for our standard houses, just didn't know the facts. The facts are that we had but little to do with it. You gardeners and superintendents are the ones who really brought it about. You and the fact that the greatly increased cost of materials demanded that something be done to keep down the rising cost of greenhouse possessing. We made the widths 11, 18 and 25, because those are the widths most of you wanted most of the time. You evidently wanted them because they best met your wants. Having adopted your width, it then remained for us to arrange our manufacturing so that we could run the parts through our fac- tories with the same economy of operation and perfection of results that the high class automobile concerns do. As a result our finished materials all have a high uniformity of finish and accuracy of fit. Which likewise means, we can turn out your houses quicker and erect them quicker. We have three special circulars, telling spe- cially about these three standard width houses of yours. Write for them all. See if everything we have done to standardizing them is not ex- actly what you have wanted done for years. If they are not what you want, we would heartily welcome hearing from you. IRVINGTON New York BOSTON Little Bldg. NEW YORK 42nd St. Bldg. CLEVELAND 2063 E. 4ih Si. Eastern Factory Irvington, N. Y. If the houses we build are not the best houses for you and your employer, they are not the best houses for us. That's just plain common sense. Let's hear from you. ord,^ J^urnhamQ. Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories PHILADELPHIA Land Title Bldg. TORONTO Royal Bank Bldg. Western Factory Des Plaines, 111. simi iiiliiiiiiiiliiiiiliiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii v^ Manda Cojjj Y^^ 'P- all the standard kinds out of 2j4 inch pots. CHRYSANTHEMUM Best in ail the nuxelties direct from introducers ; also any of the standard varieties. GLADIOLUS We have splendid lot on hand, thrown especially lor us including all tJie best. ''Let Us Bid On Your Wants" ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s — B u 1 b s — S u n d r i e s West Orange - - - New Jersey VVilliajH J. Manda Vicc-Pres. Joseph Manila Prcs. & Trcas. Edward A. Manda Sccr'y lllllllllllllllillllil l!llllllllllllll1IIII!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!lllllllllllllllllllllll!lllliy^ 41 liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ I OUR NEW CATALOG | I Showing Eight of our Varieties of | I Gladioli with Natural Colored Plates | i is just out and if you are not on our mailing list already, write for it at once — it is free upon § 1 request. Anyone who is a lover of flowers should not fail to have a copy of it; it's a Httle | I book worth having in one's library, containing instructions how to plant and care for Gladioli i I as well as for Petunias. 1 1 Our Gladioli are of a finer quality than ever before and our many varieties surpass any in exist- 1 I ence. The Thomas T. Kent, Anna Eberius, Jack London, Mrs. John Walsh and | M others which you will find in our catalog speak for themselves without the hundreds of testimo- 1 m nials that have been pourmg m upon us continuously. J I Diener's Ruffled Monster Petunias | I have created a sensation wherever grown or exhibited. As they are continually flowering all 1 I Summer there is hardly anythmg givmg flower-lovers more satisfaction. Seed comes in separate 1 1 colors — red, pink, white, purple, flesh-pink frilled, white frilled, variegated and mixed colors. 1 1 Price per package, 50c. | I RICHARD DIENER CO., Inc. Keutfield, Marin Co., Cal. | aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii taillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll[llllllllll!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIi:illlllll|[[W Blllllllllllllllllllllirllii; lilillllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIW 'nilllllllll[|l11IIIINI]||||'lllllllll!llllilllll!ll[||l|[ll[lll(llllll{]!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII[|||linillllIllllllllllllllUIIIIIIIIII^ Bobbink & Atkins VISIT NURSERY iVbrlds Choicest •ry&Grc ocjucts ^oi oz. 2.00 Cucinnber. Every Day Pkt. ..50 Leek, Reiiton's Monarch Pkt. ..50 Lettuce, Kelway's Silver Cos Pkt. .25 Muskmelon. King George Pkt. .50 Onion. Ailsa Craig. Selected Pkt. 25c.: oz. 1.00 Tomato. Vt estchester Prvde Pkt. .25 AntirrhiiHiiii. Majus Grandifloruni Coll. 6 \ ars. Giant Crego. . . . Aster Begonia Seniperflorens .... Coll. 5 Vars. Pkt. 25c.; Vi oz. Calendula, Orange King. . . .Pkt. 10c. : oz. Petunia, Rosy Morn Pkt. 25c.; li oz. Salvia, Forest Fire Pkt. 25c.: V4 oz. Scliizanthiis, Hurst's Monarch Strain. Pkt. Sweet Peas. "Prize Winner". Coll. 25 Vars. Ziiniias. "Burnett's Giant". .Coll. 6 Vars. S1.25 .60 1.50 .50 1.25 2.00 .50 3.50 .75 Our illustrated Spring Catalogue, also Novelty List, mailed Free upon request. BUKNETT BROTHERS. Seedsmen THE HOUSE FAMOUS FOR LAWN GRASS SEED 92 CHAMBERS STREET NEW YORK ^lUIIIIIIII lllllllllllllllllllll!llll!linilllUIMIII iiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiinmiiiniiminiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiitiiimiiiiiiiniiiuiiiiiii IIIIIIIIKIIIIII llflllNII [ill'llll]llli;illl!lilMtii; !|l||ll|||ill!lllllll!llllllinnn'!'lllll!iniinil!lll!!l!l!llll!!ini!llllllll!'nn!lllllll!!HI!'i|l!'i!l!lllll!!H^ ^ Eschoitzia Thorburn 1 The effect of the plant of above Califor- B nia Poppy in bloom is simply gorgeous. = Send ten cents for a packet M of this beautiful flower, and m the Catalogue for 1920. liiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiii^^ GARDEN SEEDS Successful Seed culture is a matter of expert knowl- edge and long experience — knowledsje of soils, climatic conditions and sources of stij^ply — experi- cni e in selection for maximum vigi>r and growing ])i iwer. I'lioihurn Seeds have stood the test of time — Ijack of every Thorlnirn product is our reputation of con- titnious leadership for more than a century. Insure the Success of Your 1920 Garden by Planting Thorburn Seeds Since 1802 these dependable seeds have been famous Inr tlieir superior quality and reliability. Used con- tinuously by live generations of discriminating gardeners. Our latest catalogue for 1920 of Thorburn Seeds contains many valuable and interesting gardening suggestions. Free on application. J. M. THORBURN & COMPANY Founded 1802 53 Barclay Street New York City jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiuii^^^^^^^ IIIIIIillDl 45 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMililiiriiiiliiiiilimiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim i MICHELL'S SEEDS | mean an early, pro- i lific, satisfactory gar- j den and lawn, an at- | tractive conservatory j or greenhouse. | Our mammoth ware- | rooms are teeming | with the best in the | greatest variety of | Seeds. Bulbs and hor- | ticultural requisites. | Our Seeds, Bulbs, etc., are selected with the ut- | most care and exactness. I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:uiiiiiiiiiiiiiii III. 'I'miiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiinHiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ MICHELL'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOG For 1920 IS READY NOW An authentic guide to successful gardening and lawn making, and also brimful of interesting farm and other facts. It will help you to grow I bigger and better crops. WRITE TODAY FOR A COPY MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE 514 MARKET ST., PHILA. PA. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN I iiiiililiilNJ Jm.mMmjiiii.iiiNiiiitmii : iiiriiiMliiinilHirail i||iiliiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii "A Book for Gardeners and i Garden Lovers" \ Free on Request = *'A Book for Garden Lovt-rs" — not a series ui iii>_.i:>i:riminate ^ "puffs" and eulogies of everything we want to sell — but a sincere. ^ practical, dependable guide to dependable seeds of supreme qual- ^ ity — for distinctive gardens of quality! The result of a life-long ^ experience, careful study and observation in the growing and ^ Testing of plants and see8s. It ^inswers your instinctive questions E. and tells you just what you want to know. Crammed full of s valuable pointers that will save you from needless mistakes, and h help you achieve a glad success in vour flower and vegetable s gardening- ^"ou'll liave much to be proud of. and nothing to § apologize for, if you take tins Book as your giiide and counselor. = Features also m.-iny novelties cf unique merit. Send for your M free copy XOW'^ — Itst \ou fur.yetl = THREE WONDERFUL NOVELTIES j You NA/tli Enjoy in Your Garden 1 1. NEW ANNUAL BLUE ANCHUSA. Like a giaut spray vt | Koryet-nn-inii, of tlip (iiM-jicst lihii:-. nu stems fully 1^" long; = just IfiTi'Iy in thi- :.';uil»-n or fur ctittiiii:; Mooms all summer. = A plant vuu -imply .amiMr t.e withuiit. Tkt. 2yc. 1 2. NEW MINIATURE DAHLIA. PETER PAN." Wonderfully 1 compacteil little Imshes tbat bejiin to bU-^m when nearly a = foot in height and never exceed 2 feet. Flowers anemone M shaped with tubular center and outspread ray -florets; t»eautifiil E c.ilors. Sow it in the Iiouse or coldframe in April and you M will have blooms in marvelous abundance from July" till frost. = I'kt. 7oc. i 3. NEW SUNFLOWER "DAZZLER." Not a coarse re^i Sun- | ildwir, hut a lari:»' L'aillanlia like flower of a rich cbeetnut. ^ tipped nran;-'e with darker cniter fully 4" across on long = slender vtenis. I'kt. ','.7ie. E. ALL THREE FOR $1.00— if ordered immediately! .Just enclose 1 a rloUar bill, and say * "Gardeners" Chronicle Offer" ). We'll M send yon the ■•*;arden-Lovers" Book" too! Be sure to mention = (liM-dcii.-r^" Clin.ni,-).- *.fT«-r, m* wm Iihv.- oihpr offi^r*^. = Max Schling Seedsmen, Inc., 24 West 59th St., N. Y. | iiiiiim imimniiii imm (.miiimiiuiimmii iiii,iiiiiiiiini!i' iiii'ii <*'iiH'fiiiiiii)iiiiljilllMmimillllllllllllll!lll|^ itiiiiiiliii i'i>il<-i>l<*itM,illj.lli|.|{iiiljiii< iiilliiiliKiillllillMII mill 46 Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ Order Your Roses Now Manetti is scarce this season and if you wait much longer you will be disappointed. This is our selection for 1920. PILGRIM PREMIER CRUSADER MILADY MRS. AARON WARD COLUMBIA OPHELIA SUNBURST DOUBLE WHITE KILLARNEY EVELYN Our new catalogue called "Greenhouse Plants" gives a complete list of Roses, Chrysanthemums and Carnations. A copy will be mailed to you upon request. AN PlEl\^ON mc. CRpMWELL CAmENS Cj^mwell Conn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiPiiiiiiiiiiiii;: :iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!i!!i»niiiiiii!niii!!i!iiiii!iiiiiiiiiw aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifliiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiM aiiuiiiiiiniuiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiniiiiiuiiiifiii m JillliMllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllinilllilli;? IdlllllllllllllllllllinilllllllllllllllllllHlllilllllU: GLOXINIAS Six named varieties. $3.50 doz. : $25.00 100 Extra selected Bulbs, 50c. each, $5.00 doz. BEGONIAS Six separate colors, $2.50 doz.: $18.00 100 Extra large Bulbs, $4.00 doz.; $30.00 100 LILY OF VALLEY Best Berlin Pips from Cold Storage. 2 50 for $20.00, 500 for $35.00, 1,000 for $70.00 Our 1920 Catalogue has been mailed to all customers on file. If you have not received one a postal will brmg it by return mail. W. E. MARSHALL & CO., Inc. So('({. Plants and liulhs 166 W. 2.'ird St., New York CAROLINA HEMLOCK (Tsuga caroliniana) THE iMOST BEAUTIFUL AND RARE AMERICAN EVERGREEN specimens may be seen at Arnold Arboretum, where one may compare it with hundreds of other varieties of Evergreens. Hardier and more adaptable to tryins city con- ditions than the Common or Canadian Hemlock. Dense, dark foliage and sweeping semi-pendu- lous branches with pyramidal form combine to give a charm not found in anj' other known Evergreen. SPECIAL. .-\ limited number of grand speci- mens 16 to 20 feet liiiih for immediate effect at my Highlands Nursery (3,700 ft. elevation in the Carolina Mountains). Prices on request. A fine stock of smaller specimens from 1 foot up, at my Boxford Nursery. Catalogs. I HARLAN P. KELSEV I HARDY AMERICAN PLANTS, I SALEM, MASS. ^iiiiiiiiiMiiiiini'iii'niiunniiiiiiiiiiiiiirniimiffliiiiiiiiirimiiniiiiniimniiiiriiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimniiiiiiiiiiriiirn^ 47 giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinmiiiliiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiliiiiliiiililllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii iinimi:iiii:imf I The Contents for February, 1920 | Things and Thoughts of the Garden The Onlooker 49 The Sweet Pea — Its Culture . . . . G. W. Kerr 5 1 Raising Plants from Seed 52 Repotting Root-Bound Plants 52 How to Reduce the Cost of Living 53 Hotbeds for Early Vegetables 54 An Oil-Heated Hotbed that Works 54 Pruning Evergreen Shrubs 54 Making a Start with Bees. . .Henry W. Sanders 55 The Right Care of Old Trees. . Edwin Mallhems 56 The Value of School Gardens to Cultivate Americanism Arthur Smith 57 A Miniature Rock Garden 58 Rockwork Edgings to Drives 58 The Caucasian Scabious and Its Culture 58 Cultural Notes on Antirrhinums 59 Artemisia Lactiflora 59 An Arboreal Slattern 59 The Month's Work in the Garden John Johnson 60 The Dracaenas T. Shexvard 61 The Month's Work in the Greenhouse Henry Gibson 62 Begonia Gracilis Henry J. Moore 63 Fruiting of Apple Trees Every Other Year ... 64 The Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida) ... 64 Streptocarpi and Their Culture 65 A Lesson on Some Whys of Crop Rotation. . . Arthur Smith 66 National Association of Gardeners' Notes. ... 69 Among the Gardeners 70 Tlie American Iris Society 71 Local Societies 72 Of General Interest 73 Inteniatioiial Flower Show, .Vi'tt' York — Horticultural Exhibitions The Questionnaire 74 Here and There 75 IVhy We Mulch Plants in Winter — Renaming German Irises — Soil Ventilation — The Keyed List Published monthly, the 1st of each month Subscription .... $2.00 a year Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 ■■nil THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. 286 Fifth Avenue. New York, N. Y. MARTIN C. EBEL. Ed.ior Entered at the Nezv York Post Office as seconii class matter under the Act of Congresx, March 3, 1879, iiiiiiMiiiiniiiiiinii iiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinfliiiiiiiiiujiiiiiniiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii'1111^ ''linillllllllllllinillllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^^ iinniwiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiii Stumpp & Walter Co.'s Catalog Our 1 920 Spring Catalog will be mailed to you on request, if you have not already received a copy. Many New and Exhibition varieties of Flower and Vegetable Seeds are offered. Farm and Grass Seeds are also a feature. Cannas, Dahlias, and Gladioli— the best varieties to date. Q}timpf)^(lMef& 30-32 Barcla}? St. Nex\? York iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 48' ■111111 liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiw iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture I Vol. XXIV FEBRUARY, 1920 No. 2 ■ llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilr LIBRA 5? Y Things and Thoughts of the Garden m^^^^:"" tut: r>xil r^r^vcD GAi.\ ,-, THE ONLOOKER A REAL live topic of interest in our horticultural world at this time is that of plant propagation, which has been brought to the attention of many nurserymen and florists in a rather abrupt manner by the enactment of the much abused Plant Quarantine Act. Perhaps the inconveniences resulting froni this drastic measure may not have such a lasting effect as was gen- erally expected. Time alone will tell. In the meantime we may Ije sure that enterprising men are giving more time and attention to this subject than has hitherto been found necessary' or profitable, and furthermore a good propagator ought to be assured of a steady job for some time to come. It is fascinating work, especially when there is opportunity to practice it with a large variety of plants. Knowledge of the various methods by which plants are propagated is open to all who seek it, but it is not given to all to be equally successful in putting that knowledge into practice. Some men seem to be born with the happy knack of being always able to do the right thing at the right time. Some call it intuition, some call it luck, but call it what you will it is a won- derfully good asset. In combination with a keen love for plants, a thorough understanding of their likes and dislikes, together with a good stock of patience, we have the chief essentials which go to make a first-class plant propagator. '^ i^.' ^ \\ ithin the next few week millions of seeds will be sown both under glass and out-doors, and the results awaited with eager interest. It is safe to say that a goodly proportion of these seeds will from various causes fail to realize the expectant hope which was kindled when they were sow-n. It seems a simple inatter to open a packet of seeds, scatter them in the soil and look for a big germinating percentage. Sometimes it is as easy as that, yet those who have handled seeds in great variety know there is difference enough to keep one up to the mark in the strict observance of certain details if anything better than negative results are to be obtained. Seeds of good vitality are of course the first essential, and practical experience has shown that the largest and heaviest seeds produce the best plants, so that plant selection might well begin at the beginning — with the seeds. Seeds more than one year old are not necessarily dead, at least in the case of most, if not all of our common garden plants. Several kinds of vegetable and flower seeds I have sown after keeping five years have given jjractically as good results as at first. To be on the safe side it is just as well to make a germinating test of doubtful seeds, at the same titiie bearing in mind that old seed is slower and more irregular in germinating. This may be partly overcome by soaking the seeds in hot water for a few hours. Seedlings get a better start if the soil is of a light, friable nature. In the green- house, where conditions are under control, better results are sometimes secured by germinating the seeds in sand, cocoanut fibre or sphagnum moss. In the open many seedlings perish in hard ground that could be saved if the drills were filled in with old compost. Thousands of fine seeds every year are suffocated because buried too deeply; others rot because sown too soon in wet. cold soil, while others fail to appear because of shallow covering during hot, dry weather. Damping-off fungus claims many victims because of careless watering and ventilation, or by reason of over- crowding and the postponement of transplanting till a more convenient time. Sow thinly and thin or trans- plant early is a pretty good maxim to follow. In the case of seeds which may take months to germinate the soil in the seed pans may become coated with algas with disastrous eft'ects. Sterilization of the soil and "the use of boiled water will be found helpful in overcoming this. -Many people regard mid-summer as the proper time to sow seeds of hardy perennials, but where there is greenhouse space at command, there are certain advan- tages to be gained in doing it right now. The amount of space required for ordinary purposes is verv little, dozens of seedlings can be raised in a four-incii pot, while for transplanting a flat three inches deep and about twelve inches square will accommodate three dozen plants nicely. After this their sojourn in the greenhouse need not be long if cold frames are handy, and bv the middle of May we have sturdy plants ready to set out in nursery rows, becoming well established" before the likelihood of summer heat and drought and well able to go through their first winter safely with just ordinary protection. A few kinds will flower late the first season when sown thus early, and in the case of hybrid strains this is an advantage if color efifects are seriously con- -sidered, as it aflfords a chance for selection before set- ting the plants in their permanent quarters. :.■= * « Few winter-flowering greenhouse plants of recent in- troduction have been received with such general favor 49 so GARDENERS' CHRONICLE as Buddleia asiatica, and it is by all means deserving of all the good things which have been said in its favor. Of free habit of growth it is a first-class plant for con- servatory decoration, coming into flower right after the Chrysanthemtims are over, and under cool conditions re- maining in good form from two to three months. The long, arching racemes of white flowers give it a very graceful appearance, and they have a sweet odor which makes them still more pleasing. Everybody with a greenhouse should grow it. Cuttings rooted in April make good flowering plants in six or seven-inch pots, and the plants do well if the pots are plunged out-of- doors for the summer. Eiiangea tomentosa is another comparatively new plant v.'hich can be regarded with equal favor. Though a native of tropical Africa, it thrives under the same cool conditions as the Buddleia, for which it makes an ad- mirable companion and serves the same useful purpose. It is a free branching plant with grayish leaves that are strongl}- scented, the mauve-colored flowers being- borne in clusters and last well when cut. Alost people are fond of blue, and flowers of this color are not too plentiful in the winter tirtie. The introduc- tion of Colciis thyrsoidcns from Central Africa a few years ago gave us a notable addition, and when well grown this is a worth while plant with its long, upright racemes of bright blue flowers lasting in good condition for three months. A few plants arranged in combina- tion with Begonia "Lorraine" makes a very stunning efir'ect. It is rather more difficult to grow real well tiian ;ire the common kinds of Coleus, but it well repays the extra care. Early in May is a good time to sow seeds, which as far as I know, are listed in only one catalog, that of R. & J. Farquhar & Co., Boston, Mass. Brozest being the variety called "King Albert," sent out, I believe, by the Carter Seed Co., of Boston. It is a marked improve- ment on the type in every respect and received an R. H. S. award of merit when shown in London three or four years ago. The individual flowers are larger, of more rounded form, atid in color a lovely shade of rose, while in habit it is more compact and if anything more floriferous. It is not at all unusual to find plants in five- inch pots with tw^enty or more flower stems developed at one time, and best of all these do not flop. Altogether it is a very fine addition to the list of choice decorative plants available for winter use in the cool greenhouse. During an extreme of cold weather, such as has been e.xperienced in many sections of late, it sometimes hap- pens that from one cause or another plants may be frozen, particularly plants that are in transit and some- times even in greenhouses that are not adeqtiately piped. \\'hether in such cases the plants are injured beyond recovery may depend entirely on the way in which they are handled immediately after the mishap. The impor- tant thing to keep in mind is the fact that the liquid contents of the plant cells have expanded, and if sub- jected to a sudden reaction the cell walls are ruptured beyond repair and the plant collapses, or at any rate the affected part. The thing to do therefore to assist such plants to recover is to allow them to thaw out very grad- ually, and this is brought about by sprinkling them over with cold water, shading from sunshine and keeping them in a cool temperature till the process is complete. Prompt application of these methods might often save l)lants that have been touched by frost and restore them apparently none the worse for the experience. In the case of a greenhouse where the temperature may get pretty near the danger mark, at times it is safer to keep the plants somewhat drier than usual while the cold spell lasts, as when their cells are quite turgid with liquid tliey are most susceptible to injury from frost. ( )f late years wonderful progress has been made in improving the garden race of Antirrhinum, and the com- mon Snapdragon has become one of the fashionable flowers of the da}'. .A.s grown under glass at the pres- ent time it must surely surpass anything that could have been dreamed of not so many years ago. especially when wc consider it was one of the seventeenth century gar- den plants. Its prominence now as a cut flower for use in the winter and spring months is not to be wondered at when we see the large handsome spikes bearing flow- ers of such pleasing colors. Good progress has been made, too, in the development of good strains for out- door bedding, for which purpose the intermediate sec- tion is ideal, the plants being of a sturdy, even growth, well branched and bearing good flower spikes in a wide range of beautiful colors. For a mass display they are great and if given good culture they respond with won- derful results. It is a good plan to set out the plants as soon as conditions are right, and unless early flowers are desired it is just as well to pinch out the first flower stems. This will give bushier plants, and for a purely garden eft'ect result in a better display, while if the seed pods are promptly picked oft', flowering will continue until stopped by killing frost. GOVERNMENT Government is not an edifice that the founders turned over to posterity all completed. It is an institution, like a university, which fails unless the process of education continues. — C.-vlvix Cooltdge. For Febnmrv, 1920 51 The Sweet Pea — Its Culture — Some Representative Varieties G. W. Kerr Xo other annual flower is so widely LniJiivated, perhaps, as the sweet pea, which is largely due to the fact that the merest novice in gardening is successful with it. Then, too, there is the question of cost — for a few cents' worth of seeds we can have a row or clump of the most exquisitely colored and delicately fragrant flowers. The sweet pea will thrive in virtually any good garden soil, though, of course, extra cultivation will repay the grower. And if the blooms are cut systematically and the pods are not allowed to set, the vines will continue to flower for about three months, sometimes longer. The following points should be observed m the cultiva- tion of sweet peas : First, the soil should be drained, unless the ground be of such a nature that in a season of excessive rains the water will not lie, and so cause the roots of the plants to rot, or start mildew. Second, the seeds should be >own in such a position that no excessive shade will interfere with the sturdy growth of the vines, as too much shade encourages a spindlv and weak vine, witli few, if any, flowers. You should choose, therefore, a spot in the open, where the ])lants may have all the available light, and air, though a little shade from the scorching mid-day suns of June and July will be found beneficial. Soils that are prepared for a vegetable garden will give excellent results, but for this queen of all annual plants, a little e.xtra care will be well repaid In- the addi- tional size of flower, longer stems, better color and a prolonged period of blooming. Whatever mav be the composition of the soil, a start should be made in the Fall of the year by trenching it to a depth of two or three feet. If the sub-soil is poor, it would be absurd to bring it to the surface, Init it should be broken up, turned over, and mixed with any old garden refuse or stable litter. This is especially valuable in the case of very heavy land, since the rough material will tend to drain the soil and sweeten the trench. Thoroughly mix with the upper soil a liberal quantity of half-decayed stable or cow manure — the latter is pref- erable if the soil is light — adding a good dressing of l>one meal as the work proceeds. The top of the trench siiould be filled in as rough as possible, at the same time mixing with the soil thoroughly rotted manure, and leav- ing all Winter, so that the frost, snow and rain may have a better chance to exert their mellowing influences. -As soon as the frost is out of the ground in the early Spring and the soil is in a nice dry condilinn, the rows should have a fairly heavy coating of acid phosjihate. which can be raked into the soil and all made ready for planting. Soils deficient in lime will be greatly benefited by a good dusting of fresh lime ]nit on as soon as it is slaked. To those who want the very best results we advise,' mowing the seeds in pots. This should be done in January or February, acording to location using pots of three to four inche> in diameter. .\ suitable comj^ost for this consists of turfy loam, leaf soil, and a little sand, all thoroughlv mixed. Four seeds will be sufficient for each pot. The pots are then placed in a frame or cool green- house as near the light as possible, .-o that the growth will be kept sturd\- and dwarf. When the vines are two or three inches tall, insert a few twi^s in the soil to keep them in an upright position. Avoid watering the plants too heavily on account of frosts, for the same reason, and the careful grower will see that the frame is covered and protected on cold nights. .\ir should be gi\en on all favorable occasions. As Spring advances the sashes should be entirely removed during the middle of the day, subsequently keeping them off all day and night as the season for "planting- outside" ap- proaches. According to locality and weather conditions, the young plants should be set out from early March to early May. ■One pot is sufficient for a good clump. When planting in rows each potful should be set out about eighteen inches apart. Place the entire ball of soil with [)lants and twigs, takii-ig care to keep all intact, in the ground. Those who have not the conveniences for the pot method of culture should sow the seeds as early in the Spring as soil and weather conditions will permit. A small trench or furrow about four inches deep should be made, and the seed sown evenly, using one ounce of seed to a fifteen-foot row, covering the seed with two inches of soil. When the seedlings are about two inches high, thin out the young plants, leaving one to every six inches, as this will be found to give more room for air and light to circulate among the growing vines. As the vines grow the soil should be hoed up to them on either side, thus strengthening the plants and keeping them in an upright position. To jirolong the blossom season it is advisable to sow a few of the new Early 1-^lowering Spencers. Started at the same time, they begin to bloom two to three weeks ahead of the regular Spencer Type, while if the flowers are regularly jiicked the\- will bloom over quite as long a season. Might I suggest the following varieties as being repre- sentative of both ty]3es and which under normal weather conditions will give satisfaction to the exacting grower: Eary Snowstorm, pure wliite. Early Pink Beauty, deep pink. Early Daylireak, cream, ground pink. Early Zephyr, pale hlne or lavender. Early Blueliird, mid blue. Early E.xquisile, cream, edged rose. Early Daintiness, vvliiie, edged rose. • ' Early Splendor, deep rose, self. Early King. crim.son scarlet. Early Lavender King, lavender, self. Early Mauve Beauty, mauve, self. Early Glorious, rich purple. King White, line pure white. Constance Hinton, black, seeded white. Floradale Fairy, cream, self. Elegance, pale lilush. Elfrida Pearson, light pink. Margaret .•\llcc, rose-pink on cream. Beryl, salmon pink. Hercules, deep pink. •. Barbara, salmon. The President, orange-scarlet. Fiery Cross, bright lire-red. George Herbert, rosy carmine. King lulward. large crimson. Orchid, lavender. Royal Purple, warm jjurplc. Cherub, cream, edged rose. Mrs. Cuthbcrtson, rose-pink and white. Warrior, maroon. ON THE WRONG SCENT Half the world is on the wrong scent in the ]mrsiiit of hap])iness. They think it consists in having and get- ting, and in being served by others. It consists in giving- and in serving others, — Drummo.vd. 52 GARDEyERS- CHROMCLE RAISING PLANTS FROM SEED Sowiiii^ seeds is an art. but many people seem not to realize it. Though wishing to be successful they begin operations by buying any kind of seed, instead of being careful to get the best. Seed must be fresh, and some sorts require to be sown almost as soon as they ripen if the best results are to be obtained. Good seeds are large for their kind, bright-looking, and well filled with food material, enabling young seedlings to make a good start. ^Moisture, air, suitable temperature — if any of these be absent, even the best seed will not germinate properly. Once the seeds have been started on the road to germina- tion, the soil must be kept continuaUy moist, but the sur- face of the seed bed must not be flooded. The best plan is to watch carefully as soon as the surface shows signs of drying, water gently with a very fine rose. This may be necessary three or four times a day. With regard to air. the germinating seeds cannot have too much ; so see that there is ventilation and that the soil you provide is friable, porous and well aerated, be- sides being sweet and clean, before putting your seeds into it. All seeds will not germinate at the same tem- perature, e. g., those that are natives of the tropics re- quire a higher temperature than those of temperate regions. Strong plants arc secured liv quick strong germination. Remember that — 1. All seeds germinate more quickly in darkness. 2. Seeds must be sown the right distance below the surface. Deep sowing is one of the chief causes of fail- ure with annuals. 3. Each seed is a unit, and to give it a full chance the soil must be pressed firmly round it on every side. 4. Xo obstruction must be present which will hinder the seed from coming up once it has started to grow. REPOTTING ROOT-BOUND PLANTS "T" HERE are certain plants, such as Palms, Camellias, Azaleas, and many kinds of hard-wooded things, that do not need repotting annually. With good cul- tural care they can be maintained in good condition for two or three years in the same pots. There comes a time, however, when the need for fresh soil is im- perative. Xew energy must be put into the foliage or the wood will become too hard and the circulation of the sap will not be sufficiently free. Repotting plants which have stood so long involves a certain amount of risk, which can only be obviated by certain pre- cautions known and practised by the experienced plant-grower, but with which amateurs generalh- are not conversant. The danger is that the roots may not travel freely from the old ball and take full posses- sion of the new compost. The tendency which roots have to keep moving" in the same direction has to be reckoned with and guarded against. Professional growers make a point of repotting just when the roots are taking full possession of the com- post, but before they have completely filled it with fibres, thev being well aware that if a plant comes into a root-boimd condition there must be a check t(j free growth, and that there is a difficulty and loss of time in inducing that plant to go away again into robust growth. If a Palm, for instance, which has l)een several years in the same pot is examined it will be found that manv of the roots have circled round the pot and have formed a solid mass; have, so to say, eaten up the soil and so occupied the drainage that removing the crocks without injury to the roots would be impossible. In potting plants in this condition the compost should be neither wet nor dry, and every [article of it must be rammed in, so that it is as solid as the old ball. — Gardening Illustrated, English. For February, l'J20 S3 How to Reduce the Cost of Livins (Tlw following article bearing on a subject in zi-hich the at and nursing homes would not be so crowded as they are to-day. It is not. however, with this phase of the (|Ufstion that we are at present concerned, but with reducing the cost of living. In the latter coimcction it will be readily admitted that really good vegetables are dear. They are because the man who produces and sells them has to pay dearly for the goods he buys, and so has to make more on the goods he produces or sells. Every purchase or service is dear to-day for the same reason. Therefore anything one can grow gives a real saving of cash, and reduces the cost of such com- modities to those who have not the means of effecting this economy. The food value of vesfetables is not sufificientlv real- ■a'holc country is most deeply absorbed at this time, and wluch try Life, contains so much that is applicable to our own readers that or the cost of "high liznng" {as some thinkers are wont to refer contemporary, home production of food products wilt, however, manipulated and consequent sharp advances in their cost. The the gram of Zi-heat that makes the bushel."— Editor. ized, and we append to these notes a table showing how they compare with lean beef. It w^ill be seen that the vegetable kingdom contains, together with cereals, all the necessary ingredients for the building up and maintenance of human life. As, however, there are to-day large numbers of people who are strict vegetarians, this point need not be argued further. Nor is there need to enumerate the dainty dishes that can be prepared from vegetables alone. In conclusion, we appeal to our readers to grow and eat more vegetables for the sake of health, with the object of reducing the cost of other commodities to those whose existence is a struggle under present day conditions, and to increase production and so help to reduce living costs under the law of supply and demand. Readers may consider their opportunity ineft'ective, hut remember it is the grains of wheat that make the bushel, and encourage your neighbor to follow your example. \ EGETABLE FOOD \'ALUES. Three kinds of food are necessary to keep the human body in a strong and healthy condition, viz. : PROTEIN for flesh forming and body building, and to repair the wastage in blood and tissue. CARBO-HYDRATES (starch and sugar) ana F.\T, which give heat and energy to the body. Propagation. Protein, li As])aragus, Seed 1.96 Carbo- vd rates. 2.67 Fat. 0.24 Salts. 0.68 Water. 93.58 Crude Fibre. 0.87 Beans, French 2.30 7.40 0.30 0.80 89.20 Beans, Dried 25.30 ■ +6.50 i..=;o 3.00 13.50 10.00 Beetroot 1.00 15.10 0.10 0.70 81.50 1,60 Borecole or Kale 3.80 9.90 0.90 3.50 82,90 1.50 Brussels Sprouts 4.83 6.22 0.46 0.80 86.00 1.57 Broccoli, Seed 2.05 4.80 0.45 0.75 90.95 i.oa Cabbage 2.92 7.00 0.40 0.87 87.46 1.35 Carrot 1.40 10.80 0.20 0.90 85.00 1.70 Cauliflower, Seed 2.05 4.80 0.45 0.75 90.95 1.00 Celeriac — — — — — — Celery 1.10 3.30 0.10 1.00 94.50 — Cress — — — — — — Cucumber 0.70 2.60 0.70 0.40 95,10 0.50 ICndive 1.10 3.10 0.06 0.81 93.00 0.60 Cdurd ( Bumpkin) 0.80 6.70 0.20 0.70 90.50 1.10 Kohl Rahi l.,?0 9.50 0.10 1.00 87.00 1.10 Leek 1.20 5.80 0.50 0.60 91.30 0.60 Lettuce 0.70 4.00 — . 1.00 94.30 — Onion 1.40 9,40 0.30 0.60 87.60 0.70 Parsnip 1.60 10.20 0.20 0,70 86.30 1.00 Peas 7.00 16.90 0.50 1.00 74,60 — 1 'eas. Dried 24.60 62.a) 1.00 2.90 9.50 — Potatoes 2.10 20.60 0.30 0,90 75.a) 1.10 Radish 1..W 5.80 0.10 1.00 91.10 0.70 Rhubarl) 0.60 2.50 0.70 0.70 94.40 1,10 Savoy 3.30 6.20 0.70 1.60 87.00 1.20 Sea kale 0.40 0..50 0.07 0.29 91.84 1.10 ."Spinach, .Seed 3.15 ?>.M o..=;4 1.94 1)0.26 0.77 Tomato, Seed 1.30 6.50 1,40 0.80 88.80 1.20 Turnip, Seed 1.1 5.3 0.1 0.7 92.00 0.8 For comparison — Ll-..\\ BEEF 20.9 — 5.2 1.2 72.2 54 GARDE^ERS' CHRONICLE HOTBEDS FOR EARLY VEGETABLES '"THE most useful garden should furnish a continu- ous supply of desirable vegetables throughout the season. This will necessitate some way of start- ing early plants in a protected place such as a hotbed or cold frame. There the conditions for growth may be closely controlled and better care may consec|uently be taken of the young plants. Essentially, a hotbed is a box covered with glass and heated by artificial means. Ordinarily fresh horse manure is the most available and best supply of heat for this purpose to be found on the average farm. After a hotbed is planted, it needs to be carefully ven- tilated and watered to provide proper conditions for germinating the seed, and it also needs to be carefully watched on account of the danger of damping-off. if it becomes too wet and is not ventilated enough. Also poor ventilation will cause weak, spindling plants. Be- fore removing plants from hotbed, they must become accustomed to the same conditions they will have to meet in the held. This is called "hardening off." It is done by withholding water and increasing the ventila- tion for about two weeks, until the covers may be left off the bed entirely— all night as well as in the day time. When the plants will stand this treatment with- out danger, they may be safely put in the field. In transplanting care must be used not to destroy any more of the small roots than necessary, for the pla'nts take in water through them and are very apt to wilt if anv 4 to 5i4 feet high. It is easily propagated by divisions which can be done in the Fall or Spring, personally I prefer Spring. This plant is presumably hardy, but of course it de- pends to a great extent on the position, and the ex- posure it may be subjected to. It often happens after sudden thaws, when robbed of nature's blanket of snow, the temperature may fall to zero; then if caught without adequate protection, it is often fatal to the green foliage. Therefore, I would advise removal in the fall to sheltered quarters. These little attentions well repay the little trouble taken. When used for cutting it makes a fascinating decoration, especially if used with such subjects as the long spikes of Del- phinium. It is easy of culture doing well in ordinary garden soil. AN ARBOREAL SLATTERN "W^IU-IX the Park Board forbade the planting of box elders along the streets of this town, (^linne- apolis) they did a good day's work, well seasoned with clear foresight and wise retrospect. The only flaw in the proceedings was the failure to limit the life period of every tree of that variety already on the street. The chief charge against this tree weed is that it has no fixed purpose in life, no wholesome pride of per- formance, no sense of its own unworthiness. It is cursed with a boorish forwardness, and a painful lack of that nice sense of dress common to trees of better breeding. A poor tramp among the matrons of the forest, it is endowed with a shocking fecundity and its offspring with a vulgar vitalit}-. The pine, now, for instance, is a purposeful dignified and self-respecting tree. Its aim from infancy to age is to build its central shaft. Forgetting the things that are below, it presses upward. Nothing stops its terminal bud in its direct reach for the sky ; and no lower limbs retard the building of the one well determined bole. It is this quality that has made the pine and its kin, the most useful tree on earth. The oak aims to endure ; the maple to shape a nable head : but the weak minded, ungainly, sprawling box elder has no connnercial ambitions. It is content to squat and s])rawl. The box elder leaf has no outstanding character. ^len do not honor it. But the maple leaf has reached regi- mental honors in the United States Army : and the oak leaf, a commander's order in the Xavy. .\rt loves to twine these two leaves into its best ornamentations. But who ever saw even a Digger Indian adorn himself with the trifling foliage of the box elder? .\utumn gets no responsive tint from this tree's fading sunnner skirt. Drab, frayed, flabby, it waves no gay kerchief in farewell to the departing year. Nor does it lay its garments down with a will, as do the linden and the poplar; nor hold grimlv on to them, as does the red oak. Half-heartedly it strips itself of a part of its shriveled covering, leaving the raveled rags to flap in the winter wind, like the weather beaten remnants of a cornfield scarecrow. Yet this cheap tree |)ers!sts. It rushes in where oak trees fear to root. It immodestly offers to re|)opulate the forests where its betters have been slain for their wealth ; for knowing nothing, it fears nothing. \'erily, in the woods as in the rest of the world, "the poor ye have always with you." — Minneapolis Journal. 60 GARDE^ERS■ CHRONICLE viiaitiiiiniiii«iiiiwiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii»iiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii«tiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiriiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiKiiir The Month's Work in the Garden lOHM TOHNSON THE work of another season now demands our at- tention. Although just what and how much can be undertaken must be governed by local condi- tions and the resources at the command of the individual. Ambitious gardeners, particularly those having restricted glass areas, always find this a month of impatience and restraint. While seed sowing may certainly be done more lavishly than was either possible or advisable a month ago, we feel bound to offer a word of caution — everything sown now will soon require more room, therefore make ample provision for carrying all safely through till planting time. The wide-awake gardener will not be surprised by the weather, but will provide for an emergency. He will sow only the kinds most in demand and those which can be brought through without loss. The man with a greenhouse has indeed much in his favor with regard to early sowings, and yet we have no hesitation in saying that even without this facility much can be accomplished with the aid of hot beds alone. The writer has cut fine head lettuce from the hot bed the first week of March in the latitude of New York. This crop, perhaps, is not quite so exacting in its requirements as many which might be sown now, yet it will be borne in mind that hot bed culture becomes less hazardous as the season advances, for the sun is fast gaining power and there are few days from now on when the sash must remain covered. However, it is not superfluous to assert that with the limitations which hot beds alone impose, the pa- tience and skill of experienced gardeners are sometimes tested to the utmost during the usually severe weather of the next six weeks, and as these notes are addressed particularly for guidance to the less experienced, we ex- plicitly caution the grower against attempting more than he feels can be brought to a successful issue. On the -other hand, the earliest possible production should be aimed at, and it is the duty of the cultivator to devise w'ays and means to thai end as far as may be in his power. Hotbeds. — After the preparation of the spring seed order the making of hotbeds is perhaps more interesting and certainly quite as important as anything else to be done during the month. We have from time to time outlined instructions for making a lasting hotbed and cannot depart from the advice already offered. A mix- ture of fresh, or reasonably fresh, horse droppings and litter is probably the best material for this purpose. Forest leaves are to be recommended where a very mild bottom heat is looked for, but it cannot be claimed that leaves are capable of generating heat to the same extent as manure. At this early date horse manure must be regarded as indispensable in the formation of hotbeds, while the best w-e can say of leaves is that they are good com])onent material. Used in conjunction with manure, leaves are very satisfactory. The most important con- sideration will be to have the material in a perfectly fit condition beforehand. Tt should be neither too wet nor yet too dry, a condition best determined by occasionally turning the mass prior to making up the bed. When violent heating has subsided and the material appears evenly moist throughout but not soggy, make up the bed. The depth to which the bed .should be made will varv with local conditions of weather and, of course. must vary to meet certain requirements. If an atmos- [iheric temperature of 55 to 60 degrees is required dur- ing zero weather the bed should be about 20 inches deep when well trodden, Beds, however, of less depth are less difficult to control, and our advice would be to make a bed from 12 to 16 inches deep and use ample covering on the sash. \\^ith beds of great depth there is always a danger of over-heating when outside conditions are such as to render ventilation almost out of the question. If crops like carrots, string beans, lettuce, radish, etc., are to be grown, it will be necessary to cover the bed six inches deep yith a fairly rich, porous compost, and sow the seeds in drills. On the other hand, if the pur- ])ose of the bed is for raising stock to later transplant in the garden, use seed flats or pans. In the latter in- stance it will be unnecessary to cover the bed to any great depth with soil. Cauliflower, cabbage, leek, onion, celery, tomato, egg plant and pepper are among' the vegetable seeds to be sown now. Annuals, and oth- ers so called, used for bedding purposes and for cut flowers, may be sown during this month and next. Among the kinds which should be sown as early as |M)ssible are: Begonia (both fibrous rooted and tuberous rooted varieties), Vinca rosea, Pentstemon. Carnation, Canna. Pansy, Abutilon, Grevillea, \'erbena and Lobelia. I-"ibrous rooted begonias are used more extensively for liedding purposes than the tuberous rooted variety. The j.arent of this bedding group, Begonia seiitpeiHoycns. is a native of Brazil. The plant is perennial in habit, but may be successfully treated as an annual, as may its many hybrid forms. The seeds germinate freely in a temperature of 65 degrees and should be sown in pans of finely sifted loain, peat, and sand. Press the soil very evenly in the seed vessel and sprinkle with water before sowing the seed. The seed of Cannas is extremely hard and germinates very slowly unless assisted. The best method is to first soak the seed in hot water for a few minutes before sowing. Cover the seed one-half inch deep and plunge the pan in the hotbed. .\butilons and Grevilleas. although not strictly liedding plants, make handsome specimens for dropping in flower beds. The seeds of both kinds germinate unevenly, but when the seedlings do appear they are easy to manage. It should hardly be necessary to say that all seeds should be sowni thinly and yet there are so many gardeners who do insist on emptying the contents of a seed package on a given space under any and all circumstances, that fresh warning is given. This wanton practice often re- ^tilts in wholesale loss as the seeds germinate, since it is almost impossible to escape "damping." Even is the seedlings do not entirely succumb in this way they be- come weak and attenuated. Unduly elongated at the start, subsequent growth always proves more or less dis- a]"/pointing. Better by far grow a few plants uncom- monly well than court failure by overcrowding. .'""now may be allowed to accumulate on and around cold frames in which plants are in a frozen condition, but plants in hotbeds and heated pits must have light and air. Push forward the propagation of bedding stock as ad- vised in last month's notes. Plants of Fuchsia. Geranium, .\lnUilon, or Heliotrope raised from cuttings last autumn For February, 1920 61 and intended for specimen bedding stock should be kept growing freely. Give these plants a shift into a size larger pots before they become root bound. Any pinching or disbudding necessary to proper development should have rigid attention from now on as growth be- comes more active every day. These and several other forms of specimen plants fit many schemes of adorn- ment, relieve monotony, and are at once objects of beauty and charm. Inspect fruit and vegetables in storage at regular in- tervals. Decaying sjijecimens should be removed to pre- vent contamination, and admit ventilation to the cellar or storehouse when weather permits. Asparagus, seakale and chicory force readily now. Maintain a succession of these excellent vegetables by replenishing worn out beds with new plantations and treat as advised in previous notes. Prune outdoor grape vines and bush fruits this month and gather up all trim- mings as soon as the job is done. Look over the orchard and shrubbery for traces of San Jose scale, which is probably the most injurious of all insect pests ; don't delay the spraying of infested ■specimens a day longer than is absolulelv necessary. Cuttings of desirable evergreens may now be rooted in sand over mild bottom heat. They root readilv. take up 'ittle room, and are alwavs interesting. The Dracaenas T. Sheward The Dra-cacnas are some of the most useful orna- mental foliage plants for greenhouse decoration. All like a warm, moist atmosphere. D. liidivisa is the best known of the species, being much used as centerpieces for hanging baskets and vases. D. Iiidiz'isa is a native of New Zealand, D. Goldcana from tropical Africa. A compost for potting the Dracaenas would be one-third leaf-soil or peat and plain loam. Propagation is by layer- ing in moss or cuttings, seed and root cuttings. Fig. 1 shows the stem of a Dracaena covered with cocoanut fiber in the propagating house and young shoots starting from the joints. These are cut away (Fig. 2) and inserted in sand (Fig. 3), where they will soon root and can be potted into larger pots. All that is necessary to cause the old cane to break into growth when in fiber is heavy syringing every day. The old stems can be cut up, as shown at Fig. 8, if desired and covered with fiber (or moss) till the eyes break into leaf (Fig. 8i. P>y cutting up the thick roots (Fig. 7) into pieces one inch long, and forming root-cuttings which should be started in fiber small plants ( Fig. 9 ) are quickly formed. Large pieces can be rooted (the whole top of very leggj- specimens) by layering. !NIake two cuts as shown at Fig. 5 and in- sert a piece of wood ( Fig. 4) under the cuts ( "A" Fig. 5 ) to keep them open till rooted. Tie sphagnum moss around the cut and keep moist till roots form (Fig. 6), when the whole piece can be cut awa\- and jx)tted C'B"' Fig. 6). A layering pot filled with sphagnum moss could be used both ways with equal success. Cuttings will break from the old stem (Fig. 10) and may l)e cut away and rooted in the sharp sand in the well arranged propa- gating house, ^^'here seeds are used (D. Indh-isa) a box, filled with sandy peat and covered with a sheet of glass, is used. -J OIEFFENBACHIA <&% I ROOT CUTTINGS 5>iEW»RD. 62 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE .'HIIIIIIIIIIIItllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIilllllllllllllll'JI I The Month's Work in the Greenhouse | I HENRY GIBSON | iiiiimniiiiiiiiiiiiriiii iiiiiiii ii iniiii i i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiimnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiii; iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiililliiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinmiiiiiiiiiiiiii i i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic FURCI-\'(^i bulbs that are rooting outdoors under a covering of ashes or other material will lie hard to get at during the severe weather we are experienc- ing at this writing, and extra care will be needed to avoid breaking, both pots and plants. In attempting to get the frozen covering off one is very likely to break a good many of the young growths thus preventing them from flowering. So long as the pots or flats can be loosened. and taken indoors, it would be well not to trouble about the covering until it has had an opportunity to thaw out, when it may be readily removed without doing any dam- age. Most gardeners have a system of their own to work upon them bringing in the bulbs to maintain a succession, yet wherever it is at all possible it will be found good practice to get them in during moderate weather, even if one has to get in a few extra flats in order to carry over an extreme cold spell. It is just as well to get any of the early flowering shrubs that are to be forced under way as soon as i>ossible now. A temperature of 45 degrees is enough to start them, and if they are to have any hard forcing they should have it at least ten days before they start to open their buds. A moderate supply of moisture at the roots, and frequent syringings overhead, will soon bring about an all round swelling of the buds, and the starting of active root fibers. A gradual rise to 60 degrees, with 5 to 10 degrees higher on bright days, will finally fix the even course of regular forcing, promote luxuriant growth, and perfect development of foliage and flowers. Should the condition of the plants indicate that they are not going to be in flower just when they are needed most, the tem- I>erature may well be raised every ten days or so, until 70 degrees is reached at night. When the flowers are fairly well out a drop to 50 degrees will add materially to their keeping qualities. While the propagating bench is kept pretty well occu- pied with bedding plants, it would be well to give a little space to a batch of Boitvardias. They are useful and l>eautiful jilants and are easily grown. Root cuttings are to l>e preferred to young top growth. .Some or all of the strong roots of the old ])lants are cut up into pieces of half an inch or more in length. These are strewn upon the jiropagating bench, slightly covered, kept moist, and somewhat close. After the appearance of the young growths, sashes or anything used in covering the bed may be dispensed with if a steady heat can be main- tained wuhout theni. \o shading is needed while the cuttings are in the sand. When the growths have at- tained a size large enough to be handled with facility they may l>e potted into small pot§, where they will re- main until planted out in a favorable spot in the garden when all danger of frost has passed. By giving the plants a warm house, plenty of light, and frequent pinch- ing back, they will grow into nicely branched plants with firm root-balis that will hang together when lifting for the final potting next Fall. If sown at once Cannas from seed will flower by the middle of Summer. A very practical way of securing a quick germination is to soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water, then with a pair of pliers slice off a piece of the hard covering. Sown in flats, simply as you would peas outdoors, covered with half an inch of sand, and placed where they will get a strong bottom heat, at least 2."^ per cent of the seed will grow quickly. The others will come up at intervals. They need pleiity of strong heat, and when they are large enough to handle they may be potted, grown in a warm house and shifted into four- or five-inch pots as their vigor may determine. About the middle of June they may be planted out. Clumps of the old Canna roots dug from the flower beds last season may now be taken out and cut ready to be started in pots or flats later on. Stock plants of Chrysanthemums should be placed in a temperature of 45 degrees, with all possible light so that they will begin to furnish material for cuttings. The roots of any varieties of Dahlia that one is desirous of increasing the stock of mav now be planted in a bench, where they will soon throw up a supply of cuttings. The first batch of Carnation cuttings should be rooted ]jy this time and ready to go into pots. They should be potted up at once for if left in the sand their vitality soon wanes. This is far more so with Carnations than with any other plants that are propagated today. A carnation plant, once allowed to get stunted in the sand, will remain so for some time to come aiid is far more subject to disease of all kinds than is healthy vigorous stock that has been kept growing right along. Don't make the mis- take of using highly manured soil for the first potting ; the little roots are not yet able to utilize the plant food at this time, and if you add a small proportion of well decayed manure you have done enough. A clean sweet fibrous soil is more important than an excessively rich one. The young plants will do well enough in a tem- perature of 48 degrees, and let the bench be a siuiny one. Pelargoniums should be kept growing from now on. Give them a sunny position, and a night temperature of about 45 degrees. Feed them liberally with liquid manure, together with alternate top dressings of Clay's fertilizer, or other concentrated plant food, which will assist in making the wood firm and cause the plants to flower freely. When they are very badly pot-bound they should be repotted in a compost made up of two-thirds fibrous loam, and one-third dry cow manure, with enough sand to make the whole porous, and a little fine bone meal. Drain the pots well, and pot firmly leaving a good margin at the top to hold water. Green aphis is the arch enemy of .'>how Pelargoniums and should never be given any quarter. Xot infrequently we see what were otherwise very fine plants simply alive with these pests. A heavy smoking is usually given, which more often than not removes the flowers as well as the aphis. The point is to fumigate light and often. Keep the plants spread out. and as light as possible, and on warm days give them a syringing overhead. Treated thus one can expect to have healthy, stockv plants that are a credit to the cul- tivator, and well worthy of the attention bestowed upon them. .-Vfter the middle of the month a batch of fancy leaved Caladiums. those gorgeous colored foliage plants, may be started up where they are likely to be needed for dec- orative purposes in the conservatory. .About as expe- ditious a method to employ in starting them as any is to place them in flats on a layer of spaghnuni moss. In this way they can be placed close together. Fill in and cover them all over with about an inch of moss, then place them in a house where thev can have a temperature I or February, l')2() 63 of 65 to 70 degrees with a bri>k bottom heat, for they like both top and bottom heat to make a good start. Watering should be with care until they get a start, a moderate moist condition suiting them best at this stage. When they have made a fair amount of roots they may be potted into 3- or 4-inch pots atifording them ample drainage. For a compost, three parts turfy loam, two parts leaf mold, with well decomposed cow manure, and enough sand to make the fixture porous suits them ad- mirably. For e.xtra sized plants keep shifting them until they are in 5- or 6-inch pots. Place them well up to the glass, atad as the sun gains in power during the day. they will need some shade. Watering througli all stages of growth needs to be done with good judgment. Among the many seeds that are to be sown at this time two or three are worthy of more than passing" mention. Pcnnisetum longistylum, is one of our most effective border plants and not seen nearlv as much as it de- serves to be. When used as an edging to a bed of Can- nas it gives a finished appearance to the bed that cannot he obtained with -Salvias, Coleus, or anj- of the plants usually made use of. To get good plants for this pur- pose seeds should be sown early, and grown cool. Thev require to be potted off singly, and never allowed to become crowded. Enpatoriutn frascri, is a plant that can be used like Stevia to go with other flowers. It grows about two feet high, and when kept free from weeds will thrive almost anywhere. E. caiestiniim is botanically speaking not a Eupatorium. but a Conoclinium, and is even a better plant than E. Eraser!. It is a late flowered perennial IJ^ feet high with heliotrope colored flowers and very hardy. It makes a useful plant for low borders, and if grown in pots-and kept pinched back, with the protection of a cold frame, or a violet house temperature will make a useful addition, to our list of late flowering plants either for decorative or cut flower purposes. Last fall in New- Jersey we saw this plant used as an edging in a bed of tall growing perennials, in full bloom the last week in October — the admiration of all who saw it. Seeds sown now and later transplanted to flats and put into per- manent cjuarters in Spring will result in some flowers this season, and more next. It is also easily propagated from cuttings, and these, inserted in the sand now. ma\' be treated as seedlings. Begonia Gracilis HENRY J. MOORE THERE are perhaps no more useful Begonias than the gracilis varieties, and as they are easy of culture their beauty may be enjoyed by growers prac- tically all over Xorth America. As bedding subjects, they are equal to any, and when their usefulness for this purpose is past they may, during Fall, be removed to the greenhouse or window where the\- will flower for many weeks, and be a source of beauty. Indeed with careful attention in cultural matters their pink or white flowers may prove a source of cheer all through the long Winter. Culture. — The Begonia gracilis varieties may be raised from seeds sown during August or September for Spring flowering in the greenhouse, or during late February in a greenhouse or warm window with a temperature of 6."^ degrees I-'ahrenheit, for bedding during late May. A soil com[)Osed of well rotted loam one part, leaf soil two parts, and sand one part, carefully mixed and finely screened is excellent for the seed pans. .A. heavy soil sometimes used by householders for this purpose is often the cause of failure with the seedlings. Others defer sowing till mid-.\pril, which is too late for bedding, even under the most favorable condition--, and court failure in this way. .\fford drainage to the pans by jilacing broken crocks one inch thick in the bottom. Upon this layer place a handful of the coar.se screenings from the loam, and finally fill with the screened soil to within one-half inch of the top. Make the soil fairly firm, and leave the sur- face slightly convex so that moisture will drain to the sides. This is good ]iractice when sowing all kinds of Begonias, as they are very susceptible to "damping" when sown on purelv flat surfaces. Soak the soil by immer- sion in water, before or after sowing the seeds, but do not disturb the surface. Do not cover the seeds with soil. Place a pane of glass over the pans and exclude the light by means of a piece of paper until germination takes place, removing it only when necessary to immerse the pan when the soil shows signs of dryness. The Rcg(»iia gracilis varieties show signs of germina- tion in less than two weeks, and in five may be pricked •off into larger pans or shallow bo.xes about an inch apart. '\'\\\> will be about the first week in April. During early May pot the seedlings singly into four-inch pots. Place them in a greenhouse, window, or garden frame, with a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees, and by the end of the month they will be ready for bedding. From June until mid-October the Begonias will furnish a wealth of beauty outdoors, and when the weather be- comes too cold for growth, remove them carefully from the soil and pot them according to their size into six or seven-inch pots in the soil previously mentioned, but which is only screened through a one-half-inch screen. Soil finer than this is not desirable for the purpose. Place the plants in the greenhouse and from Christmas onward with proper care they will prove a valuable addition to the stock of ornamental plants. If placed in the win- dow of a well lighted and warm room, watered when necessary, and manured with household ammonia, one teaspoonful to a quart of water, or with nitrate of Soda, one-quarter ounce to each gallon of water, good flower- ing growth will be promoted, the plants be kept in ex- cellent health, and in a condition to again plant out in the garden beds with the advent of Summer. The Begonias in (juestion may also be raised by cut- tings. One large well grown ])lant may furnish more than twentv, and if these are placed in beds of sand in the greenhouse or in pots in the window during Spring or Fall, a large number of plants may be raised. The person with the advantage which a greenhouse affords mav propagate the plants successfully at almost any time, but householders will be well advised not to at- temj^t to raise them either by means of cuttings or seeds except in Spring, so that they will not have to carry them over winter in the cutting or seedling stage. Rather the windows should be filled with mature plants lifted from the garden, and which are objects to be admired during the lone winter months. Think about yourselves : about w'hat you want, what you like, what respect people ought to pay to you. what people think of you ; and then to you nothing will be pure. — Charles Kingsley. 04 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Fruiting of Apple Trees Every Other Year IWI ANY varieties of apples and pears for various reasons bear only every other year. This condi- tion is not uniform the country over, but is more com- mon in the fruit sections of the North and East than in the South or West. The same is true but to a less extent of the stone fruits. The causes are somewhat varied but are mostly the result of the climatic en- vironment in which the trees are grown. The bien- nial bearing habit is apparently not an inheritable trait, but when it once becomes fixed in the life of the in- dividual there is little that can be done to change it. In the fruit sections where the climatic conditions favor the setting of a crop every year, the biennial habit does not exist. In those sections where frosts and rains interfere with the set of fruit, the life (Courtesy of Journal of Hcf'cifity) Grai'enstcin apple graft on a Russian type. The arrazv marks the point of union. Our year tlic Gravenstei)! branch is loaded Zi'ith blossoms iMle the rest of the tree is comparatively bare. On alternate years these conditions are reversed. processes of the tree are thrown out of balance and the tree gets into the habit of over-working one year and recuperating the next. A normal tree develops fruit buds for the next year at the same time it is matiu-ing the present crop. When there is no fruit to mature, an over supply of fruit buds is prepared for the next year. When the time comes, if condi- tions are favorable, a heavy crop sets and the tree puts forth all its efforts- to mature it. This causes such a heavv drain upon the energy of the tree, that no fruit bud's are formed for the next crop. After a few years the haljit generally becomes fixed and tlie tree continues as a biennial bearer. If the trees are properly pruned and the fruit thinned, while they are young the habit can be pre- vented to a large extent. When a heav}- crop sets on a young tree, it should be thinned enough so it will not be overburdened and can develop fruit buds Avhile maturing the crop. If frost destroys the blossoms, then the grower should reduce the vigor of the trees by cropping the orchard or by giving less cultivation. A heavy pruning in the years when a crop is expected will tend to reduce the amount of fruit and increase the wood growth. Early summer pruning during the crop year will often stimulate fruit buds. As the trees grow older the habit becomes fixed and it is hardly worth while to attempt to correct it. That a heavy crop actually reduces the number of blossoms formed for the next year can readily be proved by observing and counting those that appear tliniugh two or three years. Instances are not uncom- mon, where scarcely a dozen blossoms developed on trees that matured a heavy crop of fruit the preceding year. In the particular case illustrated in the accom- j)anying photograph, one-half of the tree had been grafted to a Gravenstein while the other half was of the original variety. For some unaccountable reason each half of the tree chose opposite vears for their heavy crop. In the spring it presents an t>dd appear- ance by one-half being in heavv bloom while the other half scarcely develops a single blossom. The next year the process is reversed. This tree is now about 25 years old and to the writer's personal knowledge has behaved as described for the past five years. No certain explanation as to the original cause of the condition can be given. As there is some slight difference in the blooming time of the two halves, it is possible, that frost may have come at such a time as to destroy the fruit on one side while the other escaped. It is interesting for two rea- sdiis. First, that it indicates that the formation of fruit buds is not wholly a cjuestion of nutrition. Sec- ond, that the food supply of the trees is directed first to the needs of the maturing crops. — The .Journal of Heredity. THE FLOWERING DOGWOOD— CORNUS FLORIDA IT is perhaps not necessary to call attention again to ••■ this tree which in recent years has been planted in considerable numbers in those parts of the north- eastern states where it is hardy, but the Flov.ering Dogwood has been exceptionally beautiful this \-ear, and its value for the decoration of the parks and gar- dens of eastern North America cannot be too often insisted on. Cornus florida "composes well," as land- scape gardeners would say, with tlie vegetation of eastern America, that is, where it is planted under our native trees or along the borders of natural woods it never looks out of place. In spring it enlivens the forest with sheets of the snow white floral bracts which surround the heads of small yellow flowers. In October the leaves of not one of our smaller native trees assumes more beautiful shades of crimson, scarlet, orange or yellow, and as the leaves change color gradually leaves which are still green are often mixed with those which have become brightly colored. The autumn beautv of the leaves is in- creased, ton. bv the contrast in the colors of their upper and kA\er surfaces, for only the upper surface changes color, the lower retaining until the leaves For February, 1920 65 fall the pale or nearly white color of Sunmier. In the Autumn, too, the clusters of bri^-ht scarlet fruits add another charm to this tree which is often short-lived, for birds devour the fruit almost as fast as it ripens. The conspicuous gray flower-buds which open the following" Spring are formed in the late Summer and add to the beauty and interest of the tree during the Autumn and Winter. A variety of Conius florida with red floral bracts was found in Virginia several years ago and has been propagated and sold by American nurserymen. When in flower it is a showy tree but lacks the charm of the normal species. A variety of the normal form with pendulous branches is in the Arboretum collection but has no particular interest or beauty, and a form with flower-heads surrounded by a double row of bracts, which was a good deal advertised n few years ago, has little to recommend it. Beautiful ,"i5 it is the eastern Flowering Dogwood is surpassed bv the species of the northwest coast region. Cornus Nuttallii, which is a tree sometimes seventy or eighty feel high with heads of bracts five or six inches across. Cornus NiittaUii grows in damp woods in the shade of large coniferous trees, and it is difficult to keep it ?live beyond the limits of its native forests. It has never succeeded in the Arboretum and has flowered in Europe in only a few gardens. The Japanese Flowering Dogwood, Cornus kousa, and its Chinese variet}' are hardy and handsome little trees which flower later in the season than our native species, with which thev do not compare in beauty of flowers, foliage or fruit. — Arnold .irborctuni Bulletin. STREPTOCARPI AND THEIR CULTURE CE\'ER.\L raisers have played a part in the produc- ^"^ tion of the present-day race of Strc/^tocarpi which now. in popularity vies with the Gloxinia; indeed, by some the Strcptocarpi are preferred to the others, though on this point opinions will, of course, differ. In place of a practically unknown and undeveloped race of plants, which was the case a little over a generation ago. we have now an exceedingly useful group where a dis- play of flowers has to be kept up at all seasons. The best forms now are exceedingly floriferous, with compact masses of large, bold blossoms. The range in color is very great, varying from pm-e white though different shades of pink and carmine to deep red or crimson, while in many the blue, violet and par|)le tints are delightful. Xot the least attractiw are those of a pure white, pencilled mainly in the throat with cirmine or purple. .\ feature in favor of these hybrid kinds of Strcptocarpus is that from seed sown in heat early in the year, plants may be obtained which will flower through- out the Summer and, under favorable conditions, well on into the Autumn. The flowers last well in a cut state, and for some kinds of decoration arc verv useful. If cut witit stems as long as ])ossibIe, they are very li^ht and elegant in appearance. Seeds should be sown during the first half of h'chru- ary. as then the young plants will have a long growing season before them. Whether sown in pans or pots, the utmost care must be taken in carrying this out, as the seeds are very minute, and the seedlings at first corre- spondingly delicate. The pans or pots must be quite clean, well-drained and filled to within a third of an inch of the rims with a good light compost. Most ges- neraceous i>lants are very fond of a liberal ([uantity of leaf-mold in the soil they grow in, and the several forms of Streptocarpus form no exception to the rule. .\ suit- able cnntpo^^t in which to sow the seeds may be made up of one ].)art loam to two of leaf-mold, and about half a part of silver sand. It is a good plan to sterilize the soil before use, after which it should be sifted through a sieve with a quarter of an inch mesh, i)utting the rougher portions that do not pass through the sieve on one side to place immediately over the crocks. The soil should then be pressed down moderatelv firm and made quite level. riefore sowing the seed, the soil should be moistened either by watering through a very fine rose or by standing the receptacle nearly to the rim in a vessel of water, which will enter through the hole in the bottom and thus wet the whole of the soil without disturbing the surface. Placed then in a shaded part of a warm structure ; that is. where a temperature of 60 to 65 degrees is maintained, the voung plants will in due time make their appearance. I'ntil this happens a pane of glass should be laid over the ]Mt, in order to maintain a uniform state of moisture. The seed is so minute that when it is sown some culti- vators do not cover it at all except with the glass, while others sprinkle just a little dry silver sand on the surface. It is -most essential to take care that the seed is sown verv thinlv. It may be noted that it sometimes germi- nates in a rather irregular manner. When the young plants are large enough to conveniently handle, they mav be pricked off into pans or boxes, using much the same kind of compost as that in which the seeds were sown. From the delicate nature of the young plants this must be carefully done. The temperature of a warm house and a shady spot therein are necessary for the young plants. When sufficiently advanced, they may be potted oft' singly into 2><-inch pots, from which the strongest growing plants may in due course be shifted into pots 4 inches to 4>4 inches in diameter. During the \Vinter the plants should be put in a tem- jicrature of 50 to 55 degrees, and the soil kept moderately drv, though on no account must they be parched uv. as. unlike Gloxinias, they do not form a solid tuber. Then, about the end of February or early in Alarch. they mav be potted, equal parts of loam and leaf-mold with a little sand being verv suitable. Under the influence of addi- tional heat thev will soon start into growth, when they may for the Summer be removed to the greenhoitse. .^n occasional stimulant will at that time be beneficial, and. in order to prolong the flowering period, all tlie^ old blooms should be picked off unless seed is required. After the second vear"s flowering the plants may be thrown awav. — The Garden ("FnglisliV ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR Tlioie'.'i sometliiim- to be tliankl'ul fur. no matter how things RO— In .Snnimcrtime for fruit and llowcrs. in Wintertime for snow. Tlicrc's something- sort of pleasant liappcning to us every day, .\n(l life's a perfect picnie if we look at it that way. There's alwavs something: pretty for our weary eyes to see— The glory of the sunset or the blossoms on the tree. .^lKl alw.ivs something tuneful for our tired ears to hear — The children's voices chirping or the robin's music clear. There's always somethiuK ready for our willing hands to do- Some halting steps to help along, soine job to carry lhroug;h— \'o chance to be kicking when our feet are busy going, \o time for idle growling when we're planting seed and sowing. There's >omcthing to be thankful for. no matter how things go— \o end to all our blessings if we only count them so. .\nd even if vou'rc out of sorts, or sick, or sad, or poor, Just thank the Lord you're living if you can do nothing more. — Selected. 66 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE tllllilillininiiii>inniiiiiiiiiiii;iiii:iiiiiiiiiililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii:i>iliNiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiitiiiiiiiiiini|[|iliiiliiiiili»iJ^ [!iii:[;iiiiiti:mi{|iniiin:iiin;ii:iiiniiiiiiit:iin'tMiiiiiiini;iii!!iiii!iiiiiim!miiii!i:iiii:i;ii: iii!:iiii:ii»iiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiuillll»liiililil| I A Lesson on Some Whys of Crop Rotation | 1 Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on (iardcninu. Ajjinaimii Ke^ularU in The GARDtNERs' Chronicle = I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | iiimiiiiiiillllliiiilliii!iiiiliiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilii:iiii:iiii!iiiiiiNiiiniiiliiiiiiiiilii:iiiiiiiiiiiNiillllliiliil^^ i iiiimniiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiil PREPARING FUK AN'U PLAXXING THE SEASOX S CROPS With the lengthening days our thoughts are naturally along the lines of planning for the coming season, espe- cially in the way of making out and sending the seed order, so that there will be no delay in taking advantage of the earliest moment that seed sowing becomes possible. Those who adopt the excellent plan of keeping a diary, and note weather temperatures, dates of sowing, germina- tion, etc., together with results obtained, are in a better position to review the past successes and failures than is the case with those who trust to their memories alone. Frequently more can be learned from failures than from anything else, especially if we arrive at correct conclu- sions as to their cause. Owners of large gardens have room enough to grow a sufficiency of everything for their requirements which their climate will jjroduce : but with smaller areas it is frequently necessary to consider the tjuestion of what to grow and what not to grow, and to divide up a limited space to the best advantage. It is generally a wiser pro- cedure to grow a few varieties well than to attempt a larger number than can be successfully brought to ma- turity upon the space given them. In those cases where one cannot produce everything in the way of vegetables required by their household it is better to leave out those articles which deteriorate least. or do not deteriorate at all when sent to the market. For instance, there is not as a rule a great deal of difference in quality between potatoes grown at home and those ob- tained from the market ; whereas under no jiossible con- ditions can we buy peas and beans at all apjiroaching the (|uality of those we can grow for ourselves, and it would therefore he better to secure a constant supply of these latter than to grow potatoes unless we have room enough to produce a sufificiency of all. It is well at this season to map out u[)on paper a gen- eral cropping scheme so as to see what amount of space can be devoted to each kind, both in relation to the sec- ond, as well as to the first crop we ])ropose to plant, bear- ing in mind the fact that, generally speaking, two crojjs in a season may be obtained off the same ground, of course leaving out of consideration permanent crops like asparagus ; and even if conditions do not always permit of averaging two crops in a year, we can certainly aver- age three crops in two years off the entire ground not devoted to things which are permanent. In making plans, whether in our minds or upon paper, it is worth while to consider the question of rotating the various crops, so that a given species does not occupy the same grounrl in successive years and that an interval of one or more years shall pass before it is grown there again. AN UXDERLVING PRTXCIPLE OF CROP ROTATIOX One underlying principle of crop rotation is the con- servation of soil fertilit}', and it is, in a general way, more strictly adhered to in connection with farming than with gardening : in fact, very fretjuently farm leases contain clauses stating that certain crops shall not be grown upon the same ground except after certain specified intervals. A rotation is the arranging of a succession of crops which will ta.x the soil for plant food in a different man- ner. Some plants require certain elements of plant food in different pro])ortion than others, and in the case of nitrogen some do not require it in the soil at all as they obtain it from the air. Peas and beans are among the latter and are designated nitrogen-producing crops ; while corn and cabbage are among those classed as nitrogen- consuming, therefore, bv growing the latter after the former the necessity of adding nitrogen is. to a great ex- tent, if not entirely, obviated. While it may not always be possible to avoid the direct application of nitrogen to some crops in a vegetable garden, yet it is easy so to ar- range a rotation of crops for a farm that it will render direct applications of nitrogen entirely unnecessary. \\'hile our cultivated plants recpiire food containing some of all the various elements which are found in vege- table matter, yet they do not all take up these elements in the same proportions ; for instance, there is about eight times more lime in a given weight of cabbage than in the same weight of potatoes, and if we grow the same crop continually upon the same ground we gradually exhaust the soil of the requirements of that crop that are in an available condition, and, unless special fertilizers are added, the time will arrive when that particular crop will cease to produce anything worth while : and in this con- nection we must remember that no excess of one element will compensate for a deficiency in another, or in others. 1'. must he emphasized that in speaking of plant food being exhausted it only applies to that which is available, as for all practical purposes no system of cropping will exhaust a soil of its mineral constituents, of which only a small amount is ever in an available state at one time ; there- fore by growing the same crop year after year upon the same ground the available food which that crop requires in the largest quantity is used up faster, and there is not enough of that food to supply its full requirements, and therefore the yield becomes less, but by growing another crop which reipiires less of what the other reejuired the most, opportunity is given for an increase in the available amount of that ingredient. Then again, species differ in their methods of seeking nourishment. We can have two distinct plants practically agreeing in their food requirements, yet one might fail where the other would succeed. Suppose, for instance, members of the cabbage family had been grown continu- ously until the soil began to fail, even then we might grow .good crops of ]iarsnips and carrots for the simple reason that they send their roots down into a stratum which the other crops never reached. It is most instructive to bear in mind that, although the parsnip will do well upon soil of which the surface has been more or less exhausted, yet the dry matter of this plant contains thirty-six per cent of .potash, eleven per cent of lime, and twenty per cent of phos]ihate. How does the parsnip obtain its min- eral food in a soil which for other crops appears to be exhausted? Simply by pushing down for it into a mine that has hitherto been but little worked, though the cab- bage might fail in the same plot because the sujierficial stratum had been over-taxed. As far as we have gone the subject has been con- sidered in regard to the conserving and making the .great- est use of the natural soil fertility, and these considera- tions have a greater bearin.g upon farming than upon gardening. Gardening is a more intensive branch of agri- culture than farming. In gardens we adoi>t methods of cultivation and manuring which would be impracticable and uniirofitable in connection with farming: and these For February, 1920 67 methods to a great extent enable gardeners to look upon a strict rotation of crops, so far as it relates to plant food, as of secondary importance, although even in this relationship it must not be ignored entirely. The farmer has to arrange his rotation to fit as far as possible the kind of crops the land is naturally best adapted to insure, in a run of seasons, the most profitable results. The me- chanical condition of a soil, for instance, whether sandy or clayey, causes it to be less fitted for some crops than it is for others ; and there are also other considerations outside soil which have a bearing upon a farm rotation. CROP ROTATION IN THE GARDEN We cannot follow the same procedure in cro]iping a garden. Some consideration can certainly be given to what our soil and climate will especially favor among garden crops, but, notwithstanding this, the gardener has to grow something of everything and he cannot restrict his operations to such crops as the land is particularly adapted for, but he must endeavor to render his garden capable of carrying more or less of all the vegetables and fruits that find a place in household requirements, and which it may be possible to grow in his climate. That sometimes failures occur at certain points is inevitable, nevertheless his aim will be, and must be. of a somewhat universal kind. .\t the same time in the case of a garden which varies in its mechanical condition, one would ar- range to have ])Otatoes. for instance, upon the lightest and most sandy portion, and cabbage and cauliflowers u]>on that containing the most clay. As regards the natural mineral constituents of a soil. a gardener can to a great extent, however, afford to ig- nore in some ways a rotation inasmuch as he has more power to nullify untoward conditions than the farmer : by the proper use of the spade and other hand imple- ments, he can give his garden deeper and more thorough cultivation than is either practicable or profitable by the use of farm implements. A gardener in growing a little of everything, ])erhaps only one row at a time of anv one sjiecies, can give a particular species more of what it re- quires most of ; for instance, a few handsful of fine bone meal scattered along the line before sowing peas and beans will give these just the phosphate they ref|uire in a position near at hand to them. In any case the manuring of a garden should be u])on a more extensive and more fre(|uent scale than is practicable in farming, and a well- handled garden always contains considerable reserves of avail.'ible |)laiit food. TIIH VALL'F. Ol' MAMKIXC; There is a point related to manuring which is indirrctK- connected with our subject. Roth farmers and gardeners are aware nf ilic great \alue of stable manure; it is for all practical pur]ioses a well balanced food, although it ma\- vary in the percentage of its constituents according to what the animals have been fed upon and as to whether they are being grown, worked, or fattened, and there is nothing so effective in the pro- duction of vegetables. It is also beneficial in adding humus, and in bettering the mechanical condition (if both heavy clays and lii^ht sands. There is. however, some- thing connected with it which cannot be explained l)v the combined effects of the plant food and hunms it adds to. and its mechanical effect upon, the soil. Last month we drew an analogy between the feeding of plants and the feeding of animals, and it was ])ointed out that in the ca.sc of the latter it is ncces.sarv that their food contain some, at present unknown, vital principles to which the ternt "\'itann'nes" has been given. It was fur- ther stated that there ajipears to be considerable evidence hcmi the results of laboratory experiments and in other directions to show that some accessory substances acting m a similar way are necessary to plants, and that there is no doubt that the greater and more lasting effect of stable manure and other animal refuse is due to the exist- ence of this substance or substances. It seems worth while in this connection to allude to one of the Rothamsted experiments in the field. A plot of ground was taken to which stable manure was annually applied for twenty years, from 1852 to 1871. The eft'ect of the stable manure continued to increase for the first thirteen years : it then increased no more but re- mained at its high level. In 1872 the stable manure was discontinued. Upon this plot the same crop has been grown from 1852 down to the present time, and although the yield has gradually fallen since the manure was dis- continued, it is still thirty per cent higher than another plot alongside of it which has been growing the same crop all the time but has had no manure whatever, al- though in other respects treated similarlv. Tliis experi- ment proves several facts, but the only one which we need consider now is the strikingly lasting character of stable manure as well as the value of organic manure in building up a soil. In these days stable manure is difficult, and in some localities almost impossible, to obtain, and therefore one is not always able to get sufficient to manure the entire garden eacli year. In this case its application should be rotated, .so that the entire garden will at lea.st get a dress- ing of stable manure at more or less frequent intervals. We have in a previous month pointed out that the short- age of stable manure can in some respects be made good l)y the use of stock-yard manures and the tuming under of green crops. .At any rate in j)lamiing tlie work of the garden the question of the rotation of manure has some- times to be considered. IMI'OKT.VNCE OF ROT.XTIOX TO CO .MEAT TESTS C nming back to the rotation of crops, this in a vegetable garden is really more important in connection with insect and fungus pests than with anything else, and this im- portance is greater in respect of some crops than with others. In these days insects and fungi of nunu-rous species give us an increasing amount of trouble, and upon a place of any size one man can find plenty to do in devoting his whole time during the growing season to the work of spraying, etc., both for prevention and cure. In a vege- table garden a rotation can be made as regards some crops ail indirect means of preventing and reducing the ravages of "nests." While many of these economic parasites u.se several species of plants as hosts, yet there are certain of them which attack, so far as our gardens are concerned, only one family or species. Before, or at the beginning of, iln' winter season these i)ests go into a dormant stage and hibernate in some form or another until the follow- ing growing season. Xaturally-. and invariably, they pass tiie Winter near where they lived during the Sum- mer. ,-ind it therefore follows that if we grow a crop upon the ground occupied bv the same crop during the pre- ceding year it will be more liable to attack bv its .special liests than if it occupied a position some distance away v\hich had not grown that crop for several seasons. ihis is especially true in those cases where the j^ests live and work under the surface and attack the plants' roots. One of these latter is a fungus known as Club-root which attacks, more or less, all members of the Crucifer- ous family and is especiallv eft'ective in damaging cabbage and cauliflower. File fungus which produces Club-root belongs to the .\fyxoiii\rctrs, or "slime fungi." which live u[)on deca\ing vegetable matter. This fungus rami- fies within the tissues of the roots of attacked plants, cnusing first a swelling on the roots the interior of which afterwards liecomes full of slimy matter. Eventually 68 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE an amazing numbL-r of spores are produced of so small a size that millions would be required to cover a square inch. When a spore germinates, its contents escape throug'h a small aperture in its wall and begins moving about of its own accord by means of a microscopic hair which wriggles about like the tail of a tadpole. It is one of those organisms which form a connecting link between the animal and the vegetable kingdoms. Unlike the potato disease, or at least the oldest and most preva- lent one of the several diseases atTecting this tuber, which spreads from plant to plant through the atmosphere, the fungus causing club-root remains in the soil at all its stages and can only spread through that medium. Nothing can be done to control this or any other pests affecting roots by spraying, which renders it the more imperative to rotate crops of this kind. \\'hile it has not come into my own personal expe- rience, cases have been heard of where an entire garden has become infected with club-root. It is to a great ex- tent preventable by heavy dressings of quick-lime worked into the surface of the ground soni_e time before setting out the plants : and in any case cabbage and cauliflowers require more lime as actual food than any other crops. It is possible to bring this disease in by purchased plants, and plants with any swellings upon their roots should be di-carded and burnt, whether purchased or grown one's self. Sometimes a swelling upon the roots, similar in outward ai>pearance, is caused bv an insect. While this is not so harmful as the fungus, it always has the effect of checking growth. In the latter case a legless maggot will be found inside the swelling, while the interior of the enlargement caused by club-root will be more or less decayed. In the latter, insects will, after a time, find their wav into this, but they are only a secon- dary feature of the trouble. As an additional preventa- ti\e the stumps and roots should always be burned. While the potato disease which is the principal cause of potatoes rotting, attacks the tops first, and can be pre- vented by frequent spraying, it is advisable to have the interval between growing this crop upon the same ground as long as possible. There are undoubtedly several species of fungi which cause potato tubers to rot and some of these may infect the tuber in the soil without appearing upon the haulm, and certainly the newer wart disease is a soil fungus. These are additional reasons for not planting potatoes more often upon the same ground than is absolutely necessary. With these also, and with all other diseased vegetable matter, burning the haulm and other remains is advisable: if burning is impracticable, then a hole can be made in which the refuse may lie placed and thor- ou.ghlv mixed with quick-lime. .SOME GROINS TH.\T C.\N BE .ALTERNATED ANXU.\LLV \\'hile for the reasons stated it should be considered imperative to stfictly rbtate the Cabbage family, m which turnips may be included, potatoes, and other things w hich are liable to diseases attacking their roots : and while it is better to rotate other vegetables as much as possible, still more or less elasticity may be introduced into the rotation, so far as pests are concerned, of those things whose troubles come from those which only attack the parts of the plants whicb are above ground, so as to fit the rotation to other considerations. For instance, one may have a plot in their garden which is exceptionally suited for early work by reason of its being sheltered by a well, building, etc., and so placed that" it gets full sun. In this situation the frost will be out of the ground sooner than elsewhere, and it will therefore give opportunities for early sowing and for securing a crop a week or two earlier than would be the case in other parts of the garden. As peas and spinach are always the first things to be sown and to be gathered from the open ground, there is no reason why a border of this kind should not be devoted to these every year without the crops deteriorating at all, provided the ground is kept rich, sweet and light, and at the same time otherwise handling along the lines pre- viously mentioned in these columns. If the border is large enough to carry the first crops of both peas and sj)inach, the portion upon which one is grown this year could be devoted to the other next year, in this way a nitrogen-producing, could alternate with a nitrogen-con- suming crop. This latter point should have considera- tion in cropping the entire garden so that as far as possible crops which obtain their nitrogen from the air, like peas and beans, should alternate with those like corn, cabbage, etc., which require a sufficiency of nitro- gen to be present in the soil. Apart from the above necessity of allowing at least a few years interval if possible between some crops, a certain amount of rotation is easily obtained in the or- dinary course of things. As the earliest crops mature they are succeeded by others, and these are followed in the autumn by a cover crop for turning under just be- fore Winter. So that along these lines the entire garden which is under annual cropjjing gets a certain amount of change in sjjccies, thereby avoiding waste of, while at the same lim;- conserving, plant food. ROSE COLUMBIA T"" HE Executive Committee of the American Rose So- ciety at a recent meeting voted to award to the hybrid tea rose Columbia, registered in 1917 by E. G. Hill of Richmond, Indiana, the Gertrude M. Hubbard gold medal for the best rose of American origin introduced during the last five years. This reward was made possible by the generosity of Mrs. Gertrude M. Hubbard of Twin Oaks, Washington, D. C.. and has been awarded but once when, in 1914, it was given to M. H. Walsh of Woods Hole, Massachu- setts, for the introduction of the climbing rose E.xcelsa. The honor which goes to Air. Hill is distinctive. It is the highest honor which the American Rose Society can confer on a hybridizer, and it is a recognition, not only of a variety of merit but of the valued work of a pioneer in rose breeding — one who has devoted half a century of real service in the advancement of the rose, through breeding a type admirably suited for .\merican condi- tions.— E. A. White, Secretary. The rose, Columbia, is proving to be a decided favorite and is now regarded as one of the finest out-door, pink roses ever introduced. Strong, sturdy in growth with handsome foliage, flowers of a glowing pink color. DECAY OF PUBLIC PARKS ■"THE broad fact in connection with the decay of pub- lie parks which may be seen in nearly all our American cities is that we Americans are better at starting things than we are at taking care of thetn afterwards. We employ our Olmsteds and our Vaux to create beautiful parks, and then leave them to the tender mercies of men w-ithout education in the pro- found art and science of the making and care of pleas- ure grounds. There is no art or science which de- mands a deeper or broader education than this. And the difference between expert knowledge and utter neglect in such a matter can be noted fully in a single day bv comparing the appearance of the Arnold Ar- boretum with that of Central Park in New York or l"r;inklin T;ivk in P.oston. — Baslou Traiiscri[>l. For February, 1920 69 0iiiiiwiiiiiiniiiiiiimniiiiii>iiijiiij|iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|iiiiuin^ j;iiliil:ll[i:iill:ii:;ji! '"niiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiamiiiiiiii, National Association of Gardeners Office: 286 FIFTH A\'E.. XEW YORK. L. P. Jensen, President, St. Louis, Mo. D. L. M.-^CKiNTOSH. J'tee-Piwiideiit. Stillwater, Minn Thom.\s W. He.\d, Treasurer. Lake Forest, 111. "SI. C. Ebel, Scerelary, Madison, X. J. I Trustees for 1920 I Peter Duff, Orange. X. }.; William Waite. Runison, N. J.; Arthur Smith, Elberon, X. J.; Robert Weeks, Cleveland, O.; William H. Griffiths. 1 Detroit, Mich. i Directors I (To serve until 192!)— William X. Craig. Brookline. Mass.: William Hcni'ck. San Gabriel. Cal.; William Grav. Xewport. R. I.: G. Hennen- I liofer. Great Falls. Mont; Thomas Hatton, Xew London, Conn.; Albin Martini. Lake Geneva. Wis.; A. C. Jordahn. Palni Ueach, Fla. (To serve I until 1922)— Georpe Wilson. Lake Forest, 111.; .Tames Stuait. Mamaron ^ck. X. V.: William Kleinheinz, Ogontz. Pa.; John F. Huss! Hartford, § Conn.; Edwin Jenkins, Lenox. Mass.: Carl N. Fohn, Colorado Springs, tolo.: Joseph Tansey, Tuxedo Park, X'. Y. (To serve until 1923); § Robert Williamson. Greenwich, Conn.: Robert Cameron. Ipswich, Mass.: Theodore Wirtli. Minneapolis. Minn.; George H. Princ St. Louis' § Mo.; George W. Hess, Washington. D. C; Daniel J. Coughlin. Locust X'alley, L. I.; John Earnet. Sewickley, Pa. iiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii«iiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiii:iiii;iiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENTS Owing to an over-sight which occurred in the secretary's office the name of Robert Williamson. Greenwich. Conn., was .omitted from the list of directors appointed by President Jensen to serve for three j-ears until 1923. AN EXECUTIVE MEETING CALLED President L. P. Jensen has called an executive meeting of the trustees and directors of the association to meet in New York during the week of the Xew York Spring Flower Show, be- ginning March 14. Members of the executive committee will be duly notified when plans for the meeting are completed. GARDENERS' CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK During the Spring Flower Shmv week in Xew York, a gardeners' conference will be held under the auspices of the national association. The program will consist of a general discussion of the work the association is undertaking, and on the operation of the Service Bureau, in which all members and those interested in the profession of .gardening are invited to participate. Announcement of the meeting place and date will be published in the horticultural press later. SERVICE BUREAU PUBLICITY FUND The following contriliutions have Iiecn received for the Service Bureau Publicity Fund to January 30 : Previously acknowledged $,S41 .00 Thomas J. Kennelly. Locust Valley. L. I 5.00 William Graham. Greenwich. Conn .S.OO Alfred Lunden, Reading, Pa., for five years 25.00 Thomas L. Hughes. Convent, X. J 5.00 John Mackintosh. Syosset, L. I..-- 5.00 W. G. Woodger. Great Xeck. L. 1 5.00 Jack Baxter, Lake Forest, 111., yearly 10.00 John McCoy, Cold Spring Harbor, L. 1 3.00 Frank W. Evendcn. Fairfield. Conn • • 2.00 John V. Borin, Centre Moriches, L. 1 2.00 Koliert ( ilen. t'urt Chester. .\. Y 5 (K) T. J. Kempton, Baychestcr. L. I 3.00 James Marlborough. Topsfiekl. Mass 2.00 John S. Doig, Barrington. R. I 3.00 Adain Mann, Tyringham, Mass 2.00 W. R. Fowkes, Coopcrstown. N. Y 5.00 Edward Batchelor, .\kron. 0 2.00 Thomas W. Stobo. Garrison. X. \ . . .. ■ ■ 5.00 George Bell. Sterlinglon, X. Y 5.00 Peter Macdonald, Sabattis, X. Y 5.00 Henry Stewart. Waltham. Mass 2.00 Jacob Vattcr. Xashotah. Wis..-. 1.00 William MacKey, Newport. R. 1 5.00 George Hewitt, Lenox, Mass 2.00 Anton Bauer, Bradley Beach, X. 1 10.00 Joseph Goatley, Port Chester. X. Y . 5.00 John R. Xess, Waverly, Mass 5.00 Samuel Golding. Morristovvn. X. J 2.00 Herbert Woodger. Ovster Bay. L. I- • 2.00 Alfred Woodger. ( )v.stcr Bav. L. 1 2.00 W. B. Jackson. Summit, Nl J 2.00 Andrew Crombie, Mt. Kisco, X. Y 5.00 Manus Curran, Sewickley, Pa- ■ 5.00 William Lund, Cazenovia, X. Y 2.00 J. W. Davidson. Bernardsville. X. [ 5.00 Erne.st Riddell. Brookline. Ma^s 2 00 David F. Roy, Marion. Mass ....-• 2.00 Bruce Butterton, Xewport, R. 1 3 00 James Allan, Truro, N. S 3^00 Edgar Osborne. Williamsto wn. Mass .' . 2^00 F. H. Butler. Lenox. Mass 9.00 Jesse H. Frampton, Glen Cove. L. 1 2.00 .Andrew Kneuker. Shrewsbury, Mass • • . . . 2.00 Walter J. Dack. Shrewsbury^ Mass 3.00 Hugo P. Stenstrom, Hartsdale. X. Y -. 3.00 John Henderson. Mamaroneck. X'. Y 2.00 J. A. Weber, Excelsior, Minn ■ 2.00 James C. Berry. Paris, Ky 5.0O A. C. Jordahn, Palm Beach. Fla- - 2^00 Stephen Bcrnath. Midland Park. X. J 2.00 Olaf Blomberg. Granville. O 15.00 \\'. X. Craig. Brookline. Mass 10.00 . Total $765.00 The Contributions so far received are not sufficient to carry on the work of the Service Bureau as outlined at the conven- ti.,n m Cleveland, and as published in detail in the report of the proceedings sent to members. The estimate of the cost to test out the merits of the Service Bureau and its benefits to the association and the profession, was a conservative one. .\t the present time over eighty dollars a month is being ex- pended for advertising alone, but those at all familiar' with advertising cost, will realize that the expenditure of such an amount for advertising is a very meager one, though it is bringing in good results. Those members' interested in the development of the Service Bureau, who have not yet con- tributed to tlie publicity fund, sliould send in their contribu- tions without delay, that the committee mav know what funds it can rely on, and complete its plans. THE SECRETARY'S CORRESPONDENCE Owing to an r,nusually largr amount of mail whicli has reached the secretary's office during the last two months, . besides the other activities of the association, the secretary has not been able to give the communications the prompt attention he would like to give them, and must ask therefore the indulgence of members, wlmsc letters have been delayed in being answered. COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL GARDENS BU.\RD OF EDCCATIOX Division of Educational Extension Cleveland, January 23. 1920. Mr. G. H. I'ring, Chairman Committee on School Gardens, Tlie Xational .'Xssociation of Gardeners. St. Louis, Mo. I wish to thank you for yours of September 25, which I regret has been unanswered to now for various reasons. Personally I wish to say that the report of the Committee on School Gardens appointed by the National .Association of Gardens was very timely and of considerable assistance in the Fall when we revised our course of study. I wish to say for your information that the science department here passed resolutions approving your recommendations without change. The Cleveland Board of Education is verv grateful to the committee and to the Xational .\ssociation of Gardeners for their suggestions and help in iiKtking the course of study more practical. O- M. Eastman, Supervisor of Gardens. 70 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The foregoing communication is the ac- knowledgement of a report submitted by the School Garden Committee appointed at the Cleveland convention, consisting of G. H. Prina. Missouri, Arthur Smith, New Jersey, M."C. Ebel, Xew York, at the re- quest' of Mr. Eastman, supervisor of the School Gardens of Cleveland, who ap- peared before the convention to invite the co-operation of the gardeners' association in the school garden work and to secure suggestions for the development of the school garden movement of that city. Mr. Eastman stated that up to 1918 not more than $5tXl a year had been expended by the Cleveland schools for promoting school garden work, but that for 1920 an appropria- tion had been provided of over $23,000. SUSTAINING MEMBERS Harrv B. Clow. Lake Forest, 111. (James Wilson^ superintendent), General Richard Coulter, Grcensburg, Pa. (N. T. Forsyth, gardener). H. L. Thompson, Toledo, O. (H. H. Hundt. superintendent), have become sustaining members of the association. NEW MEMBERS The foUi>wmg names have recently been added to our membership list : James C. Tough. Rye, X. Y. ; Fred Stratford, Yonk- ers, N. Y. : Herman Schafer, Riverdale, X. Y.- Tames Lvon. Marion, Mass.; Herbert B. Lord, Louisville, Ky. : D. Miller, C. A. Muehldorfer. Paul A. Kohl. St. Louis, Mo. ; Charles Big.gers. Rosvln, L. L : \Villiam La Bella, Port Chester. X. Y. ; Severin Haug- land. Hibbing. Minn. : John Shaw, Cold Spring Harbor, L. I.: William Fremd. Jr.. tierard C. Boon, Greenwich, Conn. ; John L. Mearns, Bryn Mawr. Pa. : Jerome B. Murphy, Elberon. X. 1.; William S. Butler, Glen Cove. L. L: Thomas .\. Clark, Port Washington, L. L ; Charles A. Brazier, Sy- ossct, L. I. : Robert Davidson, Port Wash- ington, L. L : Stanley Ballance, John H. Marx. Oyster Bay. L. L I AMONG THE GARDENERS j William Tait of Tivoli, N. Y., has ac- cepted a position of superintendent of the H. S. White estate. Bedford Hills, X. Y. lack Ba.xter, for the past several years in'charge of the greenhouse range of Mel- lodv Farm. Lake Forest. 111., has secured the' position of gardener on the Charles H. Thorne estate, Lake Forest. A. A. Macdonald for many years the superintendent of Duke's Park. Somerville. N. J., has entered the commercial field. He has established a retail store in Somerville. and has purchased a farm on the outskirts of that city where he intends to erect a greenhouse range. John Turnbull, for the past nine years gardener at HoUin Hall, Alexandria. Va. mond. "West Holme," Santa Barbara. Cal., and Akron. Ohio, recently entered the commercial lield. engaging in the flower growing business in Santa Barbara. George Hulton. formerly of San Mateo, Cal., has accepted the position of .gardener of "West Holme." Santa Barbara, succeed- ing Mr. Turnbull. Peter Boury has accepted the position of gardener at Hollin Hall. .-Mexandria. \'a. Robert Whan, formerly of West Xeck Farm, Huntington, X. Y., has secured the position of gardener on the J. H. Burton estate, Cedarhurst, X. Y. Robert Melrose, formerly superintendent of the H. H. Rogers estate, Southampton. peas ^ 1920 THE Pi_AlN TWUTM ABOUT SEEDS TMAT GROW W. Atlee Burpee K^o. Seed Growers Philadelphia W.Atlee Burpee Co., Seed Growers Philadelphia, BURPEE'S ANNUAL FOR 1920 The Leading American Seed Catalogue Burpee's Annual is a complete guide to tlie X'egetable and Flower garden. It fully describes the Burpee- Quality seeds with a hundred of the fniest vegetables and flowers illustrated in the colors of nature. If you are interested in gardening Burpee's Annual will be mailed to you free. \\'rite for your co])y today. \\\ ATLEE BURPEE CO. Seed Growers Philadelphia iniwiinniiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiHinninniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiin^ For February, 1920 71 N. v., has accepted a similar position on tlie Geo. M. Sidenberg estate, Mt. Kisco, X. Y. Lewis Barnet has secured the position of superintendent of the R. B. Mellon estate. Pittsburgh. Pa. William Allen, formerly of the Burton estate, Cedarhurst, L. I., has accepted the position of superintendent of the F. C. Littleton estate, Mamaroneck, N. Y. Thomas Hambleton has accepted the posi- tion of gardener on the B. H. Howell estate, Suffern, X. Y. In Memory of Mrs. Mary B. MacMachan The atheist scoffs at Heaven, The learned no hell conceive ; God says that both existcth, And we know whom to believe. The book that liuilt this Xation. Is good enough today. Let them preach their isms glibly. The Bible's here to stay. We thought of this, as we watched o'er Tlie dust of her who is gone. That Time gives up our records When God deems our tasks are done. That the soul of her, we loved so. Through space has winged its way. To the mansions God 's prepared Ere He formed us from the clay That cheerful voice, alas! no more, Her disposition kind ; Her time and toil, for the Red Cross. Tuxedo 'II bear in mind, Those kindly deeds will long survive The grave wherein she's laid ; The zeal and force of character. From memory shall not fade. D.wiD S. Miller. It is with deep sorrow that we record the de^th on January 20. of Mrs. Mary B. Mac- Machan of Tuxedo Park, X. Y., widow of James B. MacMachan. for many j-ears the superintendent of "Imslagh," the country estate of George F, Baker, located at Tuxedo Park. X. Y., to which position iNIrs. MacMachan >ucceeded her husband on his death. Mrs. MacMachan was the only wo- man member of the national association, holding active membership by virtue of her position. She was presented with the associ- ation's medal last year as the winner of the greatest number of points in the competition at tlie monthly meetings of the local society during the year 1918. Mrs. MacMachan took keen interest in the affairs of the associa- tion, attending the Cleveland convention held in .\ugust last, and those who had the privilege of meeting her. will always remember her pleasing personality. She is survived by her two daughters. THE AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY This new tlower society was organized at The Xew York Botanical (iarden, on Janu- ary 29. 1920. with a broad policy covering every phase of iris interest. It will create a central bureau for the collection and dis- semination of authoritative information on the culture and treatment of the plants, the choice of named varieties, and the pos- sil)ilities of the use of iris for cut-flowers, or garden and massed planting. Iris are generally considered a plai.t for the am- ateur and somewhat beneath the notice of a professional gardener but certain species vie with the orchid in both splendor of color and difficulty of treattnent, while few realize the opportunities of using them in landscape to create sheets of unusual coloring. Re- cently there has been a tlood of new iiitro- The Ten -Ten Cataloo ^as Made For You Suppose, just for instance, you want Snapdragon seed, and you want it quick. Suppose you turn to your catalogues and find listings of them as long as your arm and every one claims to be just as good as every other one. Sup- pose you just didn't happen to know as much about Snaps as you do. How are you going .o make selections, without spending a whole evening studying catalogues? Now suppose you have a catalogue that listed only Ten. Ten of the ones that the experts say are the topnotchers. Ten with just enough de- scriptions to tell you exactly what you want to know and no more. No long winded, sugar-coated stuff, but facts. You would go down to meet such a catalogue with a brass band, now, wouldn't you? Well, that's just the kind of a catalogue The Ten-Ten is. Everything grouped in tens. Send for it. Never mind about the band this time. ^/ Ai The Sifr of Thg Trgg Box 20 Rutkei-ford N.J. ductions, many showing new hues and sur- passing the old familiar varieties in size and height. To judge these fairly, rectify the nomenclature, and put this information within reach of even the grower of a few irises is of prime importance. Few flowers will do more to make a successful display in the garden througliout the spring and early summer. The society hopes to co- operate with existing associations of kindred interests in every way, but it will be in the developing of many small exhibitions in different parts of the country rather than in promoting one large annual show. Iris llowers are not adapted to transportation and only in the local shows can thcv be shown in perfection, and there we can de- velop a pleasant rivalry. We hope to see iiiaiiy such shows this coming spring ; but initial action should come from the already established organization. The following officers were elected to serve until the annual meeting in the spring. J. C. Wistcr, Pres. ; Win. A. Peterson, V'ice-Pres. ; Frank H. Presby, Treas. ; R. S. Sturtevant. Sec. Wcllesly Farms. 95: Mass.; Regional Vice-Presidents arc: S. B. Mitchell of California, Dr. F. E. Hennett of Ontario. T. A. Kenning of Minneapolis, Mrs. Samuel H. Taft of Cincinnati, B. Y. Morrison of Washington, D. C. Floyd Brallior of Xashville, Dr. H. \. Gleason, 72 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE B. H. Farr, Edwin C. Sliaw, and Harry A. Norton. An unanimous vote of thanks was ten- dered Dr. N. L. Britton. Director of The New York Botanical Garden, for the hearts- support given the new society through Dr. H. A. Gleason and the cordial hospitality which made the meeting a pleasure as well as a success. R. S. Sturtevaxt, Sec. LOCAL SOCIETIES SEWICKLEY (PA.) HORT. SOCIETY The regular monthly meeting was lield on January 13. Walter E. Cook, of Cleve- land, and Walter J. Barnwell, of New York, were visitors. Mr. Cook installed the of- ficers for 1920 as follows : For President, Wm. Thompson, Jr.: for vice-president, John Carman; for treasurer, \V. W. Scott ( re-elected j : for secretary, John Barnet, the latter accepting the office only until a permanent secretary can be elected. John Carman was awarded the X. A. G. silver medal for most points gained at monthly meetings during 1919. Votes of thanks were tendered retiring officers, and the Executive Committee instructed to draw up schedule for 1920. JoH.\' B.\RXKT, Sec. Pro Tem. NASSAU COUNTY (N. Y.) HORT. SOCIETY The monthly meeting was held January 14. President Thos. Twigg occui)ied the chair. John McGregor, Maurice Fuld, Thos. Proctor. Norman Bruce and J. M. Brown were elected active members, and ten petitions for active membership were received. It was decided to hold a dinner and President Twigg appointed E. J. Brown, Jack Everett and Ernest Westlake a committee to make arrangements. Harry Goodhand was elected trustee for two years to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Robert Jones. Messrs. Young, Manda, Sperling, Popp and Mac- Gregor were visitors at the meeting. Arthur S. Cook, Cor. Sec. 1 NORTH SHORE (ILL.) HORT. SOCIETY The regular monthlv meeting of tlie North Shore (111.) Horticultural So- ciety was held January 2. Severe weatli. r caused a poor attendance, and as some <.t the new officers for 1920 were absent it was voted to install them at our 1-ebruary meeting. Tt was decided to hold a smokmg concert in February. Messrs. Head. Kuehne and Benson were selected to look after the entertainiucnt. President Bol- linger is preparing a program to have a paper of interot read at each meeting. An interesting letter from our late president, Wm Fischer, now in Boston, describing the everc'reens in the Arnold Arboretum was read? The membership of the society in- creased 60 per cent during 1919. J. R. Clarke, Cor. Sec. NORTH SHORE (MASS.) HORT. SOCIETY, INC. Ninctcen-twentv finds this society in good financial condition, with prospects tor a prosperous year, the treasurer and sec- retary's rcport'showing an increase m tuiuls and membership. Frank P. Knight was re- elected president, and I.eon W . Carter, sec- relarv. THERE isn't any doubt that the Uttle lady is pleased with the roses that John has cut especially for her, nor that John is pleased with the Greenhouse that grew them. He says he never saw a better Greenhouse, and he doesn't have to worry about the temperature, even on the coldest nights. That's only one of the good points about the \'-Bar Greenhouse. Stop in and talk it over WILLIAM H. LUTTON COMPANY, INC. L^^sfPtfr^ '^^^'im^Z'm Other officers elected were: A. E. Par- sons, vice-president: Frank Foster, treas- urer, and Myric C. Hortou, librarian. Board of Directors, Herbert Shaw, Fred J. Merrill, A.xel Magnuson, Walter G. Ritchie and H. W. Pnrington. .\ short time ago an organization was formed for the pur- pose of trving to save the woodland on this section of the North Shore, this society being sponsors for the new organization, which is known as the North Shore For- estrv Protective .\ssociation. .\llan S. Peabodv is chairman, and A, E. Parsons, secietary. the association being made u]) of representative men and w-omen from everv town and district on the North Shore. .\t a recent meeting of the N._ S. H. S. it was voted to give this association the free use of Horticultural Hall and to as- sist them in everv possible way in their campaign to save the woods in this section from the himberman. It was also voted to tender the Garden Club of .-Xmcrica the use of the hall when it holds its conventions here. ^M. Tiu.. 512 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY MONMOUTH CO. (N. J.) HORT. SOCIETY. The regular monthly meeting of the Monmouth Co. Hort. Society was held in Rumsou. N. J., January 8, with a .good at- tendance. The new officers were on hand to guide the progress for 1920. The feelitig is That progress is apparent and once again our motto will be onward for the advance- ment of horticulture and floriculture, par- ticularly so in the vicinity of Rumsou. A public park of about five acres is to be laid out and also a public library. There will be four exhibitions during 1920: 1st. Ex- hibits of Iris, bulbs, etc.: 2nd, Sweet Peas. Strawberries, etc.; 3rd, a large exhibition toward the end of September which wovild constitute our principal show, with prize money, while the three other exhibitions arc for honor only: the fourth exhibit would bring out the 'Mum exhibits or any- thing worthy of notice. The officers are as follows: W. H. Waite, president: P. E. Hicks, first vice-president: Heathcrington, For February, 1920 73 Second vice-president and Gtu. Masson, third vice-president ; H. A. Kettel. secre- tary ; W . Dowlen. tinancial secretary ; W'm. Milzdorff, treasurer. VV. T. WESTCHESTER (N. Y.) AND FAIR- FIELD (CONN.) HORT. SOCIETY At the regular m.'Uthly meeting uf the society the following officers were installed : President, John Andrews ; vice-president, Harry Jones ; treasurer, James Stuart ; financial secretary, Oscar Addor, Larch- mont, N. Y. ; corresponding secretary, John Conroy, Greenwich, Conn. ; Executive Com- mittee : W. J. Sealey, Joe Stoho. Alex Clarkson, W. Whitton and Alex Smith, Meetings to be held in Hubbard's Hall. •Greenwich, Conn., on the second Friday of ■each month. The treasurer's report for the past year showed the funds of the Society are well invested. The secretary reported that 25 members were enrolled in the past year. Ten are on the suspension list and ■one was scored from the books for non- payment of dues. Arrangements were made to hold an entertainment in the near future. J.\(.K CoxROY, Cor. Sec'y. LENOX (MASS.) HORT. SOCIETY The regular meeting was held January 14 with a record attendance, some of the members having come from New York City to be present at the installation of officers. The newly elected president. Oliver Lines, occupied the chair. It was voted to hold the regular shows in 1920. Some interest- ing discussions were heard on the most practical bulbs for greenhouses, also an in- teresting discussion on roses. A literary committee was appointed, the president emphasizing the importance of a program for each meeting for 1920. Frederic!-; Kirkh-\m. Rec. Sec. TUXEDO (N. Y.) HORT. SOCIETY, The annual meeting was held on January 7. The following were elected as officers for the current year: President, Edward Wilson : vice-president, W'm. Muir : treas- urer, Charles Davidson ; secretary, James Davidson. The treasurer's report showed the society to be in a flourishing condition. The sec- retary's report was equally satisfactory. A hearty vote of thanks was given to the re- tiring officers. The following were elected to serve on the executive committee: D. MacGregor, E. Barth. J. Tansey, D. Mac- intosh, Thos. Lyons. James D.wiusox, Sec. OF GENERAL INTEREST I INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW The Seventh International h'lower Show, to be held in the ■ Grand Central Palace, New York, March 15 to 21 next, seems likely to outdo its predecessors in magni- tude and scope. The final schedule of pre- miums has been issued, and embraces some very important features. Cla.sses which may appeal to private growers are the spe- cials covering the collections of flowering bulbs and bulbous rooted plants. There are three classes for table decorations in the private growers' section, and substan- tial prizes are offered for a basket of flow- ers. The class covering a group of flower- ing and foliage plants, with ferns, palms and bulbs permitted, arranged for etTcct, is this year to cover 200 sr|uare feet, instead of 100 square feet, as formerly, and the prizes arc advanced to $1.50 and $1(X1. There . are some importain additions to the gen- SEEDS THAT ARE TESTED AND GUARANTEED Carter's customers are growing the best and only the best Tested Seeds, because the results received from these seeds justify their continued use. CARTER'S CATALOG "GARDEN AND LAWN' Sent free on Request CARTER'S TESTED SEEDS, Inc. 102 Chamber of Commerce Building, BOSTON, Mass. Branch of James Carter & Co., Raynts Park, London, En^lajld ti»iiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiitiiiiiiiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifliiiiiiii:iiiinniiiiiii"ii>iiiiHiiiiiiii>lHiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim 1 We beg to announce a consolidation, effective January 10, !920, of | i Carter's 1 ested Seeds, Inc., of Boston, Mass., and Toronto, Ontario i i the branches of James Carter and Company of London, England, and I I Messrs. Peterson. Sinclaire & Miller. Inc., of New York, who have been i I acting as sales agents for Carter's products in America. 1 I The headquarters of the enlarged company will be located in New | I York, and branch offices established in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, I 1 1 oronto and probably other cities. i I Fully appreciating the demand for our products in the past and j I recognizing the added responsibility that an ever growing business must i I bring with it, we have built our organization accordingly, and can as- i I sure our patrons ot efficient and satisfactory service. i i We will continue to handle a complete line of Carter's Tested Flower I I and Vegetable Seeds, which for a century have been renowned for their 1 I very high quality and pedigree. .A special department for this branch | p of the business will be maintained at Boston. | I CARTER'S TESTED SEEDS, Inc. I j 102 Chamber of Commerce Building, BOSTON, Mats. | I New Vork Offlco, 25 West 45th St. (Until Feb. 10. VrM); 25 West 43r(l St. (.\I|.r Kc-b. 15, l'J20) % I . Toronto Office, 133 King Street East, Toronto, Ont. | I Brajich of Jos. Carter & Company, Raynes Park, London, Eng^land | rniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiMiiiii|>liiilti:iiii:iiiiiMi:iiii:iiit:iiiuiiniiuiii:iiii:iiii:tiii:iiii.iiii;iii|:|iiiiiiii:iiii:iiN \ eral classes wliich will appeal to private .!{rowers. In the open classes tfiere is one for a display of bull)s, etc., as a bulb gar- den, three prizes, amounting to $1,000, and the usual class covering a display of rose plants arranged as a garden, the three prizes offered amounting lo $1,01)0. Gar- deners who have not received a copy of the schedule sliould write to John Young, sec- retary. 1170 Broadway, New Vork. HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS L'nder the title, "Honicnltural E.xhibi- tions and Clarden Competitions," the United States Department of .Agriculture has is- sued Department Circular 62, with 38 pages and numerous illustrations. It calls atten- tion to tile fact thai the si)iiil of competi- tion in an organized way, will do much for the coinnnmity in helping to create added interest in vegelaMe, fruit and Hower growing, and in holding such exhibitions a large inimher of small exhibits should be the aim, rather than a lew large displays. Under horticultural exhibits, the circular treats of organization, competitors, classiti- cation and schedules, the last named cov- ering si)ring and fall shows, and exhibitions of vegetables, autumn fruits, narcissi, irises, peonies, roses, sweet peas, gladioli. daUiia^ and chrysanthemums, sweepstakes prizes, arrangement of exhiliits, judging premiums, rules, etc. .Several pages are also devoted to lawn and garden competitions, with rules for the judging and arrangement of classes. 74 THE QUESTIONNAIRE j Subscribtis are Invited to make free vse I of this department to solve problems that \ may arise in their garden work. Questions i on' the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that \ can be readily answered by applying to the % usual reference books should not be re- I ferred to the Questionnaire. | In transplanting the following roses: Rosa Spinosissima, Tausendschon and Crimson Rambler, also Rosa Rugosa, which roses have been 3'/^ years in their present location, but must be moved in the spring, how much should I cut them back? When is the best time to plant the seeds of the Blackberry Lily? — Mrs. O. G., N. Y. Rosa Spinosissima. tlie Scotch rose, is a bushy rose and should be pruned rather severely at the time it is lifted, cutting out all the old and worn-out wood, at the same time shortening the new or last year's growth to six joints. Tausendschon and Crimson Rambler are of the well-known Rambler type, and in their case we would advise sacrificing the season's flowers. All two-year wood and older should be cut away entirely; the last year's growth short- ened to two feet. Rosa Rugosa, the well-known old-fash- ioned dog rose, should be treated much the same as Rosa Spinosissima. cutting away the old and worn-out wood and reducing the new. It is necessary to reduce the top of plants to correspond with the root reduction which takes place when plants are lifted or trans- planted. We always do our best to try and get as much root as possible, but no matter how careful we are we find we do not get more than one-third of the plant's roots, and for that reason we always re- duce the tops or branches. The Blackberry Lily, or Leopard Flower, botanically known as Ccmmini;ia chinciisis. can Ue propagated either by division of the roots or bv sowing the seeds. In the lat- ter case the seeds are gathered when ripe and sown in a cold frame, sometime m May. They soon germinate, and should then be transplanted to rows, preferably in the cold frames— with the sash removed- planting the seedlings 6 inches apart. By fall they should be nicely developed plants, and either then or early spring may be shifted to their permanent position. — T. H. What causes pithy or hollow celery? I have had it for the past two years, and the only thing I can put it down for is some disease which attacks it, as it seems to start from the root and work up through the stems as they gain maturity, beginning in them when quite young and by the time they are blanched, it is quite in evidence, and has a very nasty flavor when eaten. The celery always seems healthy, and no signs of any trouble on the leaves at all, only that it is pithy. I have four varieties: White Plume, Easy Blanching, Winter Queen and Winter King. The four varieties have a touch of it, more or less. Last year I lost quite a good lot of it the same way. I wrote to the Agricultural School at Farm- ingdale last fall, but they could not tell me anything much about it. Here is what they say: "Pithy celery appears to be a result of a malfunctioning of the cells of the plant. Just what causes this is not known, although the following facts have been noted: Celery appears to become pithy when, through any reason, growth has been retarded or slow." Also they go on to say about using plenty of manure or quick-acting fertilizer, con- taining nitrate of soda; also, about some GARDENERS' CHRONICLE When Thev Walk Through the Gate to Your Garden Of course, folks like to have you turn out perfect specimens of standard things. Crops like those which Sutton's Seeds, because of their extremely careful breeding, arc famous for producing. But you know how they appreciate it. too, when you can spring a little sun^rise! A new flower that is really differ- ent, or a vegetable that's decidedly better. Such a flower, for instance, as Begonia LloydiJ, which is so dis- tinct as to look like an entirely new species. Or a vegetable like our new Super Pea, the "V. C," which has pods eight inches long, tilled out with gigantic peas. You'll find Sutton's catalog a mine of new garden material, full of good things and good suggestions. Things that will help give your gardens that little touch of differ- ence and up-to-dateness that the folks from "The Big House" will surely appreciate, when they show their friends about. So, even if you don't grow for any of the Exhibitions, Sutton's Cat- alog will prove a real help to you. It is sent for 35c., which is re- turned with a $5 order. To you who are gardeners, we will send it free, if you enclose your em- ployer's letterhead. Our Booklet "SEEDS"— full of seed facts you should know— is f-em on request. H. ?. Winter & Co., GG-C Wall St., New York. MtJoit4lScnco ^ Tbe SheniKtn T. Blake Co.. 431-C Sacramento St.. San Francisco, Calif. Seed Growers and Merchants^^ READING, ENGLAND QUALITY RED POTS Made of best material by skilled labor, uniformly burned and carefully packed. Famous "Moss-Aztec" Ware includes Azalea Pots, Fern Dishes, Hanging Baskets. Lawn Vases, etc. Write for catalogue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesville, Ohio CUT FLOWER BOXES EDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO WAHurACTURKRB I PHILADELPHIA. PA^ SULCOV.B. Charles Fremd's Formula Sulphur — Fish Oil— Carbolic Compound A Combined Contact Insecticide and Funui(:i(ie of known reliabilit\ Con- trols scale insects, also many species of lice and fungus diseases on trees, plants and animals AT VOUR DEAL.ER.S OR DIRECT. Munufai'turers of Standard Fish OU Soap. Bookli't Frfe .\ddress f OOK & SAVAN CO., IXC. SulcoDept. V 148 Front St.,New York, U.S.A. For February, 1920 75 varieties being more susceptible to it than others. W. J. W., N. Y. Uur experience with celery is that some of the cliief causes of pithiness is too early planting, lack of moisture and a too luxuri- ant growth. We have not noted that the celery growers for market are troubled with pithiness, and it is their practice to put out the young plants in the held around the 1st of July. Of course, the celery fields are in rather low ground, and the plants never suffer from the lack of moisture ; in fact, the lowest parts of the truck farms we have in mind in early si)ring are often submerged, and are used year after year for celery, which fact makes it appear that moisture is one of the chief essentials for good celery growing. It is our observation that the growers mentioned above do not manure very heax-y. At least, not one- quarter as much as is the general practice among private gardeners. For that reason the celery does not attain the size that one often sees at the vegetable e.xhibitions. But it does grow to a good table size, is much more handy to store for the winter, and is seldom or, perhaps, never pithy ; besides, what is tlie use of big celery, anyway? Only the heart is used. — T. H, Will you please answer the following question through the Chronicle. How can I make my Hardy Phlox bloom two weeks later than their regular season? F. W. H., Pa. In answer to above question as tn how to retard the flowering season of hardy Phlox for two weeks, if you would pinch the growth when about a foot high, it would have the desired effect. It has been our practice to pinch about one-half the shoots, or leads, in a clump, the average .Vycar-old clump having about 1 dozen leads when about one foot high, and the pinch leads flower about two to three weeks laier than the unpinched ones. By remov- ing the dead flower heads before the seed^ form wc thus get three and four crops of flowers from our phloxes in the season. — J. P. Here and There Why We Mulch Plants in Winter Many persons if asked this questi(jii would reply: "To feed the plants and tci keep them cozy and warm during the Winter." The most you can say for this answer i~ that it contains some truth. We surely dn not imagine that a four- to six-inch mulch of manure or leaves will prevent the pene- tration of such freezings as is usual in thi^ latitude. As a matter of fact, mulchiny should not lie done uiitil after the ground is well frozen. To do so beforehand often means the harboring of mice and vermin in the_ material around the plant. Now. as to feeding the plants, it must be admitted that the mulch, if it has nianurial value, does do this but not in Winter. People don't do much feeding W'hile asleep, neither do plants. It is only when plants are most active in growth thai they assimilate the greater tjuantity of food. \yiiat plant food there is in the mulch is cither held in suspension in the moisture of the soil or is available humus to be dug inio the ground when Spring arrives. So the mulcliing material feeds the plant ultimately. The prime object and purpose for mulch- ing is to conserve moisture around the roots and to maintain a more even tempera- ture of the soil in which the plant is growing. INVENTORY SALE of Nursery Trees and Shrubs Buy Now — Save Money Buyers in carload lots can buy to great advantage. The cause is a reconstruction of our nursery; a clearance of cer- tain blocks: the planting of new propagations for which more ground is needed. Ask for "Clearance Sheet ' if you can use plants in quantity. Arrangements may be made for the call of a salesman, for a professional landscape gardener's service, and for planting plans. Small orders always appreciated and carefully handled, but in regular course of business, and not at "clearance prices." Write us about your wants whatever they may be. Tell us size of property and how much planting is already done. THE PlONEEPs NURSEKYMEN OF AMERICA 6765 Chew St., Germantown, Philadelphia ANDORRA Ornamentals ex- clusively, dis- tinctive in quality and variety. We cater to the most discriminat- ing trade. ANDORRA NURSERIES Over 1000 Acres Chestnut Hill Philadelphia, Pa. lllllllllirilllllllllllll|||||||||||||||||||||i|||||||||||||t;||||||||||||||||ij{|||||||jj{,{|||||||,|,|{|,{|||||,,||,|||,|||,|H,|||,||{,, If a plant is subjected to alternate thaw- ing and freezing it lares worse than if the soil had remained frozen the whole Winter through. Take herbaceous perennials as an example, especially those which are surface rooting like the liardy Chrysan- themum, and note what damage is done them. By reason of this fluctuation of Does the Work of Four Men Ihis Coldwel! Motor Lawn Mower and Roller (walk type) pays for Itself many times in the wages it saves. Does four men's work. iieared to four miles an hour — lasily operated. Long wear. Coldwell's Combination Motor Lawn Mower and Roller Model I —the latest ride type machine'. Weighs 1100 pounds on the drive rollers, 40-inch cut. L^seful on parks, estates and country clubs. \yrite for complete catalog of the Coldwell line, including Gang Mowers, Horse and Hand Lawn Mowers. Coldwell Lawn Mower Co. Largest Makers of HigliGrade I.a-,ei, Mowers in the IVorl ! Office and Factory N e w b u r g h, New York Chicago Office: 62 East Lahe St. Chicago. III. 1 ■'' timminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiinniiiiiimiiiiiiiiiii ^ temperature they are lii;i.: ,i:. ..at of the soil and by exposure oi the roots to the air and sun are often killed. .V mulch- ing of light litter prevents this from occnr- riiig by keeping the plant shaded and the soil from thawing cpiickly. Without doubt the most perfect mulch and one that fulfills a two-fold purpose is 76 'w jiiiiiiiiiiMniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiuiiiiiiw^^^^^ iiiiiniiN iiiii luiiiiuiiiiiiiiii iiii; GARDENERS' CHRONICLE iiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiHliiiliiliii iiiiiLiiii:iiir.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini!i DO YOU WANT THE NEW PLANTS? BUDDLEIA HYBRID A EVA DUDLEY is one of the best. It has the form and color of B. MAGNIFICA" and the sweetness of "B. ASIATIC A." Both the parents were col- lected by Mr. E. H. WILSON. W rite for our 1920 catalogue, offering many of the Arnold Arboretum Plants and other recent introductions. R. & J. FARQUHAR COMPANY 6 So. Market Street, Boston, Mass. i;i„ii,ii„iiii iiiiiiiiiiiuiiii iiii.ii 1 II II I iiiiiiiiiiiii III"!"!" ""« I'll™"™ iiiiimiiiiiiMiiiiiiiii mnii' uii iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiKiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiii Ill iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini; Nature's own "snow." For this reason the Alpines of Switzerland are beautiful in the Spring after being so snugly covered with a blanket of snow and. in like manner, our own hardv perennials here are much better and stronger after a Winter in which the snow had constantly covered them until Spring had come. How foolishly mulching is sometimes done ; the material being banked up around the stem of the plant instead of extending as far as the spread of the roots. Trees of a good size, when planted in the Fall, are greatly helped by mounding the soil up around the stem in addition to the usual mulch of manure. This mounding serves to keep the tree from swaying and also pre- vents deep freezing. All newly transplanted slock, whetlur trees, shrubs, evergreens or perennials are benetited by a good liberal mulch, using the lightest material to cover such of the latter as have esculent roots and stems.— Florists Il.ychaii"c. RENAMING GERMAN IRISES. Certain ill-advised .\mcricaiis. endeavor- ing to demonstrate their patriotism, are out with the suggestion that the tierman irises should be renamed. It may be re- called that during the war these same senti- mental patriots wanted to call german measles, "liberty measles," apparently un- willing that even disagreeable things should bear German names. Overlooking for a moment, the warped psychology in the case of the measles, we may point out that the reason certain irises are called German irises is because they are derived from a species of Central Europe named Iris Gcrmanica. This species was long ago named according to scientific usage which does not recognize sentiment as an excuse for changing names. We may call the flowers liberty irises if we choose, but the species will continue to be Iris Gcrmanica. The popular appellations of plants may be changed at will, and doubtless many of the decorative plants with German names will be re-christened to fadlitate sales on this side of the world. It is a foolish fad, how- ever, to name plants after nobodies on cither side of the .\tlantic. The great men Honest Seeds That Help Reduce the Cost of Living Seeds of Known Pedigree This year, especially, you cannot afford to take chances with doubtful seeds. Purchase only seeds of known pedigree. "Gregory's Honest Seeds" are true to type and of highest ger- mination. They are all tested, and quality is maintained regardless of cost. We are seed growers and experi- enced market gardeners who know the necessity of hichest-quality seeds by actual experience. We can save you money and lessen your production cost, whether yo'j are a large or a small trrower. Send us a list of your requirements and we'll gladly quote our best prices. Write "Personal" on the envelope : Mr. Gregory will give it his personal at- tention. Mr. Home Gardener : We predict that if you plant "Gregory's Honest Seeds" your garden will be the envy of your neighbors. That has been the experience of thousands of our customers. Catalog sent free upon request. Write today. Order early. J. J. H. GREGORY & SON Established 1856 Elm Street, Marblehead, Mass. THE FLOWER GROWER Published Monthly for Amateur and Pro- fessional Flower Growers Subscription price $1 per year — three years for $2. Grow flowers and thus help brighten the pathway and cheer the hearts of many whose nerves are shat- tered by the horrors of war. Mention the "Gardeners' Chronicle" and ask for a sample copv. MADISON COOPER, Publisher CALCIUM, N. Y. atul women of the world may well have I)laiits named in their honor. InU in all such cases a single word is sufticient to indicate the one honored. When it becomes neces- sary- to distinguish the one honored by a string of names as Mrs. John H. Smith, the practice becomes absurd. It would be well to frown on the practice of giving German 1 _i"ics or the names of non-Germans to Farr's Hardy Plant Specialties A treatise on the hardy garden, containing informa- tion on upward of 500 vari- eties of Peonies (the most complete collection in ex- istence), Lemoine's new and rare Deutzias. Philadelphus and Lilacs, and the Irises (both Japanese and German), of which I have aJI the newer introductions as well as the old- time favorites. An abridged edition will be for- warded to garden lovers zvho do .not have a coPv of the regular Sixth Fdition. issued in 1919. BERTRAND H FARR Wyomissing Nurseries Co. Ill Garfield Ave., Wyomissing, Pa. plants unless the ones for which they are named arc already distinguished. — American liolanisl. For February, 1920 77 SOIL VENTILATION ll is curious how the discov- eries of the scientitic agricul- turist confirm the accepted practice of the gardener. The ilhistration of this fact consists in the recognition that ventila- tion, that is to say aeration, is a factor of first importance to the growth of field crops. The ■deep and thorough cultivation as practiced by gardeners, the constant stirring of the soil, the incorporation with the soil of gritty material, all serve among other things to supply plenty of air to the roots of plants. There is evidence that this abundant supply of air is bene- ficial in numerous ways. Firstly, of course, because, roots, like all other parts of plants, re- quire oxygen for their growth. Secondly, a constant circulation of air allows of the escape of the carbon-dioxide given otif by the roots. It appears to be well-established tliat an excess of carbon-dioxide in the soil results in a check to the growth of roots. Indeed, roots seem to be peculiarly susceptible to injury from carbon-dio.xide. Thirdly, it cannot be doubled, but that a good supply of air favors the activity of beneficent soil bacteria. It is, of course, evident that deep cultivation has other ad- vantages as well as that of pro- viding "root ventilation." It increases the water-holding ca- pacity of the soil, improves drainage, and helps to liberate larger stores of plant food. .Anything, therefore, which helps to induce ihc agriculturis' to practice more widely a sys- tem of deep tillage is bound to be to his benefit and to the benefit of the world at large. owes -V ^- '^. ^.^ It touches your pocketbook This paint film test Touches it, because it touches on paint lastingness, the thing that most of us are the most touchy on, when it comes to paint and painting. It happens that even two coats of paint form a film of protection less than one one-hundredth of an incli thick. The necessity of that thin film being the best possible, presents itself to you most forcefully. One of the vital requirements of a good paint is that it be water and moisture proof. To prove that Lowe's High Standard Outside Paint is water and moisture proof, we took a two coat film of it and made this test. Being flexible like a sheet of rubber, we poured some granulated sugar on it; tied it up and suspended it for weeks and weeks in a water filled globe. When we took it out, the sugar was just as dry and granularly free from moisture as the day it was put in. To this test we could add any num- ber of others, just as conclusive. Write for a piece of paint film: see for yourself. Send 10c. for our Happy Happening Book, which tells you just the things you want to know, and otheis you ought to know, about paint and painting. THE KEYED LIST The landscape architect stands at his drawing table and pro- ceeds to fill in his i)lan and key the planting. His mind is con- centrated upon producing a picture for his client, if he is a good plantsman and knows his material well, from whence it can be procured at the prop- er time and in the right grades, the materialization of his pic- ture will proceed apace, but too often his training has been along lines that has only given liim a casual acquaintance witli p'lants. he knows little or nothing about their habits or re- quirements, (Upending on book or catalog description, and his elTorts fall very short of his aim. The keyed list may be properly termed a mechanical effort lo produce landscape art. The very nature of plants forbids that it will ever be a complete and successful method. It never can be anything more than a starting point, framework, or skele- ton of ihc [licinre in the mind of the artist, and unless the man who actually carries out die idan has iilenary powers to substitute, adjust as ennditions may require and is thoroughly interested and" an able gardener. — Xatioiial Nurseryman. ^'ZoweBro/Aors Company Jloston 482 EAST THIRD STREET, DAYTUN, UHIQ New York Jersey City Qlicago Atlanta Kansas City Minneapolis Toront ifPai nts ORCHIDS W.- lire S|i.-.i;ili-ls in nnliiiN. Wr ('..llr-ft. Krnw. luiport. export and soil Dreliids t'X- cluslvi'Iy. ir you nro in Mip market iuv Orclihls, \vi> stilicit viiiir impiH-ii'S atul oidr-rs. Cuta- lojriies an<) wucinl lists on nppllcniinn. LAGER & HURRELL Srehid Growers and Importert Summit. N. «J. HILL'S EVERGREENS Send for Price-list. Mention this magajinr D. HILU NURSERY CO. Evergreen SpecialiftB, Largest Growers in America Box 305 DUNDEE. ILL. HARRY BALDWIN Manufacturer of Greenhouse Shading Lath Roller Blinds lUAMAROIMEICK. N. Y. Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiuii i^f illllllllllllllllllllllllinilllllllllll»UII!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUII»llllllllllllllllllllllinillllllliy^^ Amateurs in Growing Gladioli Our beautifully illustrated Catalog for Choice Gladioli is ready for mailing now. PLEASE LET US HAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDKESS P. VOS ^ SON Phone 548J5 Gladioli Specialists Mt. Clemens, Mich. P. O. Box 77 Orchids If you contemplate buying semi-established, established or imported orcliida, consult U8 first. We carry in stock about 25,000 species. A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other choice hybrids. We specialize in supplying the private trade. Let us figure on your requirements — our quality is second to none. Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot hangers, always on hand. "~ Send for our price list. G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiio^ tJllllllllllllllllllllllinilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ I Hunt's Golden Sunrise | I TOMATO I I Possesses the FINEST FLAVOR of any Tomato j 1 in cultivation, being entirely FREE FROM | I ACID. The handsome GOLDEN fruits are | I medium in size, of rounded form and are pro- | I duced in gigantic clusters. i i Matures ten days earlier than any other variety 1 j outdoors, and is unexcelled for forcing. 1 j SEED— PACKETS, 3Sc.; THREE, $1.00. | I William M. Hunt & Co. | I 148 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK | .nliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir |iiiiiiliiliiiiiiiriiiiiiiliiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ I Competent Gardeners \ I The comforts and products of a country | I home are increased by employing a competent | I gardener; if you want to engage one, write us. j I Please give particulars regarding place and | I say whether married or single man is wanted. | j We have been supplying them for years to the j I best people everywhere. No fee asked. | I PETER HENDERSON & CO. j j Seedsmen and Florists | I 35 and 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK CITY | iiiniiiipiiiiiiuiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ii IS PllllllinilllllllllllllllinillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHW ^i|||iiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ I OF INTEREST TO COUNTRY I I ESTATE OWNERS | I The National Association of Gardeners takes I I this opportunity to place its Service Bureau at the | [ disposal of owners of country estates when requir- | j ing competent gardeners, in the capacities of super- | i intendents, head gardeners or assistant gardeners — | I thoroughly qualified in every particular to assume | j the responsibilities the positions call for — gardeners i I truly efficient in their profession. j I The Bureau is maintained entirely al the expense | 1 of the association and makes no charge to the em- | I ployer it may serve or to the member it may benefit. j I NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS i j M. C. Ebel, Secretary j I 286 Fifth Ave. New York | I This associalion is in no sense a trade union | I organization, hut includes in its sustaining member- | I ship owners of some of the foremost country estates | I in America. 1 78 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffliiiiiiiffliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffliniiffliimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiira ARE YOU TROUBLED WITH ROSE^BUGS? Maurice Fuld announces the first and exclusive offering of "MELROSINE" A POSITIVE REMEDY AGAINST THE ROSE-BUG The discovery of a private gardener, Mr. Hugh Balfour Barclay, Merion, Pa. This new insecticide has been tested and has been en- dorsed by the following emi- nent authorities on Rose Cul- ture in America. Theodore Wirth. Sup't of Parks. Minneapolis, Mint). Hep't of .\griculture. Harrisburg. Pa. Captain Thomas, .author of Practical Book Outdoor Ro.ses. Phila.. Pa. E. J. Staokpole. Eilitor Pittsburg Telegraph. B. Phillips. Sup't E. T. Rerry. Nevqiort. R. I. William Kleinheinz. Sup't of P. .4. B. Widener. Phila.. Penna. John Dodds. Sup't of .Tohu Wauaniaker. Phila., Pa- William N". Craig, Sup't Faulkner Farms. Brookline. Mass. S. S. Pennock. Rosarian. Phila.. Pa. Fred J. Michell. Sr.. of Henry F. Michell Co.. Phila.. Pa. J. Otto ThiloK. of Henry A. Dreer. Phila., Pa "Melrosine" Avill positively kill the rose-bug and not leave the least mark on the flower. We have testimonials from scores of private gar- deners, rosarians and renow^ned horticulturists all over the United States. For further particu- lars address MAUKICE FULD PLANTSMAN— SEEDSMAN 7 West 45th Street, New York ivNy^' «=3-^^^^^^^^^^^Piii^Es3l' ik:^^^'::wN'<;i:\i'f^:^iw^^^ This Features A U-Bar Feature 1 8 I Riding through a Chi- cago suburb last week, passed a greenhouse running east and west with the workroom on the east end. Of course, it seriously shaded the end benches. One of the first things we did in making the first U-Bar houses was to join the house and workroom with a con- necting passage like this one. This feature promptly became a U-Bar feat- ure. So much so, in fact, that every time you see this feature, no matter what the house, or who built it, you at once think of the U- Bar. It's just because of the many distinctive U- Bar features that the U-Bar house is so dif- ferent from other houses. In these dif- ferences also lie its superiority. U-BAR GREENHOUSES gi„ mill ,111,1,11, „„ I I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiui iiiimiraiiuiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ™I|™||];|J;]||™™™™™1™™™™|™1™^ The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A PIJIMP is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of Al n.ll>I-' ji^g disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN-^* ^ reme- dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. FUNGINE FOR THE GREENHOUSE — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. lildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V r." IVI ! I\ r.. For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON, N. J. liniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiHiiiiiiittiiiiiniiiiNiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiic 80 Protect Your Flowers, Vegetables Shrubs and Fruit Trees With tlie NIAGARA HAND DUST GUN and NIAGARA " All-In-One-Dust-Mixture " No. 2 Sprayer Strong and indestructible matle of heavy tin. Delivers a large volume of mist spray in any direction desired. No. 1 Atomizer Continuous Sprayer. Three times faster and lots easier to work — furnished with two interchangeable brass nozzles. Dusting kills insects, pests, and controls fungus diseases without the sloppy, mussey bother of mixing various chemicals with water and making various solutions for different pests. Niagara *'All-in-One-Mixture" is a clean flour-like dust which contains fungicide poison, and contact insecticide in combination. So a single application fights all classes of insect pests and fungus diseases. The dust is placed in the hopper at the end of the Niagara Dust Gun and by short easy strokes of the piston blow in a thin cloud over the plant. There is no chance of soiling or spoiling the clothes and the entire outfit is so light and easy to operate that any woman or child can rid the garden or greenhouse of plant lice, green worms, potato bugs, mildew, etc., etc. Niagara Hand Dust Gun — One Pound of Niagara "All-in-One-Mixture" and the Niagara Garden Guide are all packed in a single attractive carton for sale by dealers everywhere. IF YOUR DEALER CANNOT SUPPLY YOU WRITE US. We also manufacture a complete line of hand sprayers and atomizers of the highest quality. Niagara Compressed Air Sprayer Has No Equal Easier to operate. More Powerful Brass Pump. b 1 e Galvanized eel Tank. New e s i g n Nozzle, Hose cock to regulate finc- n e s s of spray. NIAGARA SPRAYER CO. 16 Main Street, Middleport, N. Y. Manufacturers of Power and Hand Dusting Machinery for Orchard, Vineyard and Field. Special Dust Mixtures. All kinds of spray materials and sulphur. To Dealers: If you have not already investigated, write at once. The Tribute of William Carter to Davey Tree Surgery New London, Conn. The Davey Tree Expert Comijany, Inc., Kent, Ohio. Gentlemen: Regarding work done this spring at Mr. Edward H. Bindley's estate, ■"Quinnepeag," New London, would say that trees were neglected for thirty years and in extremely bad condition. The Davey operatives under your foreman did splendid work. The filled cavities are healing beautifully and the whole operation is a great credit to your methods and men. Your foreman and his young men made a fine impression by their very gentlemanly conduct, strict attention to business and general efficiency. Mr. Bindley is im- mensely pleased with the operation and I gladly testify to the excellence of your service. We shall be glad to have your men return next spring when Mr. Bindley wishes all the trees properly cared for. Very trulv yours, 'WILLIAM CARTER, Superintendent. The saving of priceless trees is a matter of first importance on every estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the maximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will be made by appointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc., 302 Elm Street, Kent, Ohio Branch Offices with telephone connections: New York City, 225 Fifth Ave: Chicago. Westminster BIdg., Philadelphia, Land Title Bldg., and Boston. Write nearest office. renniiiient rppresentatlves available in districts surrounding Boston. Spi'insfipld, Lenox, Newport. Hart- ford, Stamford, Albany, PougbkeL'psie. White Plains. Jamaica, Moatclair, New York, Philadelphia, Ilarrisburc. Itnltimnrt-. M*ashin::t<>ii. Riebmond, Buffalo. Toronto. T'ittsburi^b, Cleveland. Detroit. I'bieau'i. Milwaukee. Canadian address. -T,'2 Langauchitere West, .Montreal, "The filled cavities are healing beautifully," writes Mr. Carter. Note how the concrete has been placed in the canity, section by section, to allow for sxvayinz and prevent cracking. John Davey. Father of Tree Surgery DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Every real Davey Tree Sicrgeon is in the employ of The Davey Tree Expert Co., Inc., and the public is cautioned against those falsely representing themselvts. GARDENERS HRONICLE (OF AMERICA) ILLUSTRATED HORTICULTURAL $2.00 A YEAR ^' ® ^ ^"^ 25cAC0PY }l ^IV. No. 3. Published monthly by The : Press. Inc.. 2Rfi Fifth Avp New York MARCH, 1920 Entered as second-class matter Nov. 3, ^ post office at New York under the act of March 3. t:: T- Charming, isn't it! Of course you could swing the greenhouse around and join it directly to the garage doing away with the connecting house and the entire gahle end of the greenhouse. That's for you to say. Mr. W. S. Duling, of Mt. Airy, Pa., owns this one. t,m^ -HERE^S AN IDEA- BUILD A GREENHOUSE TO YOUR GARAGE If 'H i/' < Here is your answer to that longing you have long liad for a jolly little glass garden of your own. A garden under glass, where you could not alone have that rare pleasure in sort of fooling Dame Nature by growing things re- gardless of the seasons. But a garden that is right down practical. An inside garden, that among other things, will help your outside garden to be weeks earlier and lots better. A garden where you can bring part of your outside garden in, when Jack Frost comes prowling around. A garden that can be attached right to an existing garage; or built along with one you may be planning. Done cither way, the one boiler can heat them both, at a saving for both. The one of Mr. Duling's above, shows how it can be joined to the garage by a little connecting house. Just how it shall be, however, depends on your garage, your ground space, and you. By you, we mean what you particularly want to do with your greenhouse; and how much you want to invest in it, with an assurance that it will yield you perpetual dividends in joy and satisfaction. Yes, and in real money, besides. All of which can be decided after we heat from you. Send along a photo of your pres- ent garage; or a blue print or sketch, if it's to be a new one. And don't forget to give its size, amount of ground space around it. and the Oh, yes, and another thing; remember that we will if you prefer, do all the greenhouse work, which means not only furnish materials cut and fitted ready for quick erection; but do everything, from turning the first shovel of dirt; to turning on the heat, all ready for your flower friends. B ^/^SunOiamG Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories IRVINGTON New York BOSTON Little Bldg. NEW YORK 42nd St. Bldg. CLEVELAND 2063 E. 4th St. Eastern Factory Irvington. N. Y. PHILADELPHIA Land Title Bldg. TORONTO Royal Bank Bldg. Western Factory Des Plaines. 111. ,r iU-.:- ■^ZA CHICAGO Continental Bank Bldg. MONTREAL Trans portatior Bldg. Canadian Factory St. Catharines. Ont. mM V^e^ V Manda Cq^jj '/>.TS. Lu3i"ioi:s berries. A remarkable plant. Should be grown tiy every garden owner, fruit grower. farmer, nurseryman." F. A. Bartlett. Tree Specialist, Stamford, Conn. — "TlK* fimst acfiuisition in years. Winter of 1917-18 killed all my varieties except La France." Wm. Ziegler. Great Island, Conn. - — Fraiiee S-ft. canes loadi'd with targe clus- ters. Shall discard all other varieties and grow only La France." J. B. Cobb, Stamford. Conn. — "Produces large crop for almast four months. Consider La France King of Raspberries." 83 llllllllllllllllll jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ I OUR NEW CATALOG | I ' Showing Eight of our Varieties of | I Gladioli with Natural Colored Plates | I is just out and if you arc not on our mailing list already, write for it at once — it is free upon J 1 request. Anyone who is a lover of flowers should not fail to have a copy of it; it's a little 1 m book worth having in one's library, containing instructions how to plant and care for Gladioli g I as well as for Petunias. 1 1 Our Gladioli are of a finer quality than ever before and our many varieties surpass any in exist- f 1 ence. The Thomas T. Kent, Anna Eberius, Jack London, Mrs. John Walsh and | I others which you will find in our catalog speak for themselves without the hundreds of testimo- J 1 nials that have been pouring in upon us continuously. 1 I Diener's Ruffled Monster Petunias | 1 have created a sensation wherever grown or exhibited. As they are continually flowering all 1 1 Summer there is hardly anything giving flower-lovers more satisfaction. Seed comes in separate 1 1 colors — red, pink, white, purple, flesh-pink frilled, v hite frilled, variegated and mixed colors. § I Price per package, 50c. 1 I RICHARD DIENER CO., luc. Keutfield, Marin Co., Cal. | iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii IT; N I Here's Your Chance to Prove What They'll Do Maybe you've been trying to get the folks to try Sutton's Seeds- Maybe thry'vs sort of put it off, because thev never used tliem before. Here are four collections carried in stock by our American Agents. Su you can get them at once. They include many of our best and newest varieties, a rare treat for garden lovers. Tlie collections are: Flower Seed Collection — A — 40 varieties, prepaid $5 -25 varieties, prepaid. -34 Flower Seed Collectiun^ — ^B- V'egetable Seed Collection — C — 44 " " $5 Vegetable Seed Collection — D — 34 " " $3 Why not arrange to order one of each of the flower and vegetable sets, just to test them out? The Sutton Catalog sent free with each collection. Ot.ierwise it's 35 cents, which is returned with a $5 order. To you who are gardeners, we will send it free if you will enclose your employer's letter head. Our Booklet "SEEDS" is full of seed facts you should know. It's free for the asking. H. P. WINTER A CO. 66-C Wall St., New York fijUCTt/fCfi GltO Seed Growers and Merchants Reading, England 8-4 THE S. T. BLAKE CO. 431-C Sacramento St., San Francisco, Calif. I iiii!iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!>i!iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiinnM^ I BURNETT BROS. ""^M^Ek^ I A Few of Our Many Specialties for 1920 s Burnett ■lllllllllilllllll l)i>(()v notv ready — mailed free. BURNETT BROS., Seedsmen The House Famous for L^wn Grass Seed 92 Chambers St. Between Broadway and Church St. NEW YORK illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 85 will be mailed to all of our cus- tomers without their asking for it, but we want all who are in- terested in gardening to have a copy and will mail it free to those who mention this publica- tion when writing. DREER'S GARDEN BOOK FOR 1920 contains 224 pages, six color plates featuring Choice Vegetables and Flowers, also hun- dreds of photo-engravings, together with cultural notes written by experts, making it a dependable guide on all matters relating to Vegetable and Flower growing. Write today and we will gladly send a copy when it is ready. ^'Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimilliiiiiiiiililiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiii^^ I 1 THE STORE OF | | 1 1 Complete \ | 1 1 Garden Service 1 1 j I Since 1877 we have served buyers of | | I I discrimination with the choicest products | | i I our hne affords. Service and quality | j I I have been the keynotes, rather than ! | I I price. You will again find this the pre- | j j I dominating factor in the Spring issue of | | I I Beckert's Guide to | | I I Better Gardens I I Like former issues, it oflers the choicest products of America, Europe and Asia, in seasonable Seeds, Bulbs and Miscellaneous Garden Requisites. You will find our prices modest, our assort- ments comprehensive, our service beyond reproach. Try us on the basis of fair prices for quality goods and top-notch service. Your copy of our latest catalog is awaiting your call. Pa. Pittsburgh -iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiii.?- '^iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiwiiniii^ iiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii imiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiii iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiinii iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!: Beckert's Seed Store |S 101 and 103 Federal St., rr 33 Nest Month You'll Be Busier— Better Look Into It Now •it" was (liscoverc'd on llie Westmghouse Estate (Er- skine Park.) at Lee, Mass., by Mr. Edward Norman. This magnificent estate is in the midst of the beau- tiful Berkshire Hills, with a temperature in winter of 30 or 40 degrees below zero, so that the hardi- ness of this berry is unquestioned. The estate is surrounded by the summer homes of many wealthy people, and much to the surprise of his neighbor gardeners and not without a deal of personal satis- faction, Mr. Norman furnished large, luscious rasp- berries throughout the fall for various dinner parties. These berries are commented on by all who have seen and tasted them as the most delicious and best raspberry they ever have eaten. Mr. Baker, of Hoosick Falls, N. Y., writes us as follows: "III tlic- season of tOlO Mr. Genrnc M. Dnrrow. of tlu' i nitpd States Depai'ttnent of ,\f:i-ii-nUnrp. was travollii?: I loiLl tile .\tlantie to tile Paeifie. visitiiiL: fniit growers to ititain information on berries for linlletins pulilislied by the ilepartllient of .Vijrielllture. Mr. Harrow llafl visited this ■ ■.ifate liefore. and was mo.st favoralily impressed that this herry was far aliead of the St. Re^is and Ranere. and when it became linown it would replace tiiese varieties. Tlie plant is by far Uio sti-ongest growing raspberry I have ever seen. It branehes lilte a tree, and it also has the largest and most roots of any variety ivitli which I am acquainted. It is perfectly hardy and the la-rries are very large." Conceive tlie joy and satisfaction of having such berries on your tabic all through the Autumn, a source of wonder to your neighbors, that vou can pick tlic finest raspberries until the snow flics. On November 20th we cut a large branch of the Erskine Park with blossoms, green berries and r!l>c fruit FOR SPRING PLAIMING— Strong Field Grown Bearing Plants, $3 per 6; $5 per dozen; $30 per hundred Send for our Froe illiislrati'd Catalogue which describes the "fr ORLD'S BEST" trees and jilants for your liurdrn. GLEN BROTHERS, Inc., Glenwood Nursery, 1923 Main St.,Rochester,N.Y. 87 ■^ f'"'" ""Niiiiiiiiiiiin niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniii m iMiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiitii| gwiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiniiimii iiiiiiiiiiniii m iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!^ MICHELL'S GRASS ' SEEDS will produce a thick, velvety lawn in from four to six weeks from sowing. No better quality seeds, nor more perfectly blended varieties than those used in MICHELL'S GRASS SEED MIXTURES can be had, because our contract arrangements with Foreign and Ameri- can growers enable us to make purchases that are absolutely right as to variety, quality and price. OUR 1920 CATALOG is a safe guide to the best mixture for every purpose — shaded lawns, terraces, seashore properties, golf courses, public parks, pastures, etc., as well as inter- esting facts concerning the Vegetable and Flower Garden. WRITE TODAY FOR A COPY MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE 514 MARKET ST., PHILA. PA. M H U U W H IWHII H IH H H "UK HI Hardy Everblooming KOSES We have on hand over 75 varieties of the very best Hybrid Tea Roses. All strong 2-year- old plants that were lifted last Fall and are now heeled-in in cellars. These are in excellent condition and will insure a wonderful display of bloom this season. Consult us before buying. Write for our de- scriptive catalogue. W. E. MARSHALL & CO. Nursery Department SEEDS— PLANTS— BULBS 166 W. 23rd St., New York I "A Garden for Every Home" I Nursery Grown 1 RHODODENDRON MAXIMUM 1 (Specimens) 1 4' X 5' high, 4 X 5' spread I Collected I RHODODENDRON MAXIMUM i and I RHODODENDRON CAROLINIANUM j All sizes in carload lots I PRICES ON REQUEST I Muller-Sealey Co., Inc. I Horticultural I Specialists I 145 West 45th Street. New York City I Tel. Bryant 9141 CROMWELL GARDENS HANDBOOK Is ready to mail now and you may have a copy upon request. We are offering the best varieties of Bedding Roses Hardy Perennials Bedding Plants Evergreens and Nursery Stock AN?IEI\50N INC. CspMMLL CAI^ENS C^MWELL Conn nil ir 88 1 1 iiiiiiiii 1 1 I nil I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii III iiiiiiiiniiiiiii III I IIIIIIIIII III I I AN APOLOGY TO MR. J. OTTO THILOW Business has to be founded on truth, if it is to , justified me in adding his name to the list of other endorsers from some of whom I also have only their spoken word. I desire to here pid)Iian Sturtevani 97 A Plea for United Action Against Quarantine No. 37 98 Our Perennial Flowers A. Wiltrup 99 The Month's Work in the Garden John Johnson 1 00 The Gladiolus Kaihryn Beach Tracy 101 TTie Month's Work in the Greenhouse Henry Gibson 1 02 Natural Effects in Landscape Work Albert Millard 103 Practical Notes on Vegetable Growing yV. Butterbach 104 Necessary Equipment for Bee-keepers Henry W . Sanders 1 05 The Professional Gardener M. C. Ebel 106 A Lesson on Seed Sowing and Germmation . . . Arthur Smith 108 National Association of Gardeners Ill Among the Gardeners 113 Local Societies '13 The Questionnaire N 5 Of General Interest 117 .4 Unique E.vhibit Here and There 1 17-121 ChUdren's Gardens — Seed Growing at Home — Vl'hy Seeds Sometimes Pail — How to Save Soil Moisture — Wrong Notions About Flouvrs — Beauty of Deciduous Trees in Winter— 'Pansies: That's Thoughts"— How to Protect the Locust. THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. 286 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. MARTIN C. EBEL, Editor Entered at the Ne-su York Post OtKce as second class matter under the Act of Congrcts, March 3, 1879. Published monthly, the I St of each month. Subscription .... $2.00 a year Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 rniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiui[|iiiiiiiiiiiiiiin{iii{||||i{|||{||{|{||||{||||,|||,|^ llllllllliliiillliiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiuiiiiii mi [iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiniiiiiiinimiiiniHniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiliiililiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilili| The Inviolability of Our Advertising Columns SINCE the GARDENERS" CHRONICLE has come under control of it^- present ownership it has been its policy not to knowingly accept any advertisements containing misrepresentations or that make of- fers which the advertiser cannot live up to. In the February number of the GARDENERS' CHRONICLE an advertisement was published which bore the names of a nmnber of men widely known in the field of horticulture as endorsers of a certain product. Before the advertisement was accepted the advertiser was consulted as to whether he possessed written testimonials of the parties and he replied in the affirmative. After the advertisement appeared the publishers received the following communication: "In an advertif^ement in the February edition of the GARI)Ei\ERS' CHRONICLE, under tlie head of Mehosine. I notice my name is published among the list of testimonials. I beg to fay that I never subscribed to this, never tried Melrosine, and never gave sanction as an endorser of its merits. J. Otto Thilow." The GARDENERS' CHRONICLE on receipt of this conimunicalion called on the advertiser to correct the statement in his advertisement and directs the attention of its readers to this correction and to Mr. Maurice Fuld's apology to Mr. J. Otto Thilow appearing elsewhere in the advertising columns of this issue, as it feels obligated to inform its subscribers of and protect them against any misrepresentations it may uncover in its columns. The GARDENERS' CHRONICLE warns those concerns who, taking advantage of the opportunities created by the growing interest in gardening in this country, are invading the field of horticulture and conducting business on the theory that there is a new dupe born every minute that they evade the ad- vertising columns of the GARDENERS' CHRONICLE, for any imposition against its readers will be promptly and fearlessly exposed. The Chronicle Press. Inc. liiiiiimiiiiiliiiiiUJiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiinniiiiiiiniinimuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuniiiii^ 90 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) LnHARY Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture **'^^'**^^t- I Vol. XXIV iillliilllllllllillliiiili MARCH, 1920 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin No. 3 ■ Things and Thoughts of the Garden THE ONLOOKER ■' — the fairest flowers o' the season Are our carnations.". —The Winter's Tale, IV, 4. So wrote the Bard of Avon more than three hnnch-ed years ago, and the same sentiment is voiced today by many an ardent admirer of the Divine Flower. This reverential title comes from the generic name of the car- nation, Dianthus, "from dios, divine, and anthos, a flower; the name given by Theophrastus, in allusion to the exquisite fragrance of the blossoms of most of the species." to f|uotc from Nicholson's Dictionary of Gar- dening. This establishes the carnation as a flower of ancient lineage, as Theophrastus, who w^s a Greek philosopher and botanist, lived some three hvmdred years before Christ. There is abundant evidence to show that the carnation has long been regarded with much favor as a garden plant, although its earliest history as such seems to be somewhat obscure. But it is quite clear that it was a well-known plant in English gardens of the si.x- toenth centur\', and the evolution from a single five- petak'd flower to handsome double varieties was an ac- complished fact at that time. Gerard wrote in 1597 that "every clymate and countrey bringeth forth new sortes," and Parkinson in 1629 stated that "the number of them is so great that to give several descriptions to them all were endlesse." The old English name was Gillyflower, of which llicre were numerous quaint spellings, and the name carnation appears to have been first used to dis- tinguish a deep red color. Parkinson is credited with the first attcm])t to classify the varieties. The largest kinds he called carnations, the smaller ones gillyflowers, and all those with flowers of yellow shades he classed as "Orange Tawnies." This type originated in Silesia, and its introductidfi into Eng- land gave the growers there something which had hither- to been lacking, and that was good seed jjroducers. I'heir influence was soon shown, old sorts were discarded for new, new sections were formed, and the flower greatly increased in poi)ular favor. It is interestmg to learn that at one time those kinds which developed a split caly.x were regarded with most favor. These were called lUirsters. and those with a non-s])litting cal\x were known as Whole IMowers. It was not until tlie eighteenth century was well along that the latter gained first place in i)opular esteem, which they have maintained ever since. Some of the good ])oints of a fine double carna- tion are set forth in Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Garden- ing, published in 1835, as follows: "The stem should be strong, tall and straight : not less than thirty or more 91 than forty-five inches high. The flower should be at least three inches in diameter, consisting of a great num- ber of large well-formed petals ; but neither so many as to give it too full and crowded an appearance, nor so few as to make it appear too thin and empty. The calyx should be at least one inch in length, terminating with broad points, sufficiently strong to hold the narrow bases of the petals in a close and circular body." Hogg in 1820 issued a catalog of 350 good sorts which were in his possession, and writing in praise of the carnation as a garden flower states that "The tulip, though styled the queen of the garden, cannot boast of more admirers. They may with propriety be considered the two masterpieces of Nature." * * * Referring to the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture we find it stated that about 250 species of Dianthus are known to botanists, and of these the most noted is D. caryophyllus, a native of southern Europe, and re- corded as the original parent of all the carnations. We find that distinctive strains were developed in dififerent European countries, and as the result of cross-breeding various well-defined sections were developed. In Great Britain the Bizarres and Flakes, parti-colored flowers, each with their sub-divisions of color, were for a long time the ideal of the old school of florists. Later on the Picotees, Fancies and Selfs had their day of popular favor. These were all summer bloomers and mostly flowered in the open air, although some enthusiastic culti- vators did grow plants in pots under glass for exhibition blooms. For a time in the latter part of the last century the Malmaison type was very jiopular in Britain. Won- derful flowers these were when well developed, but ac- cording to general experience it was one of the most uncertain plants to grow. Many a good plantsman struck a snag on Malmaison culture, and few growers really ever mastered its peculiarities. * * * But of late years the American carnation has taken the leading ])lace across the seas, and this distinctive type, known also as the Perpetual, and winter-flowering sec- tion stands pre-eminent in the world tuday for all-round excellence. The story of its develo])ment will stand as one of the most notable chapters in the history of .Ameri- can floriculture. It is a descendant of a French strain which was derived from the so-called Tree Carnation about the middle of the last century, and to a French florist named Charles Marc, who was located on Long Island, belongs the credit of being the first to introduce 92 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE seedlings of the new type to this country. This was in 1852. A few years later the noted firm of Dailledouze and Zeller, of Flatbush, Long Island, commenced the work of carnation breeding m America, which has proved to be an epoch-making event in the history of this wonderful flower. Other florists soon began to have a hand in its development, and among them we find some of the most noted names in American horticulture. Hun- dreds of varieties have been raised and disseminated, many of them short lived and falling short of expecta- tions it is true ; but we find a number of noteworthy sorts which held their own for several years before finally giv- ing way in the march of progress. Undoubtedly the variety which caused the most sensation was Mrs. Thos. W. Lawson, or the "Lavvson," as it was popularly known. This variety had the unusual distinction of a commercial flower, receiving sensational write-ups in the daily papers. This was twenty years ago, and for several years it was the standard variety here and in Europe, and I believe is still grown today. Mr. Peter Fisher, of Ellis. Mass., will be forever famous had he raised but this one variety, but he also gave the world the famed Enchantress und such well-known sorts as Beacon and Benora among others. The latest sensation is the variety "Laddie," from the house of Dorner, a name famous in American carnation history. As grown and shown by that expert carnation grower, Mr. S. J. Goddard, this variety is certainly a wonder, and sets a notch higher the standard for raisers to aim at. After nearly three-score years and ten the American carnation has achieved a leading position as a commercial flower, and is the stand-by of all who have to maintain a supply of cut flowers during the winter months. Summing up, we see the carnation as a flower which in its various forms has been held in high regard for centuries past, is universally popular at the present time, and undoubtedly will be held in the highest esteem for a long time to come. * * * It is interesting to note the recent introduction of a new race of DiaiitJiiis in England which is described as half carnation and half pink. This new race is called Dianthus Alkvoodii. after the raisers, Allwood Brothers, well known carnation growers in England. _ It is re- ported to be in big demand there, and promises to be a remarkable acquisition to the list of garden plants of which it is said "anyone can grow." From what we can learn the habit is very similar'" to that of the garden pink, and the flowers have the delightful perfunie of that old garden favorite. It is said to flower continuously from Spring till Autumn, and there are varieties of double and single flowers in a wide range of colors. Altogether, it would appear to be the most interesting flower novelty of recent years, and we shall await its appearance here with a good deal of interest. * * * In some greenhouses there is a certain amount of wall space showmg which, if not covered, detracts from the good appearance of the interior. Oftentimes there is opportunity for the display of some climbing plant that would be a special feature at some particular time, and which otherwise could not be accommodated. If a per- petual wall of living green is desired the climbing fig, Fiais pninila. is a first rate plant for the purpose, and so far as I have observed is never subject to insect pests. One of the best walls of green I remember to have seen \v'as in a cool greenhouse with a northern exposure, the 1 ack wall of which was covered for the entire length and from floor to roof with Maidenhair Fern, Adiantinn CKucatum. The method of attachment was by means of zinc troughs a few inches deep and fastened on the wall a foot or so apart. Not only did it look well, but also served the very practical purpose of supplying plenty of fronds for picking from space that might easily have been wasted. * ^' * A pleasant pastime to enable one to forget for a while the climatic capriciousness of a New England winter is to read books on tropical countries. One I have lately enjoyed reading is "A Naturalist in Nicaragua," by Thomas Belt, who must have been one of the most ob- servant of men. Among a lot of interesting happenings in tropical life which he graphically describes is the story of a working partnership between a plant and a species of ant. The plant provides board and lodging for a cer- tain season in return for services rendered. This strik- ing occurrence of mutual help is recorded of several tropical plants. In this particular instance the plant is Acacia splia^rucephalia, a common plant in Nicaragua, where it is known as Bull's-Horn plant. On the trunk and branches are numerous pairs of strong, curved thorns. These thorns are hollow and tenanted by ants, which pass in and out through a hole at one end. These ants are described as small, but very fierce and aggressive, and the service they render is in repelling of leaf-eating animals, for which they receive food as well as lodging. Their food they obtain from the leaves, but not by eating them. The leaves are bi-pinnate in form, and along the mid-rib. at the base of each pair of leaflets is a gland which secretes a honey-like liquid of which the ants seem to be very fond. But this is not all ; a more solid food is provided. When the leaflets first unfold there is on the top of each leaf division a small yellow fruit-like body, for all the world like a tiny golden pear. The ants examine these continually until they are ripe, and inci- dentally do any fighting that may be necessary for their protection. When the fruit is ripe it is broken oft' by the ants and carried home to the nest for consumption. After the leaflets have fully developed the danger of their being chewed up is over for that season. I have observed this plant in botanical gardens and noted all these features, with the exception of the fighting ants and the chewing animals, their places being taken by ants of seeming pacific tendencies and a sucking insect — the mealy bug. One of the advantages of a botanical garden is, that there one may find many plants which, while not of popular interest, none the less excite the curiosity at least of many people who see them. One of these I recall is a curious lilaceous plant from South Africa. Boiviea volnbilis, a bulbous plant of twining growth, giving one the impression from a casual glance that someone had efifected a cross between a giant onion and an asparagus. It would be an interesting plant for the amateur's green- house, but probably it is not oft'ered by any of our plants- men. Do not crowd ideas in speaking or writing. Before you try to convince anyone else, make sure that you are convinced, and if you cannot convince yourself, drop the subject. Do not try to "put over anything." Tell the truth. — Northern. giiiiiliii Ill iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiii I liiiiiiiillilllllNii ililillli I iilliiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiniiliiilililiiin I 'I I INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW | I NEW YORK— MARCH L5-21 | ;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil IIIIIIIIIIIIIII iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii I I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niiiiiiii Ill IIIIIIIIIIIIIII: For March, 1920 93 Making the Home Garden Productive' EDWIN JENKINS 01*" the many changes wrought upon our national life by the great war, none has had a more bene- ficial effect than the increased interest in the Home (iarden and none is more worthy of perpetuation. For in addition to countering, in some measure, the H.C.L. — its effect upon the general health and welfare of the people will be tremendous. To those who have eaten the home-grown, fresh vege- tables, it will be unnecessary to expatiate upon their superiority in comparison with the purchased product, but for the bL'nefit of those to whom this blessing lias been denied I would say, that there is almost as much difference between the sweet-corn, peas, beans, and many other vegetables that you may gather from your own garden, and cook within a short time of picking, as there is between day and night — there is simplv no compari- son. Fertility. — In making the Home Garden more pro- ductive, one of the first considerations is fertility, A garden that is of low fertility would take the heart out of the most enthusiastic and ardent gardener, for the crops will be stunted, poor flavor, and in every way, unsatisfactory. The very best manure for the garden is rich, well de- cayed farm yard manure, applied in large and impressive doses. You hardly need fear putting too much on. This well-rotted manure should be incorporated with the soil by digging and mixing in. Fertility, coupled with plenty of water and siuishine, is the foimdation of rich-flavored, succulent vegetables. Where it is difficult or impossible to obtain manure, the next best method is to supply the much needed humus by digging in leaves or other decayed veg.etable matter, and then using a good dressing of any of the standard brands of commercial fertilizer. Seeds and Seed-sowing. — ^Get a seed catalog of a reliable seed-house, and study it. You will find much useful information therein. Make up your mind what you would like to grow. Order early, so as to have it on hand. Seed will keep in any dry, cool place, if protected from mice. Varieties. — .\ few suggestions as to varieties for the Home Garden will probablv be of service to some. BHANS — (Dwarf, String) Early Red Valentine, Longfellow, Liinas, Fordhook, Bush. Yellow — Golden Wax Improved. BICETS — Early Eclipse, Crimson Globe. CABBAGE— Earlv Wakefield, Danish Ballhead. C.VRROTS— Early Scarlet Horn, Danvcis half-long. LETTUCP'. — Hanson Improved, Salamander, Tennis Ball. CAULIFLOWER— Snowball. CELI-;R\'— White Plume, Golden Self Blanching. ONIONS— Yellow Globe (yellow), Red Globe (red). Silver King (white). SWEET CORN — Golden Bantam, Country Gentleman. I'EAS — Liule Marvel, .Volts's Excelsior, Daisy. (.Ml dwarf kinds). CUCUMBER— White Spine. SQU.\SH — Crookneck (summer), Hubbard (winter). TOMATO— Earliana, Dwarf Stone. TURNIP— Early Milan, White French. W here the Home Garden is, without a greenhouse or good hot-beds, it is better to buy plants already .started of Tomatoes, Eg.g-plant and Peppers, but a little parsley, thyme, and any of the other herbs fancied for flavoring should always be sown in the Home Garden as they ^re easily grown if. sown the latter end of April or beginning of Ma\-. Siiecessiun Crops. — Remember, that the hardier things such as peas, beets, carrots, spinach, turnips, lettuce, etc., may be sown in early April or before. Onions a little later, whereas corn, beans, etc., should not be sown till May, so that, in allotting space these things must be borne in mind. Also, space should be allowed for sow- ing lettuce at periods two or three weeks apart so as to have one crop succeed the other. Keep all the ground working. As soon as a crop of peas, for instance, is oft' any given piece of ground, sow lettuce, spinach, carrots, or whatever is most desired to take its place, and the same spot may well produce at least two, and sometimes three crops in one season. In sowing seeds, be sure the soil is in a fairly dry fine, workable condition, not too wet and sticky, as that is the worst possible state for seed sowing. Cover the seeds to a depth of J/2 inch to two inches, according to the size of the seed and press the soil firmly on the seeds by laying a board on top and walking on it or some such means. Cultivation. — Frequent, light stirring of the surface of the soil with the hoe, or some other implement, is the best means of promoting growth and keeping the weeds down. Insect pests of all kinds must be kept in check and the old adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." is a ,good one to bear in mind in all garden matters. In dry weather, water must be applied, if possible, and in watering, give enough to soak well down to the roots, rather than in light doses, as a small quantity is apt to cause bakin,g of the surface, and more harm than good may follow. Transplanting. — Such plants as celery, lettuce and to a lesser extent, cabbage and cauliflower, are very much benefited by transplanting once or twice before being ])laced in their final growing quarters. This needs be done carefully however, so as to give as little check as possible to the young plants. Care in this means shad- ing and watering until the plants take root in the new soil. FUnvers in the Home Garden. — No Home Garden would be com])lete without some flowers to make the garden a pleasanter spot to work in. and the home a more beautiful place to live in. A row of Sweet Peas either a,gainst a wall or fence will ,give lots of cuttin.g for the house, beside shutting out some more or less unsightly object. Sweet Williams, Pansies. Poppies. Campanulas (Can- terbur}- Bells), Phlox, Mignonette. Candytuft are a few of the old favorites which should find a place in every Home Garden and the same recommendations of fer- tility and cultivation are applicable to the flower border as well as the Vegetalile Garden. 'For tlie non-proft'ssioiial gardciier. In every situation, however, though seemingly hope- less, there may be a ray of li,ght. It is not impossible that the cost of nursing one's indigestion may soon become prohibitive. In this case, the sufferers will have to .give up all of the rapidly accumulating cures, and be forced to go along just as if they didn't have anything the matter with them. They will forget tliemselves, and thus recover. Providence, after all, is not such a bad taskmaster. — Life. 94 GARDENERS' CHROMCLE Hardy Roses for the Garden ALEX. CUMMINGS, Jr. The addition of tlie more recent Hybrid Tea class has given the rose a new standing as a garden subject. It is not only the flower of June, but we also regard it as a flower to. enhance the garden, from earlv June until frost — an added quality that at once pronounces the Hybrid Tea as the type "par excellent" for general garden cul- ture. We may also consider the majority of its varieties sufficiently well constituted to replace, to a large extent, the older types for any ornamental purpose. The genus Rosa embraces a great many distinct sec- tions or families, yet the true garden or bedding roses sus- ceptible to successful culture in our cli- mate are restricted to a few well-known types, namely, the Tea-Scented Roses in a few' of the more sturdy kinds, the Hybrid Tea, the Hy- brid Perpetual or R e m o n t a n t, the dwarf Polyantha. and the newer Per- netiana group. The Bourbon, Bengal. Noisette and other less known types are hardly worthy of this distinction, ex- cept in a few in- stances. Some knowdedge of the characteristics of these types is essen- tial to the rosarian, particularly when pruning operations are in order, or in the arrangement of the rose garden, the success of which de- pends so much on the proper disposal of the various classes. K a June display. Columbia — A OroOTuj; Pink Rose nxtvi only is desired the Mt'dal for the best rose of Amerieau o: Hybrid Remontant type should be drawn from largely, as it is their characteristic to make a prodigious showing at that season, and for this reason they are commended to the owner of the private estate, who is absent during the late Summer and would therefore prefer the early display. A limited number of the varieties will flow"r more or less during the autumn months, so that by confining the planting list to a careful selection, a credit- able showing could be made at that time. In pink varie- ties. Mrs. John Laing. Paul Neyron, George Arends, Paul's Earlv Hlush, Mrs. R. G. Sharman Crawford, and ,'\nna dc Diesbach are about the best in this respect. The red roses of tliis tvpe are sadlv deficient in late flowering qualities, the best being Ulrich Brunner and Gloire de Chedane Guinoisseau, varieties distinct in form, although closelv related. Good white roses are limited to a few varieties in any type, but particularly so in the Hybrid Remontant. Frau K. Druschki is easily the best in this section and is, in fact, generally considered the queen of all white roses, regardless of classification. For June flowering only, we can add a nvuiiber of ex- cellent kinds to the foregoing. In white and flesh shades, the varieties Clio, Mar- garet Dickson, Gloire Lyonnaise, and Mabel Morrison are well worthy of a place in the rose garden. In red roses. Gen- eral Jacqueminot, known as the Jack Rose for over half a century, is still a favorite, Marie Bau- man, Alfred Colomb, Marie Rady, Sena- teur Vaisse, Jules M a r g o 1 1 e n, and Hugh Dickson are each good garden \arieties. Hugh Dickson stands out prominently among these and should not he omitted from the planting list. The Pink Remon- tant roses that flower only in June also in- clude our hardiest garden kinds — Mad- am G. Luizet, Oak- mont, Baronne Pre- vost. Magna Charta and Baroness Roths- child are varieties that will resist our winter conditions without protection. To sum up the good qualities of this type — qualities that endear — we cannot over-estimate the wonderful display which they are capable of producing in the early Summer, the perfect form, substance and clear coloring of the flowers, com- lined with a constitution that well adapts them for beauti- fying exposed locations where the more tender roses would have a rded the Gertriuie ill iiitrodueed \ narrow borders, and a less tame 'plani ing by the ])ond. Perhaps a brief revie\> of each of these may suggest to yen some of the possible ways of using iri The rock-garden is on a steep south em slojje under great larches, a narrow strip, the sub-soil pure gravel and the beds prepared merely with a generous admixture of leaf- mold. Here in early April /. reticulata shows its deep red-purpled, narrow segments, the awl-like leaves just showing above the soil; later there are some of the true pumilas, equally small but making rich drifts of color ; then verna, a native, its l)lue tone intensified by the vivid orange splotch at the throat : cristata, and its slightly larger form lacustris, form great mats of semi-shade, and the fas- cinating Japanese /. gracilipes is estab- lished at the foot of an old apple tree. The solid deep green, luxuriant foliage of /. graminea reminds me of verna's evergreen leaves, and its curiously at- tractive deep rose style-branches have a mellow fragrance that recalls "the rich and fruity odor of a freesia." Occasional plants of rare reglo-cyclns forms have a foot hold and I look forward to the blooming of some of the California natives that have come from the seed bed. None of these with their dainty growth can compete with their more sturdy and showy brethren but few of them fail to intrigue the passer-by. In the garden we come to the great variety of Bearded Irises. Pitmila hybrids, vieing in early Alay with the solid mats of the low phlox, make gor- geous edgings ; then there are clumps of intermediate varieties in gorgeous combination with tulips of every hue. and with the late blooming varieties the garden becomes a veritable palette spread with contrasting tones of color. With my interest in irises, few varieties are used in large masses, many in small clumps, and more and more I come to realize The Same Go t III ;.■ (( 1 1 i.atcr With the liises in Their Glory. 98 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE that the taller and finer the form and the larger in size the iris, the greater is its beauty standing" clear from its neighbors. A few of the lovely self-colored things like pallida Dalmatica, Aurea, Dawn, or White Knight, I like in big blocks, but the deep claret tones of Caprice, or the red and yellow variegatas I want only as mere contrasting touches. What could be lovelier than two or three swinging" stalks of Caterina rising well above the average level, a compact clump of the rich, velvety Monsignor, or a single well-flowered stalk of Isoline, incomparable in color ! New combinations are continu- ally cropping up and this last season one plan at least came to perfect maturity. Against a brown, hewn trellis where the grapes show pale gray green and blush in their spring dress, there are perhaps twelve tall stalks of the velvety bronzed Prosper Laugier, below, a rounded clump of pure White Knight and a crescent-shaped drift of Prestige, its flowers airily held, its color clear yellow with echoes of white and violet. Rarely have I planned with such success, and who that loves gardening does not plan ? If space allowed I should have many borders in selected colors, not aH-iris borders, but perennial borders with irises for May and June display : there would be claret, soft yellow, and cream, or purples from richest violet to palest lavende, rose toned and flushed pearly tints, or, perhaps, even bold chestnut and yellows softened by warm blends ; infinite are the possibilities. Down by the marshy edge of the pond, the beard- less irises thrive ; sibericas in cool white with the most fragile of venations in cream and lavender or in deepen- ing tones of blue-lavender, their myriad flowers like butterflies poised in midair so slender are the stalks : lower growing with less grassy leaves, larger flowers and clearer color are the forms of orientaUs of which White Queen and the almost velvety Emperor stand out pre- eminent. These are more usual garden favorites, but you will find a quite wide range oi color among the natives of China, Thibet, or even our own country, for Wilsoni is a straw yellow, pseudoaconts (the big English wildling) a bright yellow, and chrysographcs the deep- est of violet. All these come into bloom with the great pageant of the Bearded Irises and though I speak of them as lovers of moisture, they do as well in a rich, well-cultivated garden. In late June, or early July, come the giant growing spurias. ochroleucas, and Mon- nieris, strong growing things with stifle wide spreading petals, but narrow ones which in Guldcnstadtiana be- come mere spidery limbs, and now also come the Jap- anese which are so well appreciated a part of many a garden. Before the hardships of Quarantine i7 . I had many English, Spanish, and Dutch iris for mid-June show, but now I treasure but a few for they did not take to my light, poorly-nourished soil. They prove the best of all irises for cut-flowers and I only hope that the Horticultural Board will prove a true p'-ophet in fore- seeing a time when "Dutch" bulbs can be as well grown in this country as in Holland and gardens may show again the beauty of bulbs by the hundred. Personally my passing acquaintance with the bulbous irises has not been sufficient to give me a knowing appreciation of the varieties by name, but I hope that others will be able to give them individuality. All this is from mine own garden lore, but I think an actual example is the strongest argument I can put forward for you to become an active member of The American Iris Society. This was organized but a short time ago, January 29th, to be exact, and already over 260 charter members are enrolled and its policy is to bring to all garden lovers an added appreciation of the iris. There will be trial gardens, exhibitions, local meetings; we plan to establish standards for nomenclature, descrip- tions, and judging; information is coming to hand for an authentic treatise on culture to be based on the ex- perience of growers in many localities. As a member you will receive each month published notes of interest, and we trust that many will find their investment of $3 (the annual dues) of real value. As secretary of The American Iris Society, I shall be glad to answer iris queries through the pages of The Gardeners' Chronicle and I wish to thank the editor for this opportunity. A PLEA FOR UNITED ACTION AGAINST QUARANTINE 37 [From Florists' F.xclunii^c. Feb. 21.) The report of the proceedings, published in last week's Florists' Exchange, of the hearing before the Federal Horti- cultural Board relative to the application of Quarantine Bill No. 37 to orchids, has amazed some of your readers and strength- ened the suspicion that the motive behind this measure is to a large degree that of a trade protection. They were no less sur- prised to find such noted orchid growers as Lager, Manda, Roehrs, Baldwin and Carrillo, drawn into a controversy with a man who has not been a resident of the United States for more than six months, and who has not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate his ability as an orchid grower in his new atmosphere, and another whose new methods of growing are still in the state of experimenting, on the possibility of raising orchids in this country, which subject is totally irrelevant to the one issue in which the Federal Horticultural Board should alone be con- cerned and which is, whether imported orchids are carriers of in- jurious insect pests or contagious plant diseases? If The Excliaiige has quoted Dr. Marlatt correctly, he de- clared he did not believe it would be worth while to discuss the enemies of orchids for the reason that the Agricultural Depart- ment has experts on that subject who know what has been foimd on orchids, and that the fact that some one outside the Depart- ment does not believe an insect has any effect on orchids would not be considered, was certainly a most remarkable statement. Those who have come in contact with the experts, or as they are officially termed "scientists." of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, do not coincide with the apparent belief of Dr. Marlatt that they are infallible and, while no one expects them to be, some of them are far from it. The attitude at times as- sumed by the chairman of the Federal Board, of which the fore- going is an example, tempts the writer to recount his remin- iscences during the past ten years of his observations and ex- periences with the "scientists" of the government department of which Dr. Marlatt is a unit. It would provide humorous read- ing, while it might prove embarrasing to some. An excellent authority has advised that the Federal Horti- cultural Board is not in a position to give an impartial hearing because it has already reached its decision, and that it is most natural that it should be prejudiced in favor of its own decision. This authority has suggested that a hearing be sought before the Agricultural Committee of the House, at which all facts from both sides might be fully and freely presented, and from which the Agricultural Committee can draw a just conclusion of the merits of this unpopular measure. The Association which the writer represents has been patiently waiting for one of the older horticultural organizations to take some action, but none seems disposed to take the step. The Na- tional Association of Gardeners is now prepared to take the initiative, if it can secure the co-operation and support of those interested, to bring about a modification of this autocratic, and un- democratic, and un-American law. A new secretary was recently appointed to that office of the Department of Agriculture, a man who did not achieve his success in life merely through academic channels, but who has also had a broad and practical experience in the field of agriculture. If the case was properly presented to Mr. Meredith, before any other action is decided on. with united support of those inter- ested behind it. it is not at all improbable that those affected may obtain some relief. Let all horticulturists, including professional and amateur .gardeners, who recognize the injustice of Quarantine Bill No. 37. co-operate to bring about a modification of this drastic action (we do not seek to have it rescinded entirely because it possesses some good points, when they are not abused) and to secure representation on the Federal Horticultural Board of prac- tical horticulturists. M. C. Ebel, Secretary National .Xssociation of Gardeners. For March, l')20 99 Our Perennial Flowers A. WITTRUP FLuW'KRS are the soul of the garden — the grounds may be veiy attractively arranged with trees, ever- greens and shrubs yet without flowers they are what the woods and natural meadows would be without the gay dotting and sprays of color which lend gayety and brilliance in varying succession from Spring until frost or later. Yet we see many home-grounds well planted with trees and shrubs and with well kept lawns, millions of city homes with a little space in the front of the house and a fairly large backyard with few or no flowers — lacking the life and music of color — the element that draws out the soul of man to join that of Nature, as ex- pressed in legend and poetry from time immemorial. Why is this ? Everybody loves flowers — but many have the idea, dating from the time of carpet bedding and bedding out plants, that more time is needed to give flowers the proper care than they, in the multitudinous attractions of city life, can devote to them. This is a serious mistake — we have the hardy perennial flowers, that once planted in good soil require very little care during the Summer and only a light protection in Winter — and for this little attention they give us year after year beautiful blossoms, color and fragrance. .And why indeed should one not attend to the labors of gardening? Are its rewards less than some activities assumed as recreation ? Is not the satisfaction of being a co-worker with Nature in production of some of her choicest characters wonderfully worth while? One need only to think of the thousands of lovely cot- tage gardens in the old villages of England, to see how flowers and vines can help transform the simplest house into a most charming home. But whether the garden b^ small or large — informal or formal, the best results will be had by using mostly perennial and hardy bien- nials which are to be found in many of the old gardens. The Iris, Peonies. Digitalis, Campanula, Dielytra, Diantlms, Shasta Daisies, Gaillardia, Pyrethrum, Chry- santhemums, Violets, Primrose, Lily of the Valley, Forget-me-nots, Phlox, Hollyhock, Larkspur, Colum- bine— and so one could go on endlessly giving these old names, each one calling up picture after picture of childhood's fairy tales and charming old gardens and homes from the times of our oldest myths, to the dream- land of the future. And all these are within reach of everyone practically for the asking. Good soil and sunshine and a little care is all they need, and they adapt themselves to any garden scheme, from that of the cottage, to the park and grounds of the palace, and like the true aristocrat make themselves equally well at home with anyone who love.s ihem. Flowers of the field, of the woodland, the meadow. Stars of the hillside, or gems of the glade — Modest in purity ; glowing with brighness, In the rich folds of the rainbow arrayed — Called into life by the kiss of the sunshine. How your warm hues scatter gladness and cheer ; And from your hearts, lo, the perfumes of Eden Coyh- diffuse on the scent-laden air. — Selected. Coiirlcsv f'l Swoiv Nchnv ^ Sonx. A dardrn Near Chicago of Perennial Vtaw.-rs IVilh Attractive Planting, i>l Trees and Shnihs as a Backgraiind Setting. 100 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ^IHHfllllllHmiMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII rilliri|[lllllllllliltllll1NJII>lliniiltauilllllllllt.^ll1llllllllllllllllHllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIllliUlllllllllllllllllllMlllinillillinilllllllllllllll[lliI[ll[[llllllllll^ rill IIIIIHIUIIIIIIIillllkllllllll llllllinilUlllllllltMfll' The Month's Work in the Garden JOHN JOHNSON .iffiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiHiiiinimniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNNNiiiiiNNiininniiiiiiiiiiiiiinm^ THE busy planting season is fast approaching", and it now behooves every gardener to make good at thL earliest possible opportunity any arrears of work. In gardening, as in all other practical operations, there is nothing like method. The season's work should be planned with such careful forethought and precision as if strict account of every operation must be given be- fore an assembly of critics. If methods are adopted early in the season with this thought in mind, future perplexities and disappointments which often arise as the result of having too much of one thing and not enough of another, may be reduced to a minimum. Abil- ity to meet every demand made upon the garden is truly the greatest test imposed upon a gardener's practical skill. It is conceded, of course, that occasional failure must inevitably overtake and rupture the most carefully laid plans, yet those who learn to make failure the step- ping stone to success reap the most bounteous harvest. We have already attempted to outline methods of pro- cedure with regard to making hot beds, and the early sowing O'f vegetable and flower seeds, and all that can now be said in this particular is that some of these sow- ings should now be repeated in order to maintain suc- cession or to otherwise make good any which have failed entirely. Transplant seedlings from last month's sow- ings as soon as the plants can be nicely handled and keep them under similar conditions of soil, and temperature and shade from bright sunshine for a week or so until the plants recover from the shift, after which gradually inure to more light and ventilation. Seedlings like Larkspur, Antirrhinum. Phlox Dnim- mondii, Pcntstcinon, Sweet Pea and I'crbcna in the flowering grouj), and members of the Cabbage family leeks, onions and lettuce among vegetables, should be given cool treatment. A little assistance at the com- mencement they must have, but the aim from now on should be to keep them stocky by a gradual process of hardening after pricking ofif. This does not imply reck- less exposure to chill blasts which are to be expected dur- ing the month, but merely emphasizes the necessity of giving air freely whenever there may be a fair oppor- tunity. In this month's sowings include Stock, Aster, Zinnia, r.alsam and Impaticns. The middle of the month will be early enough to start these. Sow thinly so that the young plants may have abundant room, and when pricked off even a little apparent wastefulness of space will be repaid by stout and vigorous stock. Pleasure grounds. As the weather shows signs of ■breaking up push forward the work of cleaning shrub- beries. The principles of pruning shrubs are generally ■well understood. The early flowering group almost in- variably bloom on wood of previous season's growth, and therefore require little, if any, attention in the matter of pruning now. Any thinning out w^iich might be needed should be done immediately after flowering, or, better still, in Summer when growth is comi)leted. Late Sum- mer of Fall flowering shrubs may be severely pruned now unless further development of growth is sought. Clear away rubbish and burn in a "smother" and use the result- ant ash as fertilizer. It is a crime to commit prunings and the like to flames and allow the very best fertilizing agency to go up in smoke. As soon as the work can be done, trim the grass edges and loosen the ground between the shrubs with a spading fork. Ornamental climbers may require attention. Train them away from windows and tie in any growths which might have fallen out ot position during the Winter. While the average gardener is perhaps alive to the orna- mental value of :hmbers, there is ample room for a more general employment of this class o-f plants. For screening unsightly objects, covering arbors, trellises, vv'orn-out buildings and trees, and for clothing rough hungry banks they are indispensable. The uses to which this class of plants may be put are just as varied as the habits of the plants themselves, and their judicious em- ployment at once creates an atmosphere of delightful rest- fulness, and gives to the home environs that suggestion of age so often conspicuous only by its absence in our American gardens. Now is the time to order them and prepare for the planting operation. Toward the end of the month remove wind screens and other temporary protection aft'ordcd choice shrubs, and remove the winter covering from roses, flower beds and herbaceous borders. Prune and tie in rambler roses and commence pruning bush roses as soon as dangei of hard frosts is past. Pansies. Bcllis and Myostis, if wintered in frames or nursery rows, should be planted in permanent quarters as soon as the ground can be freely worked. Do any needed alteration and planting in the herbaceous border at the earliest opportunity. Apply fertilizer to lawns, scratch the surface, and re-seed if necessary. BusJi Fruits. Gooseberry bushes require annual atten- tion in the matter of pruning, and there is no better time for doing the work than now. Last season's growths v.dl yield most berries. Cut away all superfluous shoots, but cut the points only of those that will be retained. Try to keep the main shoots about six inches apart and the middle of the bush open so that fruit picking may be more conveniently done. Red Currants must be spurred back to within a couple of buds, although a few shoots may be left about eight inches long for extension if need be. P>lack Currants require entirely different treatment. Merely cut away exhausted branches and en- courage basal growths to take their place. Side shoots which are too numerous should be spurred back. I'cgctable Garden. Remove the covering from Spin- ach, strawberry plants and the asparagus plot as soon as the weather breaks. Sow such kinds as peas, onwns, parsley, parsnips and spinach on mellow ground in a sunny position. In the colder districts it will pay to start a number of these in cold frames with a view to later transplanting in the open. Peas may be sown in 4-inch pots, parsley, lettuce and beets in flats. If room is available under sash sow carrots in drills and sprinkle radish seed between the rows. Transplant seedlings from last month's sowings. Lettuce and cauliflower planted in cold frames in a rich compost will turn in a week or two in advance of those planted in the open dur- ing next month. String beans may also be sown in frames at this time. For March, l<)20 101 The Gladiolus KATHRYN BEACH TRACY U firi^^hiiirss — slandiiiii jor truth like a tower. Dii^nity — syiiibul of lionoy and pozcer, Beauty, that blooms in tlic ultimate flozver. Could anything be more perfectly descriptive of the Gladiolus? Conceded to be the comini^ garden flower, it is each year in greater demand for gardens and for Crimson Clozv — A Gloiviii:^ Red Floivcr. forcing. It stands alone as a super-satisfactory garden asset. A wealth of bloom rewards a minimum of labor and expense, the freedom from insect pests assures suc- cess to the amateur arwl the glory and charm of each flowering spike fully repays all efforts. Thirty, even twenty years ago, the word Gladiolus suggested nothing but the small red Gladiolus Brenchlcy- ensis, a variety still used with etifect in large i)lant- ings, but far outclassed by the modern type of this magnificent flower. .Small wonder that having grown it once successfully, the amateur is ever after an enthusiast. Assuming that the reader knows something of the incomparable beauty of this garden favorite, let us con- sider a few Gladiolus jjlantings of real charm. .\.gainst a backgroimd of the gray-green foliage and fragrant mauve trusses of Biiddleia. tall spikes of Gladiolus Loveliness with glistening white Lily Lehman bloomed above a carpet of purple Verbena. In another veined, beneath which sjiread a carpet of bluest of blue Lobelia. Blue gardens are sometimes hungry for a touch of other color, which only makes the blue more telling. Pink, white and yellow may always be used to splendid effect and the tall flowers of the tjladiolus show to such advantage. In a border planting, where all the blues of the Del- phiniums ran riot. Gladiolus Daybreak, orchidlike in form and texture came into bloom with the second flower- ing of the Delphiniums, and the blue and the shell pink of Daybreak were both finer for the combination. I know that reds are now generally shut out of the modern gardens, but when we consider the gorgeous sight of flaming swords of Gladiolus Mrs. Francis King, or the glowing red of Crimson Glow, piercing through masses of Liliuin auratum, the tribute to the planter's art is enough to warrant a place in every garden. Rnuiih Torch — Large Creamy White Plozeer. Althdugli there is a great demand for large flowered yellows the demand is correspondingly hard to satisfy, corner among white lilies, Gladiolus LTmmaculce, purest Golden Measure, magnificent but ])rohibitive in price, white, with the rich, exotic bufif of Gladiolus Niagara heads the list with Mongolian, Schwaben, Yellow Prince, were friendly associates with deep blue .?alpii;lossis, gold (Continued on page 107) 102 gardei\i:rs' chronicle ^llilillllltltltlliiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiNJinitiitJii^ntiruiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiniiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiKiitt^ I The Month's Work in the Greenhouse | I HENRY GIBSON | ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniaitiittiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiain The <^Trlv sown seedlings will now demand attention in the wav of pricking off. careful watering, and ven- tilation in order to reduce losses to a minimum. The damping off fungus {Pythium dc Baryanum) is annually responsible for the loss of a large percentage of seed- lings. Nor it is always a dirty, unkempt condition of the houses, that is responsible for the conditions that are favorable to the development of this fungus. In com- paratively new houses, thoroughly clean, and painted, we have experienced the ravages of this pest to an alarm- ing degree, in spite of ample ventilation and liberal use of fungicides. Once the fungus has inhabited the soil, extreme care has to be exercised to keep it under control, since the moist conditions favorable to the growth of the seed- lings are especially invigorating to it. It is good practice when preparing soil for the see.dlings to use a liberal pro- portion of leaf mold, and if it is available spent, hot-bed manure, in addition to sand to make it porous. Then as each flat or, other receptacle is filled spread half an inch of coarse sand over the top previous to pricking in the seedlings. \Mien the hole is made for the little plant a portion of the .sand will fall into it thus affording a more porous medium around the roots, to carry away surplus moisture. When first transplanted the seedlings will require some shade until thev re-establish themselves in their new quarters, and when this has been accomplished, will de- mand a sunny position near the glass to develop into sturdy, stocky plants. As the sun gains in power they will need more watering, but be on the alert and see that it is not overdone or serious trouble may ensue. Sweet Peas for Outdoors From present indications of weather conditions out- doors there appears little likelihood of getting into the ground very early to sow the Sweet Pea seeds, and it will help them considerably on the way to get the seed sown in the greenhouse as soon as possible now. By using .S or 6 seeds to each pot, and thinning out to the best plants later on, one may expect to have fine stock to set out as early in April as the ground can be worked. It won't hurt them much to get caught by late frosts, the tops will kill back, but they^ will break again from the base and still be weeks ahead of those sown outdoors in .A.pril. Sweet Peas Under Glass These subjects now flowering in the greenhouse will be benefitted by a mulch of good soil and well-decayed manure, or pulverized sheep manure whichever of the latter is available. It isn't good practice to plant Sweet Peas in rich soil or feed them much before they start flowering yet once the buds are set, they will flower for a much longer period if well fed, and watered liberally. .Snapdragons l''rom now onwards the flowering stock planted out in the benches will more than make up for lost time. Those that have been slow to throw up flowering stems during the Winter will now soon cover themselves with spikes of blooms. Proper staking is done in order to keep the spikes from becoming twisted and broken. Another important mat- ter is the removal of the side shoots if one wishes to have first class material for decorations. These side shoots by the way make fine material for the cutting bench if they are free from rust, or other disease. Snapdragons are gross feeders, and soon permeate the soil with a mass of roots in search of available plant food. Plants that have occupied the benches all winter will be bene- fitted by a good topdressing of loam and manure. Violets To those who propagate their own violets the present affords the best opportunity to secure a supply of cuttings. The plants are now making a natural growth, and in good condition if free from spot and other disease. Whether one takes the cuttings and roots them in the propagating bench, or takes the rooted runners, cutting back their tops a little, and plants them closely in sandy soil, matters little. Successes and failures have been ex- perienced from both methods, and it appears to make little difference so long as neither the cuttings or run- ners are not too old for the purpose. The flowering plants will now demand some shade on the roof of the house, and all the air possible consistent with the outdoor temperature will greatly prolong the flowering period. The Easter Plants The plants that are being grown for Easter decora- tions will now demand a little special care from the cul- tivator. Every gardener likes to have a good showing at this time. Many owners will undoubtedly plan to visit their establishments rotind the holidays, especially after being barred from the country for so long through the unusually severe winter weather, and it will afford them a greeting of more than passing moment to find a goodly supply of well grown plants. Anyone who has ever beheld a rambler rose for in- stance, just chock full of flowers and buds, yet a most unsightly affair because of crippled foliage, due to mildew, is prepared to admit offhand that it does not produce a very happy effect. The trouble usually happens during the last few weeks. Every care is taken to have th.em in at the proper time, they are grown on in a fairly warm temperature, up to the time they show color, and then to hold them back, or harden them off they are brought into a cold house or one where a raw March air struck them from the ven- tilators, or through a door carelessly left open. Mildew is the inevitable result, and one can use all the fungicides available without removing the effects. The plants are all the better for being hardened off, but do it carefully, look out for the ventilators and doors, and don't subject the plants to a sudden drop in tem- lieratiirc at one time. Do it gradually, in the way you advanced the tem]3erature when you started to force them. Spir.T!as The Spir3eas should be showing color about lire time these notes appear, and must have all the room neces- {Conliinu;! on 'age 110) For March. 1920 103 Natural Effects in Landscape Work ALBERT MILLARD CARPETBEDDING is a thing of the past, and rightly so. We have not the trained help to spend enough time in keeping such bedding in first class condition — and certainl}- a neglected carpet or mosaic-bed is an eyesore. Besides greenhouse running is too costly nowadays to grow the many different plants in quantities required for such plantings. Lately we came back more to the style of natural planting" in wood- land or in rockgarden, and we can notice in many new and old places the creation of rockgardens — more are laid out in the past few years than ever before. Rockgardening in its place, small or large, has a most fascinating influence, it is or rather should be the most wonderful artistic work in the most wonderful style of natural landsca])e work. A thoughtfully arranged rockgarden is always admired by any professional or amateur gardener, because con- stantly new flowers appear, something new is creeping, winding over the paths and rocks, and one feels repaid in frequent visits to watch and look for new features. We admire a well trained Privet Hedge, and it answers its purpose well — but it is always the same old Privet hedge — give me the little steps on the rockgarden to climb, it will strengthen my body and rest my soul. I may say that only a friend of Nature, who studied rock- formations and habits of plant life is able to create a successful rockgarden — and select the place for it. Nature has very often provided a place to build a rock- garden, may be in a lonely, cool, elevated spot under a tree with sloping ground to the level, bordering a lawn or a walk. This would be an ideal location. If the ground is level, then we have to shape it into a hilly appearance, build up with rocks and boulders, make crev- ices and pockets, shady and sunny spots to suit our plant- ings. Trees, especially Evergreens, narrow slim growing ones, like Cedars, Juniperus, Tanus, etc., give us the wanted irregular skyline and a fine color effect, the latter even in Winter. But a bank is also a very well fitted place for a rockgarden arrangement. Imagine a drive- way or a walk flanked on both sides with a bank, and this is a suggestion suitable also for smaller places. Rustic arbors, settees, birds' feeding stands add to the charming effect in such natural surroundings. It is not at all necessary to use only low growing and creep- ing plants, some varieties of shrubs, or low growing weeping trees — for instance the weeping Caragana, the weeping Cherry, weeping Forsythia, weeping JMuIberrv, Japanese Maple.s — are very desirable. For a larger place the weeping Willow, Pin (3ak. Mountain Ash, Table Pine rightly located, are very effective. It is out of question to use any shmb like Lilacs, Mock Orange, Altheas, Hydran- geas or the like, but Andromeda. Azalea calendulacea, pontice, aniocna Hinodogiri, Kacmpferi (the new hardy salmon colored), viscosa (Sweet White Honeysuckle .\zalca), arborescens, are all beautiful planted in clumps. Clcthra alnifolia (Sweet Pepjjer Bush) in half shadv spots, Comptonia asplenifolia (Sweet Fern Bush) Cor- niis florida and stolonifera (red osier) Etionymus varie- ties. Ilex vcrticillata (Black Alder) with their red ber- ries in Winter, Pyrus arbutifolhis, and all the Rhus varieties as 7?. aromatica, copalUna, glabra typhina and typhina laciiiata. These Rhus varieties should be cut hack to the ground every Spring. Riibiis odoratus (flow- ering Ras])berry) and tlie grand Riihiis — delicious with the very large white flowers — Samhucits piibeiis, red- berried, Crati-rgiis pyracantha Lclandi carrying their red fruit until after Christmas. Symphoricarpus ra- cemusns (Snowberry) delightful to the eye in Fall and Winter and Haiithorisaa apiifolia a low growing shrub doing fine in shade and sun, also under trees. The fall coloring of the leaves is exceedingly fine. Water is essential in the rockgarden to cool oft' the rocks after a hot sunny day and to feed to the plants. If a natural flow of water is at hand, or near by, it should be utilized in leading a stream over the rocks, forming a cascade and ending in an informal pond. Moisture loving plants will grow in the pool or in the border surrounding it. Caltlia palustris (marsh marigold). Iris (several varieties). Lobelia cardinaUs (the brilliant red flowering), Typba latifolia (Cattail) Sarraccncia va- rieties, the Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpum) and the difl:'erent Water Lilies would enjoy such a damp atmosphere and the moist soil. Further, the planting of a background, more or less heavy, is a very important factor to be done. Green Spruces or Pines look well, they act at the same time as a windbreak, and the whole scenery is well set in, like a picture in a frame. I regret to state that I often saw rockgardens made from a pile of boulders, they may rightly be called Rock- eries, but the gardener's eye does not approve of these. The main success depends on deep pockets, as I main- tained before, twelve inches should be sufficient for the average plantings. Of course there are many plants which would be satisfied with 3 or 4 inches, like Sedum and Sciiipcrz'k'iiin. They are extensively used for the paths, to plant around flat, irregular stepping stones. The small velvety Sedums are beautiful to plant between and around these stones. Also Cerastium tonieiitosum (white leaved), Cainpaiiiila Carpatica (blue and white), Dianthus deltoides (always in flower), Ilonstonia ewrn- lea (the Bluets) Phlox subulata (Moss Pinks) Silcne alpestris ( Catchfly ) the Thyme varieties (all are fragrant and excellent for stone walks). \''ines, hanging and clinging to large rocks, to cover tree trunks, to ramble over slopes, over little bridges or railings are indisiiensable in our work. One of the best vines is the new self-supporting Aiiipclopsis Lozi.'ii, it has very dainty leaves, dazzling in sunshine, and once established grows quick and up- right. Ampclopsis Veitchi and Engelmanni are only good for a large campus, and too coarse for small gardens. Aiiipelopsis Henry, Clematis paniculala, Celastrits sean- dens (Bittersweet), Rubns hispidits (Running lUack- berry),, Vitis cestivalis and cord i folia (the wild grapes) are of greatest value. I recommend one common vine, but seldom used. Lysimachia- nummiilaria (creeping Jenny), to jjlant fre(|uently in shade or the open, grows everywhere, is a c|uick grower, covers any space, and docs not burn out, also along paths or to cover big boulders, is not surpassed by any other vine. Also Arcto- slaphylos Uva-iirsi ( I'earberry), a terrible name to re- meiuber, but the greatest plant for rocks in a sunny position, and cannot be beaten in sandy, poor soil. Climbing Roses are permissible to ])lant in a Rock- garden, but only the single flowering as "Wichuriana ( white) Hiawatha, and Ruby Queen, a universal favorite. Other Roses for single planting or grouping are the beautiful Lord Penzances, Sweet Briar hybrids, the .\ustrian Briars, the .Scotch Briars and the lately intro- duced single yellow Hugonis, a real gem. I could not (Continued oti /ri.Ci' 107) 104 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Practical Notes on Vegetable Growing N. BUTTER BACH THE essentials for success in vegetable growing are : proper irrigation, deep culture, heavy manuring, and seed with good germinating power. When you are provided with these requirements you are well established for a productive vegetable garden. In the cultural notes I describe the treatment in growing which I have found most satisfactory in my territory. Climatic conditions may vary the date of plantings a little. The North may find our planting time to be a little early, while the South will find it late, but the general treat- ment varies little. Care should be exercized in careful selection of varieties for early and late planting. Such selections can be made by referring to catalogs of respon- sible seedsmen. LETTUCE. — For the earliest lettuce sow seed in hotbeds or greenhouse middle of February, transplant in cold frame or light, airy house, and plant outdoors as soon as frost is out of the ground a foot apart. They want very rich soil and sufficient moisture, as the quality of lettuce depends on crispness, and this can only be obtained by quickness of growth. For later crops seed is sown in rows and thinned out a foot apart. For winter lettuce to be protected or in cold frames middle of September is about the best time to sow. The transplanted plants always do better except in warm weather, when it is better the plants remain where sown and thinned out. CABB.AGE. — Seed can be sown in September and transplanted in cold frames when the plants are about five inches high. They ought to be aired freely during Winter and planted in the open as soon as the frost is out of the ground. But where greenhouses are handy it is hardly worth while to go to this trouble. Early Jersey Wakefield is generally used for this purpose. If the seed is sown early in February the plants are ready to be planted the latter part of March or the first part of April. Cabbage deinands heavy manuring and in addition a coinplete fertilizer and a high culture. Cabbage likes new soil. CELERY. — Celery seed may be sown in open borders in the latter part of March or early part of April. Or for early use in February in greenhouse or frame and transplanted in flats. It is very slow to germinate and moisture is essential for its germina- tion. Celery is naturally hardy and likes cool weather. The young plants inust be kept clear of weeds and watered if nec- essary. If a growth of 7 to 8 inches has been made, the tops ought to be cut back a couple of inches to strengthen the roots and expose the heart of the plant to the sun. If only a small quantity is needed it will pay to transplant from the seed bed to an intermediate bed before planting. The soil can not be made too rich, and a heavy coat of manure should be piowed under be- fore planting, also abundant water should be on hand. July is usually the inonth for fall and winter celery. The proper dis- tance between rows is Syi to 4 feet if the plants are lifted for winter storage, otherwise they are jjlanted in double rows froin 10 to 12 inches apart with 6 to 8 feet intervals between, so as to have all the soil needed for winter covering. Celery can also be planted in closely set beds, say 6x8 inches. With a very rich soil and abundant fertilizer and water supply celery can then be blanched through the dense shade resulting from the rapid growth. Boards are also used with this method. Celery should be constantly cultivated. Loose soil ought to be packed around the spreading leaves to encourage a compact growth. A light furrow thrown up with a plow will bleach dwarf varieties. For late winter varieties the spade and shovel ought to be used for banking. Celery is very hardy, and a little frost won't injure it. Celery that has been lifted from its place of growth is inore liable to decay than that with roots undisturbed. MELONS. — Melons need a fertile, warm soil, with plenty of humus. Hotbed or compost soil is very suitable. It takes 100 days from the day of planting until the titne of ripening. Water- melons take 30 to 40 days more. Three to four years old seed set earlier and better than new seed. For early melons seed sown in a hotbed or greenhouse will advance the plants froin two to three weeks. They are sown in pots or on pieces of sod and transplant- ed in the open ground in May. Well rotted manure in the hills is very beneficial. Frotn 7 to 10 seeds are planted in a hill and later thinned out to three plants. The hills ought to be not less than 4x6 feet apart. After the plants attain the height of 6 .inches they ought to be cut back to two eyes or leaves, and after the side branches attain 14 to 16 inches they can be reduced to about a foot to encourage branching. After the setting of fruit, the branch is pinched two leaves above the fruit, and continue to pinch in the saine way until the fruit is ripe. Pinching will hasten the maturity and also increase the size of fruit. CUCUMBERS. — Cucumbers need rhe same treatment as melons, except for the pinching, and four plants in a hill instead of three. PEAS. — Peas ought to be sown as soon as the ground can be worked in Spring in rows 2^4 feet apart for the dwarf varieties and 3 to 4 feet for the taller or brush varieties. They are plant- ed in succession from March to June and for late crop in August. BE.\NS. — Beans are treated similar to peas, only they are not as hardy. The first planting is made in May, and a planting every two weeks until September. CAULIFLOWER. — Cauliflower like rich soil and a great deal of moisture. The soil ought not to be warm, but at least a foot of top soil is required. They need light and sun, but not too strong a sunlight. A place where it will get the morning sun is very well adapted. In dry weather they need to be watered frequently. Manure water will be a great help, in fact there is nothing better. Constant cultivation is necessary to prevent any check during its period of growth. It is a good idea to tie the leaves with a string over the fleshy flower buds to preserve their ivor.v whiteness. For early planting the seed ought to be sown not later than the middle of February in a hotbed or greenhouse. The young plants must be transplanted in an airy house or cold frame, and planted in the open in April, or as soon as the weather permits it. Cauliflowers which are not ready to cut before frost sets in ought to be trenched in a cold frame and covered with mats, etc., and thev will mature properly. BRUSSELS SPROUTS.— Brussels sprouts are in reality among the best of vegetables. They like a deep mellow ground, and ought to be sown in April or May in the open, in rows where the plants remain. Transplanting tends to make them leggy. The jilants should be 2^2 feet apart and 18 inches in the row. The ground ought to be manured the previous year. No manure should be plowed under in time of planting. Sandy soil should be avoided and top growth should be discouraged, as a stocky plant is desirable. Sprouts are very hardy, and they can be win- tered over with little protection. EGG PLANTS. — Egg plants are sown in hotbeds or green- houses in March and transplanted in 3-inch pots. When the pots are filled with roots they are repotted in 5-inch pots. They are l)lanted in open ground when all danger from frost is over. Egg p ants won't make much growth until the hottest months of mid- summer. They need a good supply of water to make a quick growth and without interruption. Planting should be 3 x 3 in a rich inellow soil and protected from potato beetle. TOM.ATOES. — Tomatoes for early planting may be sown in March under glass, and for later in the open in May. If sown under glass they are treated the same as egg plants and planted in the open ground in May 4 .x 4. In the vegetable garden some kind of frame, stake or trellis should be used. ONIONS. — The best soil for onions is a rich loam. Plowing should be done in the Fall, and a heavy coat of inanure should be plowed in. The groimd should be well pulverized in the Spring with a disk harrow, and if chicken manure is available a good sprinkling will be beneficial. The seed should be sown in hotbeds or greenhouse the last part of February or first part of March in rows 4 to 5 inches apart and transplanted as soon as they can be handled. They should be planted in the open in .\pril 6 inches apart and 14 "to 16 inches between the rows. Con- stant cultivation is necessary to keep the weeds down and the surface loose. A top dressing of nitrate of soda two weeks after planting will be found very beneficial Onions can also be sown outdoors in April in rows and thinned out. BEETS. — Beets need a light and very right soil to grow tender roots. Sow with a drill an inch deep. The plants ought to be thinned out, for early use 5 inches, and for later 3 inches, as the former will mature more quickly than the latter, and should be continued until the latter part of July. They can be sown as soon as the frost is out of the ground. Swiss chard is a beet and should be cultivated the same as beets. SPINACH. — Spinach is the easiest cultivated crop. The first sowing should be made as soon as the frost is out of the ground, and later from August until October. August sown crop is fit for winter use when protected, and October sown is for spring use. New Zealand Spinach is a good substitute for real spinach, and can be used all Summer when real spinach can't be had. for March. 1920 105 Necessary Equipment for Bee Keepers HENRY W. SANDERS M ■ < )ST beginners in Beekeeping are apt to place far too much stress on the exact pattern of the hive that they intend to use, forgetting that much more depends u]>on the beekeeper than upon the hive, and that this is at best only a tool, depending for its success upon being operated by a skillful workman. Nearly every writer on beekeeping strongly urges the_ novice to commence his operation with standard equipment and in this the writer most heartily concurs. It should always be borne in mind, however, that the reason for this advice is not that there is any essential superiority -1 manipulated, and from this invention the history of modern bee-culture may be said to begin. As will be seen in the picture, the modern hive con- sists of a series of boxes, without bottom or top, that sit one atop the other, and each contains 8 or 10 of these movable frames hanging in a "rabbet." The photo was taken during the active season when each colony had two or three extra bodies ("supers") for honey-storage. During the honey-flow the bees, if strong enough, will fill "up many of the combs thus provided. It would he perhaps more correct to say that they would build the combs first, but as we use the same combs over and over again, we think naturally of their work- ing in a super of drawn combs, where the bees have nothing to do but deposit the honey and ripen it. Where there are no drawn combs available, we place in the empty frames a thin sheet of beeswax, rolled in such a way as to resemble the natural "midrib" of the honeycomb, and held firmly in place by tight wires. The bees soon transform this into a perfect comb. Towards the end of the season the first combs will be ready for extracting, and care should be taken to see that the combs are all sealed over before any honey is taken. The nectar when first brought in is thin as water, and until the bees have ripened it to the thickness necessary, by ventilating the hive, it is in danger of souring" in the containers. Bees are the best judg'es of honey, and when they themselves cap it over, it may be assumed that the ripening process is fully com- pleted. in the eight or ten frame Langstroth hive — indeed there are some well-founded arguments against the size of frame used — but rather that the advantages of interchangeability, of having frames of a size that new ones may be bought from stock, and above all of buy- ing and selling bees in these standards hives, are so important as to outweigh any objections against the hives named. A beekeeper who has a thorough knowledge of his bees, and of the business of honey-production could make money with "any old outfit," so long as it con- sisted of some form of movable frame hive. On the other hand, the most carefully manufactured apparatus will not prevent the ignorant and careless beekeeper from losing their bees by winter starvation or disease, if they do not receive the needful care. Until 1850, when Langstroth invented the hive now used almost all over the world, the beehive consisted either of the straw "skep," with which we are familiar in literature and art, or the box or log "gum" (so-called from being frequently a section of gum-tree). Inside these receptacles the bees built their combs, fixing them firmly to the roof. The beekeeper had no chance to examine the inside of the hive, and the method consisted simply in allowing the bees to swarm at will, hiving the swarms in empty hives, and then, at the end of the season killing with sulphur the bees in the heaviest of the hives, to rob them of their winter stores. Langstroth invented a hive in which the bombs are built in wooden frames that can he lifted out of the hive and examined, transposed, or otherwise Interior of Extracting House. The combs are collected from the hives, the adher- ing bees brushed ofi', and the honey placed in a bee- tight box on a wheelijarrow, or some similar conveyor. It is then taken to the "honey-house" of which the in- terior is shown in the second picture. On the extreme left will 1)6 seen a knife and tank. The comb is rested on this tank and the waxen cappings sliced off with the knife. 'I'hcy drop into the tank to drain off their honey and then go to the beeswax melter. The comb thus uncapped is placed in one of the swinging baskets {Continued on page 121) 106 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The Professional Gardener M. C. EBEL THE professional gardener, I fear, is a very much misjudg'ed individual. Only as recently as last Fall Dr. Sidney S. Wilson, vice-president of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, in address- ing a convention of professional gardeners, confessed that up to the time he had been invited to address the meeting he was totally ignorant of the fact that such a thing existed as a gardening profession ; that his defini- tion of a gardener, until he was enlightened, was "One M^ho labored in a garden." He said that he believed that his definition was one universally accepted by the public and that it rested with the gardener to make his profession more widely known. The gardener wdio has acquired his knowledge of the difterent branches of gardening through lifelong practice and study is assuredly entitled to greater con- sideration than the garden laborer, though he does not always receive it. Instances are not uncommon wdiere the gardener does not receive as much compensation at the present time for his services as does the laborer whom he employs to work under his direction. That "the laborer is worthy of his hire" is a present-day truism as far as it concerns the ordinary laborer, but it is not so with the average professional gardener. While a liberal salary is something always much de- sired by one who works for another, receiving ade- cjuate remuneration alone for his services does not con- tent the gardener who engages in his vocation, not merely for what he can get out of it, but because he loves it. An occasional expression of appreciation for the efforts he puts forth and the recognition that he is more than a menial means much to the man who has made gardening his life work. It fills him with inspiration and encourages him to produce better than before. The most serious draw-back to the proper up-keep of a country estate is usually- the lack of interest which the owner manifests in the undertakings of his gardener, and the lack of confidence which he bestows on him, while continually criticizing where credit is due. Naturally this must be disconcerting to the con- scientious worker and hinders him from giving the best that is in him. It results in depriving the em- ployer of much of the pleasure he should derive from his gardens, and in making the gardener discontented with the position he occupies. A professional gardener is more than a servant though unfortunately he is so regarded by many employers. Whenever an estate owner finds that his gardener does not meet the requirements the position he fills demand of him. it would be far better for all concerned if instead of tolerating the gardener's inefficiency, he were replaced with one possessing the necessary ability, for the disposed-of gardener, if he has the quali- fications to entitle him to the calling of gardener, will find his right place. That the gardener, in common with those of some of the other professions, has not found the dollar the cheapest thins to acquire, as the workers of the pro- tected industries proclaim it is, but instead is feeling the sting of the high cost of everything, is generally true. His compensation is practically the same as it was before war conditions advanced the wage of labor and the consequent cost of living. Yet he finds he must pay the same price for his baby's shoes as the eight dollar a day mechanic of the thirty-six working Hour week, on a salary which makes it a problem to the gardener how to make both ends meet. While it is justly claimed that the average gardener does not receive in monetary consideration the equiva- lent per month that the laborer on the estate receives, ranging from $3.25 to $3.00 a day, according to the locality, for eight to nine hours' work, it is also coii- ceded that the gardener has his cottage and other privileges in the nature of products raised on the place, but for these privileges the employer usually acquires the gardener's presence on the place for practically twenty-four hours a day for thirty days of the month. Possibly the gardener has himself to blame for being over-looked in the readjustment of affairs that has brought about an increase in the cost of practically everything. He is, as a rule, inclined to hesitancy, whereas if he were to approach his employer in a business-like manner on matters xoncerning himself, he could expect treatment in accordance. I have refrained from referring to the gardener- superintendent in charge of the management of ex- tensive country estates. As he must possess so much knowledge outside of the various phases of horticul- ture, such as agriculture, construction, and often engi- neering, besides executive ability, he should also possess the initiative to negotiate with his employer for remuneration according to the value of the service he is called upon to render, without the necessit}' of another pleading his cause. Some of the highly esteemed professions have not always borne the high standard they bear today, and they still possess their short-comings. The profession of gardening is striving to elevate its standard and those who have followed its progress during recent years, must agree that it has met with some measure of success. The future of the profession now confronts a situa- tion, however, that concerns the owner of the country estate, as much as it does the professional gardener. This is the matter of providing the material to replace those to-day engaged in the profession. Europe has in the past supplied the young gardeners who in time grew up to assume the head gardeners' positions. There is probably no other vocation where the response to the call to arms was in proportion to that of the young men engaged in the gardening profession both here and abroad. A large number now rest "In Flanders' fields where poppies grow." Europe can not supply young gardeners to us as in the past, and so it remains w-ith us in this country to attempt to arouse the interest of our young men in the work. There are many young men, both of American and of foreign birth, who. on being graduated from school, do not want to enter the office or shop but would welcome a call to the great out-doors. Others, desiring to take up a profession, find that they cannot do so owing to their lack of resources, but gardening presents an op- portunity to engage in a profession and "earn while you learn." To arouse the interest of these yii'"iiiii>i<inii>iiii>:iiiiiniiiii»iiiiiiiiiKiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHi:iiii;iiii;iiiiniiiiiiiJg Paul Hamer, Woodhavcn, L. 1 10.00 D. L. Mackintosh, Stillwater, Minn, (additional) 4.00 Total $912.00 In the February number through typographical error, David F. Roy, Marion, Mass.. was reported as contributing $2 to the publicity fund which should have read $5. SUSTAINING MEMBERS Theodore F. Thieme, Fort Wayne, Ind. (William Warburton, gardener), and Samuel W. Hessberg, Cedar Hill, Albany Co., X. Y. (James MacAlister, gardener) have become sustaining mem- bers of the association. NEW MEMBERS The following new members have recentlv been added to our membership list: John Kuig, Frank E. Ehrler, Mt. Kisco, N. Y.; Peter Stroyan, Oyster Bay, L. I. ; George Oiler, Hackensack, N. J.-; John Meally, New York Citv; William E. Grindrod, Cold Spring, N. Y. ; F. J. Freshwater, Manhasset, L. I.; S. R. De Boer, Denver, Colo.; F. T. G. White. St. lames, Winnipeg. Canada: John H. Marx, Stanley Ballance, Oyster Bay, L. I.; Carl Bauch, Karl Gronbeck, Great Neck, L. I.": Robert'Stewart! Wyncote, Pa.; William Cameron, Morrisiown, X. T. ; Alexander Anderson, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y. ; Isaiah Gaulev, Natl. Soldiers' Home, Va. ; William MacGillvrav, Newport, R. I.: Alfred G Williams, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. ; John Thompson, Cranford N I • Ernest Marquardt, Alpine, N. J.; Arthur Kirkham, Brooklvn' N \.: Harry Wells, Vonkers, N. Y. ; .August W. Deckert, Phil- adelphia, Pa.; Gilbert Carlson, Wayzata, Minn.; Thomas May- berry, Robert McLaren, T. F. Eastwood, New York City IS PUBLICITY FOR THE PROFESSION WAR- RANTED? Much has been said for and against advertising what the pro- fession of .gardening represents, and what a real gardener really is. Some .gardeners contend that llie profession requires no publicity. GARDENER-chauIFeiir, all around reliable man, white, to help part time in laundrv and housework; Westchester county; unfur- nished cottage provided. Write giving refer- ences and specifying salarv ,U'sired. Box X Z, ,W2 Sun-IIerald. The foregoing advertisement which appeared in a New York paper on February 29 would indicate that there is much oppor- tiinity for an educational campaign to eidighten the public on the distinction between a gardener and a liandv man. A MESSAGE FROM THE NEWPORT BRANCH. Secretary National A^sociation of (iardeners: I presume you are wondering what the X^ewport branch of the N. A. G. is doing, as you have not had any notes for some time. Since we received our copies of the convention report, we have been very carnstly discussing the different subjects under consideration until we could arrive at some point where we could offer some helpful suggestions. During the Cleveland convention some little discussion took place on the endorsement of local branches. How we came to 112 form a local branch was through Mr. Smith's article in the Chronicle on garden- er's certificates. A few interested got together to discuss it. and tinally endorsed it. While we were together we thought it would be a good idea to meet once a month and talk over the problems of our association, and try and arouse more interest in it. We still think this is the best waj' of gelling the members to take more interest in the work of the association. We have added several new' members and no doubt will gain more. The local branch method is the only remedy for our National Secretary's complaint of lack of interest of the members. We find in our membership roster that there are enough members in different localities to form 36 branches of six members or more, and that is where the members ought to get busy. At these meetings of 36 branches you will get the ideas of some of the best men in the profession, where otherwise they would in all probability never be heard from either through the Chronicle or at the conventions, as a large percentage of members cannot at- tend the conventions. The annual conven- tion is the only meeting of the year open to all members and the next one convenes in St. Louis. How many members from the East where the membership predominates will be able to attend? So to keep up in- terest it seems the only solution to get all the branches possible, and when any im- portant subject comes up on which the di- rectors would like to learn sentiments of the members, all they would need to do would be to write to each branch and get their opinion which would give the directors a better idea how to act. On the question of certificates the theory versus practice arises. Judging from the discussion at the convention, theory is of no use to the gardener and certificates one may hold testifying to one's knowledge of the profession are worth nothing as far as ability is concerned. We are of the opinion that in college, theory is large. y taught and although theory may not be as applicable to gardeners as to some other professions, it would be absurd to say that we can get along without it when as a matter of fact we are working by theory most of the time whether we realize it or not. We may call it practical knowledge if we will but it was somebody's theory to begin with and only became practical knowledge by inheritance. Perhaps the ability to dissect a flower, to know each part and the functions thereof, is of minor importance to the estate owner but he surely must desire his grounds intel- ligently planted, and to do that requires not a little of that despised theory. Planted in- telligently does not mean making the hole big enough and so on, but rather a study of the position the plants are to occupy, and their colors, habits and textures, etc. It means common sense will usually keep hitn out of discords but common sense requires to be supplemented by knowledge. This is simply the theory of why certain things are done in certain ways. A good gardener should be a little more than simply a grower and a graduate from the university of hard knocks. Reminiscences of bye gone days are all right, but should not be used to impede progress. Certificates therefore, for practical and theoretical knowledge of gar- dening would be a great asset to the am- bitious man, and would also simplify the work of the Service Bureau and the asso- ciation's secretary. We have still one more suggestion to make which is connected with the Service Bureau. Supposing a gardener applied to the Service Bureau for a position. Would it not be well for the secretary lo refer to thn nearest local branch where the man re- sides, or the man obtaining endorsement and GARDENERS' CHRONICLE aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ Burpee's Seeds Grow ]^urpee's ^weet peas gurpee's^nnual W. At.'ee Burp.ee Cc Seeo Grower^ PhiU-ideipriia W.Atlee Burpee Co„ Seed Growers Philadelphia. BURPEE'S ANNUAL FOR 1920 The Leading American Seed Catalogue Burpee's Annual is a complete guide to the X'egetable and Flower garden. It fully describes the Burpee- Ouality seeds with a hundred of the finest vegetables and flowers illustrated in the colors of nature. If you are interested in gardening Burpee's Annnal will be mailed to you free. AVrite for your copy today. W. ATLEE BURPEE CO. Seed Growers Philadelphia For March, 1920 113 sending in with his appUcation, the man seeliing a gardener would be more disposed to engage a man who was endorsed by gardeners of good standing in the neigh- borhood and would have more confidence in him, and the employer would have more confidence in the Bureau and would adver- tise it to his friends. It would also relieve some of the responsibilit}' of our secretary. We have been expecting with each issue of the Chronicle since the convention report was given out. some comments of our able writers on the important subjects taken up. but so far have failed to find any. We trust these notes and suggestions will start some- thing. Frederick Carter, Sec'y- I AMONG THE GARDENERS IVillJaiii H. Atkinson has secured the po- sition of gardener on the estate of E. H. Inman, Atlanta, Ga. Malcolm MacAlisler secured the posi- tion of sxiferintendent of the Mrs. G. E. Kissel estate. Morristoufn, iV. /. Arthur Chandler accepted the position of gardener on the L. Stern estate, Elberon, N. J. LOCAL SOCIETIES PENNSYLVANIA HORTICUL- TURAL SOCIETY The third lecture of the present winter's course, was given at the New Century Club. Philadelphia, on February 17. J. Frank- lin Meehan was the lecturer, his subject being "Landscape Work; With Special Ref- erence to the Suburban Garden." Mr. Meehan imparted much valuable in- formation to those present. He divided his subject into three parts. First, conception. or conceiving and planning work to be done ; second, executive, or carrying out the plans : third, maintenance. The lecturer dwelt at great length on this third part of his subject, and asked "Where are the men to come from in the future, who can take care of the work done by the landscape gar- dener, after he is through with the opera- tion?" He stated that the gardener of the old school is fast disappearing, and that there are no new men coming along to take his place. By the gardener of the old school, he meant the tnan in charge of the private estate, capable in all branches of horticulture, who loves his work and loves plants and flowers, and if you visit him and walk around the estate, you stop to admire a specimen tree, he can give you the whol;- history of that tree and all peculiarities per- taining to it. In a few years, that type of man will not be found. As the laborer in the mechanical trades is receiving more money than the gardener in charge of an estate men are constantly leaving the hor- ticultural profession. The speaker stated it was up to everyone interested in horticul- ture to talk and write all they possibly could upon this subject, and to do their utmost to place horticulture on a higher plane where it belongs. The illustrations used by the lecturer showed views of landscape work under way ; views of the completed work ; and views of the same work three or four years later. Several views of prominent places were shown to illustrate the proper effect of harmony in planting. Quite a ninuber of giiiiiiiiiiimimmniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitt.iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ Inventory Sale of | I NurseryTrees and Shrubs | I Buy Now — Save Money | I The reconstruction of a portion of our nursery | I requires the disposal of some splendid stock at j 1 a sacrifice. j I SPECIAL OFFERS I Magnolia Purpurea. Magnificent bushy clumps, producing multitudes of flowers. 6 for $20. Historical EUms. Fine trees from famous old specimens in Great Brit- ain, each labeled to show its source. Half price, 5 for $25. $10 each. Red Maples. A fine American tree. Gorgeous spring and autumn colors. Stocky trees, 2 inch diameter, 12 for $36. 100 Big Shrubs. Immediate effect tor marginal border, for screening, or broken masses of shrubbery. Can"t fail to please. Deutzia, For- sythia, Syringa, Weigela, Spiraea, etc. 100 big shrubs, 5 to 7 ft. high for $50. A ready grown hedge of Hardy Privet — Ibota. Fine plants, 4 feet high, bushy, $38 per hundred run- ning foot. (100) plants. Larger ones if desired. California Privet larger size at same price. While Lilac Hedge. Makes a charm- ing flowering hedge, especially in cold climates. 4 feet high, $24 per 100 running feet (1 ft. apart); lyi foot plants for $19. Rugosa Rose Hedge. Good every- where, but especially near coast. Sweet flowers. Red or white. $25 for 100 running feet (50 plants, 3 ft. high). Running Roses. Fine assorted va- rieties, 3 year, strong roots. Make quick grou^th. 10 for $5. Choice Sperimt'ii Stork Front Other Blocks Magnolia Soulangiana Nigra. A rare specimens. Elxceedingly handsome, variety, large, free-growing type, Red or green, 5 feet high. $12 each, garnet colored flowers. 7 feet speci- Qj^^g^ Trees. Very fine ones. $3 mens. $10 each. _^^^ jj ^^^^ Double Flowering Dogwood. New, Black Walnuts and Butternuts. but well tested. We endorse it most Large, well-grown trees. $2 each. heartily. $5 each. . o r i Chinese Trumpet Vine. Beautiru! Red Fern Japanese Maples. Spe- buff and orange colored flower. Ex- cially Meehan grown as half-standard tra strong, 4 foot vines. $1.50 each. // you can use plants in quan- tity send for "Clearance Sheet" Ask about our New Yellow Roses, Hugonis and Aviateur de Bleriot. Big specimen plants of Rollinson's Golden Arbor-vitae. Nurjor^mrn /0^\ HoHtcultun'als Pioneer Nurserymen of America 6765 Chew Street, Germantown, Philadelphia 114 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE views were devoted to flowering shrubs show-ing proper methods of pruning, and improper methods, also of trees. The exhibit of cut flowers and flowering plants was a very good one indeed. D.wiD Rust, Sec'y- replaces 2 horses for lawn mowing. STAMFORD HORT. SOCIETY The regular monthly meeting of the Stam- ford Horticultural Society was held Friday evening. February 20. Seven new members were elected and four nominations for mem- bership received. At the meeting it was decided to incorporate the society, for which attorneys were appointed to draw the neces- sary papers. The society is about to liuy their own Horticultural Hall which is lo- cated opposite the High School. The build- ing committee, consisting of Messrs. Geddes. Canon. Cant and others, recommended the buying of this building. President Wild, who advocated for the last years the neces- sity of it, began a drive at once to obtain funds for this object. Only 40 per cent of the members were present, but when Mr. Wild finished more than $6,000 was sub- scribed. The society will issue bonds for every member's share which will bear in- terest. At the opening of the meeting Mr. Wild spoke in memory of the late James Foster, whose loss w-ill be felt by all. Mr. Doty was elected trustee to take the place of the late James Foster. A. C. Boon, Corr. Sec'y. SEWICKLEY (PA.) HORT. SOCIETY The regular meeting of the above society was heldin the Public School on Tuesday evening, February 10. After a lengtliy dis- cussion it was voted to hold a Chrysanthe- mum show early in November. One mem- ber suggested that along with such cups or medals as may be offered voluntarily there be awarded ribbons instead of money prizes because of the difficulty experienced in raising the necessary funds. Fifty dollars was ordered drawn on the treasury and presented along with an il- luminated address to John Carman in rec- ognition of his services to the Society dur- ing his three years as secretary. John B.vrnet. Sec'y pro-tem. North Shore (111.) Horticultural Society The above society held its regular month- ly meeting February 16. Thomas Head initiated the new officers for the coming year. Fred Sparks read a very interesting paper on chrysanthemums, their culture an' care. The society decided to rent Andei son's Hall for its future meetings, it bein.: considered more convenient. Tuesday, Feb ruary 24 was set as the date for the smok- ing concert. Mr. O'Karl from Lincoln Park was a visitor and complimented the society on its exhibits. Three new members were voted into the society. Charles Elliott, the sweet pea specialist, is offering a challenge trophy for sweet peas to be competed for by the North Shore, Lake Geneva and New Trier Horticultural Societies. J. R. Cl.\rke, Cor. Sec'y. Westchester (N. Y.) and Fairfield (Conn.) Horticultural Society The regular monthly meeting of the above society was held in Hubbard's Hall, Greenwich, Conn., Friday evening, Febru- ary 13. with President John .Andrews in the chair. Two new members were elected. P. W. Popp gave a lengthy discourse about the coming flower show, to be held in New York City ne.xt month, urging the members to bring along some exhibits as it is to be the greatest exhibition that ever was held. Reduce Lawn-Mowing Costs Yoa can do the work faster and cheaper with a Beeman Tractor than you can with 2 horses. Actual tests have shown a saving of 40'^f in operating coats in favor of Beeman Triplex mowing outfit as against two horses with a triple mow- ing outfit. The Beeman will w^ork as long as necessary in an emergency without stopping it works faster, mows 25% to 100% more ground in the same length of time it can be speeded up on long, straight stretches, or throttled down to go close to fences, bushes, trees and under low- hanging branches. The drive wheels do not damage the turf as horses' hoofs do. It will haul small loads, plow^, or serve as a 4 h.p. po'wer- plant when not in use for mowing. It will become indispensable around golf-courses, parks, country clubs, cemeteries, etc. Write for interesting illustrated booklet that tells fully how the Beeman cuts dow^n lawn-mowing costs. Beeman Tractor Co., ^^* ^'Ml'nneapo1?,T*Minn On the strength of Mr. Popp's remarks a block of tickets was purchased to be dis- tributed among the members. Oscar Ad- dor, in a very stirring address, spoke on the present labor crisis and general condi- tions prevailing throughout the country. Since our last meetin,g two of our promi- nent members have passed over to the (.ireat Beyond in the persons of James Fos- ter and John Harper. Mr. Foster was an expert in all branches of horticulture and a keen exhibitor at our monthly meetings. Though they have passed from our midst both w'ill live long in the memories of those who were fortunate enough to be classed among their friends. Our ne.xt meeting will be held on March 12. .As some very itnponant business will come up, and as we expect to hav; a prominent speaker w lb I ;:;. we hoiu- tint all members will try to be present. Jack Conroy, Corr. Sec'y. THE LARGEST FLOWER The largest of the flowers of the world is said to be the RaMcsia. a native of Su- matra, so called after Sir Stamford Raffles. It is composed of five round petals of a brickish color, each measuring a foot across. The petals surround a cup nearly a foot wide. The cup of the RcMcsia is filled with a fleshy disk, the upper surface of which is covered with projections like miniature cow-'s horns. The cup when free from its contents holds about twelve pints. The flower weighs about fifteen pounds and is very thick, the petals being three-quarters of an inch. — -Yrif York Sun. For March, 1920 115 THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers arc iinited to malcc free ttse of this department to solve problems that vtay arise in their garden work. Questions on the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that can be readily answered by applying to the usual reference books should not be re- ferred to the Questionnaire. Can you explain what produces the various shades and colorings in our flow- ers, especially the various tints such as appear in the iris and gladiolus. H. S., Wisconsin. It is generally well known that the origin of color in connection with everything on the earth is the sun's rays. These rays con- tain certain primary colors which are sep- arated and manifested in the rainbow, and which can also lie artificially separated by glass. Color, as we see it on iiower petals, for instance, results from the play of sun- light upon a surface which rejects or ab- sorbs certain rays. Ditiferences in the color of flowers, or parts of flowers, are caused by their having the power of absorbing cer- tain rays and rejecting others; also they have the power of absorbing or rejecting more of one ray than of another. The great botanist, de CandoUe. divided flowers into two classes, which he designated xan- thic (ranging from yellow to red) and cyanic (ranging from blue to red). Plants in the xanthic class never have blue flowers (or a color which is termed blue, as pure blue does not exist in flowers), nor do those in the cyanic ever produce yellow ones. Therefore, so far as our present knowledge goes, the production of a blue rose or a yellow aster is an impossibility. While this division of flowers into two main classes is no doubt correct as far as it goes, it has certain limitations which would take up too much space to discuss now. The power of flowers — within the range of their fi.xed limitations — to absorb or re- ject certain color rays depends apparently to a great extent upon climatic conditions. In addition to color rays from the sun, the earth also receives from it actinic (chemi- cal), and thermal (heat) rays, and there appears to be no doubt that the action of all three have considerable influence upon floral colors. Obviously the prevailing con- dition of the atmosphere in a certain cli- mate has much to do with the prevailing color of flowers native of that region. The intensity and brilliancy of alpine flowers, for example, is no doubt due to the clearness of the atmospliere, allowing color rays to reach them in a state of almost perfect purity. That the thermal rays have some effect upon color appears evident from the fact that in the temperate zones native flow- ers principally belong to the cyanic series, while those indigenous to the torrid are for the most part xanthic. Of course, flowers belonging to both classes are to be found in the same region, and in this connection neither the xantliic nor the cyanic series can claim the respective yellow and blue in absolute purity, because among flowers, yel- low is associated with both these divisions, and a true blue scarcelv or ever appears at all. That atmospheric and climatic conditions do have some effect upon the color of flow- ers of the same species has been jiroved. A few years ago some seeds of the Tall Nas- turtium produced in Britain were sown near Pretoria, South Africa. It need scarcely be said that the flowers of this plant range from yellow through various orange shades to scarlet. From the result- ing plants seeds were saved and in three years the flowers produced were all purple. No — You Are Wrong The Ten -Ten Is Not That Kind of a Catalogue It's not that kind of a catalogue at all. If it was, it "wouldn't be your kind. We made it the way it's made, because that's the way We thought you and your friends wanted it. !f we didn't understand you right, then we sure have made a mess of it. How^ever, those who have seen the advance proofs of it, haven't been slow^ to declare it was something distinctly new in the seed and nursery field. Of course, if you want to stick to your old catalogues, just like you do to your old friends; that's just fine. We wouldn't think much of you if you didn't. But you make some very delightful new friends every once in a while, don't you? Those new^ ones don't make you drop the old ones, do they? Well, then, why not add a new friend in this new Ten-Ten catalogue ? 20 Seeds of these were taken back to and sown in Britain and from these purple flowers have lieen continually produced. Tliis shows that the new power of the nasturtium pet- als to absorb other color rays, which power was ac(|uircd under the South .-Xfrican sun in an atmosphere of great clearness, had be- come li.xed in three years. Some ex|)eriments were carried out a few- years ago with a view to elucidating the effect of different degrees of sunlight upon floral colors. Flowers were screened arti- ficially in such a way as to prevent the direct rays of the sun falling upon them during certain periods of the day. Without going into details, it may be stated that it uliuy t^eKr5* Cor Ai Tho Si^ of The Trgg tkerfoi-d N.J. soon became apparent that three colors — yellow, red and purple — were associated with distinct altitudes of the sun as it moved from sunrise to siuiset. If a plant was given full sun at a low altitude any power of absorbing yellow it possessed was intensi- fied ; while purples could only be produced by tlie sun at iis highest summer altitude, and reds at the intermedialo altitudes. The experiments were carried on under the cli- matic conditions of the north temperate zone. These results have been found to be true in other directions for seasonal as well as diurnal changes in the sun's altitude. Some additional proof may be advanced by the fact that the majority of plants bloom- 116 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ing in the autumn months when the sun is at a lower altitude, produce yellow flow- ers. While we know with practical cer- tainty the whys of most of the phases of plant life, our knowledge of how color is actually formed in flowers is at present com- paratively only in its infancy. It is, how- ever, absolutely certain that all floral colors come from the sun's rays. S. I have a plot of ground that has been heavily fertilized with chicken manure, which is causing plants to shoot up like weeds. The soil appears to be too rich. What can I do to make it suitable? W. H. M., New York. Ground heavily fertilized with chicken manure will naturally be rich, with the nat- ural consequence that plants will make lux- uriant growth. The question does not state for what it is desired to make the ground suitable. Most kinds of vegetables would find the conditions ihereljy produced very suitable, and by intensive and continual cropping the apparent excessive richness would soon be reduced. I have never found the use of chicken manure unsuitable for any crop, but an excessive quantity would doubtless have the effect of, in the case of potatoes for instance, increasing the growth of top at the expense of the tubers, and tomatoes would perhaps be less fruitful. It must be remembered that, while chicken manure is an excellent fertilizer, it is not perfectly balanced, inasmuch as its nitrogen content is too great in proportion to its phosphate content, therefore it is liable when used to excess to produce excessive leaf and stem growth. This can be remedied by the use of bone meal or acid phosphate — the latter is preferable — at the rate of seven or eight hundred pounds to the acre. The rich- ness could be reduced by deeper digging so as to bring up some of the poorer subsoil and mix it up with the surface. This latter must be done with discretion, according as to the kind of subsoil, as too much might do harm ; but it is not, however, likely to be harmful if the new soil is thoroughly mixed with the old. S. In different subjects I read in garden magazines and particularly in the year books of the Dept. of Agriculture about the fixation of the free air nitrogen by the leguminous germs, and in regard to this, it was frequently stated that it was necessary to inoculate such seeds or soil where and when it was intended to improve such land in nitrogen; this be- ing understood when the ground is posi- tively lacking of the proper bacteria, which is noticed by the absence of nodules on the roots of beans or any other legumes. Permit me to kindly request you, through the questionnaire, to explain the process of inoculating the above men- tioned seeds. H. S., N. J. The U. -S. Department of Agriculture some years ago gave out a formula for the manufacture of pure cultures of those species of bacteria which cause the root- nodules of leguminous plants, and these cultures can now be obtained through seedsmen. It has been found that dififer- ent species of leguminous plants have their own special bacteria, and therefore in ordering these cultures the species for which they are required should be stated. There arc two methods of inoculation, either by inoculating the seed or the soil. The former is the better way with pure cultures ; but soil may be also inoculated by other soil taken from land in which the bacteria are known to be present. As full direc- tions are sent out with the cultures it does not appear necessary to set them forth at SEEDS THAT ARE TESTED AND GUARANTEED Carters customers are growing the best and only the best Tested Seeds, because the results received from ihese seeds justify their continued use. CARTER'S CATALOG "GARDEN AND LAWN" Sent free on Request CARTER'S TESTED SEEDS, Inc. 102 Chamber of Commerce Building, BOSTON, Mass. Branch of James Carter & Co., Raynes Park, London, England «-* gi!:liiliiiiiiiiiliiiil:ilii'iiliiiiii:iih iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiilllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllN 1 We beg to announce a consolidation, effective January 10, 1920, of 1 i Carter's Tested Seeds, Inc., of Boston, Mass., and Toronto, Ontario — 1 i the branches of James Carter and Company of London, England, and i I Messrs. Peterson, Sinclaire & Miller, Inc., of New York, who have been § i acting as sales agents for Carter's products in America. § I The headquarters of the enlarged company will be located in New^ § = York, and branch offices established in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, 1 I Toronto and probably other cities. i I Fully appreciating the demand for our products in the past and | I recognizing the added responsibility that an ever grow^ing business must I = bring \vith it, we have built our organization accordingly, andcanas- m i sure our patrons of efficient and satisfactory service. 1 I We will continue to handle a complete line of Carter's Tested Flower i I and Vegetable Seeds, which for a century have been renowned for their 1 I very high quality and pedigree. A special department for this branch | i of the business will be maintained at Boston. 1 CARTER'S TESTED SEEDS, Inc. 102 Chamber of Commerce Building, BOSTON, Ma**. Nmr York OfllM. 25 Wut 45th St. (UnUl Feb. 15, 1920): 25 Wat 43rd St. (After Feb 15, 1920) Toronto Office, 133 King Street East. Toronto, Ont. Branch of Jo*. Carter A Company, Raynes Park, L..ondon, Eng-land "'KWKiiKiiini iiiinnn » ii'iimiiiiiiiiiiiniNiiiimiiiiiimiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii iimi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii i length, but one very important point may he mentioned : never allow inoculated seed 10 be e.xposed to sunlight, therefore when it is sown one man should drop the seed and another follow immediately behind for the purpose of covering it at once. While it is thus perfectly easy to put these bacteria into the soil, it is of little use doing so unless the conditions for the .urowth and activity are right both for them and for the plants. A non-acid soil, drainage, thorough and deep cultivation, plenty of humus, a supply of lime, pho.";- phates, etc., all these have to be provided, and by the time this has been done the soil has been so greatly improved that inocu- lation is very often unnecessary. In any case inoculation can do no harm and may do good, liut a large increase in the nitro- SULCO-V.B. Charles Fremd's Formula SuIphui^Fisli Oil— Carbolic Compound A Combined Contact Insecticide and Fungicide of known reliability. Con- trols scale insects, also many species of lice and fungus diseases on trees, plants and animals. AT YOUR DEALERS OR DIRECT, >Ianiifacturers of Standard Fish Oil Soap. Booklet Frt-e. AddrL\ss COOK & SWAN CO., INC., SulcoDept. V 148 Front St., New York. U.S.A. For March, 1920 117 gen content of a soil can to a greater ex- tent be secured by the turning iinder of leguminous crops. The soil bacteria which are necessary to change soil nitrogen into nitrates (the only form in which nitrogen is available for plants) are not yet ob- tainable commercially ; but one cannot imagine the existence of any soil in which they are entirely absent. More particulars about soil bacteria are to be found in the January issue of this journal. — A. S. OF GENERAL INTEREST A UNIQUE EXHIBIT A most remarkable exhibit, differing from anything usually seen at exhibitions, was found at the "Ideal Home" exhibition, Olvmpia, London. It was that of a vege- table garden, 1,500 square feet in extent, showing crops in growth as though the sea- son were June instead of February. The Ministry of Agriculture having de- signed a method of cropping a garden or allotment which, in their opinion, should produce the maximum amount of food from the land, and having sent plans of such to county councils throughout the country, were anxious that their scheme, showing the summer cropping, should be publicly demonstrated. Consequently, Messrs. Sut- ton of Reading were asked if they could pre- pare and lay out such a garden in the short space of live weeks, and this they under- took to do. "The Ministry of Agriculture (says the Evening Ncii's) wanted something almost as impossible as strawberries in February ; an allotment showing an early summer crop of vegetables, and all in five weeks; but Suttons' accepted the challenge to their ef- ficiency,"— and the result was the model garden as shown. It has been referred to as a "miracle" garden, something more difficult than anything of this kind ever at- tempted before. How the various plants were got into their present condition of growth in five weeks in the middle of win- ter, was a mystery to many. The vege- tables were all growing luxuriously in the open -ground and gave no indication of hav- ing made the journey from Reading in motor lorries a short time previously. Potatoes were earthed up, leeks and cel- ery were in their trenches, peas soon show- ing bloom, and runner beans starting to climb the sticks. Onions, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, marrows, and shallots were all several inches high, whilst rhubarb, spring cabbage, and lettuce ready for gath- ering. Here and There CHILDREN'S GARDENS. Educational theorists have agreed that the value of any mode of education can be very fairly gauged by the extent to which the person to be educated has his intelligence aroused and is induced by in- terest to take an active co-operaiion in the scheme, and where shall v, e get such a response in the way of voluntary activity as is afforded by the provision of gardens for our children ? We want the rising gen- eration to be doers as well as thinkers, the recent war has impressed on us more urgently the necessity for this, and half an hour of spontaneous activity is of as much value as an hour spent at organized games or drill. Where a wise interest is It Pays to Plant the Best It is easy to plan tasty meals when you have an abundance of crisp fresh vegetables right at hand. Give mother and the girls the benefit of an extra good garden this year. Plant it with "Gregory's Honest Seeds;" they can be rehed upon to grow and come true to type. All Gregory Seeds are tested (or vitality. Many are special strains perfected on our own seed farms. Send for FREE Seed Book You II enjoy looking over our 1920 Seed Book; it's :o straightforward and de- pendable. Each oi its 80 pages containainiormation of value to gardeners and flower lovers. The Planting Table ( p. 59) will help you to order just the right amount of each variety. Send a Postal Today for Your Copy J. J. H. GREGORY & SON ESTADLISHED IN ISr.O 65 ELM STREET, MARBLEHEAD, MASS. SOLD BY SEEDMEN IN CANADA FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS 'JSx2'm/monc^Ql£c6^ of^i^ ii HAMMOND'S SLUG SHOT" Used from Ocean to Ocean A light, romposite, fine powder, easily distributed either hv duster, bellows, or in water bj spraying. Thoroughly reliable inkillingrurrantWomis.Pot.ito Bugs. Cabbage Womis. Liular Packages at Popular Prices. Sold by Seed Dealers and Merchant!. HAMMOND'S PAINT AND SLUG SHOT WORKS, BEACON. NEW YORK. taken in the children's schemes by a sym- pathetic elder, gardening may be made a useful means for mental as well as physi- cal culture. Proportion, beauty of design, color schemes, are all points to which the child's attention can fitly be turned, thus helping to develop his artistic sense and establish it on a sure basis : while the seeds can be sown for the desirable qualities of patience and forethought. The lesson that "the best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley" is less bitter if karned in childhood, and where has one such ample opportunity for learning the conning as when dealing with plants and flowers in this country of varied seasons and unex- pected climatic conditions. In this respect a grain of practice is truly worth an ounce of horrible precept. On the other hand, perseverance many times brings its own reward, and this can be learned at the same time from actual experience on the part of the small worker. Care of tools, me- thodical ways, and neatness arc also seen to bring their own recompense. The child gardener soon realizes this with a very little guidance from its elders. mm 3IIU3Z3 SttteS^ « use the "Sub-Pipe" Irrigation System. It will make your garden produce a suc- cession of crops all summer long — keep your lawn and shrubbery fresh and green until frost — when they would othcr^vise BURN rP from the summer heat. Sub-Pipe" Irrigation System feeds water directly on the roots thrCI31^»!&^f SEED GROWING AT HOME. Although "there is a general belief . . . that the seed obtained north or south or somewhere away from home is better than home grown seed," many experiments have shown "that in nearly all cases the contrar\ is true," says Bulletin 216 of the Maryland station. It assumes that this mistaken no- tion is based on facts that apply to "a feu crops like potatoes, cabbage or spinach, that are grown extensively in regions not adapted to their seed production." Viewing the moot question as to whether the indi- vidual gardener should attempt to grow or save any of his seed, the bulletin says with dispassionate scientific conservatism, "The conditions that favor the growing of seed elsewhere are ; more favorable climatic con- ditions for some crops, less danger of cross- ing where grown on a large scale, some- times freedoiTi from diseases prevalent at home, better trained growers and more economical production where seed growing is the sole interest. — Garden Magazine. WHY SEEDS SOMETIMES FAIL Of course, bad seeds will not germinate under any treatment. Sometimes, however, good ones fail to do so, even when every convenience exists for their proper treat- ment. There are several causes for failure, namely, sow'ing too deeply, not deep enough, a too wet soil and also a too dry one. Now. to be successful, the reader will at once think that the happy medium inust be se- cured in each case. If it is, there will not be many failures ; but with a certain amount of moisture we must also have heat. If seeds are sown in a very cold soil at this season, many may perish in it. especially it the soil be very wet. Seeds of the more tender kinds of plants require a warmer temperature than those of hardier kinds. Example : Cucumber seeds would decay in the soil if given similar conditions to those of Broad Beans, but the latter would germinate quickly if treated the same as Cucumber seeds. In very hot weather — in summer time — it is absolutely necessary tf give seeds a moister soil than in March. Dust-like seeds — those of Begonias, for ex- ainple — should be sown on a moist surface where coarse sand is plentiful. Celery seeds should have a quarter of an inch of fine soil evenly scattered on them ; Cucum- ber seeds require nearly an inch of soil : Peas rather more ; Broad Beans quite two inches, and so on. The soil must be main- tained in an even state of moisture. Many cultivators cover the seed-vessels with glass and paper. If the covering is removed in good time the young seedlings will not be damaged; but if left on too long — even a day in some cases — the seedlings are much weakened and often die afterwards. Never sow thickly, as crowded seedlings are always weakly. — Exchange. I'-Bar Greenhouse built for Mr. Galen L. Stone, Marion, Mass. Ciif>t. Arthur Griffin, .Supt. GREENHOUSES OF QUALITY Maximum Production Minimum Cost of Maintenance Light, Strong V-Bar Construction Perfect Heating Plant Efficient System of Ventilation When you visit the Flower Show at Grand Central Palace. New York (March 15th to 21st) be sure to stop in at the V-Bar Greenhouse. We shall be glad to see you. WILLIAM H. LUTTON p» COMPANY, INC ■'-' SBtEMW/HOUoES »«B8^!?1E 5 1 2 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY SiyiB^ Horsford's Cold Weather Plants I w I i V i i Cold weather plants and lilies must be perfectly fresh w'hen planted. We pack her- baceous plants i n sphagnum moss. Customers say they arrive fresh. All roots of shrubs and trees are dipped in a preparation of wet clay, which excludes the air and prevents drying out. We oflfer a long list of the hardier shrubs, trees, plants, vines, wild flowers, hardy ferns, bulbs, etc. See our new catalogue before placing your spring orders. HORSFORD'S NURSERIES Charlotte, Vermont THE FLOWER GROWER Published Monthly for Amateur and Pro- fessional Flower Growers Subscription price $1 per year — three years for $2 Grow flowers and thus help brighten the pathway and cheer the hearts of many whose nerves are shat- tered by the horrors of war. Mention the "Gardeners' Chronicle" and ask for a sample copy MADISON COOPER, Publisher CALCIUM, N. Y. QUALITY RED POTS Made of best material by skilled labor, imifonnly burned and carefully packed. Famous "Moss-Aztec" Ware Includes Azalea Pots. Fern Disbe£, Hanging Baskets. Lawn Vases, etc. Write for catalogue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanftsville, Ohio For March, 19i6 119 ^,1, iiiiiiiiiiiuii I I niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii I mil i iii iiuiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiituiiiiiii mil liiii miimtiiiminiiiiiii iiiiiii mimimiiiiii iiiiiiiinii iiii niiiiiiiii uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii| ROSE NOVELTIES FOR 1920 FRANK W. DUNLOP MADAM BUTTERFLY An improved Russell seedling, but much more brilliant in color. Flower is larger A glorified Ophelia, but more vigorous in growth than Ophelia. Color, bright pink, than Russell and opens freely even in dark apricot and gold. Unsurpassed by any weather. The best dark-pink Rose to date. existing Rose of its color. PRK:E on above varieties for 2W PLANTS: GRAFTED SIO.OO dozen S60.00 hundred OWN ROOT 87.50 dozen 45.00 hundred Larfier size!^ on application. CHARLES H. TOTTY COMPANY Madison, New Jersey P,,n'i!iiiiiiiffliiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimii!iiii iiiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiriiii!iiiiiiiiniii!iiiiiiiii;iiii;iiiiiiiii:iiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iliiiiiiimm«iiii»ii»»»»»iiiiii"ii™i!»» miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.s HOW TO SAVE SOIL MOISTURE. if yoii wish to save moisture, tine the top of your ground. Make it just as fine and loose as possible, and leave it just as level. Ridges and clods in a field waste moisture because they present so much surface to the air. Also, if you wish to save moisture, get rid of the weeds. Every plant is a veri- table pump, drawing water into itself through its roots and giving it- out through its leaves. The water that is pumped through your growing corn and beans is utilized by them and helps to make the crop you are looking for. The water that is pumped up by weeds is wasted so far as you are concerned, and your crops are robbed to that extent. The two essentials of good cultivation, generally speaking, are to keep the weeds down and to keep the top of the soil fine and loose. The former, especially after the cultivated plants get the soji-well filled with roots, is the more important thing to do. Every weed in the cornfield is a pump and is busily pumping possible ears of com out into the air and scattering them to the winds. — Seed World. WRONG NOTIONS ABOUT FLOWERS I know people who are deterred from en- joying success in growing certain flowers liccause of some mistaken prejudice. So many do not care to grow Peonies because they claim the season of bloom is too short, when by judicious selection of varieties they could have a full month of enjoyment with that most exquisitely beautiful flower. Some will not take up Rose culture because soiTiebody who ne.glcctcd his Roses made a failure of Rose growing. While it is true that no flower can give more disappoint- ment than the Rose if neglected, no flower rewards with greater satisfaction the care and attention it exacts. Some refuse to grow the Gladiolus because the bulbs have to be dug and cared for every .'\utumn and replaced every Spring; but the enthusiasm this lovely flower inspires makes such work truly a labor of love. Then we have the prejudice of color. .Some people cannot see much beauty in a bouquet of mixed colors, when as a matter of fact, a mixed bouquet is seldom in- harmonious, and need not be so at all, if magentas are omitted or used sparingly and white predominates. Some might even exclude Purple Glory from their Gladiolus collection and miss its majestic beauty because they do not like a dark red flower. It is well that these prejudices and idiosyncrasies appear contradistinc- tively as preferences in some natures, as in the old, old story that grandfather used to fell of the Dutchman that ordered his barn painted, and having been asked by the painter what color he desired it to be, re- plied, "Veil, make it any color so it's red." — The Floiver Gro-wer. BEAUTY OF DECIDUOUS TREES IN WINTER At this time of the year the chief beauty of the deciduous trees is their branching habit and outline as seen against the sky. To the casual observer only the extremes of form are noted, such as the slender out- line and upright growth of the Lombardy Poplar as compared with the spreading growth of the Apple tree. But each kind of tree is different in its method of branch- ing and habit and can readily be dis- tinguished nearly as far as they can be seen. It is of immense value to know and dis- tinguish mature trees in their winter efTect, because this is their condition during at least five months of the year and it is pos- sible to develop much beauty in landscape effects without their summer clothes. A really successful landscape should be interesting and beautiful at all times, changing from one eff'ect to another as the seasons pass. The winter beauty of some trees is due to their wonderful symmetry and proportions of the trunk and branches so often seen. It is their own peculiar habit as in the Sassafras and Birch that adds distinction to the landscape. The winter effect of the Black Walnut is not particularly pleasing. It has neither symmetry nor prettiness and is perhaps best described as gawky when seen along side of the graceful lines of the .American Elm or Weeping Willow, yet it too has its admirers. Many who are quite familiar with trees are often confused and unable to distinguish between the Norway and Sugar Maple when ni foliage, a little study of their branching habits and outline in the Winter would re- veal very conspicuous differences also of the Silver and Red Maple. In fact it is a good time to study trees, their true branch- ing habit is so readily seen.— Natioiuil .\'iir.ierviiwn. "PANSIES; THAT'S THOUGHTS" _Was it Shakespeare, that real lover of Xature. vvhi. spoke of "Pansies ; that's thoughts"? In any event my thoughts go back to a day when I practiced law and an elderly maiden lady came in to consult me professionally. There were tears in her eyes, but there was iron in her close shut jaw. Without divulging professional secrets I can tell a little of the story. She had a pansy bed. Her own hand had dug It ; and sown the seed ; and her heart re- joiced when the little plantlets first showed their tiny stems. So she cared for it, and nourished it, and carefully weeded it; until at last the first lovely pansy unfolded its modest monkey face. But now came sor- row and trial into her hitherto placid life. Her niece Emma, maliciously and feloni- ously and surreptitiously picked and stole and carried away these pansy flowers, the property of, and contrary to the wish and will of her dear maiden aunt. And for that reason the said aunt had come to me to request that process of law might issue against the said niece Emma, to enjoin and restrain and prevent the said Emma from picking, etc., the aforesaid pansy flowers. Now I suppose 1 could have issud a war- rant against the said Emma. etc. ; but I didn't. Instead, I explained to the tearful but resentful aunt, that unless pansies were kept well picked off as they came, the plants would soon run to seed, and that there would be no more flowers that season. Were there still pansies. fine, nice ones? Yes. Did she pick any herself? Xo, not a single bud. Well then, her dear niece had kept the pansy bed from going to seed. .And so the good, and no longer tearful aunt left me, without paying me anything for my advice ; bent and intent upon thanking her niece for the kindness she had unwittingly done. Now, that is the advantage of a lawyer having a working knowledge of simple floriculture. Other- wise, I might have entered an action on behalf of the tearful aunt and ultimately had the suit ignominously thrown out of Court, when my learned legal opponent revealed to the somnambulent jury the true situation and circumstances. H. P. Bl.\xchard. THE FIRST SIGN OF SPRING What is ilie first sign of Spring? That would ))c. indeed, a hard question to ans- wer, for. as Thoreau wrote, "No mortal is alert enough to be at the first dawn of Spring." It cannot be the blossoming of FERT ii ^- wo II.IZER RING DEPOSITOR Will Greatly Increase the Quantity and Quality of Potatoes, Corn, Cab- bage, Tomatoes, etc. HnUIs 25 ]bs. I'd aiul diiwii of hamlle is full operation — no twisting or turning of handle. Can be used witli powdered or semi- powdered material. STYLE *'A'* for Seed or for Plants from 6 to 10 inches h'tih. STYLE -B" for Any Plant up to IS in. Thick in Stem. Tested and Approved by A«- ricnltural Departments and Farm Bureaus. STYLE A. 57.50. delivered STYLE B. $13.50. delivered Write for Circular Geor(je Wil'iam BROWNING Clinton. N. Y. 120 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE the witch-hazel, for while its flowers are abundantly found in the woods in January, they are the last of the season's flowers instead of the first, since the .witch-hazel comes into bloom in October and Novem- ber. It may be the cawing of the crows that through the Winter have been quiet in their wooded retreat; or the honking of the wild geese going north in great trains overhead ; or it may be the dripping of the icicles at night, for icicles are the product of lafc Winter, and their drip, drip, drip, at night is an unmistakable token of over- coming warmth. While the snow still lin- gers, the catkins of the willows and the birches begin to swell and burst ; the chick- adees and juncoes come out from their winter seclusion in the woods ; the song sparrow opens the year's season of song ; and the bee and the mourning cloak butter- fly appear. The mottled hoods of the skunk- cabbage emerge from the swampy places, and soon Nature's winter tourists begin to arrive, the procession headed by the robin and the bluebird ; but which of the two arrives first, inust be, as it always has Ijcen, a question for argument. In their wake comes that detestable bird with the harsh voice that has been likened to the squeak of a rusty wheelbarrow, the purple grackle. our common city blackbird, who has nu friends and, moreover, deserves to have none. By this time sig:ns that are unmis- takable are appearing in great profusion, and every department of Nature seems to be scrambling to make its next important announcement. The appearance of the transient fox-sparrow, the purple finch and the Peabody bird ; the hepatica, the blood- root and the trailing arbutus ; the fiddle- heads of the cinnamon fern ; and the peep- ing chorus of the hylas, are but few of the many signs that Spring is already here, and only needs the appearance of the organ grinder to fully establish the fact. — The Glad Philosopher in The Floiver Grower. HOW TO PROTECT THE LOCUST. Not only because of the beauty and fra- grance of their blossoms (which also pro- vide a valuable source of honey for the beekeeper), but especially as a source of strong, long-enduring fence posts, are the members of the locust family to be classed among our really desirable trees. One fac- tor alone has prevented their use in pro- portion to Iheir usefulness, namely, their almost invariable infestation and early de- struction by borers, for which no efifective cure had until recently been discovered. For this reason the news, published by the Department of Agriculture, that a very simple method has been discovered for pre- venting the depredations of these insects, i- welcome indeed. The solution of the problem requires that the trees be planted among other trees, so during the first ten or fifteen years they will grow under densely shaded conditions. It has been ascertained that whereas trees grow- ing from two to three feet apart are sel- dom attacked by the pests, isolated trees standjng only a short distance away arc soon riddled and rendered valueless. After about a dozen years the trees are rarely attacked anyway, which makes it possible to do sufficient thinning after that time to insure symmetrical and maximum growth. In the case of an occasional shade tree it is possible to kill the borers while young by means of an arsenical spray applied once or twice a year, but where dense forest conditions can be maintained, as in a wood- lot maintained primarily for fence post and timber production, this method is neither as practical nor as efifective as thick planting and the maintenance of a heavy under- growth.— Exchange. Water Lily Culture Is Extremely Simple While large pools are always desir- > able when landscape etfects are sought tor, most of the lilies in my stock can be brought to maturity in tubs. They need no more attention than ordinary garden tlowers, yet their blooms are ully as l^eautiful and particularly pleas- , mg because of their novelty. Aquatic Plants Are My Specialty and my stock of them is easily the largest ^ in the United States. Old and new, tender and liardy varieties may all be obtained from me; Nymphaeas, Nelumbiums, Vic- torians, together with Water Hyacinths, rushes, flags, in fact any water plant of decorative value. Send for my booklet which gives full lists of varieties, besides cultural directions a.id plans. You will Iind it invaluable for its new ideas and its use as a reference. Send for a copy today. •^ WILLIAM TRICKER Box P, Arlington, New Jersey J ANDORRA Ornamentals ex- clusively, dis- tinctive in quality and variety. We cater to the most discriminat- ing trade. ANDORRA NURSERIES Over 1000 Acres Chestnut Hill Philadelphia, Pa. BEAUTIFY YOUR PARKS AND ESTATES ^l(iiin)aiic 105) of the extractor in the center of the picture, and by turning the handle it is rapidly whirled around inside the can. Four combs are done at once and the lioney is thrown out by centrif- ugal force against the inside of the can. It runs down and col- lects at the bottom, and when enough has accuinulated it is drawn otT into the pail» shown by the faucet. A second tank is to be seen at the left, and the pailsful of honey are poured into this, being strained through the rough-mesh cloth shown. Here the honey is left for several days to settle and all bits of wax. air bubbles, etc., rise to the top. The jars are then tilled at the faucet shown, labeled, and are then ready for use. In large commercial apiaries power outfits are used and lar,ge tanks into which the honey is pumped, but for the small beekeeper such an equip- ment as that shown can be pro- vided at moderate cost and will handle a crop of honey running into thousands of pounds. In the above it is assumed that extracted honey is what is desired, but if the comb-honey we all know is to be produced, then a different set of equip- ment is needed. The supers are smaller, and are fitted with the little section-boxes in rows for the bees to fill up. In this case, of course, there will be no need for an extractor. For handling the bees, a smoker and veil are essential. The smoker is an arrangement whereby a small bellows blows air into a tin cylinder into which chips and rags are put and lighted. The result is that one can direct a puff of smoke in any direction re(|uired. The veil should be large enough to protect the face and neck and the part in front ■oi the face should have a square of black net inserted, as this is much easier on the eyes. The catalogues of the supply- makers show an array of many things, some of which, like queen-excluders, and bee- escapes, are useful for certain purposes, but most of which is not used by the practical apiarist. The few things mentioned above are that is necessary for success, and more j cialized devices may well be left alone the need for them arises. In the April nuinhcr the author uritr 0)1 "The Bcrs in Spniiji." es This is the paint you have heen looking for Looks bright- Stays bright — stands weather's wear and tear To prove that Lowe's Paint resists one of paint's greatest enemies: moisture; we made several tests with a two-coat film of our Outside Paint. It measured like all two-coat paint films — less than 1/lOOth of an inch thick. Being as flexible as a piece of rub- ber, we pushed it down in the middle and tied it around the top of a fish globe. Beneath it was a piece of clean cotton. Then we poured red colored water into the cup-shaped film. After eight weeks not a drop of water had come through on the cotton. To appreciate just how good a film of paint must be, to stand weather's wear and tear, send to us for a piece of two-coat film. It will do more in a minute to convince you of the good- ness of Lowe's Paint, than an hour of talking. At the same time send along 10c. in stamps for the Happy Happening Book, and before you do any painting or varnishing, read what it has to say. Lowe's Paints and Varnishes are sold by the one leading dealer in each town. ^'IxMQ Brothers co^^p-^v 482 EAST THIRD STREET, DAYTOX, OHIu Boston New York .Jersey City Chicago Atlanta Kansas City MiinieapoMs Tc BECOME A LANDSCAPE Prepare by mail for Jl H /^ II f rm ri ^ rwi .h.s.^uncrowded pro- ARtHirtlT Inexpensive. Easy to master. Earn while you learn. Diploma awarded. Special proposition to HOME OWNERS and Plan for beautifying your P"'"?'^"''."- AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SCHOOL Newark New York Stale ORCHIDS f \Vc are Spocialists in Orchids. We mllort. \ crnw, Import, export apd sell orchids ox- | (■Iiisivcly. If yon nro in the market for Orchids, | \v*' solicit your iniiuiries and orders. Cata- | logues and special lists on application. I LAGER & HURRELL I Irehid Growtn and Importen Summit, N. ^. ,„ , „ , , , , ,„f The New Hardy Dwarf Edgiog and Low Hedge oriyhiat/irs and Jntrn-luci rs: The Elm City Nursery Company Woodmont Nurseries Box 193 New Haven, Conn. and HILL'S EVERGREENS Send for Price-hst. Mention this magazine. D. HILL NURSERY CO. Evergreen Speoi&liiti, Larffest Growers in America. Boi 305 DUNDEE, ILL. HARRV BA.LDWIX Manufacturer of Greentiouse Stiadlng Lath Roller Blinds . maiua.rone:ck. fm. y. 2«iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|£ iJiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiii imii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii m I Gladioli and Dahlias | 1 "Bulbs that Bloom" 1 I Booklet in Color | I Listing only the very best of the older ones and j I all of the new worth while. | I B. HAMMOND TRACY Inc. I j WENHAM, MASS. | iiiiiiiiiiiiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiniiiitiiii g.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu;iiN^ I "The Gladiolus in Garden Pictures" | I Is a fascinating article written by Louise | 1 Beebe Wilder expressly for my 1920 | i catalog. j I I oflFer only fifty gladioli, but they in- | j elude many exceptionally beautiful j I sorts. The book is artistically illus- | I trated. It is sent upon request. I W. L. Crissey 'Gladiolus Farm'' Boring, Oregon iuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniii{iiiiiiiii!|iiiiiiii!iiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiin!iiii!iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^^ Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ I WE THANK YOU j FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF SENDING YOU OUR j I PERENNIAL CATALOG | M which we expect to send out in a few weeks. It will = i be modest because it is our first, but we w^ant all our 1 = flower growing friends to have a copy. You may = 1 find something in it that will enhance your garden. 1 W E ARE AT YOUR SERVICE I Orchadotte Nurseries I I Box C WEST POINT, Montg. Co., Pa. j liiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiii;iiiiiiHiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiin^ giiiimiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ I Competent Gardeners \ I The comforts and products of a country | I home are increased by employing a competent | I gardener; if you want to engage one, write us. | I Please give particulars regarding place and I I say whether married or single man is wanted, j I We have been supplying them for years to the | I best people everywhere. No fee asked. | f PETER HENDERSON & CO. | I Seedsmen and Florists | I 35 and 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK CITY | liiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiilNiiiiiiiiitiiiinniniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininnniiiniiiiiiiiiii^ A PERPETUAL SPINACH A real Spinach thai you can cut and recut, and it will come and come again. Not a Swiss Chard but a big- leavei], quick-growing. Summer and Fall Spinach, which takes the jjlace of all other varietio. An exclusive novelty, developed by Schling and nnt obtainahle else- where. A 2-oz. package is enough to supply the average family with this delicious Spinach for a whole Summer, and it will cost you only $1.00 if you remit at once. 24 West 59th St., New York ^{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiliiiiiiiiiii»iiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiilliiiilililillllll!illliliiilii!iiiiiiiiiN IRIS IRIS I My Iris list is one of the most outstanding Iris j j catalogues of the world. | I H. W. GROSCHNER Napoleon, Ohio | s Specialist Grower uf l^inc and Extra Fine Iris, Peonies and E H Hardy Chrysanthemums. E liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiii:iiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimIIi of each of these choice new j f fihi.lioli Sl.OO I I NOVELTY COLLECTION | 3 Prince of Wales, aprirot: Mr. Mark, | I liliic: U iUtrinh. j)ink: Mary Ivnni'll, | I inaii\e: Myrtle, rose pink; Atlraclion. | I cardinal: Herada. clear mauve. Eight | I new and charming shades | I One Riilb of Each, only .SI .00 | I ScikI jiir free catalog of 50 select prize winning viirielies. = I BROOKLAND GARDENS I 121 Lexington St. WUBLKN, MASS. Jf you conleiuphite buying semi-established, p established or imported orchids, consult us first. | We carry in stock about 25,000 species. | A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- m leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other | choice hybrids. ■ We specialize in supplying the private trade. B Let us figure on your requirements — our quality J is second to none. g Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot | hangers, always on hand. | Send for our price list. M G. E. BALDWIN & C0MPA]NY| Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers m MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK I <3iiniiiiiiiniiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ wm 123 iiiiiii'niiiiiiiii 11 iiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiniiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiini iiii iiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiimmiiii iiiii i iimiiiiiiuiiiiuiiiiii r^ : ^iriiiillllllllHIIIIIIIIIIiiilt iiiiiiiiiMitiiiilllllllllllllllll iiiiiMiilllililLllllill IIIIII1MIIIIII«I|> — The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden ^V PJ-JI^p" is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of the disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN As a dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. FOR THE GREENHOUSE — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. r vJl^vjll^Ej For mildew, rusit and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V HifvlVlllNlltf For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. IIIII»UHIIU»I>> = "•" iiiii""iiii"iii""ii»"i"iiiniii"iiii I iiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiimiiiiniiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii iiiiiiniiiiuiiiiiiiiini niiiiu iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliniiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiilijinliiiiiiimiiiiiiiim^ niiiuiiiin'-- |i»ii'>>i»» IIINIIII iiimiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiniiin mui iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini iiiiiiiiiiiiniiii j OF INTEREST TO COUNTRY | I ESTATE OWNERS I The National Association of Gardeners takes this opportunity to place its Service Bureau at the disposal of owners of country estates when requir- ing competent gardeners, in the capacities of super- intendents, head gardeners or assistant gardeners — thoroughly qualified in every particular to assume the responsibilities the positions call for — gardeners truly efficient in their profession. The Bureau is maintained entirely at the expense of the association and makes no charge to the em- ployer it may serve or to the member it may benefit. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS M. C. Ebel, Secretary 286 Fifth Ave. New York I This association is in no sense a Irade union | I organization, but includes in its sustaining member- I I ship oreners of some of the foremost country estates | I in America. | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Niuiiniiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigiiiiiiiil FOR RESULTS USE MASTER BRAND Sterilized Sheep Manure Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash 2.25'; l.Sr^ 1.50% Concentrated Vine & Plant Manure Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash S.WTr Z.WTf 1.00% t Precipitate Phosphatic Manure = I Available Phosphoric Acid 26% 1 I NATURE'S MASTER SOIL i BUILDERS I Master Brand Manures are thoroughly sterilized in j j Rotary Direct Heat Driers. Absolutely free from all | I Live Weed Seeds and Fungus diseases. Does not con- | I tain 15 to 30% excess moisture as is found in all air- | j dried manures. Will not rot out the Bags when placed | I in dry storage. Are adaptable for the feeding of a | I greater variety of crops than any other type of fer- | I tilizers. i I Full information and prices furnished on application. | I The Proto-Feed and Guano Co. | I 4121 S. La Salle Street CHICAGO | ^iniiiiiiiiiinuiiiiiiMiiiiii iiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiniiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|i|||{|{|||||,^ 124 m ■ ■ ■ The potatoes In the left hand pik were grown by C. \V. Baines. in an Alphano enriched row of sandy soil, at Newport News. Va. Right hand pile is from a row alongside, enriched with chemical fertilizer. Like amount of fertilizer and Alphano was used. Sworn affidavit to these facts on file at our office. Let us tell you ahout wonderful croifl procured with Alphano in above celery Held. ALPHANO THE ALL IN ONE SOIL BUILDER No Odor — No Contagion — No Weed Seeds Nature's Own Balanced Soil Ration For Lams. Alphano is Ideal. No odor. No lumps and chunks. No un- sightly littfr to be raked off. No danger of burning by over-dosing. Its humus holds the moisture, forming a dry weather resistant. Use it among your Onwers. Dig it aroimd your Rhododendrons and Shrubs, and notice their Increased growth and multiplied bloom. Rich in Humus— Nitrogen— Phosphate— Potash— Lime Teeming with Billions of the Nitrogen Gathering Legume Bacteria ALPHANO is an all around fertility producer. you couldn't buy them for the price of Alphano Its base is a rich, concentrated, dry, sweet alone. soil humus, which in itself contains an In bulk by the carload, we will sell you this corn- abundance of plant foods. It is also lively with plate Alphano, nature's wonder worker, for $ 1 2 a ton many of the soil building bacteria that make avail- Does it sound too good to be good? Well it's able the locked up minerals in the soil, such as just so good that over half a million tons of Alphano potash. have already been used. This dry, granulated humus, from which 85% of It has stood the test of over I 5 years, the moisture has been driven, is balanced with addi- With its added inoculated advantage, it is going tional nitrogen, phosphate, potash, lime and plant to sell as never before. vitalizers. It is then inoculated liberally with our The high prices of nitrogen, phosphorus and Alphano Inoculant, making if teem with countless potash in chemical fertilizers give Alphano, which bilhons of all the essential nitrogen gathering bacteria, contains them all, remarkable value for the money, for all the clovers, alfalfa, beans, peas and the like Sow it in the hill with your potatoes. Drill it in with legumes. your peas, beans, alfalfa and clover. Use it in your Here, mdeed, is a truly exceptionally valuable Hower and vegetable gardens. Dig it around your product. It is nature's richest product plus the ex- shrubs, perience of science. It contains all the advantages Spread it on your lawn; rake it in and leave it of a rich, concentrated humus; a the plant foods in the high grade chemical fertilizers; and all the essen- tial legume bacteria. At present market prices, it is almost worth its cost in potash alone. If you were to buy by themselves the various legume bacteria which it contains. MtonT/-^ $20 a ton in ba^s. $15 a ton in bags by tke carload. $12 a ton in bulk by the carload. Prices F. O. B. Alphano, N. J. there. Being odorless, you can use it any time, anywhere. Being ab- solutely sanitary, you have no fear of the contagion carried by animal fertilizers. Send for the Alphano Book. It's a complete guide to your soil enrich- ing problems. ALPHANO HUMUS COMPANY Established 1905 17 Battery Place, New York m m ■ Of /•nVc/r.M '■alve are the trees on the estate of Mrs. Sidney iVebster, Newport; R. I. The tribute of Timothy J. Sullivan to Davey Tree Surgery The Davey Tree Expert Company. Inc., Kent. Ohio. Dear Sirs: In 1912 your experts operated upon some trees on the estate of my employer, Mrs. Sidney Webster. I was then very much interested in their work, and have watched the trees heal over the cement filling year after year. The work at that time to me was certainly wonderful, and has been the means, without a doubt, of preserving some valuable trees. At the time of writing, Mrs. Webster has again engaged your experts to treat some oaks, beech and maples. You are to be congratulated upon the strides made in few years. I note the improvements on the shaping of the cavities, the value of the watersheds to exclude all moisture, the mechanical bracing and the inserting of cables in place of chains to protect the trees from splitting down at V-shape crotches. I appreciate very much having men of the stamp your experts are, men who know their work, and men who require no watching whatsoever. They are continually on the job, and your foreman is most courteous and obliging. In 1912 after your experts left here, I swore that Davey woiild receive my support, and I still insist that D.WEY method is second to none, and a safe bet for a gardener to recommend to his employer. Very truly vours. ■ TIMOTHY J. SULLIVAN, Gardener. An exceVrn ing is this Davey e.vp< tree in 191 t e.rample of liquidambar •rts treated lical- trct'. this The saving of priceless trees is a matter of first importance on every estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the maximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will be made by appointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc., 303 Elm St., Kent, Ohio Branch Offices with tetlephone connections: New York City, 225 Fifth Ave; Chicaco. Westminster Bldg. ; Philadelphia, Land Title BldR. ; and Boston. Write nearest office 1HH| UM ^n9 Wr IffiP m ifci-aWp u'.'i :f4B ill i MM , t ;'^. Sm' J^B i '■^ ■ W k_, Da:cy r.r/*. aitd braced lish oak. It filling. rts have cleaned this fine old Eng- jiow ready for DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Permanent representatives avail- able in districts surrounding Bos- ton, Springfield, Lenox. Newport. Hartford. Stamford, Albany. Poughkeepsie, White Plains, Ja- maica., Montclair, New York. John DaTc\. Father of Tree Surgery Every real Davey Tree-Snrgeon is in the employ of The Davey Tree F i Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Balti- more. Washington, Richmond. Buffalo, Toronto. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Mil- waukee. Canadian address: 252 I.augauchitere West, Montreal ■ pitblic is cautioned against those falsely representing themselves. CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) ILLUSTRATED I $2.00 A YEAR HORTICULTURA DIGEST 25cAC0PY XXr\'. No. 4, Published monthly by The oniclc Press. Inc.. 286 Fifth Ave.. New York APRIL, 1920 Entered as second-class matter Nov. 3, J'M. post office at New York under the act of Marcl The Storage at the end. I'oii tail j'list see the doors. An Oyster Bay Subject Robert Honeyman, The Gardener From this point of view, you would swear and declare you were looking at a house in the very midst of tlic mountains. Instead, it's snuggled up against the foot of a hill, on the top of which is the residence of the owner, Mr. B. G. Work. Robert Honeyman, the Gardener, you may know, Mr. Work induced to reluctantly come from England some 3 years ago, bringing a family of 4 children. "But now I am here and have this fine green- house," he says — "A twenty mule team couldn't drag me away."' Getting back to the greenhouse — it is 133 feet long, having 4 compartments, one of which is the work room, and another a deep storage place for bay trees, bulbs, and such. This storage place Mr. Honeyman is particu- larly pleased with. The way it is worked out might just be the thing you want. Happily we have a good pho- tograph which we will gladly send you. The way the work room compartment is handled in joining to the garage and cottage, might also hold a worth while suggestion. In fact, the entire subject, in its unusualness, is well worth kjiowing all about. And another thing; building costs won't be lower for many a long day; so those say, wlio ought to know. Which fact mayhap, will hold a "build now" suggestion fo your employer. or4& ]ptirnhamQ. Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories .1 ? IRVINGTON New York BOSTON Little BIJg. NEW YORK 42nd St. Bldg. CLEVELAND 2063 E. 4th St. PHILADELPHIA Land Title Bldg. TORONTO Royal Bank Bldg. CHICAGO Continental Bank Bldg MONTREAL Transportatior Bldg. ^ ELaatem F Irvington. actory NY Western Factory Des Plaines. 111. Canadian Factory St. Catharines. Ont. -"s^ piiiiiiiitiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ V, Manda Cq^ V^ev '/>le-crim- son. Six Giant Dahlias for S5.00 Prepaid Bianca (Hybrid Cactus), rose- l.uetider. ver>' tree-flowering, long stems. Cardinal (Peony-flowered), purple-crimson, good stems. Hortu- lanus Fiet (Decorative) . beautil'iil salmon-pink, one of thi' finest. Kalif (Hybrid Cactus), giant scarlet. Mrs, Brandt (Incurved Cactus) . orange liiitl. center golden yellow, large. Yellow King (Hybrid Cactus), giant yelli>w, on long stems. If you are a Hower lover, you will be delighted with these collections. They have been carefully selected from my stock of nearly 2,000 varieties and will make a fine assortment of types and colors. You run no risk, as each and every bulb is fully guaranteed to grow and to be true to name, and I will replace those that fail to prove as represented. My New Cultural Guide Free My 1920 catalog and cultural guide contains valuable cultural uot*s and com- plete descriptions of over 500 varieties of Dahlias, and a complete collection of (JIadioli, Peonies, Phlox. Hardy Plauts and Nursery Sto<^'k. Write now as it is mailed free to all applicants. J. K. ALEXANDER The Largest Dahlia Grower in the If or Id 18-26* Central St. East Brid^ewater, Mass. "The Dahlia King" ^/^/WWWW/^M''WW/MW//////////////A///WWW/,/7.W^^^^^ |IIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII|{n!lll{!!!!ll1l!!!fl|ll{l|l||||Hllllil!llllllllllllllll!l!{{!{|{||||||||||^^ I Tested I To introduce superior seeds to you we make the fol- lov/ing special offer. Each and every variety a novelty originated at our Raynes Park trial grounds THIS CARTER COLLECTION FOR $2 NET pkt. Antirrhinuni, Carters Pink $0.10 Antirrhinum, Carters Ciold Crest 10 Alyssum, Carters Snow Carpet 10 Aster, Carters Carmine Queen 10 Calceolaria, Carters Vic- toria Prize Mixed 35 Cineraria, Carters Bril- liant Prize Mixed 35 Candytuft, Carters Em- press Compact 10 Gloxinia, C a rt e r s In- vincible Prize Mixed 35 Godetia, Carters Tall Double Deep Rose 10 Gypsopluto Elegaiis Car- mine 10 a Mist — Miss Pkt. Love in Jeykell $0.10 Larkspur, Carters Em- peror Mixed 10 Mignonette, Carters Red King- 10 Marigold, Butterfly Striped 10 Nemesia, Carters Large- flowered *.... .10 Phlox Drummondii, Car- ters Pnik 10 Petunia, Carters Queen of Roses 35 Poppy, Carters Munstead Cream Pink 10 Schizcuithus, Carters But- tcrlly Howered 35 Zinnia, Carters Mammoth Double Mixed 10 I CARTERS TESTED SEEDS, Inc. g 106 Chamber of Commerce Bldg.. BOSTON, MASS I Branch of JAMES CARTER & CO., Raynes Park, England p|ii|||||]|]|]{|!i|iinniniiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiii[iiiiilli!iiiiiliiiiiliii{iiiiiii!{iii!iiW!iii[iii!iiil 128 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiih^ BURNETT BROTHERS LAWN GRASS MIXTURES Killarney Mixture Qt. 35c, Peck S2.,i0, Bush. ( 2S lbs. ) S9.50 Burnett's Special Mixture Ql. 30c, Peck S2.00, Bush. (20 lbs.) $1.^0 •'Shady Place" Mixture Qt. 3.5c, Peck $2.50, Bush. (20 lbs.) $8.00 Bank and Terrace Mixture Qt. 35c, Peck $2.50, Bush. (20 lbs.) S8.00 FARM SEEDS Oats. Scottish Chief Bumper Crop. Storm King and Swedish. Barley, Buckwheat, Spring Rye, Spring Wheat. Timothy. Clover, Alfalfa, etc. Potatoes, Mangels and Ruta Bagas. Grass Seed for Pastures, Meadows and Woodlands Market Prices on all Farm Seeds. BURNETT BROTHERS, Seedsmen The House Famous for Lawn Grass Seed Phone Barclay 6138 92 CHAMBERS STREET NEW YORK aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie^ iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiH^ jiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ iiHiiin!!iiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiii!i!iii!i!iiii!iiii lii iiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiniiii!iiiimiiiiiiiii!{iiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii| I Did You Get Your Set of Hicks Monographs? | T F not tell us at once | -'-for we only have a § few left, and surely | you do not wish to be | without this little | library, especially | when it is sent with | our compliments. 1 You are anxious to | get the most from | vour land. These will i lu'lp vou. Check | those that interest ^ vou. D Shade and I^awn Trees. n Flowers. n Fruits. J n FoiHidatidu Planting;. g D Flowerinfi Trees and j Plants. I I HICKS NURSERIES, Box K, WESTRURY, L. I., N. Y. ^ iiiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiinuiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu^ ' ''''I 129 |WimiiiriiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini iii iiiiiiii mi mini miiiinii iimmumiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiijs tTiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiini mmmmiiiiii imiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiim iiiiii iimi miiiiiiiiiimmimiiiiiniiiiiiummiimi MICHELL'S I GRASS i SEEDS j will produce a thick, | velvety lawn in from | four to six weeks from | sowing. j No better quality seeds, nor more perfectly | blended varieties than those used in MICHELL'S | GRASS SEED MLXTURES can be had, because | our contract arrangements with Foreign and Ameri- | can growers enable us to make purchases that are | absolutely right as to variety, quality and price. | OUR 1920 CATALOG | is a safe guide to the best mixture for every purpose | — shaded lawns, terraces, seashore properties, golf | courses, public parks, pastures, etc., as well as inter- | esting facts concerning the Vegetable and Flower i Garden. | WRITE TODAY FOR A COPY | MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE | 514 MARKET ST., PHILA. PA. | aiPiniwiiuHmiiuimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiin^ |miiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiii iiiiimiimiiiimiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiimiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii^^ I SILVER MEDAL \ I GLADIOLI I I Prize Dollar Collection | I PANAMA, immense pink | I CRYSTAL WHITE, elegant new white I I SCHWABEN, grand yellow I I DOMINION, best exhibition scarlet | j CHARLEMAGNE, gorgeous sunrise red | I One bulb of each of these choice new | I gladioH $1.00 j I NOVELTY COLLECTION | I Prince of Whales, apricot; Mr. Mark, | I blue; W ilhrink, pink; Mary Feunell, | I mauve; Myrtle, rose pink; Attraction, | cardinal; Herada, clear mauve, and charming shades One Bulb of Each, only $1.00 Eight Semi for free catalog of 50 select prize winning varieties. BROOKLAND GARDENS 121 Lexington St. WOBURN, MASS. <^^^J(^rde/?jbrSve/yM)/ne^^ j For replacing those that have been | I winter-killed j I PERENNIALS | I FLOWERING SHRUBS f j EVERGREENS, Etc. | j Muller-Sealey Co., Inc. j I Horticultural | I Specialists | I 1 45 West 45th Street, New York City | I Tel. Bryant 9141 | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiramiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini iiiiNiiiiniiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiriiiii iiiHiiiniimiiiil giiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii Ill iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiin iimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimi iimiiiiiiiiiiie The Glenside Hardy Flower Gardens Richard Rothe, Proprietor, Glenside, Pa. We are Specialists in Designing and Building of Rockgardens. For rates on Consultations and illustrated lec- tures please address Richard Rothe, Glenside, Pa. ^imiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuininiiiiiiiliiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ 130 will be mailed to all of our cus- tomers without their asking for it, but we want all who are in- terested in gardening to have a copy and will mail it free to those who mention this publica- tion when writing. DREER'S GARDEN BOOK FOR 1920 contains 224 pages, six color plates featuring Choice Vegetables and Flowers, also hun- dreds of photo-engravings, together with cultural notes written by experts, making it a dependable guide on all matters relating to Vegetable and Flower growing. Write today and we will gladly send a copy when it is ready. HENRY A. DREER ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ Bobbink & Atkins VISIT NURSERY ASK FOR CATALOG The Late Spring Will mean a short planting season with a reduced force of labor, as well as a decided scarcity in all nursery stock, in especially roses. Don't postpone, but Order Now We can reserve whatever you want and ship when needed. RUTHERFORD NEW JERSEY ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniNniiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiH^ iiiiil iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiyiiiy^^ The True Garland Flower Daphne Cneorum We have the finest stock in the country and can supply strong field-grown plants 8" to 10" high. 75c. each, $6.00 for 10, $50.00 per 100 W. E. MARSHALL & CO., Inc. SEEDSMEN AND PLANTSMEN 166 W. 23rd St. New York Orchids P g If you contemplate buying semi-established, g 1 m established or imported orchids, consult us first. | 1 1 We carry in stock about 25,000 species. § H 1 A large stock of Laclia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- = H M leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other | B B choice hybrids. M I m We specialize in supplying the private trade. m I m Let us figure on your requirements — our quality J B g is second to none. m ■ ■ Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot J I m hangers, always on hand. ■( I g Send for our price list. J I I G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY | m m Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers | I I MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK | i iiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiini 131 lllillllll iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiia The Contents Things and Thoughts of the Garden The Onlooker I 33 Hardy Roses for the Garden Alex. Cummings, Jr. I 34 Fruit Trees on Walls and Trellises ! 36 The Treatment of Lawns 1 38 Ornamental Flower Trees I 39 Twelve Most Desirable Shrubs for Gardens . . . Arthur Smilh 141 Our Friend the Soil 1 42 The Bees in Spring Henry W. Sanders 143 Mellody Farm, Lake Forest, III 1 44 The Use of Wild Plants in Ornamental Planting Alexander Lurie 147 Growing Orchids from Seed 1 48 for April 1920 Nesting Boxes to Attract the Birds . Paul B. Riis 1 49 Hints on the Care of Young Plants 1 50 The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse Henry Gibson I 5 i A Lesson on Transplanting Arthur Smith I 53 National Association of Gardeners 155 Among the Gardeners 1 56 Local Societies 157 The Questionnaire I 59 Here and There 159 Renaming German Irises — The Upkeep of Our Parks — Water for Fowls — Floral Life from Past Ages. Of General Interest 161 U. S. Botanic Garden 100 Years Old — American Dahlia Society. The Spring Flower Shows I 62 Published monthly, the 1st of each month. THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. , , 00^ nrL A M \/ 1 Ni v/ Subscription . . . . $2.00 a year 286 Fifth Avenue. New York, N. Y. Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 MARTIN C. EBEL. Editor H Entered at the New York Post Office as second class matter under the .'let of Congres.^. March 3. 1879. = iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil iiilimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiinioiiiiiiiiiimii iiiiiiiiiiii 'giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininniiiiiiiiiiiimiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I inilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ Staigreen Lawn Seed April is the best month during tlie Spring to make your lawn. While the proper preparation of the ground, fertilizing, rolling and watering is considered very essential, the mixture of grasses is a very important one and should be given considerable thought. 25- Pound versus 14- Pound LAWN SEED Many low-price Grass Seed mixtures weigh only 14 pounds per bushel. This indicates either a good proportion of chaff or some of the real good varieties in the rough state, not properly cleansed so as to leave only the vital part and less of the chaff or shell. In other words, so many less seeds to the quart or pound that will germinate and grow real grass. Why Not Buy the Re-cleaned Kind ? A mixture of grasses weighing 25 pounds per bushel, of high germination and purity, permanent in nature, the varieties carefully proportioned so that they will succeed one another in brightness of foliage, with the result that the lawn, even in its first year, will have a bright, rich green color from early spring until covered liy snow. POUND 50 cts. 21^ POUNDS $1.10 5 POUNDS $2.20 121/ POUNDS $5.25 25 POUNDS V...- H-^.^.. V-...-.. $10.00 One Pound Will Sow a Plot 20 x 20 feet. Sow 80 Pounds to the Acre 100 POUNDS $38.50 30-32 BARCLAY ST. NEW YORK iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 132 Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) library NEW YOKK Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture botanical OAHUEN i Vol. XXIV ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuniiiiiuiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! APRIL, 1920 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii No. 4 ■ Things and Thoughts of the Garden THE ONLOOKER THERE is nothing to equal a flower show in bringing together a notable gathering of flower lovers and garden enthusiasts, and a great number gladly availed themselves of the opportunity to meet and mingle again with the revival of the big floral event in New York after a lapse of two years. It was good to be there, to meet once more acquaintances and friends w-hom we do not see elsewhere but at the show. Just to wander around and examine the exhibits with kindred spirits is sufficient to renew a strong feeling of hope and inspiration, to be more firmly convinced that the culture and study of plants and flowers is the finest occupation in which we can engage. From a purely materialistic point of view some may be inclined to question this, espe- cially just now in these times of turmoil when there are so many things to vex the spirit of every conscientious gardener. But there is ever\- reason to believe that many of the difficulties by which we are now beset are but of a transitory nature w'hich will gradually disappear as the world recovers its equilibrium. Life is not all sunshine and during cloudy times a pessimistic feeling can be easily aroused. Let us work and look w'ith con- fidence to the steady progress of the cause of Horticulture and the proper recognition and appreciation of those who make it their life-work. h * * Those who are at all familiar with the handling of plants can appreciate the vast amount of hard work which those who put up extensive exhibits are called upon to perform. There is not only the physical labor involved in the transporting, setting up and taking down of the exhibits, but the big features like the rose gardens, bulb gardens, and the large groups of foliage and flower- ing plants represent a lot of mental work in planning all the details. Then there is the presiding genius of the whole afifair, the man responsible for the general layout of the exhibition, a work of no mean undertak- ing in order to achieve an artistic success. Great credit is due to all those who played a part in this connection, and that their efforts met with gencr;il approval was evident from the remarks overheard. 3): :|e :J: An imjiortant item in any horticultural exhil)ition is the proper naming of the different plants and flowers exhibited, and in this connection there is still room for a good deal of improvement. Presumably the schedule committees have no wish to establish an arbitrary ruling on the subject, but it is not too much to say that every distinct kind and variety that has a name otii^ht to have it plainlv written ane. The Plybrid Perpetual or Remontant roses with a few heavy growing exceptions, are benefited by the removal of all weak or dead wood, and pruning the remaining growths back to from three to six eyes, the upper re- maining bud should point outwards whenever possible, the purpose of this being to keep the new growth away from the center of the plant. The pruner's judgment should always be governed by the growth of the plant. If it is heavy and erect in habit, as we find it in the varieties Clio. Margaret Dickson or (iloire Lyonnaise, the pruning should be less severe. Less vigorous kinds of a more branchy lateral growth, Louis Van Houtte, Alfred Colomb, or Fisher Holmes, for instance, should be cut back hard, one or two eyes being sufficient in the lighter wood and not more than four in the heavier wood. Hybrid Tea and Tea roses require approximately the same treatment. The strong growing kinds can be left a trifle longer, while the weak varieties should be cut practically to the ground to give the best results. The Dwarf Polyantha and Baby Ramblers merely re- quire a thinning out of the weak or congested center growths, slightlv heading the remaining wood back. 136 GARDENERS- CHROMCLE Fruit Trees on Walls and Trellises C(_)MI\IERCIAL fruit-growing laughs at any shape of trees in America not "near to Nature." In oiu fruit-favored chmate, it is not necessary to train each stem and twig to face the sun, as must be done in the less favored, dull climates of northern Europe,, or to keep the trees dwarfed, for he who grows for the markets in this country can find land in plenty for his plantation. But there are thousands of men and women in America who now grow fruit for a pastime. To these pleasure seekers on small places, dwarf trees and trees trained in fanciful shapes on fence or wall make a strong A Dcivrf I'cnr Tree Trained Tan Shat'cd appeal. Trees so trained enable them to have greater numbers of fruits and varieties ; finer fruits may be grown on these brought-up-by-hand trees under garden- culture ; and, these elaborately-trained plants are good to look upon. The apple and pear are the fruits most commonly grown in fanciful shapes on walls and trellises, but peach, plum and cherry may be quite as easily trained as cordon or espalier, or in fan, U, or any other of the several figures used on permanent supports. The peach prospers greatly on a protected wall in a cold climate, and may be made to bear fruit annually, where, if planted as a standard in the open, it would succumb to the cold or give but an occasional crop. Many have the opinion that only specimen plants started in European nurseries can be used for trained miniature trees, but this is not true: one-year-olds from American nurseries may be used. It is, of course, more difficult to train these free-growing Americans, but the pleasure of training is part of the game, and it is a pleas- ant pastime to "personally conduct" tender yearling whips to crabbed age as handsome trained plants, such as those shown in the accompanying illustrations. As to varieties of the several fruits, there is probably some choice with all if on? but knew. So little has been done in America, in training trees other than as standards, that lists of suitable varieties cannot be recommended. With present knowledge, therefore, one can onlv say, choose choice varieties. Fill the allotted space with fa- \-orite kinds. A fair measure of success can be obtained with any and all. Theoretically, however, it is better to work with plants on dwarfing stocks as, apples on the Paradise or Doucin, or the pear on quince ; but it is difficult, if not impossible, to get true dwarf trees in America so that the grower must be content with standards. The trees must be given shape in the days of their youth ; therefore, buy yearling whips unless the nurseryman has started the training for you. A few nurserymen sell specimen plants, but they are forced to charge fancy prices. In buying, remember that true-to-name variety and good- name-nurseryman go together. A permanent support is necessary. This may be the side of a bam, garage, or the house itself. Well trained, any fruit will ornament the wall of any building, though one might not choose the front of one"s house for even the handsomest trained plant. A garden fence is an excellent support for some of the forms of trained plants. But, more often than not, a trellis of wood or wire must be constructed as a supp(jrt. This may be of such shape as suits the fancy of the grower, or, more particularly, it should suit the method of training. In our hot sunny climate, it is seldom that south walls can be used for fruits which blossom early ; the peach or apricot, for example, are almost certain to put forth bloom on a south wall only to be nipped by imtimely frost. The plum or cherry, or even the apple or pear, may be forced on a south face of a wall. An easterly or westerly face serves best for most fruits. Whether brick, stone or wood, the wall should be wired. The wires should be kept in place at about two inches from the wall, and should run in lines about ten inches apart. It is much easier to tie branches to these wires than to nail them to the wall ; tying saves the wall from injury by constant nailing ; the branches form fruit buds all around, which they cannot do when close to the wall ; and when fastened to wires the plants oiTer less shelter to insects. Trellises or espalier fences should be of the best pos- sible material since- they must stand a long time. Iron posts are more durable than wood, although wood is more often used and when kept painted is satisfactory. The trellises are usually from six to nine feet in height. A Dicarf Ahf^lc Tree Trained on Espaliers For April, 1920 137 and are built in the same manner as the American grape trellis, but with heavier wires which are placed ten or twelve inches apart. Fruit trees grown on trellises are ornamental and may well form a background to the flower or vegetable garden ; they may be used as borders of paths, or, to divide the parts of a garden. \\'ooden A Dwarf Quince Tree Tiauu-d .li^ain.\t ilu- i) all fences properly wired, make suitable iilaces for trellis training. The plants are set at distances apart that the wall to be covered and the method of training dictate. They should stand at least a foot from a solid wall, but much nearer, of course, to a trellis. There are no special re- quirements in setting other than that, since the plants are to stand a long time, and to become exceedingly valuable because of the time put on training them, the work should be done well. The shape vo which a fruit tree may be trained can be any one that fancy may choose for a flat surface. The simplest forms, however, are generally the best. As a rule, also, plants confined to a small space are more satisfactorv than those covering a large space. The simplest shape for wall or trellis is the single stem, the "cordon'' of the French. Trained to a single stem the plant may be made to grow upright, obliquely, hori- zontally with one or two arms, or in serpentine fashion. Trained with two or more stems, the branches may form a fan, may have several horizontal or oblique arms. or may l)c made to take a U- or double I '-form. These are the simplest pos.'-ible shapes. The beginner is likely to succeed best with the upright cordon. This is a tree trained to a single stem. 1 laving mastered the simplest upright, he may then place his cordon in whatsoever jiosition fancy dictates. The oblique, horizontal and serpentine cordons are the mcsr in vogue. The names express the positions of the stems, but a word of direction is necessary as regards the ser- pentine, which is really, however, about the easiest to grow. The stem in the serpentine is bent hack and forth in a series of .S's one above the other. Trained to the U-forni, the tree consists of two upright branches springing from the trunk in such manner as to form the letter I'. The double V can be made by grow- ing two U's on the tree. That is. the stem is divided near the ground into two branches, each of which is grown to form a L', thus providing four parallel fruit- bearing branches. The fan, oblique and horizontal forms are sufficiently explained by the names. The stone fruits seem to be particularly well adapted to the fan and similar shapes', while the pome fruits, apples and pears, respond espe- cially well to the cordon, though often grown in the more complex forms. There are many, many rules governing the trainmg of wall and trellis-trained trees. These come for most part from the Old World and many of them are not applicable to New World conditions. Some of them, however, must be observed, h'ortunate is the man in this sort of or- charding, if he can have the advice and assistance of a gardener from the Old World who can train the grower to train his' plants. The following hints, taken from ( )ld World fruit books, give the beginner in the 4Z-i^^ i -/<* s. K-- > . / ^ '■ -J A Dtvarf Apple Tree Trmiicd Pyramid Shape pleasant art of miniature orcharding a working knowl- edge: 1. Prune strong branches severely; weak ones lightly. 2. Depress strong branches ; elevate weak ones. 3. Suppress useless buds on strong ]jarts early : on weak parts delay supjiression. 4. Fasten strong p;irts to wall or trellis early; delay doing so to weak parts. 5. Permit as nuich f'uit as possible on strong jiarts ; remove all on weak parts. 6. Keep strong parts close to the wall : bring forward weak parts. 7. ne]jrive strong parts of lisht bv covering. 8. In Winter pruning, leive no more branches than are requisite for the development of the tree and the formation of fruit-bearing branches. '>. Repeatedly pindi off Summer shoots that are not required for the development of tree. Training trees is one of the tasks never finished. Lastly, trees trained on walls and trellises are worth while. There ought to he millions of them in the back- yards of cities and towns in this fruit-hungry land of ours. — I". P. HicNDUicK in .hiirricaii Fruit Gr'o'.ccr. 138 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The Treatment of Lawns THE importance of a good lawn cannot be over- estimated. Constituting, as it freqtiently does, from 75 to 90 per cent of the landscape effect, its condition may enhance or destroy the beauty of addi- tional plantings of shrubs or flower-beds. In spite of this fact, the average householder, while willing to spend both money and time on flowers and vegetables, is con- tent to let the lawn go with an occasional mowing, and then wonders why it is so difficult to maintain a good stand of grass in St. Louis. That it is not as easy to secure as satisfactory a lawn in this locality as in cooler, moister climates goes without saying, but it is likewise a fact that given the same proportionate care and atten- tion as other outdoor gardens the results will be equally worth wliJle. In fact, it is not until we are w^illing to regard the lawn as truly a garden, just as we would a collection of blooming or fruiting plants, that any real success may be attained. Fortunately, in proportion to its area a lawn once established does not require as much labor or money as most other kinds of gardens. How- ever, one should no more think of attempting to have a lawn without properly preparing the soil, attending to the necessary fertilizing, re-seeding, mowing, etc., than he should think of growing flowers and vegetables without the necessary attention. Plenty of seed should be used in starting a new lawn. 60 pounds to the acre being about the minimum. Care should be taken to apply the seed evenly, this being ac- complished either by hand seeding or by the use of spe- cial seeders manufactured for the purpose. The best time for seeding is generally either early in the morning or near evening on a day when there is little or com- paratively no wind. August or early September are the best months for seeding. At that time the grass seed will have very little competition with germinating weed seed and enough moi,sture is generally supplied by Nature to establish the grasses sufficiently to stand the Winter, provided a slight top dressing of well-decomposed man- ure or bone meal mixed with soil is applied in late Autumn. The bone meal should be given at the rate of 400 pounds to the acre. If it is not possible, however, to sow seed in the Autumn almost any month during the growing season w'ill do, particularly the Spring months, ATarch, April and I\Iay. Re-seeding the bare spots on the lawn may be done at any time during the year when the surface of the soil can be worked into a mellow con- dition with a rake. Seed should always be kept on hand for this purpose, and whenever a bare spot is noticed it should be seeded at once. The lawn should be tamped or rolled after seeding to bring the seeds into close contact with the soil and to prevent undue evaporation of moisture. The roller should also be used in early Spring to compact the soil which has been loosened by the action of thawing and freezing during the Winter, and also to make the lawn smooth for mowing. For quick results sod may be used, and steep banks and terraces should always be sodded rather than seeded, as should also the edges of roads and walks along a newly made lawn. It is important that the sod be cut as thin as possible and kept clean and free from weeds, and that the ground be properly prepared before it is laid. Sod properly cut and laid grows very easily, pro- vided it is set firmly in the surface of the ground by the use of a roller or tamper and that it is thoroughly soaked with water until established. Grass should be cut as soon as it is a few inches high, care being taken to see that the mower is verv sharp so as not to pull out any of the young grasses. This cut- ting should be continued throughout the season, and it is particularly essential to have the grass short during the \\'inter. A good lawn will carry through the season without any artificial watering, but if a greensward is desired during the hot Summer watering becomes essential. When watering, the soil should be saturated to a good depth and then not watered again until thoroughly dry. The general custom of a daily superficial sprinkling is most injurious to the lawn. Most annual weeds are eradicated by the mower. One exception is the crab-grass (Panicum sanguinale), which is most destructive to lawns. It first becomes noticeable at the end of May or the beginning of June, and from that time on it grows very rapidly, spreading the more it is cut and throwing out stems which root at every node. Crab-gTass may be held in check by cutting the lawn as little as possible during the month of July and the first part of August, and when cutting to adjust the mower to cut as high as possible. The leaves of the lawn grasses will then shade the soil sufficiently to keep the stems of the crab-grass from coming in contact with the soil, thereby preventing them from taking root. Then, about August 10 to 15, the grass should be cut short, the lawn raked with a sharp-toothed iron rake to make the remaining crab-grass stand up, the grass cut very short again, and the raking repeated. After this the lawn is seeded lightly, cut again, the clippings allowed to re- main to protect the seed, and the lawn watered thor- oughly. It will be found that this operation has de- stroyed most of the crab-grass. Perennial weeds, such as the dandelion [Taraxactntt officinale), plantain (Plantago Rugclii) , and burdock {Arctium Lappa), may be cut out with a knife, or they may be eradicated by spraying with a solution consisting of two pounds of iron sulphate dissolved in one gallon of w^ater. This should be applied in a very fine spray, five or six times during the season, preferably on a bright day to prevent it being washed off by rain. It should be applied two or three days after mowing, and the lawn should not be mown until two or three days after spray- ing is finished. This solution w'ill discolor clothes and stone walks. All lawns should have a top dressing of well-decom- posed stable manure at least once every three or four years, and other fertilizers should be used whenever the lawn needs enriching. Sheep manure and wood ashes are excellent for the dressing of lawns. They may be used, mixed in equal parts, at the rate of 200 pounds to the acre. In the Spring, before growth commences, is the best time for application. Bone meal is a slow-working but very good lawn fertilizer and is applied in Fall or Winter at the rate of 400 pounds to the acre. Air-slaked lime or limestone dust will neutralize acidity in soils and make them more suitable for the growth of Kentucky blue-grass. Lime should be used as a Winter dressing at the rate of 35 or 40 bushels to the acre. Nitrate of soda is a very quick-working fertilizer which makes the grass grow- very fast and greatly intensifies its color. This should be applied in early Spring, just as growth commences, at the rate of 200 pounds to the acre. To prevent the chemicals from absorbing the moisture of the soil or from the plant tissues the application should be made jusr before a rain or after watering. Com- mercial fertilizers should not be applied at the time of seeding, as they may destroy the seed. — Missouri Bo- tanical Garden Bulletin. For April, 1920 139 Ornamental Flowering Trees ARBORUM AMATOR It is a common practice both on estates of consider- able acreage and on home grounds of limited area to select for planting the several kinds of deciduous and evergreen shade trees, often to the almost entire ex- clusion of those trees which belong to the ornamental flowering class. It is now recognized by many land- scape gardeners that ornamental flowering trees should be in the majority on grounds of small area, and on large estates should be planted very freely in combination with the large deciduous and evergreen trees. The distinctly ornamental flowering trees embrace a wide range of size, form, and color of flower. Their period of bloom too extends from earliest Spring till late Summer. For practical consideration these trees may be di- vided into three classes, small trees which attain to a height of from about fifteen to thirty feet, medium, from about thirty-five to fifty, and large, from about sixty to one hundred or more. In this issue and in our next also we will speak of the small ornamental flowering trees, and in subse- quent issues of flowering trees of medium size, and in still later issues of those of large size. The smaller flowering trees are suitable for plant- ing on grounds of quite limited area, either as indi- vidual specimens on lawns, or amid low growing shrubs, or along the boundary line. These make up with their wealth of pretty blooms what they may lack in shade giving quality. Flozvering Dogwood. The flowering dogwood {Cor- ntts Horida) is one of our hardiest and most beautiful native trees ; it has spreading branches and usually grows to a height of 15 to 20 feet, but sometimes, though rarely, 30 to 40 feet. This species produces in May, before it puts on its foliage, in the greatest pro- fusion its sessile clusters of small, greenish-yellow flowers, surroimded with a very showy white or pink involucre composed of four large bracts. This in- volucre is the conspicuously beautiful feature of this species and is commonly considered the flower itself. The flowers are followed by bunches of red berries in Autumn. The color of the foliage in Autumn is char- acterized by extremely beautiful and delicate hues. There is no better all-season medium sized ornamen- tal flowering tree than the dogwood. This tree may be planted anywhere, in the sunshine, or in shady places ; it harmonizes with everything, and fits in well everywhere, among the shrubbery, amid the pines and cedars, in the foreground of the large shade trees, in the hedge rows, and on the lawn. There is a red variety, rubra, which is exceedingly desirable and should be planted as freely as the white species, florida. Resides these two, there is a third species of more recent introduction known as Japanese Dogwood (Cornus Koiisa). a beautiful small tree, the bracts of whose involucre are more pointed than those of florida. This species flowers when in full leaf and remains in bloom a long time in May and June. Furthermore in .Autumn this species is well covered with globular Strawberry-like edible fruit. Varnish Tree. The Varnish Tree {Koelrcuteria paniculata) is a native of Japan. It is one of the few trees which flowers in the Summer, blooming in Wash- ington, D. C, in carlv Tunc ^nd in New England in early July and producing panicles a fool long of beauti- ful yellow flowers which are succeeded by large blad- der-like seed pods at first light brown but changing later to olive brown. In Autumn its glossy, pinnately divided foliage assumes beautiful shades of color. This tree is hardy as far North as Massachusetts, and may be planted safely in the West where other trees would succumb to drought and hot winds. It makes a very irregular growth, hardly ever having a straight body, but this very habit of growth makes the Koelrcuteria desirable as it relieves the monotony of a collection of trees all with straight trunks. Its form is rounded rather than tall which displays its flowers more advantageously. This tree transplants easily. It attains a height of 15 to 30 feet. Styrax. There are five species of the Styra.v, two of which grow in tree form reaching sometimes a height of 30 feet. They are natives of Japan and China. The two tree species are Obasia and Japonica. Their foliage resembles somewhat that of the Dog- wood. The fragrant white flowers of Obassia are produced in May in racemes about 6 in. long, and those of Japonica in June and July. These two Sty- raxes, when kept in strictly tree form are suitable for planting as single specimens or in the foreground of larger trees. They are hardy as far North as Massa- chusetts. Silver Bell. The Silver Bell also called Snowdrop tree (Halcsia tctraptcra), a pretty little tree native from Virginia Southward, but quite hardy as far North as Philadelphia and even as far as New York City, has a somewhat rounded head, but a rather ir- regular habit of growth. In May its flowers, resem- bling those of the snowdrop, hang gracefully from its spreading branches, amid its dark foliage. This tree flowers when quite small. Its proper place is on the lawn, or among shrubbery, or in the extreme fore- ground of larger trees. It sometimes reaches a height of 30 feet. The Silver Bell can also be grown in shrub form, in fact it has a decided tendency to grow that way, but can by proper pruning when young be grown with a single bole and in tree shape. Pruning should be done directly after the flowering period. There is another species, namely, diptcra, a native from the Carolinas and Southward, but nearly as hardy as tctraptcra. There are .Silver Bell trees 50 years old growing in Pennsylvania and as far North as Eliza- beth, N. J., and Darien, Conn. Wistaria Tree. The Wistaria Tree {Pterostyra.v corymbosa). closely related to the Styrax, is a native of Japan. It is barely hardy as far North as Massa- chusetts even in well sheltered positions. In June its graceful dropping panicles of fragrant, white flowers appear in great profusion and are similar in general appearance to those of the Dcutcia. This tree has a spreading habit of growth and a rounded outline and attains a height of 15 to 20 feet, but begins to flower when very small, and it is, when in flower, surpass- ingly beautiful. (1 olden Chain Tree. The Golden Chain Tree (Cytisus laburnum or Laburnum vnlgare) is a native of Southern luiropc. In early .'^uiumer, when its drooping racemes of yellow Wistaria-like flowers appear amid its shining green, pinnately divided leaves, this tree is indeed a beautiful sight. There are several other varieties and 140 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE species, namely, Adauii with purjjlish flowers, Sclul^acn- sis a white flowering dwarf variety quite suitable for rockeries, also I'ossii which is a very free bloomer, and IVatcrcri, whose blooms are a mucli deeper yellow than the others. Keats mentions the Labiirniiin I'ulgarc in one of his poems descriptive of a country scene : '"A bush of Mayflowers with the bees about them — Ah, sure no tasteful nook could be without them. And let a lush laburnum oversweep them. And let lone grasses grow around the roots to keep them." The hot, dry air of this country is not as favorable to the Lahurnitm as that of Europe, therefore it should be planted in a situation where grotmd is damp and will supply moisture and coolness to the roots. The Laburnum will be further benefited by the shade cast by a building or a tree, but should not be planted where it will be directly beneath trees or close to the side of a building. Hawthorn. The Hawthorn of English literature. (CratccgHs o.vycmitlm ) is a small tree, growing to the height of about 15 feet. This species is a native of Europe and Northern Africa. Its branches bear stout spines, but its foliage is pretty. Its single white, or in the variety alba finre plcuo. double white, or m rosea flare plena, double pink flowers, appear in May. and are followed by red fruits. The Hawthorns are hardy and in the Autumn their leaves put on a brilliant coloring which adds to their attractiveness. There are besides axycantha a large number of other species of Cratcegus, the fruits of some being edible in the form of preserves or jellies. Hawthorns will thrive in exposed situations and are not suitable for planting in shaded locations. The poet, Scott, speaks of the Hawthorn growing with the hazel, and eglantine : "Here eglantine embalm'd the air. Hawthorn and hazel mingled there." This story of the ornamental flowering trees will be continued next month. IpSK-W^WBI^^ ■M-i lAUk.,^! FRIENDS / wonder how my garden friends Are grozunng far azvay. I zt'onder if they miss me too And look for me each day. Does anyone z^'itli tender care Lift up the larkspur's head When ruthless z^'inds bend lozv each stem. Or is it brazi'n and dead? Do golden poppies glozc z^'ilh cheer When Zi'akcd by morning sun, And softly close their cups and sleep IVhen each bright day is done? The pansics zi'ith their saucy zvays. Have thc\ their secret freed Of longings I c.vchanged zvith them For hcarteasc in my need' .■Ind szeeet alyssuju, dainty child, My garden baby. you. Have ruthless feet been careless, And made your days but fczv? I Zi'ish that JVinter's breath z^'ould stay Azvax from you alzcay. That I might zcander back again And z^isit you some day. But Mother Earth is calling you And zve must stay apart. Leave me your gentleness and peace To grozi.' on in my heart. — Edna Eastzvood. A portion of the Rod; Garden on Mrs. T. J. Emory's Estate, Marie- nwiit, Neivport, R. I. Oh! tliat I eoiild have sent you this pielnre in its richness of a coal of many colors, the sun sending its rich rays to add to the e.x-isting beauty! I I'enturc to say no artist could repro- duce such a picture with the various plants and shrubs in such a b'ending of colors. Note how splendidly they are grouped. What a perfect back- ground! These huge rocks, weighing many tons, were hauled there by the superintendent, .4. Dorzvard, well l.-noicn in liis profession, who per- uuialtv designed tliis beautiful piece -'■ ziuirk.—.4. .M. Horn. For April, 1920 141 Twelve Most Desirable Shrubs for Gardens ARTHUR SMITH In devising a planting scheme some considerable thought should be given to it, and from several points of view the smaller the place the greater the amount of thought which is required, especially with regard to the selection of species. The common fault which one sees is the planting of too many species and over- crowding. At this time it is not possible to discuss the ques- tion of ornamental planting as a whole, but in view of the fact that over-crowded shrubberies are the weak spot in many gardens, it appears worth while to set forth a few of the easiest grown things among shrubs with a view of assisting those desirous of making a selection among those enumerated in the extensive, and (to some) confusing lists found in nursery catalogs. Out of hundreds of shrubs we will select a dozen which may be classed as indispensable, and which are easily grown and hardy in the northeast. As being the earliest to bloom Forsythia must be mentioned first. Of this there are several well known species but the best for all-round purposes is fortnnei. Following this is the beautiful and deservedly popular Lilac, which most people would plant if they had room for only one. There are many species and varieties, but care must be taken never to plant grafted plants as there is no excuse for any other than own- rooted ones being used. It is a common practice to graft upon privet or other common stocks, the suckers from which are worse than useless. The old European vub^aris is the most sweet scented, of which there are both white and purple flowering kinds. Of late years the Lemoine hybrids have been more used as they have larger flowers and spikes, but many of them are scentless. Among the best of the hybrids are Marie Legraye (white) and Gigantea (bluish). There are many Spirsas suitable for the home gar- den, but the best is perhaps 5". Thiinbcrgii, which grows up to five feet tall and flowers in April and May ; it has additional value on account of its foliage turning in the Autumn to a brilliant orange and scarlet. Another good one is S. van Honttci, considered by some to be preferable to the former. It grows somewhat taller and flowers a little later. The smallest garden has room for the pretty little Bumalda, variety Anthony Waterer. It only grows about two feet high, and two crops of its bright crimson flowers may be obtained by cutting off the first spikes as soon as they are over. For the best results it should be cut nearly to the ground each year. Its young foliage is prettily marked with white and crimson. There are few shrubs more satisfactory in various directions than the Japanese Rarberr>' (Bcrbcris Thun- bergii). It is cast iron in its hardiness, and for a hedge which is not required taller than four feet it is' the best plant. Its bright green foliage ajijiears in the Spring before anything else ; this is followed by yellow flowers. In the Fall the foliage changes to a pleasing shade of red, and its scarlet berries remain on until after the new Spring growth. As with other shrubs, it is spoiled by shearing; any reduction in size required may be done by cutting out the older growth close to the ground. Room should always be found for at least one plant of Hydrangea arborescens. Its white flowers are borne with profusion after ]\lid-Summer, and they last well when cut. It reaches the height of about three feet and is another shrub which should be cut nearly to the ground each \-ear for tlie best results. Bush Honeysuckles are easy to grow, but require a good deal of room, as they may ultimately reach a height of ten or twelve feet and of even greater spread. The species known as Lonicera Morrozui is the best, which bears a profusion of rather small light pink flowers, followed by bright red fruit. A spreading shrub of medium height is Dicrvilla, otherwise known as Wcigclia. This bears an abundance of flowers during early Summer. There are several species and varieties worth planting having flowers rang- ing from white to very dark red, among which can be recommended Le Printemps as an early pink, and Eva Ratlikc as a late red. Among the several good kinds of Dcntzia the best for a small garden is undoubtedly Lcmoinci, which grows into a close, rounded form and in May is absolutely covered with a mass of pure white flowers. Crenata and its varieties are good where shrubs six feet tall are required, of these Pride of Rochester is a good one, having large double flowers tinged with pink. Undoubtedly it would be an impossibility to find an old-fashioned garden without a Syringa or Mock Orange (PhiladclpJius). and there are few who would desire its absence, not only on account of memories of the past, but also by reason of its fragrant white flowers and its alwys clean foliage. Its ultimate height causes it to look best at the back of dwarfer plants, and also because it has a tendency to grow bare of foliage at the bottom. This may be, however, to a great extent guarded against by aimually cutting out the oldest wood close to the ground. The tallest and most deliciously fragrant is P. coronarius, but the Mont Blanc variety of Lcmoinei has larger flowers, which are borne more freely, but they are not quite so strongly scented. While roses, in the forms of hybrid teas, remontants and such like, have to be specially cared for in a border or garden by themselves, there are some that may be classed as shrubs, and in fact are only fitted for a shrub- bery border. For this purpose Rugosa is the best, and it has now varieties with flowers varj'ing in color from white, through pink, to red. Its foliage always keeps in good condition and its large crimson fruit adds to its pleasing features. When it is required to cover a fence or unsightly shed the native Prairie Rose, Rosa setigera, is very suitable, as it is a rampant grower and its pink arid white flowers are produced in July when most of the climbing roses are over. Our next selection is Viburnum, a genus which is per- haps best known by the Snowballs and the old Guelder Rose, in some of which the foliage is not very satis- factory, and in any case the single-flowered kinds are preferable because they also produce ornamental fruit. The native Viburnum opulus Americana grows eight feet tall, and its berries remain all Winter; its brilliant .\utuinn foliage gives it another valuable feature. The best native .species is V. cassinoides, which is also the best suited for small gardens. It is very hardy, as it is found near the Arctic Circle. Its fruit ultimately be- comes bluish-black, and is very- handsome : a singular and really good feature connected with its fruiting stage is that the fruit does not ripen all at once, so that green. 142 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE rose and bluish colored berries are to be seen on a cluster at the same time. It flowers in late June. A smaller species, and one of the most charming of the genus is V. carlcsii, a Japanese kind, with pinkish, fragrant flowery which are produced early. While this is hardy, it is somewhat less so than the preceding. For the last a late blooming kind seems desirable, for which purpose Lespedcca Sicboldii is suitable, as its long racemes' of rose-purple flowers are effective in September and early October. It should be cut down to the ground each year and its .crown mulched with old stable manure. As an alternative to the preceding, Abelia grandiflora is in some ways preferable by reason of the fact that its beautiful, light pink, heath-like flowers are produced continuously from June until killing frosts. Its habit of growing on late in the season prevents the tips of its shoots having time to ripen, and these are sometimes killed back under severe conditions, but even when this occurs, a few moments' pruning will put things right, and this killing back does not affect subsequent flower- ing. Anyhow, a sheltered position should, if possible, be found for it, together with Winter protection in the north. I have known it pass safely through a tem- perature of twenty below zero. While there are numerous kinds of shrubs equal in value to those selected, the ones' mentioned are easily grown and will give a good account of themselves in all ordinary soils, but naturally the better the treatment given them the better the results. At this time we have alluded only to shrubs because, as above stated, the shrubbery is too often the weakest point in a garden, and if one-tenth of the trouble wasted upon tender "bed- ding out" and other fleeting expensive plants, is spent on flowering shrubs our gardens will be all the better for it. Our Friend the Soil IT is probably a universal condition, but most people are more interested in what comes from the soil than in the soil itself. Even we florists and nurserymen, whose every work connects us up close to the soil are so intent on what we consider our products that we give little thought to this common but all important fundaiuental. The old saying "Common as dirt," is quite true, but it is well to remember that "dirt" or soil is one of the three most essential things on which the human race is dependent. Sunlight, Moisture and Soil are a trinity without which there would be no trees, no flowers, no food, no life. The time of the year is almost here when all the "sons of the soil" will take part in its tillage. The farm- er, the nurseryman, the fruit grower and the florist, each has his own particular sphere of labor in joining hands with Nature to bring forth products of perfection. It is quite an easy error to claim for him who has tilled the ground and sown the seed, the honor and authorship of the crop. We do not sufficiently realize, or else we forget how much is due to Nature's laborers, who are unceasingly at work for us. Our farms and "gardens, if left to our own efforts alone, would present a sorry condition, but with the great work done by sun, rain, dew, frost, snow, wind, bees, etc., we are able to produce wonderful results from our friend the soil. The part we have to play in company with these several agencies mainly consists in cultivation, fertilization and planting. We some- times hear people speak of a rundown farm. As a matter of fact it is the lack of eft'ort to cultivate and to plant the right things that is mainly the fault. _ Soils that are deeply dug and frequently cultivated are invariably highly productive. What a variety of soils there are in color, texture and fertility ! The color of a soil is not always indicative of its fertility. It may be red. brown, black or gray, and be equally poor or'fertile. The most fertile soil is one that con- tains the highest percentage of available plant food, i. e. food that is soluble in water and that can be as- similated by the plant. Texture, another visible difference in soil is known chiefly by the actual handling or walking on it. A .soil with a large percentage of clay will tenaciously cling to one, while a sandy soil is readily released. Native growths tell us unniistakably, something of the kind of soil in which they grow. Wet, marshy or ill drained land is indicated by the presence of sedges, rushes, etc. Rhododendrons, Kalmias and other eri- caceous plants will invariably be found in acidulous soils or where there is humus in quantity. Beech and Pine on poor and limestone soils. Oak trees indicate a good tenacious clay soil. Thus it is that in going through parts of the country by train one is able to form a fairly good idea of the kind of soil by the character of the native growth. All soils can be roughly classified into four, viz : 1. Sand loam: 10 to 40 per cent of clay. 2. Loamy soil : 40 to 70 per cent of clay. 3. Clay loam : 70 to 85 per cent of clay. 4. Strong clay : 85 to 95 per cent of claj'. Nunii)er two is the best soil for all general purposes, containing a better proportion of clay, sand and humus. Everything grown can be traced back to two primary sources — soil and atmosphere. We have not the power to change or aft'ect the latter to any great extent or for any length of time, but we have the power to change the soil by adding to it those constituents of which it may be lacking. If a soil is too acidulous, administer lime, which re- acts on the acids, and greatly aids the decomposition of organic matter, promoting the formation of nitrates which are available plant food. If lacking in nitrogen, add humus, either by green manuring, farmyard manure, or some other artificial fertilizer, which is rich in nitrogen. Some soils are deficient in potash and phosphates. This may be made by applying bonemeal and wood ashes in Spring. Clay may be given to sandy soils, and sand to clay soils, while humus in its varied forms is used to suit different conditions of soil. Not least of all is the great power we can exert in changing the physical condition and increasing its fertility by cultivation. We are living in days when implements of power hitherto unthought of are in force, what with tractor- plows and cultivators, dynamite to disintegrate im- pervious and hard stratas. artificial irrigation, etc., we are able to bring the most stubborn and unfertile soil into a condition that will enable it to bring forth fruit in abundant measure, and so reward those who dili- gently and actively cultivate the friendship of the soil. — EnwrN M.\THEWS in The Florists' E.vchange. For April. 1920 143 The Bees in Spring HENRY W. SANDERS C: Young brood in the proves the presence laying queen. hive of a lONDITIONS of eli- minate, etc., in different ' regions of the United States differ so widely that in writing about the Bees in Spring it is necessary to begin by saying that what is here written applies to the Northern States, these being the ones which contain the greatest number of bees, although perhaps the more favored regions, such as California, or the irrigated parts of Colorado and other Western States, may boast the greatest number of spe- cialist beekeepers, and in consequence, the greatest and most spectacular honey crops. \\"e are, how- ever, catering here to the amateur beekeeper or the gardener who keeps bees as a sideline, and therefore will deal with the problems of Spring from the standpoint of the Middle and Northern States. In these regions, then, the bees have passed the ^^'inte^ in a state of somnolence — not actually hibernating like so many other insects, but clustered closely together with- in the hive, and by consuming honey keeping the heat of the interior of the cluster up to a point comparing with the "blood-heat" of the higher animals. They will have been protected by the beekeeper by packing, or in the far north by placing them in a frost-proof cellar. When the snows of the Winter have disappeared and the genial sunshine of April announces to man and beast and bee that Summer is at hand, they will be carried out and placed on their Summer stands. It is at this point that the bees begin the most critical ])eriod of the year, for they must breed fast enough in the next few weeks to replace the hundreds that have died during the Winter, and in addition to provide the forces necessary to constitute a swarm. In fact, a colony that has twenty thousand bees on April first, will some- times have fifty thousand on June first. Each bee takes three weeks to hatch, so that it will be seen that any interruption of brood-raising has a serious effect on the well-being of the hive. As the queen is the layer of all the eggs in the colony, it is of the first importance that she should be young, vigorous and of good breeding. This is a matter that should have been attended to last August, a time of year when all inferior queens should be replaced. In Spring the only thing to do is to send to a southern breeder for a few spare queens to arrive in May and then to replace any defective ones. Poor ([uccns are evidenced when the bees of the hive are few in numbers, or of mixed color (indicating a "hybrid'' queen"), or vicious, a quality that ought not to be endured. If a colony comes out of the Winter quarters without any queen it is not much good ti-ying to re-queen it. The better plan is to unite it with a queenright colony. If one wishes to experiment, then give them a little brood to keep them from getting "laying-workers," and send away for a queen. It is sometimes succes.sful, but so often the reverse that uniting is better. There is gen- erally a weak colony with a laying queen that will be strengthened with the bees so added. Uniting is done by placing the two hive-bodies in contact with a single thick- ness of newspajier between. Weak colonies are often a problem, especially if the wintering has been under unfavorable circumstances. The usual advice is to join them one to another, and while this solves the matter, it involves a waste of queens, as in the united colony there will be only one survivor of the two queens placed together. The better plan is to keep the colonies separate and then build the stronger ones up by taking brood from the weaker. The natural impulse is the other way — to take from the stronger for the weaker ones. In practice, however, this results in having all colonies weak when the honey begins to come in. By building up a few powerful colonies a crop of honey can be gathered and they do so much better that before the season is over they will repay with interest the brood they received from their weaker brethren. Protection from the cold winds of Spring is desirable, and this is best accomplished by wrapping the hives in tar paper. The cover is removed, but not the "Quilt" beneath, and the paper is then wrapped over and around the hive and secured with a piece of lath and a nail. The entrances are also made very small, both to conserve heat and to prevent robbing. A windbreak of trees, shrubbery or a board fence should be upon the north and west sides of the yard. An abundance of food is very necessary for the brood- rearing of Spring. On a warm day when the bees are flying, the first work of the season consists in going through the hives and seeing that each one has plenty of food. Those that are short can usually be supplied by sparing a comb from those that have plenty, or if there is none available they can be fed syrup made of equal parts of granulated sugar and water. Any of the feeders on the market are good, or a home-made one that does very well is made by punching a few holes in the cover of a tight can, filling it, and inverting it over the bees within an empty super. In any feeding opera- tions care should be exercised not to expose any syrup or honey where the bees can get at it, or robbing may be started. At the time when the Spring examination is made it is well to make sure that each hive has a queen, and is strong enough to get through to the honey-flow. Then if all is well, wrap them up in paper as described above and let them alone till settled warm weather comes. Bees need an abundance of water in Spring for their brood rearing operations. If there is a natural stream or creek near by. they will visit this, but unless one is quite close it pays to provide water right in the bee- yard. A crock, tub or barrel, with pieces of wood float- ing to prevent the bees from drowning, will serve, and some salt is usually placed in the water to sweeten it. In the iic.vt numher onr subject zuill treat on the Swaniiiiiii Tune. LEARNING Learning taketh away the wiltlness and barbarism and fiercenes of men's minds, though a little superficial learn- ing doth rather work a contrary effect. It taketh away ali levity, temerity, and insolency by copious suggestions of all doubts and difficulties and acquainting the mind to balance reasons on both sides, and to turn back the first offers and conceits of the kind, and to accept nothing but the examined and tried. — Bacon. Foiinliiin at the Front Entrance of Residence I'iciiJ of the J. Ogden Armour Residence Mellody Farm, Country Estate i EiiC" ■ Row Garden ncc io ^°^ Du. y * ^ ^ -^ ' Av, Rose Garden iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy^^ For April, 1'I2() I45 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ii!iiiiiiiiiiiii!iiii!i{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii -* J f ' ■Bills n-*"*. \ I < ® Lai^'H, Mtilody Farm, Lake Forest. III. : Forest, Illinois )gden Armour Founlain and Court Yard ^'^"/■f and Ca.u,io Artificial Lakes iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH^ 1-46 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Mam Eiilniiut to Mcllody I'anii. Sliozviitg Gate. Lodge and Garage When J. Ogden Armour a few years ago decided to build a country home at Lake Forest, IlHnois, he selected for his site a number of farms containing in all twelve hundred acres of what may be practically considered prairie land. The transformation that has been successfully accomplished in the comparatively few years since that time from an unadorned stretch of prairie land into one of the most beautiful landscaping developments in the country, stands as a monument tc the architectural ability and general skill of the professional gardener. Mellody Farm, as Mr. Armour's country place is called, is, from a hor- ticultural point of view, one of the most interesting places in the Middle West, comprising as it does so man}' gardens of various types, among which one may enumerate a winter garden, a Dutch (bulb) garden, a perennial garden, a rose garden, a water garden. an orchard garden, a vegetable garden and, not the least important, an exten- sive glass garden, for the greenhouse range on Mellody Farm is probably the most complete of its kind in the West. The different gardens are connected l)y winding paths through planted shrubbery and natural woodland, open- ing on unexpected vistas of beautifuh;)-,)/. lawns and terraces with glimpses of small pools, or the artificial lake in the distance. The landscape features have been so arranged as to give several unobstructed views of the ornamental grounds from the home. Specimen trees and shrubs A casino and a rest temple of stone, stucco and terra cotta are other ornamental characteristics of the estate. In the development of Mellody Farm, Mr. Armour has been thoughtful for the comforts of the men em- ployed on the estate. The gardeners' cottage has abound. Fountains, cascades, modern statuary are generoush' distributed about and antique the grounds. Readini! and h'eciealinn Hall for the Emfhyecs of the Garden !>et^artmenl tibor. Gardeners' Cottage m Background, .linoor Riier I'rivct Leading to It practically all the conveniences of an up-to-date club building, with a large living room that is provided with an extensive lil)rary. Among the other con- veniences are shower baths and facilities for preparing and serving meals for a large number. The recreation building contains billiard and reading rooms and a moving picture apparatus. It is not all work and no play at Mellody Farm. During the past winter two hockey teams composed of the employees among the gardeners competed for a silver cup donated by Airs. Armour, for which games two half holidays were declared each week. Thomas W. Head, who has been in charge of Mellody Farm as its superin- tendent the past five years, is well and widely known in the horticultural field of this country. He is a past president of the National Association of Gar- deners and at the present time its treasurer; and is also president of the Chrysanthemum Societv of America. For April, 1920 147 The Use of Wild Plants in Ornamental Planting ALEXANDER LURIE IX the great abundance of native and foreign jilant material which is commonly utilized for beautifying the landscape, the plants which are growing wild in the surrounding country are often overlooked. The fact that they are a common sight along the roads, in the fields, through the woods and along the creeks is often considered a detriment. Yet in naturalistic plant- ing what is more appropriate than the use of material native and suitable to the region. .\ great ado is made of the possession of exotic plants and even monstrosities by enthusiastic gardeners but the numerous showy and useful plants which surround us are looked upon with scorn. Great pride is usually taken in the successful growing of foreign plants through various expedient-' of petting and painstaking care known to the skillful gar- dener, while the easily grown and readily adaptable native flowers are discarded as not worthy of attention. It is a pity that such a state of affairs should exist. So many city homes look gloomy and unattractive, so many .suburban and country homes lack the finishing and en- framing touches of Nature, so many houses appear bare and unsightly because of the feeling that means of floral decoration are so costly and not to be afforded except by the well-to-do. Yet why cannot a school teacher of a country school undertake a short expedition with a class into the surrounding country and with a little judicious efifort and very little time carefully dig up plants indigenous to the region and plant them around the school house, making it attractive and instructive to the younger generation, instilling a spirit of reverence and appreciation of the beauties of Nature instead of destruction. This surely is one of the means of de- veloping the usually latent artistic taste in the average boy or girl. W'hy cannot the house owner or tenant profitably spend a day with his family in the same pur- suit, making his' dwelling not merely a house but a home. To the uninitiated, it is surprising what a great deal of luaterial may be collected and brought in during a day. The one cause of failure and disappointment lies in the fact that the amateur collector uses little judgment in the selection of plants with regard to their suitability to the environment and growing conditions. No pains are taken to observe closely the conditions under which the plants thrive in the natural state. A common occur- rence is to see moisture loving flowers placed in the driest of locations or the reverse ; or to find shade loving things compelled to endure the scorching rays of the sun throughout the day ; or to prepare a rich soil in- tended only for gross feeders, for plants growing among rocks or poor sandy soils ; or to neglect the use of a Summer or a Winter mulch as the case may be, for plants naturally thriving only by such means. Proper observ- ance of these various seemingly unimportant details may spell success and save countless disapjjointments and abandonment of ftirther efTorts. It is true that all plants possess a certain amount of adajrtivc powers, which may be depended upon to aid the gardener in his elTorts in naturalization. Depend- ence may be placed upon this quality providing it is cor- rectly translated into the garden conditions. It must be remembered that at best gardening is not a natural process, and very few plants receive the mo.st ideal con- ditions, and it is only by application of common sense combined with knowledge of natural conditions and limits of plant adaptations that the .skillful gardener .achieves apparently magical results. The case ot man- ure is the c>^-inch in thickness should not be used and boards J-s-inch thick for anything larger than a wren box are preferable. The board forming the back of the box may project four inches above and four inches below the box proper. This permits of a secure and easy fastening to pole, building or tree. The roof should have a slope toward the front of two inches, with a ]3rojection of three inches over the front of the box. By placing" the entrance hole one and one-half inches below the overhang, the roof will act as shelter against driving rains and also prevent cats and squirrels from reaching the nest from the roof. The two sides should reach to but 's-inch of the sloping roof, giving much needed ventilation to stifling nestlings. The board com- posing the front of the box must be considerably rough- ened or grooved both inside and out to give the birds a chance to climb in and out. Projecting bottom boards and perches nuist be entirely omitted. They off'er foot- hold to bird enemies, enabling them to annoy and drive away rightful tenant. The bottom board should be per- forated with gimlet holes for drainage from entering rains. The entrance, carefully corresponding in size to the size of the box, may be incircled with a zinc collar to prevent woodpeckers and squirrels from enlarging the opening. .\ hinged roof, fastened with a small hook, will be found a great convenience. It greatly facilitates eject- ing undesirable tenants, bird enemies, cleaning out old nests or nest photography. A hinged roof is not de- sirable where boxes are exposed to public abuse and covers fastened down with screws or dummy nails should be given the preference. The merits of the many substitutes used in place of lumber, such as cigar boxes, gourds, jugs, tin cans, tar- paper, flower pots, will not be discussed here. They are makeshifts at the best, though they often serve their pur- pose. Anything worth doing is worth doing well, and greater enjoyment is commensurate with greater effort. Farmers' Bulletin No. 609, "'Bird Houses and Flow to Build Them," publishes a practical list of the various boxes with full dimensions of house size of entrance and distance to be placed from the ground. This list is so complete- that it is offered here for the benefit of the reader. Fhwr Drpth Eiifrance Diiiniotor IN'i;:Iit of (if .tIkivo (tt nbovo Species cavlt.v. cavit.v. floor, entrnnce. ground. Inclips. Inches. Indies. Iliclios. Feet. ninel.ird .1 I..v .". S 0 liA .T lo 10 lioliin Gb.v .« .S (11 (1) (! to 1.-, I'hlekinlee 4 by 4 S to 10 S Hi fl to 1.". Tiifled titmouse 4 b.v 4 .« to 10 .« 1 Vi « to l.'i Wlilte-brensted nuthatch 4 b.v 4 s lo 10 S IV, 12 to I'O Uouse-wreii 4 by 4 ti to S 1 to 0 % t; to 10 Hewiek wren ' 4 by I fi to 8 1 to 0 1 (! to 10 Carolina wren 4 by 4 fl to 8 1 to 6 1 V6 0 to 10 Dipper 0 by 8 fi 1 .1 1 to :< ^'iolet-Rreen swnliuw ri by Ti fi 1 to fl l'^ 10 to 1."i Free swallow ."> by "i fi 1 to « 1 '-i 10 to 1.". I?arii swallow 6 by fi fi (1) (1) 8 to 12 Martin 6 by fi 0 l 21A 1.1 to 20 Sons Sparrow fi by fi fi (2) (2)" 1 to :f I louse Ilurll fi by fi t', 4 2 S to 1 2 I'hnehe fi by fi rt <1) (\) « to 12 Crested flycntcher C by fi S to 10 8 2 8 to 20 150 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Flicker 7 by 7 16 to 18 16 2% 6 to 2n Redheaded woodpeeker 6 to 6 12 to 13 12 2 12 to 20 Golden-fronted woodpecker 6 by 6 12 to 15 12 2 12 to 20 Hairy woodpecker 6 by 6 12 to 15 12 IM 12 to 20 Downv woodpecker 4 by 4 S to 10 8 IVi 6 to 20 Screech owl S by 8 12 to 15 12 3 10 to .10 Sparrow hawk 8 by 8 12 to 15 12 3 10 to :W Saw-whet owl 6 by 6 10 to 12 10 21,4 12 to 20 Bam owl 10 by IS 15 to 18 4 6 12 to 18 Wood duck 10 by IS 10 to 15 3 6 4 to 20 il) One or more sides open. f2) All sides open. By applying the fundamental principles of construc- tion, as outlined above, one cannot go wrong in provid- ing a simple, practical home for his bird friends. The size of the wren house, as given above, is somewhat large ; a box 4x6 will be found more than sufficient. It matters little if the box is made vertical or horizontal, the bird's nest will always be found farthest from the enti'ance. Any one who has watched the tiny bird in its endless, tedious task carrying in the material for the nest founda- tion, only to be confronted with the alternative of seek- ing a new home or cleaning out the old for its second brood, will gladly remember to build large enough, but not too large. As much depends upon proper placing of a bird house as upon proper construction, the greatest error is made in placing too many boxes for a given area, which always sets the bird to quarreling, excepting the com- panionable swallows and martins. Boxes for a certain species are best placed at least one hundred feet apart. Dense woods and trees are generally to be avoided. A tree trunk is a highway of travel for flying squirrels, chipmunks, squirrels and cats. However, boxes sus- pended from a limb by a wire overcomes this objection and homes for wrens, nuthatches, chickadees and wood- peckers may be placed about shade trees and orchards. Extensive experiments have clearly demonstrated that nesting boxes placed on poles are preferred by the birds. These poles may be cat and squirrel-proofed by a two- foot strip of galvanized tin, six feet above the ground. Pergolas, porch pillars and buildings often offer desir- able and safe location for bird boxes. The entrance of the box should be placed opposite to that of the prevailing winds, which in Illinois are mostly from the southwest. Equal in importance to proper construction, dimen- sion and placing of a bird house is the strictest vigilance over its occupant. Close observations and bi-monthly examinations will often reveal such tenants as mice, chip- munk, flying squirrel, squirrel or English sparrow. These bird enemies are responsible for the greatest part of all failures in successfully attracting" birds. The success at- tained by individuals will be measured by the amount of intensive protection accorded. Cats also must be dealt with relentlessly. No sensible person will expect to reform this animal instantly by an unkind word, cuft' or severer punishment after considering that its impulses are those of countless ages and its diet of birds date back almost to the beginning of time. Nesting boxes with openings of one and one-half inches and upward will ever remain the legitimate prey of the house sparrow. I have found it expedient to place many of these boxes in low down and convenient places for the sparrow's own use. A little observation soon records the home life of each and when the female bird has been brooding her eggs for two days, no dis- turbance will induce her to leave. This is the logical time to act ; the male usually nonchalantly taking the place of the defunct female within half an hour im- mediately meeting the same fate. The box is then cleaned out ready for the next victim. At one time 1 took six males before the wily female fell a victim. The house sparrow is persistent, adopting ab.nrdoned eggs or young with frequence and mating alternately time and again as one or the other falls a victim. This method of duping them has helped to relieve the martin colony from their unwelcome attentions and never more than one or two birds a season have preferred the dis- ]juted martin house to an undisputed home of their own. HINTS ON THE CARE OF YOUNG PLANTS IT is not all in growing young plants to sow them in flats, pots or other receptacles. That is just the be- ginning of your work, and the least interesting side of it. The real pleasure to the garden lover comes when they are of a size to require handling, by which is meant thinning, transplanting and watching to prevent their growing unsightly and out of proportion. ]\Ieans must be taken to prevent the young plants becoming too "leggy," as it is a desideratum in plant growing, of all but the vining kinds, to keep them short and stocky. To do this they must be kept at the proper temperature so that the stalks are not unduly forced ahead of their age, and just the right amount of moisture given or withheld. In addition to this they must be thinned out at the right time or they will try to overreach one another and get tall and spindling. One of the reasons that individual treatment makes the finest plants is because a plant is no better than its roots, and to get a good root system should be your aim in handling them if you expect to get the extra fine re- sults which alone are worth working for. When a plant is forced to grow short and stocky it at the same time develops its root-mass, which is the life of the plant. The theory in this is that a certain root-mass can pro- vide for just so much plant after it has reached maturity or while producing that for which you are growing it — edible seeds, roots or tubers or top, as the case may be. With a large root-mass you should be able to get the maximum of finished product, while with a small one you may get little or none. Root-hairs on plants are the fine feeding roots by which the plant absorbs moisture and its content of plant food. For it must be understood that a plant feeds by absorbing all its food in solution. It cannot take into its economy any plant food in a dry state. All must be dissolved in water in the soil and be absorbed through these fine root-hairs. There is also a mechanical reason for transplanting voung plants of those kinds which we desire to grow short and stocky. In the act of transplanting we break off a large number of the young root-hairs already pro- duced which remain behind, and these in the new location branch, just as does the limb of a tree, making a vastly larger number and increasing the size of the mass in this manner. Much of the lack of success with this class of plants is due to the fact that they are not thinned out early enough. The tendency to spindle, once started, is hard to counteract, and on this account the best garden- ers transplant early, before this tendency has gotten under way. Keep them just ahead of the tendency to spindle and you will have no trouble on this account. When transplanting keep in mind that the roots of the young plants are growing umbrella-wise, and do not set them in their new locations with the root-mass all bunched, but try to set them spread out as they were before, so that the soil will pack around all of them, as contact with the soil is necessary for each rootlet, or it cannot feed or drink. When potting it is best to hold the young plant in the pot. and sift dry soil in around the roots until the pot is full, press gently down, and water to settle the soil. — The Countrvman. For April, 1920 iSf ^tiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiHiiiiitiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiHiniiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiHUii^ The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse HENRY GIBSON The Garden WITH the passing of the deep snows we have ex- perienced during the past Winter much damage is being revealed, by mice and rabbits girdling trees and shrubs, and in some cases vines on walh have fallen victims. In our own observations grape vines, Privet, Climbing Roses, and English Ivy have been the most accessible; fruit trees coming through almost un- molested. Reports however indicate that a vast amount of damage has been done by these pests. In the case of small trees and shrubs they are readily replaced, and orders for such should be forwarded forth- with. With large trees it is more difficult ; they are not so easily duplicated. In many cases it may be possible to save them by bridge grafting, but simple as this opera- tion may appear from ])rinted instructions, yet it is no undertaking for the inexperienced. It is work for the expert, and where a tree can be saved in this way it is worth many times the cost. Where the Winter or dormant spray has not yet been applied to fruit trees and shrubs infested with scale, no time should be lost in getting this work done. It is not a pleasant job in itself, but it has to be done and done well to be effective. Of those who are applying Lime Sul- phur solution a little care in doing the work is needed. This solution is not a poison in the sense that arsenate of lead is. It has caustic properties, however, which may prove injurious both internally and externally if due care is not exercised. Keep on the windward side of the spra> as much as possible, avoid leaking hose, nozzles, and shut-off. The hands should be protected by a pair of good rubber gloves, and the face with vaseline. Selecting and Preparing Seed Potatoes. — The stimulus given to home gardening during the war, and the ever soaring H. C. of L., is likely to result in larger plantings than ever before of the "humble spud," yet it not infre- quently meets with but scant consideration when it comes to selecting and treating the tubers for planting. With the home grower whose sole purpose for planting is home consumption, there is generally nothing but culls rejected from the kitchen to select from, which are as a rule small stock. These, however, are by no means to be shunned for seed purposes if they were properly matured when dug. and are free from disease. Small- ness due to prolonged drought, or poor culture will not materially affect the yield from such seed, biU wherc- ever practicable potatoes of average size should be selected, and as uniform as possible. The treatment of the tubers against scab, and Rhizoco- tonia, .should never be omitted. The benefits from such treatment are beyond the experimental stage. Organisms carrying diseases are carried through the Winter on tu- bers infested with the disease of the past season only to again infect the new crop. One pint of 40 per cent forma- lin to 30 gallons of water is effective against scab only, while 2 ounces of powdered corrosive sublimate to 15 gal- lons of water will deal effectively with both diseases. Wooden vessels only should be used, and the potatoes may be allowed to remain in the formalin solution two hours, one and a half hour Ijeing enough for the corrosive subli- mate treatment. P.oth solution.-; may be used several times. Tubers require to be thoroughly dried before planting. The size of the seed piece has long been a debatable question, an.l one sometimes hears of crops of potatoes raised from planting peelings, but the practice of eating the potato and planting the skin is not likely to become general yet, even for home consumption. For general purposes a seed piece weighing about two ounces, and containing not more than two eyes is very satisfactory. The pieces should be short and thick rather than long and thin as they retain the moisture better. Our ennui after a long and protracted Winter is liable to cause Spring enthusiasm to overrule prudence, and (although most of us know better) we are anxious to get out and make a showing. Preparation of the soil is the first step towards success, but unless it is dry enough to crumble as it leaves the spade more harm than good is likely to accrue. In soil that will crumble when dug there is not much difficulty in making a fine seed bed, but if wet when turned over it will lie heavy, and in lumps, which will dry oft" so hard that when it is raked it will l)e full of hard pieces that will not break up readily even when rolled. It is of course an advantage to get the ground turned over some time previous to sowing, since then it has a chance to settle and fill up any open or air spaces underneath. In laying out the garden plot plan to have the taller growing crops at the north side of the lower growing one, so as to avoid any imnecessary shade being cast over them. .\ measuring stick is also indisjK'nsible for meas- uring the distance between the drills. Lay oft" the dis- tance from the boundan- fence where the first drill will come, mark the spot with a label, and do likewise at the other end of the plot. One may strike a pretty straight line with the eye, only to discover when the young plants are breaking through the ground that the line was far from being as straight as it was intended to be. A gar- den line the length of the plot is a good investment, at- tach it to a couple of good stakes, sharpened at one end, and you can stretch the line as taut as you wish. Then after giving it a snap to insure straightness drawing out of the drill may be proceeded with. Beginners ofttimes find themselves the source of much amusement to the older hands at gardening in- their first attempts at making drills, but go ahead undaunted, re- membering the while that they too had to Icarn the art of opening drills. A hoe, jilant label, or the handle of the garden rake may be used in making the drills, remem- bering that small seeds like lettuce, radish, onions, tur- nips, etc., require shallow drills, while peas are sown in wide drills, made by holding the side of the hoe against the line, and opening tlie drill the width of the hoe. Potato furrows arc usually dug or plowed out, but on the snirdl home ])lot they can be convenientlj' made on a small scale with either spade or hoc. Special seed- ing machines are now available, with any number of attachments which make them useful for cultivating the ground after seeding is completed. For the home gar- den these machines are a valuable asset, not only in the economy of labor, but in saving seeds. Used according to instructions sent with them, there is little loss from loo dee]) or shallow planting as there is an adjustment 152 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE for each kind of seed, which ensures planting being done at the right depth. There is also an adjustment for planting in hills, which only adds to the value of this modern implement for amateurs with limited time to devote to the garden. Seed sowing by hand is an art, mastered only by actual and repeated practice. The even distribution of seeds, in sufficient quantity, so that the row is full and regular, leaving no blank spaces and reducing thinning out to a minimum, should be the aim in all seeding opera- tions. Use enough seed to ensure a good stand, but don't be extravagant. When seeds are sown too thick the plants are drawn and weakly from lack of room to develop properly. Large seeds such as peas are sown broadcast in the drill, using a gentle sweeping motion. Beans are sown by dropping the seeds from the hand at intervals of 3-4 inches. A good practice with beans is to plant in double drills, which is simply a single row along each side of a wide drill. Lettuce, radish, onions, turnips, kohl-rabi, carrots, beets, spinach, etc., may be planted by holding the package in the hand, and controlling the amount of seed dropped by the thumb and fore-finger. This type of seed may be sown as fast as one can walk in the stooping position necessary when doing this work. The closer one can get down to the drill with the hand the less likelihood will there be of the wind blowing the seed away. Always label each row after sowing, marking down the date, and another year you can use the label for reference when planning the garden. In planting don't make the mistake of assuming that because you have included early, intermediate, and late varieties of vegetables in your list that these will give an uninterrupted supply throughout the Summer. In order to have vegetables in prime condition at all times fre- quent sowings are necessary of many types. \'egetables that may be had from one sowing include Lima beans, Swiss chard, egg plants, peppers, tomatoes, parsnijis, squash, onions, muskmelons, parsley, leeks, New Zealand spinach, cardoon, oyster plant, potatoes, artichokes, ruta- bagas, cabbage, cauliflower, and celery, are sown in early Spring for Summer use, and again in Summer for Win- ter use. As soon as the frost is out of the ground, and weather permits, lawns should be raked, and any un- even spots leveled tip and reseeded. Mulches round trees, shrubs, roses, and on the herbaceous and bulb beds should be removed. In many cases where manttre is used for nuilching it may be well dug into the ground, but the greater part of the fertilizing elements have long since passed into the soil with the melting snows. Any new planting or re-arrangement of herbaceous plants should be proceeded with as weather and oppor- tunity permit. The sooner this work is completed the better chance will the plants have of becoming estab- lished before the hot weather overtakes them. In the flower garden the first thing to plant should be the sweet peas. Mark off the ground two feet wide and the length of the plot, and double dig this, i. e., dig two spades deep, and put in plenty of well rotted manure, and after it has settled a day or so plant the seeds very sparsely so there will be no overcrowding later. It will hasten the g-ermination of the seeds considerably if they are soaked in water for 48 hours previous to planting. As the ground gets dried out and warmed up, hardier varieties of flower seeds may be sown, as Asters, Mari- golds, Nasturtiums, Centaurea, Candytuft, etc. These may be sown where they are to flower, but nuich earlier and better results are to be obtained by planting in a .specially ])re])ared seed bed in a cold frame or mild hot- bed. The Greenhouse All is activity in this department. Seedlings of all kinds are coming along, and need more room and prick- ing off, so as to have a chance to develop into stocky plants for bedding out. Many of the Winter tlowering plants are past their best, and they may as soon as prac- ticable be thrown out, and preparations made for replac- ing them. Young carnation plants that are to be given outdoor culture before going into permanent flowering quarters may well be accommodated in a cold frame to harden off for some time previous to planting out. Gera- niums and other bedding plants with the longer days and increased sun heat are taking on renewed vigor, and will need more space. As good a place as any for many bedding plants, and especially geraniums, at this time is a mild hotbed. The bottom heat, moisture, and being close to the glass seem to suit these plants better than the hot dry greenhouse bench. Even with the most careful watering, on bright warm days, the pots if at all exposed on the bench (as they will surely be if they have enough room to grow properly) will dry out and the soil become heated, a condition that does not encourage growth much. A little later in the month it will not even be necessary to make u]) an hotbed. With a little banking round the frames, and careful manipulation of the sashes in the afternoons so as to run up a good sun heat, it is possible to main- tain a fair temperature overnight even if the mercury does get dangerously near the freezing point. Careful watering and ventilation at the proper time are about all they will need in the way of attention. W'ith the warmer weather here to stay, it is advisable to leave a crack of air on the rose house overnight, and especially so on the modern type of houses which are almost air tight. It may be necessary at times to carry a little fire heat to keep the temperature where it ought to be, but there is little excuse for letting any of the fires out with the first few bright days. Bank the fire on bright mornings, but by all means run a little heat around at night. A cold raw night is bound to be expe- rienced occasionailv, and mildew once established will take more effort to oust it than the attention necessary to keep the fires going. ^Moreover rain, wind and fog not infrequently experienced during April is not conducive to the welfare of the young plants that are to replace the older ones, without a little fire heat to maintain a genial atmosphere. Syringing should be attended to now that the plants will dry off quickly. With hard firing the greater part of the Winter and none too many opportunities for .syringing, red spider will have found a haven somewhere, and he must be dislodged or the |)Iants will suffer, par- ticularly the young ones. Those who failed to get the sod heaps together last Fall should lose no time getting this work under way, when outdoor conditions permit. Palms and ferns will need to be shaded now. The direct rays of the sun each day more powerful will soon cause permanent disfigure- ment in the form of burnt leaves. Any repotting or topdressing of these subjects should be pushed ahead with all possible speed. Established plants will be bene- fitted by bi-weekly applications of liquid manure and soot water. Specimen plants of Hydrangeas, that have been stored away should be brought out and given a top dressing, removing as much of the old soil and dead wood cut out as possible, retubbed if necessary. The same thing applies to Bay trees as far as topdressing or retubbing is concerned. For April, 1920 153 £iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiilillliiillllillliiiliiniiiiliiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiNi iiiiiiiiiiiii.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiii]iiiiiiiii!iiii[iiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii»in iiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiniiiiiiijii!^ I A Lesson on Transplanting | I Being Unc of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on GardeninK', Appt-ariiij^ Rej^ularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle 1 I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | !iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii]iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii Proper Time for Transplanting While under certain conditions, trees and shrubs may be trans- planted every month in the year, and although for a number of permanent subjects Autuinn is preferable to Spring, yet there is no doubt that in the more northern parts of the country, more transplanting is done in April than in any other month. Although it should not be considered impossible to avoid any loss in transplanting, it is improbable that loss will be entirely eliminated, and when it does occur it is generally due to want of care in tlic actual carrying out of the operation, or to some neglect in treating the plant previously to its commencement. Success in transplanting depends upon proper care and treat- ment during the several stages a plant has to pass through from the earliest moment of its life until it is placed in the position it is to occupy permanently for the remainder of its existence. Underlying Principles Involved in Transplanting The underlying principles involved in transplanting are the same whether we onsider them in reference to a large tree costing several hundred dollars for the transplanting alone, or in reference to a cabbage plant. High class growers of plants always keep tlieir stock in the best condition for transplanting by frequently moving them about in the nursery, or by root pruning, which cause the plant to produce a mass of fibrous roots close to the stem, instead of roots of a long straggling character which must always be se- riously damaged when the plant is lifted. The most important thing abiiut plants is their roots, and success or failure in trans- planting depends almost entirely upon what is done, or upon what is left undone, in respect to them. Stock properly treated in the nursery or seed bed costs very much more to produce, and is cheaper at a comparatively high price, than low-priced stock which has been allowed to take care of itself, and has had nothing done to it from the time it was first set out in the nursery until it is dug up for shipment. Not only is the risk of transplanting properly cared for plants re- duced almost to van'shing point (provided subsequent treatment is right), but stock of this kind receives little or no check to its growth ; while low class stock, if it lives, practically stands still for a greater or less length of time, which, in some connections, may amount to years. Badly fcrown and stunted plants — how- ever well thev may be afterwards treated — never reach the same degree of perfection as those which have from the earliest moment of their lives lived under the best conditions. After so caring for a plant, which is destined to be trans- planted, in such a way as to reduce the shock of the operation, the next step is the digging of it up from the position in which it has been growing. In this the ideal to be aimed at is to avoid destroying or mutilating any of the roots, and to further prevent any of them being killed by the action of the sun and wind drying them out. Then it is possible to still further re- duce, or ruin, the chances of a plant recovering from the shock of removal, by allowing the roots to be exposed to drying out influences after unpacking, or otherwise, while waiting for holes to be dug. &c., and this stage presents another opportunity for reducing the plant's vitality and its chances to recover from the operation, if it recovers at all. Correct Method of Transplanting The manner of plantuig has considerable influence for good or evil. If roots arc crammed into a hole several sizes too small only a limited proportion of them can begin to recommence their functions. Room should be given for the roots to be spread out at least to their fullest extent, but also the wider the ground is broken up beyond the roots the better, as this enables them to .grow and spread more easily. Depth of planting is an important considerat'on. Some things, such as shrubs, roses, cabbage plants, may be planted deeper than they stood in their previous positions, as fhey will throw out new roots from higher up their stems ; but trees should not be set out more than two or ihrec inches deeper than they were before. Planting at an excessive depth renders the roots liable to suffocation for the want of oxygen. Thoroughly firming the soil around the roots is necessary for proper root action to take place. .Sometimes the method is adopted in the case of a con- siderable amount and spread of roots, of keeping a hose .going over the soil as it is fillelace them both in a warm room. In a few days roots will start freely from the cutting in the jar of which the water has access to the air but not in the other. Wc can carry the experiment further by placing the rooted cutting in the water from which oxvgen is excluded, when the roots will very soon die. .Almost immediately roots are formed, hairs grow out from them. These rool-hairs are of the utmost importance as almost the entire water supply and all food are absorbed through these hairs. Each hair is really a sin.gle elongated cell and is filled 154 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE with protoplasm. Roots do not grow throughout their entire length, but only b}' the addition of new cells at their extremities ; that is of course excepting that growth in size which takes place as the roots increase in age. As the extremity of a root ad- vances through the soil new root-hairs are formed in front of the older ones, while those farthest back are continually dying off, so that only a comparatively short portion of the rootlet bears hairs at any one time, and only the youngest roots are active in the work of sustaining the plant's life. The part of roots from which the root-hairs have perished absorb verj- little water and arc mainly useful in giving strength to the plant and acting as conduits for the transmission of fluids. The active part of any rootlet in supplying nourishment is therefore short, and it follows that the greater the number of living young roots cov- ered with hairs the greater the amount of food and water a plant will receive. Root-hairs act in a dual capacity ; not only do they absorb water and food, but they excrete waste products in the form of acids, principally carbonic, and these acids dis- solve mineral matters in the soil, which, forming a solution with water, are taken up and used as food. In examining roots we must not confuse rootlets which are as fine as hairs, with the root-hairs growing from these rootlets ; the hairs cannot always be seen with the naked eye. Any one who has noticed the delicate and minute character of rootlets and their hairs will readily understand the necessity for careful handling during the operation of transplanting, and it will be equally plain why a finely pulverized soil is necessary for the best results, and why there is a total absence of active rootlets in the hard clods of badly cultivated ground. The better the soil, both mechanically and chemically, the greater will be the number of fine feeding-roots. The tip of each rootlet is protected in its passage through the soil by a thimble-like covering known as the root-cap, which in some cases maj' be readily seen without the aid of a magnifying glass. The root-tip in advancing through the soil, which it does by the force of new cells being continually formed behind it, does not move in a straight line, but has a partially rotary and oscillating motion which enables it to take advantage of open- ings between the soil particles. The vast importance to the plant of active roots cannot be overestimated, and want of success in transplanting is invariably due to something which has had an adverse effect upon them. The delicate nature of the rootlets and their hairs renders it scarcely possible to avoid damaging some of them, even with the greatest care, but when this care is conspicuous by its ab- sence, great destruction ensues. Whiie the points stated as being connected with transplanting apply equally to all classes of plants, both small and large, there is naturally some degree of difference in their application, which so far has been more particularly to trees and shrubs. In con- nection with small, annual plants, both flowers and vegetables, there are a few points worth further consideration. Points to Consider in Transpl.\nting Annuals Things of a perennial nature, as trees and shrubs, will, if they live, in time recover from the shock of transplanting, and. while -our efforts should be to make that time as short as possible, no permanent loss will occur should the period be somewhat ex- tended. With annual plants the case is different, for time lost during recovery from the operation cannot be regained, and further, any considerable check, especially in the case of some vegetables will render them useless for the purpose desired. In some things a check as the result of transplanting has a more harmful effect than in others ; or. to put it in another form, some species, such as cabbage, for example, will recover sooner from the shock of transplanting and afterwards grow to more or less perfection than others, like cauliflowers and celery, which are invariably rendered useless by any material check in growth. It must be remembered that the "hearts" of cabbage, lettuce, etc., and the large, white "heads" of cauliflower are artificial productions, that is, their wild ancestors do not produce hearts, etc.. and what they produce in these respects to-day is the result of many generations of cultivation and selection. While under proper conditions the .garden types artificially evolved in re- sponse to changed conditions of life are hereditary, yet under other conditions they soon revert to their ori.ginal forms, or at least prematurely run to seed. The original wild cabbage was in form verj' similar to the well-known weed, charlock, and like all other annual and biennial plants, its only object in life was to produce seed for the reproduction of its species. After this was accomplished, it died. If not allowed to produce seed, many annuals under suitable climatic conditions become biennials or even perennials, and among true perennials more or less continuous flowering is ob- tained by the prevention of seed production, although when seed from the first flowers is allowed to form, any further crop of flowers does not usually result. The natural tendency therefore of all plants is to produce seed and this tendency' — which in the case of many vegetables is sjnonymous with the non-production of "hearts," etc., is always hastened by any- check to growth by transplanting, drought, badly cultivated and poor soil. Even in those cases where the ultimate useful results, as in the examples of peas and beans, are the production of seed, yet the maximum is not achieved unless considerable growth is made first. When anji;hing occurs in the life of a plant, such as check to its growth, which is liable to give it the idea that immediate death is possible, it will make every effort to reproduce its species by the production of seed at the earliest possible moment. This characteristic of plant life is taken advantage of in the case of fruit production by the use of girdling and root pruning to check growth. As in the case of vegetable plants the production of seed is the last thing desired, we have therefore to obtain the best re- sults, to handle them in such a way as to avoid check from any cause, and especiallj- to render the shock of transplanting as nearly absent as possible. Growing Plants for Transplanting In growing plants for transplanting the seed-bed should be in such a state of richness and lightness that root growth will be encouraged to the maximum extent. The latter is still further induced and the plants are also rendered more stocky, by trans- planting— at this stage known as "pricking out" — three inches apart as soon as the seedlings have formed their second leaves. In doing this it is important, as in all other cases, not to puU them up, but to lift them with a trowel or piece of flatwood ; pulling, even when the soil is light and moist, always destroys more or less of the rootlets and their hairs. It is a good plan to thoroughly water seedlings the day before transplanting, as this reduces possibilities of root injury as well as securing the ma.ximum water-content of the plant. Future handling is greatly facilitated if this "pricking off" is done into flats, as then the plants can be taken to the place of final planting out without any disturbance. Another plan is to use pots for the purpose and those made of paper are quite suitable ; also by their means we can transplant things like melons, cucumbers and corn, which cannot with suc- cessful results be transplanted in the ordinarj' way from seed beds. With these latter the seed must be planted in the pots in which the plants are to grow previously to being set out in their permanent position. To save room two inch pots are some- times used for things like cabbage and annual flowers, but three- inch ones are better, especially in the case of plants which must have the seeds sown in the pots. Obviously cold frames, hot beds, or a greenhouse are neces- sary for the production of early seedlings, and the object to be aimed at is not to have the plants too forward, but in such a stage of growth that they will not become stunted for want of room before the conditions outside are suitable for placing them in their permanent position. As above mentioned, it is important that the roots should be thoroughly moistened before transplanting, and in the case of pots, if there is any doubt about it. they can be set in a pan of water for a few minutes so as to be sure the ball is thoroughly soaked. Properly carried out. plants grown in pots receive no check and do not know they have been transplanted, and in the case of many things two or three weeks in time are gained over those from seeds sown outside. Principal Points to Observe The main points to be observed in transplanting are : To give the plant such treatment before lifting as to place it in the best possible condition for removal. To exercise the greatest care over the roots during all stages of the operation, and to see that the new conditions in which the roots are placed are such as to enable them to renew their functions at once, so as to prevent any check to growth. Transplanting may result in one of three things; the plant may die ; it may live but make little or no growth ; or it may thrive. Unless the latter is achieved we cannot claim absolute success for the operation. Referring again to ornamental things used in gardens for their landscape effects, it almost goes without saying that the beauty of home surroundings as a whole is brought about not only by seeing to it that the happiness and thriftiness of plants is se- cured by successful transplanting but also by continual care year after year. It is also equally obvious that in addition to giving the individual plant conditions and treatment which will enable it to develop fully its intrinsic beauties, it should be so asso- ciated with plants of other species that the enlire picture pro- duced by a combination of different plants should be at all times pleasing, and that flowers will be in evidence from early Spring until late Autumn, to say nothing of brilliant berried effects dur- ing the Winter. For April, 1920 155 luiiiiiiijiiuiimmiuiiiiuiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiuiijiiijiiiiiiuiiuiiiiiiimiuiit National Association of Gardeners Office: 286 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK L. P. Jensen, President, St Louis, Mo. D. L. Mackintosh, Vice-President, Stillwater, Minn. Thomas W. Head, Treasurer, Lake Forest, 111. M. C. Ebel, Secretary, Madison, N. J. Trustees for 1920 Peter Duff, Orange, N. J.; WUliam Waite, Rumson, N. J.; .Arthur Smith, Elberon, N. J.; Kobert Weeks, Cleveland, O.; William H. Griffiths, Detroit, Mich. Directors (To serve until 1921)— WiUiam N. Craig, Brookline. Mass.: William Hcnr.ck. San Gabriel, Cal.: William Grav, Newport R. I • G Hennen- hofer, Great Falls, Mont; Thomas Hatton, New London, Conn.; Albin Martini. Lake Geneva. Wis.; A. C. Jordibn, Palm Beach Fla (To serve until 1922)— George WUson. Lake Forest, 111.; James Stuait. Mamaroneck, N. Y.; William KJeinheinz, Ogontz. Pa.; John F Huss Hartford Conn.; Edmn Jenkins, Lenox. Mass.; Carl N. Fohn, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Joseph Tanse.v, Tuxedo Park, N. Y. (To serve until 1923)- Robert Williamson, Greennich, Ccnn.; Robert Cameron. Ipswich, Mass.; Theodore Wirth. Minneapolis. Minn.; George H Pring St Louis' Mo.; George W. Hess, Washington, D. C; Daniel J. Coughlin. Locust Valley. L. I.; John Eamet. Sewickley, Pa. ' ' iiiiiiiiiiimniiiiiiimiiiiiiuiiimirnimiiiumiiiiiuiiiiiiuniiiuiiiiiiiuiiiiriiiuniiiiiiriiniiDmitimiiiiiu/niiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimii^ GARDENERS' CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK. A conference of gardeners was held under the auspices of the Xational Association of Gardeners on March 18th in the Engi- neering building, Xew York Citj'. Robert Weeks of Cleveland, ex-president of the association, presided. The conference was called to give the members an opportunity to discuss the aims of the association, and the operations of the Service Bureau, and to formulate plans for a campaign to interest young men in the profession of gardening. W. X. Craig of Brookline, Mass., presented a communication from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, directing atten- tion to Quarantine Bill Xo. 37. and its detriment to horticultural progress in the United States, and asked that a delegate be appointed to represent the organization officially at a meeting to be held during the month of Maj-, at which various horti- cultural interests are to be represented. The association voted to be represented at this meeting. Following the meeting of the association, a statement was issued to the Xew York papers b3' an unidentified source, evi- dently with malicious intent, that the association had gone on record as in favor of the exclusion act, preventing the importa- tion of plants. This, of course, is an untruth, as the X'ational Association of Gardeners from the first has been strongly opposed to Quarantine Bill Xo. 37. and the discrimination now practised hy the Federal Horticultural Board in favoring those who have been friendly to it, while discriminating against those who have had courage to express their views regarding the injustice of this measure, is not weakening the opposition to it of the professional gardeners. The workings and immediate future plans of the Service Bureau were e.xplained and generalh- discussed by the members from the floor, following which a motion was carried heartily endorsing what has been accomplished bj' this department of the association. .Alexander Michie. chairman of the Service Bureau Publicit>- Fund, made a strong appeal for greater support on the part of the members towards this fund, so that the work may be carried out which has been planned. His appeal met with immediate response among many of those present who came forward after the meeting to subscribe to the fund. The discussion regarding the possibility of interesting young men in the profession of gardening drew forth optimistic expres- sions from most of those who spoke on the subject, while a few were rather pessimistic in their -vnews of the success of bringing young men into the gardening profession, while other vocations appear to be ofTermg so much more lucrative advantages. It was regarded, however, by all present that the gardening pro- fession is confronted by a serious problem at the present time, due to the inability to secure young men as assistants, and it cannot look forward as in the past to Europe to supply them, for among the ranks of young men of the profession who entered the war, the sacrifice of life was a heavy one. The relation between the employer and the gardener came in for considerable discussion, with opinions about equally divided that both were blameworthy for the lack of confidence existing between them. Meeting of Trustees and Directors At an executive meeting of the trustees and board of directors of the association held earlier in the day, at which W. X. Craig of Massachusetts, Robert Weeks of Ohio. George W. Hess of Washington, D. C, John Bamet of Pennsylvania, Robert Williamson of Connecticut. Joseph Tansey. James Stuart. Daniel Coughlin of Xew York: Arthur Smith, M. C. Ebel of Xew Jerse)-, were present, the recommendation of the last convention that the 1930 annual meeting be held in St. Louis was favorably acted upon. The secretary- was authorized in conjunction with the committee appointed at the last convention, to develop plans immediately to bring the advantages that the profession ofifers to the attention of young men who may be interested. A communication was icceived from President L P j'ensen of St. Louis regretting his inability to attend the meeting and the conlerence, owing to new development work which he has just undertaken in connection with his position, and containing a number of recommendations which were acted upon by the executive board. President Jensen wrote that he would be glad to receive suggestions from officials and members of the associa- tion, bearing on its welfare and the profession which it repre- sents. W. N. Craig Addresses Garden Club of America On March 17th, W. X. Craig appeared before the Garden Club of America at its annual meeting at the Colonv Club of Xew lork, and addressed a large audience coraposed'of its members on the "Professional Gardener from His Viewpoint" Mr. Craig ably presented the cause of the professional gardener, and judging by the hearty reception his remarks received, his views met with the endorsement of those who listened to him. His address will ajjpear in a later issue of the Chronicle. }ilr. Craig also spoke of the iniquities of Quarantine Bill Xo. 37 wh'ch met with general approval, the Garden Club of America passing a resolution unanimously as opposed to the measure. SERVICE BUREAU PUBLICITY FUND. The following contributions have been received towards the Service Bureau Publicity Fund up to March 25lh: Previously acknowledged S912.(X) John F. Proctor, Wilmington, Del 10.00 John Cumming, Tarrj-town. X. Y 2^00 Ale.xander Brown, Montclair, X. J lo!0O Robert Weeks, Cleveland lo!oO Robert Mackie, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. . 5.00 C. L. Paul Gabriel. Kansas City, Mw 7.00 Robert Heggie, Bath, Me 3.00 Harrj- Heslup. .Adrian. Mich 2.00 James Michie, Cold Spring Harbor, L. 1 5.00 Gustave Hamerin. Glen Cove. L. T 5.00 Jerome B. Murphy. Elberon. X. J .'. . 10.00 John G. Melrose, Cold iprin:; Harbor. L. I lO.OO Alphonse Chague. Lenox. Mass 2.03 William .Anderson, South Lancaster. Mass 10 00 Luther B. G. Webb. Willoughby, O ^■''^ Theodore Wirih. Minneapolis ' i Peter Duff, Orange. X. J ;. ,i William .Mien. Mamaroneck, X. Y 5.00 J. H. Brunger, Riverdale, X. Y 2 CKJ -Alexander Mackenzie, Smithtown, L. 1 5.00 George G. Milne, Hot Springs. Va 5 00 George Wyness, Prides Crossing. Mass. 5.00 L. P. Jensen, St. Louis 2.00 T. D 5.00 M. J. Pope, Xaugatuck. Conn 5.00 Lars P. Hansen, Beaumont, Texas.. 5.00 John E. TaafFe. Xew Canaan. Conn... 2.00 (Tharles Trambels, Bcrnardsville. X. 1' 5.(X) Samuel Long, Sharon. Pa... 2.00 J. L. Porter. St. Davids. Pa. ?6o George L. Stewart. Waliham. Ma^- > ""i H. Ernest Downer. Xorthampton. 'i Alexander Reid. Buffalo ■ ■ i J. W. Everitt, Glen Cove. L. I ■ • Harrj- Jones. Portchesier - ' i T. F. Eastwood. Xew York Gty A. G. Ross, Bridgeport, Conn : .h 156 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE A. A. Leach, Yonkers, N. Y $5.00 Frank Liichcnbacher, honkers... 7.00 J. I. Connolly, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. . 5.00 Roy Donald, Yonkers, N. Y 5.00 Robert Bottemley, New Canaan, Conn 5.00 M. W. Reid, Augusta, Ga 2.00 Ernest Wild, Madison, N. J 2.00 A. L. Marshall, Greenwich, Conn. 5.00 lohn R. McCulloch, Oyster Bay. ■ L. I '. 15.00 Fred Humphreys, Jericho, L. I . . 5.00 William H. Sansom, Huntington, L. I .1.00 Stanley J o r d e n,' Waterford, Conn 3.00 Total $1,164.00 AMONG THE GARDENERS Albert H. Laine, for the past two and a half years gardener to Mrs. H. M. Hanna. Jr., Willoughby, Ohio, has been appointed gardener to Mr. Warren Bichnell, Cleve- land, Ohio. Robert Cochrane, formerly of Valley Ridge Farm. Ml. Kisco, N. Y., has accepted the position of gardener on the Bradley Martin Estate, Westbury, L. I. Herbert Stuart, formerly of Larchmont. N. Y., has accepted the position of gardener on Long Beech Farm, Gull Lake, Augusta, Mich., the estate of H. B. Sherman. George Alcock, formerly of Chappaqua, N. Y., has secured the position of gardener on the estate of Miss M. M. Newall, Bed- ford Hills, N. Y. Nicholas Tahb has accepted the position of gardener with Benson B. Sloane, Cedar- hurst, L. T. Gustavc Hamerin, formerly of Glen Cove, N. Y , has accepted the position of gardener to H. D. Roosen, Greenlawn, L. I. John D. Wilson, formerly of Greenwich, Conn., secured the position of gardener on the estate of H. H. Dow, Midland, Mich. Charles Swain secured the position of gardener to Mrs. M. Perkins, Chester, Mass. Theodore Chase has accepted the position of ganiener on the estate of Miss Marshall. Williamsburg, Va. Charles Miller accepted the position of gardener to Miss G. .Arentes, Dumbarton, Va. John David Boyd, formerly of Newport, R. I., has accepted the position of gardener to J. E. Barbour, Paterson, N. J. Paul Powers, formerly of Suffern, N. Y., has secured the position of .gardener to Mr. Charles Sherman, Oyster Bay, L. I. William Barron secured the position of gardener on Prospect harms, Maplcwood, N.J. Alexander Michie, for the past number of years superintendent of the Henry San- derson estate, Oyster Bay, N. Y., resigned that position to accept a similar one on the Chikls Friek estate, Roslyn, N. Y. William .Allen secured the position of gardener to Leroy Frost, Nyack, N. Y. Paul Hamer has secured the position of gardener on the T. Tower Bates estate. Convent, N. T. An Easy Way To Really Try Some Of Sutton's Finest Things Some of vou garden folks made ut) vnnr jninds lonff ago to try Sutton'? Seeds. Rut you never inade up ap order. Felt, mayliap. that even with the war over conditions were still upset, and it might take too lone to get seeds from across the pond. Of course you've heard, from your fellow gardeners, about the quality of Sutton's Seeds. And you've seen for yourself that •jubtle charm, that indefinable sugges- tion of Old English gardens which .Sutton's flowers always lend. So, just naturally, you've wanted to try Sutton's Seeds. And — just nat- urally—something has always turned up just in time to prevent your get- ting an order down on paper. That's just why we've made it easy for you to really see right in your own garden the things you've heard the other folks say about Sutton's Seeds. 'i'hffe are two collections of flower seeds, one containing forty varieties (Collection :\ — $5). and the other containing twentv-five varieties (Col- lection B— $3). There are two collections of vegeta- bles, the first containing 47 varieties, in substantial amounts (Collection C — $5). and the second containing 34 varieties (Collection D — $3). These collections are all carried in stock by our American Agents, so you can get them immediately. Obey that impulse, 3nd see if it's so what you've been hearing about the quality of Sutton's Seeds! The Sutton Catalog sent free with each collection. Otherwise 35 cents — which is returned with a $5 order. To you who are gardeners we will send it free if ynu will enclose your em plover's letter head. Our Book- let. "SEEDS," is full of seed facts yon should know. It's free for the asking. H. P. Winter & Co., 6G-C Wall St., New York. jilCSiofoJ cnto The S. T. Blake Co.. 431-C Sacramento St.. San Francisco, Calif. Seed Growers and Merchants READING, ENGLAND Alexander Sherrilifs, formerly gardener on the Mrs. F. S. Smithers estate. Glen Cove, N. Y., secured the position of super- intendent on the Henry Sanderson estate. Oyster Bay, L. I. Feli.\ Woods has accepted the position of gardener to Mrs. F. S. Smithers, Glen Cove, N. Y. James Bell, well known among the gar- dening fraternity in the Eastern states, and who for the past several years has been superintendent of El Pomar, Broadmoor, Colorarlo .Springs, Colorado, died on March 18. Mr. Bell, who was an c.\-prcsident of the National Association of Gardeners, is survived by his widow and two sons. Charles Ernest Carman, who, while as- sisting in laying out the grounds for the ^oldiers' memorial at Washington, con- tracted a severe cold and returned to his home at Lake Forest, 111., recently died there. Up to about a year ago Mr. Carman was employed as foreman in charge of con- struction work under Thomas W. Head, superintendent of Mellody Farm, Lake For- est, 111. Mr. Carman is survived by his widow and a young child. For April, 1920 157 LOCAL SOCIETIES THE PENNSYLVANIA HORT. SOC. A large audience attended the illustrated lecture of this society on March 16th on •'Perennials and Bulbous Plants," by E. 1. Wilde, assistant Professor of Floriculture at the Pennsylvania Stale College. "You are gathered here this afternoon," said Prof. Wilde, "to be entertained, not by the speaker but by the tlower friends which will be thrown upon the screen. Per- haps you have not thought of it in this light, hut whenever I attend such a lecture as this. 1 always have a feeling of renew- ing such friendships, and a sight of my old favorites in their natural setting only intensifies my desire to be once more with them in my own garden. "1 like to consider the garden as a place of recreation, a place in which one may secure the necessary relaxation from the mental strain of the office, shop, or any daily toil ; a beautiful spot where one may meditate in perfect quietude. Flowers de- mand our attention, for are we not all more or less sentimental? They are mag- netic in their appeal to be better known and properly placed in our own old-fash- ioned gardens. Old Fashioned Gardens! I know no better name for all natural plantings of herbaceous perennials." The lecturer then took his audience through the Out Door Garden, from .'^pril to November, starting in with the early flowering bulbs, giving all the material used in the perennial border, in the order of the flowering season. "Those of us," he said, "who have only a limited space in which to grow flowers, have perhaps made the acquaintance of a few plants which are superior to those al- ready in the bed. These are all individual prolilcms applicable to your own garden. We should not, however, concentrate only on our flower problems. We should think of the other fellow's garden and help him to straighten out his perplexities. Every home should boast of a few of these peren- nial plants. Before we can realize this, people must be taught love for the beauti- ful. This can very readily be accomplished through individual eflfort or co-operative ef- fort such as a garden club. This organiza- tion is doing a good bit in disseminating and awakening an interest in ornamental horticultural material. This garden move- ment is still in its infancy but gaining in momentum very rapidly, which is shown most clearly by the number of new nur- series which are sprinaing up thronghoiil the East and the advance of the industry in the West and Southwest." The exhibits of plants and flowers at this lecture was the best we had this Win- ter season. David Rust. Sec'y. STAMFORD (CONN.) HORT. SOC. The regular monthly meeting was held March 6. Four new members were elected and 12 nominations for membership re- ■ceivcd. The society gave its moral support to the .Association of School Teachers of Stamford for increase of salary. The fact is too well known that teachers arc under- paid for their very important profession and many a teacher is leaving it for a bet- ter paying one. The future of mankind and of this country depends largely on good teachers. l'>olshevism has no show among well-educated people. The name chosen for the new hall is "The Stamford Horticul- •tiiral Hall." and subscription by the mem- ;bers alone amounted to close to $8,000. The This Ten -Ten Catalog Saves Yon Money — Saves Yon Time — Mnltiplies Yonr Gardening Joys Aside from the dependable fact that every- thing in the Ten-Ten catalog can be thor- oughly depended on — it's all grouped in tens. Ten of the best red roses. Ten of the best iris. Ten of the best asters. Ten of the best annuals. Ten things that ought to be in every vegetable garden. Ten ways of making the garden you make, make more for you. And so on, everything in tens. When a thing is name^,,and described, it is promptly priced. You'don't have to be a Sherlock Holmes to find it; or a mathe- matician, to figure out the cost. Another thing — it's getting late, and you can easily make quick selections from the Ten-Ten. Likewise, depend on our making prompt shipments. Let us send you the Ten-Ten _with our compliments. I ^^ A^ Thg Sj^ of The Trgg I Box 20 Rutker/ord N.J. outlook is that the society will take pos- session of its new home by April 1. Papers for the incorporation of the society have been sent to Hartford by its attorneys, Ber- tram and Mead. G. C. Boon, Cor. Sec'y. [glllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllU.I' iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.i ST. LOUIS ASSN. OF GARDENERS. The regular monthly meeting was held I'>bruary 29, with President L. P. Jensen in the chair E. D. Miller and .\. Huber, of the Orchid Department of the Missouri Botanic Gar- drr., lectured on "The Western Culture of I WANTED I Working Assistant Forester for I local Forestry Deitarliiieiil in con- i neetion with forestry work in parks, if nursery iind landscape planting;. Good oiiporlunil\ for aniliili<>ii> g younjz man not afraid of work. ( .Stale (lualifiialions. salary expeetetl. I and references, .\ddress Paul H. Rii>, Suiierintrndont. Roik- r ford Park District. Roi-kfonl. III. Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!liiiliiiliiiililliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiniiimini 158 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Orchids." Colored lantern slides were used to illuslrate the various phases of the work peculiar to their adaptations, including pot- ting, fumigating, atmospheric conditions, watering, overhead spraying by the Skinner system, and potting media. Mr. Huber's experience covers a period of eight years in the orchid houses at the Missouri Bo- tanic Garden, and Mr. Miller's, both Amer- ican and European. Tvi'o resolutions were read by the president : The Government Quarantine Order of the Orient, etc., and the Unfair Methods of Transportation Through the Rocky Mountain National Park. Upon motion, the club unanimously adopted the said resolutions protesting stop- ping importations and the misuse of trans- portation privileges at the Rocky Mountain Park. G. H. Pring, Cor. Sec'y. iltil 'j'"'"'™'""""""""iii'"iir NASSAU COUNTY HORT. SOCIETY. The regular monthly meeting was held on March 10. President Thomas Twigg occupied the chair. Joseph Bouhler was elected to active membership and two peti- tions for active membership were received. James McCarthy, James MacDonald and John F. Johnstone were appointed a com- mittee to secure judges for all coming shows. A letter of sympathy was sent to Ernest J. Brown, treasurer of the society, on the recent sudden death of his wife. A letter of congratulation was sent to Alex. MacKenzie, a member of the society who recently took unto himself a wife. William Goonan gave a practical talk on "Bees and Bee-keeping." which was very interesting and from the number of questions Mr. Goonan answered there seems to be a lot of bee or intending bee-keepers in the so- ciety. Arthur Cook, Cor. Sec'y- TUXEDO (N. Y.) HORT. SOCIETY. The regular monthly meeting was held on Wednesday evening March 3, a large attendance of members being present, with Edward Wilson in the chair. The ladies' annual night will be held on April 7. The late Mr. MacMechan was declared the win- ner for the monthly exhibits of the past year. James D.widson, Sec'y. NORTH SHORE (ILL.) HORT. SOC. The above society held its regular month- ly meeting on Marcli 8. The smoking con- cert proved a success. Ralph Clawson was elected auditor for the coming year. It was announced that Mr. Scott, of La Grange, will give a talk on "Landscape Gardening," and Mr. Fitzhugh. of Lake Forest, will tell us how to build a root- cellar at our next meeting. Considerable discussion arose about cul- lural certificates for the members, and it was voted to buy a lithographed plate and have same printed. J. R. Clarke, Cor. Sec'y. WESTCHESTER (N. Y.) AND FAIR- FIELD (CONN.) HORT. SOCIETY. The regular monthly meeting was held in Greenwich, Conn., February 13, with President John Andrews presiding. Two new members were elected to membership. P. W. Popp gave a very lengthy discourse about the coming flower show which is to be held in New York City. Oscar .Vddor, in a very stirring address, spoke on the present labor crisis and .general conditions prevailing throughout the country. Since our last meeting two of our prominent members have passed over to the "Great Beyond" in the persons of James Foster and John Harper. Mr. Foster was an ex- pert in all branches of horticulture and a keen exhibitor at our monthly meetings. Keep Your Garden In Perfect Condition All Summer — Water It the Easy Skinner Way Are you going to take a chance again this summer on having dry weather spoil the results of all your skill as gardener? You know, from bitter experi- ence in the past, how discourag- ing it is to have a crop ruined just as you have brought it al- most through to harvest time. All those weeks of work, spent in growing plants and cul ivating them — with nothing to show for it in the end. And of course it'r, unpleasant to explain any such occurrence to the "boss." no matter how reasonable he may be. So you see what a load the cer- tain, swift, easy Skinner System of watering takes off your mind. "Rain when you want it" — Just turn a valve, and there's a gentle soaking shower, that ■will wet the soil down for inches, and yet won't pack it. Or spatter any- thing w^ith mud. Skinner rain is so fine and mist-like that it won't injure even your flowers in full bloom. Why not get at least one line now, just to satisfy yourself — or your employer what it will do. One of our 50-foot portable lines, which reaches you complete ready to set up and have in use inside an hour after you get it, — will show you what modern watering will do. Send for our new Booklet on Irrigation for Home Grounds. Thp okinnpr Irri^dtion Co 229 Water Street, 3 QKINNER Oystem OF- IRRIOAXIO Troy, Ohio i """™™"'°'"'"""'-!''1i ORCHIDS We are .specialists in Or<-liiOs. We collect, crow, imnort. export and spII orcbids ex- clusively. If you are in the market for Orchids, we solicit yniir iriri'iiries and orders. Cata- logues and siicial lists on application. LAGER & HURRELL Srthid Growers and Importers Summit, t\j. «J. The New Hardy Dwarf Edgiae and Low Hedge OriQinntiM-s and lnlr,i,lti,;rs: The Elm City Nursery Company Woodmont Nurseries Box 193 New Haven, Conn. Send for Box-B;irherrv Foldor nnd General Nurs^ery Catalo»;iit) HILL'S EVERGREENS Send for Price-list. Mention this magaxme D. HILL NURSERY CO. Evergreen Specialists. Largest Growers in America. Box 305 DUNDEE. ILL. HARFIY BALDWIIV Manufacturer of Greentiouse Stiadlng Lath Roller Blinds MAMAROIMECK. M. Y. For April, 1920 159 His pleasing personality was well known to the gardennig fraternity. Though they have passed from our midst, both will live long in the memories of those who were fortunate enough to be classed among their friends. Jack Conroy, Cor. Sec'y. THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers arc imited to make free use of this department to soke problems that may arise in their garden work. Questions on the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that can be readily answered by applying to the usual reference books should not be re- ferred to the Questionnaire. Can you tell me the best way to start seed-raising en a commercial scale? I have been raising seeds for years. I do not know where to buy envelopes for seeds or any of the material. — W. B., Minn. Some information on the above may be gathered from the following publications of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bu- reau of Plant Industry, Washington, D. C. : "Vegetable Seed Growing as a Business," Year Book, Separate, 512. "Saving Vege- table Seeds for the Home and Market Gar- den," Farmers' Bulletin. 884. Also from a book written and published by Charles Johnson, Marietta, Pa., "The Seed Grower." Packet envelopes and bags may be obtained of Brown Bag Co., Fitchburg, Mass., and Robert Gair Co., Brooklyn, N. Y.— A. S. Here and There RENAMING GERMAN IRISES. Editor — I have just noted in your Feb- ruary issue a quotation from The American Botanist en "Renaming German Irises." It appears in your column "Here and There," on page 76. I heartily agree with the unnamed author on the absurdity of renaming irises for the reasons mentioned, but he makes a state- ment which must certainly be challenged. It reads : "* * '' we may point out that ihe reason certain irises are called German irises is because they are derived from a species of Centra! Europe, named /. ger- maiuca." This may or may not be true. The varieties in the trade today which show any relation to /. gcnnanica are very few indeed. Amas, Kharput, Siwas, Pur- ple King, etc., may be mentioned, and these are for the most part geographical varia- tions of a species which, if I remember correctly, does not occur wild in Germany in spite of its name. With these must be grouped the varieties like Oriflamme and other derivatives of Amas. But these last are the results of pollen crosses (probably of .Amas), for with the exception of Kharput all the true germanica irises have proved pod-sterile with me and with other breeders whose work I know. There is, therefore, no reason for aban- doning the commnn name, "German Irises" for so-called patriotic motives, but there is ample gmuiul for doing so on the botanical side, since /. gcnnanica (the species) is sterile in the majority of its forms and has a small group of derivatives and progeny in the trade. On the other hand, the Irises, pallida and variegata (both species'), and their natural hybrids have an enormous number of descendants to which are now- being added hybrids with /. trnjana. Since the botany of the genus Iris groups all the iris species into sections ac- cording to their relationship, and since' the names of the sub-groups are of BURPEE'S FORDHOOK HYBRID GLADIOLI FORDHOOK HYBRIDS have created a sensation wherever shown. They have set the Gladiolus world talking and marveling at their unequaled beauty. Amateur and professional alike agree that this distinct new race is unique in habit, size of flowers, rare colors, shading and marking. The flowers frequently measure from four to five inches in diameter and range in color from cream-white, lemon, clear yellow, soft salmon-pink, to bright red and deepest crimson, and there are also light lavender and sky-blue shades, and more charming rare "pastel" and art shades in wonderful combinations of rose, pink, salmon and amber. 12 for 90 cents; 50 for $3.25; 100 for $6.00, postpaid W. ATLEE BURPEE CO. Seed Growers Philadelphia ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy ANBDPM Ornamentals exclusively distinctive in quality and varie^ We cater to tha mostdiscrim- inatingtrade. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiimiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii, Does the Work of Four Men This Coldwell Motor Lawn Mower and Roller (walk type) pays for itself many times in the wages it saves. Does four men's work. Geared to four miles an hour — easily operated. Long wear. Coldwell's Combination Motor Lawn Mower and Roller Model J — the latest ride type machine. Weighs 1100 pounds on the drive rollers, 40-inch cut. Useful on parks, estates and country clubs. Write for complete catalog of the Coldwell line, including Gang Mowers, Horse and Hand Lawn Mowers. Coldwell Lawn Mower Co. Largest Makers of High-Grade Laion Mowers in the World Office and Factory New burgh. New York Chicago Office: 62 East Lake St., Chicago. III. liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii BECOME A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Prepare by mail for this uncrowded pro- fession. Inexpensive. Easy to master. Earn while you learn. Diploma awarded. Special proposition to HOME OWNERS and Plan for beautifying your property. AMERICAN LANDSCAPK SCHOOL Newark New York Stale young" men who want to learn the nursery and landscape busfncss can secure position with \xs and receive good pay while learn- ing with rapid advancement. Only men willing to work accepted. Lewis and Valentine Co., Roslyn, Long Island. 47 West 34th Street, New York, itiii»iiiiiii»(i'iiitnin' 160 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE interest and are jjcrtinent, it seems to me highly desirable that they be adopted. Both Iris gt'rinanica and Irises fiallida and varic- gala fall in the same gronp — Pongonins^ the group of bearded irises, because of the conspicuous lineal beard in the "falls." And the names "Tall Bearded Iris" and "Dwarf Bearded Iris," which are being adopted by some nurserymen, represent no fanatical at- titude, but one based on botanical ground. "Liberty Iris" is of course beneath at- tention, but I am sure you do not wish your paper to chronicle a viewpoint as inaccurate as that of your exchange. B. X. Morrison. THE UPKEEP OF OUR PARKS. Editor: — Referring to the article, "Decay of Public Parks," in your February issue, not until we give to our superintendents, gardeners and farmers the wages that are paid them in other trades can we expect them to follow the professions of Horti- culture, Floriculture, and Farming. The knowledge is not acquired in a few days, but takes years of hard work, long hours, and training. For a remuneration much less than common laborers we cannot expect to be able to keep our estates, farms, gardens and parks in proper condition. Frederick J. Michell, Jr. WATER FOR FOWLS. Who has not witnessed a beautiful song bird hiding in the shade of the densest available foliage with bill wide apart, feathers ruffled and wings drooping, pant- ing for breath in the merciless heat of Mid- Summer ? This is a common enough sight, espe- cially in communities lacking in streams, ponds and lakes, b'resh water is an abso- lute necessity to our avian friends in the •Summer months and a necessity which we can supply with little effort on our part. Even in localities fortunate in having lakes or streams nearb\, the water question is frequently a matter of life or death with the birds, and more especially the young birds who cannot Hy the great distance liack and forth often enough to appease their thirst. No unnecessary expense need be under- gone in providing bird baths and fountains. Thev will partake as freely and as thank- fully of the water in a cheap earthenware or enameled or graniteware pan as from the most ornate product of the sculptor's art. If possible, set the pan in the shade and at some elevation. The .shade will help to keep the water cool part of a hot day at least, and the elevation will keep it clean and free from the intrusion of dogs and cats. A shelf nearby will come in handy for the birds to alight on and preen and dry their plumage after the bath. This can be placed in the direct sunlight. If pans are used over two inches deep, place a flat or shelving slab of stone in them for the birds to alight on. The pleasure to members of ihe lunise- hold watching the antics of one jollv fam- ily nf bluebircls disporting in the water will amply repay you for your efforts. — P. & R. FLORAL LIFE FROM PAST AGES. .\s a result of the deep trench di;4sing and the blasting out of shell holes by high explosives during the war in Europe, north- ern France has produced some interestin,g floral results Strange plants and flowers unlike anything heretofore known are growing on the battlefield. It is believed that this is a result of bringing into action of the sunshine and air, seeds which have remained deeply in the soil for many years. .^n instance is reported from northern New Jersey, where in dredging a stream the materials excavated from many feet Of Interest to Country Estate Owners The National Association of Gardeners take this opportunity to place its Service Bureau at the disposal of owners of country estates when requiring competent gardeners, in the capacities of superintendents, head gardeners or assistant gardeners — thoroughly qualified in every particular to assume the responsibilities the positions call for — gardeners truly efficient in their profession. The Bureau is maintained entirely at the expense of the association and makes no charge to the employer it may serve or to the member it may benefit. National Association of Gardeners M. C. EBEL, Secretary Tel. 5951 Mad. Sq. 286 Fifth Ave.. N. Y. This association is in no sense a trade organization, but includes in its sustain- ing membership outiers of some of the foremost country estates in America. SOLD BY SEEDMEN IN CANADA FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS :^M^^^^P2r, uniformly burned and ca^^■futly packed. Famous "Moss-Aztec" Ware includes Azaka Pols. Fern Dishes. Hanging Baskela. Lawn Vases, etc. Write Tor catalogue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesville, Ohio Queen Anne's Blue Lace Flower The Novelty of the Season This exquisite old iash- ioned flower has always been grown in white, but we are now able to offer it ill blue, which makes it an effective decorative plant for the garden and the home. Supply of seeds limited, better order at once. Packed 50c, 10 for $3.00. Don't forget to ask for your free copy of ".1 Book for Garden Lovers" MAX SCHLING Seedsmen. Inc. 24 W. 59th Street, New York 1 CUT FLOWER BOXES ■fTV7mii.iMi:H:|. .iH-J rH7LADCLPNIA. PA. iv. / L Beautify Your Parks and E»tato» Crim.M.'iilnl ""t.-r |.l..„(s. wil.l llnw^ c-rs aiul IVnis. |.r..l...ily phmt.-.l. will attroet llBli aiul wild game to your wKters and mnko y»'>r grounds more nttniolive and viiUmble. Write for descriptive liuoklet and prices. Terrell, Naturalist, Room Y 179, Oshkosh, Wi.. 162 GARDEP^ERS' CHRONICLE what he liad witnessed at lormer events. Much credit of the success of the show is due to the owners and gardeners of some of the private estates, among whom should be prominently men- tioned, Adolph Lewisohn, John Canning, gardener ; who car- ried off many hrst prizes ; Mrs. F. A. Constable, James Stuart, •gardener; W. B. Thompson, A. Strahan, gardener ; Mrs. Payne Whitney, George Ferguson, gardener ; W. R. Coe, Thomas Proctor, gardener. Other gardeners gave their welcome aid to a somewhat smaller e.x- lent by exhibiting in the scat- tered classes. The Department of Parks of Manhattan and of Brooklyn exhibited some very interest- ing groups of plants from the metropolitan conservatories. Joseph Manda created con- siderable publicity for the show with his new Brasso-Cattleya, which was named by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, "Mave- hona," and another new Catt- leya to which he gave the name of "General John Pershing." The trade was well repre- sented both as to exhibitions in competition and with trade exhibitions. While the expert could note the effects of the late war on the Spring flower show, which was resumed after a lapse of two years, nevertheless it was a most creditable showing, and the large attendance indicated that the New York annual Spring 'Flower Show had become well established in its popularity among the public. es .^ Boston's Orcliid Show in which the Albert C. Burrage exhibit of orchids was the center of attraction has been declared the hnest of any show of its kind ever staged. The general appearance was of tropical effect. Aside from the orchids, an- other feature was a wonderful collection of some one hundred and thirty Kurune Azaleas, imported from Japan by the Arnold Arboretum. These flowering plants in their variety of colors made a beautiful dis- play and were greatly admired by the visitors to the show from near and far. An exhibit of rhododen- drons from the Walter Hun- newell estate, Mr. Hatfield, gardener, and groups of flowering plants exhibited by Mrs. C. G. Weld, W. C. Rust, gardener ; the Brandegee estate, W. N. Craig, gardener; Miss C. Warren, H. Stewart, gardener; were the prominent exhibits of the private growers. Among the commercial growers, the ex- hibition of a large collection of Acacias by Thomas Roland ; a group of orchids coin- prising over a thousand specimens of Cattleyas and their hybrids by Julius Roehrs Co. and the Farquhar exhibit were among the principal ones placed before the admir- ing visitors to the show for their inspection. Paint peeling — How to prevent it^ Even if you buy the best paint money will buy, it will peel if put on wrong. By wrong, we mean not so much wrong brushing as wrong conditions of the surface on which it is brushed. Many a good paint has been blamed for peeling, when the fault lay with the wrong painting. We don't claim that Lowe Brother's paint won't peel when laid wrong. We do claim, and catr prove, that it will stand weather's wear and tear when others peel, crack or chalk off, even when they are used under the most favorable conditions. Paint peeling absolutely can be prevented. Our Happy Happening Book tells exactly how. Send 10c. in stamps for it It's a goodly sized book filled with most interesting facts on every kind of paint or varnish problem you need to know to secure success. Has any number of illustrations — many in colors, likewise contains several pages of helpful hints. Lowe Brother's paints and varnishes are sold by the one leading dealer in each town. ^'LowQ Brothers Company Bo 482 East Third Street, Dayton, Ohio ston New York Jersey City Chicago Atlanta Kansas City Minneapolis Toronto REMOVING SUCKER GROWTHS. How common it is to see round about the base of fruit trees of every description a young forest of superfluous and unneces- sary growths which have been allowed to develop without ever making an attempt to check or rid the trees of them. A mo- ment's reflection cannot fail to convince the beginner that such a state of affairs is most undesirable. To allow these basal shoots to develop in such an unrestricted way must be harmful to the trees and seriously menace their future fruitfulness. Plum trees are, perhaps, a more frequent source of trouble than most other subjects, bush fruits excepted, and where these trees are growing in grass or on lawns, where they are frequently met with, they are a source of anxiety to the growers on this account. The question naturally arises how to rid the trees of these innumerable and un- necessary growths. The merest novice should readily realize that to leave a tree thus unattended to must be prejudicial to its best interests, and for this reason it should be dealt with promptly. The fir.st thing to do in removing suckers from fruit trees is to remove the soil round about the former and to cut off the suckers quite close to the roots whence they spring. It is useless merely to cut them off just be- low the surface. For April, 1920 163 H n I II I I 1 1 III mil III II I III nil III! I lllllllllllllllll Nil lUllinillllllllllllr FOR RESULTS USE MASTER BRAND Sterilized Sheep Manure Guarcinteed Analysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash z.zs'c i.s(r'c 1.50% Concentrated Vine & Plant Manure Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phesphoric Acid Potash S.W, Z.WTc 1.007c A Pond of Water Lilies Adds Beauty and Novelty Water Lilies are certain to become more popular from year to year, as the erroneous ideas about them are cleared away. They are easy to grow, their requirements are quite simple, they are easily as beautiful as any garden flowers, yet they are comparatively rare. My list includos all tlio standnnl varieties, together with several novelties of great interest in Iw^itli temler and hardy cliissos. The stock of some hardy lilies is low. but we are well supplipd with most of the tender lilies. Early placing of orders is most advis- able. My Booklet gives full varietaJ descriptions, to^etlier with cub turn! directions and many valuabh- bints. You c:in obtain a copy if you write at once; later the edition may be exhausted. WILLIAM TRICKER Box P Arlington, N. J. m niiiiiiiniiii iiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiuiiuuiiiiiiii iniiiinii niiuiii i niiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiniiii i iiij i I Greenliouse and Garden Plants j I Shrubberj' and Nursery Stock | I Of all descriptions | I ANPlEI\SON me. I I QpMMLL GAKpENS | I C^MWELL Conn | I Make v o ii r needs k ii o w n to us. | I We will properly serve your interests. | ^iiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiuiininii I RARE ! ORIENTAL I FLOWERING TREES FROM PERSIA CHINA and JAPAN I Catalog I ANTHONY WOHLERT I "The Garden" I Narbertk, Penna. Precipitate Phosphatic Manure s AvaUable Phosphoric Acid 26^/r M NATURE'S MASTER SOIL I BUILDERS I I Master Brand Manures are thoroughly sterilized in j I Rotary Direct Heat Driers. Absolutely free from all | I Live Weed Seeds and Fungus diseases. Does not con- i I tain IS to 30% excess moisture as is found in all air- i I dried manures. Will not rot out the Bags when placed j I in dry storage. Are adaptable for the feeding of a | I greater variety of crops than any other type of fer- j I tilizers. | Full informalion and prices furnished on application. i The Proto-Feed and Guano Co. | I 4121 S. La Salle Street CHICAGO I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiliiiiNiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ Gladioli and Dahlias "Bulbs that Bloom" Booklet in Color = Listing only the very best of the older ones and s i all of the new worth while. 1 I B. HAMMOND TRACY Inc. I I WENHAM, MASS. | liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniw^^ liiiniiiiiiiimiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniininiiiiiiiniiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiin I Competent Gardeners \ I The comforts and products of a country | I home are increased by employing a competent | I gardener; if you want to engage one, write us. | I Please give particulars regarding place and | j say whether married or single man is wanted. | I We have been supplying them for years to the | I best people everywhere. No fee asked. | I PETER HENDERSON & CO. | I Seedsmen and Florists i > 35 and 37 Corthndt St NFW YORK CITY s ^iuiiKiiiMKiiiniHiitiiii iiiiiiimdiiiii ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininniiiiiiii^ The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden ApiJIT^P' is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water- -efficient in its action — easily applied — free of :he disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN FOR THE GREENHOUSE — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. r UlllvjllNlL For mildew, rusit and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V tiivlVlll^ JL For worms and insects infesting the soil. As a reme- dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. •rmiiniiiiHuiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^^^^^^^ iiiiiinniiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiniiliiii illlllllilllillllillinilllllllllllllllllllllllll^^ You Must Spray with SULCO-V. B. g If you wish to secure the finest fruits and vegetables and enjoy the utmost beauty of plants and flowers. I SULCO-V. B. is the master spray of the 20th century for the control of scale insects, plant lice and many fungous diseases of trees and plants. and poultry and animal lice. /Chhrues FremdiPdbmuuJV Insecticide „„^„,^^ \z\ \ NEW\DBK.P.SA./ New York City Peter Henderson & Co. 35-37 Cortland St. Stumpp & Walter Co. 30-32 Barclay St. J. M. Thorburn & Co. 53 Barclay St. Path & Duggan 87 Barclay St. W. M. Hunt & Co. 148 Chambers St. Arthur T. Boddington Co. 128 Chambers St. Weeber & Don 1 14 Chambers St. Burnett Bros. 92 Cliambers St. Andrew R. Kennedy, Inc. 216 West 34th St. Max Schling. Inc. 24 West 59th St. Muller Sealey Co.. Inc. 145 West 45th St. SULCO-J . B. is sold hy llic jolloiving dealers: Boston. Mass. Jos. Breck & Sons, Corp. Thos. J. Grey Co. Seedsmen Seedsmen New Rochelle. N. Y. Bassi Freres Florists, Nurserymen. Seedsmen Ph:ladelphia. Pa. Henry F. Michell 518 Market St. COOK & SWAN COMPANY, INC. 141 Milk Street, BOSTON, MASS. G. H. Frazier, Mgr. Of your dealer or direct. Go to your dealer FIRST. 148 Front Street, NEW YORK CITY 1 LIVE LONGER, LIVE BETTER — EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES iiiiiiil M Announcement This announcement is made to notify owners of large and small estates, country clubs, public parks and cemeteries, also dealers in lawn and garden tools of a new^ machine soon to be put on the market. WHAT IT DOES All those who have large lawns with hundreds of feet of edges to trim, will welcome this new machine. It will trim edges better and five times as fast as the methods nov/ in use. WHY IT DOES IT The machine has been developed and perfected by an ex- perienced gardener w^ith the assistance of a mechanical engineer, therefore we are going to offer you a machine that is far above the average law^n tool in material, w^ork- manship and labor saving. WHERE TO GET IT Write for particulars, also w^atch this space for cut of the most w^onderful machines ever invented for the care of law^ns. Dealers should write for our proposition. 1 he Kichardson Ooulevard 1 rimmer Manufactured by THE STANDARD SAND & MACHINE COMPANY CLEVELAND, OHIO The Tribute of Andrew L. Dorward to Davey Tree Surgery '"*fr'^ 'iS^'^^f'i' l^his photo^raf^h shows how healing IS well under way within a few months after treatment. Note, iils", how concrete has been tilled iit the ciivity hy the Da^-cy sectional method, which allows for swaying and t^rerents cracking. JOHN DAVEY Father of Tree Surgery The estate of Mr. T. J. Emory at "Mariemont/' Middletown, R. I., is one of the shnze places arciiud Newport. .Andrew L. Dorward is gardener on this estate "Mariemont," Middletown, R. I. The Davey Tree Expert Co., Inc., Kent, Ohio Gentlemen : I can only reiterate what others have truthfully said regarding the work done by the Davey Tree Ex- pert Company — that tree surgery practiced by you, both from a scientific and practical viewpoint, is as near perfect as it is possible to have it. Andrew L. Dorward, Gardener, Mrs. T. J. Emory Estate .'The saving- of priceles.s trees is a matter of first im- portance on every estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the maximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will be made by ai)pointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc., 303 Elm Street, Kent, Ohio Branch Offices with telephone connections: .New York City, 225 Fifth Ar-c.; Chicago. Westminster Bldg.; Philadelphia, Land Title Bldg.; and Boston. Write nearest office Permanent representatives available in districts surrounding Boston, Springfield, I.enox, Newport, Hartford. Stamford, Albany, Poughkeepsie, White Plains, Jamaica, Montclair, New York, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee. Canadian address: 252 LauKaucliitere West. Montreal DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Everv real Darev Tree Surgeon is in the employ of The Davey Tree Expert Co., Inc., and the public is cautioned against th.isc falsely represent- ing thcmsehes. An agreement made with the Doi'i-v Company and not with an individual is certain ex'idence of genuineness GARDENERS CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) \} ILLUSTRATED LntheqAHDEl^ HORTICULTURAL •nei 25cAC0PY m ^l\'. No. 5. I'u»)lishea mnntlilv hv The :le Press, Inc.. 2S6 Fifth Ave., New York Entered as second-class matter Nov. 3, 1914. at post office at New York under the act of March 3, < 'is'.'.-'L m^ Two Things More In Answer To Two More Questions Tlie two qiicstiiins I'lU i" us, are: 1. "ITow liij?li are the sides on your stdcU modifi-'tl cuived eave house ?" 2. "Where do you put your ruuf ventilation haml wlu-el'"" \s fur nnniher one. take ;i hiok at tliis interior. At a plaiice, you at once sec it is liiijlier than the old cuived eave or the old straight eave. It is so much higher, that villi can use the side hcuch fm- plants at least a foot and a half higher. From the in- sitood on tip toe to turn it. N'ow. it is brought down in a Iiorizontal position by a s lecial bracket, and universal joinl. It's liandy. It works easily, h looks well. To v\ hich let us add that froui the looks of things, houses will be higher before they are lower. A fact worth considering, if your employer is putting olT building. Send us bis name and we A ill send you both some !iuure facts on the savings to be saved by buying our stock houses. Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories /. IRV'INGTON New York BOSTON Utile BUg. NEW YORK ■tZnd Si. Bldg. CLEVELAND 2063 E. 4ih St. Eastern TactoO' Irvington. N. Y. PHIL.'\DELPH1.\ Land Title Bldg TORONTO Royal Bank Bldg. Western [actory Dea Flames. 111. CHICAGO Continental Bank Bldg. MONTREAL Transportatio'' Bldg. Canadian Factory St. Catharines, Ont. giiiiiiiiiiiiimniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiii iiiu I iiiiiiiiiiiii mm , iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mmiiiiiiiiiiiiii m V Manda C„ »/ Pot-Grown Pvoses ^ Pot-Grown looses We have a fine lot of pot thrown roses in Hybrid Teas. Climbing and Baby Ramblers for late planting including the Premier. Columbia and Los Angeles — if you need any send us your list. Bulbs We are booking orders for early delivery of all Bulb stock — American, French, Dutch and Japanese, and advise placing your orders at once to avoid di.'^ap- pointments. Send us your list and we will quote you our best prices. Freesia Purity " colored Callas Ethiopica " EUiottiana Godfrey Roman Hyacinth Narc. P. W. Grandiflora " Soleil D'or " Trumpet Major " Golden Spur Dutch Hyacinths in variety '* Narcissi in variety " Tulips in variety Lilium Harrisii — Formosum — Giganteum — Candidum — Speciosum — Speciosum Rubrum Our Orchid Catalogue will be ready in two weeks. If interested, send for a copy. VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME << Let Us Bid On Your Wants" ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s — B ulbs— Sundries West Orange - - - New Jersey \Villi.Tj,i J. Manda Joseph Manda Edward A. Manda Vice-Pres. Pres. & Treas. Secr'y. ""'"""" "11" I Miiiiimiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I I mill I iiiiiii nil niiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiihii iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 165 |ii III! iiiiiiminiiniiiiiiiii i iiiiiniiniiiininniiiniinniinuiiiiiiiiy^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiffliniiiiiiniiM! i i iiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiiiniiiinHiiiiiiiiuiiiniii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiii iiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiii| I STRAWBERRIES! STRAWBERRIES!! j I Extra Strong Pot Plants m I THE SEASON'S BEST NOVELTIES I BUCKBEE The New Hybrid Strawberry The rulminalion of thirty-five years' successful Hybridizing, THE FINEST EVOLUTION IN STRAWBERRIES Excels all others in size, quality, quantity and flavor Prices— 100 plants, $35,00 50 plants, $18.50 25 plants, $9.50 12 plants, $5.00 TICE C. KEVITT, Athenia, New Jersey the originator of this Sterling Novelty — submits the following description: "On the Field Day Meeting held at my grounds, Athenia. Xew Jersey, en June 15. 1919, the visiting experts declared after critical examination that Buckbee was my best hybrid. In the severe drought of last season (when all other varieties were sufferins greatly) Buckbee was bearing an abundant crop of large and luscious berries. "The abnndant foliage of this variety affords ample protec- tion from the scorching sun during intense heat. "Buckbee produces enormous bright, glossy red berries, which are rotund in shape, and similar in flavor to Chesa- peake, from which it originated in 1912. "Buckbee is undoubtedly the best Strawberry for long dis- tance shipping. Best results are obtained by planting this variety in July and August, but if planted in the Spring will give satisfactory results the same year." Spring or Summer delivery. KEVITT'S JUBILEE The New Black STRAWBERRY The plants are extremely vigorous and healthy and give an abundance of very dark red luscious fruits of exquisite flavor and giant size, well above the ground. Mid- season to late. Perfect flowering. 12 plants, S2.50; 25 plants, S4.50; 50 plants, S8.00; 100 plants, S15.00. BEAL This variety is the result of special hybridization for over a period of years by Tice C. Kevitt. and under normal condi- tions plants set out make a growth of 14 in. high with berries that measure 3 in. in a straight line passing through the center of the berry. 2.5 plants, S3.00; 50 plants, S5.50; 100 plants, SIO.OO. Standard Varieties Marshall. Nirk Ohmer, Brandywine, Chesapeake Early Jersey Giant and all other sorts supplied. S6.00 per 100, $50.00 per 1000 Royal Sovereign, $10.00 per 100 Spring anil Summer Delivery Sole Distributors p WILLIAM M. HUNT & COMPA NY, 148 Chambers St., New York | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ 166 iiiiiniiuiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii^ jiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim^^^^^^^^^ JOHN SCHEEPERS, Inc. New Address 522 Fifth Avenue, (Cor. 44th St.) New York Scheeper's Dutch Bulb Garden at International Flotver Show, Grand Central Palace, New York, March, 1920. Awarded Gold Medal by Holland Bulb Growers' Association of Haarlem, Holland. To distribute our Higli (Quality Holland Bulbs still more generally amongst connoisseurs of fine Tulips we have closed contracts with one of the principal growers in Holland, which enable us to make the following Special Offers: ONE THOUSAND BREEDER, COTTAGE AND DARWIN TULIPS IN ONE HUNDRED VARIETIES, PROPERLY LA- BELED AND PACKED IN ONE BOX IN HOLLAND, FOR S60 Onlv good varieties will be used to make this collect ion. colors will not clash, all to bloom at about the same time and of nearly the same height. Clients may plant tliese collections in a continuous Tulip border or in separate clumps. "as the bags come o\it of the case," without having to wori-y over color combinations. iiiiiuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ 167 lllllllllliii'^ gNIIIII|l|||IU|||||i||||||{||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||,|||||||||,,|||,,,,,,|,,,,,,,,,,,,,|||,,,,,,,,,|,||,|||,,|||,,|,,,,,,,,,,,,^^ I MICHELL'S I GRASS I SEEDS ! will produce a thick, | velvety lawn in from I four to six weeks from | sowing. I No better quality seeds, nor more perfectly | blended varieties than those used in MICHELL'S | GRASS SEED MIXTURES can be had, because | our contract arrangements with Foreign and Ameri- | can growers enable us to make purchases that are | absolutely right as to variety, quality and price. | OUR 1920 CATALOG | is a safe guide to the best mixture for every purpose j — shaded lawns, terraces, seashore properties, golf j courses, public parks, pastures, etc., as well as inter- | esting facts concerning the Vegetable and Flower | Garden. | WRITE TODAY FOR A COPY | MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE | 514 MARKET ST., PHILA. PA. | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHi^^ 'orlds " Oioicest rserySGrei oducts Beautify Your Garden! Spring with all its beautiful tracery of young foliage and delicate tints and odors is here. Now is the ideal time to visit our nursery and make selections from our extensive variety of well grown plants and trees to beautify your garden. Evergreens — Trees — Shrubs — Roses — Perennials Beautijully illiisiraled catalogue on request. Bobbink & Atkins Rutherford New Jersey ^;iiiiinii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiifii.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ answers all necessary questions about Vegetables and Flowers and contains six beautiful color plates, besides hundreds of photo-engrav- ings. DREER'S ROSES FOR THE GARDEN are dependable for immediate results and our list is comprised of the newest and best varieties. DREER'S WATER LILLIES The finest collection in America, embracing the best hardy and tender varieties of Nymphaeas, in- cluding day and night blooming kinds, also Vic- toria Trickeri. n rile today for a copy of thitt valuable book, uhich tii'.l be sent by mail free if you mention this Magazine The Gienside Hardy Flower Gardens § Richard Rollie, Proprietor. Gienside. Pa. g We are Specialists in Designing and Building of | Rockgardens. | For rales on Consultations and illustrated lee- | tures please address | Richard Rotlie, Gienside, Pa. | 'ii"iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ 168 i||l!IIIBII!!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIII!millll!lllll^ ;;''i<;;';;;iiiii>tii^!iii.; 1 »,f o ; i /- i7c HemM Cihson 189 I I Plan tor a ounken Liarden .. M. ixooer/s Lonoi'cr 1/5 I I Salvias for the Garden S. R. Candler 1 90 i j Native Blue Gentians. . . .Bertha B. Hammond 1 76 | j A Lesson on Growing Good Muskmelons .... I I The Herbaceous Calceolaria. .Henrv J. Moore 177 Arthur Smith 191 j I The Rockgarden at Lindenhurst. . /^ic/uH J Rathe 178 Book Review Department. . . . Franl( B. MeVer 192 i I Ornamental Flowering Trees. . Arborum Amator 180 National Association of Gardeners 193 | j Growing of Mushrooms 5. W . Carlquht 181 Local Societies 194 | I Swarming Time H. W. Sanders 1 82 The Questionnaire 197 j I Bees Adrift Amongst the Apple Blossoms .... 183 I^^"" a"^ ^here ^ 97 j E "Rc-naiiiiiig German Irises" — The U'islnria | I Plant Names in the Catalogs. .Frank B. Meyer !85 —Practical Golden Rule. I Published monthly, the 1st of each month Subscription .... $2.00 a year Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 THE CHI\ONICLE PRESS, INC. 286 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. I MARTIN C. EBEL, Ed.ior 1 Entered at the Nezv York Post Ofhce as second class matter under the .4ct of Congres.^!, March 3, 1879. liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii^ lllllllllllllllllllllllllininillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllH^ Staigreen Lawn Seed This is the best time during the Spring to make ynnr lawn. While the proper preparation of the ground, fertilizing, rolling and watering is considered very essential, the mixture of grasses is a very important one and should be given considerable thought. 25- Pound versus 14- Pound LAWN SEED Many low-price Grass Seed mixtures wei.gh only 14 pounds per bushel. This indicates either a good proportion of chaff or some of the real good varieties in the rough state, not properly cleansed so as to leave only the vital part and less of the chaff or shell. In other words, so many less seeds to the quart or pound that will germinate and grow real grass. Why Not Buy the Re-cleaned Kind ? A nii.xturc of grasses weighing 25 pounds per bushel, of high germination and purity, permanent in nature, the varieties carefully proportioned so that they will succeed one another in brightness of foliage, with the result that the lawn, even in its first year, will have a bright, rich green color from early Spring until coAcrcd 1iy snow. 'OUND 2% POUNDS 5 POUNDS 121^ POUNDS 25 POUNDS 100 POUNDS 50 cts. $1.10 $2.20 $5.25 $10.00 $38.50 One Pound Will Sow a Plot 20 x 20 feet. Sow 80 Pounds to the Acre 30-32 BARCLAY ST. NEW YORK liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ 172 Il!lllllllll!lllllllll!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllinilttlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture ■ Vol. XXIV MAY. 1920 No. 5 I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIW Things and Thoughts of the Garden ^^JJ^ THE ONLOOKER a&t^ftmuA. UXL'SL'AL interest is being displayed in Orchids at the present time in many quarters by reason of the restrictions imposed on plant importations by the Federal Plant Quarantine Act of last year. As is so often the case, experts on the subject do not entirely agree as to the probable effect of this measure on Orchid culture in this country, some being inclined to think it has received a serious set-back, while others profess to be- lieve that scarcely any inconvenience will be noticeable because of the large number of seedlings which will be raised. Undoubtedly the work of hybridizing and rais- ing Orchids from seeds will be greatly stimulated. Enough has been done already to prove that here is a field which offers possibilities of fascinating interest. Money, time, and patience are the chief requisites, of which the last is by no means least when we realize that one must wait for five 3'ears and upwards for final results. A wonder- . fully instructive exhibit, showing the various stages and time required in the development of an Orchid from the seedling to the flowering stage, was that arranged for A. C. Burrage at the Boston Flower Show in March. It was a happy thought carried out to perfection and worthy of wide imitation. .\t this show, which will long be remembered for the high standard of excellence of the exhibits, as well as the unique displays of new azaleas, the (Jrchids were easily the leading feature. The wonder- ful collection of hundreds of varieties from the green- houses of A. C. Burrage at Beverly, ^lass., made a most remarkable display, and the eliforts made to achieve a naturalistic effect represented a real triumph in the art of staging Orchids to advantage. It was an ajjpropriate occasion on which to launch the National Orchid Asso- ciation and this new organization we hope to see wax stronger and stronger as time goes on. * * * In spile of the fact that Orchids have been recently described by a government official as "a mere bagatelle" of the tloral world, the Orchid family must still be re- garded as one of the most important in the vegetable kingdom. Certainly no other has made such a fascinat- ing aj)i)eal to what might be termed the popular imagina- tion, which views this family through an atmosphere of romance and mystery. This has been partly created by the thrilling stories of the adventures and the perils which have been braved by Orchid collectors, together with the fancy prices at which some s]5ecimens have changed hands. But aside from all this we find in the Orchid faniilv some of the most beautiful of Nature's products, showing not only a great variety in the color but also a marked individuality in the structure of the flowers. The ])lants, too. show a great difference in the size and hal)it of sjrowth. The largest known is said to be Graiii- iiuitophyllinii spcciusiiiii with stout pseudo-biubsas much as ten feet in length, a plant seldom seen under cultiva- tion. The long climbing stems of Vanilla planifolia, from the fruit of which is extracted oil of vanilla, have been known to exceed one hundred feet in length, while at the other end of the scale are some kinds of very small stature, their ultimate height being measured in inches, of which the lo\-ely Sophroiiitis grandiflora might be cited as an example. Their geographical range is a wide one,. as they are found the world over except in the ver}' cold- est and the very dryest regions. In the humid at- mosphere of the tropics they flourish in the greatest pro- fusion, many kinds attaching themselves by long adventitious roots to the trunks and branches of forest trees and obtaining most of their nourishment from the atmosphere. In fact the majority of Orchid species grow this way in their natural habitat and so are classed as epiphytes. Those which grow upon the ground, ter- restrial kinds, are found mainly in the temperate re- gions. Several kinds are to be fovmd in the woods of the northern states, mostly in the neighborhood of peat- bogs, though sad to say, they are fast disappearing from some localities because people cannot resist the tempta- . tion to ruthlessly uproot them when in bloom. ^lanv a line clump has laeen brought in from the woods in full beauty and planted in the garden with fondest hopes which were never realized. Loveliest of all the native Orchids, most would say, is the showy Lady's Slipper, Cypripediiini spectabile. It is well worth a special ef- fort to try and establish a clump of this handsome plant in the garden, though it must be admitted that it is not , in every garden that a suitable place can be found. Given a cool shady nook and ])lanted in a good deep pocket of "boggy" soil where the roots can keep moist and cool there is a fair chance of being rewarded with success, which in this case is sweet indeed. The right time to jilant is when growth has finished for the season and the leaves ha\-e begun to fade. * * >:: .\t one lime Orchids were considered exceedingly dif- ficult plants to handle and a certain air of mystery seems to have been prevalent regarding the details of their cul- ture. This undoubtedly arose because of the fact that in the early days of their introduction very little was known about them beyond the fact that they were na- tives of tropical countries. Those which came from the mountainous regions of those countries were treated ex- actly the same as those which flourished in the stifling heat of the jungle, and consequently many thousands were literally stifled to death in over-heated and ill- ventilated greenhouses. Naturally they were looked upon as plants which onlv ihe verv weallhv could .-ifford to 173 174 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE grow and that very special conditions and cultural skill were also indispensable. All that, however, is a thing of the past. From being the expensive luxury of a few wealthy enthusiasts, Orchids are now within the reach of any one who can afford a greenhouse. The cultural requirements of many of the most beautiful and useful kinds are now quite well understood and call for no more skill than is necessary for the successful handling of the general run of greenhouse stock. Of course, in the case of a big collection of Orchids wide experience and cul- tural skill of the highest order is called for, but that is beside the point just now. From these genera: Cattleya; Laclia; Dcndrobium; Cypripedimn; Calogync and Ly- castc, can be made a selection of beautiful species and hybrids of simple requirements. There seems to be every indication that the need for the continuation of War Gardens, under the name of Peace Gardens if you will, is even greater than ever this year. With the farmers protesting against the Day- light Saving plan in the States where it is in force, on the ground that it interferes with their work and so will reduce their output ; the scarcity of farm labor and the increased ratio of consumers against producers ; the high cost of everything now, with the prospect of increased transportation charges, it would seem to be a wise move on the part of all who can possibly do so to grow at least a part of their food supply for the coming year. With potatoes selling now at four and a half dollars per bushel and talk of higher, and still higher next year, a bushel dug from the home garden next Fall will be worth two lip in Aroostook County, Maine. Many who could grow this staple food crop have hitherto found it easier to buy, but this may be a year when the position will be re- versed. Great anxiety is being manifested already in European countries over the potato crop prospects for this year, and if there is another shortage there, we may be sure there will be none to be given away here. Those vegetables which can be kept for Winter use are of the first importance, and time and energy spent in raising beans, cabbage, winter squash and the various root crops promises to turn out a good investment. * * * Nothing is more conducive to real happiness than the cultivation of a garden. "Every home a garden" is an ideal which if it could be realized would do much to sweep away the spirit of unrest and discontent so ram- pant, and which expresses itself in so many inconven- ient forms. The word garden implies home and family life, the best safeguard of a nation, and those who take up gardening either as a hobby or as a profession stand a good chance of getting the very best out of life. Every- one rejoices in early Spring and seems to take on a new lease of life with the unfolding of the earliest buds and blossoms. It is then that the gardening instinct makes its strongest appeal and the sight and the feel of newly turned soil is one of the finest tonics. A garden affords both physical and mental recreation. As the season progresses and plants develop it will prove an increasing source of restful enjoyment and ever-growing interest. Trees and shrubs add to the permanent value of a place as well as being just ornamental, wliile the pleasure of gathering fresh flowers and vegetables for the table brings a sense of satisfaction that cannot be expressed in money values. * * * A tree of marked distinction in the landscape is the picturesque Red Birch, and to see a shapely specimen placed to good advantage on a lawn is to think of it ever after as one of the most beautiful of trees. The wonder is that it is not more generally planted. As with all other Birches the branches are slender and graceful, giving it that light and pleasing form so much admired. In the Winter season it is specially attractive because of the beauty of the bark, reddish brown in color, which on the branches flakes and curls into thin papery layers, marking it as a tree of peculiar interest. In the wild it grows chiefly along river banks. River Birch being one of its common names, and it is therefore a suitable tree to plant in moist ground. Botanically it is known as Bctida nigra, but in this case the specific name was not well chosen as another species is known as the Black Birch. ^ ^ ^ It is a well-known fact that there is something very fascinating about a water-garden and wherever the lie of the ground and other conditions permit of the in- clusion of a stream or pond within the garden area it is a chance which should not be allowed to go begging. A combination of water-gardening and bog gardening can be made a most attractive feature. Plants which grow in the water possess a distinct charm of their own and the moist ground surrounding a natural pond permits of the use of moisture loving perennials, trees and shrubs to the fullest advantage. This of course is possible only on places of considerable extent, but because one has only a small garden it does not follow that we cannot grow aquatic plants. A hard-wood barrel will provide two good tubs in which can be grown some of the smaller growing water lilies, one plant to a tub, which looks best if set in the ground level to the top. Water lilies are very partial to rich soil and in this case the tub should be at least half filled with soil and planted in a sunny position. Two or three gold fish in the tub will add to the interest and incidentally devour any mosquito larvae in the water. giiiiiiuiiiiliiUttiinilliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiililiiiniiiiHiinniiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiN I OUR NEW DEPARTMENTS | I In keeping with its policy of always giving its readers | I the most needed assistance and of being as practical i I as possible the Gardeners' Chronicle takes pleasure | i in announcing two new departments which it is cer- | [ tain that its readers will receive with pleasure. They g I are departments unique among magazines devoted ex- i I clusivcly to the interests of gardeners and horticul- | I luralists and departments that there has certainly long ex- | I istcd the need of — the department of Foreign Exchange, i 1 begiiniing with the June number, and the department | I of Book Jieviews, which appears with this issue. The | I object of the former will be to give concisely to Ameri- | I can readers the best suggestions of all kinds that can j I be derived from the study and the experience of the j I most proficient and authoritative gardeners and horti- | I culturalists in the more progressive countries of the j I old world. The object of the latter will be not only | I to call attention to the more desirable of the new | I books but also to guide in the wise obtaining of them i I and in wise use of them. 1 I For the conducting of these two new departments the | I Chronicle counts itself fortunate in having obtained | j the services of a man in whom is an unusual com- i I bination of the requisite qualifications. He has been | i from boyhood an enthusiastic gardener and student | i of plants and has had opportunities for study and ex- | I perience in various parts of the country and under | j various conditions. In him are found, along with the | i advantages of study at several large American uni- j I versities and acquaintance with foreign languages, j i practical acquaintance with the workings of one of | i the most prominent state agricultural experiment sta- | I tions and of the national experimental farm, to which 1 i is added the benefits that have come from visiting | i prominent nurseries in this country and from travel 1 j in Europe. Throughout he will will keep in mind the | I various classes of readers whom the Chronicle desires | I to serve. I .liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ For May, 1920 175 Plan For A unken Garden M. ROBERTS CONOVER A SUNKEN ga low the wall by means of definite boundaries and plantings which emphasize desirable lines and mask those not in harmony. The sunken gar- den may suffer some handicap from being entirely walled in. Unless some attention is paid to its arrange- ment with regard to V e n t i 1 a tion, s u n k e n gardens m ay not have breeze enough and be close and hot in very warm weather or damp and sultry if the weather be wet. The garden here described aims to overcome these de- fects to a certain extent. There are two points of appeal which must not be overlooked if the sunken garden is to be a success ; one the view of the garden from higher points out- side of the garden itself requiring that the garden be per- fect in its design, furnishing and ])lanting : the other is the prospect from the garden itself. In looking out of the sunken garden, one nat- urally looks up. Part of the charm of the sunken gar- den is the upward vista of charming outlines of trees against the sky, as a serrated outline of cedars, the graceful droop of elms whose ui:iper portions are seen from the garden or rd;:; utilizes the declivity, the spot be- or bank which can he made beaiuiful onnf? ^xV}oom>^b u u L) t> (!> c> 'fLSAj'J^Sosferi the variation in masses of evergreens and deciduous trees which interest by their color and harmony of arrange- ment. The gleam 0£?C> 7* — . >. / ino^ Ph I fo /-!/* ' h.rplaiiatwn of r a Suxken Garden. I. Cedars. ?.(). Cedar — Glaucus I'irgitiica or hardy Blood red Japanese Maples. Blue Cedar. \ irsim.T Creeper (,Ampclo!>sis Vir. 21. Annuals. etmca). Baluslrade. ?2. Bilstead (Sweet Gum or Liquidatnbar) . 4. 23. Swamp Maple. ,S. Pansies and Sweet Alyssiim. ?A Statue. 6. Fountain. ?,S. Ferns. 7. Stairs. 26. Brook. a. .Tars. ?7 Cedars — Red Cedar. y. f-ombardy Poplars. Sfira-a fan Hoiiltei. 2%. Willow (Saliv Babylonica). III. 29. Flowering .Mmond. u. Roses. M^ Forsvthia .vK.f/'t'ii.va. ij. Chionanthits or Friucc Tree. ,11. Judas Tree or Red Bud (Ccrcis Cana- ij. Japanese Snowball (l iburmim plica- densis). ttini). ?•?.. German Iris (Lavender and Purple 14. Japanese Plum (rritutis Japotwca). variety). I.v Yucca (.<\dam's Thread and NccdlcX U Lobelia cardtualis. 16. Japanese Barberry (Berbcris T/iioi- bcrgit). U. Rhododendron maximus. .IS Peonies. 1/. Rasin. .16. Hardy or Perennial Phlox. \X. Walks. .17. Sod. ly. Arbor overhung with Thousand Beauties. 38. Line of water conduit. of a white balus- trade among vines or trees is lovely and gives a pecu- liar finish to the boundary of a sunken garcien. The more vari- ety in the color and form relating to its boundary lines the less restraint one feels in the sunken garden. It is pos- sible to treat the sunken garden in a very costly man- ner and have an effect which is op- pressive and makes one feel almost a prisoner in a much decorated hole in the ground. The secret of success is in the treatment of its peculiar vistal possibilities. The garden de- scribed herewith is 72 feet wide by 96 feet long, with a depth of 6 feet at its walled end. the depth gradually di- minishing toward the grove at the farther end. It lies in a hollow just below the lawns surrounding the dwelling and is en- tered by two flights of steps — t h e s e flights of steps curve slightly tow- ard the middle of the space below. A wall six feet high of brick with a white balustrade is constructed on the entrance side. This balustrade is set back about six inches from the face of the wall, and one seated in the paved area be- low has less of the sense of confine- 176 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE meat which a high wall gives in such a situation. In applying this design to a smaller area it would probably be better to place the steps parallel with the wall, thus leaving no apparent break in the line of the balustrade and thus getting greater apparent width, or but one flight of steps could be used. Large jars are used at either side of the flights of steps at the terminations of the balustrade. The effect of this balustrade is greatly enhanced if a group of cedar trees are placed a few feet back of it near the steps on either side in the upper lawn. Nearer the balustrade are groups of blood-red Japanese ^laples and the effect is very charming. The breast of the wall is hung with X'irginia Creeper, in Summer a restful green, in Autumn a glowing red. In fact, the autumnal attractions of this garden are con- spicuous. The wall is toward the sun and the space be- tween the flights of stairs is warm and sunny. This spot is protected from rough winds and the bright colors of the maples and bilsteads used in the grove and elsewhere make it warm with color in October. IMidway of the wall between the flights of stairs is a wall fountain. A basin below catches the fall of water. About its margin are planted pansies and sweet alys- sum. This fountain-cooled space below the wall is fur- nished with seats and is a charming rest-place. The overflow from the fountain is piped beneath the garden's level to the grove on its opposite side. This pipe runs down the middle of the garden to a basin at the intersection of the paths. From thence it follows the main path to its termination and then turns toward the side of the garden. Beyond the formal portion of the garden the water is released from its conveying pipe and flows over a gravelly bed where it ripples away among the trees an apparently natural brook. In the middle of the garden is an elliptical portion planted with flowering plants and shrubs and traversed by paths at right angles. If these plantings are kept low, the garden space will seem more expansive. At the sides of the garden no wall is used, but the sloping bank on each side is rounded to a terrace-like curve and inclines gracefully downward to the level of the garden itself. Sixteen feet back of the side extremi- ties of the elliptical portion and on the brow of the slope on either side are planted a row of Lombardy poplars. Before these on the inner sides next to garden a row of Spircea Van Houttci is planted. This arrangement carries out the idea of inclosure and yet breaks the severity of its lines. Midway of the garden on either side, opposite the transversing path, is an arbor overhung with a climbing rose. The treatment of the opposite end of the garden is informal. A grove of bilstead or sweet gum and swamp riiaples, together with an evergreen group on either side, form the boundary on this side of the garden. Two specimens of the willow, Salix Babylonka, are also used. On the margin of the grove directly in vistal line with the main garden path leading from the balustraded wall is a statue. Ferns are planted in the space about its base and there is a planting of Lobelia cardinalis and another of German Iris. \\'here this design is applied to a location having a dift'erenf exposure, the kinds of plants used will have to be chosen according to the prevailing shade of the wall and trees. Native Blue Gentians BERTHA BERBERT-HAMMOND T\\'( ) of the most beautiful of our native wild flowers that appear to be but little known excepting by name or poetical allusions, are the closed or bottle gentian botanically known as Geitfiana Andrr^csii and the fringed gentian (Gcntiana crinita). The closed or bottle gentian resembles somewhat in shape and habit of growth, the Phol.v iiiacnlata. The foliage is of a pleasing bright green and its flowers that appear at the top of its tall erect stems in rosettes or clusters are of the deepest blue at the top, blending to a lighter blue at the base. These large bud-like flowers are not only beautiful but extremely interesting because they possess the unusual and peculiar characteristic of never really opening; that is they remain closed like a bud. or '"bottled up," hence probably the common name. The closed gentian which may be found from August until November, in marshes or along the borders of moist meadows or woodlands, is a hardy perennial and endures transplanting, but its less common and more beautiful relation, the fringed gentian is not only more difflcult to domesticate but is also less easy to find. Indeed, it is most elusive as it actually changes its hiding place from year to year. My "springy" meadow is a favored haunt : still each Autumn must I tramp about this four acre tract seeking to locate these shy blossoms that 1 know are somewhere concealed. For ages, poets have ex- tolled the violet, but for modesty, the fringed gentian is its equal. In color this dainty retiring flower is of the purest cerulean blue — truly not unlike a fragment of sky come down to earth, and in form it is molded along perfect, classical lines. The artist's "line of beauty" twice re- peated ( I I ) describes its vaselike outlines and correct- ness of proportion. A more beautiful flower it would be difficult to imagine. All those who know this rare flower in its haunts, or have had the good fortune to see specimens, are most enthusiastic in its praises. The fringed gentian delights in rather moist meadows or "w'Oodsy" locations and comes into bloom in this section (southern New York) about the middle of September. .\s \\'illiam Cullen Bryant so aptly and beautifully ex- presses it in the following stanzas: Thou blossom bright with .\utumii dew, And colored with the Heaven's own blue, That openest when the quiet light Succeeds the keen and frosty night. Thou waitest late, and com'st alone. When woods are bare and birds are flown, And frost and shortening days portend The aged year is near his end. Then doth thy sweet and quiet eye Look through its fringes to the sky. Blue— blue — as if that sky let fall A flower from its cerulean wall. The pity of it is that this floral treasure is so rare and appears to be less frequently seen than in former times, also that most attempts to transplant it to perennial gardens have proved unsuccessful. Then, too, with the encroachment of civilization, this shy flower has receded and so is seldom foimd anywhere near centers of |-)opulation. Its late-blooming habit, which often prevents its seed from reaching full maturity, is also a potent factor in the threatened extermination of this exquisitely lovelv W'ilding. whose habitat is over comparatively a restricted area of North \merica. For May, 1920 177 The Herbaceous Calceolaria HENRY J. MOORE THE Calceolaria derives its name from the Greek Calccoliis which means a Httle sHpper, the flow- ers somewhat resembling the latter article of footwear. The common name of the plant is "Slip- jierwort." The herbaceous Calceolaria is one of the most glorious of the greenhouse decorative subjects. It is, however, sadly neglected on this continent, as probably not more than two ounces of seed are sold in the United States and Canada, and that chiefly im- ported. Tiiere is no country in the world where the sub- ject can be grown to greater perfection than ours. Xo subject which gives better returns for the work put into its culture. What then is the reason it is not more generally grown ? It flowers from early March until the end of ]\lay in the greenhouse, and when removed to the living rooms will last from two to five weeks. It causes admiration wherever ex- hibited, and yet for some reason is shunned by Florists and Gardeners. What is the trouble? The WTiter is an enthusiastic Calceolaria grower, and would like to see the subject generally grown and exhibited, to replace the many inferior and com- mon flowering ones which with the Calceolaria do not favorably compare. When packed closely in boxes or crates, the subject may be shipped long distances, although in some quarters this is not the opinion. For the past nine years extensive experiments have been carried out in the Greenhouses of the Queen X'ictoria Park, which have demonstrated all that is claimed in the preceding text. So7i.'ing the Seeds: .Sow the seeds during June for an early batch for flowering in large pots, or during September for a late one in smaller pots. Prepare the seed pans carefully. Afford good drainage in the form of crocks. Upon these place a layer of siftings such as fibres or particles of leaf soil, then a layer of soil sifted through a % inch screen, and cover the surface with a layer of very fine soil sffted through a one- sixteenth inch screen. Tamp the soil lightly, and sow the seeds evenl\- and thinly, but do not cover them. Immerse- the pans in water to within an inch of the rim. It will rise bv capillary action until the soil is well soaked. iJo not water Calceolaria seeds with the watering can or other overhead method. Place the seed pans in the coolest greenhouse, and shade from bright sunlight. After germination, care- fully prick oft' the seedlings one-half inch apart in flats or large pans. When crowding occurs, transfer the plants to one and a half inch pots. Later when good growth has l)een made, repot into four inch i)ots, anrl finallv during Xovcmber repot into seven or eight inch ones. In tiu' case of the September sown batch the final potting will Udt be done until laiuiar\- or ear!\- February. Soil and Potting;: .\ light, porous soil is essential for the Calceolaria in all sla.ges of its growth, prefer- ably one containing humus in the form of leaf soil or dried well rotted stable manure. Prepare the soil in the following proportions — Fibrous loam, one-third, sand, leaf soil, and stable manure, mixed two-thirds. Pass the whole through a one-half inch screen for the final potting, and mix it thoroughlv. A soil in which heavy loam predominates is not conducive to the for- niatif)n nf tin- root svstem of the Calceolaria. When re-jiotting do not press the soil too firmly around the ball of earth, but simply until a fair amount of resistance is felt by the hand. Pot only slightly deeper than the previous potting, so that moisture will not constantly be in contact with the leaves, a very detrimental condition. Clean well drained pots are essential, otherwise when repotting it will be difticult to remove the plants without injury to the roots, which will adhere to the dirty sides of the pots. Do not allow' a root bound condition, always repot when a fair proportion of the roots have reached the cir- cumference of the ball. Light and Temperainre: Except during the Winter months, do not allow direct sunlight to come in con- tact with the plants. This is harmful, especially when in the seedling stage, therefore aftord shade, and dur- ing Summer maintain as cool a temperature as pos- sible. In Winter an average temperature of 48 to 50 degrees F. will suffice. With the increasing warmth of Spring ventilate freely, check the fires, and avoid a rise in temperature above 70 degrees if this is possible. JFateriiig and Manuring: Use water which is the temperature of the greenhouse in which the plants grow. Cold water from the hose is harmful. Water only when the soil is fairly dry and the plant ap- proaches the wilting point, but does not actually wilt. Tap the pot with the knuckle and if a bell-like ring is heard, apply water. During fine weather dampen the floors and other surfaces to aftord atmospheric humidity, but discontinue on wet and unfavorable days when the atmosphere is moisture laden. Manures may to the best advantage be used when applied in a liquid state. Afiford them only when the ]5lants are well established in their pots, discontinue the practice before the flowers are well advanced. A one inch potful of guano to two and a half gallons of water, urine from the cow stables, diluted with ten parts of water, Black Soot water diluted. Nitrate of Soda, one-half ounce to three gallons of water, are all good manures. Clay's Fertilizer, however, whicli is not hardly obtainable, is perhaps the best. A single handful to three gallons of water is sufficient. Cal- ceolarias may safely be w-atered with one or other of the forementioned manures once weekly. Insects Pests: The i>ests of the Calceolaria are not numerous, and are easily eradicated. The Green Ai^hide and the White Fly are the most troublesome. Fumigate with any good tobacco paper, or spray the olants with a very weak solution of nicotine. The White V\\ may onlv be satisfactorily removed by fumigating with Cvanide of Sodium, or of Potassium. Use one ounce of the Cyanide, two ounces of Sulphuric acid, four ounces of water. Pour the acid into the water, place the containers in the greenhouse away from the foliage, close the ventilators, drop the Cya- nide into the mixture of acid and water. Leave hur- riedly and lock all doors, so that no one may enter. Hydrocyanic fumes are deadly poison. The most favorable temperature at which to fumigate is 60 degrees F. The time just at dusk. All plants, floors and other surfaces should be perfectly, or as nearly dry as pos- sible. One-half ounce of the C\'anide is sufficient for every one thousand feet of air space in the green- house. The application of one ounce as for ordinary plants may seriously injure the Calceolarias. 178 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The Rockgarden at Lindenhurst RICHARD ROTHE LINDENHURST, the country place of ^Ir. and -Mrs. t'ornial garden. John Wananiaker at Jenkintown, near Philadel- of Lindenhurst phia, confers the distinction of an ideal American home. Going by outside appearance there is no sign of any conspicuous display of decorative splendor noticeable. And yet, be- holding the wide wrought iron gateway with its discreet arrangement of evergreen planta- tions on Old York Road ; glancing over the open rolling lawn expanses from the County Line Road and passing by on Washington Lane and seeing the towering masses of old venerable tree-growth covering the north and northwesterly slopes of the distant ground elevation where the residential mansion is situ- ated on Lindenhurst unmistakably conveys the impression of eminent refinement and dignity to any observant outsider. This impression gains in strength when being privileged to see and studv the grounds. To begin with, the beauty of the architecture of the large resi- dential building, surrounded on three sides by an approaching natural tree vegetation of both age and picturesqueness profoundly em- phasizes the distinguished private home character. Coming in quest of object lessons in garden conceptions of merit the visitor is not going to leave disap- pointed. He will, however, see none thereof subjoining the residence. At Lindenhurst they are widely distributed over a ground area of about 100 acres, representing artistic insertions of various designs into a, by nature, verj' beautiful landscape. The extensive formal gar- den with pergola and large basin for aquatics situated near the big range of greenhouses is an example of enchanting simplicity. We are prone to look at a tennis court as an object more or less interfering with the beauty of a land- scape and are often trying to sidetrack it. Mr. Geo. Penticost, landscape archi- tect, who was also the designer of the placed his tennis court on the front lawn as a demonstration evincing the possi- Rockgiirdcn construction of "Lindcnhursl." Sample of concentration on the summit. Rocksarden at "Liudenhnrst" with miniature ravine. Midsummer effect. biliiies fur transmuting an unattractive structure into a decorative object. As extensions rimning in the direction of the length axis of the court there are two small formal gardens, chiefly for annuals, augmenting the ornamentality in total effect. A retrospective survey over the 45 years of Lindenhurst's evolution shows a deep innate love for natural beauty on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Wananiaker. As their personal interest in the grounds never vanished there was no stop in evolutionary activities. Consequently the professional gardener entrusted with the superintendence must be a person- ality not only of a broad knowledge, but also of ideas and initiative, with the necessary aptitude for complying with the wishes and personal beauty concep- tions of the owners. Those have proved For May, 1920 179 ro be the pre-eminent attributes of ^Ir. John H. Dodds who, since 1906, has been devoting his energies in sincere and con- stant efforts to maintain the distinguished standard of the grounds in his charge. And as it happened, his services cover the most progressive period in the long evo- lution of Lindenhurst. Of the various alterations and ground improvements en- suing out of the erection of the new resi- dential mansion there were many of im- portance taxing the skill of the landscape engineer and the talents of the decorator ahke. During Fall, 1915, when it became known that a rockgarden was going to be introduced as a new feature on the grounds of Lindenhurst it was the fore- gone conclusion of the alert Philadelphia craftsmanship to expect work accordant, with the tradi- tional standard of the place and the discriminating per- ceptions of natural beauty by its illustrious owners. The locality decided on was a grassy slope running down to iKockgardcn nt "Lindenhurst" 'u'ltli pnnl. Miclsumnwr cffci't the edge of a path which led to the nearby spring and liath houses. A huge deposit of rocks being available at a comparatively short distance it was evident that even at the extensive and elaborate building contemplated, the total expense could be kept down on the conservative base customary at Linden- hurst. For assisting in solving the more or less intricate problems of the construc- tion Mr. Dodds secured the services of the writer of this article. The crew of laborers employed at the actual work of building varied from 4 to 6 men and the time required for both sections ap- proximated the total of about thrci- months. In rockgarden building f)n a large sea' we must aim to adjust ourselves to tli^ natural conditions of the ground. A: Lindenhurst it was necessary to go : step further, that is, endeavor in creatine the illusion of our work being by natuir an integral component of the landscapi In such cases it remains for the builder to be cogiiizant of the importance of an\ existing rock formation confronted with. The illustrations depicting "Pocket Rockgarden at "Lindenhurst" six zveeks after pUmtiuii. Liuilding on a Steep (irade" and "Sample of Concen- tration on the Summit'' represent solutions of problems which in the pursuit of rockgarden building we fre- (|uently are facing. In the design of the lower section near the spring house the attempt to reproduce the picturesque ruggedness of some rock-strewn mountain recess is plainly apparent. As features calculated to add in total eft'ectiveness the building of a miniature ravine and a pool at its lower end may be mentioned. (Jbservant visitors of Lindenhurst are often favorablx- impressed by the beauty of evergreen effects both as undergrowth in thinly wooded sections and as decora- tive embellishments along the outskirts. In naturalizing rhododendrons, azaleas, nioimtain laurels and dwarfy conifers of the spreading kinds of Mr. Dodds ex- cels many of our landscape gardeners of otherwise perhaps enviable reputa- tions. Mastership in naturalizing is an indispensable attribute for superior work in rockgarden planting on a large scale. .-Vt Lindenhurst the great divergence in exposures demanded an intimate acquaintance with the plant material as adapted for dry, sunny situations, and again for semi-shaded and moist positions. More- (Cuiitiiiiicd oil page 1(S4) m3rrj.Je^ii. Roekiiardeh tu i.nni, luiitrst." May elfect a year after eonslrueliou. 180 GARDENERS' CHROMCLE Ornamental Flowering Trees ARBORUM AMATOR {Continued ) THE SMALLER FLOWERING TREES Catalpa Kacinpfcri: This species of Latalpa is from Japan. It is quite distinct from the larger Catalpas, spcciosa and bignonioidcs. Kacinpfcri makes an upright growth, and attains a height of only 30 feet. This species begins to flower when quite young producing in July panicles of cam- panulate, yellowish white blooms, which are followed by long slender seed pods. The foliage of this Catalpa dilTers from that of the large growing species in that it has a light purplish hue when young, and carries this tint throughout the season. Its upright growth makes it suitable for planting where a tree of spreading habit could not be well used. Tea's Hybrid Catalpa: This is the smallest of all the Catalpas. Its leaves have the purplish tint of Kccinp- feri, but its flowers are larger and more abundant. They are also spotted with yellow and violet and are fragrant. This hybrid of bignonioidcs and Kacmp- feri is an admirable little tree for any situation where only a small tree can be used. J-lowering Cherries: The flowering therries when in bloom make a beautiful display. There are several species and varieties, namely, the Japanese double pink, the old Chinese double white, the weeping form rosea pcndula, and Japonica Vcitchii. The Japanese is known as Sieboldi rnbra plena, the Chinese as Sinensis, and the other two as named previously. Rosea pcndula is. when in foliage only, a beautiful weeping tree, and wlien in flower, surpassingly pretty. Its pink buds appear in very eary Spring and when open make the tree look like a cloud of snow. The double flowers of Sinensis also are pink when in bud, l)ut white when fully expanded. Sieboldi also bears double flowers which are red not only when in bud, init after they are expanded and until they are about to fall. Sieboldi is, we think, the finest of all the double flowering Cherries. Veitcliii strongly re- sembles Sieboldi. We should also mention the species, aviom, which is simply a double form of the garden Cherry of the Ox-heart section. Its double flowers come in ])airs, while those- of Sieboldi, Sinensis and Vcitchii come in tufts of a dozen or more on each cluster. The foliage of Sieboldi in Autumn changes to a beautiful yellowish bronze color. The flowering Cherries belong to the genus Prnnus pscudo-cerasus. Flowering Crab Apples: The flowering crab apples may be divided into those with double and those with single blooms, both being desirable. Of the double varieties, Pyrus nialus ioensis tiorc plcno, BechteFs Crab is, perhaps, the most beautiful. Its very double fragrant flowers are of a soft "Daybreak pink" color, and larger than those of other varieties, resembling- small roses. The tree is of pyramidal shape. In plant- ing it should not be crowded in among other trees. Pyrus mains Scheideckeri is another very desirable double variety, whose blooms are of a bright rose color. There is also a pretty double white variety, namely, Spcctabilis albo Hore plena. Of the single varieties the best are the very sw^eet scented Pyrus nialus coronaria and Pyrus malus florcbunda, both bearing light pink flowers, and Parkinani. whose flowers are pink in bud but white when expanded, and whose beauty is enhanced by its dark green foliage. The flowering Crabs, though reaching sometimes a height of 20 feet, all begin to flower when only very small trees. Double Flo-u'cring Peaches: Of the ornamental flowering fruit trees, which are grown for their pretty flowers, and not for fruit, we have already spoken of the Crab apples, and cherries. There are three vari- eties of double flowering peaches, namely, those bearing double white, double pink, and double red flowers. Each one of these is desirable but when the three varieties are planted in combination they form an admirable group. These trees should be planted, the same as the varieties of peaches grown for fruit, in the Spring, not in the Autumn. This plan of group- ing these flowering peaches may be enlarged and a group made to include with these the flowering Crabs and Cherries. Such groups exist in this country and in the flowering season are indeed a beautiful sight. Magnolias: The flowers of most of the Magnolias are among the largest, showiest and most beautiful of the blooms of any of the ornamental flowering trees, and those of some species have an exquisitely sweet fragrance. Longfellow speaking of this fra- grance savs : "Faint was the air with the odorous breath of Magnolia blossoms." The foliage also in many species is very large and handsome, and in some species evergreen in the warmer parts of our country. This makes Magnolias even when not in bloom notable at once among other trees. The fruit too of many Magnolias is large, bright colored and showy. The several species vary in height from only a few feet to one hundred or more. It is safe to transplant many trees in either Spring or Autumn, but Magnolias should be transplanted only in the Spring. We will speak in this article only of the smaller Magnolias. AI.-\GXOLi.\ Gl.\uc.\: Magnolia glattca (Sweet or Swamp or White Bay, as it is variously called) is a small, attractive tree. It is indigenous from Massachu- setts to Florida near the coast extending in the southwest to Texas. In the south it is evergreen. Its very fragrant white flowers are globose in form and ap- pear in May or June, and are followed by pink fruit. This pronounced fragrance of its flowers has given it another common name, namely, "The Sweet Mag- nolia." This species has a beautiful foliage, bright green above and glaucous green on the underside. The round, pink, or light red fruit pods form a pleasing contrast to the green foliage. When these pods open, and the seeds, each suspended b^- a light thread, droop from them, the tree is indeed an interesting sight. Glauca sometimes produces a few flowers out of sea- son. This species flowers when small ; but in time it attains a height of 20 to 25 feet. M.\r,()i,i.\ SofL.\XGE.\x.\ : Magnolia. Soulangcana ( Soulange's Magnolia) is perhaps the most popular of all the small kinds. Its flowers, campanulate in form, are purplish outside, but white within, and often fragrant, and appear in May after Stellata has finished blooming and before Glauea blooms. By planting four species of the smaller Magnolias, namely, 5"/^/- /(;/(7. Soulangcana. Glauca and Thoinpsoniana. we mav have a succession of blooms of these small Mag- nolias from late March well into July. Sometimes when an old Soulangcana is cut back severely in Spring or when it suft'ers from a drought in its usual blooming For May, 1920 181 season, it blooms out of season in Summer. This species and its several varieties, namely, Lcnnei, Nigra. Alexandrina, Nobertiana, and Speciosa, which differ little from the species in color of flower or time of blooming, are among the hardier of the Magnolias. The flowers of Lcnnei are crimson outside instead of purple and it blooms a little later than the species, Soiilaiigcana. Soiilangcana is a hydrid produced from Obovata and Yulan. Magnolia Thompsoniaxa : Thompson's Magnolia, a hybrid of Magnolia glauca and tripctala, is of garden origin and not as hardy as either of its parents. It forms a small tree but also grows in shrub form. The fragrant flowers of this hybrid appear in June and July making it one of the latest blossoming Mag- nolias. Its foliage, though coriaceous, is deciduous in the North. Magnolia Stell.vta : Magnolia stcllata or Hallcana (Hall's Magnolia), a native of Japan, has a spreading and shrub-like growth. This species flowers freely aufl comes into bloom, when quite small. Its sweet scented blooms appear before its foliage in late March and April and resemble those of the Water Lily, be- cause of their narrow petals. When in the bud. its semi-double flowers are pink. This Magnolia is quite hard\- and is one of the earliest flowering trees, or we suppose we should say Shrubs, as it almost always is grown in shrub form. If it is given ample room, it will without pruning grow into a well shaped shrulj. Specimens 40 years old are no more than 12 feet high. Stcllata is very suitable for a small lawn or garden It has a twiggy growth and each twig bears a flower. This species belongs to the Chinese section of Mag- nolias. Magnolia Pakviflora and Watsoni : Among other Magnolias, whose blooms appear before their foliage is Parviflora. a small tree, a native of Japan, whose fragrant, wdiite cup-shaped flowers are borne on long pedicels, and have pink sepals and crimson stamens. This species blooms in June. Closely related to Par- liflora is JVatsoni, also a native of Japan, the beauty of whose white sweet scented June Blooms is in- creased by the crimson center formed by its bright colored stamens. We have spoken thus far only of those smaller flowering trees which attain a height of no more thaiu 30 feet. We may say that many Magnolias which do not come within this class because they ultimately reach a greater height, nevertheless begin to bloom when quite small. Of these Magnolias we will speak in our next article which will be on "Ornamental Flowering Trees of Medium Size." Growing of Mushrooms S. W. Carlquist IT is not as difficult to grow mushrooms successfully as many people seem to think. A cellar or tight shed under the barn is a good place to grow mushrooms during the Summer months ; whereas for Winter and cold weather it will be necessary to have a place either provided with some means of heating or so constructed that the place will be frostproof. For summer use the beds should be made up from March to May and for winter crops from September to December. Good ma- terial for beds is best obtained from livery stables. In gathering up the manure take all the saturated straw- with the droppings, pile this into a rather deep compost and have on hand some good moist friable soil about one-third in bulk to the manure. As soon as the manure pile shows signs of fermentation turn the mass over thoroughly, mix, and see that the manure on the outside gets in the center and vice versa. After the compost has been turned, cover over with a layer of soil, incor- porating this with the manure, and repeat the opera- tion morning and evening until in about a week's time the rank heat has subsided and the whole mass presents a dark brown spongy color. With the addition of soil each time of turning, as mentioned above, there is little danger of the compost overheating and burning. Should the mass show signs of dryness, however, use the water- ing can until sufficient moisture is obtained. In laying the beds have two men do the operation, one to shake up and throw in the manure, and the other to pack in the material firmly and even. Lay the beds firmly, about 14 to 16 inches thick and then pound or tramp down to about 10 to 12 inches. Place a ther- mometer in the bed and when after a few days the tem- perature has subsided to 85° or 80° spawn the bed. Fresh American pure culture spawn is alwa>s reliable and will produce a good crop of solid fine flavored mush- rooms. P.reak up the bricks of spawn into pieces about 3 to 4 inches S(|uare, place over the bed 12 to 14 inches- apart. Take a trowel and plant in the bed so that each piece will be covered with about 1 inch of manure. Firm the bed down, smooth and level. In about ten days or two weeks cover the bed over with some good garden- soil passed through a rather coarse sieve, spread out level and firm down to an inch thickness. The ideal tem- perature in a mushroom house is 55°. In the summer months it is sometimes hard to keep the temperature down below 60 to 65°, but by keeping the floor well sprinkled and the place tight and dark in the day time and by opening the door or ventilator wide by night or even having a large cake of ice on the floor, the tem- perature may be kept below 70° most of the time. If the room stays around 70° for any length of time the whole crop is liable to be ruined as maggots will be sure to develop. As soon as the beds show signs of dryness, they should be given a sprinkling of tepid water in which a handful of nitrate of soda has been dissolved to each two gallons of water. Pick the mushrooms by twisting them up from the bed. .\fter each picking go over the beds, pick up all rotted dead heads or withered small specimens and fill in all the holes with soil. After the beds have been in bearing for some time and the crop shows signs of weakening, sieve a layer of good moist soil over the whole bed. Water this, using tepid water and nitrate of soda as mentioned above and the beds will soon show new life. This operation may be repeated from time to time. If proper temperature and a good growing atmosphere is maintained a bed of good material should continue to bear for about three months' time. Be sure to procure the spawn from a reliable firm and keep the same in a dry airy place some time before it is needed. The writer has been growing mush- rooms for si.xteen years and rarely has been unable to pick good specimens any month during the year. 182 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Swarming Time H. W. SANDERS THE swann is a phenomenon peculiar to bees. There are other insects that are sociable but these have certain periods in their life history in which the life of the colony is suspended and it is gen- erally during these alternative periods that the natural increase takes place. With the honey-bee, however, the entire cycle of operation is passed in the com- munity form, and therefore bees have to make their increase by a colony splitting into a number of sepa- rate swarms. Under natural conditions swarming is the only manner in which bees can perpetuate their species, for a certain number of colonies die each Win- ter, or from disease and but for the number of new- swarms emerging they would have long ago become extinct. Swarming is marked by the most remarkable ex- hibitions of instinct in the life of a colony. We know that by the time the season is far enough advanced for swarming to take place, that all the bees from the season before have come to the end of their lives, and although the queen-bee may be the same one who went into Winter quarters the course of events is the same even if a young queen of the season's rearing be the hive mother. Here it may be said that with a young queen swarm control is easier in actual practice, the point that we wish to make being that the process of swarming is in no way dependant upon the previous history of the colony. It may never have swarmed before, or it may have swarmed several times the previous season, but still, the preparations are made in exactly the same way, and the swarm issues and behaves as all swarms do and can be controlled in the same manner. A strong colony of bees build up very rapidly in the Spring'. From the time when they come out of their Winter quarters, until the lirst flowers begin to yield honey, the bees raise thousands of young ones, the process of which consumes the remainder of the stores of honey laid by during the previous season. Wlien the honey begins to come in in any quantity, which in the Northern States occurs at the end of May or the beginning of June, the bees are beginning to feel rather crowded, and it is this crowded condition that constitutes the most obvious stimulus to swarming. The amount of ventilation possible, depending upon the size of the entrance, is also a factor in the case, but the subject is not thoroughly understood and bees will swarm, or will refrain from swarming at times in quite an incomprehensible manner. The actual process is interesting. The bees begin by starting queen-cells at various places in the hive. These cells are the same as those made to supersede a laying queen, but are more numerous, and are built over worker larvae or eggs. About eight or ten days after the cells have been started a swarm may be ex- pected, and for a few days previous to its emergence the normal activities of the hive are to a large extent suspended. The bees "loaf." as beekeepers says, and if the weather is at all warm they hang outside in great bunches. The queen quits laying eggs, so that she may be the better able to endure the long flight to her new home, and the bees send out scouts to search out a new place for the swarm to begin their housekeeping. It may be a hollow tree, a cleft in rocks, the chimney of a vacant house, or some such place, but there is no doubt that the scouts identify it for the swarm always flies straight to its new home. A neighbor of our last season found a number of bees exploring a drain that was placed to carry the water from a sleeping porch, and sure enough two days later a large swarm arrived and took possession. A near- by beekeeper smoked them out and hived them before they had made themselves too much at home. Finally upon a warm day, usually in the morning, a mass of bees rushes violently out of the hive, and after circling wildly in the air for a time they cluster on the branch of a tree, or a post or any convenient place. The queen is usually amongst the last to leave and her presence is necessary before the swarm will continue on its way. If by any chance she gets lost the bees will return to the hive from which they came. This fact is made use of in some of the plans for deal- ing with swarming and by clipping the queen's wings the loss of a swarm is avoided. It is a notable and beautiful sight to see a swarm emerge, and for a few moments the air seems to be full of bees with flashing wings, whilst the sound can be heard at a considerable distance. Our own bees are located quite a little dis- tance from the house, yet we have been on some oc- casions apprised of the swarm by heari_iig the loud humming from indoors. The swarm may hang clustered for a few minutes only, or for several hours — indeed cases are on record where the bees actually built their combs in the open and remained. One is tempted to wonder whether these swarms issued without the scouts having found a suitable place or if not. just what the stimulus is that makes the bees break cluster and decamp. How- ever, the fact is that they will, sooner or later, take wing and fly across the country to their chosen desti- nation. It is during this clustering period that the bees may be hived. W^e shall be giving more explicit directions in subsequent months, but in brief, the hiving process consists of shaking the bees in front of a suitable hive. As soon as ever some of them begin to go in the rest will follow and usually they will remain without trouble. A swarm of bees is usually very good-tempered, due to the individual bees having filled themselves with honey in preparation for the migration^a condition in which bees seldom use their stings. We have handled swarms by taking the masses of bees in the bare hands and placing them in a hive. Shaking them in front will however usually accomplish the desired end and the bees will soon be hard at work gathering honey. Bird Houses for the Garden There is a very close connection between birds and seeds, or at least between birds and the successful growing of plants. They are one of man's best allies in the war against insect life of every description, and their presence should be assiduously cultivated. A bird house not only attracts them but it is in itself a vcrv picturesque adjunct to a garden. "S'liu have communed with great men to little pur- pose if you have not learned that, however else they may have dift'ered, in one respect they are all alike. Their sinews grew bv labor. — John McClintock. For May, 1920 IHi Bees Adrift Amongst the Apple Blossoms WK have heard of a man who was so desperate ijver the sight of bees swinging in and out of his fruit trees and rifling the flowers just as thcv pleased, that in spite of advice to the contrary from experienced friends and counsellors, he put dishes of poison in his garden in the hope of putting a check on the exuberance of the unbidden guests. Needless to say, his tactics were all in vain, and the winged visitors still continued their merry round. But were they doing a great deal of harm and proving themselves worthy of such treatment? The answer is '"Xo," and the owner of the orchard was really trying to drive away his friends if he had only known it. The bees were responding to a natural instinct which made them come in answer to the challenge of color, scent, and promise of honey-store held out to them b)- the which they are put together, we shall inevitably be drawn to the conclusion that all have been formed with an eye to giving the flower the best possible chance to reproduce itself ; and that this, apart from any aesthetic considerations, is the main object for which the flower was called into being. Taking the apple blossom as an illustration, on the outside we find some stout, green leaves which form a sort of cup to hold together the more precious in- terior parts as well as protect them while in the young stage. Inside this is the pretty pink and white part which attracts our notice as well as that of the bees, and is made up of looser and more open leaves. The most casual observer will see that, while a little pro- tection is afifordcd by these, their chief use is to pro- vide a means of attraction and display. This gaily Apple tree in bloom on Estate of Mrs. Horatio Halloway. New Bedford, Mass. What a p'c- ture! I livs called to treat this tree which zvas decayed in several limbs and trunk, the tree being very old and of value in several tvays. First for its Iwving been planted by a dear friend. Second, on account of its beauty in Spring time. Third, screening as it does, a very unsightly old barn in the corner of the' estate. Fourth, for its shades in the Summer-time, as sho'i'n by the tables and chairs standing under. What money could replace such a tree? Is it not a beautiful setting to the landscape:' — .Arthur M. Horn. flowers, and at the same time performing for the orchard owner an important piece of work. Certain plants known as entomophilous (insect-lov- ing) need insect visitors to enable them to reproduce themselves by bearing seed; and long experience and inherited instinct have taught the insect where to go as well as to associate certain well-marked flower characteristics with the presence of food in the shape of honey and pollen. In return for this, the insect comes to the help of such flowers as need its as- sistance, in a very definite way. If we examine the dift'erent parts of any flower and note the manner in colored ring of leaves is known as the corolla, and is usually large, conspicuous, and highly colored in those flowers which desire the presence of insect vis- itors. In addition, its form is often highly modified so as to enable the flower to make the best use of the insect. The gladiolus and similar flowers have the lower portion expanded with a lip which makes a convenient landing stage ; while others, e. g., members of the .'salvia and jiea families, have the corolla so shaped that the insect nuist alight on the flower or enter it in a special way. At the base of the corolla leaves is a well-marked. 184 GARDENERS' CHROMCLE greenish-yellow gland containing nectar which is of no direct use to the flower itself, and is a part of the lure to entice the desired visitor. Standing directly above this is an indefinite number of bodies called stamens, each consisting of a threadlike stalk termin- able by an anther or case containing a powdery sub- stance known as pollen. The anthers, when ripe, open to allow the pollen to escape. Inside the stamens is the pistil, consisting of (a) a basal portion usually rounded, known as the ovary, enclosing the ovules, which if fertilized will become seeds, while the ovary itself will become the fruit ; (b) an erect, tubular portion, known as the style; and (c) a sticky apex more or less differentiated from the style, called the stigma. For reproduction to take place, the pollen from the stamens must reach the stigma, and some flowers are so constructed that it is impossible for this to take place without the aid of outside agencies, such as wind or insects. Such may be flowers in which the pistil comes to maturity before the anthers, and is ready to receive the pollen before the anthers of the same flower have opened to shed it, and vice versa ; e. g., some mallows, gera- niums, campanulas, plantains, and magnolias. In these, if seed is eventually to be formed, pollen must be brought to the stigma either from an older or a younger flower as the case may be. Or, again, we have moncecious plants which have the pistil in one flower and the stamens in another, like the mealie and arum: or didecious, where the staminate and pis- tillate flowers are borne on difterent individuals, as in the case of the paw-paw. castor oil, pepper tree. etc. In these cases, if no outside agency comes to the rescue, of course pollination is not effected, the flow- ers simply withering and falling to the ground after a short time without producing fruit. In this connec- tion the flowers of the wild fig (Bosvijge) and of the bread fruit are interesting as showing how absolutely dependent a plant may be on insect visitation for the production of fruit. The flowers of the fig are either staminate or pistillate and borne inside a case, through an opening in the top of which the insect has to enter. If a tree be unvisited. the ground beneath at flowering time will be found strewn with blossoms, which ap- parently began well and then made a sudden stop; while those of a tree which is in the running with in- sects will have sturdy well developed flowers still on their stems and on the way to ripen into fruits. Some trees, like the maple, are polygamous, bearing all three kinds of flowers — those with pistil and stamens, and those with stamens or pistil only. Some of the Chen- opodiums bear cm the same i)lant perfect and pistillate flowers. The transference of pollen from one flower to the ripe stigma of another either on the same or on a- dift'erent plant is known as cross-pollination, and it is obvious that in most of the instances mentioned above the flowers themselves seek it, and it is Nature's way. Rut even where the flowers are possessed of both stamens and pistil, it has in many cases been proved that a greater number of healthv seedlings are pro- duced from the plant when the seeds are the result of the union of foreign pollen with the stigma. The flowers of some varieties of apple can use their own pollen or that brought by insects, in which case the seedlings produced are healthier and more vigorous ; recent investigations have shown that some species are self-sterile and so altogether dependent on foreign pollen. As the bee pushes about in the flower either to gather the pollen for bee-bread or to find the honey, he gets his body well dusted with the grains which are often provided with ridges and otherwise rough- ened surfaces to make them adhere. Flying to an- other apple blossom, where his body comes in con- tact with the stigma, the pollen gets transferred and cross-pollination is eft'ected. In primroses, peiitanisias, and other flowers we find styles and stamens of varying lengths. Flower A will have long styles and short stamens, while B will pre- sent long stamens and short styles. In the case of A it will be seen that self-pollination is out of the ques- tion, and at the same time it has been determined that the greatest number of fertile seeds are arrived at when pollen from the long stamens is made (by insect agency or otherwise) to pass not on to the short- styled stigma of the same flower but on to the long styled stigma of a different flower. There is the same difiiculty in securing union between a short stamened and a long styled primrose as there is in effecting a union between two distinct species. The union may take place, but it will either prove barren or the quan- tit>" of seeds and the vigor of the resulting seedlings be diminished. Primitive flowers were evidently cross-pollinated ])}• means of wind, like the fir. Insects have appar- enth- played a large part in their evolution, helpmg to determine the lines on which such evolution took place. They probably first visited flowers for the sake of pollen, which, in wind pollinated flowers, is pro- duced in great abundance. The amount of pollen then became more restricted, the plant expending its en- ergy on the provision of special organs for the secre- tion of attractive juices: after which came conceal- ment of honey, so that there would be no chance of the visitor escaping with his booty without fulfilling the purpose for which the fluwer attracted him, and lastly the apjiearance of gailv colored and protective corollas. — South African Gardening and Country Life. THE ROCKGARDEN AT LINDENHURST iCoiiliuuid from pa^c 179 1 over, the arrangement ofl^ered constant opportunities for manifestation of visual sensitiveness in regard to color blendings. Taking all these in account, it seemed that the ambition of 'Sir. Dodds in attaining a full effect the first season, was well nigh verging on the impossible. Xevertheless he succeeded. The rich floral color display of the new rockgarden at Lindenhurst during May, 1916, six weeks after ]ilanting. was the achievement of an enthusiast : the professional exploit of a gardener with an inborn love for the work he does. Granted, the con- struction, just as well as the arrangement of the planting, are open for criticism. But after careful weighing of local advantages and disadvantages, we have been work- ing under, is there not always room for improvement on things conceived and executed by human beings? Since its introduction in 1916, the vernal glorv of the rockgarden at Lindenhurst has been exerting its charm every ensuing season. Not the exotic beauty of most of the inmates seen in our regular flower gar- dens, but pre-eminently the beauty of the blossoms of our native .shrub and herb vegetation as thev are ushering in the Springtime on distant hillsides and .giving cheer to the desolate aspect amid our weird mountain regions of high altitudes. It is this extremely hardv creeping and crawling herb vegetation which so readily and quickly forms a unit with the rock work. The typical rockgar- den denizen is the medium for establishing a dense ground covering apt to keep the weeds down. According to ob- servations of the superintendent of Lindenhurst, the care of rockgardens requires only one-third of the time neces- sarv for the same area within ordinarv flower gardens. For May, 1920 185 Plant Names in the Catalogs' FRANK B. MEYER ACCL'RACY and consistency are not indispensable to success in the handling of plants : but they are an evidence of culture and of careful and orderly habits. For this reason they are very desirable. There is fortunately already in existence an excellent work that ought generally to be recognized as the stand- ard. Reference is made to Bailey's Cyclopedia of Horti- culture. Apparent contradictions made to it here are prolTered modestlv. There would be no desire, even if it were at all possible, to forestall any action of the Ameri- can Joint Committee on Horticultural Nomenclature already at work. The object is rather to make a few summary statements that may serve for the present and to correct some prevalent errors. The ideal catalog would list, under diti'erent heads like Evergreen Trees, Evergreen Shrubs, Deciduous Shrubs, etc., in alphabetical order, the botanical names followed in each instance by the common or popular name or names. In botany and in other sciences names of (jreek and Latin origin, and preserving the forms of these languages, are employed for two reasons. In the first place, they afford greater accuracy and uniformity than do the com- mon names. One and the same plant, for e.xample, may have various names in different parts of the same coun- try, or the name applied to a certain plant or to a certain variety of a plant may sometimes be found in use for a different plant or for a different variety in some other region. The second reason is that these two languages, after having served long as the sole languages of learn- ing, now furnish a vocabulary that is understood and ac- cepted all over the world. The greatest difficulties in the handling of these names come from the inflectional forms. The ancients, in their childlike way of looking at things, personified them. In general, all objects that were beautiful or graceful or in any way suggestive of femininity, like most trees and flowers and one's nurturing country, were regarded as feminine. Strength, such as is possessed by a mountain or by a stream in a mountainous coimtry, suggested mas- culinity. The conception of some things as neuter, that is, as neither male nor female, arose late. In certain instances, however, it is impossible to penetrate into the ancient mind and to discover just why a certain gender was assigned to a particular object. In becoming annexed to a noun the adjective must show by its ending the gender of the noun. The follow'- ing table displays the possible endings for adjectives, the endings being printed in heavv type. These are the endings of the adjectives in Latin, to which those of the Greek are reduced. Masculine li uigipedes Feminine longipedes majores Neuter PI. Masculine scabii.isus ruber bicolor* canadensis elegans longipes major scabiosi rubri bicolores canadenses elegantes Feminine scabiosa rubra bicolor canadensis elegans longipes major scabiosre rubrae bicnlfires canadenses elegantes Neuter scahidsum nibrum bicolor canadense elegans Inngipes maius scabiosa rubra bicolora canadensia clegantia longipenia majores majores majora Ftir this, and for coiicolor and discolor, the alternative forms in 'Colorus. -colora and -colorum are rare in Latin literature, and late, and should therefore not be used to-day. These endings must not be used indiscriminately; the adjecti\e must always conform in gender, and in number, to the noun. Acer rubrum and Acer pyrami- dale, for example, are correct forms, for Acer is neuter. This noun Acer, probably because it was introduced late, has come down as a neuter, in spite of an eminent grammarian's attempt made long ago to establish it as a feminine in accordance with the general rule for gender stated above. This rule usually prevails over the grammar's practice of regarding all names ending in a as feminine. — like I'aeonia; all in us as mascu- line,— like Philadelphus : all in um as neuter, — like Laburnum. The most important ])lant names that are now- recognized as neuter are, in addition to all ending in um, ur in on (except Erigeron) which is the Greek equivalent for the Latin um, Acer, Sassafras, Acan- thopana.x. Benzoin, Ribes, JMuscari (originally Mus- carium), Aethionema, Arisaema, Papaver, and Cycla- men. These each take an adjective ending in um, not us or er or a : in e. not is; in us (as of majus), not or; or may take an adjective like bicolor or like longipes. Those that are treated as masculine are Calycanthus, Ceanothus. Cephalanthus, Cytisus (common gender, i. e.. sometimes, regarded as masculine and sometimes as feminine), Opulaster, Philadelphus, Rhus (commtjn gender"), Rubus, Symphoricarpus. Sipho, all names of perennials ending with anthus, Echinocereus, Echinops I common gender). Eremurus. Erigeron, Helleborus. F'entstemon, Ranunculus, Thymus. Trollius, Narcis- sus, Crocus, Gladiolus, Hermodactylus and Hyacin- thus. For each of these the adjective must end in us, not a or um; or, not us as in majus; ns or es. The names of the other more familiar plants are feminine and for them adjectives must end in a, nnt us or um; is, not e; or, not us as in majus; ns or es. \\'hen, in a compound name, the second word is in apparent contradiction to the above rules it may be a noun, as in Viburnum Opulus. In that case it should be printed in the list with an initial capital letter. .Adjecti\'es that stand after these should agree in gender with the main part of the name. Additional words of this kind are Tanyosho, jMughus, Laricio, .Strobus, Cotinus, Caractacus, Hinayo, Agnus-castus. Cneorum, L^\'a-ursi, Mezereum. Ibota, Coco, Lantana. Lentago. .\fter the type name there is often found for a \ariety the name of the man who introduced it or in whose honor it has been named as in Spiraea Billiardii and S. Ihimalda .\nthony Watereri, the i being the Latin equivalent for the English of or 's. The addition of ii instead of i is sometimes a matter of preference depending upon euphony. But there is good historical warrant for always using only one i. This would simplify the matter. Of some names of men are found adjectival forms as in Chamsecyparis Lawsoniana and Iuni])erus .Sabina ; but the prevailing custom is to spell an adjective derived from the name of a countrv or other place with a small initial letter, as in virginiana and jajjonica. 186 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Points additional to those above to be noted are : DECIDUOUS TREES: Acer: horticola is a noun, meaning "inhabitant of a garden." As a common noun it is not capitalized like Ginnala and Negundo. The word platanoides means "like a plane-tree," the second part being a noun of Greek origin equiva- lent to the English "form" or "appearance." But found in composition, as here, it has adjectival force ; yet it does not vary for the different genders. The phrase albo-variegatum is correct, for the o of the albo is equivalent to "with," so that the phrase means "varied with white." In Tsuga albo-spicata the adjectival idea is "provided with white ears." In keeping is found for "double" flore-pleno, ab- breviated into fl.-pl. An albo, or the name of some other color, might be added by means of a hyphen, or, if the color is intended to go with the plant rather than with the flower, an adjective might be added with the gender of the plant's name. Gleditschia: triacanthos is similar to platanoides in being of the same form of all genders. Prunus: avium is a genitive plural, — "of birds." Tilia: platyphylla is correct, not platyphyllos, which is often found. DECIDUOUS SHRUBS: Calycanthus : tloridus is regularly found ; but it would probably be better to regard all plant names ending in anthus as feminine, as the books do Chio- nanthus virginica. Historically, however, anthus, the Greek word for flower, is neuter. Comus: mas is an adjective of peculiar form. It itself means "masculine." The alternative declen- sional form must be of feminine termination, — Cornus mascula. Euonymus, as the name of a shrub or of a vining plant, should always be treated as feminine. — E. alata and E. radicans vegeta. Philadelphus, like Crocus, Hyacinthus and Nar- cissus, owes its prevailing masculinity to its having started as the name of a man. The writer would pre- fer to have these last three names become feminine at once and is inclined to urge this for Philadeliihus also. EVERGREEN TREES present nothing not covered in the foregoing, e.xcejjt that in this di\'ision is often found Taxodium, simply because it is a conifer and has leaves resembling those that mark most ever- green trees. Its removal allows all of the list to be feminine. EVERGREEN SHRUBS: Cotoneaster is just as regularly found feminine as Aster is masculine. Would it not be better to regard both the compound and the uncompounded forms as feminine ? Mahonia is usually found with aquifoliuni, which evidently ought to be aquifolia. Osmanthus should certainly not be followed by aquifoliuni, but better by aquifolius, if not by aqui- folia in accordance with the suggestion about anthus. VINES: Celastrus orbiculata is correct, like Euonymus \egeta. HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS: Acorus is feminine and should therefor be followed by variegata even though the masculine Calamus stand between these two words. Echinocereus is masculine because the Latin cereus is masculine. But in Latin the word means "wax-light" or "wax-taper." As the name of a plant would it not better be feminine? Helianthus also would better become feminine, for the reason already stated in connection with anthus. In the Latin dictionary, though it is of masculine gender, it is found in the spelling Helianthes. Iris has as its Latin plural forms both Ires and Irides. But this word has become sufficiently angli- cized so that there need be no hesitancy in using the plural irises, which is euphonious enough, in such a phrase as "peonies and irises." Lathyrus is feminine in Latin and there is no ap- parent reason for treating it as masculine. Pasonia: the preferred form anglicized is "peony," with the accent on the e. The plural is, of course, "peonies." Thymus in ancient Latin is Thymum, a neuter. \\'hy not use it as a feminine instead of a masculine, as the books do now? BULBOUS PLANTS: Crocus, like Gladiolus, Hyacinthus, Narcissus and Ranunculus, a masculine, makes its plural in Latin by putting i into the place of us. In giving the plural . form Croci the English pronunciation, which it is desirable to use for all Latin names, the i would be .•mounded as it is in "ice" and the c as in "city." (The letter c would have this sound before e or y also, while g before any one of these three vowels would be pronounced as in "gist." The English plural cro- cuses, however, is now used almost exclusively. Gladiolus, which for the purpose may be included here with the plants that form bulbs strictly defined, has almost supplanted Sword Flower as the popular name. The old pronunciation with the accent upon the o, too, has nearly disappeared, and the i is sounded strong as in "die." The addition of es to form the English plural would be awkward; accord- ingly it is best to use the Latin spelling and then to pronounce the two i's alike. Hyacinthus has been shortened for English speech into hvacinth, the plural of which naturally becomes hvacinths. This form, like crocuses, has nearly sup- planted the Latin form ending in i. Narcissus might similarly be abbreviated into narciss, with the accent upon the second syllable, which, — so the writer has been told, — is the name of the flower in its old-world home. There is no change made for the plural. In this respect the word is comparable to "deer" in having lost the plural ending it had in the language from which it came over into English. It is easy, however, to pronounce the long i of the Latin plural form. The form nar- cisses, used in at least one of the bulletins issued by the national Bureau of Plant Industry, has certainly not acquired much vogue. This word, along with Crocus and Hyacinthus, the writer would much like to have become feminine; Gladiolus, because of the character of the plant and its size, it seems a trifle easier to retain as a masculine. Muscari, owing to the uncertainty that most people are in as to its origin, also is treated like "deer" in being given no plural. But for the Latin why should not the original plural Muscaria be used? Scilla and Sparaxis are singulars. If printed in lists after such words as Tulips, Hyacinths. Narcissi and Crocuses they should themselves appear as Scillse. or .'^cillas, and Sparaxes. For May, 1920 187 The Point of View of the Professional Gardener WILLIAM N. CRAIG MAUAAI President and JMenibers of the Garden Club of America : I feel very much honored in being asked to speak before your club, which has done and is doing so much to advance horticulture in America. I would that one more eloquent than I, and one who could better voice the aims, aspirations and activities of the professional gardener, were addressing you, but in our profession we lack the sophistries of the politician and the platitudes of the Office seeker. In our association we labor without remuneration, hoping that in the not distant future our humble efforts may lead to the placing of our organization and craft on a loftier plane. I may fairly lay claim to being a representative pro- fessional gardener as were my father, grandfather and great-grandfather before me. I was born, brought up, and started my horticultural career in a beautiful garden, not perhaps unknown to some of you, Levens Hall, with its matchless topiary gardens located in Westmoreland, England, near the Scottish border, a land of mountain, moor, lake and forest, with enchanting scenery on every hand, enough to make anyone a lover of Xature, and particularly when he or she was born with a love of flowers in their veins. My parents were sturdy Scotch people and greatly de- sired that I should follow the legal profession, but the love of gardening was too deep in my veins, and while today I may be poorer financially than if I had become a legal luminary, I have at least the satisfaction of know- ing that the calling I am following gives more real pleas- ure to the lover of the great outdoors than any other I can name, and it is because I desire to see the profession of gardening more looked up to by all patrons of hor- ticulture that I have for some years, in a very humble way, 'tis true, supported the excellent work being done by the National Association of Gardeners, of which my friend, Mr. Ebel, is the efficient secretary. The professional gardener of today in America is very variable in type. I prefer today to speak of those who are well-trained gardeners, and not the large floating class of men who claim to be such, but whose limited gardening experience unfits them for filling any respon- sible position, however competent they may be in carry- ing out such duties as lawn mowing, pruning such de- ciduous shrubs as loniceras, spiraeas and forsytliias into topiary forms, planting ^.nd caring for some of the more common flowers and vegetables and doing the miscel- laneous work customarily performed by men we class as choremen in New England. The real gardener is one who has made gardening his life study here or abroad. The bulk of professional gar- deners have at least some luiropeaii training. This is advantageous as he is more likely to receive a thorough grounding in the rudimentary parts of the profession than here. American boys are singularly relucant to follow a calling which may be beautiful and enjoyable, but can- not he learned in a year or two, no matter how bright and receptive the workers are. For this reason, com- mercial floriculture with its greater financial possibilities, landscape gardening and the mechanical trades are now taking practically all of our young men. a portion at least of whom we had hoped would have been training to fill the positions we older men must ere long vacate, and we must admit that in almost any other calling the learner secures a more adequate remuneration than in gardening. I have had assistants in some cases purely unskilled laborers, who during the war made $40 to $75 per week in government work, ^■ery few of these are returning to their old calling, now that more nearly normal condi- tions prevail, and in common with every man who has charge of a private estate I find it increasingly difficult to secure not only competent assistants, but laborers to perform the necessary work. Thousands of young gar- deners joined the colors in the late European war and a large proportion were killed or maimed, and a decreas- ing number both here and abroad are taking up garden- ing as a profession. The "call of the wild" seems to be in the blood of many young men, and having helped to "save the world for democracy" they have greater visions and ambitions and seem unable to content themselves with so humble and humdrum a calling as gardening. How: can we change these things? How can we in- duce some of our growing youths to follow a calling which is at once ancient and honorable? All honest labor is honorable, we must admit, and can any work be more so than the tilling of the brown soil? What are some of the reasons that hold men back from following the profession of gardening? 1. It takes too long to acquire a knowledge of it which will bring the man (or woman) following it a moderate income. 2. The fact that the gardener's life is in ma!iy re- spects a quiet, not to say a lonely one, for a large part of the year must be considered. He is in many places situated long distances from towns, villages, churches, schools, railroads and places of amusement, and employ- ers in many places are not very considerate in providing necessary locomotion to those thus situated. •3. The gardener of whatever degree he may be is classed as a domestic servant and oftimes treated with but scant courtesy. He is expected to be on hand three hundred sixty-five days in the year, to labor long hours and uncomplainingly. He is criticised for small omis- sions often infinitesimal in character, blamed for crop failures and starved for want of a little encouragement for work well done. 4. The competent professional gardener does not as a rule receive compensation equivalent to services ren- dered. Since 1914 how few gardeners have been volun- tarily offered a fair advance in salary ! and are there not many penurious employers who have advanced salaries grudgingly and others who have threatened to close their establishments if any advance in gardeners' salaries was suggested ? 5. There does not exist, unfortunately, that good fel- lowship which should exist between employers and em- , ployees. I presume you will admit that a competent gardener who takes pride in his work and studies his employer's wishes and interests should be treated with courtesy, consideration and kindliness. A man who aims in every possible way to please his employers by intro- ducing new plants and new features to add interest to the gardens under his care should, I consider, be treated with deference and respect. Abroad such noted patrons of horticulture as the Duke of Portland, the Hon. Vicary Gibbs, Sir Jeremiah Col- man, Sir Geo. Holford, Mr. Leopold de Rothschild, and others I could name are proud to call their gardeners friends and to refer to them as such at public horticul- tural functions. I feel that in this great republic where democracy is supposed to rule, we should not lag behind 188 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE anv of the older lands in such formal matters as these. It would help considerably if on estates where a num- ber of men are kept, in addition to comfortable living quarters, a small library with horticultural and other works and some weekly periodicals were provided. I am glad this is done on some estates, others might profit- ably do likewise, the expense would not be great and such allowances would be appreciated. I have referred to some of the drawbacks and dis- couragements which confront the professional gardener, and can you name any calling which requires a greater amount of care and forethought than gardening? The man who possesses a good knowledge of the culture of plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables under glass and outdoors, pruning, propagation, road making, lawn tennis and other forms of construction, tree surgery and how to fight numerous insect pests and diseases, and who can plan and plant shrubberies, flower, rock, wild and aquatic gardens and often more artistically than the highly paid landscape architects, must have skill of no mean degree, and often when as in an increasing num- ber of cases he successfully cares for horses, cattle, sheep and poultry and houses hay, silage, ice, cereal and other crops, and in addition oversees the plumbing, painting, heating, lighting, carpentry and general construction work on a private estate. I believe we are all ready to admit that such a man merits a good salary, a much bet- ter one than he, in the majority of instances, receives today. The serious question confronting us today is, where are the gardeners of the future to come from ? All ad- vices from abroad indicate that the great estates as a result of the war are employing far fewer men, also that few youths are entering the profession owing to superior financial inducements in other industries. Personally I have tried young agricultural college men and high school boys, but it has proved rather discouraging work. Boys were helpful the past two or three years, but alas I they who have seen the cities think gardening is prosaic, dull and uninteresting. A back to the land movement is necessary and is bound to come sooner or later, and if the professional gardeners, the National Association of Gardeners and your esteemed garden clubs co-operate, we will surely find some solution. Horticulture has made good advances here of late years, and for the tired city man, manufacturer or mer- chant what is there in the world so fascinating, satis- fying and stimulating as gardening? Shakespeare well said, "This is an art that doth mend Nature, change it rather, but the art itself is Nature." What joy there is to see the first snowdrops, crocus, winter aconites, scillas or Christmas roses unfold their flowers as the sun melts the last lingering snow covering them ! . What delights are ours as the procession of floral beauties unfold them- selves before our eyes through Spring. Summer and Autumn until even when "Chill November's surly blasts make fields and forests bare" there are still in sheltered spots Japanese anenomes and pompon chrysanthemums, dianthus, pansies, roses, and other hardy sulijects with a secondary crop of flowers or some deciduous shrubs to cheer our hearts, and the added assurance that even though snow and ice may bury our beloved plants, they will grow, bloom and cheer us again in Cod's good season. In this way do I look upon gardening as do many of my fellow gardeners, and I feel positive that the nearer we all get to Nature the richer our lives will be and the better you will appreciate the true worth of the pro- fessional gardener. I hope 1 have not wearied you. I have spoken plainly jusl as my lieart feels. If 1 have seemed somewhat pessimistic I am still a thorough op- timist and hope I have given you a little insight of the drawbacks, discouragements, hopes and aspirations of the oldest, most honorable and most elevating of all call- ings, that of the true gardener, (Address before Garden Club of America at its an- nua! meeting. Colony Club, A'rw York, March 17.) THE RHODODENDRON THE Rhododendron is admittedly the queen of hardy-flowering shrubs. During its main flower- season, late Spring and early Summer, it is one of the most brilliant and gorgeous of all flowering shrubs. It is, perhaps, seen to its best advantage when grown in huge colonies, as in the larger private gardens of the country. But even a single specimen is not to be despised when in bloom, whether grown in the mixed shrubbery, on the lawn, or in a tub. Rhododendrons have a decided partiality for a peaty soil, or one containing plenty of humus. But peat is not an absolute necessity for growing these plants. They will thrive in a good, deep, well-drained loam or medium texture. Clay soils are too cold and damp to suit their requirements, and very light or sandy soils are by no means congenial for rhododen- dron culture. In the latter case plenty of leaf-mould and decayed cow manure is essential for ensuring healthy growth. Then, again, rhododendrons will not tolerate the presence of lime or chalk, so that it is quite useless to attempt to grow them in soils of a limy or chalky nature. It is advisable to prepare the soil thoroughly beforehand. For a single plant dig out the soil 2 ft. deep and 3 ft. wide, and if it be of a heavy nature, discard it, and fill the hole either with peat or with a mixture of loam, leaf-mould, and a little decayed cow manure. Where the soil is naturally a good loam merely trench two feet, and mix leaf-mould and decaj-ed manure with it. The Rhododendron is a compact rooting plant, and hence is more readily and safely moved than other shrubs. Plants have been successfully transplanted even when in flower, so that no one need hesitate to plant in May. The roots must be protected by hay or mats or sacking during the transit from the nursery, and directly after planting a good soaking of water must be given, and the foliage syringed every evening. Once established give the bed a mulching of decayed manure every May and an occasional application of weak liquid manure. Rhododendrons, moreover, must never be allowed to get dry at the roots, therefore water freely in dry weather. Make a practice, too. of removing the spent flowers to prevent seed forma- tion. Rhododendrons do not, as a rule, flower freely every year, but every alternate year. Rhododendrons do well grown in tubs 2 to 3 ft. wide and deep. Pots are not so suitable because they are apt to cause the roots near the interior to shrivel and die. Wood keeps uniformly moist, and hence suits the requirements of the roots. Put at least 6 in. of drain- age in each tub. and over this a layer of decayed turf or peat, and then fill up with a compost of equal parts turfy loam. peat, leaf-mould, and coarse silver sand. Plant firmly. Plant any time in Spring. Great care must be taken to keep the soil uniformly moist, and when established weak liquid manure mav be given once a week from May to September. The plants may be left in the open, no protection being neces- sarv. for May, 1920 189 ^Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiatiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiijjiiiiiiHiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiitmitifiiiiiimiiiiimiJ iiN'<>ii!ii">MMiiiiiiiiiiiiiitit[tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM[iiii[iiiiiiiiitiminiiiijiiitiiiriiiitiiiiiiiiiiniiiijiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiMimimimiraiiiiiKiiiiiiiih I I I The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse I I HENRY GIBSON .May is the month of opportunities for the gardener, and owing to the cold, wet weather we have experienced during April, more work than ever will have to be crowded into this month. Seeds sown early last month have made but little progress, and are at this writing barely showing through the ground. In many places potatoes are not yet planted, and wherever possible this work should be pushed ahead with all possible dispatch. Succession planting of vegetables should be made. In doing this it is well to remember an application of lime, tobacco dust or soot will greatly assist in stopping the ravages of underground worms, which are very partial to root crops. Seed pods should be kept off the rhubarb plants, and if you would have the crops continue over a long period don't omit feeding with liquid manure at frequent inter- vals, and during the hot weather apply a mulch of ma- nure round the plants. Tomato stalks, or trellises should be put in place, and preparations made for setting out the plants as soon as all danger of frost is past in your locality. Egg-plants and peppers may also be set out this month, but caution here is necessary as these plants are veiy susceptible to cold w'eather, hence it is not wise to hurry them unless the weather is settled. The strawberry patch should be given a thorough cultivation at this time applying, as the cultivation pro- ceeds, a liberal application of fertilizer. After which the customan,- mulch of clean straw can be put on to keep the berries clean. String beans may be sown regularly every two weeks to maintain a continuous supply. All sorts of pole beans may be planted at this time — the poles are always best set before the seeds are planted. A seed bed may be made uj) and used for sowing late cabbage, cauliflower, Hrus- sels sprouts, and kale. Watermelons, cucumber, and muskmelons can all be sown in the open, if one has not the benefit of a green- house or frame in order to get early plants to set out. Succession sowings of corn should be made, and lettuce and endive sown at short frequent intervals to maintain an unbroken su])ply of these succulents. In the orchard spraying is the chief item on the calen- dar. Spraying of the fruit trees in the home garden so as to produce edible fruit of a high order is likely to prove a greater factor in heli)ing combat the H. C. of L. than is likely to be appreciated by the average layman. Dust- ing instead of spraying has proved to be effective in con- trolling insect pests that attack our fruit trees, and is claimed by some authorities to be even superior to spray- ing. True, it is considered that dusting is somewhat mt)re expensive in the (|uantity of material needed for each tree, but the greater number of trees that can be covered in only a fraction of the time required to ap[)ly the liquid spray, more than offsets the extra material required. In our opinion dttsting will prove a boon to the home fruit grower with limited time to devote to his trees. With a hand dusting gun one can soon put in some effective work against the coddling moth, and especially on the smaller trees. \\"hen the blossoms on the trees show pink is the time to get busy, and if you decide to try the dust use ''0 per cent sulphur and 10 per cent arsenate powder, and figure alMut two pounds per tree. If the spray is preferred use lime sulphur solution 1-40, and 5 lbs. powdered arsenate of lead to 200 gallons water, and figure about 7 gallons of the liquid to an average size tree. This application should be repeated either as dust or spray when 90 per cent of the blossoms have fallen and again two weeks later. Among the smaller fruits the currant worm may be kept under control by spraying with arsenate of lead, and it would be well to have some sulphide of potassium on hand to keep mildew on the gooseberries in check. In the flower garden little has been done owing to weather conditions, which have held up growth, and con- sequently delayed planting and transplanting. Any of this work that is contemplated should be pushed forward with all possible speed now, or the re- sults of late planting may not prove very satisfactory. .Vfter the middle of the month bedding plants may be set out in many sections. It is well, however, to give some thought to the possibility of late frosts ; we are as likely to have them as not, and one can easily have motiths of hard work ruined in a single night. When annuals have not been started in the greenhouse or frames se^^-ds of all kinds may now be sown in the open ground ; the more hardy ones early in the month, and the tender ones later. Morning glories, nasturtiums, and other annual vines may be sown at this time. See to it that all bare ugly places are covered with vines of some kind, there is a long list to select from, and a vine may be found for every location. As the early Spring flowers fade replace them with annuals, and sow more seeds to replace these as they pass their usefulness. Achillea cut to the ground as it finishes flowering will give a second crop late in the Summer. Iris should never be allowed to suffer for want of water. Remember it is a bog plant and demands an abundance of water when growing vigorously. Towards the end of the month a part of the golden glow may l>e cut down, which will cause the cut ones to flower a'few weeks later than the others, thereby considerably length- ening the season. Have you thought of the roots and bulbs for May planting? There is a host of glorious flow- ers to be obtained by planting these now. The Gladiolus is easily the most popular and best known, but there are not a few others. Coopcria Drummondii offers a touch of white during the season when its coolness is most appreciated. The glorious tall Summer hyacinths, or more properly Galtonia candicans. with its white bell shaped flowers, Bcssara clcgans, Eucharis. Moiitbrctia, Ismene. Oxalis, Iiican'illac, Tuberose. Tigridia. Tritoma and Zcphyranthns. are all of the group of Summer bulbs, with which Summer eft'ects may be had year after vear with very little trouble. Then we have the Inilbous foliage plants, which are indis[)ensable for bedding work and formal eft'ects. Of these the Canna, Elephant's ear (Caladiuiii- csciilcntum) and Pliryniiiin are the most reliable standbys. Then again we have the Summer flowering lilies, which form a group by themselves. Hrmcrocallis and Fiinkia (the day lilies) may be included with the true lilies — cura- litm. figriiuiiii. spcciosiiin and others. All these can lie purchased and planted now. Don't wait too long before cutting the lawn, ^'ou may be busy as can be with other things, but remember it will improve the appearance of the place generally if I he lawn is gone over with the mower in good time. 190 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Lawn-making and repairing bare patches should be com- pleted forthwith. Evergreens that are being kept shaped should be gone over with the shears just as the growth starts. Plantations of evergreen can still be made, and the work should be pushed ahead with all possible speed, before active growth starts, or much of the young growth may suffer from the effects of transplanting. Deciduous shrubs and trees may still be planted, and as the majority of them are now either in leaf or bursting buds the planting should be completed at the earliest possible moment. Early flowering shrubs should be pruned as soon as they are through flowering. A heavy mulch of manure applied to the rose beds will be of great benefit to them in the form of better quality flowers, and while mentioning roses we might say that it is not too late to have a rose garden this year. If prompt action is taken one may enjoy an abundance of blooms next month. Good strong field-grown plants potted last fall are obtainable at reasonable prices. They will be in full growth when you receive them and ready to go right ahead, and flower freely if planted with rea- sonable care. With much of the bedding stock out in the frames hardening off previous to planting out, there will be an opportunity of preparing for ne.xt Winter's supply of cut flowers. Carnation plants should be set out in the field, and kept pinched, and cultivated regularly. In the mean- time the house they are to occupy may be cleaned, and painted in readiness for them. Cleanliness is an impor- tant factor in the cultivation of winter flowering plants, and success in a measure depends upon the preparation of the house. This is even more true of roses, and the benches the plants are to occupy, should be thoroughly cleaned and painted with hot whitewash, before putting in the new soil. Remember too that a very great deal depends on the quality of the soil. Sod that has been stacked for a year or two is to be preferred if one has a choice, but if not freshly cut sod from an old pasture, when well broken up will suit roses very well. Hard-wooded plants such as Genistas, Acacias, etc., should now be placed in a protected place outside where the wood will ripen. Begonias, ("iloxinias and other flowering plants grown in the greenhouse during Sum- mer should be fed freely. Cyclamen and primulas may be placed in a cold frame and slightly shaded. A batch of English frame cucumbers may be grown in the green- house during the Summer. Chrysanthemums should be potted on as required. Keej) them growing right along, for once checked they never produce first class flowers. Melons for Summer forcing should be started at once. SALVIAS FOR THE GARDEN S. R. Candler VERY few groups of plants are so little known and appreciated for their use in the garden as the Salvias. These belong to that well known family of plants, Labiatcc. from which we are supplied with so many gems of the garden. The four Salvias I wish to speak of as of special value for their utility and easiness of culture are : — Salvia farinacea; S. uliginosa; S. aznrea i^raiidifiora and S. patens. All are herbaceous perennials but shall be treated as annuals with the exception of Salvia aziirea grandiflora which, although a native of Mexico, is per- fectly hardy. Salzw. farinacea. The seeds should be sown in the hot bed or in the warm greenhouse about the end of March, and as soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle should be pricked off into boxes about 3 inches apart ; these seedlings should be kept growing in a warm temperature and gradually hardened off till they are ready to be planted in the open ground in May, when they should be planted in a good soil with a sunny location, about 18 inches each way apart. In July they will be one mass of lavender blue flowers. The great beauty of this plant is in the flowers, as the corolla and the calyx are of the same color, and when the former drops the calyx remains and gives the appearance of a sprig of the English Lavender (but lacks its per- fume). Sah'ia farinacea is of importance as a cut flower; it lasts a long time when cut and placed in water, but it should always be planted for effect in bold masses. Salvia uliginosa. The seeds and seedlings should have the same treatment as 6". farinaeea, but with this dif- ference : the plants should always be allowed two feet each way when planting and should have a well manured soil ; they also like a dry location. This Salvia is the last of the Salvias to come into flower but it continues to flower till late fall ; it will grow to a height of 4 to 5 feet and therefore should not be planted in front of the border but at the back. It is a most profuse bloomer and the flower tresses are from eight to ten inches in length and are of a pretty corn- flower blue with a little white in the throat, a most dis- tinct color in Salvias. No Salvia is so useful for massed effect in the border, and while it is a good cut flower it does not equal S. farinacea in that respect. Salvia azurca grandiflora. In the seedling stage this plant requires the same treatment as the above mentioned, but once you have a good supply it will remain with you as the roots are perfectly hardy and the plants will in- crease in strength from year to year. The habit of this plant is not so free as the two already mentioned, the stems are more woody and stifter and the flowers are not borne with such profusion, but still it is a very worthy subject for the garden and vase, as a single stem of flowers forms quite a show of blooms. It is its color that appeals ; it has a blue that is lighter than any other blue in the garden, with the exception of a few Delphiniums. It should be planted not for massed effect, but rather to increase the color scheme of the border and therefore six or twelve plants, planted in clumps every little distance in the border has a very pleasing effect. Salvia patens. This plant requires a little more heat in the seedling stage ancl when possible should be worked into pots before planting out, so as to form strong indi- vidual plants, as the habit of this plant is to send shoots or stems from the crown, and does not branch like 6". uliginosa and S. farinacea, so therefore the stronger the crowns the more flowers will be produced. The plant pro- duces herbaceous roots and where possible it should be taken up in the Fall, potted and kept in a cool greenhouse all \\'inter; in this way other strong plants are formed and the true character comes out the following season. It should be used more as a bedding plant than as a cut flower plant as the flowers do not stay long when cut, but when left on the plant the flower stems continue to grow in length and as soon as one flower falls another is formed, thus keeping up a continuous mass of blooms the major part of the summer months. To be effective it must be massed and if used with Hiinncniannia fiunariarfolia it makes a good combination. The flowers are of a dark blue and have a very large lip, also blue in the throat and are borne sparingly on a long stem. The Salvias mentioned above are types that can be raised in any garden where there is a hot bed and cold frames : they are simple in culture but rich in effect and utility, and are worthy of a place in the garden of al) plant-lovers. For May, 1920 191 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.iiiiiiiiiN iiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiuiii:iiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiifii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiij^ I A Lesson on Growing Good Muskmelons | 1 Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Gardening. Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle 1 I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | aiiiiiniiiiiinimiminiiiiiinmiiiiiiniiiniiiiiniiniinniiiiiiiiniHiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin As used in this country, the word melon is appHed to two oflhe Treg R.u< finished flowers. A collection of cut flowers of GcWxTo-hybrids (South .African Daisy) was exhibited by Mrs. E. V^ Morrell. Torresdale, Philadelphia, Thos. Roberts, .gardener. There were 21 colors repre- sented in this collection of flowers, the flowers ranging from 3 to 5 inches in diam- eter. A collection of Antirrhinum (Giant Flowering) was exhibited by Mrs. S. T. Bodme, Villa Nova. Pa., .\lex. MacLeod, gardener. The flower stems were about 4 feet tall, and the spike of flowers measur- ing from 18 to 24 inches. D.wiD Rust, S'ec'y. WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD HORT. SOCIETY The regular monthly meeting of the above society was held in Greenwich, Conn., April 9. In the absence of President An- drews. Vice-President Harry Jones occu- pied the chair. Two proposals for member- ship were received and one member was transferred to Nassau County Horticul- tural Society. The event of the evening was the presentation of the silver medal of the National Association of Gardeners to Robert Williamson for the highest number For May, 1920 Hllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Illllll Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. 195 Does the Work of Four Men This Coldwell Motor Lawn Mower and Roller (walk type) pays for itself many times in the wages it saves. Does four men's work. Geared to four miles an hour — easily operated. Long wear. Coldwell's Combination Motor Lawn Mower and Roller Model J — the latest ride type machine. Weighs 1100 pounds on the drive rollers, 40-inch cut. Useful on parks, estates and country clubs. Write for complete catalog of the Coldwell line, including Gang Mowers, Horse and Hand Lawn Mowers. Coldwell Lawn Mower Co. Largest Makers of High-Grade Lawn Mowers in the World Office and Factory Newburgh, New York Chicago Office: 62 East Lake St., Chicago, III. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini of points secured during the past year. James Stuart gave an interesting descrip- tion of the Boston flower show, cotnparinij some of the exhibits with those shown at the New York International Exhibition. Mr. Stuart and Mr. Morrow were congrat- ulated on the fine e.xhibits they made at the New York exhibition. The labor ques- tion came up for considerable discussion. It is humiliating to find that Italian and Polisli laborers are receiving higher wages than the professional gardener. On the mo- tion of Mr. Seeley the question of holding a Summer flower show was left over until our ne.xt meeting on May 14. Prizes from the John H. Troy and A. N. Pierson fund will be awarded for exhibits, and a general discussion will be brought up on matters concerning the gardening profession. Mr. Whitton and his committee received a hearty vote of thanks for the concert and dance held at Greenwich March 23. Jack Conroy, Cor. Sec'y. GREENHOUSES Modern Houses of the Better Type Just look at one of these modern hou.'^es and you will "be surprised at the attention given every detail of con- struction. You will find for instance that the framing members are very strong yet so constructed that they cast very little shade. That's why Kings have the reputation of being such splendid growing houses. Write us for the name of some gar- deners near you who have King houses. Ask them or go and see the house. That will tell you the entire story. King Construction Company North Tonawanda, N. Y. 1 West 47th St., New York Harrison Bldg., Phila. 307 North Irving Ave., Scranton, Pa. ST. LOUIS ASS'N OF GARDENERS HARRY BALDWIIM Manufacturer ol \ Greentiouse Shading i Latti Roller Blinds j The local gardeners met Wednesday evening, Ajiril 7, it being the largest at- tended meeting in the history of the organi- zation, the number totaling seventy-five. The scheduled lecture, "City Garden De- sign," was presented by Hugo Schaff, su- . perintcndent of the city school grounds. ' ' ' The speaker dwelt on varied designs con- • ducive to school environments, especially Dpf'ftivflr \ ■ /tAmCure from four lo five inches in iliameter and range ill color freni cream-while, lemon, dear yellow, soft salmon-pink, lo hright red and deepest crimson, and there are also light lavender and sky-blue .shades, and more ch>rming rare "'pa.stel" and art shades in wonderful coiiiMnalions of rose, ])ink. >alnicn and amher. 12 for 90 cents: 50 for $3.25: 100 for S6.00. postpaid W. ATLEE BURPEE CO. NASSAU COUNTY HORT. SOCIETY m Seed Growers The regular monthly meeting was held in M Glen Cove on April 14. President Thomas Twigg occupied the chair. Joseph C. Win- socki and Robert Purcell were elected active members and five petitions for active memliership were received. A letter was received from the Park Gar- den Club inviting the society to attend the Iris and Tulip show to be held at Flushing, L. 1. Mr. Van Ginover of Holland and Mr. Sperling of New York were present, and both of them gave short but interesting talks. This was one of the best meetings ever held by the society, both in attendance and in I'xhiliits. Arthur Cook, Cor. S'ec'y- Philadelphia g IIIIIIIIIUIII The Wonderful "Suffragette" Mam- moth Summer Flowering Cosmos Lnisest blissonis. earliosr hlodinin^ nl all. In normal seasons more than twelve weeks of blossoming. Endorsed by the best and most widel.v known gardeners. I'lants onl.v. .\lso Aster Plants. \\\ kinds and colors nf ^'ick's Ijvst at >atislactoiy piices. b"end for cirenlar. EDWARD LEWIS, Box 750, New Haven, Formerly Derby, Conn. QIALITV RED POTS Made of best material by sldlled labor, uniformly burned and rnrt-fully packed. Famous "Moss- Aztec" Ware includes Azalea Pots. Fern Dishes. IlangiDg Baskets. Lawn Vases, etc. Write for catalogue and price \\sX. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesvllte, Ohio NORTH SHORE, ILL., HORT. SOCIETY The al)ove society held its regular monthly meeting April 11, a very large at- tendance being present. Mr. Scott of La Grange, III., gave a very interesting and practical talk on the moving of big trees. THE FLOWER GROWER Published Monthly for Amatcttr and Pro- fessional Flower Growers Subscription price $1 per year — three years for S2 Grow flowers and thus help brighten the pathway and cheer the hearts of many whose nerves are shat- tered by the horrors of war. Mention the "Gardeners' Chronicle" and 'T:k for a scmf'lc cot-x. MADISON COOPER, Publisher CALCIUM, N. Y. CUT FLOWER BOXES EDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO ■AHurACTUMCNB rniLADKLrNIA. PA. For May, 1920 197 pointing out very clearly the mosl essential methods to follow, and the soil the tree should have to start in new growth. lie also made some remarks on the pruning of shrubs and landscaping. His talk was to the point and highly appreciated by those present. Carter H. Fitzhugh of Lake For- est spoke of the advance made in cold stor- age and root cellars and described the sev- eral methods used in the different States of the Union. Mr. Fitzhugh has made a care- ful study of this problem, having observed the advantages and disadvantages of stor- age for fruit and vegetables in all parts of the United States. Professor Cole of Chicago University will be the speaker at our next meeting. J. R. Clarke, Cor. Sec'y. THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers are imitcd to make free use of this defartment to soH-e problems that may arise in their garden work. Questions on' the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that can be readily answered by applying to the usual reference boohs should not be re- ferred to the Questionnaire. Can you tell me where I can obtain seed of the following Gesneraceae; isoloma. gesnera and achimenes? — R. P. B., Md. liacli of the three genera of the faniil\ Gcsiicracccr mentioned contain numer- ous species, which in the case of achi- iiiciirs. especially, have become much con- tused hy hybridization, and rarely come true to name. .A.chimene's seeds, mixed. are listed by Carters, Boston, but not the others. In all probability, that firm, or Suttons would be able sooner or later to supply isolotiia and gcsuera in certain species. — .A. S. I have in my garden a few white cur- rant bushes. Can you inform me how I can multiply them, as I would like to have more plants of this same variety. — F. R., N. J. \\ lute currant.-^ are easily propa,gated by cuttings of last year's wood taken now. They may be inserted in sandy soil in the open ground or in a cold frame, keeping the sash on until rooted, and shaded from hot sun. Another meth- od is to mound up the bushes with earth about a foot deep; the shoots will throw out roots into the new- soil which can !)e removed from the parent bush the following Sprin.g. Stronger plants are obtained by the latter method, as it enal)les a bush to be divided into well- rooted parts, but a larger qitajttity of young plants can be obtained in one sea- son by taking cuttings. — A. S. Here and There Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiMiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiniiiiLiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiJimiiiuiriHiiiiniuiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu RUSTIC BIRD HOUSES | Do Not Require Weathering | Our famous Iniercliant^cable Xu. 14. | I'^or Wren (ir Uluclnrd. | Price $2 and post cliargcs: weight | 3 lb.s. ' I Our famous 3 for S5.00 liird Houses; | weight 10 lbs. | Crescent Sparrow Tra]), npi.'cia lists in Orchids, We collect, crow, import, export and spII orchids ex- clusively. If you are in the market for Orchids, we solicit your inniiiries and orders. Cata- logues and special lists on application. LAGER & HURRELL Irchid Growers and Importers Summit. N. «J. HILL'S EVERGREENS Send for Price-list. Mention this magazine. D. HILL NURSERY CO. Evergreen Specialists. Largest Growers in America. Box 306 DUNDEE. ILL. Tbe New Hardy Dwarf Edging and Low Hedft Ori'ihuif.irs and Intr rfu.-rrj!: The Elm City Nursery Company Woodniont Nurseries Box 193 New Haven, Conn. Send for Box-B,irherry Folder and General Nnr^iery CataloBue For May, 1920 199 is thai Nature's color is green, and, in every class of plant, green of some shade or other is the predominating color. More than half the beauty of flowers or colored foliage would be lost if there were no green to act as a foil to what without it would be harsh and glaring. In looking at a gar- den gay with flowers in the Summer-time, it is pleasant after a while to rest the eye on a cool stretch of grass or the rustling leaves of trees. The colors of the flowers are not dimmed, but enhanced by the contrast. The eye, how- ever, is rested by the change from the dazzle of reds, blues, pinks, etc., to the cool green if Xaturc. A certain proportion of col- ■ red foliage, however, is neces- >ar>- in the garden, especially during the Winter months, when the green of Nature is practically one uniformly deep tint, and a certain number of colored evergreens is necessary to brighten the landscape. — R.vchangc. Practical Golden Rule A few readers — and only a lew, we hope — laughed at us when we used the above head- ing on this page recently. It struck them as a joke. The Golden Rule, they assured us, was not a practical, workable guide in the everyday atifairs of life. Yet we find that more and more the world is coming to see there is no hope for man e.xcept in his spiritual accept- ance of religion as a reality. For instance, permit us to quote the following from the Literary Digest: " 'Take your Troubles to the Lord — He's your Big Boss,' was the counsel recently re- ceived and acted upon by a body of mill workers in Wheel- ing, West Virginia, who w^ere (ju the verge of going out on strike, and in Cleveland. Ohio, a dispute between Swift & Company and 550 packing house employees was settled after the strikers and the man- agement of the plant had lis- tened to a homily on the love of God and the necessity of returning lo his teachings by John J. Walsh, Conciliation Commissioner of the United States Department of Labor.'' That advice, to "Take your troubles to the Lord — He's your Big Boss," sounds a little flip- pant, iierhaps. But isn't it a piece of sound advice? It proved to be so, to the labor assembly of Wheeling, which passed resolutions to this effect : "First, Be it hereby resolved, that w^e. the duly elected delegates representing all of the organized crafts of the Wheeling district, do hereby unanimously declare it to l)e our belief that the teachings of Christ constitute a platform upon which all men can agree. "Secondly. That we believe they can be applied to modern industrial problems." "This is the first tiinc that either capital or labor has gone on record as officially Two ways of figuring painting costs One wrong — the other right One figures how much a paint costs a gallon. The other figures how far a gallon will go, and how much it costs to make it go that far. One figures on the cost of the paint alone. The other figures on w-hat the paint itself costs, plus what it costs to do the painting. Figured this last w^ay, you will find that Lowe Brothers Paint will go fur- ther and cost less to make it go. To convince yourself that we are not making an advertising claim, rather than stating an indisputable fact, send for cir- cular entitled, "Figure your Painting Cost with a Brush, Not a Pencil." At the same time, enclose 10c. in stamps for the Happy Happening Book. It will prove to be your paint friend, counselor and guide, on anything about painting and varnishing. Lowe Brothers' Paints and \'arnishes arc sold by the best dealer in each town. 482 EAST THIRD STREET, DAYTON, OHIO Boston New York Jersey City Chicigo .^tlanta Kansas City Minneapolis Toronto indorsing the teachings of Jesus Christ," says the Columbus Labor Nczvs. '"On such a stand labor and capital would have no trouble to get together." And the Whccling.-News declares that "the principle of doing unto others as you would be done by, is a pretty good one to follow, and its observance would tend to remove many difficulties, industrial and otherwise. " We hope it will not seem to any reader that labor unions, corporations, and even farm paper editors are out of place in trying to tear down the religious beliefs of the world, and in the reaction a.gainsl their frightful materialism the most modest layman may well take a stand for his faith. — Farm Life. .\ man in the next flat was pounding on the wall. "Look here." he cried, "1 can't sleep with your kid yelling like that I If you don't make him stop, I will!" "Come in, sir — come in ! saiil the kid's the pTVachin'r the' "goVperof the" Golden Rule father. "You'll be as welcome as 'it this time flowers m Spring. The Bolsheviki brethren are passionately -Edinburgh .Seotsnwn giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiimiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihiiiiniiuiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiniiiiimiiiiiin iiiiiiiiuiiimiiiiiiiK The'Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A pUT^p' is a concentrated material — niixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of the disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN FOR THE GREENHOUSE reme- » ,. i i ■ t / t , ,, ... ... — Applied at regular intervals (once eacii dy agamst all sap suckmg insects infesting ^^^^ ^^ ,^„ j^^^j APHINE will keep plants flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is in the greenhouse and conservatory free of most effective. insect pests. r" vJINvjlINlli For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V tilvlVlll^l^ For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. aiiiiiiiiiiHWiiuiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ imiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiminiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim iiiiiniinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiinip'' liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii BE SURE TO ORDER SULCO-V. B. A Combined Contact Insecticide and Fungicide THE GARDENERS' FRIEND— THE MASTER SPRAY /ClWRLEt FREMD'SriDBMUm\ Insecticide To control SCALE INSECTS on fruit trees, Evergreens and ornamental deciduous stock. Plant lice (Aphis) thrips, psylla, etc., on fruit and orna- mental plants and vegetables. Also very man}' species of fungus diseases infesting trees and plants in the Orchard, Orange Grove, Green- house and Garden ; and Sulco-V. B. is the very best remedy you ever used in the poultry and pet stock yCoOK&SwANtoJtlc/ houses to rid them of Vermin. \ NEWlfDBK.U.SA./ BOOKLET FREE Order Sulco-V . B. of your dealer or direct — go lo your dealer FIRST. Address Nearest Office COOK & SWAN CO., Inc. Department V 148 Front St., New York, N. Y. 141 Milk St., Boston, Mass. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu^ 200 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiMiiii!iiiiiimiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiy iiiiiiiiii:i:;;iii;ti STOP! AND LOOK AT THIS PICTURE In our announcement last month you were requested to watch this space for THE machine. , Here it is, the machine w^e told you that w^ould trim edges better and five times as fast as present methods. The cutters revolve at a very high speed, they can never spread to allow^ grass to slip by, they never get dull because of the self sharpening feature. A coil spring and Hyatt Roller Bear- ing does the trick. Scrap your border shears and order one of Richardson's Boulevard T r i m - mers. Write for detail description and price; we want to tell you more about this w^onderful labor saver. 1 Ke KicKardson Ooulevard 1 rimmer Manufactured by THE STANDAKD SAND ^ MACHINE CO. CLEVELAND. OHIO iiii!:ini:ii:!iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiii iiiiiiiriiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu iiiiniiiiii!'; [■'ii-zv of estate of Ijirs. Horatio Hathazvay, K'vzv Bedford, Mass. Thomas Crane. Gardener This tine old apple tree ap- peared to be past treat- ment, says Mr. Crane. Note how Davey e.\perts. after cleaning out the decay, dis- infecting and zvater proofing. have braced the shell and Med it with sectional joints of concrete. This is an ex- clusive Davey process which allows for swaying and pre- vents cracking. The tribute of Thomas Crane to Davey Tree Surgery New Bedford, Mass. The Davey Tree Expert Co., Kent, Ohio. Centlemen: In 1918 my employer, Mrs. Horatio Hathaway, engaged vu have my heartv support in this important profession of preserv- ing our trees. Very truly yours, Thomas Crane. The saving of jiriceless trees is a matter nf first importance on every estate. Davev Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the ma.ximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will l)e mado by appointment. DAVEY TREE SURGEONS THE DA\'EY TREE EXi'ERT CO.. Inc.. 301 Elm .St., Kent, Ohio Branch Offices with telephone connections: New York City. 22,S Fifth .Avenue; Chicago. Westminster Building; Philadelphia, Land Title Building: and Boston. Write nearest office. Permanent representatives available in districts surround- ing Boston. Springfield, Lenox. Newport, Hartford. Stamford, .\lbany. Poughkeepsie, White Plains, Jamaica. MoiUdair, New York. Philadelphia. Har- risburg. Baltimore. Washing- ton. Richmond. Buffalo, To- ronto, Pittsburgh. Cleveland. Detroit. Chicago. Milwaukee. Canadian address : 252 Laugau- chitere West, Montreal. Futlicr of Tree .Siirserv I- I ("i ij nt tile emtto\- of Tlie Davey 'I'rrc L.vtf't 1.0.. hw.. ami tlic public is cautioned a^aitist those Tal.fcly rcf-rcscutius lhcniscl:-es CHRONICL (OF AMERICA) ILLUSTRATED XXIV. No. 6. Published monthly by The '•nicle Press. Inc.. 28fi Fifth Ave.. New York JUNE, 1920 Entered as second-class matter Nov. 3, WM. post office at New York under the act of MmrcB Oldest Rose House In America At The Lyman Estate, Waltham, Mass. It is at least \M) year-^ ric trees, was surveyed by Ceorge Wnsiiinj^tr.n. For four generations the Lyman family have lived there, and still do. The old rose house was heated by a wood fire, with the flue going the length of the house. It's still there, as these pictures show. One ihinrr sure, we must take off our hats to the way they built thiniis in those old Colo- nial dayi of Massachusett's early history. Thev built for lastingness. whether it was their hnme>. thf-ir Iic.iutiful mahogany iv house. iturt, ur a green- If this old rose house, with its frequent paint- ing and good care has lasted for 130 years and is still in the running, how long do you suppose one uf our splendidly built iron framers will stay on the job if given like care? Well, maybe you are rieht; 200 years may not be out of the way. One thing sure ; you and your children, or their children, will still be using them. Wonder if 130 years from now, our present light, airy hou.ses, will look as odd as this old pntriarch does to us? y[ if < The old original ^re box. lUnv 'voitld you Hbc to sit up uights. fir- ins it ii-ith woodf I cry liandy is that sliding draft in the bottom of the chimney, es- pecially Oil stonily days. Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories IRVINGTON New York BOSTON Little BIJb. NEW YORK 42nd St. bldg. CLEVELAND 2063 E. 4th St. PHILADELPHIA Land Title Bldg. TORONTO Royal Bank Bldg. Western Factor^' De3 Plaines. 111. CHICAGO Continental Bank BIdlt. MONTREAL Transportatio»" Bldg. Canadian Factory St. CatKarinea. Ont. n h4i J gim iiiiiii iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiii V ^v BULBS-BULBS— BULBS We are booking orders for early delivery of all Bulb-Stock — American, French, Dutch and Japanese — and advise placing your orders at once to avoid disappointments. Send us your list and we will quote you our best prices. Freesia Purity Lilium Giganteum Dutch Hyacinth in Variety Colored •* Candidum '■ Narcissus in Variety Calla Ethiopica " Elliiottiana *' Godfrey Roman Hyacinths ** Speciosum Rubrum Album Narcissus P. D. Grandiflora Soleil D'Or Tulip, Single in Variety Double in Variety Darwin in Variety Lilium Harrisii " Trumpet Major '* Breeder in Variety " Formosum " Golden Spur " Cottage in Variety Our Orchid Catalogue is ready, if interested send for a copy. VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME *'Let Us Bid On Your Wants" 9 9^ ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s — B u 1 b s— S u n d r i e s West Orange - - - New Jersey William J. Manda Vice-Pres. Joseph Manda Pres. & Trcas. Edward A. Manda Secr'y. iiiiiiyiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy 201 giiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiii)iiiii;iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiwiiiiiiitii[inrtiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiu I MICHELL'S I I HAKDY PEKENNIAL I I FLOWEK SEEDS I GaJHardia Add to the glory of next seasons Flower Garden by sowing seeds of Hardy Perennial Flowers, which are becoming more popular each year. OUR 1920 CATALOG contains a complete list of llic I>c "'««» iiinm iiiim iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniirmi'S sjijiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiinm iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiniimiiiimi iiiii n H iiiiiiiininiimins i 'nil i iiiiiiiiiiini inn inn nniiiin iiiiii ii i i nun iiiiinnnniMiui iiiiiiiiiiHi^ FOR RESULTS USE MASTER BRAND Orchids Concentrated Vine & Plant Manure Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash 2.25% 1.50% 1.50% S.OO^t^ 2.00% 1.00% Sterilized Sheep Manure Guaranteed Analysis ^ Precipitate Phosphatic Manure g E Available Phosphoric Acid 26% = i NATURE'S MASTER SOIL I BUILDERS I Master Brand Manures are thoroughly sterilized in | I Rotary Direct Heat Driers. Absolutely free from all | j Live Weed Seeds and Fungus diseases. Does not con- | 1 tain IS to 30% excess moisture as is found in all air- | I dried manures. Will not rot out the Bags when placed | I in dry storage. Are adaptable for the feeding of a | I greater variety of crops than any other type of fer- | j tilizers. | I Full injormation and prices furnished on application. | I The Proto-Feed and Guano Co. | I 4121 S. La Salle Street CHICAGO | iiiiiniiiiinuiniiiiiiniiniiiniiininiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiniiiiitiiintiiiniiniiiiiiiniiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiinnnuiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiinuiinin If you contemplate buying semi-established, | established or imported orchids, consult us first. | We carry in stock about 25,000 species. j A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- | leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other i choice hybrids. | We specialize in supplying the private trade. | Let us figure on your requirements — our quality | is second to none. | Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot | hangers, always on hand. | Send for our price list. i G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY J Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers | MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK | tauuiaeiMinaauininiuiiinnuniiiunnnnninnnuNniiiiiiiiuinnnnnnniniiiiiiiiiiiiinninnniiininiiiiiiiiiuiuinuiiiiiiiniinuu 204 .^iiiiniiiiniyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiHiiiiiiiiiii << uu kiiuw that the greatest problem you have to contend with i^ dry weather. Kven insects and diseases, on crops which luive an abundance of water to maintain rapid vigorou.s growth, do comparatively little tlamage. It's when the plants are weakened by dry weather that the pests of the garden prove most troublesome. Why put up with all the worries emd uncer- tainties cf taking a chance on the weather. when Skinner System Watering will solve this problem once for all ? One 5h foot line, like tliat demonstrate just what will do. shown above, will Skinner watering It's ready for use by merely attaching- your regular ho«e. It will water J. 500 square feet, and is easily moved to another spot. Send for our new book on Irrigation for the Home Grounds describing watering systems for every place and purpose. The bninnc^r Irri^aHon Co 229 Water Si. Troy, Ohio 205 |iiiiffliimiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii imiiiiiiii iiiiiimii iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiimiiiiiiiniiniiiii iim iiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiinimiiiiiiiiiiiii,iii iiiiiiiiiiinin mi miiiiiiiiiinimnmiiiii iiiinniiii m iiiiiiiiii iiiimmi iie The Contents for June, 1920 Things and Thoughts of the Garden The Onlooker The Fibrous Rooted Anemones Henry J. Moore Making Pictures of Landscapes Foothill Flowers in the Rockies. .S. R. De Boer Clover Honey H. W . Sanders The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse Henrv Cihson A Perfect Pergola Japanese Irises (I. Kaempferi) Hardy Ferns for Shady Places Plant \'our Trees Carefully Gold Medal to Geoige F. Stewart Plant for Year-Round Enjoyment 207 Carl) A. RoTvland A Horticultural Hall for New "I'oik 209 The Cultivation of Fuchsias 210 Ornamental Flowering Trees. . ^r6oru;/7 Airator 211 A Lesson on Plant Parasites and Pests y 1 ■) Arthur S nith Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book 2 1 3 Review 215 National Association of Gardeners 2 1 5 Local Societies 2 I 6 The Questionnaire 2 I 6 Here and There Effect of Lii;lit on I'Idiils. Mriiiorics of 2 1' ]'csterdax. 217 218 218 219 220 223 226 227 230 230 Published monthly, the Iflt of each month. THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. ^ ^ . . subscription . . . . $2.00 a year 286 Fifth Avenue New York, N. Y. Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 MARTIN C. EBEL, Ed.ior g Entered at the New York Post OfUce as second class matter under the Act of Congress, March 3, 1879. 3 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinn Stumpp & Walter Co/s Bulb Catalog A complete list of all NEW and RARE BULBS For Fall Planting and Exhibition Will he ready July 1st The Best Novelties in DARWIN— BREEDER and COTTAGE TULIPS— DAFFODILS-DUTCH HYACINTHS. NEW COLORED FREESIAS NOVELTY WINTER FLOWERING SPENCER SWEET PEAS Best Californian Varieties // we do not have your name on our catalog register, please write for one. Barclay Street ORK CITY imniHHni iiiiiuiiiuiuiuiuwiiniwii>!:!iS'!::iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiniiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiniin^ 206 JllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII [iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture ■ Vol. XXiV JUNE. 19.^0 No. 6 Things and Thoughts of the Garden THE ONLOOKER Sl'KlNG flowers are always awaited \\'itli eager in- terest in this northern chmate and never were they more warmly welcomed than this \-ear when everyone seemed to be "on edge" be- canse of the tardy arrival of Sirring after an es- pecially disagreeable Winter. In Midwinter we are inclined to sigh for a warmer clime, but when at last Spring really arrives the tropics no longer appeal. As compared with la>t year the earliest plants noted were three weeks later in coming into flower, but there was this notable difference, that whereas last year the earliest flowers were ruined by frosts after opening, this year we enjoyed their beauty to the full, and for a longer time than usual owing to the cool weather which prevailed generally through the first part of May. .\t the time of writing- though, the season is fast catching up and the landscape is most beautiful with the delicate tints of young foliage and opening A[)ple blossoms in great pro- fusion. In this locality most flowering trees and shrubs are making or give promise of a very good showing, the Forsythias. Magnolias and the Pyriis faniilv being especially noteworth\- in this respect. The fragrant flowers of the lovely Magnolia stcllata were of perfect purity this year, and although some years we may be disappointed because its flowers are discolored by frosts, it is well worth planting in a favored spot which might be found even in many small gardens. lleing more of the nature of a large shrub, rather than a tree, in habit, and of rather slow growth, it does not rcr[uire nearly as much space for development Ms the larger and later flowering kinds need. * * * Any place which has a piece of woodland included in its area, or even a rough piece of boggy uncullivated ground, presents an op])ortunity for a style of gardening which many people would find very satisfying and rest- ful. Fifty years ago Wm. Robinson, a noted Fnglish gardener and author, wrote his book ''The Wild Garden," in which he earnestly set forth the possibilities and pleas- ures of the naturalization of both native and e.Kotic hardy ])lanls. .^ince then the wild garden has become ipiile a familiar feature in British gardening and seems to be fully as pleasing as the stereolvped budding system so much in vogue when "The Wild Garden" was written. We have manv estates and gardens where ideal condi- tions exist for this kind of work and it is ahvays a pleas- ure to come across ])laces where these conditions have been recognized and made use of to good purpose. There is a ])eculiar beauty and charm possessed by many of the native plants but which shows out to good advantage only when grciwn luider conditions approximating their native haunts. Treated as ordinary garden plants most would sutler in comi)arison with the more showy cultivated kinds, but see them growing in masses in shady, moist, uncultivated places and there is nothing to surpass them. \\ hat is there more pleasing in the opening days of Spring than a broad drift of Bloodroot or the little Hepatica, or what more lovely than a big colony of the giant white Trillium. \'iolets and Wood Anemones, Co- lumbine and Virginian Blue Bells, Marsh Marigold and Forget-me-not come readily to mind as beautiful features in the Spring picture, while at the other end of the flower- ing season we recall masses of Asters, Golden Rod and Joe-Pye weed just as efi^ective and beautiful in their natural setting as the finest well tended border plants of the garden. Then there are lovely -Perns .suitable for almost any situation, some for open sunny places, others for shade, some which flourish in dry ground as well as those which like much moisture. There is really a much greater variety amongst the native Ferns than might at first thought be supposed, some forty kinds being listed by one New England nurseryman. A strong point in favor of developing this kind of flower gardening wher- ever conditions will allow is that all the subjects are quite hardy and the labor and expense involved is not great. There is every reason to suppose that we shall see increasing interest taken in this very satisfying phase of gardening. l"ew flowers show to better advantage when naturalized ihan lio the various forms of Xarcissiis. .\long wood- land walks, on banks, and in rough grassland the charms of these delightful Spring flowers are dis|)layed to per- fection : and we can think of nothing else that will give greater pleasure for so little expense Mid labor. Once established the\- will take care of themselves and make a fine showing for several years if the foliage is allowed to mature before any tidying up takes place. Of course all formality in planting must be strictly avoided, such as straight lines and even sjiacing. else the pleasing natural effect sought for will be entirely sjjoiled. Some garden- ers make it a practice to plant out Xarcissiis after the-'' have been forced in the greenhouse and such chim])S will flower splendidly the following year. It is really a pity that any should be thrown away as long as there are any emptv spaces wdiere they could be planted, such as in the shrub borders for instance, where they would not be in the way of anything else, but would bring added life and beaut v before th.e regular occupants got under 207 208 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE way. So far as varieties are concerned, any of the strong growing kinds seem to do equally well. ;!; :}; :;: Under certain conditions the introduction of rockwork as an edging to long straight fiower borders can be made a feature well worth while and .several instances where this has been done with a decidedly good eiifect are re- called. Such an arrangement allows the free use of many of the low growing and spreading perennials to the best possible advantage, while the plants themselves can be better cared for. One need not be a rock-garden expert in order to make a good job of the arrangement of the stones, but they should be arranged as informally as possible and not used too freely. The nature, of the plants themselves and their proper disposition will still further .strengthen the appearance of irregularity which it is most desirable to obtain. Of the numerous plants available the following are all good doers and easily ob- tainable. Alyssuni sa.vatilc, Arabis albida. Saxifraga crassifoUa. Phlox snbiilata, P. dk'aricata, Ibcris scinf'cr- virens, Daphne cneorum, Anncria niaritiiiia. Liypsophila repens, Cerastium tomentosum. Aster alpimis. Dianthiis deltoides^ Campanula carpatiea, Ncpcta Mussinii. Tunica saxifraga, Saponaria ocymoidcs, Sedum, several species, Sempervivum arachnoideiim, and Heuchcra saiiginiuui. Of several of the species mentioned there are garden varieties which show some point of improvement perhaps in form and ctjlor. Nearly all are more or less evergreen, so that they make a good appearance even when not in flower. A :;: * Anv broad-leaved evergreen shrub which can pass through our northern winters unscathed is worthy nt frequent mention, and still more of wider attention from those who plan and plant beds and borders designed to ,give the best effects for the longest time. The subject of this note, Pieris floribiiiida, sometimes called An- dromeda, is already well and favorably known tn nianw and we have never heard anything but good concerning it. As an edging for a bed of Rhododendrons or a bor- der of coniferous evergreens it is admirably adapted and is also very well suited to planting in the rock garden where it appears to excellent advantage amongst the boulders. The small white flowers abundantly produced in upright racemes open early in the Spring, one of the earliest attractions of the garden. .\s a matter of fact this shrub gives the impression of being in almost con- tinuous bloom by reason of the flower buds being devel- oped some months before opening. Another very good small evergreen shrub, of first-rate habit of growth, free flowering and easy to establish is Lcucothoe catcsbcei. This plant grows to perfection in a moist soil and shady situation, but will Malso stand sunlight and average soil conditions, although here the growth is not so lu.xuriant and the foliage takes on a deeper bronzy tone in the win- ter. The arching sprays of shining green leaves bearing- lovely white flowers in dense racemes are exceedingly handsome. P)Oth these plants are well worth growing in pots for Winter blooming in a cool greenhouse. Plunged outside in the Summer time they give good results for many years with the minimum amount of care. * :i; * It would be interesting to know what kind of plant holds the record for continuous blooming. As far as my experience goes I should award the honor to two of Trickers' hybrid Water-Lilies, Nymphxa Mrs. Woodrov Wilson and Panama-PaciUc. These two varieties are just conijileting their fourth year of continuous blooming and at the present time are going ven,- much strcmger than the redoubtaljle Jnhnny Walker. The plants, which of course are growing in a greenhouse tank, have been kept in healthy condition by ]iartlv renewing the soil annually, using a mixture of e(|ual parts good turfy loam and well decayed cow-manure. They have stood pretty drastic cutting of the roots in this process, which was always done about Midsummer, without suft'ering any check in growth, but a good many of the older leaves were cut off at the time. An interesting feature in both varieties is that young plants are produced at the leaf base. It may be a new idea to some to learn that Water Lilies may be grown and flowered in an eight inch pot on the greenhouse bench. Neat little miniatures can be easily produced in this way by simply stopping the hole in the bottom of the pot with cement, using rich compost and leaving an inch or so of space at the top to keep fillc. The Ijright biu'ning scarlet of the Gilia. Mas it any other name but GHia cv^nii^ataf A long tubed corolla, sometimes the purest white, or the most delicate pink, the brightest scarlet. Biennial is the root of this plant, which is easily grown, multiplies itself by seed into patches of gorgeous colors. The tops grow as high as three feet under culti- vation, but the dry locations where growth is less luxuri- ant and colors more intense are preferred by it. • V statel}" little queen in the grasses of the July meadow, a cjueen among the thousands of other little beauties, is the Mariposa Lily. With its three petals of white, shaded into a Nclliiw green at their base, it barely looks uut over the heads of the other meadow plants. But not a wet ajid liiw 'ground meadow this; can we call it a mesa meadnw ? Cilia (C:tiii iii;ra;^atn ) Mariposa Lily {Calochortus Xutlallii) But it is not for the de- fense of the bright yellow, crimson eyed, blanket tlower, Gaillardia, that the hill is armed. Everybody for himself, God for all of us, is the slogan in the flower world. How bright she is, with smiling m o o n face, this Blanket tlfiwer. Why lilanket ? Ves. g r o w e r of things, lover 1 if the tamed 1) e a u t y , it will groAV in your garden. It will na) tower The mountain side is still snow patched as the I'asqueflower pushes its hairy bud through the bed of pine needles. The Pasque- flower used to be an Ane- mone but of late has take n o u t citizen ]) a p e r s as Pulsatil- la. Planted in the garden on rather dry locations in well drained soil it is a grateful, smiling little flower. As the l)ell on a fortified castle, stands the flower spike of the Yucca. Shall we call it soap- weed ? Good, soap- weed then. Did you ever see the root of this bayonet-like plant ? That is right, we can call it Spanish l)ayonet, but soap- weed is our home name, whv not? Btit the root ; a great big tuber, in which mois- ture and plant food is stored for severe times. .V Yucca covered hill w i t h their green colored leaves in Winter, looks like a well de- fended c a ni \) i n g ground, w i t h the rifles stacked, but loaded, the bayonets .v/,,,,,,;,/, Bavowt or Soaftcccd ready for action. {Yucca) Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) Do not look on your work as a dull duly. If you choose you can make it interesting. Throw vour heart into it. master its meaning, trace nut the causes and ])revioiis history, consider it in all its bearings, tliink how many even the humblest labor may benefit, and there is scarcely one of our diUies which we m.'iy not look to with enthusiasm. \'ou will get to love your work, and if you do it with delight you will do it with ease. Even if at fir>t yon find this imjiossible. if for a time it seems mere drudgery, tliis may be just what you re(|uire: it may be good like moiuitain air to brace up \-onr character. — Lard Aichurx. 212 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Clover Honey H. W. SANDERS THERE is no flower that gives a better honey than white or alsike clover, and the growth of the clover plants by the roadside in the Spring and early Sum- mer watched anxiously by the beekeeper in the Northern States, for the yield from this plant is generally the larger part of his income. The honey is nearly white, of good body, and a delicious aroma, which always makes a keeii demand and a good sale for it. Eor comb-honey it is the whitest and always commands the highest price. June is the month that sees the clover coming into bloom. The bees that have wintered well, and that have been prospered by favorable weather since they were taken from their Winter quarters, will now be crowding the hives with colonies that number thousands and tens of thousands, and the beekeeper will have to be very careful in his management to prevent premature swarming. A swarm iust as the honey from clover is being gathered will be liable to cut the harvest in two, for 40,0C0 bees in two hives will not store one quarter of the honey that they would if kept in the one colony. Some increase will of course be required, either to recover Winter losses, or else for expanding one's stock of bees, but it is far better to make this artificially, than to permit the bees to swarm and spoil the clover crop. Should a swann emerge, despite the care taken to avoid it, it should be hived and the hive placed on the stand occupied by the colonv from which it emerged, the latter colony being moved to a new place. The efifect of this operation is to cause all the older bees of the original colony to join the swarm, for the\' will have marked the spot where theii home stood and will return there the first time they fly to the field. The colony will be so strongly re-inforced bv these field bees that it will produce a larger crop than the "pareiu colony" would have done. The parent col- ony, being thus removed, will in due time hatch out a young queen, and will be in excellent condition *or wintering. How to prevent swarming? That is a question that has given rise to more debate than anything else in all the art and science of bee-culture. Of course, the mere prevention of swarming is easy enough : the caging^ or removal of the queen, will effectually prevent swarming for the swarm will never emerge without her. but how to prevent swarming and at the same time produce a good crop of honey, and have a good bee-yard for Winter, is by no means so simple a business. Where verv- large hives are used and extracted honey is produced, swarm- ing is much less of a problem, but with the standard hives, and particularly with the production of comb-honey, a good deal of care and attention is needed. It is essential to open the hives once a week, or at least once in nine days, and to examine the combs for the queen-cells that are alwavs the signs that a colony is getting readv to swarm. For the busy man who keeps a few hives as a side-line, it is better to have a certain day of the week set apart for this duty, for then it will not be forgotten. If the weather should be unfavorable on that day however, the first opportunity thereafter should be taken. A queen cell is .sealed over when the embrvo queen is nine days old. from the time the egg was laid, and usually a hive that is going to swarm may be depended upon to do so on the first fine day after the first queen cell is sealed over. So that if it is visited at intervals of a week there should be no possibility of a swarm coming out accidentally. Out- of the ifirst things a beginner witli bees think-^ he has found out for certain is that by cutting out queen- cells he will prevent swarming. Occasionally it will, and after the first lot of cells have been removed, or squashed on the comb, there will be no more built, but more often it will be found that the bees will imme- diately start new ones, and will go ahead and swarm on one fine day without waiting for these to be com- pleted. So that it is not wise to try to prevent swarm- ing by this means alone. Our own practice is to exam- ine all colonies once a week, to cut out the first cells that are constructed and to mark such hives and visit them again in three days. If they have resumed the business, then there is nothing else for it but to b'reak up the colony to some extent. The usual method is to take the combs out of the hive one by one. and shake all the bees off in front of the hive and then to place empty combs within it. Thus the brood is all taken away — sometimes one comb of brood is left so as to prevent the bees deserting the hive, but often the entire brood is removed and the bees have to start just as if they were a swarm newly hived. The brood is taken and placed in a second hive-body above a weak colony.. The bees that emerge will then bring this weak one up to full strength in a few weeks. The temperature at night must be considered in connection with this operation. If it is cold and the brood is all given to a weak colony, some of it will perish by cold, and in that case it is distributed between several of the weaker colonies. If the weather is warm and the season prosperous, the brood may all be given to one colony. If there are no weak colonies to be strengthened, the "Alexander plan" is the best. A queen excluder is placed over the colony, and the brood is placed in a hive body above it. one or two combs and the queen being placed below, with empties, or foundation filling up the rest of the hive. By this means all the bees will emerge in this colony and strengthen it, and the maximum of honey will be secured, but the plan is not suitable for comb honey, for the honey gathered is largely placed in brood combs and nuist be extracted. Of course, with either of the above plans, the incipient queen-cells must be destroyed at the time the brood is transferred, and with the Alexander plan, they must be destroved aLjain a week later. IN PRUNING SHRUBBERY /. Study the habits of each sl'ccics and act accordingly. 2. Shearing shrubbery is poor practice ahvays, except in hedges, and is likely to lose the blos- soms. 5. A light cleaning 'with a pair of hand shears iinincdiately after the floicering season will usually serve a good turn. j. Instead of being headed back at the top, most shrubs should be thinned out at the bottom. 5. Instead of cutting out the suckers at the base, the old wood should be removed and young wood left. 6. This Iieacy pruning is usually giz'cn in March, but if zvell done every year can just as well he "■''■<'" '"" Midsujumer. — F. .1. JJ\ For June, 1920 213 WmKltllUIIHIUHIIIUWH HiiitiriiiiiiniuHiiiiimitiiiiiirimiiiiriiiuiiiiiiiiMiMlltHlimHtiuNmNiiHtimwiiiittiinKiHHiriHiiiHiHUiiiNiimiiiiiiiiuu^^ The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse I I HENRY GIBSON ^HmiiiHimitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin mnKtff DURING this month the big item is to maintain the pace already set, and make the most of the grow- ing crops, by frequent and persistant cultivation. Xo matter how good the soil it will not produce good crops, without proper cultivation. It not only helps the crops along by keeping down the weeds, but actual- ly saves a vast amount of labor in watering, by con- serving the moisture in the ground. Of all gardening operations cultivation is one. that cannot well be over- done. Do it during wet weather as well as during fine, as by doing so any signs of trouble from too much water will l)e materially relieved. The loose surface soil becomes aerated and dries out more readily, there! .}• checking any tendency to stem rot, which oftentimes proves such a menace during extended wet periods. Certam of our garden crops grow rapidly at this time of the year, and soon deplete the surrounding soil of all available plant food, which if not furnished results in stunted growth. Here liquid plant food is valuable. insomuch as it is already in a form quickly available to the plants, is easy to apply, quick in showing re- sults, and allows more latitude to the user than any other form of fertilizing. There are several forms of concentrated plant food on the market, accompanied by explicit direction how to apply, that are well worthy of the attention of those whose crops show signs of soil exhaustion. Onions, parsnips, salsify and similar crops may be fed lightly during the month, and more abundantly later in the season. l^eas will be plentiful this month though coming in somewhat later than usual. Pick the pods every day when the vines are bearing, and don't let them get hard and yellow before using them up. If certain of the varieties you have selected seem hard and dry it is because they have been left on the vine too long. Keep the pole beans tied up as they begin to run and save yourself considerable trouble later on. Use the spinach when it is young, and should drouth overtake it turn on the hose freely. The potatoes should be well cultivated, and sprayed, in fact more so than ever be- fore, since from present indications they are likely to lie scarcer, and more costly than ever before. .\s the succession crops of vegetables come on keep them properly thinned out. Don't neglect this important phase of work until the damage done is irreparable. .■\!1 plants that require staking should be attended to as they rer|uire it. Tomatoes should be kept tied up. and eggplants and peppers may need some support especially in exposed situations. As soon as one can do w-ithout it cutting of the asparagus should stop. Don't make the mistake of cutting it until .'Xugnst, and expect good shoots next year. The plants should have an opportunity of rebuilding themselves, and just as soon as the cropping for the season is over is the time to apply a good dressing of well rotted manure supple- mented with a complete commercial fertilizer, then one may reasonably expect a full supjily of shoots an- other season. The asparagus beetle inust be looked out for, and greeted with a good dose of poison when he puts in an appearance. The muskmelons must be kept well spraved : there is nu sure cure for blight, Ijut spraying frequently with Bordeaux will in most instances prevent it. Birds are being considered as friends of the gardener today, but like the gardeners' bo\- they have an hal)it of violating the neutrality of the strawberry patch, and some protection is necessary. A net is best. A series of strings run along the rows with wdiite cloth strips attached, will also help, and we have seen a cat in a wire cage do some useful work. Bush beans, beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, chard, cucum- bers, endive, radishes, lettuce, spinach, muskmelons, watermelons, etc., may be sown now for succesions. Lettuce should be sow'n frequently and in small patches at this time of the year and wherever possible provision should be made for a semi-shaded position when setting out the young plants, as the strong sun in Summer causes the heads to run to seed quickly. English Frame Cucumbers can be grown in the open or better still in a cold frame or spent hotbed if one is available. Lay dow-n a few pieces of pea brush for the vines to climb over so that they will be oli' the ground. Several plantings of corn shotild be made during the month. C'n small areas rows are preferable to hills, insomuch as they are more easily handled. The rows should be three to four feet apart, accord- ing to the variety and the plants thinned out to from eight to twelve inches apart. Keep the sweet peas picked clean when they com- mence flowering. Don't allow any pods or seed to develop or the vines will stop producing. Nor should they be allowed t(.) sufl:'er for want of water. Once the vines begin to turn yellow there is no hope for them. Complete the setting out of bedding plants as soon as possible, keeping any surplus in reserve for filling blanks that may occur. Stakes should be oil hand and all flowers tied up as they reqtiire it. As soon as Achillea is through flowering cut it down to the ground so as to get another crop of blooms later on. Keeping all dead flowers picked off not only helps the plants but adds materially to the general appear- ance of the garden. Ca>ropsis cut close will make a show of color all the season. Labeling and marking of plants to be nuncd later should be done whilst they are flowering. Sowings of annuals may still be made, for it is not yet too late to start a flower garden. There is a vast number of seeds which, if sow-n at this time, will pro- duce freely of flowers between now and the first frosts. Asters. .Annual Gaillardias, Clarkias. Larkspurs. Lupines. Poppy. Amaranthus, Arctis, Zinnias, Candy- tuft. Alyssum, .Annual Gypsophylla, Cornflowers. Mari- golds, and many others afford one a wide choice. The ro.ses need attending, too. .\ little li(iuid manure applied occasionally will help them a lot. Don't how- ever, over-do it or a weak soft growth may result, which is not conducive to free flowerin,g. Keep the rose bugs picked of? the plants. Wq have now a com- mercial commodity which, it is claimed, will kill these pests by sprayin,g it on, but we prefer to extend our acquaintance w-ith it further before we can vouch for its efficiency in this respect. Sprayin.g of the fruit trees should be continued as 214 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE occasion demands and opportunity offers. Thin the fruit on trees that are carrying too large a crop, in fact it is good practice on all trees where really fancy fruit is wanted. Keep an eye open for the borers, and cut them out at once. Peach trees affected with yellows should be cut out, and burnt as soon as found, since this is a disease that spreads rapidly. A mulch should be applied to all small fruits as they are shallow rooters, and soon show the eff'ects of drouth. Relieve the annual Spring rush by cutting out the old woody shoots of the .currants and gooseberries, immediatelv picking the fruit. Grapes should be tied up, and if troubled with insects, and you want high quality fruit co\'er the bunches with bags. About the grounds the elms will need to be sprayed with arsenate as early in the month as possible, as it is of little use doing' it after the larvs begin to come down. Large trees newly planted should not be allowed to suff'er for want of water, and take time to apply a good mulch after watering. The new shoots on tile climbing roses should be tied up, and after the flowering period is past remove one or two of the older stems and tie the young ones in their place, in this wav there will always Ije a supply of young wood for flowering. Seed pods should be removed from ever- green flowering plants, such as Rhododendrons, An- dromedas. Kalmias, etc.. as they are an unnecessary tax on the plants. Immediately they are through flowering is the time to prune the early blooming shrubs. Don't make the mistake so often seen of cutting the tops off" at any regu- lation height, but get down into the plant and remove some of the oldest wood, so that new wood will l.ie l^roduced for flowering another year. In the greenhouses we are at a period of the year when preparations are being made for next \\'inter's supply of cut flowers. The old plants thrown out. soil renewed, and a general clean-up given prior to a fresh start. In proceeding with the general clean-up. it may be well borne in mind, that such plants, as Aduiiiluin. croi^'canmn. ciiiiratiini. i^racilliiiiimi. the ptcns. cvti<- iiiiiiiii. [^Dlvjyidiiiiii. darallia. )ic[>hrolcl'sis. etc.. not to mention cyclamen . prinnilas. and other floweiinu: plants, will do as well or better in frames, than in the greenhouses. They will not only thrive, but they are out of the way, and will not have to be carried from place to place during the cleaning operations, and moreover less liable to get damaged. Where antirrhinums are to he grown for an earl\- Winter crop, the seedlings should now be read\- to prick off. so that they may make all the growtli jiossi- ble before planting to the benches early in .Vugust. While the tall varieties give the best spikes, yet where a variety of flowers have to be grown in one house, as is often the case where greenhouse space is limited, the intermediate varieties can well be planted on the side benches in the chrysanthemum house to which thev make fine companion plants, as to temperature and general growing conditions. Strong plants, free from fungoid disease, will commence to 1)lig American, and of becoming a fital principle m the life of each of us. "The Pilgrims came to Plymouth to worship God and to make homes, determined never to return to Europe. They -icerc li'illing to prosper if it were God's decree, but above all they came, as Bradford put it. 'to live a distinct body bv ihon.fch'es,' or as Robinson put it, 'to become a body politic' "In these troublous times, when freedom of speech is being used for the purpose of forcibly undermining the Government of the United States, it is well to remember that the Government of the fathers is unfit to suri'ive if it is pozcerless to j^rc'cent unlaz^'ful assaults upon its authority. "Whatever you may think about it, I hold that the first duty of an American is to worship God — not my concep- tion of zi'hat God is. nor your conception — but God in the large and generic sense of a great first cause, a tnighty ruler of the uncharted uniz'crse. Beyond thai each of us has the right to clothe diz'inity in such garments as suit our- o~s.'n judgments and consciences "The second duly of an American is to make a home — and that's an all important tiling. Dispense zfilh as many things as you zvill in modern life, you have lost naught if you have retained a spot thai you leave zAth regret at break of day and tozcard lAiich the eyes of your heart turn at ez'cry zi'aking and absent moment. "So those zvho come here not intending to make per- manent homes^ but e.vpecting to return should not be re- ceiz'cd. This land should be loved no longer for its op- portunities alone: it should be loved for its in.'!-tilutions as Zi'cll. Newcomers should he made to learn our language, that they may understand our ijistitutions. If atheists, homeless zi'anderers and fortune seekers had been kept zAthout our doors one of the great lesso)is of the Puritans zi'ould luiz'C been learned and American institutions v.'ould nozv be backed up by citizenship more cohesive than ours." —Thus. R, M.\rsh.\u., Vice-President of the United States. For June, 1920 A PERFECT PERGOLA. The illustration has Ijeeii reproduced from a photograph taken in the garden at Xorlh Lodge. Parktovvn, Johannesburg, and affords a good example of what a pergola ought to be. The proportions and manner of Imildin.g are all that could lie desired and the amount of "cloth- ing" provided hits the happy mean so rarely secured for this kind of garden structure. Usually in this country one sees pergolas cither looking bare or heavily over-weighted with creepers and other things. Here a variety of creepers has been chosen and the draped pillars look like the work of an artist. This is where the beautiful form of leaf mosaic makes to us its sure appeal, all sorts of fair_\ lingers beckon when the soft winds blow, and over-head, roses of pale pink and yellow nod their heads and occasionally throw us be- witching glances frotn below the beams. The top beams running the entire length aid tlie perspective ; while the little square base from which each pillar rises, adds greatly to the effect, bridging the gap between stone work and pillar. At the bottom of the stone work where it meets the grass on the inner side, lines of prim- roses bring joy to the heart each year, and seem to like their association with the stones In some places on the tops of the walls the owner has had pockets made by the omission of stones. In these, suitable plants are grown and a less harsh and gentle outline is thus obtained when looking across from either side. The rounded wall at the end. above the seat, height and forms a most agreeable terminatii alley leading up to it. Here light and shadow in 2LS is just the right Summer form a | m to the green changing all the y the long days of Country Life. licture in themselves and one that is ever- ear lhriiu.gh. — South African Gnrdcning and JAPANESE IRISES— (L KAEMPFERI). WHILE the genus Iris is rich in beautx and variet\ . and affords material for either the amateur, professional, or enthusiast-specialist gardener to revel in for nearly six months of the year, the section above named stands not onl\- pre-eminent of it.v race, but equally so among moisture-loving flowering plants at any season of the year. In a word, the Japanese Iris is unique, whether viewed frtjni the st.-m.li'.oint of the splen- dor of the floral disjjlay and the living i-iictures the flow- ers create in garden scenery, or because of hardiness, or because of the several ways which they may be employed with good results in gardens regardless of their size. This nuich is said advisedly, since it was thought in the past — the idea is less prevalent today — that these plants coifld only be successfully grown at or near the water's edge. The idea was wron.g. and led numbers into plant- ing them in such places regardless of soil. In not a few instances clay of a most uncongenial type surrounds natu- ral water basins, and this the Japanese Iris detests. E(|ually bad, or worse — it was in many instances attended by fatal results — among the earlv misconceptions of the plant's requirements was constant partial submersion in water, the heavy toll paid for so doing quickly telling the intelligent cultivator it was wrong. Twenty-five or more years ago, when many were urging the water-side as the only pos.sible way of growing these Irises, I had them in considerable luxuriance in richly manured field soil, which in Summer time became dust drv many inches deep, a near neighbor growing them equally well in old potting soil in a worked-out gravel pit ; hence it will be seen that the amateur with a solitary bed may score a success equally with the millionaire who appears to possess conditions more approaching the ideal. Pro- fessional cultivators, too, for some years past have real- ized the truth of the above statement, while the fact that the plants lend themselves so well to various j)osition.s in the garden should make of the latter — large or small — a more beautiful place than was possible before the whole truth concerning the likes and dislikes of these Irises was revealed. True, they are moisture-loving in the highest degree. True, too, that they associate admirably with water areas and are specially adapted for water-side gardening. For this they are ideal. At the same time it should be re- membered that water is not their all-in-all. Equally important is a rich vegetable soil in which the roots can ramify freely; close, tenacious soils they abhor. Then of almost paramount importance, if perennial success is to be ensured, is raising the soil of the waterside planting area a foot or more above water-level, at which height the roots will descend and .get all the moisture the plant requires. It is a far safer plan than the risky one or sub- merging, or even of having the roots continually in wet ground. These, theti, are the things that matter in their cultivation : at once those to adopt and those to avoid. The amateur to whom only a solitary bed is perhaps possible should arrange the surface of the bed slightly below the surrounding level, so that during growth and approaching the flowering period an occasional soaking of water may be applied with advantage. An item worthy of committing to memory, too, is that these plants have a voracious appetite, the established clumps form- ing huge mats of fibrous roots: hence a rich soil is inucli to their liking. In the case of li.ght soils I prefer to em- ploy a heavy dressing of cow manure, the cooling efl'ccts of which r;ither than its nianurial value I find excellent for the plants. Incorporruing some that is well dt'cayed with the soil, a further layer a foot deep is good as a retainer of moisture and in other ways. These Japanese Irises provide a rare fea.st of color beauty in the garden — white, blue of many degrees, rich violet. crim.son. purple, rose and other shades which defy description. .\nd while the color effect appeals strongly, l)crhaps even greater do the waving picturesque flowers api)eal — flowers comparable to nothing but themselves, whose beauty no pen-picture could pos.sibly portray. — E. II. Jknkins in Tlir Ciardrii (English). 216 GARDE^ERS^ CHROMCLE HARDY FERNS FOR SHADY PLACES IN a great many gardens there are numerous situations where, owing to the shade of adjoining buildings, walls, or overhanging trees, the majority of flowering plants refuse to thrive, and consequently these places are. more often tKan not, far from at- tractive for the greater part of the year. This ought not to be. In the man}' and varied families of hardy Ferns we may find beautiful and interesting plants that can, with a comparatively small amount of trouble, be induced to grow well in such places and give us their graceful fronds in abundance for many months of the year. Apart from their usefulness in transforming erstwhile ugh' spots into dales of beauty, these hardy Ferns are well worth a place in the best gardens, because no other plants will provide us with such an atmosphere of refreshing coolness on a scorching hot day in Mid-Summer. Nor must we for- get their Winter beauty. If the dead fronds are al- lowed to remain in situ, as they should be, until well into the Spring, they provide quite a study in russets and varying shades of brown during the dull days of Winter, when interesting features in the outdoor gar- den are none too plentiful. Another feature that ought not to be overlooked when hardy Ferns are under consideration is their almost unique suitability for association with flower- ing plants that either appreciate fairly dehse shade in Summer or which flower early in the year, when the biting blasts of the slowly lengthening days sweep over the land, and when the shelter of the dead fronds is so welcome to their floral neighbors. One has vivid recollections of the companionship of a riotous mass of hardy Ferns and stately Foxgloves in a woodland glade, where shade and moisture, with an abundance of decaying vegetable matter in the soil, were evi- dently highly appreciated by the twain. But even more vivid is the recollection of a woodland scene in the cold, almost cheerless days of January and Febru- ary, when Snowdrops, Scillas, Christmas Roses, hardy Cyclamen, the dainty little Narcissus minimus, and its larger, though almost equally early confrere, pallidus precox, were nestling their flowers content- edly in the curled russet fronds of the Ferns. Such a scene is possible in every garden where tall trees. excepting Beeches and those of an evergreen char- acter, are present. However we may decide to group or associate our hardy Ferns with other plants, a few points are es- sential for successful cultivation. It will have been gathered, from what has already been said, that the majority of hardy Ferns suitable for growing in our gardens' like a cool situation and soil that is reason- ably moist and contains a good proportion of decay- ing' vegetable matter, generally in the form of dead leaves. This is not always easy to arrange, particular- ly where the plants are to be grown under the shade of trees ; but even though the soil there is not so moist as we would like, many of the Shield Ferns or Poly- stichums, the Broad Buckler Fern (Lastrca dilatata) and the Lady and Male Ferns will thrive. But pre- vious to planting, the soil should be well and deeply dug — as deeply as the roots of the trees will allow — and if poor, some good fibrous loam, old decayed leaves and some short, well-rotted manure thoroughly mixed with it. Hardy Ferns that are grown under trees in this way must have generous supplies of water during hot weather, but this is not. in most gardens, difficult to arrange, and the results will cer- tainly more than compensate the owner for the outlay. Where the shade is supplied by surrounding, not overhanging, trees, boulders of rock, buildings or walls, and where the soil is naturally moist, the many beautiful forms of the Hart's-tongue Fern will thrive to perfection. The variation among these is really wonderful, yet I must confess that few appeal to me more than the plain-fronded type. In too many the foliage seems distorted and far from what Nature in- tended this beautiful Fern to be. With its roots al- most in water, that most noble of all hardy Ferns, the Royal Fern, Osmunda regalis, and its dwarfer variety gracilis, will make a stately feature in the shaded garden. One of the most pleasing features of a rock garden in Summer is its moist corner bedecked with hardy Ferns, or the tumbling cascade, the sides of which are fringed with swaying, graceful green fronds of perhaps that gem of hardy plants, the Kil- larney Fern, the foliage of which must ever be cov- ered with a film of moisture to preserve it from the least suspicion of a drying wind. The subject is one that could be pursued indefinitelv, so numerous' and varied are the Ferns which are hardy with us ; but enough has been said tO draw attention to their use- fulness and attractiveness at all seasons. PLANT YOUR TREES CAREFULLY IF trees arc to live and thrive they nlust be planted right and cared for properly thereafter, otherwise it is a waste of time and money to plant at all. If you are among the number who contemplate tree planting this Spring, either on a large or small scale, resolve to give the work the care and attention it deserves. An ob- servance of the following simple directions should help you to succeed. Be sure to get strong, healthy trees, with good roots. Dig large holes, much larger than the actual spread of the roots, and see that good soil is provided for filling in. Spread out the roots carefully, each little fibre in its natural direction. \\'ork the earth in about the roots In- hand, as it is filled in : when nearly filled in, wet down thoroughly (a pail of water to each tree is none too much), then fill in the remainder of the soil and press down firmly to prevent drying out. If the location is exposed it is well to fasten the tree to a stout stake driven firmly into the ground, but be sure to use some soft material for tying about the body that will not in- jure the bark by chafing. If protracted dry weather ensues, water at fre(|uent intervals. A mulch of straw or other coarse material, or even a few large stones that will shade the ground about the tree will prove beneficial. While planting, or making ready to plant, never allow exposure of the roots to sun and wind. Carelessness in this respect is a frequent cause of failure. When tree,; are removed from the nursery, many of the fine rootlets and, in some cases, the larger roots are mutilated or destroyed. To correspond with this loss of roots or feeders, the top of the tree should be pruned and properly shaped before planting. It is better to be over-severe in this pruning than to err in the opposite direction. Remember that a small mass of roots cannot gather sufficient nourishment to feed a large top. If vou intend to work there is no better place than right where you are: if you do not intend to go to work, you cannot get along anywhere. Squirming and crawling about from place to jilace can do no good. — Abraham Lincoln. For June, 1920 217 GOLD MEDAL TO GEORGE F. STEWART THE gold medal of the National Association of Gar- deners has been awarded for the first time to George 1'. Stewart, gardener to Arthur Lyman of Wal- tham, Mass., for a collection of nine plants of Calceo- larias, which were exliibited at Horticultural Hall, Bos- ton, on May 15. The committee appointed by Pres- ident Jensen to to judge the ex- hibit, \V m . N. Craig, Duncan Finlavson, and Walter H. Colby, reported that it deemed the exhibit well worth the highest award of the national asso- ciation. Mr. Stewart, the grower of the plants, writes of them as follows : ' ' S o m e w h ere around 19 06, I crossed Calceolaria hyhrhla with Cal. rugosa, V a r i e t }■ Golden Gem. The last named was the female, or seed bearing parent. The male, or pollen parent, was a yel- low hybrida with brown spots, a plant of compact, short- jointed growth, of the well-known James' Strain. I do not now remember how many plants I raised and flowered of that cross, but there were quite a number, and I flow- ered them all in two and a half inch ])ots. AIv aim was One of the I'Uints of the Exhibit of Calc of Gardeners' 111 .l;^I a Lalceolaiia wi.ii j);i.e _\cllow flowers of .some- what freer growth than either m-osa or hybrida, which could be raised freely from cuttings. Any one who has raised Calceolarias from seed, knows how hard it is to get them safely through the hot months of Summer. There were a number of dift"erent and interesting plants among the plants flowered from the above cross, but not knowing any- thing of •■Mendel's Laws" or plant breeding of any kind, I threw them all away except the yellow one. now k n o w n as Cal. Steivartii, which I then thought came nearest what I was after. The other three varieties, -Med ford Gem, Bailcri, and L\- luaiiii, are the same cross, using a dif- ferent color of the same strain of liybrida. The last named variety has, 1 consider, the most compact and freest growing habit of any I have y e t ra'ised . , , and was most ad- mired on that account at the exhibition. As to the difl:erent shades of color, that is a matter of taste " Sometime in the near future, Mr. Stewart vvill' con- tribute some notes to the columns of the G.^rdeners' CiiROXTCLE on the culture of these plants. •olarius oicarded llie \alioiial .issoeidtioii Gold Medal. MANURING ORCHARDS Arthur Smith GENERALLY speaking apple orchards last year yielded heavy crops of fruit, and the strain of a load of fruit is undoubtedly felt by the trees, which is often shown by lack of growth and early falling of the leaves. It is obvious, therefore, that such trees should be manured during the ^^'inter, or early Spring. Fruit-growers do not always find it easy to decide whether their orchards need manuring. It has been laid down as a rough guide that feeding is required when trees make less than a foot of young growth besides bearing a crop of fruit ; but this would hardly apply to old trees which cannot be expected to make so much growth. At the same time it is the older trees which re- quire, and which will give good returns for mantiring, and these returns are most apparent in the increased size and quality of fruit. W'hile some advocate manuring orchards only once in three years, the writer has found it pays to manure comparatively old orchards every year. Of course the trees were all healthy and the previous want of results had been caused by want of food, but naturally it would not be desirable to manure trees with decaying trunks that are dying from extreme old age. Farmyard or stable manure undoubtedly gives the most satisfactory results, indeed, on manv soils chemical fertilizers give little benefit which can be traced, although one can hardly imagine that they have no influence. \\hile fruit trees are young, manures should be ap- plied to a space under each tree a couple of feet beyond the spread of the branches, and in the case of an orchard that has done at all well for fifteen years the entire sur- face of the ground should be manured all over. Manure for fruit trees should be allowed to remain upon the surface and never spaded or plowed under, so as to keep the roots near the top and to discourage them from penetrating too deeply into the subsoil, as the latter results in the production of unfruitful w'ood. While the starving of fruit trees is a mistake which is clearly shown by poor crops and small fruit, it is, how- ever, quite possible to give too much manure — especially in the case of young trees — the result being rank growth rather than fruit. Trees that are growing too fast and failing to bear .should certainly not be manured, no mat- ter how long since they received the last application. In thi.s connection, when considering the manuring of an entire orchard, it will sometimes be advisable to leave some varieties, or even trees of the same variety, un- manured, or to give some a much lighter application than others : in these respects the value of expert knowl- edge will be apparent, and also a knowledge of the trees' behavior in the past. 218 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE A HORTICULTURAL HALL FOR NEW YORK AAK )\'1''..M I'lXT has been started to fuuml a Imni- cuUural hall in New York City, which is to Ije representative of American horticulture. At a recent meeting of the Horticultural Society of New- York, John Scheepers of New ^'ork was empowered to organize a committee, the members of which will be an- nounced shortly to be composed of prominent men and women of America interested in horticulture. After this committee has been organized, various sub-commit- tees will be appointed and a campaign started to raise the necessary funds to carry out the project. The present plans are to erect a structure on a cen- trally located site in New York City. In its architec- tural design it is proposed to make the building somewhat on the lines of the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais of the Champs Elysees. Paris. A main exhibition hall in which the International Flower Shows and other events of similar nature may be held is to be provided, besides meeting rooms, lecture halls, and general offices to be devoted entirel}' to the horticultural interests. The interest already manifested on the part of those who are willing to lend their names to the movement and give their support td it. furnishes assurance that it will be successfnllv c;irried cuit. \ iolas or Harrison's Musk, a very pretty effect is pro- duced. Some of the dwarf-growing Fuchsias themselves may. if [jreferred, be used for carpeting purposes. In any etiumeration of the uses to which Fuchsias may be put, the hardy kinds must on no account be passea over, as they flower profusely during the latter part of the Summer, having small, gracefully reflexed blossoms. A desirable feature of the different Fuchsias is their simjjle cultural requirements, which stands them in good stead in small gardens as well as in more pretentious establishments. The named varieties are readily in- creased by cuttings, which may be taken at any time during the growing season. The best time, however, is in the Spring months, when the plants, just awakened from their ^Vinter's sleep, push out new shoots. As soon as these shoots are from IjA inches to 3 inches long, they form very suitable cuttings. If the bottom pair -of leaves is removed and the cuttings inserted into pots of light, sandy soil, they will, in a close propagating case in a .gentle heat, strike root in about a fortnight. In the Sum- mer they will strike readily without any artificial heat, provided they are kept close and shaded. ^^"hen rooted, they must be potted singly and shifted into larger pots as required. A suitable compost for all Fuchsias may be made up of two parts of loam to one ijjih'ul I\ilaty t h,:iiil's F.lysrcs. t'aris, after : mode THE CULTIVATION OF FUCHSIAS TIIERF are very few classes of plants that can be put to as many different uses as the numerous forms of Fuchsia which we have now in our gar- dens. For the embellishment of the greenhouse or con- servatory they may be grown either as bushes, pyramids or standards, according to individual taste. The tendency to train them in standard form is decidedly on the in- crease, and certainly the flowers, owing to their drooping nature, are seen to considerable advantage when grown in this way. The looser-habited kinds are also verv pretty when trained to roof or rafter, under which con- ditions they will keep up a display of bloom throu.ghout the entire season. Outdoors during the Summer they are invaluable, either as large specimens sunk in the turf or grouped in a bed, thickly or thinly, according to individual fancy. When disposed over the surface of a bed at such a dis- tance that each individual has space to show its true character, and the ground underneath is clothed with some low-growing flowering plant, such as the Ijedding ■x'hicli the pniposcd Horticultural Hall for A'l'tC York City ivill be lied. l)art each of leaf mold and well-decayed cow manure, with about half a part of sand, the whole being thor- oughly incorporated together. If the young plaiats' are intended to be grown as bushes, they should have the growing points pinched out in order to induce the formation of side shoots: if as pyramids, be tied to an upright stick and the development of side b-ranches encouraged : while for standards a good stake is necessary, and the removal of all side shoots till the required hei.ght is attained. The pots should be well drained, as Fuchsias need a liberal quantity of water during the growing season, yet at the same time they ver\ much resent stagnant moisture. In the Winter. Fuchsias lose their leaves, so that they may be readily kept at that season anywhere just safe from frost. They need then little or no water. Taken into the greenhouse in the Spring and watered, they will, under the influence of light, air and moisture, quickly start into growth. When taken from their Winter quar- ters, any straggling shoots may be shortened back in order to ensure .good shapely specimens. — Gardrnim; For Jan.; 1920 219 Ornamental Flowering Trees ARBORUM AMATOR {Continued ) TliliSE may be used on grounds of moderate area as single specimens on open spaces, or for outlining dri\'e\vavs, or along the boundary lines, or in corners. THE SOUTHERN CATALPA {Catalpa bignonici- dcs) is hardy as far north as Xew England, and is of vcrv rapid growth, and thrives in almost any soil. It has a spreading habit of growth and carries many branches. In mid-June its panicles of fragrant white llowers. spotted with violet and yellow, a|)pear amid its heart-shaped leaves. The poetess i'hoebe Cary brings before our mind's eve in the following lines the shape of the Southern Catalpa : "Near the porch grows the broad catalpa tree. And o'er it the grand zcistaria Born to the purple of royally." THE EMPRESS TREE (Paiclonia iniperialis). a relative of the Catalpa. resembles that tree both in folia.ge and habit of growth. This noble, broad headed tree, though hardv as far north as Massachusetts, does not bloom regularlv north of Xew York City- It bears in great profusion in June panicles of very fragrant, violet colored, trumpet-shaped flowers resembling those of the foxglove. Forty-eight Of these trees planted in a row just inside the street boundary line on the derkin estate on King's Highway, Brooklyn, N. Y.. are splendid speci- mens of this tree, and present a beautiful sight when in bloom. The odor of their flowers is delightful and so penetrating that it is carried a considerable distance by the winds. So numerous are the blooms of the Pawlonia that when they fall they cover all the space beneath the tree with a beautiful violet blanket. The leaves of this tree are heart shaped and often on young trees eighteen inches or more in diameter. The growth of the Paw- lonia is very rapid, and trees from the seed, which are produced in great numbers, flowers when no more than eight or ten years old. This tree is a native of jaiKUi and China, and the first specimens are said to have been im|>orted Ijy the late Robert P>uist, of Philadelphia. THE XAT1\I{ Rb:D BUD TREE (Cercis Canaden- sis) bears on its leafless twigs in i\Iay a profusion of rosy purple llowers, arranged in fascicles directly on the bark. There is a white flowering variety (alba) of this species. The species Japonica is a lower growing tree bearing larger flowers more thickly placed, and silaquas- truni. the European Red Bud, has brighter ]ntrplc flowers. .\1I the Red Buds have a branching habit of growth. Canadensis and its variety, alba, are hardy, but the other species are not hardv farther udrtli than X''cw York. The Red iiud is sometimes calleil the judas Tree, be- cause of the tradition that the betrayer of our Savior hanged himself on a tree of this kind. I'.uUver Lytton speaks of it by this name in one of his verses: ''Your Judas tree begins to slicil those criuison buds of Ills." TUV. YELLOW WOOD {Cladrastris ) ]> a hardy native tree. The species, tinctoris. bears white. ])ea- shaped flowers, which droo]) gracefully from the ends of its branches, while the species Amurense produces its flowers in erect clusters, and the standard petal of each liuwer has on it a yellow spot. The pinnate foliage of this tree adds greatly to the beauty of its June blooms, and in the Autumn assumes a bright, yellow color. THb: S0RRI-:L or SCJUR wood TREE (O.ry- dendrnin arboreinn or Andromeda arborca) in Mid- summer bears tiny white bells in loose clusters. The light brown seed pods also make this tree attractive dur- ing its seeding period and after its blooming and seeding season is over its long, shining, green leaves turn to a lironzy-red. and later to orange, and prolong its beaut\ into Autiunn. This tree is native to the mountains of i'ennsylvania and southward, but is quite hardy in the middle northern States. The name. Sour Wood, is given this tree because of the acidity of its leaves, and for the same reason it is called Sorrel Tree, as the leaves of Sorrel are aciil. The flowers coming in slender terminal panicles from their form and beauty have caused the tree to be called sometimes Lily of the \'alley Tree. Though in a wild state it sometimes reaches a height of 40 to_ 50 feet, it be.gins to bloom when no more than three feet high, and it can be grown as a shrub as well as a tree. YULAX MAGXOLI.\ (Magnolia conspicua). a na- tive of Japan and China, is a tree of spreading habit of growth. This is one of the most showy of the magno- lias, especially in April and May, wdien its sweet scented flowers appear often six inches across, campanulate in form, and of purest white. THE U:MBRELLA MAGXOLIA {Magnolia tripc- tala). a native of Pennsylvania, and farther south, de- rives its common name from its spreading habit. Its very large May flowers are showy, but their odor is rather unpleasant. MAGXOLIA MACROPHYLLA. One of the pro- nounced features of .Magnolia inacrophxlla. a native of Kentucky and farther south, is the leaves, one to three feet long, which clothe its spreading" branches. Entirelv in keeping with these are its extremely large, cup shaped, fragrant flowers, white, with a purple base, which appear in May and June. It might well be called the Long Leaf Magnolia, which is a translation of its specific name, uiacrophylla. ERASER'S MAGXOLIA (Magnolia Fraseri) is in- digenous from Mrginia west to Mississippi, and south to Florida. Its sweet scented white flowers are followed by bright rose-red fruits. In the conclusion of this article in our ne.xt issue the large ornamental flowering trees will be mentioned and described. Laying out grounds, as it is called, may be considered as a liberal art, in some sort like poetry and ])ainting: and its object, like that of all the liberal arts, is. or ought to be, to move the affections under the control of good sense. If this be so when we are merely putting together words or colors, how nuich more ought the feeling to prevail when we are in the mid>l of the realities of things; of the beauty and harmony, of the joy and happi- ness of living creatures: of men ,and children, of birds and beasts, of hills and streams, and trees and flowers, with the changes of night and day, evening and morning, Summer and Winter, .-md all their iniwearied actions and energies. Wordsworth. 22«) GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ''l|IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN ^ g I A Lesson on Plant Parasites and Pests I I And some of the Principles underlying their Prevention and Control. | Being One of a Scnes of Lessons of a Home Study Cuiiisc un Gardtnini;, Apjieanng Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH iilaily 111 The Gakdexers' Chkonicle iiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiriiHiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiuiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii iii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiii in luiiiniiiiiiililiiiic BOTH in the animal and in the vegetable kingdoms, disease, death and decay, are (leaving out of consideration the results o£ physical force) manifestations of other forms uf life and are generally brought about by what are known as parasites, which are organisms having no existence except in connection with a host, feeding entirely upon it, and which also in many cases live and multiply upon some other organism. Some parasites are more or less essential to the health and well-being of the host they inhabit, such as for example, in the case of plants, the micro-organisms occupying the nodules upon the roots of clover and other legumes; there are also some parasites which are beneficial lo horticulture by reason of the fact that they use as hosts other parasites which are harmful, as the examples of the organism destroying the San Jose scale, and the Ichneumon hies which lay their eggs in other insect larvae, and the larvae resulting fiom such eggs, living in the interior of their larval host, prevent tlie latter from pupating and carrying on its existence. Harmful parasites are divided into three groups, insects, fungi and bacteria, all being embraced under the term "pests," there being also other pests lielonging to the insect class which are not strictly parasites by reason of the fact that while they feed upon plants, their life history is carried on separately. It is sometimes asked why "all these pests which attack crops are so abundant," the implication being that in bygone days no such unpleasantness had to be faced, or, if at all, only in a minor degree. While it is undoubtedly true that there has been an apparent increase in the number of enemies attacking orna- mental plants and crops, yet there is no doubt that crops had their enemies in ancient days ; this may be inferred by the allusions to the canker worm and the palmer worm in Biblical history, and in the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans frequent mention is made of smuts, mildews, rusts, etc. At any rate we may be sure that pests e.x-isted before the era of culti- vated crops. Nevertheless it is obvious that not only have the number of enemies found in our gardens and farms increased, but many kinds are now found in greater numbers. There may- be several explanations of this. The most important is probably the great increase in the amount of land under crops, and the extensive and intensive crop-cultivation of modern times, with the consequent increase in the number of hosts which each pest prefers. Their food is therefore more abundant and more easily accessible, consequently they are able to increase and multiply with ease and rapidity. Practically every pest can be found upon the \v]](\ congeners of its favorite cultivated host, and, further, epidemics may be frequently observed among weeds and wild flowers, to say nothing of wild trees and shrubs. In this connection the clearing up of roadsides, fence rows and many other waste places would do much to reduce parasitic troubles by removing the breeding places of the parasites. Whatever the causes, the fact remains that pests have greatly increased in virulence the past few decades, and that, were no control measures put into force, a more or less extensive de- struction of plants would ensue and crops would be reduced to a minimum. Up to now, chemical methods, especially spraying, have been the most efficient. They are doubtless the most direct in action, and usually give the quickest results, especially in con- nection with, insect pests. But one must rernember that the whole question of pest control is really in its infancy : and because spraying is the best means available at present, it by no means follows that no other methods will not subsequently prove to be of greater use. Already much interesting work has been done on the parasites of economic insects, and the success which has been obtained in this direction indicates other and possibly more far-reaching means of control. .At present, however, spraying undoubtedly holds the field and few would go so far as to prophesy that it will ever be found possible to abandon it : it may be well there- fore to consider the question from as broad a point of view as possible. Speaking generally, those having a direct interest in plant parasites may he divided into three classes: (1) Those who seem to think that spraying is a necessary thing in itself. They appear to regard it in much the same way as many people regard patent medicines, wilh an eye of faith, and they with faith spray without knowing whether their plants happen to be in- flicted with the pests they spray against or not, and in this way much blind and unprofitable spraying is done. (This re- mark is disconnected with the necessity, to be enlarged upon later, of using spraying as an insurance against fungus diseases.) (2) Those who know more or less about the life history of the pests they desire to control, and who, among other things, re- alize the difference between actually killing the pest itself and preventing the possibility of its existence; and (3) those who never trouble themselves about the matter at all. There are several essentials necessary for successful spraying, two of the fundamental ones being, to know what parasite the plant is sufifering from, and a knowledge of its life history. By way of illustrating the importance of this knowledge, the life history of one of tne common apple pests, Af'lits sorbi, or . the rosy apple-aphis, may be briefly given. In the \\'inter it exists on the apple tree as little black shining eggs, laid chiefly on or near the leaf-scars of the fruit-spurs. Toward the end oi -\pril, earlier or later according to climate, the eggs hatch and purplish-green larvae come out which immediately begin to feed upon the under side of the leaves. At first it does nothing but teed, moult its skin and grow, but after a time it becomes fully grown and is then purplish, mealy and rather globular in form, and at this stage :s known as a queen-mother. After reaching this condition it begins to "bud-oiif" little pinkish larvae which immediately insert their probosces into the under side of the leaves, causing extensive curling. This production of young by the process known as budding takes place without the inter- vention of a male. The btidded-ofif young, when fully grown, repeat the process, and so it goes on through several genera- tions. About the end of June, winged individuals appear, and these no longer feed upon the apple leaves, but fly to another host plant, so that about the end of July the apple tree is free from this insect. In September, winged immigrants from the ■ ecoiul host-plant fly liack to the apple and produce a generation of winged males and wingless females. These females soon uegiii to lay their egys on the apple twigs, and their life historj is thus completed. In considering this history it will be apparent that from a spraying point of view one may divide it into four periods : (1) The egg stage; (2) The young larval stage, before there IS much or any leaf-curling and before the queen-mothers have commenced to bud-ofif young ; ( 3 ) The viparious stage, or when active reproduction of perfect insects is going on and when the leaves are curled ; (4) The Aulumn stage when males and females are present but no leaf-curling is caused. Stages (Ij and (3) do not lend themselves to treatment. It is not practically possible to destroy aphis' eggs b\' a wash, so that spraying in Winter against this pest has so far failed. The viparious stage is equally difficult, owing to the leaf-curl pre- venting the spray from coming into contact with the insect. This leaves the two other stages in which the aphis is com- paratively vulnerable, but (4) presents the difficulty of exces- sive foliage, and therefore it is plain that so far as this particular pest is concerned, the best time to spray for it is undoubtedly immediately after the eggs hatch out in the spring, at which time we can attack it with the greatest prospect of success. .\ knowledge of an insect's life history along these lines is thus an essential for success in its control. In addition to the identification of the insect and a knowledge of its life history, it is important to know how the insect feeds so as to know the kind of spray-fluid to employ. All members of the Aphis family and other sucking insects feed upon the juices they suck from the interior of the leaf or plant-stem, they therefore cannot be killed by a stomach poison applied to the surface of the plant but must be destroyed with some- thing which kills by actual contact with the insect. On the other hand contact poisons, unless they are strong enough to kill the plant are of no avail against a pest like the potato beetle, wdiich has to be controlled by stomach poisons. Therefore insect pests naturally divide themselves into two classes: Those which feed by sucking plant juices, and those which feed by actually eating the leaf or other part of a plant. This division brings about the necessity of having two kinds of available insectides, contact washes and stomach poisons. The principle underlying the action of stomach poisons is simple. The material is sprayed upon the plant, and any insect feeding upon it absorbs a certain amount of poison and dies. It is necessary for the poison to be insoluble in water, as some soluble poisons are nearly always harmful to the plant, -■^t the same time they must be of such a nature that they will be acted upon by the insect's digestive juices and brought into a soluble form. Today, lead arsenate is the great stand-by for this purpose owing to its freedom from harming the plant: its For June, 1920 221 effectiveness, and to the fact that it can be prepared hi the form of a paste. It has recently been suggested that hme arsenate is quite as effective, while being cheaper. When an insect feeds by sucking the juices from a plant in- stead of biting it. it is clearly impossible to poison it through the stomach. A considerable number of contact insecticides e.xist and there is room for much work on the precise nature of their action, but they all agree in acting on the insect either through the skin or by stopping up the breathing tubes. These sucking insects do not breathe through their mouths for ihey have none, but through tubes opening in various parts of their bodies. The question naturally arises as to what are the essentials for an effective contact insecticide. The very name supplies the answer. Firstly it must make contact and, secondly, it must be msect killing. By making contact it is meant that the insec- ticide must wet the insect and have the power of penetrating the skin, which is frequently woolly. Water will not do this. In some instances water is used for washing off by physical force insects from plants, such as, for example, red spider, but this alleviates the trouble only temporarily as the insects are not killed. To be effective, when ?. drop of contact insecticide falls upon an insect, it must have the power of spreading over it and penetrating its woolly covering. To bring this about various forms of emulsions are used together with nicotine. Nicotine is practically an ideal insecticide since it acts both as a contact and as a stomach poison, but unfortunately it is ex- pensive. It does not appear necessary to .go into the question of the manufacture of insecticides as there are proprietary spray fluids, together with the ordinary compounds, which have stood the test of time and which cause it to be not worth while to mix one's own, which in any case is an unsatisfactory procedure, especially in small quantities. There is, however, considerable room for chemical research in the direction of producing simple >ubstance5 having a contact insecticide value. .■\s previously mentioned, it is important to attack sucking in- sects at the most vulnerablp period of their lives, which period in connection with outdoor plants is invariably just as the foli- age begins to appear, or in the case of those which flower before the foliage comes out, just as the flowers commence to open. Further, as not only do the eggs of insects hatch out over a somewhat extended period, and also as, in the case of aphis, viparious reproduction goes on more or less continually for a certain period, several sprayings at intervals of a few days are necessary. In connection with the various species of plants the most vulnerable period is not at the same time, but by keeping watch for their pests' first appearance and dealing with them at once they are more easily kept under control, and bad and more damaging attacks are avoided. For greenhouse work fre- quent sprayings are necessary, and by this means even white fly can be exterminated and the dangerous cyanide fumigation avoided. To be eft'ective, especially in the latter connection, the spraying must be thoroughly done and all the underneath parts of leaves covered. While in the case of all plant houses, fumi- gation by burning tobacco in soine form may be effective by reason of the fact that the plants will be entirely surrounded li\- the fumes, dift'erent species of plants vary considerably in the amount of tobacco smoke they will withstand, and it is as easy to kill plants by this method as it is insects. The control of parasites belonging to the fungus order stands upon a totally dift'erent fooling to that of insects. In the latter case we can only bring direct treatment to bear after they ap- pear, but in connection with fungi, efforts to successful control tniist lie directed to prevention because there is prac- tically no cure for any fungous disease, that is to say, so far as any part of a plant affected by the disease is concerned. Fungi are propagated by means of spores, which are for the most part individually invisible, and which float about in the atmosiihere and are wafted from one district to another by means of .Tir currents. When a spore falls upon a leaf or olher part of a i)lant, it will under suitable conditions germinate and the tube or root l)rought into existence by tlie act of germination will penetrate througii the outer covering of some part of the plant, generally the leaf, or through a wound. .-\s soon as the germinating tube enters the plant it commences to feed upon and spread through the plant tissue, in which stage it is known as mycelium and its effects are invisible to the naked I ye outwardly. When we see the effect of this growth in the forms of rust, black spot, etc.. the harm has already been accom- plished; the mycelium of the fungus has destroyed that part of the plant ni which it lived and upon which the outward manifestations of it appear, and the latter is really the fruiting stage of the fungus. This fruiting stage upon a large scale is seen in the case of tlie edible mushroom and other fungi of like nature. Their mycelium or spawn must first live and grow in a suitable medium and the mushrooms or toadstools are merely Ihe fruiting sta.ges. It is therefore clear that, as above mentioned, our efforts must be mainly along the lines of preventing the germination of the fungus spores in the first instance ; only so far as we can kill spores by spraying is the use of fungicide after manifestation any use. and also of course, as far as the latter operation will prevent any further .germination. The underlying principle of spraying against fungi is to look upon it as insurance. .Spray before there is any appearance of trouble and keep it up at frequent intervals. Fungi generally delight in wet cool weather and they give much less trouble in seasons which are dry and warm ; it is therefore necessary to spray with greater frequency in seasons of the former char- acter. Some species of fungi produce spores of more than one char- acter, and in most cases there is a special resting spore which will remain dormant through the' Winter and there is no doubt that spores in general are capable of a very extended period of dormant life, awaiting suitable conditions and the presence of their host to commence their activities. Many, too, have more than one host, sometimes using one in the Siiminer and another in the Winter, and if one of these hosts is entirely absent they cannot exist at all. In this connection the extermination of all species of Ribcs would exterminate the White Pine Blister Rust. Spores of many species are undoubtedly disseminated by seeds and we believe that it will becoine part of the ordinary routine to treat seeds previously to sowing with some preparation which will kill any fungus spores adhering to them. Then, too, fungus spores undoubtedly remain in the soil on or near which diseased plants have been growing. In relation to this, sterilization ot the soil where practicable is of great value, as is also the use of a fungicide upon the soil before the plants commence to grow. This latter practice has, for instance, been found to be of great use in connection with Holly- hock rust. Then again many fungi work entirely in the soil and cause disease in some part of the underground plant struc- tures, as for example, that causing club-root in members of the cabbage family always lives in the soil, and may be controlled by heavy dressings of lime to affected soil. In cases of the latter character, and in more or less all others a rotation of crops assists materially and considerably in pre- vention. As a general rule, weak and unthrifty plants are the first to be attacked by disease, a fact which can be frequently noticed, especially in connection with the peach leaf-curl caused by a fungus known as E.roasus dcforinans. For this, the usual con- trol method is spraying just before the leaves appear. The effect of this disease is to destroy the peach leaves and there- fore to destroy a part of the tree's digestive organs thereliy re- ducing growth and rendering the fruit more or less u.seless. But where peach trees are growing under the best conditions and are making luxuriant growth the effect of the leaf-curl fungus is seen to lie almost nil. In practically all cases a healthy plant supplied with a properly balanced food will to a considerable extent resist disease. We must emphasize the necessity for properly balanced feeding as a factor in healthy growth and fn disease resistance ; the reverse of this, as for instance, supply- ing plants with an excessive aiTKuuit of available nitrogen in a chemical form, increases their susceptibility, esjiecially in wet seasons, to fungous diseases. This has been particularly noticed in the rust of cereals and in the mildew of roses. .^ direct way of minimizing the losses caused by fungi is to select and cultivate disease-resistant plants. It is very frequently seen than when many varieties of any plant are grown under the same conditions they show considerable dift'erence in their capacity to resist di.sease ; a few may even be found which are practically immune. Unfortunatclv immuneness to any particu- lar disease is not necessarily associated w'ith other characteristics equally desirable from the point of view of the cultivator. For example, sonic varie'ies of potatoes are known ts possess con- siderable cajiacity to withstand the blight known as Phytophthora mfcxtans. but they are little grown on account of the bad table qualities of their tuijers : and. conversely, some producing the most desirable tutiers are very susceptible to this disease. The question here ari.ses as to whether immunity to disease, and its converse susceptibility, are heritable characters. If so. it would seem possible by cross-breeding to associate the valu- able feature of immunity with other characteristics the culti- vator desires. A\'liile some work along the lines of selection and breeding has lieen done by seed .growers and others, and which has resulted in new varieties less susceptible than older ones, more precise knowledge is necessary with regard to the mode of inheritance of this feature before really scientific data can ht obtained. There must be a definite reason why certain plants remain immune when every chance of infection is pres- ent. The selection of and breeding from immune specimens is. while valuable, a "rulc-of-thumb" method. The "why" is the question to be settled, and to tliis end a better knowledge of 222 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE plant palhology appears to be llie only hope of elucidating the matter, and should be forwarded. In some cases, however, we have facts which prove that among sorne genera of plants, species and varieties are to be found which are naturally immune to a disease to which other species of the same genera are very susceptible. The most marked case is the Rose and the mildew to which it is greatly subject The incidence of the rose-mildew on the newer races' of Roses supports the fact that immunity and susceptibility are transfer- able on cross-breeding, and the evidence in this direction is the more valuable because the pedigrees of many are known with some degree of certainty. The new race of Wichuraiana Roses, which has so altered the appearance of our rose gardens in the last few years, gives the most convincing proof of the fact. These Wichuraianas are descended from Rosa Wichuraiana, crossed with various Teas, Hybrid Teas, Hybrid Perpetuals, etc. The species itself shows an intense degree of resistance to mildew, while this is not necessarily true of the other parents. It is customary to speak of the whole class as being mildew proof, the hard, polished leaves being supposed to be impenetrable by the fungus. As a matter of fact many of this class are badly attacked, and if one looks up the pedigrees of these latter varieties, it will be found that susceptible forms have been used in crossing. Space will not permit us to follow this interesting phase of our subject very far, but before leaving it a few instances confirming the idea will be pi esented. We know that the ubiquitous "Dorothy Perkins" is frequently badly mildewed, and we also know that it has not inherited this trait from Kosa ll'ichuraiaiia. its seed parent, but frcim "Mrs. Sharman Crawford," its pollen parent, which is a terror for mildew. One of the grandest Rambler Roses of modern times is "American Pillar," a rose with glorious mildew proof foliage ^nd splendid trusses of bloom. This was raised by Dr. Van Fleet from R. Wichniaiaiia and A', sctigcra, neither of which are subject to mildew. On the other hand R. iinilliflora. another Japanese species, is distinctly susceptible to mildew, and the fact that "Crimson Rambler" is very subject to it is explained by the fact that luiilhtiora is one of its parents. There is no doubt that the banishment of rose mildew from our gardens is to a large extent possible by the production of mildew resisting varieties, but I do not see how any great suc- cess in this direction is likely so long as so many hybridists con- tinue their present system of, so far as mildew is concerned, crossing Hybrid Teas with each other. At the same time while there is no doubt there are many Roses which are more or less immune from disease, there is a considerable amount of mildew which is increased by errors in cultivation, such as over-dosing with chemical manures, carelessness in watering, and by any other conditions which produce a softness in foliage that ren- ders it an easier prey to the fungi. The most difficult of plant diseases to combat are those caused by bacteria, the most i)ronounced being known as "fire-blight" on fruit trees, especially the Pear which this disease frequently kills. The disease is caused by a micro-organism entering through the growing points of the twigs and thrives in the soft, succulent parts. Gradually the bacteria work down the stem, kiirng the tissue and causing death of the affected parts. Spraying is of no use, so far as our present knowledge goes, in connection wi'h bacterial disease, the only method which has been partiall> successful is antiseptic pruning. The symptoms are that Bowers, young fruit, leaves and twigs turn black and die. It allowed to persist limbs also have sunken cankers form on them and sometimes an entire branch, nr all the branches arj killed. Upon its firs* appearance the diseased portion should be cut off together with eighteen inches of healthy growth, first treat- ing the cutting tool with an antiseptic in the form of corro- sive sublimate, one part to one thousand of water, also apply it to the wound made by the pruning. If the wound is more than halt an inch in diameter it should be subsequently dressed with creosote, or tar. .\11 prunings should be promptly burned. It is generally believed that trees are more subject to this dis- ease when they are making excessive growth ; therefore it is advisable to avoid too much stimulating fertilizers. The dis- ease is, however, liable to attack comparatively old trees grow- ing upon poor soil which are making little new growth. Some varieties of pears and apples seem to be relatively immutie, such as the Kieffer and Angouleme pears, and the Jonathan and Northern Spy apples. Fire-blight is found upon the haw- thorn and other similar wild plants of the same family, there- fore thickets and old hedgerows containing wild trees should be cleared away. With all the numerdus parasites of the various classes, and there are some which it may not be strictly correct to term Iiarasitic, the most important underlying factor in preventing and controlling them is to know their life history, and in this connection the most learned scientists who have" made a life study of them, do not know it all. -Xevertheless, as previously pointed out, a close study of the hfe-history of a pest often reveals some weak spot where it is especially vulnerable, and a knowledge of the methods of natural infection and of conditions favoring the speed of any disease, fun.gotis or bacterial, or of the reproduction of any in- ject pest, has and will often lead to effective means of pre- \ention and control. To these ends there is a vast amount of room for experimental work under Held conditions, as labora- tory experiments do not go far enough nor are they in gen- eral sufficiently conclusive. Unfortunately, to give the experi- ments any real value, the first thing is to bring about the existence of the trouble, before any really scientific means of dealing with it can be formulated. However, much has already been learned, ?nd considerable progress made in control and prevention by means of spraying. In bringing this necessarily sketchy lesson to a close a restatement of some of the prm:ipal points will be in order. In spraying, thoroughness is very important, so that all parts pf the_ host and every insect upon it are covered with the f5uid. The finer the spray the better, and it should reach the plant as nearly in the form of mist as possible. Care should be taken to know whether insect trouble is being caused by cliewing or by sucking insects, or by Ijoth, and the spraying material selected accordingly. Do not wait until considerable damage is apparent, but keep a close watch .'o as to be able to start effective measures of control immediately the pest is in existence, and make the in- tervals, when successive sprayings are necessary, not longer than a few days. For fungus pests prevention must be first considered and spraying must be commenced before there is any sign of disease. Crops subject ft; disease or pests affecting their roots, tubers, etc., in the soil, should not be grown upon the same ground in successive seasons and the longer the interval the better. In these cases special treatment of the soil, such as lime for "club- root" and sterilizing for those like "root-knot" should be prac- ticed. Keep cultivated ground in a sweet, clean condition, and main- tain the available plant food in a state of balance as far as possible, and especially avoid excessive applications of available nitrogen as being likely to encourage rust, mildew, etc. In addition to the latter, rusts and other similar diseases are increased by cultivating, or otherwise handling, string beans and some other crops when they are wet with rain or dew ; this practice should lie therefore avoided. Diseases can be, and frequently are, transmitted by seeds and until seedsmen can guarantee their seeds free from spores it is well to disinfect them immediately before sowing by a solution of formaline ; this disinfection should also be applied to seed potatoes. Keep the garden and its surroundings as far as one's control extends always in the highest sanitary condition, clear from weeds especially those affected with similar diseases to those of cultivated plants, or which act as intermediary hosts for any disease or pest ; burn all prunings and remains of diseased plants at the earliest opportunity, and bury in a pit with freshly burnt lime all other rubbish which will decompose. Do not allow the accumulation of rubbish, especially when pests are hiber- nating for the Winter. Do not overlook the question of growing immune species and \arieties, when such are nbtainable. There must be a purijose in study, as a path through the woods; without that one wanders aimlessly, .Kgain, to study efficiently one must be Interested. Without that it is drudgery. Another essential in study is lively .Attention. A thing vividly impressed upon you stays with you. If your attention wanders, shut the book, dii something else, and come back to it later. But perhaps the most important element in study is Repetition. That is the secret of mastery. Never mind ; if you have for- .gotten look it up again. Another essential matter is to Understand all you read. Do not assume. Do not take things for granted. Challenge every fact. Use the dictionary, the encyclopedia, the teacher. Inves- tigate. Ask questions. Know. Do .not guess. Study regularly whether you feel like ii or not. The feeling will come in the grooves of habit. There can be no strong mental fibre without discipline. .■\nd when the habit of study is formed, and pursued diligently, you will find it to be one of the iriost unalloyed joys of existence. Most persons who have led any sort of intellectual life can truly say : "My happiest hours have been my hours of study." — Dr. I-rank Crane. For June, 1920 223 Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews A New Lily. Within comparatively recent times, witliout taking into ac- count tile latest treasure here to be described, China has added live bne species, eacli representing one of the sections into whicli the genus is divided, to the none too lengthy list of lilies that make no considerable draft upon the cultivator's skill. All live — L. Hcnyri, L. tnirahUc, L. regale, L. Thaycri and L. ll'ill- iiutlliic — are good garden plants, with strong constitutions, and all except the mirabilc, a Cardiocriiium, naturally a leisurely lily, possess the inestimable advantage of coming rapidly to maturity from seed. Xow to this noble quintet is added one that in England has quickly attained the stature of six feet, one found by Mr. Farrer in the course of his hrst expedition to western China and known as L. Farrcri, though christened by him the "Marble Alartagon." It is easy to manage, has the priceless virtue of a tough con- stitution and sends up line spikes laden with gigantic flowers and ultimately each rearing aloft a candelabrum of seed-pods. The iokage appears to be riner and more abundant than in inost types of L. longMonim and it approaches more in its whole style that of L. regale. Fortunately it produces seed in abun- dance.— The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. \ Few of the Newer Clem.vtises. Clematis Meyeniana, a new hardy plant, valuable because of its early flowering is a sub-alpine evergreen from seed sent by Mr. Wilson from western China to Messrs. Veitch. Its white flow- ers are borne in profusion in axillary clusters. Its growth is said to be as much as 10 to 12 feet in one season and its flower- ing more profuse than that of CI. monlana. The Royal Hor- ticultural Society of England has conferred upon it an .\ward of Merit. — Garden Illustrated. CI. Pavoliniana is a northern representative of the afore-men- tioned, with its chief merits ; but it has few-flowered inflores- cences, often only three, and rarely more than seven flowers to each, whilst the sepals are distinctly longer than the stamens. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. Cl.hyhrida "J'llle de Lyon," not an altogether new variety and in fact listed as long as five years ago by at least one .\inerican nurserj' firm, is now regarded by the writer here quoted as a possible point of deiiarture for a new race, like the deservedly- popular CI. Jack)na}n. The two have one parent in common, CI. viticella, the sinall-flowering Italian forest vine, which is unattractive in spite of its very profuse blooming and yet has the virtue ot hardiness and of thri\ing where the large- flowering fail. But it seems to be the natural bond between the small-flowering spectes and those of large lilooms. Nor does CI. Viile de Lyon resemble at all its other parent CI. coccinea with its small pitcher-shaped flowers and its slender stems that do not make really hard wood and which generally die down to the ground in winter. It surpasses even Jaelnnani in vigor, at- tains a height of 18 feet or more and bears dark carmine blos- soiTis, of pleasing shade and symmetrical form and that stand forth handsomely from the green foliage, through the Summer and well into the .Autumn. It makes pretty pictures growing up birches, firs or other small trees and shrubs and is inost satis- factory for trellises. It is sure to do well and to grow luxur- iantly if given the conditions favorable to all clematises, heavy soil, but not so.ggy, and with roots protected from the hot sun- shine.— Zeitschrift fuer Gaerten-und Obstbau. [Tlie last one should lie pruned, rntl'.er severely, very late in the autumn. Will some one advise how the other two are best managed?] B.SRBERRIES. Berheris rnhroslilla (The Red-Orop Barberry) is of graceful and very beautiful form and well deserves the honor of the First-Class Certificate awarded it. by the Royal Horticuliural Society. Of more or less erecl carriage and freely branclied in its upper parts it is of exceptional beauty late in the year when fu'l of coral-red fruits which dangle on short foot-stalks from the under side of the branches. There is no over-crowding of the fruil clusters, but. instead, an easy distribution of them throughout the greater portion of the archin.g branches. It is a shapely, well-branched bush. The branches arc thickly set with s'ender spines nearly an inch long. The yellow flowers of the Spring are followed by small clusters of rich red fruits, about four being borne together. The individual fruits are about half an inch long and similar in shaiie to those of B. coci)i- nea, which it is thought united with B. U'ilsotii to produce it. — Garden Illustrated. B. U'ilsoni was discovered in western China in 19U4 by E. H. Wilson, of the .\rnoId -Arboretum. It is an elegant snrub of foliage semi-persistent, hardly ever more than a meter in height. The branches, more or less erect, are relatively slender, angular, of yellowish-brown color on the new shoots, grayish-lirown when older, carrying spines always In threes, very pointed, from 1 to I'/i centimeters long. ' The leaves are fasciculated in groups of 4 to 6, obovate, almost linear, pointed at each end, not dentate, from 10 to 15 milbmeters long and 3 or 4 broad, dark green above, somewhat glaucous beneath and somewhat hairy, " The flowers are bright yellow, small, arranged in groups of from 2 to 6, abundant and appearing in May. The fruits are nearly globular or ovoid of 5 to 7 mm. by 4 to 5, of beautiful coral red, clinging from the end of October till severe Winter weather. It is hardy. — Revue Hortieole. B. subcauliata. raised by Alons. Maurice de Vilmorin from seed coming from Thiiiet in 1904. is more vigorous than the I'.receding. easily attaining IK' nim, in height, with larger branches and generally upright and of bright red color that turns into brown'ish-yellow, angular and almost fluted. The spines, meas- uring 1 to 2 mm. in length, are very pointed. The foliage is scmipersistent, with leaves arranged in groups of 4 to 8, oblan- ceolate, terininating at the base in a point forming a petiole, entirely dentate or slightly dentated toward the summit, 2 to 3 cm. long and 5 to 8 mm. broad, clear green above and whitish beneath. The flowers, of pale yellow and in groups of 4 to 7, are very abundant in May. The fruits are generally globular, a little smaller than those of B. U'ilsoni. and of bright red. — I\efiie Hortieole. B. japonica var. Bealei, referred to by \V. R. Dj'kes, Secre- tary of the Royal Horticultural Society, in narrating a visit to a rock garden, as a "giant," is by hiin reported as having "per- l^aps the best scent of all," a fragrance like that of the little Scotch Briar, Rosa spinosissiina. — The Garden. [Will any reader of the Chronicle give more information ci.ncernin.i! the plant last named; tell where can he obtained B. .Sargcntiaiia, describee! in the Cornell Bulletin J61 on page 374, describe and tell where can be obtained B. NcKbcrti, inform concerning the tiltiinate growth and size of B. brevifaniciilata, B. Gtignefainii and B. Jnliaim. and add anything he may know abjiit B. Hal-odatc' This last is by some nuiservmen said to be similar to B. Sichnldi. and even identical with it. which is of the hahit o^f B. vulgaris. But a letter just received frcm Professor Sargent states. "B, Hakodate was one of the plants sent in the '60's to .S. B, Parsons at Hushing. Long Island. Its name. Iiowever, was never published and the correct name for the species is B. Regeliana, It has nothing to do with B. Sifltiildi, but belongs to the B. -eiilgaris section. In foliage! tlowers and Autumn coloring it i.= the handsomest Barberrv of this section and one of the handsomest of all Barberries in cultivatio'n. It does r t rt all look like B. Tlnniltergi or any forms of this siiccies." Participation in a symposium with this serviceable genus as the topic, is invited. 1 XoVELTtKS OF L'nisI-.M, ProMI.SE. Torch Lily Primula {P. Littonia), which has received a First Class Certificate at the Holland House Show, was found grow- ing 11 open mountain meadows in the Yunnan at an altitude of lO.GOO feet. It prefers good loamy soil and partial shade. It dies down after flowering, but ripens plenty of seeds which siierminate freely. It makes a bcautiftil tuft of grayish green leaves from wliich arises a scape 1 to 2 feet long. The bracts and calices are almost scarlet in color while the corolla is pur- I'le or pale lilac. .\ striking contrast is produced between the lilac purple of the open flower and the cap of scarlet or blood- red unopened buds at the top. — The Garden. The Titteuhurst rhododendrons are extremely beautiful hy- brids raised by Mr. T. H. Lowinsky of Titteuhurst. .Sunningskill, Berks, b'.ngland, Thev all were exhibited in pots recently at tltc exhibition of the Royal Horticuliural Society which gave to one. Mrs. Tom Lowinsky, a unanimous award of merit. Its blossoins arc large and wide-open, S inches across, with buds beautifully tinted pink and opening white. Others that received similar honor are R. Anita, shell-pink, R. Donna Florenca, rich decD rose. R. "The Don," intense rosy scarlet that is very telling, A'. Don Ernesta. extrctrcly handsome rich rosy-scarlet, lighter than the last. — The Garden. Cornus Xnltalli. "the nolilest of the cornels,"' is another plant thai has just received the rare First Class Certificate. It is a very handsotne tree or shrub, that is particularly attractive, 224 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE partly because of its flowering so freely. The Hower heads are fully 3 inches across, the creamy white bracts being the chief feature and surrounding a central boss of tiny flowers that are rosy until they expand, when they are yellowish. It was shown by J. Osborne, Drynham. Weybridge. England. — 'I'hc Ciardcncrs' Chronicle of London. Haiiiciinclis vcrnalis Sari^cnti (Sargent's W'itchhazel), having for its habitat Missouri, Arkansas and Lousiana, where it is hardy, must certainly be the earliest shrub to flower in the year. And it is claimed to be as hardy as the other witchhazels. Its petals, of papyraceous nature, resist the January frost in France. It flowers profusely, even in the case of small plants, and so is well adapted to growing in pots. Its perfume is sweet and penetrating. The branches, cut in flower or in the bud, are ex- cellent in association with the leaves of plants used in Winter ornamenting of hou.ses. — Rr: lu- Horliiolc. Sieliold's Jasmine (/. Sicboldiunuiu) , from Japan, though not specitically distinct from /. nudifJorum, is a much hner and in every way superior plant. It is equally hardy and free-growing and produces larger flowers, more regular in outline, of much greater substance and more closely set on the plant. — Gardening Illustrated. Tulip Inglescombe White is a great addition to the compara- tively short list of white May-flowering tulips. It has a some- what loose, cup-shaped, bloom with the tips of the petals re- Hexed. — Gardening Illustrated. Trumpet Narcissus Flagstaff, a soft yellow, certainly has a fulurc. It is exceedingly noble and refined, has splendid presence and lirni te.xture. — Garden Illustrated. Narcissus John Evelyn, a bicolor incomparabilis, of white perianth and yellow crown, has received an award of inerit from the K. H. S. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. Erica Darteyensis is a hardy heath that originated in the nurseries of James Smith and Son, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, England. It forms a dense spreading mass to a height of 1 to 2 feet and from November to -April or May is covered with rosy-red flowers so that it makes an e.xcellent informal edging to shrubbery beds and Ijorders. Unlike other heaths it does not need peat atid grows almost as well, if not quite as well, in a sandy loam with which a fair amount of leaf mold has been incorporated. Cuttings root readily in late Summer and early Autumn. — The Gardener.s-' Chronicle. Moraca iridioides Johnsoni is the loveliest of all the Moraeas. Its blossoms are not only double the size and far more beauti- fully cobjred than those of the type, but they persist also about 4 days in semi-shade and only a little shorter time in full sun- shine. The flowers, of creamy-white, blotched with yellow and with the central standard of a rich shade of violet and feathered at the base witii crimson-brown markings, are of singular beauty and hues quite harmonious. — The Gardeners' Chronicle. Sa.vifraga In'iiigi. named to compliment Mr. Walter Irving, the head of the hardy plant department at Kew, where it orig- mated, appeals by dainty coloring and wondrous flower free- dom, to all lovers of choice alpines. Only an inch tall it almost hides its spiny tufts with Bowers large for its own diminutive stature, of deiicate shell-pink, deeper apparently at the l)ase where (he color from the ovary is reflected, and finishes almost white. .After 2 years from the cutting the natural density of growth precludes full development of the rosettes. In the rock gully it should be given loam, grit and pulverized rock^ in equal proportions; a window ledge or alpine house reveals its charms best. — Oordening Ulnstroted. I'iola calcarata. well named the "Pansy of the .Alps,'' is a lovely plant that forms tufts of leafy stems about 3 inches high and which bear large violet-purple flowers, each with a long spur. It is easily grown in the rock garden, in half shady sites or even in full siuishine, providing that it has sufficient moisture at the roots. It should be planted in very gritty soil with thorough drainage. Cuttings inserted in Summer readily strike root ; but it may be raised from seeds sown as soon as they are ripe. There is a clear yellow- form also. — The Gar- iener.<:' Chronicle of London. ll'aldsleinia trifolia. with remarkably pretty, leathery and shiny green leaves and sprays of golden flowers over a considerable time of the Summer, is probably the best garden plant of the genus. It is not too rampant easily to be kept within bounds as a carpet. .Above a retaining wall it is particularly delightful. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. Sundry Ite.ms of Intere.st. The Classification of Tulilts. "It is probably little known out- side of England and Holland that an Anglo-Dutch committee has revised the classification of garden tulips in 1914-15 by study- ing for two seasons the flowering of tulips in the garden of the Royal Horticultural Society of London, where the English and Dutch horticulturalists have planted the bulbs of more than i.5(X) different named varieties and that they have verified all by fixing the exact name for each variety. A very instructive I eport of 164 pages, ornainented with numerous figures and con- taming photographs of the bases of diff'erent flowers to serve for their classification, was published in 1917 under the auspices of the Society. In recommending the study and consulting of this report to all who are interested in tulips I give myself the honor of giving here the outline of the classification adopted bj- the com- mittee. I. Early Varieties : A. Due van Thol, singles ; B. singles ; C. doubles. II. Late Varieties: A. Cottage Tulips; B. Self-colored Mother Tulips (Breeders): 1. Dutch (rose-violet-varied); 2. English (rose-violet-varied); 3. Darwins ; C. Varieties rectified (with striped flowers); 1. Dutch (rose-violet-varied); 2. English (rose-violet-varied) ; 3. Rembrandt (rose-violet) ; 4. Cottage Tulips rectified (rose-violet-varied;. D. Parrot Tulips; E. doubles. III. Botanical species. — Ernest Krelage, in Revue Horticole. Some copies of the classification of tulips made by the com- mittee of the R. H. S. in 1914-1915 and containing the lists of the tulips of each group according to color can still be obtained from R. Dykes, Secretary, Vincent Square, London, S. W., at 5s. each. — Reiue Horticole. As to "Daffodils that take the imnds of .March icith beauty," it is to be borne in mind that Shakespeare wrote under the old calendar when the year was ten days behind. His month of March began on what is now March 1 1 and ended on what is now .April 10. So a third of the month was really April. Then, too, he probably had in mind, not our garden daffodils, but the wild Lent Lily. This was much more abundant in the sixteenth century, before modern civilization had ousted it from its haunts, especially near towns. Even liy our modern reckoning it is com- monlv in full bloom in March. — The Garden. Rhododendron Lodcri. in the opinion of many the finest flower- ing shrub hardy in nothern climes, is again given prominence by the death of its originator, Sir Edmund Loder, Bart., of Leonardslee, Sussex. England. This fine plant, which produces massive and well-built trusses of sometimes over 30 inches in circumference, the individual flowers of which are occasionally 6K» inches across, is only one of this plant-lover's distinctions. In his garden are over 350 species and varieties of conifers, a collection surpassing anything else of its kind in the country. — Tlie Garden. The English Rock Garden. Reginald Farrer's latest book, is a notable work indeed, in spite of some inaccuracies already de- tected by the reviewer and in spite of its not having a greatly needed index. On over 1,()00 pages it describes plants, the num- ber of which runs up into 4 figures. "One can only be amazed at the industry and ability of the author which enabled him to complete so stupendous a task within the limits of an ordinary lifetime." — Irish Gardening. I'runus cerasifera Tissardo or P. c. atropurpurea (Purple- leaved Plum), of foliage that in its young-growth stage is tender ruby-red, changing later to claret, finally to dull, heavy purple, can be trained and really is best pruned freely, for this does not lessen the crop of flowers, but rather increases it. — The Gar- deners' Chronicle of London. .Magnolia stellata (White Starry Magnolia), planted against ihc wall of a house facing west by south, flowers in profusion. To confine it, it may be cut back hard as soon as it is done flowering. — The Garden. Like most magnolias it likes a rather heavy soil, but as it is so hardy and easy to grow it flourishes even in a light and peaty soil. — Garden Illustrated. I'ihurnuni Carlesi. as regards fragrance has not a rival. It scents the air for yards, when even a quite small plant. But Osnianthus Delarayi. hardy in a cliinate like that of southern England, is not fragrant when grown in the open. Under glass it perfumes (he air much more. — The Garden. .S>ir(r(i arguta is one of the best dozen .April-flowering shrubs. For June, 1920 225 [This confirms the opinion so emphatically expressed by tlic lamented C. S. Harrison.] It makes a splendid backgromid for tulips. — The Garden. The eelzivnii disease of itareissi may exist when the plants look perfectly healthy with regard to quantity of foliage made; but close examination will reveal small, pale colored and swollen areas w-hich stand out in contrast to the deeper green of the rest of the leaf. But as pale spots not due to the disease sometimes occur it is best to draw the leaf between the thumb and the linger. Only if a decided swelling is felt is the leaf affected by the eelworm. Dead cells will be indicated by the brown color found by cutting the spot across and letting the microscope dis- cover the worm and the eggs. The disease is most marked in rhe foliage of broad-leaved varieties like I-'mjicror and N'ictoria and not so pronounced in poeticus varieties, and hybrids. In Hol- land men are employed to examine the plants carefully and to take out in each case about a cubic foot of earth, even at the sacrifice of adjoining bulbs not afifected. No remedy has yet been discovered. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. To prevent niildeze of .'■■trawberries spray vigorously and thoroughly, as soon as the new growth begins, with lime, sulphur and soft soap. — Tlie Gardeners' Chronicle of London. For the successful culture of strawberries the late Marshall P. Wilder is reported to have recotnmended, "First, plenty of water; secondly, plentv of water; thirdly, plenty of water." — Gardening Illus- trated. Every annual is better transplanted. — except Mignonette, Pop- pies and Sweet Peas. The shift, with the greater majority of the annuals, leads to stockier and more flowery clumps. Sown out of doors, even, they should be at least once transplanted. — Gardening Illustrated. [I'ic a la Campagne for ."Xpril contains an article strongly giving similar advice for the handling of tomatoes and similar fruiting plants.] An international horticultural e.vposttion is being held at Antwerp, to last until the end of October, in connection with the Olympic Games. The Pare de Rossignols has been transformed into an immense garden and a Floral Palace constructed. The program allots different periods of time for different plants, ac- cording to season, and for the various appurtenances of horti- culture in one form or another. The prizes, consisting of ob- jects of art and of medals, or cash at option, in value from two dollars up to sixty, arc many. The King and the Queen of Belgium are offering special prizes. The exposition was to be opened Mav 1 by the King in person. — Revue Hortieole. In the nezc Republic of Tseheehoslovakia. at the University of Prague, horticulture and landscape architecture have just been installed in the curriculum, a large sum of money has been appropriated by the state to restore at the castle the famous park and gardens called "Hirschgraben" and at the foot of the his- toric White Mountain near Prague, where 30O years ago the Tschechs lost their independence, a garden city for 35,000 in- habitants is planned. The state's invalids and discharged soldiers are to have opportunity, upon most advantageous terms, to ac- quire homes and sjardens among ideal civic surroundings. The construction of this "Masaryk's Garden City'' has already been begun. The state ministry of agriculture has established a national fruit garden under the direction of a celebrated poniolo- gist. — Zcitschrift fucr Gaerten — und Obstbau. INext month will be presented a general survey of conditions liorti- cultural that have been obtaining since the war in the deyasted countries, and in Germany the restorations that have been accomplished and, from the point of view of the inhabitants themselves, the plans and hopes for :lie future. 1 The partial slerilization of soil to increase productiveness is receiving increased attention. Soil organisms helpful to the crop are on the whole more resistant to adverse circumstances than are organisms which are not helpful and consequently any treat- ment that kills some but not all of the organisms improves the soil as a medium for plant growth. Vergil, in his Georgics, refers to heating the soil to increase its productiveness and ancient writers in India mention it. Heating is more beneficial than a more direct chemical treatment because it not only accomplishes partial sterilization but also effects a certain amount of decompo- sition. But when it is not practicable to apply heat, as in the form of steam under an inverted tray, use may be made of carbon disulphide, at the rate of froin 14 oz. to even 8 oz. a square yard, or of carbolic acid or cresylic acid. — .South African Country Life quoting from Country Life of England. Potato scab is avoided by setting the pieces of the tuber on fresh or slightly decayed grass cuttings, a wheelbarrowful being enough for about 8 square yards. The grass takes the place of inanure also. Of course it would be well to add sulphate of ammonia, sulphate of potash and superphosphate of hme.— The. (jordeners' Chronicle of London. itoctcs upon zehich to graft buds of fruit trees should always be grown from the largest and most vigorous fruits possible, ac- cording to Charles C. Crandell in Bulletin 211 of the Illinois Agricultural F.xperiment Station. But it appears to be a mat- ter of indifference whether the buds chosen be large or small or whether ihey be chosen from one part cjf the tree or another.— The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. jlllllllllNllllllllllllllillllllllllllll Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Illllllllllllllllliliililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig I BOOK REVIEW DEPARTMENT I .\11 quotations from the magazines are abridgments, cvcept when in (juo- tation marks Only words within square brackets' express the reviewer's ideas. """'""'""""""inniiniiiimniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmniiiiiiiiiffliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mim The Nursery Manual. By L. H. Bailey: 24mo.. cloth- XI -I- 4j6 pages, with XII plates and 226 cuts; the Macmillan Com- pany, Xew \ork. Before beginning the reading of the book, in order to test its completeness and general satisfactoriness, it was consulted con- cerning the propagation of such rather unusual subjects as .\ut Trees, Dwarf Fruit Trees, "Pedigree" Plants, Crvptouierui, Leucothoe and Piens. In every instance all the iiiformation that could be desired was readilv found, with not even one partial exception. In the treatment of the propagation of dwarf fruit trees, even, is told, with perhaps sufficient detail, how the dwarf- ing roots are best obtained and managed. But a glance through the index and the Nursery List, which occupies 222 pages, afforded conviction that the work gives satisfactorv treatment to many, many subjects more unusual than those enumerated above In fact, no subject that should be dealt with bv a book of the name seems to have been omitted. The general" excellency is exactly what might be expected to be found in a book emanating from the man who combines almost incoprehensibly great knowledge of horticulture in all its phases with pre-eminent literary ability and pedagogic skill. His book of this name has been greatly appreciated since its first appearance nearly thirty years ago, as is attested by the fact that the demand for it has exhausted twenty-one editions. The present edition, coming as it does when the importation of prac- tically all nursery stock has ceased and America must grow her own, even the dwarfer evergreen trees and the broad-leaved evergreens for which great pains and patience are requisite, is an invaluable contribution to the public as well as to nursery- men in jiarticular. It is an edition that has been completely revised. In recompiling the Nursery List, which, follow^ing the chapters that are devoted to Classes and Kinds of Propagation and Certain Elements in Nursery Practice — a most interesting chapter for general reading— gives in alphabetical arrangement concise and yet adequate directions for propagating every plant that conceivably could be inquired about, the editor has liad the advantage of many expert advisors, men all eminently worthy, because of practical experience combined with so much learnin.g, to have part in a work so important. The mechanical execution of this admirable work seems to be beyond criticism. The Arnold Arboretum's Bulletins of Popular Information appear at brief intervals during the Sprin.g, Summer and .\utumn when the results of direct observation and study can lie given out fresh. Each of the four numbers that have appeared this year is interesting and instructive. These four numbers alone woirld seem to be worth to any horticulturist or student of plant-life the price of the dollar for which the bulletins are obtained each vear. They give, as they profess to do, popular information. The presentation is scholarly; but it is not, as might be exi>ected from such a source, the presentation of facts about new and rare plants in which the avera.ge reader mi.ght have only the interest arising from curiosity, if any interest at all. Rather is it the purpose to bring to attention the excellence of the more desirable and serviceable plants, to guide in the con- trol of them successfully and to give general information of use to the horticulturist, the planter, the gardener and the designer of gardens and parks. In determining the hardness and general .-'daplability of planis brought from abroad or from one part of the country to another and of those arising from sports or from hybridized seeds the work of the Arboretum is of the greatest value and importance, largely because of its geographical loca- tion. This year's first number, for example, contains a valuable as well as most interesting discussion of the effects of the severe Winter just passed. In connection it is here not out of place to suggest that greater efforts mi.ght be made toward dcvisin.g convenient and economical preventative of the ravages of field mice and other rodents so often destructive of young trees. 226 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE JlllllllllllllllimiUIIIIIIIIIIIIIItllUlllllUllllllllllllliliUltllllllllllMllllllllllllllinillllllllMHIIIinilllllllltllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliltllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllN National Association of Gardeners L. P. Jensen, President, St. Louis, Mo. D. L. Mackintosh, Vice-President, Stillwater, Minn Office: 286 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK. Thomas W. Head, Treasurer, Lake Forest, 111. M. C. Ebel, Secretary, Madison, N. J. Trustees for 1920 Peter Duff, Orange. N. J.; William VVaite, Rumson, N. J.; Arthur Smith, Elberon, N. J.; Robert Weeks, Cleveland. O.; William H. Griffiths, Detroit, Mich. Directors (To serve until 1921) — William N. Craig, Brookline. Mass.: William Hcrtnck, San Gabriel. C.il.; William Gray. Newport, R. I.; G. Hennen- hofer, (irt-at Kr;ll,, Mont.; Thomas Ilattnn, New London. Cunn.; Alliin Martini. Cedar Raliids. la.: .\. C. Jordahn. Falm ISeach. l-la. I To serve until 1922) — Georee Wilson. Lake Forest, 111.; James Stuait. Mamaroneck, N. Y.; William Kleinheinz, Ogontz, Pa.; John F. Huss. Hartford, Conn.; Edwin Jenkins, Lenox. Mass.: Carl N. Fohn. Colorado Springs, Colo.; Joseph Tansey, Tuxedo Park, N. Y. (To serve until 1923); Robert Williamson, Greenwich, Conn.; Robert Cameron, Ipswich, Mass.; Theodore Wirth, Minneapolis, Minn.; George H. Pring, St. Louis, Mo.; George W. Hess, Washington, D. C; Daniel J. Coughlin, Locust Valley, L. I.; John Earnet, Sewickley, Pa. ^iiiiniliininuiiiii wiiiitnnin i iin i 'iiiriiii'iiiriiii'iiiiMiii:iiiriiiriiii'iniiii in iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininimninniii'iiii'im'mtiiii'im'iiiiiiiii'iiicmiiiin'in'miimi'iiii'iii i:iiii' iniinniiniimiimiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii: 'iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiuiiiHi GARDENERS' ANNUAL CONVENTION. The date for the annual convention nt the Xati mal .Asso- ciation of Gardeners has been set for September 14. L^, 16, at St. Louis. The Marquette Hotel lias been selected as the headquarters and meeting place of the convention, and the following committee is in charge of the local arrangements: Program, George H. Pring: Reception. Hugo Schafif: Entertainment, Ernst Strehle; Decoration, John Moritz: Publicity, H. C. Irish. This year's convention of the national association will be the most important in its history, as several matters which will have much hearing on the future of the gardening pro- fession, will be presented to the convention for considera- tion. The subject of e.xamination and classification for gar- deners, which was referred by the Cleveland convention to the coming convention, will be submitted for final action. As the convention of the American .Association of Park Superintendents will be held in Louisville on September 9, 10. 11, a good attendance is looked for at our convention, as many members are affiliated with the two associations. The dates have been arranged so that members may attend both meetings. President Jensen writes that the local members of the as- sociation are planning to make the 1920 convention a memorable one in every respect. THE GARDENERS' CONFERENCE AT BOSTON. There was a well-attended gathering of gardeners at the conference, held on Thursday evening. May 6, in Horticul- tural Hall, under the auspices of the Boston members of the National Association of Gardeners. Robert Cameron acted as chairman of the meeting. The discussion centered chiefly on the labor problem and how it affects the country estates, and on tlie inability tc. secure skilled help. It was pointed (n\t that in many in- stances the ordinary laliorer is receiving more compensation for his eight or nine hours a day work on the estates than the superintendent who employs him: wdiile it is almost impossible to secure assistant gardeners, as they have been attracted to other industries where the compensation is better and the hours of work less. How to interest the young men in the profession of gar- dening was a much debated question with no practical solu- tion forthcoming. The secretary of the Xatinnal .Associa- tion of Gardeners who was present, reported that the com- mittee which has this matter in hand, is about to present the advantages that the gardening profession offers to young men, to the educational sources of the country to have them luring the opportunity to the attention of the boys about to leave school, to whom the call of the great outdoors may be more enticing than the office or the shop. Some of the gardeners told of the young men who wanted to train for the gardening profession. While some of them manifested keen interest in the work, others, finding it too arduous, soon dropped out. This, however, holds true with any vocation. W. N. Craig was asked to tell of his attendance at the annual meeting of the Garden Club of .America, which he ad- dressed in New York City last March. He reported that he found the ladies very much interested in t. e welfare of the professional gardeners, and that they are in sympathy with h:s viewpoint on the subject. Mr. Craig warned that he found the members of the Garden Club unusually well informed on gardening and on the common and the rare inhabitants of the garden. Mr. Cameron related his experience with the farmerettes, wdiich are regularly employed on the estate of which he is in charge. He said that while at first he did not favor the idea, he has been compelled to change his views, for the young women take great interest in their work and are steady workers. Mr. Cameron recommended that where there is help shortage and it is possible to secure farmerettes, they lie given a fair trial. A lively discussion on what constitutes proper compensa- tion for employees on country estates was carried on between Messrs. D. Finlayson. J. Methven. .A. K. Rogers, W. N. Craig, J. Donald, and revealed that conditions are not alike on any two estates: that countr}' estates as a rule are self- governed. A suggestion that a uniform schedule might be of some advantage was promptly tabled, as having a tendency towards unionisili, to which the professional gardener, as indicated by the attitude of those present, is decidedly opposed. The resolution of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society to have a meeting of all horticulfural organizations at an early date to adopt some plan of action to bring about a modification of Quarantine Bill No. ,i7 was endorsed by the conference. SUSTAINING MEMBERS. Mr. and Mrs. J. Pierpont Morgan, Glen Cove, L. I. (Angus MacGregor. superintendent) ; W. R. Coe, Oyster Bay, L. I. (Thomas Proctor, superintendent): James B. Duke, Somerville, N. J. (Jas. Dimock, gardener) ; John L. Severance. Cleveland, O. (.Arthur Brown, gardener) : Mrs. Samuel Sloan, Garrison, N. Y. (Robert Miller, superintendent); F. M. Sackett, Louisville, Ky. (P. Bovington, superintendent) ; Paul D. Cravath. Locust Vallej-, L. I. (.Auguste Fournier. superintendent): E. H. Inman, .Atlanta, Ga. (William .Atkinson, gardener) ; H. E. Converse. Marion, Mass. ( David F. Rev, superintendent ) : W. E. Kimball, (jlen Cove. L. I. (J. H. Frampton. gardener): E. F. Price. Port Chester. N. V. (Joseph Goatley. gardener): Mrs. C. G. Rice, Ipswich, Mass. (Stewart .A. Forbes, gardener); A. C. Loring, Mound, Minn. (George H. Instone, superintendent); Mrs. W. Stursberg, Great Neck, L. I. (Frank Wallington, gardener) ; have become sustaining members nf the association. NEW MEMBERS. The following new members have been recently added to our membership list: Charles Milburn, Suffern, N. Y.; An- drew .Andersen, Manhasset. L. I.; Hans Peters, Yonkers, N. v.; Robert Watson. Wellesley. Mass.; Walter H. Golby. Jamaica Plains, Mass.; William Sutherland, Hyde Park, Mass.; H. L. Crane, West End, N. J.; John H. Koster, Stam- ford, Conn.; .Auguste Fournier. Locust Valley, L. I.; Gordon P. Stewart, Waltham. Mass.: K. .A. Hedlund, Grosse Pointe Shores. Mich.; John Morris. Hyde Park, Mass.; James Law- son, Hyde Park. Mass.; Henry F. W. Rossiter, Elberon, N. J.; Peter Smith, Sharon, Conn.; Walter Trigalet, Mamar- oneck, N. Y.; Donald Luke, New York. N. Y.\ Andrew- McKendry, Westbury. L. L; Robert Main. Tarrytown, N. Y.; John T. Leahy, Harrison. N. J.; Anthony C. Ruzicka, Somer- ville, N. J.: Frank L. Clayton, Brookville, L. I.; John Fogarty, New A'ork. N. Y.: Charles Dobson, Stamford. Conn.; Victor Olsen. New York, N. Y.; Maynard F. Doug- las, So. Eli. It. Me. CAMPAIGN FUND TO INTEREST YOUNG MEN. Previously acknowledged $120.00 Tames B. Duke. Somerville. N. 1 25.00 Lord & Burnham Co.. Irvingioii, N. Y 100.00 $245.00 Before the campaign can be commenced in earnest the asso- ciation will have to have sufficient funds to carry out its plan for June. 1920 227 effectively. The country estate owners as well as the commercial hcirticultural in- terests are vitally interested in the question of attracting young men to the gardening profession, and support for the movement should come from them as well as from the gardeners' association. Our members are asked to present this important subject both to their employers and to the trade interests and their financial support enlisted. This will enable the association to advertise the campaign properly and to issue in- structive literature, setting forth the ad- vantages which the profession of gardening offers as compared with those of other vo- cations. Quick action is necessary for success. SERVICE BUREAOi ■ PUBLICITY FUND The following contriliutions have been received towards the Service Bureau Pub- licity Fund up to June 1st: Previously acknowledged $1,256.00 John Thompson. Cranford. N. J . . 2.00 lames Johnston. Ovster Bav. X. Y. 2.00 Carl Petersen. New' Rochelfe. X. V. 3.00 George Ferguson, Manhasset, L. I. 5.00 Richard \'ince. Shrewsbury. Mass. 2.0J William Warlnirton, Fort Wayne, Ind. (ad) S.OO J. H. Brunger, Riverdale-on-Hud- son, X. Y. (ad) 2.00 William Smith, Xewport. R. I 2.00 William Tait. Bedford Hills, X. Y. 5.01 Henry Gibson, Brookville. L. I.... 25.00 E. B. Palmer. Roslyn, L. 1 15.00 $1,324.00 - AMONG THE GARDENERS E. B. Palmer, recently at Mahwah, N. J., secured the position of superintendent on the Childs Frick estate. Roslyn, L. 1.. succeeding .\le.xander Michie. J. C. Armstrong, formerly gardener on the late ex-Gov. Franklin Murphy estate, Franklin Farms, Mendhani, X. J., secured the position of superintendent on the estate of F. M. Sackett. Louisville, Ky. Philip Bovington, who for the past four years has been superintendent on the estate of F. M. Sackett, has accepted the position of superintendent on the estate of -\. R. Erskine, Twyckenham Park, South Bend, Ind. .\. Martini, who has lieen superintendent for the past number of years on the F. D. Countiss estate. Lake Geneva, Wis., has accepted a similar position w'ith Mrs. G. I', Douglas, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Anton Bauer for many years at Deal N. J., has accepted the position of gardener on the estate of S. G. Mortimer. Tu.xedo Park, N. Y. Donald Luke, for the last six years gardener on the estate of Alexander Mac- kenzie, (ilcn Spey. N. Y.. secured a similar position on the estate of K. H. Ripley. Oyster Bay, L. I. Geor.Sfc Hewitt, recently of Lenox, Mass., accepted the position of gardener on the J. H. Topping estate, Greenwich, Conn. John I. Foxcroft secured the position of gardener on the estate of Mrs. Stoeckel. Xorfolk. Conn. Jiihn Thompson accepted the position of irarrUner to E. I. Goodrich. Cranford, X. J. John .Mcxander has secured the position of superintendent on the Young estate, Glen Cove, L. I. Richard Vince has accepted the position of gardener on the C. H. Hutchins estate. Shrewsbury, Mass., .'■■rceed'ng Walter S. Wherein The Grocer's Boy Taught Us A Business Lesson \yhen 1 was a youngster, my chum, Xick, wDrked in his Dad's little village store. One winter we had a whale of a snowstorm. Nobody "got to town" for a couple of days. But Nick got to most of his customers within a couple of miles, by horseback. The urgent things that they were out of were deliv- ered that same day on horseback — with a liig basket "tied on behind." They rode right up to people's windows and handed things in. The competitors waited until the "roads were broken," before they started out. They called Nick a "crazy young fool." And in a way he was. But he gave service under stress to his customers, that made them loyal boosters. What has all this "small town stuff" got to do with you and me? Just this. You know how difficult shipments have been and still are. When the railroad strike was on, it did seem as if we were just about snowed in. When things were at their worst. I got thinking of Nick's way of tackling the worst things. So we just hove to, and kept our trucks running day and night, and did some seemingly impossible things. And now we want to heartily thank both our old and new customers for the fine spirit you showed towards all our efforts. We have a very warm appreciation for vour patient generous point of view. \iliuy l^eKr5* Cor Ai Thg Si^ of The Tree Ruti Box ^U «tKer/oi N.J iJack. who recently resigned this place. .Arthur .Adams accepted the position of gardener at Providence Convent. .Saint Ma ry-of-the- Woods, Indiana. .Alfred Townsend for the last four years ijardener to S. (i. Morlimcr. Tuxedo Park. X. Y., has secured the position of gardener im the Clayburgh estate, Mt. Kisco, X. Y. W. R. Seymour accepted the position of sardcner on the estate of Henry Young, Bcrnardsville, N. J. Frank Cataldo secured the position of gardener to Mrs. R. W. Sears, Brooklinc. Mass. John T. Leahy accepted tlie position of gardener on the .A. K. Mitchell estate, Stamford, Conn. I LOCAL SOCIETIES ST. LOUIS ASSN. OF GARDENERS. l^pon invitation of the Weber & Sons Xurscrymen of Xursery, Mo., the club held its first Summer meeting at the aforesaid grounds on May 2nd. Despite the inclement weather forty members attended. L'nfor- lunately the weather prevented the inspec- tion of the grounds, so the time was de- voted to the greenhouses and cold-storage plant. The meeting was called to order by L. P. Jensen (our local and national president) _v^ GARDENERS' CHRONICLE iiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiuiuiiiMjiiU:ruii Hum iiiu ininliiiiuii I Does the Work of Four Men This Coldwell Motor Lawn Mower and Roller (walk type) pays for itself many times in the wages it saves. Does four men's work. Geared to four miles an hour — easily operated. Long wear. Coldwell's Combination Motor Lawn Mower and Roller Model J — the latest ride type machine. Weighs 1100 pounds on the drive rollers, 40-inch cut. Useful on parks, estates and country clubs. Write for complete catalog of the Coldwell line. including Gang Mowers. Horse and Hand Lawn Mowers. Coldwell Lawn Mower Co. Largest Makers of High Grade Lmvyi Mowers in the World Office and Factory Newburgh, New York Chicago Office: 62 East Lake St.. Chicago, III. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiim in the spacious garage. After committee reports were presented the chairman intro- duced the club's entomologist, Herman Schwartz, who lectured on "Insects Useful and Depreciating to Plant Life." Some e.'^- sential factors were explained enabling tlu gardener to differentiate between variou.- kinds of insect life, i. e. Inscctx. those ha\ - ing separate head, thorax and abdomen, always possessing six legs attached to tlie thorax, the honey-bee being the most intel- ligent. Beetles. Possessing hard protective wing coverings. Alouth parts from side t<' side enabling them to chew or bite their food. Bugs. Possessing a sucking moutli part, inserting their proboscis into tlie leaves, drawing forth or sucking their food. The speaker answered some interesting questions brought out in the discussion, especially in reference to the life cycle of the parasitic insects. A. F. Satterthwait, of the Department of Agriculture, spoke on the relative value of the birds in cuntrolling insects in general. After adjournment the members were the guests of Mr. Weber at a sumptuous lunch. G. H. Pring, Cor. Sec. NEW LONDON (CONN.) HORT. SOCIETY. This society held its regular monthly meeting on May 13th. .'\fter the usual business routine, Presi- dent Silva Tiens introduced Mr. Felling, State Forester, who gave an illustrated lec- ture on the State Parks and Forests. The lecturer told of the work being done by the state commission in providing recrea- tion spaces and buying up shore land for the public good ihronghdut the .State. The Superintendent Says: "Madame and the family can now have the flowers they like — and as many as they like — as often as they like. And the best part of it all is that there is no trouble for me. Our V-Bar Greenhouse is easier to take care of than any other I have ever managed." We say: "Maximum production at a minimum cost of main- tenance." What more can we say? W. H. LUTTON COMPANY', INC. BWP. 6BttN\V/H0U5ES 512 FIFTH AVE., NEW ^'ORK CITY i^h^^^m: ^^^^c^in HARRY BALDWIN Slanufacturer of Greenhouse Stiadlng Lath Roller Blinds IVIAIUAROIME^K. tM. Y. WATER THE ROOT^- FOR BIGCER CROR/! BECOME A LANDSCAPE Prepare by mail for > D^OIT'E'^T' feilion!'"'""''"* '"■'" AKl^nHttl Inexpensive. Easy to master. Earn while you learn. Diploma awarded. Special proposition to HOME OWNERS and Plan for beautifying your property. AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SCHOOL Newark New York State Tlie "Sub- Pipe" System feeds the roots fiirectly — makes you uidependent of the weather — produces better gardens and pret- tier lawns. Simple, economical, to install .tnd to operate. '•SUB -PIPE •• IRRIGATION is the greatest producer of vegetation known. Write for descriptive booklet and prices. Act NOW to get full benefits THIS SEASON. If interested in our proposition to demon- •itKititrs. so indicate. SUB-PIPE IRRIGATION CO. 830 E. Mayo BMg., Talii. OkU. , For June. 112U 229 After discussion among the members on the work, a rising vote of thanks was given the speaker. One new member was admilted to membership. St.\-\le\ JoRiiAN. Cor. Sec. MONMOUTH COUNTY (N. J.) HORT. SOCIETY. The regular monthly meeting was held, with President W'aite in the chair and a good attendance. Also excellent e.xhibits. After the regular business was dispensed with discussion came up in regards to holding a June show such as strawberries, sweet peas, roses, vegetables, etc, Of course, the help question in this section is a bit of a handicap. However, we have decided to hold same towards the end of June. To all appearance things will be a bit late this season on account of the back- ward season ; also roses seem to be break- ing weak after the arctic Winter they have gone through. Let us hope for more seasonable weather then, perhaps, every- thing will surprise us. Wm. Turner. Cor. Sec. j!llll!llllllllliyillllllllll!lll!l!IIIIlllI!llllll!IHII!llll11lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ NASSAU COUNTY HORT. SOCIETY The re,gular monthly meeting was held on Wednesday, May 12. President Twigg occupied the chair. Messrs. Dungee, Dono- van, Turkington, Lutton and Van Givoren were elected to active membership and two petitions for active memliership were re- ceived. .\n interesting feature of the meeting was an open discussion on the damage done to trees and shrubs last Winter. Mr. Reed was a visitor from New York and he gave us a short talk. .\rthur Cook, Cor. Sec. . TUXEDO HORT. SOCIETY. .\ regular monthly meeting was held on May 12. An excellent and instructive paper read by Thos. Lyons, gardener to Samuel \Vagstaff, Esq., on the construction, management and general care of the con- servatory brought out considerable dis- cussion and was favorably commented on. John Livingston, manager of the W. P. Hamilton place at Sterlington was elected to active membership. Final arrangements were made for the annual ball to be held on Wednesday even- ing. Mav 26. J.\s. D.wiDSOX. Sec. TARRYTOWN HORT. SOCIETY. The regular monthly meetnig was held on May 19. .\n application was received from Andrew Strachan of Yonkers, N. Y., to become an active member of the society. A committee was appointed in reference to holding the annual Summer outing, to re- port at the June meeting. The society will hold a June exhibition at their regular meeting. Memorandum of the prizes will be mailed to all members of the society. The Fall exhiliition of the society will be held in Music Hall, Tarrvtown, on Novem- ber ,1 4 and 5, 1920. CiiAS. J. Wood, Reporting Sec. NORTH SHORE (ILL.) HORT. SOCIETY. The above society held its regular monthly meeting May 10. President Bollinger brought up for discussion the lifting of the embargo on plants, etc., of foreign origin, pointing out that some varieties such as Standard Roses and Azaleas cannot he grown in this country owing to climatic conditions. .Some of the members were in favor while others held different views. The matter was left over inilil a jiroper resolution could be drawn PLANT SUCCESSION CR(3PS I FOR FALL AND WINTER USE I Succession crops are mo>t important. >lii(e they provide fresh vejielahles for fall and M winter use. \ cellar full of stored vefselables, of just the ri^ht size, is not only a J good inveslmeni but also a treat. Stored vegetables are healthier than canned g vegetables. H JUNE IS THE MONTH TO PLANT | Bush Beans, Lima Beans, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cab- g bage. Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Sweet Corn, Cucuni- J bers, Endive, Kale, Kohl-Rabi, Musk Melon, Parsley, | Squash, Summer-Radish, and Swiss Chard. ■ W rite for a free copy of "Burpee's Seeds for Summer Sowing" and | the Burpee Cultural Leaflet on "Summer Gardening." | W. ATLEE BURPEE CO. | Seed Growers Philadelphia | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Tiiiliililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiNiiinniuiiniiiniiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiimiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ RUSTIC BIRD HOUSES Do Not Require Weathering ( )ur faniuus Interchangeable No. 14. For \\'ren or Bluebird. Price ^2 and post charg'cs: weight 5 lbs. ( )ur faniMu.s 3 for $5.00 Bird Houses; weight 10 lbs. Crescent Sparrow l^rap, mme better, price $3, 9 lbs. A.1P. GREIM, "Birdville", Toms River P. 0., N. J. ^llllllllllllllllllllllllli;ll||||||||||||||||Nlllnllllllllllllil^!'lllP^llllll^lllllllnlnlllllllllllllllll!lllllll^^llllllllllllllllllllllN SOLD BY SEEDMEN IN CANADA FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS ^Sya/m^nonc^QfJuo^ ejn€7t it HAMMOND'S SLUG SHOT' Used from Ocean to Ocean .\ lislit. roniposifi-, fine powder. f;i:^ilv distributed cittier l)V du^tiT, bellows or in water bj- spt^yinR. Thormielily reliable in killini: Currant \Vonii.-..Pnt.-Uo Bug8, Cabbage Wonn.s. Lire. Slugs. Sow Bug:*, etc., anfi it is also stroiiglv impregnated with fvincieides. r??-I'ul up in Popiilcr Paikac- it Popular Prices. Sold by %r-eA Dealers and Merchants. HAMMOND'S PAINT AND SLUG SHOT WORKS, BEACON, NEW YORK. 230 up and presented at our next meeting and put to a vote. Mr. O. Carll, head gardener from Lincoln Park, is expected to talk at our next meeting. Two new members were enrolled. J. R. Clarke, Cor. Sec. GARDENERS' CHRONICLE WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD HORT. SOCIETY. The regular monthly meeting of the above society was held in Greenwich, Conn., May 14. There was a good at- tendance vvilh President Andrews in the chair. Two honorary members were elected and 3 proposals for membership received. Various subjects were discussed, but the principal speaker of the evening was M. C. Ebel, secretary of the National Association of Gardeners. For two hours he kept the members' attention describing the workings of the association's Service Bureau, and giving hints about the better- ment of the gardener's position. Mr. Ebel received a rising vote of thanks. A tele- gram was read from Charles Gatty regret- ting that he was unable to be present, but advised the boys to keep on potting. There was a fine display of plants, flowers and vegetables. Jack Conroy, Cor. Sec. THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers arc invited to make free use of tins department to solve problems that may arise in their garden zoork. Questions on' the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that can be rcadilv answered by applying to the usual reference books should not be re- ferred to the Questionnaire. Here and There EFFECT OF LIGHT ON PLANTS. It is said that greenhouse e.xperiraents conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry of the V. S. Department of .\gricuhure have proved that the flowering and fruitnig period cf practically any plant can be made to take place at any time of the year by darkening the greenhouse in the morning and evening if the day is loo long, or b.v lengthening the day by artificial light if the day is too short. Spring Bowers and Spring" crops, it is asserted, happen to be Spring flowers and Spring crops because the davs at the season of their flowering and fruiting have the proper number of hours of daylight. Experiments were con- ducted with a large variety of plants. By employing dark chambers, the scientists_ shortened or lengthened the life cycle of plants and forced some of them to com- jilete two cycles in one season. Violets, which natura"lly bloom only during the com- paratively short days of Spring, when cov- ered with light-proof boxes for a time were made to l)loom again during the Sum- mer. Temperature appeared to e.xert no influence in ihe tests. The relative unim- portance of temperature was demonstrated in the fact that plants kept in the dark for a part of the day underwent in Midsum- mer the changes that in nature come in the Fall, and that heretofore have been attributed to lower temperatures. This was true even when the dark houses registered a higher temperature than the outside atmosphere. Iris kept in artificial light foi ei.ghteen hours a day bloomed in two monlhs, while others in the same tempera- ture, but without artificial extension of the day, required months longer. The new principle is said to explain why plants grow iro«t luxnri'uislv near the northern limit of their range, where the l.ing day permits nia.ximum vegetative growth before the short day intervenes to start reproduction. OIAIITY RED POTS Uade of best material by skilled lalwr. uniformly burned and carrfuliy packed, Famous " ' Moss- Aztec' ' Ware includes Azalea Pots. Fern Dishes, HaDging Baskets, t^awn Vases, etc. Write for catalogue and price ILst. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesvllle. Ohio THE FLOWER GROWER Puhlished Monthly for Amateur a,ui Pro- fessiondl Flower hrozvcrs Subscription price $1 per year — three years for $2 Grow flowers and thus help brighten the pathway and cheer the hearts of many whose nerves are shat- tered by the horrors of war. Mention the "Gardeners' Chronicle" and ask for a samf-lc copv. MADISON COOPER, Publisher CALCIUM, N. Y. |llflll!l!lliNtlllllMt)IMilllllillli:illllll!i:illl.lllnll[|III.Illlllll!IIIIlil!ll!III^^ I WANTED AT ONCE— First class, | I married vegetable gardener on private | j estate ; good wages, steady position, | I best of references required. D, G. A., | " Box 441, Greenwich, Conn. | :-. !!!l{]l{|lll||ll|lllllllllllllll>li;illtillltl]IIIIIIII.IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1IIIIIIIIIIIillllll[1llllllllll :iii;llllllll|{|lllll{llllll!limilllllllNII|]||ll|llllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllltlllllllll1>I>ll^^^^^^ BOX-BUSHES I i four of large size. Diameter at base | I eight to nine feel. Price, S75 each. | I E. A. LANUELL, JR. | i 5814 Drexel Road, Philadelphia, Pa. | liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii{iiimii!iiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiitiiiiiiiiMiiiiimiiiii;iiii>ilii;iili.iiiiJiii.Muiii:iitt;iu^^ . CUT FLOWER BOXES ^iEDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO I PHILADELPHIA. PA. for June, I^iO 231 STATEMENT OF THE OWN- ERSHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIR- CULATION. ETC., required by the .\ct of Congress of August 24. 1912, of "Cardeners' Chronicle of ,-\nier- ica." jniblished monthlv at New York. N. v., for April i, 1920. State cf New York | gg County of New York ] Before me, a notary public in ani for the State and county aforesanl. personally appeared M. C. Ehi who, iiaving been duly sworn ac- cordinj? to law, deposes and says that he is the editor of the "Oar- deners' Chronicle of America" and that tile following is to the best of his knowledge and belief a true statement of the ownership, nian- a.eenient (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc.. of the aforesai-l publication for the date shown in the above caption, required bv ttu- Act of .-\ugust 24. 1912. emb'odiei! in section 443, Postal Laws Regulaticns, printed on the rever^e of this form, to wit: 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, managing editor, and business manager are: Pub- lisher. The Chronicle Press. Inc.. 286 Fifth Ave.. New York. N. Y. Editor. M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave.. New York, Managing Editor. M. C. Ebel. 286 Fifth Ave.. New York. Business Manager. M. C. Ebel Fifth -\ve.. New York. 2. That the owners are (Ctive names and addresses of individual owners, or, if a corporation, give its name and the names and dresses of stockholders owning .ir holding 1 per cent, or more of the total amount of stock.) The Chronicle Press, Inc.. 286 Fifth Avenue. New York N. \" M. C. Ebel. Madison. N. J. M. E. Burniston and .T. A. Burniston. both of Summit. N. T. S Waren- dorff. 325 5th Ave..N. Y. Chas H. Tottv, Madison, N. T. A Bauer. Deal. N. J. J. Barfiett, Sewickley. Pa. 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and otlier security hold- ers owning or holding 1 per cent, or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (If there are none, so state). Then are no bondholders, mortgagees or other security holders. 4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the own ers. stockholders, and security boh ers. if any, contain not only list of stockholders and securit\ holders as they appear upon tin- books of the company, but also, in cases where the stockholders or -. curity holder appears u|>on hooks of the company as trustee in any other fiduciary relation, name of the fierson or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given; also that the said two para- graphs contain statements embrac- ing affiant's knowledge and be- lief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not ap- pear upon the books of the ccmpanv as trustees, bold stock and secnri ties in a capacity other than tb.il of a bona fide owner; and this at fiant has no reason to believe th;it any other persons, association, .n corporation has any interest direii or indirect in the said stock, bonris, or other securities than as so staled by him. Sworn to and subscribed befor. me this 5th day of April, 1920. M. C. EBEL. Editor. [Seal] C. I. KELLER. My commission expires March 30, 1921.) INSECTS AND FUNGUS DISEASES ■i'li(jrou.t;hlj- siicci-ssful gardciiin.n cannot be i)ractu-ed without due regard for ihe in- jury caused by in.sects and fungi and the scientific effort to control them. The domesticity of plants hringing them into conditions often foreign to their natural environment, seems to court the attacks of diseases and pests, which arc .so common and nisistcnt as to constitute a menace at all times, even to uncultivated species. To form an idea of how plants will thrive when deprived of these enemies we can but do all in our power to effect it by every known and suitable means and note the result. The struggle for existence is going on about us, seen and unseen by iuinian eyes; it is not alone the leaf beetles and their larva;, the defoliating lepidopterous caierpillars and the sucking bugs that play havoc if unchecked. .\{ the roots, in the stems, w'ithin the blossoms and the fruit, others are at work that cannot so easily be reached.— ^(iicnVa)! Suburbs. \v ORCHIDS S|iiTiaIi-^rs in (>r<-lniN. WV nrt- S|iiTiali-^rs in (>r<-lniN. WV collect, ernw. import, uxnort aiiiJ sell orelilda ex- <-liisivcly. If yon are in the nmrkot for Orchf.lp, we solicit your inrpiirips nnil orders. Cntn logues and spcclHl ll^ts np appllontlon. LAGER & HURRELL trthi4 Grawws and Importan Summit. N. «J. HILL'S EVERGREENS S^nd for Price-list Mention this magnzine D. HILL NURSERY CO. Evergreen Specialists. Largest Growers in America Box 306 UUNDEE. ILL. The New Hardy Dwarf Edging ud Low Hed«f ('rir;i(j*i;..r5 anyl Intr .iucrrs: Elm City Nursery Company Woodmont Nurseries ox 193 New HaTCn, C •iid for Box-Hiirherrv KoM. Gonoral Nursery ^'atiilot' onn. and uiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiii iiiiiiiiuiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiniiiin^ iiiiimiimwiiiiiiii iiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiuiiiiii The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A pj-IINP is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of ■^^^ ■* **i^*-' ,j,g disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN-A» » FOR THE GREENHOUSE dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. rUlNxjIINt For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V tiKl^^lINt, For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chcmicala MADISON. N. J. aiiiimiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiniiiiuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirtiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ L»iil!iiiiiiini!i)iii>ii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii{iiiiiiuiitiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ huiiiiiniijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiminiiiniinioiiii I Of Interest to Country Estate Owners j E The National Association of (^".ardeners takes this opportunity = 1 to place its Service Bureau at the disposal of owners of country h M estates when requiring competent gardeners, in the capacities of s 1 superintendents, head gardeners or assistant gardeners — thor- i s oughly qualified in every particular to assume the responsibilities p 1 tlie positions call for — -gardeners truly efficient in their profession. § 1 The Bureau is maintained entirely at the expense of the M 1 association and makes no charge to the employer it may serve g 1 01 to the member it may benefit. i j NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS | 1 M, C. KBFL. Secretary 1 i 286 Fifth Ave. New York | flll1111lll]||lllllllllll11IIIIHlllllllinilllllillllllllI!lllHIII^ l^lllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllll l|||lll!tlllllll[|lll||lllll{!IIIIIIII[lll[||!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll illllUlllllllllllllllNIIII flllll[!llllllllllil| I FOLEY GREENHOUSES I I Scientifically Planned. Carefully Made and SUilHully Lic^ttfd | ^ Write for Estimate f: j THE FOLEY GREENHOUSE MFG. C O. | I 3200 W. 31st St. Chicago j ^iiiiiniiiiiiniiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiriNiuuiinniiiii)iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiinwimiii i m« i imn iiiiuiiniiiiiiiiii!. I Greenhouse and Garden Plants | I Shrubbery and Nursery Stock | I Of all descriptions | I ANPlEI^SON mc I I QpMWELL GARPEN5 I I Cj^m\vell Conn j I Make y o u r n e e d s k n o w n to us. | I We will properly serve your interests. | liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiii |nMiiiiiinniiniiiiriiimiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiinnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin I Competent Gardeners | I The comforts and products of a country | j home are increased by employing a competent | j gardener ; if you want to engage one, write us. | I Please give particulars regarding place and | I say whether married or single man is wanted. | I We have been supplying them for years to the | I best people everywhere. No fee asked. | I PETER HENDERSON & CO. | I Seedsmen and Florists | I 35 and 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK CITY | ^mimimmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiimiiimimiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^^^^^^^ iiimitiiiimiDiiif 232 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ ir.iii:g STOP! AND LOOK AT THIS PICTURE In our announcement in April you were requested to watch this space for THE machine. , Here it is, the machine w^e told you that would trim edges better and five times as fast as present methods. The cutters revolve at a very high speed, they can never spread to allow^ grass to slip by, they never get dull because of the self sharpening feature. A coil spring and Hyatt Roller Bear- ing does the trick. Scrap your border shears and order one of Richardson's Boulevard T r i m - mers. Write for detail description and price; we want to tell you more about this w^onderful labor saver. 1 he KicKarason Ooulevara 1 rimmer Manufactured by THF STANDAKD SAND ^ MACHINE CO. CLEVELAND, OHIO iiiiBiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiii niiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii The tribute of William Turner to Davey Tree Surgery I'iezt' of Bertram H. Borden estate, T h e Riverlands, Oceanic. N. J. li^iltlani Turner is snf>erintendent of this estate. The Riverland*;. Oceanic, N. J. The Davey Tree Expert Co., Inc., Kent, Ohio Gentlemen: At different periods we have called on Davey Tree Sur- geons to examine our trees and attend to their needs in cuttin,^; out decayed wood, filling cavities, etc. I have had the opportunity of watching their progress and their methods of accomplishing their work so often that I feel my pen inadequate to express the full benefit derived from same. The tree speaks for itself, a monument to the skill of Davey Tree Surgery. Yours truly, Wm. Turner, Siil^t. ***** The saving of priceless trees is a matter of first importance on every estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the ma.ximum expecta- tions of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will be made by appointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc.. 306 Eim St., Kent, O. Branch Offices zvitli teleplione ccJDicctiotts: New Yt^rh City, Astor Court Building: Chicago, Westminster Bldg.. Philadclfhia Linid Tilie BIdg.. and Boston. IVrite nearest oiHce. Permanent representatives avail- able in districts surrounding Boston, Sprinj^field, Lenox. New- port. Hartford, Stamford. Al- liany. PouRhkeepsie, White Plains, Jamaica. Montclair. New York. Philadelphia. Harrishurff, Balti- inore, Washinstnn. Kicliniond. KulTalo. Toronto. Pittsburgli, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago. Milwaukee. Canadian address: 252 Laugauchiterc West, Montreal. JOHN DAVEY I'atlicr of Tree Surgery i'util Davt-y Tree Surgeons iilled the V-shaped crotch zvith sectional joints of concrete, and then bound the limbs together zmth steel rods, this free was at the peril of almost any storm DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Every real Davey Tree Surgeon is in the employ of The Davey Tree Expert Co., Inc., and the public is cautioned against those falsely representing themselves. An agreement made with the Davey Company and not ivith an individual is certain evidence -.. ' of genuineness GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) ILLUSTRATED Jfe JoknSchtepen Ini HORTICULTURAL $2.00 A YEAR 25cAC0PY Nn 7 I'ublished moiillilv liv 'rcss. Inc., 286 Fifth Ave.. New JULY, 1920 m ^^ _Et It's Hardly Fair to Figure Greenhouse Possessing In Dollars and Cents You don't figure the cost of a piano that way; or a choice rug; or any of the real, worth-while, joy-giving things of life. Things like that you say to yourself: "It's not so much a ques- tion of affording it as it is whether I can aflford not to afiford it." When you look into the matter a' bit further and find out how out of all proportion to the cost is the all-year-round happiness a greenhouse gives to every member of your family, you will sort of chide yourself for not buying one long ago. Glad to talk it over with you. Or send you our Glass Garden Booklet. Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories IR\ ixciroN New York BOSTON Little Bldg. Eastern Factory Irvinglrii. N. Y. CHICAGO Continental I'ank llld.c. PHIL.\DELPIlI.-\ Land Title Bldg. TOROXTO Royal Bank Bldg. Western Factory Des Plaines, 111. NEW YORK 4Jnd St Bldg. CLEVELAND 2063 E. -th St. Canadian Factory St. Catharines, Ont. ■^v„y^^^^ Ws&^' smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii '"iii'i'i"""i""i""i"ii "iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH^ iiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiim iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiji V^eV w Manda Co^ P^ ¥ BULBS— BULBS— BULBS We are booking orders for early delivery of all Bulb-Stock — American, French, Dutch and Japanese — and advise placing your orders at once to avoid disappointments. Send us your list and we will quote you our best prices. Freesia Purity Lilium Giganteum Dutch Hyacinth in Variety " Colored Calla Ethiopica " Elliiottiana Candidum " Speciosum Rubrum Album Tulip, Narcissus in Variety Single in Variety " Godfrey Roman Hyacinths Narcissus P. D. Grandiflora Soleil D'Or tt Double in Variety Darwin in Variety Lilium Harris!! " Trumpet Major " Breeder in Variety Formosum " Golden Spur " Cottage in Variety Our Orchid Catalogue is ready. If interested send for a copy. VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME Let Us Bid On Your Wants ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s— B u 1 b s— S u n d r i e s West Orange - - - New Jersey William J. Manda Vice-Pres. Joseph Manda Prcs. & Treas. Edward A. Manda Sccr'y. SilllllllHllllllllllllllllllllllinillllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIIIII!lllllllllllllllllllllll|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||^^ lllllllll! :"i iiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii:iiiiiiiii:ii[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiin^ Orchids From "Ciardcn Ornament," Chas. Si-rihuer's Sons. The Water Garden at Biiiye House, Wey bridge, EnglauiH AROUND THE WORLD in the Garden SvglisG GarderjSevie^ ALTHOUGH the straight canal-shaped pieces of water that are found on many large English country places are commonly considered to be the outcome of Dutch mfluence in the time of William and Mary, the great canal at Hampton Court was built in the time of Charles II from designs of the great French gar- den architect LeNotre. His example — as typified by the gardens of Versailles — became the guid- ing motive for garden designers throughout t,ng- land. Where there is the least thread of running \\'ater it should be developed to form a part of the garden scheme. From the narrow s^one-bordered rill to the large pool or pond, a water scene adds particu- lar charm and a refreshing a niosphere to the sum- mer landscape. We have an unusually large and varied assortment and can make immediate ship- ment of pot grown Vines. Climbers, Decorative Trees and Climbing Roses which add greatly to the beauty of water gardens ,':nd summer pavilions. Are you receiving our B. i-. 100 plants $35.00 50 plants 18.50 25 plants 9.50 12 plants 5.00 Jubilee The plants are extremely vigorous and healthy and give an abundanee of very dark red. luseious fniil uf exquisite flavor and giant si/i-. Wi'll aliove the ground. 100 plants 50 plants 25 plants 12 plants $15.00 8.00 . 4.50 2.50 Beal This variety is the result of special hybriiiizalion for over a period of years by Ticc C. Kevitl. and under tiormal conditions plants set out make a growtli of 14 inches high with herrios that measure 3 inches in a straight line pa>ssing through the center of tlie berri'. 100 plants $10.00 50 plants 5.50 25 plants 3.00 12 plants 1.75 k. STANDARD VARIETIES | August Luther— Barrymore— Big Joe — Brandywine — Chesapeake Commonwealth — Early Jersey Giant— M Excelsior— Gandy— Glen Mary— Hub — Klondyke — Magic Gem— Marshall — Nick Ohmer— RoysJ Sover- ^ eign— Sample — Scofield— Senator Dunlap — SharDless^Stcvens Late Champion — Success— Wm. Belt. = 100 PLANTS $6.00 1,000 PLANTS $50.00 1 FALL OR EVERBEARING VARIETIES | Aircricus — Advarxe — Progressive — Superb ^ i 100 PLANTS $8.00 1,000 PLANTS $70.00 m I WILLIAM M. HUNT & CO., 148 Chambers St., New York City | e PHONE BARCLAY 5615 m c '■^"'■^■^•^BS This Portable Line, Ready for Instant Use, Waters 2,500 Sq. Ft at a Time Don*t "wait till next year" to get the benefits of Skinner System Irrigation. A singlt^ 50 ft. portable line will keep yonr garden fresh and growing through the drought of this .August and September. Waters a strip 50 ft. wide, and 5U ft. long (or any length up to 6')') ft., as ordered). These lines are completely assembled, ready for instant use, by merely screwing lengths of pipe together and attaching ^-in. pipe, or hose. Don't take a chance on the weather. Write or wire us for one of these ready-to-use outfits. The SUinnpr Irri^aHon Co. 229 Water St. Troy, Ohio |IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII[IIIIIIII[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!IIII|I||I|I||I|I|||||||{|||||;|| Iliilil lllllllllllllllllllimillMllitillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillNlilK I MICHELL'S ! I SEEDS OF HAKDY I I PERENNIAL FLOWERS I r 1 iy ■or* *" '^ k >%;■. n ■ fv ,,. ';k^ .- ik 1 1 Jhk^HjHh L / jhSI UH ■ HHH Gaillardia Add to the glory of next season's Flower Garden by sowing seeds of Hardy Perennial Flowers, which are becoming more popular each year. OUR 1920 CATALOG contains a complete list of the best and most popular varieties. A COPY FREE FOR THE ASKING MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE 514 MARKET ST. PHILADELPHIA, PA. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimniniimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiininniiiiiiiiiini^ aiuiiiiii lllllllllllllllllllilllElllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Make your Garden serve you all summer and also produce a sufficient supply' for winter use. DREER'S MID-SUMMER CATALOGUE contains a complete list of everything which may be planted during the summer months. You will find listed all that is best for late planting in Vege- tables, hardy Flower seeds for next year's flower- ing and Winter and Spring flowering Bulbs. Also the dependable strams of Farm seeds for Fall Planting. The best varieties of Celery Plants. Also all the up-to-date Garden Tools, Insecticides, Fertilizers and all the helps that make gardening a pleasure. Write for a free copy and kindly mention this pub- lication. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Pa. tMiiriiiiimi;«"7iiiif/i(:Mii;iiiiiNiiiiiiiiiitiinii;Hiriii!jiiiiiH!!'i(ir!iiiNiiiiiiir:iiit;iiit:iiiiii)i(:)i)iiiiii:iiii[|iiijijiittiti^ Pot Grown | Strawl^erry Plants | Ready for delivery in July and August. j Lawn & Pasture Grasses I For fall sowing. j Freesia Purity | Manunoth & Jumbo Bulbs in August. | Lilium Candidum | Northern grown bulbs in August. I W. E. MARSHALL & CO., INC. SeedsTncn & Bulb Importers 166 West 23rd Street, NEW YORK euiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilliiilliilliiiiimiiniiiiiiiiiillllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiliiiiliilliiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiHir.',>ii:il^ giiliiliiiliiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiilililililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiii:iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ LEE R. BONNEWITZ I GROWER OF I Peonies and Irises In my E.xhibition Garden I am growing over seven hundred varieties of Peonies, so I may learn the very good ones, to recommend them; and so I may also learn the very poor ones, to discard them. In this Exhibition Garden the name of each variety is prominently displayed during the blooming season, so that visitors can make up their own minds as to the merits of each variety. Each year I expect to publish a Booklet, giving a list of approved Peonies, and also a Booklet giving my list of candidates for the discard. I will be glad to mail now a Booklet of approved varieties, and also an Illustrated Booklet telling about the National Peony Show. LEE R. BONNEWITZ West Main St., Van Wert, Ohio III? ^iiiiiiii|iiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiHiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiuiiiNiiin 236 giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniii jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiU^^^^ !iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiii!iiiiriiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie BULBS BULBS BULBS FOR EARLY FORCING See our Fall Bulb Catalogue for descriptions and prices of Freesias, Liliums, Hyacinths, Tulips and Narcissi. STRAWBERRY PLANTS All new and standard varieties. Pot-grown. Send for our Mid-Suminer List I BURNETT BROTHERS I 'T/ie House Famous for Laivn Grass Seed" I 92 CHAMBERS ST., NEW YORK lllllltlllUllllllllllllllllini!IIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!lllllllllllllllll!IIIIIlllllllllllllllllllll!llll!!lllll^ 237 ^ iiiii II mil niiiiiiiiii I I mill niii iiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiniin | |iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiii iiii iii m, iiiiiiii mil miiiiii mii i mm luiiig I I I FOR RESULTS USE | <^^^'J(^rde/?Jbr(oz)e/yM)/ne MASTER BRAND The Keynote of Success in every modern business is Quali- ty and Service. Our unique connections at home and abroad enable us to give you both. Sterilized Sheep Manure Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash 2.25% I.507c l.SD% Concentrated Vine & Plant Manure Guaranteed Ancilysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash S.WTc 2.0<3^^^^M^^E. Symbolic Front Cover in Colors Ambition Realized It has ever been a problem to devise means staniling for proper representation. To search the worhl for the Best in Bulbs, has been easier than to acquaint the worhl with the superlative Quality Bulbs sent out by The House of Scheepers. For nearly five years I have worked on a book that would fitly intro- duce Scheepers" Quality Bulbs, that would give the reader a correct idea of hitherto unattained standards in unusual merchandise. This book is now ready for distribution, and Garden Magazine Readers are to be the Judges as to whether or not I have succeeded. Authors who helped To make the book most valuable, I enlisted the aid of the world's foremost and recognized authorities on each subject. Louise Beebe Wilder, Mrs. Edward Harding, Mrs. Francis King, the Rev. Joseph Jacob are among those who were kind enough to help make this book a gem of finest water. The drawings and decorations by Miss Beatrice Stevens represent the highest interpretation of art in the garden. Special photographs by Reginald Mallhie, of the Royal Photographic Society, help vis- ualize real life in the garden. Subjects Covered The book tells in the inimitable fashion characteristic of each favorite author, how to grow the finest bulbs for hardy borders and garden, the lovely Daffodils, Hyacinths and Tulips. It tells about the rarest Irises and aristo- crats among the Peonies. Wonderful Freesias of the New World vie with Old World Lilies in attempts to gain your favors. The book is a model for concise, prac- tical culture suggestions that will cause it to be treasured by those fortunate enough to secure a copy. A fitting Spokesman for Bulbs fit for the Ultra Critical ► Sparing no expense to make "A Book of Gardens" the latest word of the recognized authorities on Bulbous Plants, 1 have clothed their thoughts in a manner de- signed to win the approval of the ultra critical, llnlike any other book, it blends botany, history, aiul poetry in charming fashion. Because of the high cost of production, the edition of this (Jarden Hook l)e Luxe is very liniitetl. I iaii3s::nar3Ea 'i How to Obtain this Book It is impossible to distribute thi^ work of art promiscu- ously. However, every prospeclive customer of The House of Schee[!crs should have one. On receiiit of S5.00 (j)er- sonal check will do I it will be forwarded by insured book post. We will also mail a Due Bill good as S5.00 cash on every order for bulbs amounting to S25.00 or more. If a thorough examination of the book causes you to feel that you neither want the book nor care to order, return the book, and money paiil will be refunded "with- out a (piibble." JOHN SCHEEPERS, Inc. Flower Bulb Specialists 522 Fifth Avenue, New York (Comer 44th St.) 2i9 ;9iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ 'i I The Contents 1 Things and Thoughts of the Garden I Montague Free 241 I Plants that Seldom Fruit W. N. Clute 243 I Increase in the Bee-^'ard H. W. Sanders 244 I The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse I Henry Gibson 245 I Chinese Wistaria 246 I Ornamental Flowering Trees.. /I riorum Amalor 247 1 Twelve Hardy Perennials for Cut Flowers. . . 248 I The Plantain Lilies 249 I The Display of Autumn Colors 250 I Chokecherry for the Garden 250 I The Living Soil 251 'iiiiiiiniiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ for July, 1920 | A Lesson on Weeds and Their Control | Arlhiir Siiith 252 i Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book | Review 254 | Notes from the Arnold Arboretum Bulletin. . . 257 | A Moonlight Garden 258 j National Association of Gardeners 259 | The Questionnaire 260 | Here and There 260 | Gardening in the Nineteenth Century — | Some Hints on Watering — We Have | Still the Trees — Cultivation Brings Re- | suits — Heat and Fruiting. | THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. 286 Fifth Avenue New York. N. Y. MARTIN C. EBEL. Editor Entered at the New York Post OfKce as second class matter under the Act of Congress, March 3, 1879 Published monthly, the 1st of each month. Subscription .... $2.00 a year Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinn:iiiiiiiiii«iiiiiiiiiiiiii»iiwiiiiiiiimiiii{iim i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiw^^^^ siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiHiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiniinniiinii^ Stumpp & Walter Co/s Bulb Catalog A complete list of all NEW and RARE BULBS For Fall Planting and Exhibition Is now being mailed. The Best Novelties in DARWIN— BREEDER and COTTAGE TULIPS- DAFFODILS— DUTCH HYACINTHS. NEW COLORED FREESIAS NOVELTY WINTER FLOWERING SPENCER SWEET PEAS Best Californian Varieties // ive do not have your name on our catalog register, please urite for one. C£ . c//}- /. Cp 30-32 Bi Barclay Street ORK CITY Paiinnwiiiiiiimlim^ iiiiiiiniiiii iiiiiiiiiiniiniini iiiuiniiiimiuiiiuiiiiuiiii iiiiiinuic 240 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiil GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture I Vol. XXIV JULY. 1920 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii No. 7 iiiiiii Things and Thoughts of the Garden MONTAGUE FREE w E are now in the midst of the open season for insects, and most of us are busy trying to keep them under control. In spite of extensive writ- ings on the subject there are apparently still a few gar- deners who have not yet grasped the fact that there is a fundamental difference in the methods adopted to con- trol insect pests which obtain their food by sucking plant juices and those which actually chew their food. Thus we find a prominent grower advocating in his catalog the use of arsenate of lead ''to keep away aphis or green fly." This is, of course, preposterous as arsenate of lead is a stomach poison, and aphids obtain their food in such a way, by inserting their beaks in the plant tissue and sucking the juices, that they do not absorb any of the poison. Broadly speaking, sucking insects, such as scales, mealy bugs, and aphids, are best controlled, ex- cept when fumigation can be resorted to, by the use of a contact spray or dust which acts by corrosion or by clogging the breathing pores of the insect. Examples of sprays and dusting materials of this kind are nicotine solution, kerosene emulsion, and tobacco dust. On the other hand, those insects which actually eat the leaves of the plants are best dealt with by poisoning their food. This can be done by spraying with one of the arsenical poisons, such as Paris green or arsenate of lead. The problem of controlling garden pests is not always so simple as some might infer from the preceding para- graph. For instance there are insects which feed in such a way that they cannot be reached by insecticidal sprays. One of these is the beet-leaf maggot which tunnels be- tween the upper and lower epidermis of the leaf. Here the only remedy indicated is to cut off and burn infected leaves. If this is attended to when the cro]) is harvested it will lessen the danger of trouble the following year. \Mien these pests attack crops which are grown for their leaves, such as spinach and Swiss chard, their depreda- tions are even more serious, for, although it seems im- possible to detect any difference in the flavor of leaves so attacked, the womenfolk, even if they are not vege- tarians, arc somewhat squeamish about finding these maggots cooked in sjiinacb and so when a crop becomes badly infested it is practically valueless. I was fortu- nate enough a year or two ago when searching for the fly responsible for the beet-leaf maggot to find an insect on Swiss chard which was determined by Dr. Chittenden of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology as a parasite on the pest. Unfortunately I have no reliable data to show whether this parasite is sufficiently active in keeping down the maggot to make it of horticultural importance, 241 but the impression is that the maggots were not nearly so prevalent the following year. ^lany of us, no doubt, inspired by the reports of the success with which the fluted scale was put out of busi- ness in California by a species of lady-bug imported from Australia, have had visions of what might be accom- plished by finding suitable parasites for all of the pests to which our gardens are subject, but we still have to hustle around with the .spray-pump and dust-gun. and will probably continue to do so for sometime to come. One often wonders if in some of our spraying opera- tions we do not do considerable harm as well as good. The beneficial larvas of the lady-bug must surely suffer when we .spray with nicotine to combat aphis and we are thus in the position of injuring one of our best friends. But, alas ! it so often happens that we cannot aft'ord to wait until the industrious lady-bug has cleaned up the ajjliis colony and so we proceed on the principle that "if yt)u want a job done properly you must do it yourself" and consequently the lady-bug, is an innocent victim. While on the subject of pests the English sparrow is at once brought to mind. It is admitted that he has already been pretty well castigated for his varied mis- deeds by garden writers in many lands, but I have not yet seen any mention of his fondness for taking a dust bath in the midst of germinating seedlings. Of course those areas which contain very small and very choice plants are always selected as the scene of his abandoned wallowings, with usually disastrous results so far as the seedings are concerned. .\ writer in the Garden Maga- cinc calls attention to the fact "recently demonstrated at a British experimental station"' that sparrows have a horror of blue paper. Most of us suffer from the ex- liberance of sjiarrows in the garden at some time or an- other and any means of repelling them is worth trying oul. If strips of blue paper disposed advantageously will prevent them from wreaking their will on the young peas and lettuces gardeners everywhere will be properly grate- ful for the information. It may be, however, that the English sparrow from long residence in America has become so sophisticated as to refuse to be intimidated by blue paper whether it be of ultramarine or forget-me- not ! One of the most effective ways of conveying to the sparrow intelligence the fact that their room is pre- ferred to their comjiany is to trap a few of them with the common "break-back" mousetraps baited with bread. This is a perfectly humane method of despatching them as the traps kill instantaneously. It is not suggested that 242 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE it is possible to exterminate a flock of sparrows by this method, but it is possible to drive them away. The spar- row is a wise and suspicious bird and when it dawns upon him that his fellows are meetin,e;- with a harsh fate he speedily decides that the vicinity is unhealthy and promptly seeks fresh pastures. Although at most seasons of the year sparrows are an unmitigated nuisance there are times when their activi- ties may be considered of use. I have seen them very busy at times eating dandelion seeds, which has prob- ably resulted in diminution of weeding operations on the lawn, and often they may been seen feeding on aphids. It is a great pity that the .sparrow cannot be induced to mend his ways and behave more as we would have him do for he is a cheerful and likable bird provided there are not too many of him. '■i' ^ ^ ^ The perusal of "Modern Propagation of Tree Fruits'' by Prof. B. S. Brown gives one an idea of the vastness and importance of this industry in America. We learn that from twenty to forty millions of American grown apple seedlings are used annually in this country as stocks to be budded or grafted with named varieties of apples. In addition, immense numbers of seedlings were formerly imported from Europe where labor conditions were such as to ensure cheap production. Presumably Quarantine 37 will prevent the receipt of any more seed- hngs from this source. Another item of interest is the fact that "apple seedlings cannot be grown with profit in small quantities. If a firm uses only 100.000 to 300,- 000 in a season, it is economical to buy rather than to grow them." The industry admirably exemplifies Amer- ican methods in quantity production, organization, and the use of machinery wherever ])ossil)le. Machines for wrapping or tying whip grafts after they are made, spe- cial spray outfits, mechanical diggers operated by steam or gasoline engines, and power machines capable of cul- tivating seventy acres a day, are used in the manufac- ture of our fruit trees. In spite of the fact that machinery is used to so large an extent, in the actual operation of making the graft dependence rests mainly on a good knife, a keen eye and a skillful hand : for although tools have been invented to facilitate the art of grafting and budding they have not become very popular. An interesting point as showing how improvements in one industry may work to the disadvantage of another is brought out in the discussion of seeds for apple stocks. Most of the seeds for this purpose are obtained as a by- product from the pomace from cider mills. With the older type of press the seeds came thnnigh the mills un- crushed but with the improved cylinder grinders the seeds are more or less cracked, and it is estimated that in order to get one bushel of good seed two bushels must be bought. It calls to mind the wail of the pessimistic showman ''what we gains on swings, we loses on the merry-go-rounds.'" 'i^ 'f^ 't* ^ The claims of the evergreen Pachysandra tcrmbialis as a valuable ground cover need no boosting, but it may not be amiss to direct attention to the merits of its cousin the Mountain Spurge, Pachysandra procumhens. as a plant for this purpose. This is a native (which perhaps accounts for its lack of popularity) found in the moun- tains of Kentucky, W'est Virginia and southward. It is dwarf, tufted, not more than a foot high, with leaves of a darker green than P. terminals. Like its Japanese relative it is happy in either sun or .shade, but unfor- tunately is not evergreen. This defect, if such it be. is, however, compensated for by the profusion with which it produces its (|uaint flowers in earlv Spring before the leaves appear. \\'hilst they cannot be called showy, they are interesting and welcome, coming as they do, so early in the year. Another native plant useful as a ground cover is the shrub Yellow-root, Xanthorrhiza (or Zanthorhi::a aPii- folia. A large stretch of this was recently seen on an estate in New Jersey. It was growing in the shade of tall trees where it presented a handsome eff^ect. It has bright green glossy leaves and grows from eighteen inches to two feet in height. The inconspicuous brown- ish purple flowers are produced in early Spring. Perhaps the best of the native plants as a ground cover for certain situations is the Bearberry, Arctostapliylos L'z'a-iirsi. This is found wild over a considerable sec- tion of the country and grows in profusion along the railway banks on the eastern part of Long Island. It is evergreen, clinging close to the ground and when es- tablished forms a perfect carpet. It is somewhat diffi- cult to establish unless the right condition is provided, which is a well-drained sandy soil free from line. Like many of the Ericacecc the Fjearberry is intolerant of alka- line conditions. It thrives in almost pure sand and seems to prefer a sunny situation. A scientific friend of the writer made the discovery that the long trailing growths provide admirable material for draping the front of winter boxes in Winter if they are not exposed to sunshine. He required something to hide the hideous- ness of his porch boxes in Winter, fell in love with the glossy coppery-green foliage of the Bearberry and de- cided to use it. The shoots were cut in November, stuck into the soil of the boxes, kept watered, and remained in good condition until the sun struck them in ^larch. It would perhaps be imprudent to give such information as this were it not that the readers of the Chronicle are of the elect. In some circles it might be construed as an invitation to indiscriminately ravish the country- side of Bearberry streamers, which would be most unde- sirable in sections where it is not too plentiful. ;f; ^ ;;; :;; The most popular Hibiscus in the tender woody group is undoubtedly H. rosa-sinciisis and. like so many of our well known plants is burdened with a multiplicity of common names. Those who insist that a plant must have a common name before they can become interested in it can make their choice from the following: Chinese Hibis- cus, "Shoe-flower," "Blacking plant," "Shoeblack plant," and "China rose." The names "Shoe-flower," "Blacking plant," etc., indicative of some connection with the shoe shining industry, were presumably given because of the reported use of the flowers as shoe blacking in the West Indies and elsewhere. The red flowers when crushed turn black which renders them available for this pur- pose. The Oiinese are said to make a dye from them which is used for coloring the hair and eyebrows. A shrub with flowers possessing these properties might perhaps be said to open up possibilities for those who iiave facilities for growing it and who are interested in reducing the H. C. of L. ! It is an "easy doer" and can be grown even by those who are without greenhouse facilities as the plants can be planted out of doors for Summer blooming and stored in a cellar over the Winter, It is very free flowering, and when grown under green- house conditions, is seldom entireh' out of bloom. There are numerous color forms, red of various shades, white, orange, and yellow. Some varieties are single, others have double or semi-double flowers. A curious form, usually grown for its foliage, is H. rososiiiciisis car. Coopcri. This has rather narrow leaves compared with the type, with queer pink and white markings on them. The flowers of this variety are frequently deformed. for July, 1920 243 Plants That Seldom Fruit W. N. CLUTE THE common plants of our fields and woods are called sperniatophytes. or seed plants, by the bot- anist, because all normally reproduce by means of seeds, but there is considerable variation in the regular- ity with which such structures are produced and some plants fruit so rarely as scarcely to deserve the name of seed plants. The owner of an orchard, fur instance, is well aware that fruits and their contained seeds can not be counted un in equal numbers every year. There are good years and bad years in the horticulturist's experi- ence, and an in(|uiry into the causes that reduce fruitful- ness is therefore of importance. The reason why some plants fail to fruit in certain years is not hard to discern. Unfavorable weather at the time of blooming may blast the blossoms and also the hopes of the orchardist. This is possibly the com- monest cause of the non-fruiting of orchard plants. While perfectly dormant, the buds may endure unharmed temperatures below zero, but when they become flowers they frequently cannot stand even freezing temperatures. When a specimen persistently refuses to fruit the con- dition may be due to the fact that it is sterile to its own pollen. j\Iany cases of this kind are known. The trou- ble may be remedied by growing trees of some other variety near the unfruitful specimen. Certain apples, pears, and plums are of this nature and absolutely refuse to bear unless other varieties are at hand to supply the necessary pollen. Still other species are dioecious, that is, the stamens and carpels are produced on separate plants. In such cases, of course, no seeds can be pro- duced unless both individuals are present. This is true of some forms of holly, mulberry, fig and numerous others. The willows and cottonwoods always have dioe- cious flowers. Unfavorable weather, far above the freezing tempera- ture, may limit production by preventing the visits of the pollinating insects. A spell of rainy weather, just as the flowers are opening, often greatly reduces the crop. The loss from this source, however, is minimized by the fact that all the blossoms do not open at once, but follow one another for several days and that failing to be pol- linated they may remain open for some time. In the case of some orchids the flowers if not pollinated may remain open for six weeks, but when pollinated they soon wither. It is not always unfavorable weather, however, that limits the flower's insect visitors. A scarcity of the in- sect's food while it is in the larval or "worm" stage may make tlie mature insect rare and thus have a direct bear- ing on the crop of fruit. The operations of man are constantly changing the world flora of a region by drain- ing, flooding, burning, ploughing, and the like. If these changes make the food-plant of a species rare, the pol- linating insects that frequent some totally different plant may become rare also. The rarity of some of our native orchids is sometimes attributed to circumstances of this kind. This seldom happens to our common plants for their blossoms are visited by a great variety of insects — often as many as eighty kinds — but there are many other species whose flowers are adapted to the visits of a sin- gle kind of insect and if this insect is absent, no seeds can result. One of the most remarkable adjustments of flower and insect known is found in the association of the yucca and the yucca moth. The flowers of the yucca are pollinated by tne moth only. The insect, on the other hand, is close- ly dependent upon the plant, for its larv^a; live exclusively upon young yucca seeds. To insure pollination and in- cidentally an abundant supply of seeds for the young moth, the mother insect actually collects pollen and care- fully pollinates the flowers in which she lays her eggs. This is probably the only instance on record where pol- lination is deliberately and intentionally performed by the insect. In other flowers pollination occurs through the effort of insects to get the nectar without though of pollination. The pollen which they bring from one flower is simply brushed from their bodies upon the wait- ing stigmas of another. It may also be possible that fruiting is limited by un- usual vegetative activity. Fruiting is a process looking to the preservation of the race by the production of new individuals and may not occur when the plant is thriving. Any shock to the life processes of the plant, however, may stimulate it into fruitfulness. This explains the flowers that sometimes appear on trees that have been struck by lightning, or which have been defoliated by insects earlier in the season. In ancient times such bloom- ing out of season was regarded as the sign of an ap- proaching death in the owner's family, but the death it usually presages is the death of the plant that bears the flowers. The florist takes advantage of the fact men- tioned when he allows his plants to get potbound. Under such circumstances, they commonly produce many flow- ers. In a similar way, the removal of some the new wood in August may induce the formation of flower buds in the peach. The removal of some of the roots has the same effect in other plants. Thus far we have been considering the sterility of nor- mally fruitful plants. There still remains, however, ^ number of cases of plants that seldom fruit under even favorable circumstances. The common white or "Irish" ]jotato is a striking instance of this kind. It produces blossoms in abundance and yet the fruit is so rare that many potato growers have never seen it. One could make a long list of such plants. Among the number would be included the sugar cane, the bamboo, sweet po- tato, ground nut (afios), lily of the valley bleeding heart, house leek and some varieties of milkweed. It is likely that some of these fail to produce fruit through some defect in the pollinating mechanism, but in other cases the cause cannot be explained thus. It has been suggested, that failure to set seeds may be due to the fact that the species have various vegetative methods of rapid multiplication. It is ((uite possible that finding such means sufiicient the plants are gradually abandoning re- ])roduction by means of seeds. It is to be observed, liowever. that while seeds and the various devices for nniltiplying the plants vegetatively are alike in producing new plants, they are not (juite alike in function, for the seeds, spread by the wind and other agencies, serve to introduce the species into new regions, while vegetative methods merely multiply the plant once it has gained a roothold there. Less government, less legislation, less talk, less playing of the i)olitical game, and more enthusiasm for work and consideration of the .\merican people as a whole is what our statesmen should strive for. 244 GARDEISERS' CHRONICLE Increase in the Bee-yard H. W. SANDERS IN the article ivvo months ago, dealing with the swarm- ing of bees, we explained that the bee, being entirely a sociable insect, and having no possible means of living ajmrt from the colony, always increases under natural conditions in swarms, numbering many thousand individuals which emerge from the hive and fly directly to their chosen abode. This is a fact that must be always taken into account when making increase in the number of colonies of bees kept. We have seen beginners ruin a promising yard of bees, by trying to work contrary to the ways of Nature with the_result that the bees were weakened in numbers so much that they all die in the next Winter. Every plan to increase must conform :o the natural law of swarming, which is that the parent hive has sufficient bees to carry on the work, that the swarm has a right proportion of young and old bees, and that the young- brood, or bees in the larval form, are placed where they will be warmed and fed to prevent their being lost, for they are the bees of to-morrow. Where the beekeeper can be at hand, as in the case of a farmer whose work is at home, or a professional bee- keeper with only one yard, it is possible that natural swarming may be the best method of increase. In this case the swarm should be hived and placed where the colony stood and the colony removed to a new stand. If this is not done, the result will be that the hive from which the swarm emerged will swarm again, as soon a-, the first virgin queen comes out of her cell, about a week later, and sometimes even a third and fourth swarm may come ofif at intervals of a few days. These swarms will probably be too weak to gather enough honey for Winter, and will likely die before Spring, while the old hive will have lost so many bees that it will gather next to nothing either. But by placing the swarm on the old stand all the older bees from the parent colony return there and join the swarm, which is thus made strong enough to gather a good crop of honey. The colony that has been removed, on the other hand, has lost a good many bees by the return of the field workers, and will destroy all the queen cells except the one necessary to requeen itself, so that there will be no afterswarms. It can then build up to \\'inter prosperously. It is often, however, impossible to watch the apiary for swarms. There are many beekeepers who go out to work elsewhere during the day, or who do not feel that they can spare time to leave their work and start away to hive a swarm, and the large beekeepers have usually (|uite a number of outyards and go around to them in an automobile, so that they cannot be at hand in all their yards to watch for natural swarming. In such cases we must make artificial increase, or else our swarms will fly to the woods, and the number of our colonies will de- cline each year, instead of increasing. In order to start a hive of bees it is necessary to have a queen bee with sufficient worker bees to feed and tend the voting ones that will emerge from her eggs, and which in turn will raise another generation, so that the new colony may grow in numbers enough to have a large cluster in time fnr \\'inter. We may even give the new- comer a start in life by giving some brood, as well as a queen and workers, provided always that there are enough bees present to give it adequate care, for brood will ('-ill and starve quickly unless there are plenty of bees i)rcsent. We have also to remember that bees that have once "marked their location," will always return to it, unless carried several miles away, or unless they swarm, so that if our new colony is to be placed near the ones from which the bees are taken, they will have to be induced in some way to accept their new home. A queen bee is easily provided. There are many- dealers who make a profession of raising queen-bees for sale, and the bee journals contain advertisements of queens for sale. If, ho-wever, the season is not too far advanced, a queen may be raised at home at the same tin-ie that the new colony is formed. The chief advan- tage of the purchased queen is the saving of time. The following is the actual method whereby the foregoing principles of management are translated into practice. The colonies are inspected once a week, and watched as the season goes on. Plenty of room is given for the storage of honey, and each week a close watch is kept for preparations towards swarming. These will be found in the presence of queen cells, being long cells shaped like peanuts and built over worker or female larvae. \\'hen these are found the colony is ready for treatment. The queen is found, and left with two frames of brood in the hive and the vacancies filled with empty combs or full sheets of foundation. The combs taken away are now freed of bees by shaking or brushing them in front of the hive. These frames of brood are placed in a hive body and put above a second colony, with a "queen-excluder" between. This latter is a piece of zinc perforated so that a queen cannot get through, al- though workers can. It prevents the queen of the sec- ond colony from access to the brood, but enables the workers to feed and tend the hatching bees. The queen cells started for swarming purposes will be continued, since the queen has no access to the brood, and in about ten days" time they will be nearly ready to hatch. There will be no very young bees to die from starvation and cold, and there will be ]jlenty of honey to give the new colony a start. Therefore we can now divide up the brood. Suppose that six combs of brood were taken from the colony that w'as preparing to swarm. Well, we can now make three new colonies. We take two frames of the mature brood, with at least one queen cell, or a pur- chased queen in a cage, and we then place these two combs in an empty hive, and we stutY the entrance full of grass. By the time the grass withers and lets the bees out they will have forgotten their old home and will accept the new one. The cell will have produced a virgin queen, who in about a week will fly and mate, or if a queen is bought the bees will release her from the cage in about three days. In either case we shall have succeeded in getting a queen in a new hive, with enough bees to look after her. and with bees that have accepted the new location. It is often well, when the colony has got a start to help it with a frame of brood from an- other one, especially if the season is advancing, and in case we make, any increase very late, say after August 1st, we alwavs build it up to strength immediately. \\'hen in doubt, just keep on keeping on. \Mien \ ou have made a mistake, do not stop, but keep on. Your sanity and your safety lie in keeping on. Dwell on fail- ure and you will land in the ditch just as sure as the novice bicycle rider unwillingly heads his wheel in the direction of his thoua:hts. — The Silent Partner. for July, 1920 2-15 ^tllllllllllllliliitiiiil.ll lliltilllllllltllllllllllllllllliltllllllNUIIIIIIIIII iiiiiimilliitiiiiiiliimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiimmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitii iiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniimmiiiitiHimnmiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiK The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse HENRY GIBSON -iiiiiiiiiiiimi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiaic AT this period of the Summer there is not anything so important to be done in the garden as thorough and constant cultivation, to conserve the water in the soil for the growing plants. Proper and abundant cultivation reduces the necessity of watering to a mini- mum, yet oftentimes it becomes a necessity to resort to artificial watering. Then the advantages of a good ir- rigation system are more than patent to every gardener, and any one of the many systems now on the market is a good investment, and a real money saver in the long run. When watering, do it thoroughly, so that it seeps down deep, and avoid the fatal mistake so often made of wet- ting an inch or so at the top, thus attracting the roots to the surface, to be damaged or destroyed by subsequent drouth. Aphis of all kinds make their presence felt in the gar- den at this time, and on the fruit trees too where they will soon do untold damage if left to themselves. Nearly all garden crops are more or less subject to attack, but a timely spraying with some approved insecticide, which is offered ready made by dealers in horticultural sup- plies, will keep them in check. Asparagus should be sprayed with arsenate of lead, or dusted with hellebore powder earl)^ in the morning before the dew is off, to keep the larvae of the asparagus beetle tmder control. A couple or more sowings of beans may be made this month. Beans are subject to rust and an occasional spraying with Bordeaux Mixture will pay for itself. Beets and carrots may still be sown for succession, and the last sowing for the Winter supply should be made towards the latter part of the month. Put in several rows of each for a good Winter supply for vegetables are not likely to be cheap or plentiful the coming Winter. Ruta-bagas, for winter use should be sown now, and late in the month one may well sow peas again, since they do very well if one has any means of watering them at all. Late crops of cabbage, cauliflower and celery should be set out, and in doing so be sure and puddle the roots in water. Frequent spraying will keep the plants from wilting, and assist them becoming established. Look out for rust on the celery, and give a spraying with Bordeau.x Mixture. Spray the potatoes regularly with Bordeaux and arsenate of lead for bugs, and blight. Early vari- eties will be ready to use this month. But don't dig them save as needed for daily use as they increase rapidly in size at this time. Feed your leeks and onions with liquid manures at this time and use nitrate of soda if you really want quality. In the flower garden all continuous flowering plants such as coreopsis, gallardias, pyrethrums, etc., should be kept free from seed pods by keeping the flowers jjicked clean, or they will soon stop flowering. In dry seasons a good mulch of well rotted manure is preferable to watering especially on the continuous flowering varieties, and those that flower in the I-'all. Xasturtiums and other soft succulent plants soon suffer from attacks of a])his, and should be sprayed frequently, with either tobacco extract, or kerosene preparations. Remove the terminal growths of geraniums with the forefinger and thumb if really bushy plants are needed. The biennial types of Campanula and foxglove as well as similar ])lants should be torn up and thrown away after they are through flow- ering. Prepare a supply of seedlings of these plants for next year by sowing seeds now. There are a number of annuals which will furnish a supply of cut flowers in the Fall if sown now ; among which may be mentioned Mignonette, candytuft, annula Gypsophila, Plox drum- inondii, Calliopsis and cornflowers. To keep sweet peas flowering right along they must never be allowed to suf- fer for want of water at the roots. Give them a thor- ough soaking, then apply a thick mulch. Sweet peas are gross feeders and must have plenty of plant food avail- able. Long stems and high quality flowers are the re- sult of disbudding, and regular feeding with highly con- centrated fertilizers. In walking round the orchard, if you find the leaves of the apple trees all curled up you may depend upon it that aphis are having a gay time, and spraying should be done to keep them under control. The month's big job in the orchard is summer pruning and all trees that have attained fruiting size lend themselves to this treatment. It is simply a restriction of the growth bv pinching off the ends of the shoots, which has a tendencv to make the trees fruit. It is a matter for regret that summer pruning is not practised more freely than it is, but there are many people who will prune anything while it is dormant, yet cannot bring themselves to cut anything in active growth as though it would bleed to death. Btit those who harden their hearts and sharpen the pruning knife, and prune intelligently, will find the time thus spent a profitable investment. Summer pruning is prac- tised for three specific purposes ; to train plants to shape, as in the case of dwarf and trained fruits ; to prevent undesirable growth, as in removing buds or sprouts from fruit trees, grape vines, etc., and to keep in condi- tion all flowering shrubs, and trained ornamentals, which form buds this season for flowering another year. In training plants to shape the pruning to be done is chiefly of the type known as "heading in," that is, cutting Ijack the lateral or upright growths in order to produce the general plant form most desirable. In doing this it must be remembered that the bud or eye nearest the cut will be the one most likely to throw out the strongest growth or leader to take the place of that removed. At the same time all the growth below the cut is stimulated as the new leader is not able for some time to take care of all the sap that has been going to the growths which have been pruned away. For this reason it is well to consider the position of the bud immediately below the cut, and the direction the new shoot will be likely to take. Where an open centre is the objective this bud should be left on the outside. If there be a hole in the head of the tree to be filled it may be necessary to branch into it from one or more points. Another point to keep in mind is to prune the wood while it is still young rather than cut it out after it has grown to maturity. Pruning to remove surplus growth is more a process of disbudding than one of pruning. Go over the grape vines and re- move any .shoots that may have started below the head or where you do not want them. ITeavily pruned apple trees are likely to throw out numerous water sprouts, and these should be removed while they are yet small. Of course should a growth develop in a position where it will be likely to form a useful limb it should be al- lowed to remain. 246 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The heat and drouth of sunuiier readily determine whether or not the lawn is well made or not. If it doesn't seem to be holding its own give a topdressing of nitrate of soda, and tine bone meal, until the time for doing a more thorough job the latter part of next month or early Sept. The best expedient to adopt at present is to mark the spots that do not show up well, and leave the grass a little longer without cutting. Humus is fine material for lawns, and where its use is contemplated when remaking the lawn a supply should be ordered to be one hand when needed. The best seeds obtainable are the only ones to use for seeding down the lawn and the heavier the nii.xture is per bushel the better, provided the weight is not due to an excess of white clover seed. Plants in frames which are intended for \\'inter flower- ing should be given the best of care at this time for to neglect them now will surely mean disappointment later. Freezia bulbs that were forced last year, and had good attention in the way of drying oS will make fine bulbs to plant now. Planted thus early it is not difficult to get them in flower by Christmas and the New Year. Plant them in either pans or flats two or three inches apart, in new well drained soil. Three parts of fibrous loam and one each of cow manure, and leaf mold make a very- good growing medium. Place them in a cool cellar until the growths begin to show through the soil when they may be placed in full light in a cool house. Give water sparingly until the foliage is well developed. The carnation plants should be kept growing whether in the field or in their permanent flowering quarters. Those that have been given field culture while the houses have been fitted up to receive them should be planted in- doors as soon as possible now, for the sooner they become established the better. Keep the shoots pinched as they require it, to form bushy plants, and don't be afraid to use the hose should red spiders attack the plants. Seeds of such vegetables as it is intended to force the coming Winter should be ordered now, such as tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, beans, lettuce, etc. If one has a suit- able house where a temperature of round .^0° can be maintained New Zealand Spinach is one of the best pro- ducing crops one can grow\ Sown now it will maintain a continuous supply all next Winter. Parsley may be started from seed either in frames or a cool greenhouse for Winter use. Water cress is easily grown in a violet house temperature, or in frames, but if grown in a tem- perature above 45° it is difficult to keep it free from aphis. Chrysanthemums will need to be fed freely now, using liquid manure, and concentrated fertilizers. They will take this food in enormous quantities as they are now growing" rapidly. Spray the plants freely several times a day and keep all possible air on them. Be on the watch for black flies, that always gather on the tips of the growths. This is the season for mildew in the rose house, and if necessary a little fire should be started during dull damp weather, and a little sulphur painted on the pipes. Keep the air on as much as possible so that the plants don't get soft. Annuals, for forcing such as stocks and mignonette, may be sown now. They always do better when sown early and grown on slowly. Cold storage lilies should be planted this month if early flowers are called for say round Thanksgiving, and on to Christmas. Don't let the bulbs lay around, but get them into the pots as soon as convenient. They will re- quire 5 to 6-inch pots according to their size. Give them a liberal proportion of well decayed manure, and bone meal in the soil, also plenty of drainage as they will need lots of water later on. The best place for them while they are making roots is in a cool cellar, or failing this, under the bench in a cool house and covered with e.xcelsior, or other medium. See that they are well watered before they are put away, and as soon as they show top growth they may be removed to a cold frame with some sashes over them but leaving plenty of air on. until they have developed a good root system, when they may be placed in a warm house. Early flowering sweet peas should be sown by the end of the present month. To do well in the greenhouse they should have at least 8 inches of soil, but where a solid bench can be devoted to them they are much happier. Whether in solid beds or raised benches a rich growing medium is a necessity. Two parts of good loam to one part of well decayed manure and some bone added is about the mark to aim at. If the space on the benches is not ready, sow out a few pots now and plant to the flowering quarters in four or five weeks. Do not, how- ever, let these plants dry out or become pot bound or they will be liable to prove disappointing. \\'hen plant- ed out in the benches keep plenty of ventilation on both day and night, and on all fine days given them a good svringing. CHINESE WISTARIA /^XE of the best known vines in cultivation is the ^"^ Chinese Wistaria, ff. cliimensis, the large purple flowers of which do so much toward making the floral display of flowers in Spring so delightful. The one of our notes is the white flowered variety. If. cliinotsis alba and wherever seen in flower it calls for the admira- tion of those who view it. Though long known to hor- ticulturists, it is not nearly as well represented in col- lections as it deserves to be. Its charms are numerous, rivaling in many respects the common purple species. The Wistaria takes its time coming into flower, years usually elapsing before a small plant blooms, as it in- variably makes considerable growth before giving its at- tention to flowering. When trained as a bush, it blooms sooner than when set to some support, as it more readily makes flowering spurs while the growth is less vigorous. l>esides flowering earlier, the bush or standard forms of the Wistaria, are beautiful objects when in bloom, for a lawn or similar open position. The common species can be propagated from seeds readily, but in the case of the white flowered, or of any other variety, layering is the preferred method of in- creasing them, seedlings not being reliable for coming true to color, though some may do so. The Wistaria is also amenable to pot culture and, when so grown, it makes an excellent forcing subject. The Japanese are adepts at producing small specimens which are used for prominent positions in their artistic land- scape gardens. Beautifully flowered plants, some 3 ft. or 4 ft. high, are often exhibited at the early Spring shows in Europe and there is no reason why the Wis- taria should not take a prominent place as a decorative l)lant. It goes without saying that flowering plants can- not be grown in one season, but in this respect it is more or less on a par with other hard wooded plants such as the Acacia. By spurring back the lateral growths, flow- er buds are induced to develop. For small standards, the young plants, which are ob- tained by layering young shoots, are kept tied up to the desired height and then induced to break by pinching. A wire frame, or one made with cane and sticks, serves to keep the head in sha])e. To insure a dense head two or three .stems should be carried up. Pots of 12-in. to 15-in. are large enough for a plant of fair size. Layers require twelve months before they are ready for sever- ance from the old plant. — Florists' E.vcliaii_s;c. lor July, 1920 247 Ornamental Flowering Trees By ARBORUM AMATOR {The Conclusion.) A FEW of the large flowering trees are suitable for roadside planting, and all of them for parks, and large estates either along boundary lines or for outlining wide driveways or as single specimens on open sp:,ces, and in the foreground of large evergreens. The Tulip Tree. Uur native tulip tree {Liriodoidron tulipifera) , sometimes called Tulip Poplar, and also Whitewood, often attains a height of 150 feet. This and its symmetry of form help make it one of the noblest trees of our forests. Its growth is very rapid. If top pruned when young, it will take on a rounder, lower form, and its handsome flowers can be more easily seen, but the tree will not be so stately. Amid its handsome foliage of a unique bluish-green color there appears in May a profusion of tulip-like orange and green flowers. In the Autumn the foliage takes on a golden tint, and the tree looks like a beautiful tall, yellow pyramid. This tree is suitable for planting along wide roads and broad avenues, as well as in parks and on large estates. The Tulip Tree should be transplanted in the Spring. Robert Herrick well describes the flowers of this tree : "Anxiously they sought The liriodendron. with its varied bloom Orange and green and gold.'' The Ji'cstcni Catalpa. The Western Catalpa (Catal- pa speciosa), ;s a much larger and taller tree than the species, bignonicides, previously mentioned often at- taining a height of IGO feet and more. Its showy white flowers spotted with purple appear in June. The Pagoda Tree The Pagoda Tree {Sophora Ja- poiiica), a native of China, sometimes reaching a height of 80 feet, is hardy as far north as ^Massachusetts. Its blooming period is from July to September when very few trees are in flower. In these months it bears clusters of creamy white, pea-shaped flowers, amid its delicately colored soft foliage. There is a variety of this, pendula. which has slender and gracefully drooping branches. Locusts. Robinia pseiidacacia, whose common name is yellow locust, but is also called black locust, forms a large tree sometimes 80 feet in height. This is not only a valuable timber tree, the wood of which is very lasting, but in June it produces in abundance beautiful, fragrant white flowers in drooping racemes among its pinnate leaves. These blooms contain much nectar. The locust is a leguminous tree and its blooms are followed by broad seed pods which as well as the seed within them are shaped like those of beans. Of this tree Dante says : "Honey and locusts were the food \\'hereon the Baptist in the wilderness fed." Horse Chestnuts. The Horse Chestnut {.Icsculus hippocastanum) , a native of Greece and Bulgaria is hardy in the north. The dark green, handsome palmate leaves of this tree aft'ord a heavy shade as early as May and among these in that month appear great Hyacinth- like clusters of flowers making the tree look like an im- mense bouquet. There are several species : hoppocas- tanum bearing white flowers tinted with purple and yel- low : ftore pleno a double flowering variety : carnea bear- ing flesh colored, Briotii scarlet flowers and rubicunda, red flowers. Carnea having a rounder head, and Briotii more slender branches than hippocastanum and rubicun- da, are three of the most beautiful flowering trees in cul- tivation. Horse chestnuts thrive best in a cool moist soil on a lawn and where there is some shade, and should not be given a hot and dry location. Magnolia Acuminata. There are several large Mag- nolias. The Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata) is indigenous from New York to Georgia and west to Illinois and Arkansas. Where a tall tree is suitable it equals if not surpasses the tulip tree. The glaucous green flowers of this tree, which appear in May and June are followed by cylindrical pink fruit. The species cordata. a native of Georgia and Alabama, is a smaller tree bearing smaller canary yellow flowers. Magnolia Grandiflora. The Bull Bay {Magnolia grandiflora) and its several varieties, indigenous from North Carolina to Texas, is a tall evergreen of pyramidal form. This noble tree, sometimes reaching a height of 80 feet, produces large white flowers with purple stamens from May to August. This species is not gen- erally hardy north of Philadelphia. Campbell's Magnolia. Campbell's magnolia ( Mag- n-olia Campbelli), a native of the Himalayas, is indeed a beautiful tree but hardy only in the south. In May its large flowers appear pink and white within, and crimson without, and are followed by greenish-brown fruits. This is the Alagnolia of which Caroline Gilman writes : "There lowering with imperial pride The rich magnolia stands.'' Magnolia Kobus. Magnolia Kobus. a native of Japan, expands its white flowers in April, and they are followed by brown colored fruits. This is one of the hardiest of all the Magnolias but not as free blooming, and showy as most of the other species. Magnolia Hypoleuca. Magnolia hypoleuca^ having a broad pyramidal head, sometirnes reaches the height of 100 feet. The fragrant white cup-shaped flowers of this tree, six to seven inches across, whose beauty is en- hanced by their scarlet filaments, are followed by bril- liant scarlet fruits eight inches in length. This native of Japan blooms in May and June. When we make out next tree planting may we not from these many ornamental flowering trees, presenting such a variety in size and foliage, color and shape of bK)om. ane in heaven or earth for the man who knows not the meaning of endeavor. By the measure of each man's endeavor, and by that alone, shall he achieve. Who strives to climb the mountains tops if he strive with a whole soul's tasking, shall in the end stand triumphant at the summit; equally shall he who strives but to climb a mole-hill also arrive. Endeavor is a power with the driving force of electricity, and the vastness of the wind, and. like both of these, its power works unseen. P>y the strength of endeavor all things are possible : how many men rose to the heights of a world-famous success by no other power than that of their own endeavor. — Forbes 248 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Twelve Hardy Perennials for Cut Flowers THE great virtue of this class of plants as garden flowers is now an established fact and no garden can be called complete unless it contains at least some of them. Their permanenc_v, their brilliancy when in bloom, and their ability to lend themselves equally well to the landscape or to decorative work such as cut flowers, make them almost indispensable at a time when greenhouse cut flowers are taking a much-needed rest. In naming a limited number of kinds one has to omit many having claims for inclu- sion in the list but for all-around usefulness the follow- ing is my choice of twelve : 1. Pxrcthnim hybridum or Persian daisy — prob- ably so-called from the Greek pyr=fire — referring to the acrid roots of the genus. Their pretty fern-like foliage in the Spring is followed by the profusion of brilliant double and single blooms in Summer, which are un- equalled as cut flowers and for house decoration. There is almost nothing so artistic and attractive as a vase of these flowers. They are of very simple culture and very hardy. 2. The peony, according to the old Greek legend, was named afteh the physician, Paeon, who used the plant to cure a wound 'inflicted by Hercules. The peony (although its flowering season is very short) is probably one of the best hardy plants for cut flowers, bearing large and handsome flowers deliciously rose scented. The peony season can be extended fully two weeks by cutting the buds when just showing color, wrapping tightly in wax paper with the stem end open, putting into deep vases and then into cold stor- age. The water in the vases should be changed fre- quently. 3. Coreopsis grandiflora is the most serviceable hardy plant of large daisy-like golden flowers on 2 ft. to 2^ ft. stems, blooming profusely from June until late Autumn, uninterruptedly, particularly so if the flowers are constantly cut. As a cut flower to last this is one of the best. 4. Veronica (speedwell, cancerwort). is a splendil plant which gives us some of our most useful material for the hardy border and. because of its rich shades of blue, furnishes us with a rare color and is unexcelled for cutting purposes. 5. Gaiilardia grandiflora (blanket flower) a showy plant covered with flowers from June until frost, a feature quite rare with perennials. The daisy-like flowers of unusual colorings produce a fine efTect in the border and are excellent for cut flower purposes, having good self-supporting stems and lasting a long time in water. The flowers should be kept cut to en- sure a continuity of bloom and strong plants. 6. Pliysostcgia ( false dragon head. Anicriiran heather) tall perennial, native to this country, at best during August, a month which gives us few choice perennials to cut from, and this is a splendid one for cutting. 7. Ccntaitrca moiiUuia (cornflower) is a good sub- ject of easy culture, being eft"ective in the border and invaluable for cutting, bearing large blue flowers from June until August. 8. Clirysaiithciinnii (shasta dai.sy or giant moon- penny daisy), absolutely hardy and of easy culture, but to obtain the best results the flowering shoots, which appear soon after the Spring growth of foliage, should . be removed until Midsummer, after which the flowers .will be much larger, have better stems and form one of the finest cutting materials. 9. Scabiosa caiicasica (pincushion flower), are very handsome border plants which produce a succession of flowers from June until frost that are very serviceable for cutting purposes. 10. Anemone japonica (windflower), divide them- selves into the Alpine or Spring and Summer varieties, and the Japanese varieties. The latter are among the most gorgeous of the hardy perennials as well as be- ing among the most useful, as they bloom from August until frost kills them ; the\- are of inestimable value as cut flowers. The Alpine varieties are also good for cutting but quite short of stem and perhaps not so good as the Japanese in this respect. 11. Delphiiiitiin (larkspur), is one of the loveliest blue flowers in existence ; its range of shades and throat markings are unapproached by any others, vary- ing" from the palest blue to the darkest indigo and violet. It is of the easiest culture, being very hardy. The spikes are superb for cutting purposes, and if cut to within a few inches of the ground immediately after blooming another bloom may be obtained at the end of the Summer. 12. Hcliantlius orgaylis (willow-leaved or sky rocket sunflower), so-called from the brilliant color of the flowers. This is probably one of the finest of the sunflowers. It is rather tall growing, ranging from 6 feet to 10 feet, but a specimen plant has all the. ap- pearance of a fountain of yellow flowers. The latter lasting well as cut blooms in September and October. — Siiiithern Florist. Timely Advice. — Naturalist (displaying a flower he had just plucked) : "Young man, do you know to what family this blossom belongs?" Boy: "Mrs. Jones'; and y'd better beat it before she knows ye picked it." — Conntrv Gentleman. — P. THE BEAUTY OF AGE It is sad that Old Time is so swift to dismember All our castles in Spain — that they crumble so soon, That the churl will not spare, for the snows of December, One rose of the many he squanders in June : But 'tis ordered by Nature and idle to quarrel With the sovereign mother who never deceives ; If we cannot have roses \vc sometimes have laurel, And the laurel is sweet though made only of leaves. It is sad that the fugitive Graces will leave us When the wrinkles have come and the face has grown grim, And the dear little Loves, though afflicted to grieve us, Will fly from the eyes that are hollow and dim ; But 'tis known that the delicate bloom on the flower Is the fleetest of all those delectable things Which are meant to be tempting for only an hour. And that Cupid — the sprite — is provided with wings. When the sky's growing dark and the red sun is setting We should stir up the embers, and call up the Elves Of Mirth and Content, and, all troubles forgetting, Make a gay world for others — and so for ourselves ! 'Tis the beauty of -Age to be tranquil and gentle. Whatsoever may happen resigned to its lot, And though gray locks and crowsfeet are not ornamental There's a grace in the wearing to make them forgot. So, a welcome to all that my Fate may provide me, Be it joy or sorrow, a cross or a crown I Here's a grasp of the hand for the comrades beside me ! Here's a smiling good-by as the curtain comes down! And when the play's over, and everything ended. And you hear in your musing the sound of a knell, Give me one loving thought for the good I intended, And a rose for my pall, as you bid me Farewell ! — U'm. IViiitcr. for July, 1920 249 THE PLANTAIN LILIES (Funkia) Tl I H I'unkias, or Plaintain Lilies are a small group of Japanese plants belonging to the Lily order, and in\-aluablc- in the main for the fine foliage efYects of the established specimens. This is particularly true of the bolder members of the race — Fortunci, Sic- boldiana. ami subcordata {jirandiflora) — which, in the course of years, will spread out into handsome speci- Thc iiiirdcii pool at Plaiitiuii Fields, the country estate of ]]'. R. Coc. at Oyster Bay, L. I. The use of Darwin Breeder and Cottage Tulips planted in an har- monious color scheme, gives much life to the garden during May. mens 3 feet to 4 feet across. At such times they are noble indeed, and worthy of the best positions the gardener can give them. Some of them — and those above-named more particularly — are also highly ornamental when in flower, though they are chiefly valuable for their bold and striking leafage. In this latter respect they are tmique among strictly deciduous herbace- ous plants. Hardy in the extreme, not presenting any cultural diffi- culties, they rank high in the es- timation of those who know them best, and have grown them well. Too Isold for inclusion in any bor- der of herl)aceous plants, they should be employed apart or in iso- lated groups, where the great, spreading tufts of well-marked, gracefully recurving leaves may be seen to advantage. On occasion, and with full appreciation of their ultimate leaf development, they may be used as marginal subject.^ to ])iil(l belts of Rhododendrons, more particularly where these shrubs are generously disposed in bank-like outline. Xo idea of cramping should e.xist no jumliling together in thicket- like density, calculated to mar or belittle the fine char- acteristic leaf beauty of these plants. The most important item, once they are well planted, is that they be left alone, since frequent disturbance hinders progress, and is belittling in its ettects. Robust by nature, it is hardly possible to treat the boldest of these plants too generously, whether as to soil or soil richness, and given a good depth of soil, specimens 3 feet high, without the flower-stems, may result in a few years. Of equal importance is root moisture, ov that uniform degree of soil cool- ness which is not a bad substitute. Occasionally one sees these plants beside lake or pond, and they are certainly well suited to such asso- ciation provided the soil has been well prepared. The observant planter will not lose sight of the fact that the root system has a lat- eral inclination, and will make pro- vision for it accordingly. Apart from the fine effects obtainable in the ojjen garden, greater use should be made of these Plaintain Lilies in tubs for terrace gardening, giving the plants generous treatment throughout. Thus grown it will be found that liquid manure and abun- (Lint supplies of moisture are of the ^V^j highest importance. The smaller- leaved kinds — as e.g., F. iiiidiilata :'(-:rici:;ata — are serviceable as small pot plants for the greenhouse and 111 decoration generally. Autumn is the best planting" season, though the plants, inclining rather to per- petual rooting, may be transplanted over the whole of their dormant period with ease. — Garden (Eng.) A vietc ol I lie pool from the mansion, siioicing the tea house in the baeii ground. After the bulbs have Howcred they are removed and the areas are planted :c///i annuals for summer and autumn effect. 250 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The Display of Autumn Colors THERE can be few places in the world where colors of ripening leaves are so varied or are con- tinued through so many weeks as at the Arnold Arboretum. For the leaves of the plants of eastern Asia, which are well represented in the Arboretum, usually are beautifully colored after those of our east- ern American trees, with the exception of the Oaks, have fallen. A few conspicuous exceptions to this gen- eral rule are worth noting. Nearly three weeks before the leaves of the Red ^laple (Acer ritbrnm) have begun to change color, those of the Cork-barked tree of Eastern Siberia {Phellodendron amurense) are bright gold color, making the two trees on the right-hand side of the Meadow Road the most bril- liant objects in the Arboretum. After these trees have been bare of leaves for several days they are still interesting objects, however, for after the leaves are gone it is possible to see clearly the pale, deepls furrowed soft corky bark of the trunk and large branches to which this tree owes its name. The genus Phellodendron is confined to eastern Asia, and the five species now known are well established in the Ar- boretum. (Jn account of its bark, Phellodendron amurense, the type of the genus, is perhaps the most interesting species. The others, however, are larger and more shapely trees, and the species of northern Japan and Saghalien ( P. sachalincsc ) is well suited for street planting. The pungent oil which abounds in the leaves of these trees protects them from the attacks of leaf-eating insects. Another conspicuous exception to the rule that the leaves of Asiatic plants change color later in the Autumn than those of east- ern American plants is found in the lUirning Bush, with winged branches, Euonyiiins alatns, a native of Japan and Korea. The flowers and fruits of this plant are small and inconspicuous, but few plants surpass it in the beautv of its rose-colored Autumn foliage, which is unlike that of any other plant in the Arbore- tum. This plant, if it gets the opportunity, will spread into a shrub from ten lo fifteen feet across, with lower branches laying close to the ground, and will form a compact round-topped head. It is a plant, however, which unless it can have plenty of room in which to grow is not worth a place in the garden. Aeer ginnala is another Asiatic plant which takes on its autumn colors early. This small maple, which is a native of eastern Siberia, Manchuria, and Korea, is not surpassed in autumn brilliancy by any American Scarlet Maple. One of the early introductions of the Arboretum it has been taken up by some American nurserymen and is now sometimes found in northern gardens. Another Korean and Manchurian maple, Acer mandshuricum also illustrates the fact that the leaves of some Asiatic trees turn color and fall early in the season. This is one of the group of maples with leaves composed of three leaflets and one of the lar- gest and handsomest trees of Manchuria and northern Korea. Like those of a few other plants, notably the Japanese Acer nikoense, the leaflets of this maple re- tain in Autumn the pale color of their lower surface which increases the beauty of the bright red upper surface. Little attention has been given by park and garden-makers to the selection and arrangement of plants lo produce brilliant and harmonious Autumn eilects of Autumn colors, with the result that there is less beauty at this season of the year in planted grounds than it is possible to obtain. Trees and shrubs grouped to protluce the best Autumn color ef- fect would compose well at other seasons of the j'ear. The success of such an arrangement of plants depends on knowledge which can only be obtained by the con- stant study at all seasons of the year of living plants. Opportunity for such study is found in the Arbore- tum, in which nearly every tree and shrub which can grow in the northern United States is established. The leaves on some individuals of a species turn more brilliantly than on other individuals of the same species and this individual character is constant from year to year. It is therefore possible to increase the number of trees with exceptionally handsome autumn foliage by grafting or budding, grafts or buds being taken from selected trees worked on- stock of the same species, as trees with pyramidal or pendulous branches are jiropagated. The value of propagating trees for the Autumn color of their leaves is shown by a Red Maple tree. This tree was obtained by graft- ing a Red Maple seedling with a branch of a tree growing in lirookline with crimson Autumn foliage. The leaves of the grafted tree have the same color as those of the Brookline tree, and for more than two weeks this tree has been the brilliant object of the Arboretum. Near it are standing two seedling Red Maples. The leaves of one of these trees turned pale yellow and are fast falling; from the other the nearly- green leaves have already fallen. — From the Arnold Arboretum Bulletin. CHOKECHERRY FOR THE GARDEN /^I'R ciimmon Chukecherry or Prunus virgininna due to its suckering roots tends to develop into a shrubbery clump of its own, though with a little at- tention it can be grown either as a large shrub or small tree. It is not to be recommended for general plant- ing, particularly not where a more cultured specimen of shrub or small tree can take its place, but to tidy up the ragged ends of a place it is sometimes about the only thing that will grow satisfactorily and persist. Its roots will push their way through almost any- kind of a soil and once established the plant is drought re- sistant. Left alone a Chokecherry will sooner or later occupy all the ground available. Growing at its own sweet will a few of the innermost shoots develop into small trees while the outermost shoots grow as short canes that carry the foliage of such a clump down to the ground. If one has a mind to do it a Chokecherry can be grown as a well balanced lawn tree while the persistent suckers that keep springing up all about the l)ase of the tree can be easily held down with the lawn mower. They do not injure the lawn. During its blossoming time, a period of about two weeks, a Chokecherry clump is really pretty and the fragrance is all pervading. When the fruit is ripe there is a feast for the birds, robins appear to be especially fond of it. This is a point in its favor not to be forgotten. As a means of screening an objectionable view, es- pecially on poor soil that cannot be given much prepara- tion and where subsequent care is out of the question, Prunus lir^iiiniana is to be recommended. — The (.nirden Magacine. for }uh. 1<)20 251 The Living Soil Al'ERTILE soil, especially well provided with hunnis. is teeming with life ; indeed, it must contain these living organisms in order to be fertile and to support plant life. The soil, then, is not a lifeless lump of clay. When well tilled, it is full of pores like a sponge ; and when in the best condition for plant growth, these pores ■contain an abundance of air as well as water. We may thus think of the soil as a honey-combed, spongy mass, made up of a hard framework com- posed of bits of mineral matter, the rock-particles, plastered over with a jelly-like substance (the decay- ing organic matter, or "humus"), containing countless billions of bacteria and other germs. The great majority of these living organisms are present in the surface soil, where the humus is, and where the tilling of the soil has provided the porous, well-aerated condition necessary for the growth of the beneficial germs. Further, their activity is greatest as a rule in late Spring and in Autumn, and lowest in .Summer and Winter. For the Winter cold checks them, as well as the Summer dryness. The warming of the soil in Spring, together with the Spring rains, bringing an abundance of oxygen washed down out of the air, as well as the needful water, apparently cause the great outburst of germ activity in late Spring. The Autumn maximum may be attributed to the effect of the Fall rains coming after the heat and drought of the Summer. There are both good and bad soil organisms. Some bring about the decay of plant and animal remains and the consequent liberation of plant food; others do much harm, especially in causing "sick soils." The most of them are microscopic in size ; others can be seen with the naked eye, such as the beneficent earth- worm which burrows through and feeds on the soil humus, letting in air and drawing down leaves and •other debris from the surface. Beneficial soil organisms. — These, fortunately for us, ■■are readily controlled and their growth encouraged by certain proper agricultural practices. These bene- ficial organisms, in the first place, need a well-aerated, light, loamy soil for their best developinent. In a heavy, sticky, clay soil, devoid of humus, or a water- logged, sour, mucky soil, they will not grow. But in the soil made sweet by the addition of lime, v.ell- stirred and oxygenated by cultivation, with a plentiful ■supply of decaying vegetable matter (humus), and, finally, with a sufficient amount of mineral nutrients in soluble form, the beneficial soil organisms flourish, and the haimful ones are killed off or at least kept in the backgrfiund. The decay of plant and animal remains is brought about by beneficial bacteria and soil fungi ; by this means, finally crtmibling into dust, they again become ■dissolved in the soil water and thus available for plant food. Plant and animal bodies are composed of at least ten elements tmited into complex organic com- pounds: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Sul- phur, Phosphorus. Potassium. Iron, Calcium and Magnesium. Those in italic are the ones which are most apt to need replenishing in soils, and these the farmer often supplies to impoverished soils in the form of "artificial fertilizers." Of course if he would add to his poor soils manures and plow in legumes, the 'final decomposition of these organic materials would supply all the necessary elements. Manures, however, ■ are often poor fertilizers, from having been carelessly preserved and allowed to leach away and otherwise lose ammonia and other valuable materials. Ammonitication is the production of ammonia by bacteria and molds from manures and other decom- posing organic bodies. This is accomplished b\- break- ing-down processes comparable to digestions, per- formed by the enzymes secreted by certain bacteria and soil fungi. Nitrification is the breaking down of this ammonia, accomplished by two very important sets of soil liacteria — the nitrite and the nitrate bacteria. One group converts ammonia into nitrites ; another changes the nitrites into nitrates, the only form of nitrogen which green plants can tise directly. Fi.ration of nitrogen front the air by bacteria. The air is made up largely, nearly 80 per cent, of nitrogen. If green plants could use this nitrogen directly we would not need to use sodium nitrate from Chile nor to employ other expensive means of nitrogen fertiliza- tion. There are, however, two general groups of soil bacteria that have the power of taking the free nitro- gen out of the air and "fixing" it, by changing it to nitrates and possibly other nitrogen compotnids. One group constitutes the "legume bacteria" (Pseu- dcuiouas radicicola) of which there are said to be six varieties (the alfalfa — sweet clover, the clover, the vetch — garden pea, the cow-pea, the soybean, and the garden bean bacteria), which grow on the roots of plants of the legume family, in tinj- swellings called "root-tubercles," or "nodules." These will not grow well except in soils which are sweetened with lime and well aerated. Further, the application of gypsum (cal- cium sulphate) to soils seems to have a remarkable stimulating effect on these legume bacteria, causing an increase, sometimes, equal to 100 per cent, and caus- ing the ntunber of root nodules to be greatly increased. The second group of nitrogen-fixers live free in the soil, not associated with the roots of plants. These bacteria are often called Azo-bacteria, and the process of nitrogen-fixation Azofication. There are two kinds of these Azofiers: one which lives under conditions of j>oor aeration (the anxrobic species), and one which requires plenty of air (the aerobic species) and called .Izotobacter. The harmful organisms of the so-called "sick" soils in greenhouses are thought by Professor Russell, of the famous English Rothamsted Experiment Station, to be protozoa, such as the am-^ba and other forms of minute animal life, which he says apparently destroj- the useful bacteria. Also may be classed as harmful, the so-called "(/( nitrifying" bacteria, which tlourisli in water-logged soils from which the air is largely excluded, and which destroy the nitrates which plants require and thus allow the escape of valuable plant food in the form of ammonia and nitrogen gas. Some of the soil-decay organisms are the main cause of the acidity of low-lying fields, of swamp and muck lands. In fact, cultivated soils in general tend to become more and more sour, due to the accumula- tion of the more inert humic and other organic acids and the more rapid removal by drainage of the lime and other bases. Or, the use of acid phosphate and similar fertilizers also is said to cause an increase in soil acidity. I-ime (calcium carbonate — ground lime- stone : or calciimi hydroxide — slaked lime) is used for the Durpose of sweetening such acid soils. — H. W. Olive in Brooklvtt Botanic Garden Bulletin. 252 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 'Jililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiMiii:i!ii! iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimi;ii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiM[iiiiiiiii[iiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiii!iiiiii;iiiiiiiiiii!ii:i»i:iiiii iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiii i iiii[[iiiimimiiiii:iiii;iiii:iiii;iiN;iiiriiii;im;im:mrnffliiiiiiiii'iiii: iii!imiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|i| I A Lesson on Weeds and Their Control | j With Some Points Upon the Value of Crop Cultivation | I Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Giirdeniui:. Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle 1 I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | SiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiL'iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiii iimi iiiiniiiininiinuiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinininiiiiniinnnmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ WHILE it may be a practical impossibility to eliminate weeds entirely from our gardens and farms, their exis- tence, to the extent which is too frequently seen, is the result of neglect. As with many other troubles, prevention is better than cure, and the old proverb, "One year's seeding makes seven years' weeding" errs, if at all, only on the side of being too conser- vative. For this reason we frequently have to tight the incubus of the past, and it is easy to know in looking over a garden whether weeds have been allowed to seed on it in the past or not. While the point holds good in all gardening matters, in nothing is the continual expert planning and care year after year by the same individual more productive of good results than in connection with weeds ; but the cumulative benefits of years of care may be entirely lost by one year's neglect. The greater part of the trouble with weeds is brought about by the too prevailing idea that when the cropping season is over in the Autumn the garden may be left to care for itself, with the result that the ground is well seeded for the weed crop of the following season. There are many matters of vital importance connected with Autumn gardening, of which not the least is the prevention of weed seeding. Neglect of this at any season makes the task of eradication simply terrible, and in the meantime, every crop on the ground will suffer. No system of garden management is more wasteful and expensive than that of laying off men early in the Fall and of neglecting the garden during that season. While no real gardener will, if he can help it, allow a weed to go to seed upon his place at any season, the seeds which fall upon the ground in the Autumn will not germinate as a rule until the following Spring, so that there will be no opportunity to kill the resulting seedlings until the crops are growing in the Spring. Neglecting gardens in the Autumn, and of course at any time, is always an extravagance, as the removal of the results of such neglect is more costly than the preventing of such results from coming into existence. The importance of keeping weeds in sulijection can not be emphasized too strongly in connection with both farming and gardening. Weeds damage crops in many ways. They deprive crops of moisture, plant food and sunlight. Even on excep- tionally rich soil with plenty of moisture the detrimental effects of them is equally as great as under reverse conditions: this is most likely due to their toxic effects, the roots of weeds giving off substances which are poisonous to the plants we are culti- vating. A still greater reason for their harmful effects is that their roots interfere with the root development of the roots of the cultivated plants. It does not appear necessary to discuss at any length the question, what is a weed? Most people know them only too well, although there are some self-styled gardeners who are unable to distinguish weeds from other plants, and who in weeding a garden frequently root them both up. A weed has been defined as a plant growing in the wrong place : as, for example, a potato growing" in a rose garden would be treated as a weed. Another example of a plant being in one position extremely valuable and in others a most noxious weed is to be found in the perennial Southern Wire Grass (Capriola dactylon), which is most difficult to control and eradicate among cultivated plants, yet at the same time is one of the most valuable plants for pasture and without it some of the Southern pastures would be almost worthless. However, generally speaking, plants popularly known as weeds are those which are wild and indigenous to the district, and which come up among cultivated crops. Some idea of the nature of a soil may be gathered from the species of weeds common to it. To give two examples : where Sheep Sorrel (Runicx acctosella) is present in any quantity we may be sure the soil is acid and that lime is needed, while the prevalence of Horsetails (Eqiiistcum />.) points to the neces- sity for subsoil drainage. It does not, however, necessarily fol- low that lime and drainage inay not he required when these weeds are absent. Weeds, even under conditions which are more or less adverse to other plants, are able to maintain their existence mainly because they are indigenous to the district. Some weeds pro- duce immense quantities of seeds, which mature in most cases in a very short time and upon the weed plants even if cut when ihcy are only just coming into flower; some have seeds which are difficult to separate from crop seeds and are there- fore frequently introduced with the latter : some possess roots or root-stocks that are perennial. Weeds persist, therefore, be- cause they are well equipped by nature in one or more ways to more than hold their own in the struggle for existence. The remarkable vigor and prolificacy possessed by weeds would enable them to soon overcome most cultivated plants but for the aid of the cultivator, and it naturally follows that promp, efficient, and persistent efforts are essential to their control upon cultivated grounds. Many people do not realize what an enormous number of seeds are produced by weeds, the number varying with different species from several hundreds to twenty or more thousand seeds per plant. Moreover, in any season of the year, these seeds, if allowed to fall upon the soil, do not all germinate at once, but delay germinating for a period which may extend over several years, hence the previously mentioned old saying. "One year's seeding makes seven years' weeding." Like other plants, weeds may be divided into three classes with reference to the period of their natural life : annual, those which live but one season and which die as soon as they have produced seed : biennial, those that live two years, growing rather slowly the first year, producing usually a tap-root and a rosette of leaves close to the ground, sending up flower-stems the second year and then dying. Naturally this class produces seed only upon ground which has been left undisturbed for at least two seasons ; and perennial, those which live an indefinite number of years. These last produce underground parts which live over after the tops have died down, spread in the soil and produce new growth the following year. They are therefore the most tenaceous of life and are the most difficult to eradicate when the soil has beeii allowed to become infested with them, as in most cases the smallest piece of their roots will, if left in the soil, produce a new plant. The imderground parts are of various kinds ; they may consist of long, creeping, more or less horizontal, roots, as in the case of the Canada Thistle : or the underground parts may consist of root-stocks or under- ground stems, as in the cases of quack-grass and morning glory. These parts may also consist of bulbs which increase by splitting up. like the wild onion : or they may be more or less in the form of tap-roots, as with the dandelion. Obviously a knowledge of the life history of weeds will assist us in carrying out intelli- gently the most effective measures of control and eradication. In considering methods for the killing of and clearing the ground from, weeds, we must first remember that it is far more important to avoid having weeds to kill, and the aim should be lo prevent rather than to cure the evil. The annual and biennial classes may he considered as one, and soil may ultimately be made practically free of them by not allowing weeds to seed upon it, and in preventing weed seeds from being brought in on to it. While the former is easy, unfortunately the latter is to some extent at least, not entirely possible. If we do not allow a single weed to seed upon our own ground, seeds may he blown in from the gardens of less careful neigh- bors, from waste groimds and roadsides, they may be brought in among cultivated plant seeds and with stable manure. While all these possibilities militate against the probability of possessing a garden upon which weeds never appear, yet. all together, the resulting weeds from them is never one hundredth part as great as those arising from weeds seeding themselves upon the ground itself. The first step in killing weeds arising from seed is to kill them before they appear. There is always an interval of time in the case of all seeds between the commencement of the process of germination of a seed and the appearance of the resulting plant ttpon the sur- face. The continual cultivation of the ground between crops and individual plants without waiting for the weeds to appear, is the only way to approach, what every gardener should strive for, a weedless garden. An hour's sunshine will destroy freshly germinated seeds when exposed to it. while it might require more than a day to kill weeds which have been allowed to grow to any size and in the meantime rain could possiblj' cause them to root again. To arrive at and maintain that condition of cleanliness which is the attribute of a real garden, it will obvi- ously be necessary to pul) weeds by hand from positions that for July. 1920 253 the implement cannot reach. In cold, wet seasons, weeds will generally appear before the crop seeds we have sown, and if they are allowed to persist for any length of time will materially retard the growth of the plants we desire. Hand-weeding along the rows, &c., shonld therefore be commenced as soon as the weeds are large enough to take hold of by the finger and thumb. To facilitate this, should the crop seeds not have com- pletely germinated, the rows should have been correctly marked at each end at sowing time so that if hand weeding is necessary before the crop comes up, a line can be stretched along them. This line would also be of assistance in cultivating between the rows without waiting for the sown seeds to appear. Hand- weeding is best done soon after rain while the soil is soft and moist, and before the ground between the rows is dealt with ; when the ground is in that condition we can pull out weeds without disturbing plants. The control and eradication of perennial weeds, or root-weeds as they are sometimes called, presents a somewhat different problem. Although these may of course arise from seed there is no excuse for their continued existence in a mature state in a garden, as it takes several months for seedlings of these to make much underground growth, and several years to reach the large tufts and masses which are sometimes seen. The gardener is not, however, responsible for these weeds when he takes over a legacy of past neglect, or has to make a new garden upon land already infested with them. Quite often these perennial weeds are not only kept in the garden but encouraged to spread by the method pursued in handling the soil. It would appear to be a foregone conclusion that weeds which spread by their roots must increase rather than diminish by the practice of breaking up the tufts or pieces of the roots and turning them under during the operation of spading. In carrying out the latter the operator should have a basket or some container with him in which he should ptit every piece of the roots of these weeds he comes across. If this is always done carefully it will not be long before the soil can be entirely cleared from them. Thoroughness in the removal of the roots of perennial weeds is of the utmost importance if we desire to eradicate them, and it is better to confine one's efforts to a portion of the garden at a time and finish it, rather than to only half clean the whole, as the latter method does not forward any. Spading-under these root-weeds only hides them from sight temporarily, and they will soon reappear stronger than ever. Cleaning the ground thoroughly is of special importance before planting perennial things such as shrubs, herbaceous plants, ber- ries, bush fruits, asparagus, and such like. If the smallest part of the roots of these weeds is allowed to remain it will not be long before the roots of the plants will become intermingled with a mass of the roots of the weeds and their separation becomes impossible. Almost all the perennial things above men- tioned will, if properly planted and cared for afterwards remain in a flourishing condition for a person's lifetime, it appears there- fore to be an extremely wasteful policy to plant them in foul soil with the certainty that in most cases they will be smothered out by weeds in a few years. If we prevent absolutely any top growth arising from these perennial weeds, their roots will sooner or later die. While the top growth of any plant cannot go on unless it has roots, the latter cannot live for any length of time without top growth to support them. althou.gh the roots are generally the more tenacious of life. Therefore if we do not allow any growth from these root-weeds to appear at all, they will sooner or later die. In this connection it must be borne in mind that if top growth is allowed to persist only for a day, the roots will have, even during that short period, received new life. .An effective method of destroying root-weeds without much labor, is to cover the entire ground with builder's tar paiUT. weighting it down with earth, stones, or anything that will keep it in its place, taking care that there is sufficient to overlap to prevent light from entering or the weeds growing through, between the strips. Tliis would require to remain in position for two or three months during the growing season. Before placing the paper in position the weeds should be cut off close to the ground. A problem of another character is presented by a weedy lawn. Here, too, its existence is the result of bad work when the lawn was made, of subsequent neglect, or of both. In making a lawn, while some antiual weeds will invariably appear which subsequent mowing will readicate, perennial weeds should l)e thoroughly cleaned out before sowing the lawn seed. If the latter is of the best quality it will contain no weed seeds, and the subsequent appearance of perennial lawn weeds, like plantain and dandelion, will have lieen caused by seeds of them coming in afterwards. If the ground has l)een well enriched and entirely covered with a thick stand of lawn grass there will be no weak or bare places upon which these weeds can get a foothold. Plantain can be killed by cutting it off just below the surface of the ground, but dandelion should have the whole of its root removed. Neither of these weeds spread by their roots so each plant arists from seed. In thick strong grass, seeds are not likely to germinate. Places from which these weeds have been removed should have some fertilizer — sheep manure is good — applied and lawn seed sown upon them. This is best done in early Spring or Fall. Lawns which have been properly made, well fertilized each year, and cut with sufticient frequency, are rarely troubled with weeds, as the strong growth of the grass will prevent them from coming into existence. Preparations for killing plantain and dandelion on lawns with- out killing the grass are sold, their active ingredients being sul- phate of iron and sulphate of copper. The reason why these weeds are killed and not the grass is because they have broad leaves lying close and flat to the soil, the powder covering them and also falling into the hearts of the weeds ; while it does not remain upon the grass by reason of its narrow leaves and upright growth, except to a very limited extent, and the slight browning effect of the powder upon them is soon recovered from. One of the most pernicious weeds upon lawns, especially of recent years, is Crab Grass, {Synthcrisma sanguiitale), an annual which produces its seed in great volume and so close to the ground that the lawn mower cannot reach it. Further, is spreads by rooting at the joints, and upon weak and badly cared for lawns will soon entirely kill out the lawn grass. Prevention is attained by the means noted above for other weeds. When it exists, removing it by raking it out thoroughly and continuously with a sharp iron rake, adding lawn seed and fertilizer as the work proceeds, is the best way of controlling it. One cannot emphasize too strongly the fact that the remedy for all lawn weeds is to secure a strong growth of lawn plants so that they can be victorious in their struggle for existence against the weeds. Weeds upon walks are best controlled liy the use of some reliable arsenical herbicide which, if thoroughly applied under right conditions according to directions sent out, will keep walks free from weeds during the entire season. Obviously our remarks apply to gardens. While the under- lying principles of weed control are the same in connection with farming and truck growing, their application will naturally differ ; which differences space will not now permit us to discuss. In any case the loss and bad effects of allowing weeds to exist are the same. As regards farming, an expert of the United States Department of Agriculture has recently written : "It is difficult to estimate the damage wrought by weeds, but it is probable that they directly cost the American farmers several hundred million dollars every year." In common with many other bad things, weeds are not an en- tirely unmi.xed evil. Bailey has stated, "It wottld have been a sorry thing for agriculture if there had been no weeds. They have made us stir the soil, and stirring the soil is the foundation of good crops. Even after we have learned that crops are benefited by the stirring of the land, we are likely to forget the lesson, or to be neglectful of it unless the weeds constantly remind us of it." It is not uncommon to hear the expression, "I see my garden is getting weedy, I must get the hoe busy," the inference from this remark being that if there were no weeds the hoe wottld not be used. If the liest results are looked for the necessity for continual cultivation between plants is just as great whether weeds exist or not. Constant surface cultivation promotes soil ventilation. The soil needs ventilation. The roots of growing plants and the decomposition of organic matter in the soil tend to constantly exhaust the latter of its free oxygen and to replace this by carbonic acid which is not used by the roots, althou.gh it is by the leaves. Hence without some interchange of air between the contents of the soil cavities and the atmosphere above, the roots are retarded in their growth, and if this interchange is entirely prevented for any considerable length of time, the roots sooner or later become smothered and perish. In a suffi- ciently porous soil, changes in temperature and in atmospheric pressure, aided by wind and rain, furnish the needed soil ven- tilation, but in poorly-drained soils and in soils not thoroughly and frequently stirred, the roots of plants often suffer from insufficient oxygen. Therefore, we should never allow the existence of a puddled crust upon the surface, due to the com- pacting influence of rain, to remain any longer than possible. The best practice calls for crop cultivation after every rain. Then a.gain, one of the requirements for nitrification is an adequate sup|)ly of oxygen. The nitrifying organisms require oxy.gcn for their existence, therefore in the entire absence of o.xygen nitrification cannot go on, and also, therefore, the formation of a hard crust upon the surface of the ground check.'' nitrification. (Continued on page 258) 254 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews FRANCE J'lic Dcvaslatcd Regions. — Horticulture would appear to have been given not so great a blow as agriculture proper in the districts overrun by the invaders did one not know the part it has played where the sun, too often veiled, has been replaced by artificial heat, for the environs of Lille, the largest city close to the Belgian frontier, were the center of the country's forcing industry. This was naturally practically annihilated and years will be required to reestablish it. Field culture, however, has already been restored. But in the departments of France actually devastated the climate encourages little trucking with the exception of that done intensively near the larger centers of population. On a large scale the gardening was confined almost exclusively to the raising of legumes, save in the valley of the Aisne where a more clement climate ripens the grape. In the province Nord, of which Lille is the metropolis, however, along the coast around Dunkirk, where the sand has been manured, only currants and plums in addition to legumes are produced. The taste of the wealthy manufacturers of the Flemish capital and of other towns in southern Belgium so populous stimulated the growing of fruits and vegctaljles under glass. Not far from Lille si.x establishments grew strawberries and tomatoes under 13.000 square meters, or 3} 5 acres, of glass: five grew grapes, peaches, cherries, figs and other fruits, quantities of them, for Paris, under 50,000 sq. m., or 13;/i acres. Still more space of the kind, namely 70.000 sq. m.. or 17^4 acres, was devoted to house plants like palms and araucarias. Besides there were "local" establishments, naturally abundant among a population of this kind. Grapes were enjoyed fresh from the middle of November to the end of June, peaches for three months and straw'berries also. The southern part of this province grew quan- tities of apples and around one town over 12,000 acres were cov- ered with orchards. The other "li1)erated" provinces had less importance agricul- turally than Nord. In the Somme was a great market-garden center that supplied not only its chief city Amiens l)ut a large part of the province to the north also. Horticulture in this aspect has not suffered so much and is more quickly and more easily rehabilitated. But the loss at Laon. south of Lille eighty miles, where the forcing establishments are comparable to those of the latter city, was very great. Here, and at Valenciennes in Nord also, was an especially interesting industry, that of cultivating medicinal herbs. Before the war the harvest was sometimes 50,000 kilo- grams, or over 110,000 pounds. In La Marne were grown almost exclusively the usual legumes, especially around Reims, the most consideralile mar- ket of the Champagne. The hills not far from Chateau Thierry, were covered with cherry trees that supplied the trade with Paris and fed a preservin.g factory. More toward the east nothing remarka1>le Iiorticulturally is found other than the extensive vegetable gardens at Luneville, southeast of Nancy, and the preserving works at this latter town and elsewhere, supplied with plums and other fruits, some of which were converted into brandy. All these industries of course are bound in time to regain their importance, for the local needs will be no less than before and the difficulties of transportation from the south, and the cost of it, will not permit the bringing in from the distance of such quantities of fruits and of legumes as were imported be- fore. Alsace. — Alsace has long been a country of gardeners. There were guilds of market gardeners as far back as the XIII cen- tury. Strasburg is girdled by villages, on rich alluvial soil, nearly all of whose 40.000 inhabitants inake their living by truck- ing. Floral festivals are regular institutions. Fine estates with well-wooded parks occupy many of the suburban regions. The Orangery is one of the most l)cautiful public gardens of Europe. The soil is particularly adapted to the growth of trees and this, with the horticultural tradition, made the vicinity, before the German seizure, one of the world's great nursery centers. But the ban upon the French language drove iriany of the old gar- deners from the country. The progress of horticulture further- more was retarded by the Genuan policy of sending in young gardeners trained by study and practice in the schools associated with liotanical gardens in various parts of the empire and who acted as propagandists of their native country's institutions. The appeal is now going forth for all-round training to be offered at the inetropolis and at other centers to young French boj's who are heirs of the tradition not entirely eradicated by foreign usurpation. Lorraine. — This, like its sister state, also is a natural horticul- tural center. In fact it was gardeners from this province that several generations ago introduced into Germany the taste for the cultivation of fruit trees. Hither resorted many young men from the Sarre region and the Rhenish provinces to serve their apprenticeship. Now, since the armistice, many of the ancient families have returned to take possession of their ancestral es- tates. But owing to the scarcity of labor some time must elapse before there is restored to the noble estates their pristine splendor. They fell into considerable neglect during the long German occupation when the government gave little encourage- ment to horticulture in any form. Throughout the great war the neglect was absolute. Recovery has begun, however, and the botanical garden of Metz, with its interesting collection of trees, notably the exotic, is again going to supply the public parks and gardens with stock to the production of which it used to be largely given. — Condensed from Reznie Horticole, Le Jardin and Vie a la Campagne. AUSTRIA There is no necessity for explaining that horticulture as a whole is badly affected by the present economic and political situation in this country. Austria has not only lost a long and exhaustive war, she has lost much more by peace. German Austria is reduced to a poor, small country with few natural resources, and surrounded by states that are none too friendly with her. The worst, however, is the fact that each little "land" within the narrow limits of the present repub- lic acts in the most selfish way. I resided in the U. S.'A. during the war, because I was 011 an exploring trip in western China when the war broke out, and not being able to go back to Austria, I accepted an invita- tion from Prof. C. S. Sargent to go to the .\rnold Arboretum at Jamaica Plain, Mass. Therefore, when I came back to Vienna in October, 1919, I perhaps, more deeply felt the contrast be- tween the past and the present than anyone who had remained during the past five years, and had become used to the misery. Vienna has always been the centre of horticulture interest in old Austria, it is even more the centre to it at present. But, what a change! The beautiful city, once the meeting place for all who went to central and eastern Europe, is still beautified by- gardens full of Lilacs, Forsythias, Irises, and other lovely flowers, but about all parts famine is lurking, and far too many pallid- faced children and worn-out mothers are to be seen. Tlie main impression is that everything (I might say every- body ) needs repair. Everyljody is so exhausted by the war and its evil consequences as to have lost the energy necessary to keep up the struggle. Some of the gardeners, of course, are by no means badly affected by the present situation. Many of the market gardeners- have become well-to-do men. They sell their few vegetables at prices undreamed at any previous time, because there are a few rich men, too, who can pay for them. But the people as a whole are not able to buy lettuce, spinach, or cauliflower at the present rates. The case of the florist is. to a certain de- gree, different. Scarcity of labor and very high wages, comliined with the high cost of fuel, wood, glass, and every other material he needs for keeping up his establishment, make it impossible for him to maintain his former standard and even difficult to grow what is needed today. Vienna has been famous for its beautiful gardens, but these are beginning to disappear. The public gardens are kept fairly well by the city, and in this extremely lovely and warm Spring, the private gardens and suburbs look much finer than they really are. The work of the landscape-architect is restricted. Where, formerly, he planted handsome flowers and shrubs, there are now growing lettuce, cabbage, potatoes and other useful things The number of war-gardens is immense. Hundreds of colonies of what are called "Schreber" gardens have sprung _ up. and the Schreber-garden movement is one of the characteristic fea- tures of the time. The situation of the Horticultural Society is a rather lucky one. It was in possession of a valuable piece of ground in one of the best parts of the city, but it has sold part of it during for July, 1920 255 the war, and now has some money at its disposal. But it can- not realize its intention to bnild a new home, because no houses at all can be erected at a time when one brick costs about 3 crowns. The society has a garden of its own at Esslingen, about two hours from the city, in the so-called Marchfield, but at present it is not much more than a vegetable garden. It will take some time to transform it again into a real experi- mental ground. The former Obstbau-und Po»iohigcti-CcscUschaft has been united with the Horticultural Society, wliich tries to do its best in helping the reconstruction of horticulture in its broadest sense in German Austria — Caiitilto Schneider, rirniia, Afel, 286 Fifth .\ve.. Xew York. Vice-President — D. L. Mackintosh, Alpine, XTgy^- Jersey. Treasurer — T, \\". Head. Lake Forest, Illinois. TRUSTEES (For I'fJl)— Peter Duff. William VVaite. Arthur Smith, New Jersey; Kohert Weeks. Ohio; W. H. Griffiths, Michigan, DIRECTORS (To serve until 1921)— William N. Craig, Massachusetts; William Ilertrick, California; William Gray, Rhode Island; G. Hennen- hofer, Montana; Thomas Hatton, Connecticut; Alhin Martini, Iowa; A. C, Jordahn, Florida. (To serve until 1922) — George Wilson, Illinois; James Stuart, New York; William Kleinheinz, Pennsylvania; John F. Huss, Connecticut; Eili:iiiniii'i ;:;iiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.iiii:iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiii:iiiiiiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii»iiiii^ SOME HINTS ON WATERING. The operation of watering presents many problems to gardeners, so perhaps a little advice based on practical knowledge will be useful to readers. Watering is really di- vided into several headings, such as water- ing at the roots, and "damping over" to freshen or clean the foliage only. There is a certain important preparation for watering which should always be made, if possible, and this is the hoeing and stir- ring of the surface soil. If this is not done, the soil is apt to cake, and in that case most of the water runs off (especially if applied with a coarse-rosed can). It may be urged that it is not possible to do this on borders filled with bedding plants or in which an- nuals have been planted out. And there is something in this also. But the difficulty is got over by pricking up the ground with a small fork (this can always be done unless the bedding plants and annuals are set too thickly). The best of all watering is, of course, watering at the roots. Many times I have denounced surface waterings, sprinklings and "dampings over" to be no good at all except for giving an external appearance of freshness to the foliage. Damping over is done by "waving a can of water with a fine rose lightly about over the foliage of the plants in the borders!" It is useful at its proper times, i. e., when the roots are sufficiently wet from recent rains and only the foliage wants freshening up, but it is practically no good as Summer watering. .•Vs said previously, root watering is the essential, but this is, of course, modified as necessity arises by spraying the foliage of the plants as well. Several problems arise on this watering. The question of the quantity to give and the question of when to apply all claim our attention and study. ".\t what time of the day it is most suitable to give water?" This question is still capable of being strongly debated. Readers will, of course, well know that though the sun rises very early in the Sum- mer months, it docs not get very much power (except in the very sunny South) before eight o'clock, or sometimes nine o'clock, in the morning. That suggests to us ihe probable advantage of watering iii the very early morning, and my experi- ments have shown me that the advantage arising out of early morning watering is very great indeed. However, it is not al- ways easy or even advisable, .-\fter a roasting hot day one's annuals, especially in GREENHOUSES Are extremely popular among- gardeners who take pride in having the best showing of flowers and vege- tables. The remarkable growing qualities of King Green- houses are due to the careful attention given every detail of construction to insure maximum strength and minimum shadow. Wc wiiuld like to lia\ e you see a King House and let it tell its own story. Write us today and we will give you the name of some gardener near you who will be p:lad til slmw \uu mie. KING CONSTRUCTION COMPANY North Tonawanda, N. Y. 1 West 47th St., New York City Harrison Bldg., Philadelphia 307 North Irving Ave., Scranton, Pa. T/ ► CUT FLOWER BOXES EDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO w««ur ACTURCRS 1 PHILADELPHIA. PA. ^ V / L HARRY BA.LD'WIIV Manufacturer oi Greentiouse Shading Latli Roller Blinds IIIIIIIIIIKItlllKllllllllllllllllllllinillllllMIIMI THE FLOWER GROWER Published Monthly for both Amateur ar.d Professional Flower Growers GARDENERS: Vou should riow llow- crs in quantity and help hc.-iutify your surroundings and hriglitcn the live* of those who visit your gardens. The subscription price of THE FLOW- ER GROWER is Sl.OO per year, three years for $J.50. Sample copy 10c. Madison. Cooper, Publisher, Calcium, N. Y. LANDSCAPE ARCHJTECT BECOME A Prepare by mail for this uncrowded pro- fession. Inexpensive. Easy to master. Earn while you learn. Diploma awarded. Special proposition to HOME OWNERS and Plan for beautifying your property. AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SCHOOL Newark New York Slate 262 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE the early stage, most certainly require water, and in this case it is certainly better to give a thorough soaking at night. In really dry weather, big clumps of per- ennials. Lupines, Delphiniums and many more must be watered. I find in a thickly planted border it is much better to care- fully pour the water straight into the clumps with care in such cases. And now we come to the quantity of water to give, purposely left to the last of these questions on watering, as it is vitally important. The advice may be summed up in two words : "Water thoroughly." The in- tentions of many readers who wield the water-can and the hose are good, but they do not all know what thoroughness means. In watering, however, do not remain spray- ing a single plant for several minutes, or a pool will result. Spray each plant for a short time, and then go on to the other parts of the border, returning after a time to the plants watered earlier and water again, for the first lot of water will have soaked in. In really dry times it may be necessary to return two or three times to ensure the water reaching the roots. A mere surface watering is no good in dry weather. Water thoroughly if at all. — The Garden. WE HAVE STILL THE TREES The meadow-farmers have dealt merci- fully wilh the hedges. . . . The hedges — \'es, the hedges, the very synonym of Merry England — are yet there, and long may they remain. Without hedges England would not be England. Hedges, thick and high, and full of flowers, birds, and living creatures, of shade and flecks of sunshine dancing up and down the bark of the trees — I love their very thorns. You do not know how much there is in the hedges. We have still the woods, with here and there a forest, the beauty of the hills, and the charm of winding brooks. I never see roads, or horses, men, or anything when I get beside a brook. There is the grass, and the wheat, the clouds, the delicious sky, and the wind, and the sunlight which falls on the heart like a song. It is the same, the very same, only I think it is brighter and mtire lovely now than it was twenty years ago. Along the footpath we travel slowly; you cannot walk fast very long in a foot- path ; no matter how rapidly at first you soon lessen your pace, and so country people always walk slowly. The stiles — how stu- pidly they are put together. For years and years every one who has passed them, as long as man can remember, has grumbled at them; yet there they are still, with the elms reaching high above, and cows gazing over — cows that look so powerful, but so peacefully yield the way. . . . Hard as the farmer may work, and plow and sow with engine and drill, the surface of the land docs not much vary; but the farmer himself and the farmer's man are quite another race to what they were. Perhaps it was from this fact that the impression grew up that modern agri- culture has polished away all the distinctive characteristics of the country. But it has not done so any more than it has removed the hills. The truth is. as I have en- deavored to explain, imiovations so soon become old in the field?. The ancient earth covers them with her own hoar antiquity, and their newness disappears. They have already become so mucli a part of the life a mattiT of common knowledge that plants must have light to make plant food, but according to two scientists of the Bureau of Plant In- du>try, U. S. Department of Agriculture, the fruiting of many, perhaps, all plants may be controlled by regulating the period of light to which they are exposed. It is re- ported that either too long or too short a period of daylight in comparison with the dark- ness may prevent plants from flowering or fruiting. In case the period of light is unfavor- able, the plants may make a luxuriant growth, but fail to fruit. A length of day that is favorable to both vegetation and fruiting is assumed to produce the "'everbearing" varieties. It has been known for a long tiine that plants have three cardinal tempera- ture points or zeros — an upper and lower zero beyond which growth ceases and a middle or optimum zero at which they thrive best. Fre- quently these zeros are dif- ferent for the growing and flowering processes. Undoubt- edly the upper and low-er zeros are associated with tem- perature, but it may w-ell be that the optimum point is determined more by light. In view of the experiments, one understands how apple trees may fail to fruit when taken to a warmer region, not be- cause of the heat, but because the period of daylight is not favorable. .A. curious result of this rule is found in the case of the ragweed, which is reported to require for flowering a stimulus that is afforded by the shortenhig of the days and Ivnjthening of the nights. It docs net come into flower until the period of daylight falls below 15 hours. In the latitude of Washing- ton, that comes about July 1. But if ragweed seed should be taken to northern Maine and planted, the plants would not experience a length of day below 15 hours until about .August 1. Therefore, they could not come into flower until after .\ugust 1 and, though the vegetative growth might be very rank, they could not mature seed before killing frosts intervened. The long days, therefore, make it impossible for ragweed to perpetuate itself in that lati- tude. On the other hand, plants that get their flowering stimulus from a long day could not perpetuate themselves through seed formation at the equator, where the (lay never exceeds 12 hours. This principle affords the clue to the fact that many plants grow most luxuriantly near the northern limit of their range. The long northern day allows them to attain their maximum growth before the shorter day intervenes to check vegetative growth and start the productive process. The migration of birds is also said to be explained by this theory. — American Botanist. An invitation to use our Service Department It costs you nothing- ^ may save you much n >i^^ Its like this: '^'ou have some problem about vour painting, staining or varnishing, concerning which 'you are not quite sure. You write to our Service Depart- ment and promptly receive helpful suggestions. Or mayhap something has gone wrong, such as pamt peeled, cracked or ciialked. Tell them about it and they will fell you exactly how to remedy it. Perchance you want to know how best to finish vour walls and desire some suggestions for color schemes even to the drapery and rugs. The Service Depart- ment will gladly not only make suggestions but send you the color scheme all worked out on a miniature side of your room. ^ -\11 of which, bear in miml, will cost vou nothing. But it may save you much. We sincerely trust you will feel free to frequently cal! on us. Consider this as a cordial invitation. Boston 482 E.AST THIRD STREET. DAYTON, OHIO New York Jersey City Chicago Atlanta Kansas City Minneapolis Toronto OlALITY RED POTS Made of best material by sklllH lalxjT, luiifonnly burned and carcfiiUy packed. Famoos "Moss-Aztec" Ware Includes A/.aUa Pots, Fern IiisliM, Hanclng Baskets, lAwn Vases, etc. Write for calalogue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesvllk, Ohio HILL'S EVERGREENS SeiHl for Price-list. Mention this magaziue. D. HILL NURSERY CO. 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FUNGINE For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V r.r\ IVl 1 1\ r. For worms and insects infesting the soil. FOR THE GARDEN-A' a reme- dy agamst all sap sucking insects infesting Rowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. IIIIIUIJIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIilllllJIUIIIIWIIIJIJIIlim I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiitiiiiuiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii :iiiii iiiiiiiitititiiiiiniiiiji 'Jiiinniiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinmiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii Of Interest to Country Estate Owners Tlie National Association of Gardeners takes this opportunity to place its Service Bureau at the disposal of owners of country estates when requiring competent gardeners, in the capacities of superintendents, head gardeners or assistant gardeners — thor- oughly qualified in every particular to assume the responsibilities the positions call for — gardeners truly efficient in their profession. The Bureau is maintained entirely at the expense of the association and makes no charge to the employer it may serve 01 to the member it may benefit. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS M. C. EBEL, Secretary 286 Fifth Ave. New York iriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiliiiiliiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiimi!iii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiini.;^ giiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiii" ii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii[iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiuiiii| I FOLEY GREENHOUSES I iiiiii8isii,ni»ii6iil|j j Greenhouse and Garden Plants | I Shrubbery and Nursery Stock | j 0} all descriptions j I ANPlERSON INC I I OOiWELL CARpENS I I Ci^MWELL Conn | I Make your needs known to us. | I We will properly serve your interests. | €uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii»iii!iiii»iiviiNJiNiiiii:iiii:uiiiiiiuiiuiiii>iiiiiiiiiiinu:iiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii)iiiiiiiiiiiiiim yinminiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiui^ I Competent Gardeners \ I The comforts and products of a country | I home are increased by employing a competent | I gardener ; if you want to engage one, write us. | i Please give particular-s regarding place and | I say whether married or single man is wanted. | I We have been supplying them for years to the | I best people everywhere. No fee asked. | I Scientifically Planned, Carefully Made iii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ lilisiin 268 laiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiii^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyi FOR RESULTS USE MASTER BRAND Orchids Concentrated Vine & Plant Manure A - DL L - » J D . u Guaranteed Analysis Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash Ammonia Phosphoric Acid Potash 2.257o 1.507c 1.50% S.OO^r 2.007r 1.00% Sterilized Sheep Manure Guaranteed Analysis Precipitate Phosphatic Manure Available Phosphoric Acid 26% NATURE'S MASTER SOIL BUILDERS Master Brand Manures are thoroughly sterilized in Rotary Direct Heat Driers. Absolutely free from all Live Weed Seeds and Fungus diseases. Does not con- tain IS to 30% excess moisture as is found in all air- dried manures. Will not rot out the Bags when placed in dry storage. Are adaptable for the feeding of a greater variety of crops than any other type of fer- tilizers. Full information and prices furnished on application. The Proto-Feed and Guano Co. 4121 S. La Salle Street CHICAGO If you contemplate buying semi-established, i established or imported orchids, consult us first. 1 We carry in stock about 25,000 species. | A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- | leyas^ Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other | choice hybrids. | We specialize in supplying the private trade. I Let us figure on your requirements — our quality | is second to none. | Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot | hangers, always on hand. | Send for our price list. 1 G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY | Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers | MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK I siuiiiiiii iiiniiiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiir nii iii n i i i niiinii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiidiu nf n mi i i iii i ii i 1 1 1 1 1 nil III iiiiiiiiiii III III 1 1 II iiiiiif i When we say— "GREENHOUSES OF QUALITY"— nothing more we could say would better express the merits of ihe V-Bar. 269 f" '""""" liiiiNiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiii mill iiiniiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiimniiiii iiiiiiiiiiiminmiiii iiiimiiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiniiinMiniiiiiiniiiiii iiiiiiiiiiimi'imii :ii:iiii! i imii iiininiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiumiiiiiiiiiiii nmiimuuiiiiiiiig The Contents for August, 1920 Things and Thoughts of the Garden Montague Free 27 \ Cuhure of Schizanthus 272 Deutzias Amaior Arborum 273 Plant More Woodlands! . . . <„. 274 Goldenrod Honey R. W. Sanders 275 Polyantha Pompon Roses . . 276 Pruning Ornamental Shrubs.. .Hemp J. Moore 277 Seasons for Planting Plants and Lawns 278 Watering, Cultivating and Mulching 278 The Month's Work in the Garden and Green- house Henn Cibson 279 The History of our Common Vegetables . 280 A Lesson on the Dietic, Medicinal and Eco- nomic Values of Vegetables. /^r(/iur Sinih 282 Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews 284 Protest Against Quarantine Bill No. 37 288 National Association of Gardeners 289 The Questionnaire 291 Here and There Euonymiis Radicans, Effect of Light on Plants, Choice of Lilacs, Transplanting, A South African Flower, Flozvers ivitli Extra Parts, How Nature Plants Trees. Flozi'ers and Sc.r. Sobarias. The Joys of a Garden Pool. 291 Published monthly, the 1st of each month. THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. ^^ .. subscription .... $2.00 a year 286 Fifth Avenue New York, N. Y. Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 MARTIN C. EBEL. Editor g Entered at the New York Post OtHce as second class matter under the .4ct of Cougres.%, March 3, 1879. I ^ininiii 1 1 11111:11111111 1 iiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiii 1 iiiiiiiniiiiiiiiinnimiiiiiii nun iiiiitnmiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiinnnnniimnniiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiii uiinuiiiiii iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiinttniiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiuiiiiiiiuiiiniiiiiiniuiini mB |iiiiiiiiiiniiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]iiMiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii [iiiniiiiiiiininiininiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiniiiiiiiniiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiniinniiiiniiiiiiiiiiii^ Stumpp & Walter Co/s Bulb Catalog ^ com plete list of all NEW and RARE BULBS For Fall Planting and Exhibition Is Now Being Alailed The Best Novelties in DARWIN— BREEDER and COTTAGE TULIPS- DAFFODILS— DUTCH HYACINTHS. NEW COLORED FREESIAS NOVELTY WINTER FLOWERING SPENCER SWEET PEAS Best Californian Varieties // we do not have your name on our catalog register, please write for one. G/^^lf ft^^^ NEVV 1 Barclay Street ORK CITY =?■" " '""" •"•» " ' ""'""•" ' ■ ."..I , FMi iniiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiffliiiiiiitiiiiMimBM'iliiiKimiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiimi iiiimiii nininnmniin iniiiiiiniii un iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niiiiiiiiiiiinniii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiminiiiii iiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 11 i nmi iiiiuiumiiiiiuiiiiiiiuniii m, ,5; 270 IlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllU^ iiiiiiiiniiiiiioiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture 1 Vol. XXIV iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin AUGUST, 1920 mil pnrw YORc BOTANICAL llllllllllllllllMi No 8. Things and Thoughts of the Garden MONTAGUE FREE AT the time of writing (July) one wonders if the weather is going to be the reverse of that of the season of 1919. Last year we experienced fair!}' dry weather until well into July which kept us busy with the hose and sprinklers. The latter half of the year, as will be well remembered by those who were so unfortunate as to take their vacation then,' was wet — decidedly so. Up to the present this year, there have been abundant rains, ideally distributed in point of time, and the question is are we to have a late Summer and Fall as dry as last year was wet ? The rains so far as can be learned have, in general, been of decided benefit. Never have I seen vegetation present a more thrifty ap- pearance. The lawns are as green and the trees as fresh as though it were ilay instead of July. Rhododendrons, and evergreens generally, with the exception of those that were badly injured by the Winter, are in the best of condition as a result of the wetness. Of course there have been a few drawbacks — weeds have thriven amaz- ingly, peas have been a poor crop in some gardens, and geraniums have been inclined to make leaf growth in- stead of blooming as they should, but, so far as can be ascertamed there has been no disastrous fungous out- break as a concomitant of the wet weather. ^ ^ ^ ^ Many gardeners on Long Island and in New Jersey that I have spoken with have declared that the Winter of 1919-20 was the worst in twenty years in respect of injury to vegetation. How much of this was due to the \Vinter and how much due to the fact that the grow- ing season was extended to December by abundant moisture and comparatively high temperature? It is surely not wholly a question of low temperature as the mercury descended considerably lowxr two years ago with less disastrous results. It is well known that soft, sappy growth is less adapted to withstand low tempera- tures tlian that which is well ripened, and there was un- doubtedlv much of the former, owing to the abnormal weather conrlitions. Another factor that may have a bearing on the situation, is that maiiv plants had their vitality lowered by the severe Winter of 1916-17 and were unable to stand another onslaught coming so soon after their previous ordeal. W'e still have much to learn with regard to the effect of Winter on plants — whether the injury is dependent on the conditions of the preceding season, fluctuations of temperature, contiiuious low temperature, drying winds, the amount of moisture present in the soil, character of the soil, snow covering, city conditions, vitality of the plants, sun shining on leaves when ground is frozen, etc., or combinations of these factors. It is probably true that different plants react in different ways to these con- ditions; what we need is to know more definitely just what we may e.xpect to happen to certain groups of plants under certain conditions so that, where possible, suitable measures mav be taken. ;^ -t- * * The Autunm blooming Crocuses are not planted nearly so much as they might be. They are delicate in color- ing and dainty in appearance and are specially suitable for planting in the rock garden as they brighten it up at a time when there is little else in bloom. They are not fastidious as to soil, requiring only a well drained spot exposed to the sun. The present is a good time to plant them if corms can be obtained. A point in their favor is their cheapness, and they are not prohibited by Quarantine 37. There is not the range of color that one obtains in the Spring blooming kinds, most of them being of some shades of lilac, or white. C. sathiis, lilac or white is a good variety, sometimes liable to be- come a weed due to its free seeding habits. This species has bright red style branches which provide the saft'ron of commerce. Other good kinds are C. hadriaticus, white; C. zonatns, pale lilac: C. sf'cciosiis. lilac-blue; and several varieties of the latter which are well worth growing. ^: i^ ^ * Items of interest to horticulturists sometimes crop U]) in unexpected places, as witness the following, culled from an advertisement by a restaurant firm that is in- tcrnationallv famous : — " Aristoxenus grew lettuce as the firide of his garden, and, in order to increase their flavor he irrigated them with his choicest wine." This sounds extravagant in these days of the 18th Amendment, but quite apart froin this, consider the futility of watering a plant with wine in order to increase its flavor. If the tlav(n- of plants could be intluenced materially by the flavor of applications to the roots we would have to be rather more careful of the type of fertilizers used, and many that are at present highly esteemed would have to be eliminated ! During the "war gardens" craze one of the large metropolitan dailies had a cartoonist who gave facetious advice on garden matters. If this practice of .-\risto.x- cnus had come to his attention one can imagine his reply to a mythical an.xious reader asking for informa- tion on how to make lettuce "head." Aristoxenus was a Greek philosopher who flourished in the 4th century B. C. He was an extensive writer on music, philosophy, and ethics. Whatever his attain- 271 272 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE meiits along these lines may have been, we must say, assuming his horticultural activities have been correctly reported, we don't think he displayed much acumen as a gardener. Although the "Bladder Senna" {Coliitca arborcscens) is not a showy plant, in the sense that some of our shrubs are, it possesses individuality, beauty, and charm that make it invaluable in the garden. The fact that its flowers are freely produced over an extended period in Summer when there are but few shrubs in bloom is an additional recommendation. Interest is maintained too, by the large, bladder-like pods which persist until well into the Fall. The flowers are yellow and the pods when mature are of a silvery appearance. A closely allied species is C. media, which by many is considered to be a hybrid of C. arborcscens and C. oricii talis. The color of the flowers of this is diffictilt to describe, per- haps yellowish red-brown conies nearest to it. The young pods are tinged with red on a very pale yellow- green ground color, and, as pods and flowers are to be seen in abundance at the same time, they present a strik- ing appearance combined with the gray green foliage. The Bladder Senna is a native of the ^Mediterranean re- gion and like so many plants from that part of the world succeeds best when planted in well drained soil and exposed to abundant sunshine. The name "senna'' revives distressful memories of the time when we were forced to imbibe "senna tea"' as a remedy for infantile disorders. The senna leaves of the drug stores, however, are obtained from species of Cassia. The leaves of Cohitca arborcscens are said to contain a purgative principle and possibly it too is used in medicine. Another use for the Bladder Senna that will occur to many gardeners is that of providing young seedlings as stocks on which to graft Clianthns Dam- pieri. the "Glory Pea," a purpose for which they are well adapted. ■ The announcement given out sometime ago, that the committee in charge of arrangements for the 1921 Inter- national Flower Show has "decided it would be neces- sary to make radical changes in the general arrangement of the show. . .'', will have been welcomed by those who think that the great event was becoming somewhat stereotyped. Without doubt, with the strong committee that has charge of this matter, we can look forward to vast improvements next year. In many respects, how- ever, it will be difficult to make this show what some of us would like it to be. Quarantine ct? will prevent it from ever being really "International" in character and until we get into our stride as producers and propagators we cannot look for very much that is startling and new in the way of plant material. One thing that would serve to make the show more interesting would be a greater number of exhibitors with a corresponding increase of competition in the various classes. One had an uneasy feeling last Spring that if three or four of the principal exhibitors had re- frained from exhibiting there would have been very little show. Of course we must remember the excej)tional difficulties in the way of transportation and shortage of labor which no doubt prevent many prospective ex- hibitors from coming forward. Many visitors would be interested in a scientific sec- tion. If the various scientific institution^ that are ex- perimenting along horticultural lines could be induced to exhibit what they are doing in the way of plant breed- ing, soil investigation, the control of fungous and insect pests, and so on it would inform the public of their activi- ties, of which the man in the street is profoundly igno- rant, and serve to show that there is something more in gardening than merely sitting around and watching plants grow. ^ ^ :;: :}c The Vipers' Bugloss, Echiuni riil^arc is an introduced "weed'" that is not such an undesirable immigrant as some that might be mentioned. It is a native of Europe and has become naturalized over a large part of the country in meadows and waste places. \\'herever it occurs it is usually in abundance forming large patches of violet blue. Doubtless farmers object to it when it gains an entrance to their pasture lands, but its resthetic value is not to be disputed when growing in large masses. The flowers are pink in the bud stage, and like so many of the plants belonging to the same family (Boraginaccce) open out a bright blue or violet purple. Although its beauty may not appeal to the farmer occupied in win- ning a hard livelihood from poor and stony land ( where it seems to thrive best), it should be easy to exterminate as it is a biennial, and the judicious use of a scythe at the time its flowers begin to show will prevent it from seeding. It. is too coarse a plant to be admitted to the more intimate parts of the garden (where in all prob- ability it would not succeed as it does not seem to care for too rich a diet) but it might be used to advantage in the wild garden on poor gravelly ground. CULTURE OF SCHIZANTHUS Schizaiithus, commonly called "Poor man's Orchid" or Butter- fly Flower." is one of the most beautiful Spring flowering plants. Its orchid-like flowers and variety of color, as well as its pyramidal habit, give it a high standing among flowering plants. In fact it supersedes many of the orchids in some respects, and its abundance of flowers and rich green foliage make it an ideal plant for decorative purposes. It only requires about six or seven months from the time the seed is planted until the plant is in full bloom. The essential requirements to grow Schizanthus to per- fection are : good drainage, light soil not packed too firmly, care- ful watering, plenty of light, room to develop, and a coOl humid atmosphere. When grown under glass seed should be sown about the first week in September, followed by a second sowing in October. Cover the seeds with sifted soil, and. after giving a good watering, place in a cool house. Immediately the young seedlings develop their first two leaves, transfer them into 2!;-inch pots and place in the coolest part of the house. The temperature recommended for cinerarias is ideal for Schizantlin.f. If a shelf is available place the plants there, water freely and use the syringe on bright days. Directly the pots are filled with roots transfer them into four-inch pots. At this time a small wire stake will be required to keep the plant in an upright position. It is very essential that this type of plant be given plenty of breathing space to prevent the plants from growing spindly. About the first week in January the first batch should be ready for their final -pots, the six-inch size being large enough to carry them through their flowering season. It is very important that the soil be not pressed too firmly, for, unlike most other plants, Schicanthi delight in a loose fibrous soil. Special attention should be given to drainage so that the surplus water can pass through freely: otherwise the pot will become water-logged, and the latter condition is detrimental to all classes of plants. A good fibrous loam mixed with one part of leaf-mold and a little sand is the soil medium that suits these plants to perfection. Red spider is the worst enemy of the Scliicanthiis. These minute insects can be checked by using the syringe frequently. Green fly is also troublesome. The latter can be kept under control by spraying with a soapy substance or a nicotine solution. — Canadian Florist. for August, 1920 273 Deutzias AMATOR ARBORUM CARL PETER THUNBERG, the Swedish botanist, who seemed to take pleasure in naming newly dis- covered plants after his friends, gave to a then recently found shrub of the Saxifragacccc family the name, DcHtcia, in honor of his friend and [matron, Johann Van der Deutz. Deutzias are deciduous shrubs and produce white or sometimes purplish, or rose tinted, bell shaped flowers, usually single, but double in some varieties. They are natives of Eastern Asia, particularly of Japan and China. There are about fifteen species but the number of varie- ties is large, and constantly increasing through hybridi- zation. These shrubs from their first introduction have been received with great favor in Europe and this coun- try, and are much used in ornamental planting both on private grounds, and in public parks. Their flowers, the single ones resembling quite closely those of the lily of the valley, are very pretty, and more suitable for table decoration than those of almost any other shrub. Nearly all species of Deutzias are hardy as far north as New York, especially parriftora, Lcmoinci. scabra, Sieboldiana and gracilis. The species. — Dcutzia scabra, with its several varieties, is one of the most valuable of all the species, and is hardy north though it benefits by a sheltered posi- tion. It grows to a height of about six feet. The single white, or blush white flowers have erect petals and a calyx, whose lobes fall away as the flowers expand and give a full view to the outside color of the bloom. These flowers are arranged on the branches in two to four flowered clusters and appear in June and July. This species came to us from Japan and China, very many of whose ornamental shrubs are hardy in this country. There are several interesting varieties of scabra well worthy of culture, angiistifolia with reddish-brown branches, marniorata, wliose leaves are spotted with yel- lowish white, ceiiata, with brown branches. Fortunei, whose flowers are larger than those of the species itself. and plena which bears double flowers. Plena is a very valuable variety, and of it there are several remarkably beautiful forms distinguished from each other chiefly by the tint of their double flowers. These forms of plena, which should be freely used in planting, are candidissiina, whose double flowers are of purest white, and are borne in such abundance that the shrub appears a mass of small rosettes ; Pride of Rochester, a profuse bloomer of vigor- ous habit, which carries long clusters of large, double white flowers, whose petals are delicately tinted outside with rose or scarlet, one of the very handsomest, and most desirable of the tall Deutzias : purpurea plena, which produces double white flowers, purplish on the outside; and JJ'atereri. whose double flowers of largest size are a pinkish-white color, and of a flat form, re- sembling miniature roses. Dentzia gracilis has slender and somewhat arching branches, and grows about three feet high. Its pure white flowers having erect, or slightly spreading petals appear in abundant clusters in "Way and June. This is native of Japan, and, though, perfectly hardy, is much seen in greenhouses, where it is forced into flower before its normal blooming season. Of the two varieties of gracilis, axirea has yellow leaves, and albo-marniorata green leaves sprinkled with white. Deutcia Sieboldiana is of even lower growth than gra- cilis reaching a height of onlv two feet. The rather small white flowers of this species, with their spreading petals appear in loose clusters in June. This native of Japan is a graceful shrub, but not as showy as many of the Deutzias. Dcittzia parviflora, a native of Northern China and ^Mongolia, was first brought from the Amoor \'alley to the Royal Botanic Garden at St. Petersburg and thence distributed through Europe and America. The branches of this species, which grows about six feet high, have an erect habit. In June this produces lilac shaped, abun- dant clusters of creamy white flowers with roundish spreading petals. In many respects this is a very dis- tinct species, its numerous erect shoots giving it a clump- like form. Deutzia Sciineideriana, among the more recent intro- ductions, is a native of Central China growing to a height of about six feet and blooming in June. The flowers of this are nearly one-half inch long and are ar- ranged in broadly pyramidal clusters. There is a variety of this named la.Yi flora from Western China which pro- duces looser clusters of flowers fully as long as those of the species. Deiitzia Seteliiienensis, another of the more recent in- troductions, of about the same height as Sclineideriana bears flowers about one-half inch across. This is a good shrub, but not as desirable as its much handsomer vari- ety, corymbiflora, from central China, whose compara- tively small flowers, with spreading petals, appear in great abundance in June and July. Unfortunately this variety is rather tender in the north. Dentzia longifolia introduced not many years ago from Western China, has an upright growth, and attains a height of about six feet. In June its very large showy flowers, fully three-fourths of an inch across, with spread- ing petals, are produced in large clusters. Its variety, J'eifehii, whose flowers are even larger than those of the species, and arranged in denser clusters, is a very hand- some shrub, but is not entirely hardy in the north and needs some Winter protection. Dentzia Vilmorince, from Central China, grows to a height of about five feet and is one of the most grace- ful of all Deutzias. Its flowers which appear in May and June are fully an half inch across, and are arranged in loose clusters. Another species coming to us within recent years from Central China is Deutzia Wilsonii blooming in the same month as Vilmorince. This attains a height of six feet. The blooms, fully three-fourths of an inch across, are borne in many flowered clusters in a loose arrangement. The earliest flowering of all Deutzias is grandiflora, whose blooms about three-fourths of an inch long, with slightly spreading petals appear at the same time with its foliage in April and May. Tliis species which grows about six feet high conies to us from Northern China, and has proved entirely hardy in the Arnold .Arboretum at Boston, Mass. This very early variety enables us to plant the several species of Deutzias. so as to have a successsion of blooms from April to July inclusive, which is hardly possible in the case of any other shrul). Deutzia discolor is one of the tallest growing of all Deutzias, reaching a height of seven feet. This pro- duces in June pretty white flowers with spreading petals in rather loose clusters of ten to twenty blossoms each ; major, a larger flowered variety of discolor, bears blooms an inch in diameter. 274 GARDE^ERS' CHRONICLE Dcufcia piirpurcscciis from Southwestern China, is a very handsome shrub, but rather tender in the north, pro- ducing in May and June large white flowers with a pur- ple tint on their outside. It is a low shrub, reaching a height of only three feet, and has slender, gracefully arch- ing branches. Dcutzia staniinca. so called from its long stamens, is a native of the Himalayas growing about three feet high. It is a very distinct variety, because the white blooms of its many flowered clusters are fragrant. The Hybrids. — We now come to the beautiful, and highly esteemed hybrid Deutzias, the children, so to speak, resulting from the mating of the species. Among the finest of these is Dcutaia Lcmoinci. Its branches are more erect and stronger than those of gracilis, and more abundant and shorter than those of panufiora. It grows to the height of about three feet in a somewhat spread- ing form, and bears large, pure white blossoms in many flowered loose, terminal clusters, a very desirable variety both for outdoor culture, and forcing into early bloom under glass. Deut:;ia rosea produces pretty blush white, campanulate flowers. There are several varieties of rosea, namely, campanulata. zvniisfa and nniltitlora, all producing large, pure white, campanulate flowers, flori- bunda, with white flowers tinted pink outside, grandi- flora with larger flowers of the same color, canmnea with very pretty light pink flowers tinted carmine out- side, and Crimea, whose clusters of white flowers tinted pink without are carried in upright clusters. Dcutzia ■tnagiiifica is one of the double flowered hybrids produc- ing its handsome white flowers in June in erect clusters. There are many varieties of magvifica, of which forniosa. like magnifica itself, bears double white flowers in large clusters, latiflora very large single flowers, supcrba single flowers campanulate in form, cburnca single flowers' in very loose clusters and erect a similar flowers in a very dense arrangement. Dcutaia kal)ni'cvflora is one of the handsomest of all the hybrids. Its rather small flower clusters are made up of large cup shaped flowers, carmine on the outside and pinkish white in the center : a very distinct and de- sirable variety. Uses of Deutzias. — The following grouping of the taller and the lower growing species will be helpful in indicating their proper use in ornamental planting; species growing about six feet high are Vilmorince, scabra and its varieties; parvifiora: Schncideriana. and its variety : Setcluiencnsis. and its variety : iougiflora, and its variety; Wilsonii: grandidora; and discolor and its variety. Species growing about three feet high are gracilis and its varieties, Sicboldiana, purpurcsccns and Lemoinei. All of the species in the lower growing sec- tion are well adapted for use in groups and beds on lawns, and in borders either planted continuously or at intervals with herbaceous perennial plants 4)etween. They are also very suitable for planting as single speci- mens on lawns of quite restricted area. Gracilis makes a pretty, low-growing hedge. The species of the taller section may be planted in large groups on spacious estates, or in the foreground of larger shrubs, or trees, or in corner groups, or at intervals in borders under north or west walls with herbaceous perennials between. A large group embracing both the taller and lower species may be planted away from any background by setting the several taller species in the centre and the lower" as a border around these, or by setting the taller species against a background of trees or wall and the lower species in the foreground of these. .As single specimens on lawns only those of the taller species hav- ing the more slender and arching branches should be planted. The erect growers, especially those having a clump-like form, show too much the main stems and lack the graceful habit of growth suited to such a posi- tion. To lovers of flowering shrubs a collection of Deutzias, embracing many or all of the species, and varieties, including the beautiful hybrids, will bring great satisfaction, well repaying the moderate, necessary ex- penditure. Soil, pruning, propagation. — Deutzias are of easy cul- ture, and will thrive in any well drained soil in the open sunlight, or in such partial shade as they might re- ceive in the foreground of larger shrubbery or trees. The dead and very old wood should be cut out, and such pruning of the newer growth given after the flowering season is over, as will conduce to symmetry. Deutzias are propagated either by seeds sown in the Spring in boxes, or seed pans of light soil under glass, or by greenwood cuttings in Summer in the sand of the propagating bench under glass, or from hardwood cuttings taken when the shrub is dormant in late Autumn, and wintered in an upright position in boxes of sand deep enough to almost cover the top of the cuttings, in a cool cellar, and set out in the open garden in early Spring. PLANT MORE WOODLANDS! 'T'O possess a piece of woodland as part of a country property is indeed a valuable feature thereof and something which time alone can produce. Even when re- sorting to the planting of large trees for immediate effect there is still the absence of that "woodsy" aroma, the deep leaf mold and trees of lofty height which come only with age. Despite the pleasure which a piece of wood- land, with its winding shady trails, wild flowers, fern studded nooks and, perchance, an area for picnics, give to the country dwellers, the planting of a grove of trees does not receive the attention it should in planning the landscape of an estate. iMany owners may balk on the selfish standpoint that they will not live to see the maturity of the woodland plans, but the great majority are not averse to planting for posterity and will be quick to ac- cept the suggestion of such a planting when made by the landscape gardeners, nurserymen or florist, and for any of whom it means a good sized order of trees and shrubs. In the composition of a woodland one associates Oaks of various species. Tulip tree. Birch, Beech, Ash, Sugar ^laple. Gums, Hickories, Walnut and (if not in the blight infested region) Chestnut. If of evergreens, we think of Pines, Hemlock, Fir or Spruce. Or, if the area is large enough, a combination of evergreens and deciduf)us trees. There is another class of plants which, although most essential to the successful growth of woodland trees, are frequently overlooked, namely, the smaller trees and certain shade loving shrubs which should be planted to form the .ground work cover or forest floor. This pro- tective covering serves to keep the ground moist and porous, retaining the fallen leaves and twigs which go to make up the humus which in turn absorbs the rainfall, prevents washing of soil and furnishes ideal condition for the tree roots. Trampling of the ground so that air is excluded is also discouraged by this under planting even though it be nothing more pretentious than the Cat- liriar {Sniila.v). ' Xut trees should not be overlooked, if squirrels are to he encouraged, while for the birds such berry bearing trees and shrubs as Mulberry, Cherry, Cornus. juneberry {.Amclancliier). Photinia, White Fringe, Spicebush, Vi- burnums and many other plants should be considered. If the ground is low and swampy the Spicebush ( Lin- (Continued on page 27r ) for August, 1920 275 Goldenrod Honey H. W. SANDERS IT has been sometimes proposed to make the golden- rod the "National Flower" of the United States, as it is so widely distributed, some variety or other being found in nearly every section of the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the tropics to the severe climate of the Canadian border. The family of goldenrods (Solidago) comprises a very large num- ber of varieties, so many in fact that there are some that have never been described or named. There are about eighty named kinds, ranging from dwarf and insignificant forms to the tallest kinds that form some of the most conspicuous and handsome of the wild flowers. The value of goldenrod for honey depends largely upon the locality, in some parts there being very little if any honey gathered, and in others there being a plenti- ful surplus of very nice honey. In the New England States, one of the best authorities on beekeeping states that the goldenrod would be his choice if he had to stake the existence of beekeeping on any single flower, and from those regions clear across the northern States it is a honey plant of great importance. The honey is thick and rich, of a beautiful golden yellow, and so thick, that sometimes there is difficulty in extracting it. It granulates readily and sells well, for once people get the taste for it they have a way of demanding it in preference to all other honey. Some beekeepers have solved the "container" problem by allowing their honey to granulate and then cutting it into blocks like butter and selling it in neat cartons. So long as one can be certain it is not exposed to temperatures sufficient to melt the honey, this is the very best method of selling it. Goldenrod begins to flower at the end of July and continues through -Vugust and well into September. Sometimes the bees can work on the plants for six weeks, and coming as it does late in the season, the colonies are likely to be at their strongest. One can always tell when goldenrod is coming in, for the hives are busy from morning till night and a peculiar smell, rather sour, can be detected, often at a distance of sev- eral rods from the hives. Just what causes this is not known, but it is very characteristic and has even been mistaken before now for the strong and disagreeable smell of foulbrood — the worst disease that affects our bees. During the time when goldenrod is in bloom there are several duties that can be performed with profit. The hives should be gone over every week and carefully in- spected to see that all is in the best of condition for Winter. Leaving this until late in Fall makes it im- possible to give the bees proper attention for when all the honey-flowers have perished the bees try to rob one another to such an extent that opening of the hives should be done only when absolutely necessary and then as quickly as possible. So that we always aim to do this work while there is enough honey coming in to keep the bees busily occupied and the job can therefore be accomplished in comfort. Some of the things we aim to attend to in prepara- tion for Winter are to see that there are good combs in the part of the hive that will be the bees' Winter home. The combs they go into Winter quarters upon are the ones that will be used for next Spring's breeding op- erations, and an excess of drone comb will mean that we shall have altogether too many of these unprofitable consumers in 1921. So we aim to see that combs are all worker-comb, and straight and clean. Then there is the food supply. We aim to see that the storage combs for Winter are filled with the best of the sea- son's honey, for poor honey is liable to granulate in the combs and starve the bees to death in the midst of plenty, as they cannot eat granulated honey in Winter. Finally, and most important, the condition of the queen calls for the most careful attention. If she is get- ting old, and the brood is scattering, or contains too large a percentage of drones, then she should be replaced by a young queen, either purchased from a dealer or raised at home. A vigorous young queen is a good investment in the late Summer for the honey stored the next year will be gathered by her bees and if she is a better one than the superseded queen, there will be many more bees. Hives should be watched to see that they are tight and. well made and old rickety ones patched up or dis- carded. Bees will suffer in the chilly days of Fall and .Spring if their houses are not warm. PLANT MORE WOODLANDS! {Continued from fcgc 274) dcra Bciicoin), Button Bush (Ccphalanthiis) and Alders will be at home as cover plants. Then we have the native Rhododendron and Azaleas, Holly, Dogwood, Snow- berry, Hazels, several Viburnums, Chokeberry and Huckleberry ( Vacciniuin ) . Fref|uenlly a gro\e of trees is planted to screen some objectionable outlook ; one of the commonest faults in the selection of plants for this purpose is to omit the dense low growing sorts which serve not only as good "cover" subjects, beneficial to the growth of trees, but retain their low branches and thereby form an effective base screen after the tall trees have grown up and lost their lower branches. Such, trees as the Hornbeam (Carpiiiiis), especially the European species (C. betulus). which holds the dead foliage throughout much of the Winter: Iron- wood {Ostrya vir^^inica) , Cnrnns Horida: Beech, when on the border, and many shrubs should, therefore, be in- cluded with the tall fast growing trees if the lower part of the screen is to be perpetual. In selecting the species of trees to be planted it is well to avoid too large an as- sortment. Limiting it to a few kinds is more pleasing and natural. In fact, a pure stand of one species is very ef- fective, though it has the disadvantage that if a blight — Chestnut, for instance — or epidemic of an insect pest comes along, it may destroy the entire plantation, whereas, in a mixed planting, there are likely to be im- mune species. .-\ woodland is alsO' not without its commercial value an^ if one will "plant thick and thin quick" a more rapid up- right growth is induced by the close planting and the trees removed in thinning may be used for poles, posts, rails and various purposes for which small timber is utilized. The value and enjoyment of a woodland to a country place should, therefore, not be underestimated, and nurserymen in recommending the establishment of such a planting will find a sale for much stock as well as mak- ing it the means of bringing pleasure and satisfaction to tree-loving clients. — S. M. B.\xtek, Florists' Exchange. [In closing Mr. Baxter's valuable paper we must add from our own observation that even on a one acre propo- sition a small woodland planting to occui)y one-sixth to one-eighth of that area, can be urged on your customers as one of the permanent and most agreeable parts of the property. — En.l 276 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ' Polyantha Pompon Roses THE Polyantha Pompons may be said to be the chil- dren of the Rose garden, for their chief charms are their freshness, gaiety and hveliness of etTect. Their dwarf growth and compact, brightly-colored little blossoms seem to suggest youth and make for cheer- fulness. They are specially useful in small gardens, where the Ramblers, many of which have similar flow-ers, but a very different habit, might take up too much space ; and they do not require so much skill in cultivation as do the Teas and Hybrid Teas. Like all Roses, the Polyantha Pompons need good soil to start with ; good turfy loam for a depth of 2 feet at least, preferably 3 feet, should be given them, and a cer- tain amount of well-decayed manure may be added to the lower stratum of soil. They should be planted in October or November and firmly trodden in. They can then look after themselves till the following March or April, when they should be ])runed hard back. In after years they can be merely thinned and allowed to grow into good-sized bushes some 4 feet or 5 feet high, when they can again be cut close to the ground. Treated in the latter way these little Roses look very charming in small beds on the lawn — such beds as are often filled with Begonias or Zonal Geraniums. The Roses are in- finitely less trouble than these tender plants, which have to be dug up in October and wintered in a frame or greenhouse : and often they will go on flowering till Christmas. They are seldom much troubled with mildew or black spot in the way so many of the Hybrid Teas are apt to be. They may require a little syringing to get rid of green fly during May and early June, and after that w^e can just enjoy their beauty and marvel at their profusion of bloom. Some of the best for beds are: Mrs. Ciitbush. — Pink: a very charming variety. Orleans Rose. — Bright rose, produced in large panicles. EIIcu Paulsen. — Deep rose: fragrant. Maman Titrbat. — Pale pink : light green foliage. Katharine Zeimet. — White : good early and late : honey scented. Jessie. — Bright cherry red ; best in Autumn, generally flowering well right on to Giristmas. These are all old and tried favorites which we have grown for many years. Some newer ones also worth growing are : Coronet. — Verv dwarf and distinct : flowers pink and and pale yellow. Perle Orleanaise. — Pale salmon pink : neat-shaped flowers. Triomphe d'Orleanaise. — Crimson with a shade of magenta. The flowers are larger than those of Jessie, and in the early Summer it is the more showy variety of the two ;.but Jessie comes into her own in the Autumn, and if only one of these crimsons is grown, I shall cer- tainly prefer Jessie on account of its brighter coloring. Little A'leg. — A recent introduction. — The flowers are larger than most of the Pompons and are a delicate milk- white, showing up well against the glistening green Wichuraiana-like foliage. In shape and size they re- semble the China Roses, and are, to my mind, more grace- ful for cutting purposes than the characteristic rosette- like blooms of many of this family. The buds have almost the beauty of form of a miniature Tea Rose. Little Meg is certainly a good autumnal, for our bed of this variety was full of bud and blossom last Autumn right '""-o November. They have a slight Briar-like scent which is very pleasant. The Wichuraiana Shower of Gold is one of Little Meg's parents : this accounts for the beauty of foliage, and this variety might almost be called a dwarf Wichuraiana. In many ways it is like the dwarf Wichuraianas which were brought out some years ago, of which Seashell and Iceberg were two of the prettiest ; but Little Meg has larger flowers and is altogether more vigorous and more showy than these older kinds. The Polyantha Pompons when grown in beds look very well if they are given an edging of some compact- growing Viola, especially if the reds and pinks are sur- rounded with white Violas, such as White Swan, and the whites with pale mauve Violas, than which none is better for the purpose than Kitty Bell. All who visited the Chelsea Show in 1919 must recall with pleasure the delightful effect produced by the clever grouping of these Polyantha Pompons with Violas ; some of the Roses were budded on dwarf standards : some were what we call dwarf plants. They were arranged in a very eft'ective manner and carpeted with mauve Violas ; both Roses and \^iolas were charmingly fresh and attractive in coloring, and the exhibit was a proof of what a de- lightful little Rose garden could be made with the Polyantha Pompons alone. Again at the Royal Horticultural Society's Show at Chelsea on June 1 of this year was demonstrated the exceedingly pretty eft'ect which may be obtained by a free use of the Polyantha Pompons. The plants were all in pots and were grouped on the ground ; at the corners were well-grown specimens of the rambling Polyanthas. Some of the Pompons were in standard form, and these varying heights gave a gracefully undulating contour to this delightful exhibit. Three new varieties attracted my attention at this show. The first was Edith Cavell, a bright cherry-crim- son color with a w-hite eye, but without the white streak which detracts from Jessie's charms. The individual 'olossoms are also a little larger than those of Jessie, and the trusses are larger and on longer stems, more in the way of the Orleans Rose. I'erditii has an exceedingly neat and compact little flower of rounded form and of a uniform tint of bright cherry scarlet. The flowers grew closely together in the clusters, which were erect and very freely produced. Eblaiissant looked almost more like China than a Polyantha Pompon. The deep crimson flowers were more loosely put together and had larger and more pointed petals than is usual among the Pompons, and re- minded me of the old favorite Cramoisie Superieure, and perhaps even more of the less well known Princesse de Sagan. Though perhaps not so brilliant in effect as either Edith Cavell or Verdun, the rich coloring and artistically shaped flowers of this variety were to me very pleasing. All the Polyantha Pompons last well as cut flowers, but their lack of fragrance detracts to my mind very con- siderably from their value for this purpose. The deep rose-colored Edith Poulsen is the only dwarf Polyantha which has anything approaching a real Rose scent : and raisers of new varieties should not rest content till they have produced varieties in this group which possess in a marked degree the most endearing of all the Rose"s at- tributes, namely, fragrance. — The Garden. for Auguxl, 1920 277 Pruning Ornamental Shrubs HENRY J. MOORE THOUGH much has been written on the subject of pruning ornamental shrulw, it would still appear that the practice is not generally understood, for we find that in few places the work is properly done. One of the chief reasons that many plantations of shrubs quickly become dilapidated is that a wrong idea of the manner and time of pruning exists, and so the practice has a harmful effect upon their growing and flowering qualities. In all pruning operations we must recognize two dis- tinct types of shrubs — (a) those which llower upon the current year's wood and (b) those upon the old or previ- ous season's growth. Usually failure to discriminate between these lead.s to trouble. The operator may un- knowingly cut away the flowering growth annually, and so prevent the beauty of the plantation from developing. It is not difficult to distinguish the types. The Hy- drangeas and the Roses are examples of the first men- tioned, and the Lilacs, shrubby Honeysuckles, Weigelas, Viburnums (Snowballs), Deutzias and Forsythias of the latter. Generally those which flower upon the current year's wood should be prujied in Spring, and those on the old wood as soon as flowering is past. There is an exception to this rule of which notice must be taken. Shrubs which bear so-called berries (fruits), even though they belong to the class which flower upon the old wood, should not be pruned after flowering, as this will elimi- nate their Winter's beauty. In this category are ex- amples, as the white and red fruited Snowberries {Svin- phoricarpus raceinosits and vulgaris), Berbcris and de- ciduous species of Eiioiiyniiis. Shnibs which bear these ornamental fruits may be pruned at any favorable time during Winter before the new Spring growth begins to appear. In this case the pruning may be termed "thin- ning," as. only when the subjects are overgrown is a cutting back necessary. To severely prune would remove the desirable fruit bearing growth. Pruning shrubs which flower upon the current year's growth. — In mild climates it is a good plan to prune shrubs at once after flowering, but where severe Winters like our ow-n pertain those which flower on growth pro- duced during Spring should not be pruned until danger of heavy frosts is past, otherwise the remaining buds may be injured, which is often the case when bright sun- light succeeds excessive frost. \\'hen this occurs growth may be seriously impaired and the flowers of course be_ correspondingly injured. Usually the lower buds will produce strong flower bearing growth, therefore it is good practice to prune severely in the case of Hydrangeas and many kinds of Roses, unless for some reason large bushes are desired. The way to obtain good blooms of Hydrangea paniculata is to remove the weakest growths entirely, leaving only four or five of the strongest and to cut these back so that only two strong buds arc left at the base of each. When these develop the weakest should be rubbed off. The remaining buds will make strong growth and produce large flowers. Pruning shrubs which flower upon the previous sea- son's growth. — Shrubs of this nature which are de])cndent upon the formation of new growth for the following sea- son's flowers should be pruned as soon as the flowers fade. The removal of old flowering wood or branches will favor the development of new growth, and the subse- quent ripening of flowering buds before Winter arrives. 1 bus a careful removal of the old flowering wood should be undertaken during Summer. In the case of the Lilacs, it is important that this be done before the seeds are formed. When pruning shrubs the following simple directions, if followed, may be helpful: Do not leave stubs when removing branches, each undesirable portion should be removed with a slanting cut at its junction with another stem, or just above a bud or joint. If it is necessary to shorten or "head back" the longest stems, do not cut them at the same height. Encourage growth close to the ground rather than at the apex of the shrub. To induce this gradually remove the longest branches. The reason for encouraging young growth is as follows : The strong- est stems grow very quickly to the light, thus the small lateral ones become badly shaded. This may result in partial or full defoliation, and sometimes death, it simply being a case of survival of the fittest. You may have noticed the bare and unsightly stems near the ground while the apex is crowned with leaves. When, however, the stronger stems which are growing out of bounds are removed and the lower lateral ones are encouraged, this unsightliness is rarely apparent. Unless we carefully prune our shrubs dilapidation will quicklv ensue, but where the practice pertains renovation will constantly take place, much to the enhanced appearance of our plantations. Briefly, the objects of pruning may be summarized as follows: To encourage the development of vigorous growth and the subsequent production of flowers; to eliminate worthless branches and superfluous growth and thus favor the equal distribution of light, air and moisture to all parts of the shrub: to remove defective parts, to promote growth to replace these and thus assist nature to restore symmetry. A\'hen we realize that the Summer pruning of many of the shrubs with which we grace and beautifv our parks and home surroundings is of the greatest importance, our plantations will assume a dift'erent appearance, for we will practice this vital thing. We must, however, be sure that we know the nature of our subjects and not prune the shrubs which like the Hydrangea and the Rose flower upon the current year's wood and should not be pruned until Spring. Xow is the time to start renovating the millions of shrubs all over this fair land. Unless Summer pruned, they will never blossom in their fullness. Primarily, the whole trouble with the I'nited States is the lack of deep, whole-souled relig-ion, — a religion that makes every man realize his responsibility to other men ;ind to the world and to Almighty God : a religion that makes every man realize thai until he has, in his own thought, put himself in the other man's place, and then treated the other man as he would, under like cir- cumstances, wish to be. treated, he has failed to follow divine leadershij). Until all people accept the religion of Christ in this sjjirit, no universal panacea can be found for jiresent conditions. There must come a widespread and almost universal revival of religion, pure, and undc- filed, or we cannot hope for the settlement of all the prob- lems which now confront our country. — Manufacturers' Record. 278 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE SEASONS FOR PLANTING PLANTS AND LAWNS PLANTING seasons for herbaceous perennials are divided into Spring and Autumn in the North. One of the first factors when planting older plants is the blooming period of the species under consideration. As the blooming period is one of great activity above the ground, those plants which bloom late in the season, like Anemone Japonica and Chrysanthemums, should be moved in the Spring when they can make root growth more quickly and thus recover from the shock. On the other hand, those plants which bloom and mature early are practically dormant in late Summer and early Autumn. Thus, Iris and Peonies can be moved safely about Sep- tember 1, and will recover quickly and make new roots before cold weather sets in, whereas they are very active in Spring and often do not recover from the shock of being moved at that time unless the work is done very early. These are probably the first sorts fit to move in the Autumn season, and other sorts follow along as they mature. The planting season for perennials would open earlier in the Spring on a light soil than on a heavy one, both for a mechanical reason and because a heavy soil warms up more slowly. The te.xture of the soil is a factor afifecting the planting season of perennials more than it does other larger rooted plants, and it is better to delay Spring planting until the soil is in good condition to handle and is warm. Thus the Spring perennial sea- son is likely to start later and last longer than that for woody deciduous plants, and also start earlier and stop earlier in the .\utumn. Pot-grown plants and seedlings can be transplanted at odd seasons whenever the weather is right, but is generally best to wait till Spring for all young herbaceous plants, thus giving them the whole growing season in which to get established. Care should he taken not to bring tender plants out too early, before they have been hardened off, or too late, when the torrid Summer days will wilt them down before they take root. The Spring seeding season for lawn grass starts in the Lower Austral Zone in February, about the middle ofthe month, and continues to May I, but may be shut off by the advent of hot weather as early as March 1. As one goes farther north, the season does not lengthen very much, but merely opens later, extending from about April' 15 to June 1. Thus this seeding season, to a great extent, overlaps the planting season and cannot be pro- tracted past the closing date for planting without great risk of the bad effect of hot weather on the young grass. The Autumn season starts in the North as early as Au- crust 1 and closes not later than October 1, but generally by the 15th or 20th of September, thus not overlappmg the Autumn planting season to any extent. As one goes southward, the season again merely shifts along, so that in the Upper Austral Zone, it opens about September 15 and closes about November 1, while in the Lower Austral it is ptished along to October 15. Here the common practice of seeding stops, except for the use of English Rye as a green Winter carpet, and is superseded by the practice of "sprigging" or planting pieces of Bermuda and St Augustine Grass. This grass planting is com- monly done in southern Florida in June, while farther north and especially in Alabama, it is done through the Winter months so as to take advantage of the then abun- dant rains. , , i ^ »• Grass seed sown too early in the Autumn and not arti- ficially watered will generally lie dormant until the -all rains start germination, and likewise seed sown too late in the Autumn or too early in the Spring will he dormant until the ground warms up sufficiently to start sprouting The "rass seeding season is from the time the ground gets warm enough in the Spring until it gets too cold in the Autumn to start the germination process, but this sea- son is as a matter of practice divided into two parts by the period in the Summer when the ground is too dry to start germination and the weather is so hot as to require constant artificial watering, both to start germination of the seed and keep the young plants alive. It is also gen- erally considered wiser not to seed so late in the Autumn, in the North, that the young grass plants will not be well established before freezing weather. — Albert D. Taylor in Landseapc Arehitecture. WATERING, CULTIVATING AND MULCHING LJAPPY are they who know just when to discontinue the practice of watering, or to withhold water, when to apply it would be to the disadvantage of the crops. Water should never be applied to the extent that the soil becomes sodden. This prevents proper soil aeration, and is detrimental to the formation of plant foods. It favors acidity of the soil, a very harmful con- dition. Water should not be applied to the extent that it hinders timely cultivation, nor in such quantities that it runs away as drainage. When this occurs it always removes large or small quantities of valuable plant food in solution. Thus when the soil is saturated to about eighteen inches or two feet deep, and this can be deter- mined, water should be withheld until after proper culti- vation, the plants require a fresh supply. Continual heavy waterings deplete the soil of available plant food more completely than does the crop to which the water is applied. The general discontinuance of watering garden crops should take place at the first sign of maturity. At this time the crops do not draw so heavily upon the moisture in the soil. Water in large quantities is thus unneces- sary, and if applied may be harmful. As growth declines a natural but gradual drying oft' process takes place, and as the roots lose their function they will rot in a wet soil. Just an instance of this — onions which have been over- watered during the ripening process, or if the season is wet, often rot in the soil. Sometimes through these causes they do not ripen properly and will not keep for any length of time when stored away for the Winter. Overwatering the crops may be equally as harmful as insufficient applications. Experience is the great teacher. In the hands of an inexperienced person the hose or the watering can may do more harm than good. Not so when experience has taught the way. For when properly used to supplement cultivation they are of the greatest value during a dry season. As crops approach maturity, and their spreading foli- age prevents cultivation, it may if dry weather prevails be excellent practice to afford a mulch of some kind to hold the moisture. If a mulch of stable litter — straw shaken out of the manure pile by means of a fork — is spread along or between the rows, the soil moisture will not readily escape. It is not good practice to mulch too early in the Summer, as the mulching material must be removed every time cultivation is undertaken. This on a large plot means labor. The greatest disadvantage, however, accrues from the fact that if the soil is not cul- tivated every few days roots are encouraged to the sur- face, and when cultivation is performed and the soil thoroughly stirred, the roots are broken and a severe check to growth may be administered. Thus in the case of maturing crops, or those which have spread so as to prevent proper cultivation, a mulch is proper and may be of the greatest value. — Canadian Horticulturist. lor August, 1920 niiJiuniiiiliiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuuHiiiimiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiii jimiiiimmniiimiiiii iiiin iiimiiiimniiiiiiiiininiiiiiinmiiii 279 iiiniimiiiiiniiiiiiiitiiiiiiiuinniiiwtuiwiiiiiiiiiiMmniiiiinniiiiiiiiianiiuiiiiuiiiiuiiiHUiiiiuiiuiiJIIIinmiuiiniiniuinniiiiHiiiuumK The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse HENRY GIBSON „ ,1,1,11111111111 , I ,1,1,1111,111 ,[„i,iiniiiiii, „„i„ii iiiiniii iiiiiiiiiiii ,i,i,iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiuiiiiiimiuiuuinnniimui>iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii uiiinim i i in n iiiiiimiiii i jiiiiiiiiiniiiM' WHILE the garden has been feeding us bountifully during the past weeks it has come to the season of the year when we should begin to think of feeding it if we would have it feed us well another season. It is only a square deal and a common sense proposition to thus assist Nature in establishing a new supply of plant food to replace that which the crops have used up. Of course it is claimed by some authorities that this is not Nature's feeding time. A liberal application of plant food, plowed under in Spring, is supposed to keep things going, supplemented with an occasional dose or two of concentrated fertilizer through the growing season. But the home gardener who must practice in- tensive cidture on account of the restricted area he has to cultivate, and reap several crops in quick succession from the same ground must necessarily hand Nature a more liberal diet. A g'enerous supply of plant food with each crop and plenty of smaller applications of fertilizer as supplements is needed to secure best results. Plant food whether artificial or natural is scarcer than ever before, with but little brighter prospect for the future. How to keep up the fertility of the soil for next year's crops is a mightT,' serious problem for everyone to consider. We can save and make plant food in compost heaps ; we can also begin and make Nature produce part of her own food in the form of cover crops. In doing these things one needn't expect to see one cent's worth of im- mediate benefit, ^^'hy plan to feed the crops nine months later? Why worry about next year's crops? Well, if you feel that way, >'our enthusiasm is on the wane. It is well, however, to know that there are limits to the value of green manuring as applied to the home garden. The green manures do a lot, but they will not do every- thing. Some gardens are better off without them alto- gether. There are three reasons for growing cover crops in the garden, of which the first is indicated in the name — a covering of the ground so that the soil will not be washed away and its plant food constituents leached out by rains. Obviously, this applies chiefly to slopes subject to erosion and to sandy soils subject to leaching, but not to fairly level ground of medium texture. The second reason is to supply humus, or decaying vegetable matter to a soil deficient in this respect, whether sandy or clayey. If one has an unlimited supply of farmyard manure available it is not necessary to supply humus otherwise. The third reason for a cover crop is to add to the soil actual enrichment in the form of nitrogen. Anv kind of plant that grows thick and fast enough will serve to protect the ground from erosion and leach- ing. Likewise several kinds of plants are suitable to sujjply humus. But there is only one group of plants that supply nitrogen, and there is no plant that produces ])hos- phoric acid, or potash beyond what is actually present in the soil. In actual plant food contributed by cover crops to the soil without charge we have only nitrogen. No other essential fertilizing element is added. The other elements are merely taken up from the soil by the cover crops and returned to the soil sometimes improved, and the hunnis combination. Nitrogen is a costly element and well worth getting for nothing. If your crops have been pale and yellowish in color and lacking in size it shows a need of nitrogen. On the other hand, too luxuriant growth, with a scantiness of fruit, shows an oversupply of nitrogen and a lack of fertilizing elements. It is the legume family that adds nitrogen to the soil. The bacteria that live on the roots of these plants take the nitrogen from the air. The legumes include peas, beans, veitch, clovers and alfalfa. To give the ground the maximum benefit such plants should be plowed or spaded under in a state of semi-maturity, but your gar- den is enriched to a certain extent when one merely grows such crops, harvesting seeds or tops, leaving roots and stalks to decay. Plants that add no plant food to the soil but serve as a protection against erosion, supply humus and inciden- tally hold down weeds, include rye, oats, barley, buck- wheat and rape. A mixture of these with legtmies has the advantage of killing two birds with one stone, supplying a liberal amount of nitrogen, as well as a supply of hu- mus, or organic matter. Moreover, a combination of plants often succeed better than a single sort. Of course, sections of the country will differ in the adaptability of both the combined and separate crops and if one would be sure of success one woidd do well to get in touch with the nearest experiment station. Of the various cover crops some die on the approach of cold weather and others endure the Winter. In the former class, which may well be called the Summer planted crops are cow-peas, btickwheat, soy beans and field peas. In the latter class are rye, crimson clover, hairy veitch and cowhorn turnips. Rye is the most gen- erally useful cover crop we have. Planted in late Sum- mer or early Fall, it will make a fairly good growth, even on poor soils in every section of the country. It is one of the best crops with which to begin the work of soil improvement. If one or two rye crops have been turned under it is a nuich easier matter to get a good stand of clover or veitch. Most home gardeners will make no mistake in plant- ing rye this Fall after harvesting the crops. If the rye is mixed with hairy veitch seeds, so much the better. A bushel of rye and 20 pounds of hairy veitch seeds is about right for an acre. A peck of rye and five pounds of veitch will be enough for a garden 100 x 100 feet. L'sually it does not pay to unduly modify one's crop- ping program for the sake of green manuring. Put in the cover crop as early as possible, and turn it under as soon as you are ready to use the ground. In the case of the legumes most of the nitrogen is gathered in the early stages of growth, hence it is not necessary to wait for mature growth before turning under. In fact there are disadvantages, especially among the cereal plants used as cover crops in letting them make too heavy growth. The stalks and fibres become tough and take longer to decay than do the succulent young plants ; and in a dry season the undecayed mass of turned under vegetation forms an impervious layer which is not at all congenial to the roots of the regular crops that may be planted. For the time at least the soil is more harmed than benefited. Imperfect turning under of a heavy crop also does more harm than good. A chain attached to the plow when turning under will do much to elimi- nate this trouble. (Continued on page 281) 280 GARDE!\ERS' CHRONICLE The History of Our (The following notes on the history of our more com- mon vegetables are compiled from the interesting catalog of the Stokes Seed Farms Co. and pKblished with permis- sion of that company. — EditorJ ASPARAGUS (Asparagus otficiimlis ). — A native of Europe, having grown in its wild state in Great Britain, Russia and Poland. Tlie Britons, Gauls and Germans used it merely as a medicine. Gerard states that it takes its name after the Latin, in that it signifies the first spring or sprout. The Romans in- troduced it as an edible food. Cato the Elder, 200 B. C, treated the subject with great care. Pliny distinguished a fine difference in the character of Asparagus grown near Ravenna and certain other outlying points from Rome. Its cultivation and use as a vegetable was made known to the people of the North by the invading Roman armies. It is spoken of as a cultivated English vegetable in the early sixteenth century ; and in 1683, we have record of it in the London markets. LHIA BEANS {Phaseolus luimtus). — Apparently the pole lima bean was known in America long before the discovery. It is a native of Tropical America, probably Peru or Brazil. Al- though quite different in general form and appearance from the ordinary string bean, PJiascolus Z'uli^ans. it is, nevertheless, closely related. The lima bean was met with by the Spaniards on their first contact with the Indians of Florida, Mexico and Peru. Wild forms of the lima bean are known in the Upper Amazon River Valley and its seeds together with certain other vegetable seeds have been found in ancient Peruvian tombs at Ancon. The Indians of both North and South America were well acquainted with the species. The traditions of the cliff dwellers in our southwestern desert country have it that they were first gathered from the nearby canons, thousands of years previous. BEANS, GREEN-PODDED (Phaseolus rulgans).— This genus which includes such species as the Kidney Beans is un- doubtedly of South American origin, inasmuch as until the dis- covery of .\merica none of the beans of this family were culti- vated in Europe. M. de Candolle, author of the "Nativity of the Bean" and considered an authority on the subject, produced strong data to prove that Tropical America was its original habi- tat. Among other points mentioned, is the fact that several kinds of this species have been found in Peruvian tombs at Ancon. Furthermore, shortly after 1500. the Kidney Bean began to be grown extensively in Europe where it has entirely supplanted the common beans for garden purposes. The name "Kidney Bean'' was given it because of its shape. The Indians were growing certain types at the time of the discovery of America, but they were not grown commercially here until a comparatively recent time. BEET. — A native of Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. It is named Beta because its seed pod resembles the shape of the Greek letter of that name. It has also been suggested that it came from the Celtic word Beta, meaning red. Beta vulgaris. the parent of our garden varieties, is a native of Egypt, thus identifying two or three so-called Egyptian beets handled by pres- ent day seedsmen. The native parent grew wild along the south- ern shores of the Mediterranean, and was found as far east as the Caspian Sea and Persia. "Everything," acording to de Candolle, "shows that its cultivation does not date from more than two or three centuries before the Christian Era." It is not known exactly when the beet root was first introduced into cultivation. The ancients were well acquainted with the plant, but we have no account from which we can have certain knowl- edge that they cultivated it. CABB.\GE (Brassiea oleracca. Var. capitata). — L'ndoubiedly the entire Bras.nca group can be traced to the wild Cabbage, Brassiea oleraeea. which grows wild on the sea cliffs of the Eng- lish Channel and the Western European Coast. The Roman name Brassiea is supposed to have come from the word Praeseeo because it was cut off from the stalk, the word Cabbage referring to the firm head or ball which is formed by the leaves. The Cabbage is one of the vegeta1>les which has been cultivated from the earliest times. To quote Vilmorin, "The ancients were well acquainted with it and certainly possessed several varieties of the head-forming kind. The great antiquity of its culture may be inferred from the immense number of varieties which are now in existence." A more wonderful example of a genus pro- ducing .so many distinct forms of vegetation for the use of man is scarcely to be met with throughout the range of the vegetable kingdom. The leaves of this plant were probably eaten by the Common Vegetables barbarous or half civilized tribes of Europe, and when history begins the plant had been transferred to cultivated grounds and produced heads. It appears to have been in general use before the Aryan Migration, 1700 B. C, and in the time of Cato and Pliny many distinct varieties were known in Rome. CAULIFLO\yER_ {Brassiea oleraeea.— L. Var. Bofrylis, D. C.).—A native of Europe and West Asia, having been under cultivation some time before the Christian Era. It apparently was well known to the Greeks and Romans, at least in its cruder form. It is not until more recent times that the vegetable has been refined to its present condition. Pickering states that cauli- flower was first mentioned in 540 B. C. Hehn, a German writer, states that true cauliflower is of Eastern origin and came to Europe via Venice and Antwerp. The Moors of Spain are said lO have written about it in the twelfth century, having received it about that time from Syria. CELERY (Apiuiii graveolens). — Of European origin. Ancient writers give no definite information of this vegetable, and it seeins doubtful whether celery was cultivated until some time after the Middle Ages. Until long after the fall of Rome it was not freely distinguished from parsley. Homer mentions Selinon in the Odyssey, but this is thought to refer to a wild form of celery. In 1629 A. D. Parkinson states that "sellery is a rarity in England," and apparently celery as we know it was not a common vegetable in Europe until after 1800. CORN (Zea Mays. Var. saceharata). — Probably a native of Peru, Darwin having found heads of Maize embedded in the Peruvian Coast 85 feet above the present sea level. Botanists universally concede that corn originated in America and as its close relation, teosiute is indigenous to Mexico, some have placed it there rather than farther south. In 1914 Dr. F. H. Knowlton came on a fossilized ear of corn in Kuzco, Peru, thus giving us tangible evidence of the geologic existence of the species. It is one of the first evidences of vegetables being transferred from prehistoric to geological time, possibly taking it back a hundred thousand years. The type of the fossil ear has many of the characteristics essential to the domestic varieties still being grown in Peru and Bolivia. The name corn was given it by the North American Indians. The reference to corn amongst the Egyptians of Biblical times was not corn as we know it, but some other grain, possibly wheat. Indian corn, however, was found under a comparatively high state of cultivation on the discovery of the New World. The first variety of sweet corn, under cul- tivation, was reported in the region of Plymouth, Mass., where it had come from the Susquehanna Indians in 1779. CUCUMBER (Cueuwis saliz'us).—A native of the East. Vil- morin crediting the East Indies, while de Candolle places North- ern India as point of probable origin. Vilmorin, being a close student of the subject, we are inclined to give preference to his deductions. Cucumber is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, being under cultivation long before the Greek and Egyptian civil- ization, although it was well known to both. Pliny writes at length on the subject, and makes special reference to the cucum- bers as supplied to the Emperor Tiberius, who wanted them available every day in the year. The cucumbers of the Scriptures were probably a wild form of melon (no doubt of Persian origin), which was common in Egypt at that time. EXDI\'E (Cichorittm ediva). — Probably a native of the East Indies, placed by some, however, as indigenous to Egypt. In the latter place they are called the wild endive eieltorium. hence the confusion between this and the chicory, or French endive The vegetable is mentioned by Ovid, Columella, Horace and Pliny. The latter states the plant was eaten both as a pot herb and a salad by the Romans. It was supposed to have had strong medicinal qualities, and was used with telling effect by the ancient magicians. Endive was introduced into England apparently in 1548, during the reign of Edward the Sixth. Gerard speaks of it and tells how it was preserved for Winter use in the time of Queen Elizabeth. LETTL'CE (Laeluea saliva). — A native of .^sia. The exact country of origin is not certain, neither the date when it was introduced into Europe, but scientists agree that it has no doubt been under cultivation from very remote times. The name lettuce is no doubt a corruption of a Latin word Laetuea. on account of the milky juice known to the vegetable. Herodotus tells us that lettuce was served in its natural state at the royal tables of the Persian King over five hundred years before the Christian Era. According to Pliny, the Romans were not acquainted with lor August, 1920 281 much of. a variety of this vcgetahle ; however, it was known to have niajvelous cooling quahties and was often used to reduce fever. There was no attempt to cultivate lettuce in England until the. fourth year of Queen Elizabeth's reign (1562). MUSKMELON {Cwniiiiis mrJo). — A native of Soulhcrn Asia, cultivated from a very remote period of antiquity, perhaps having come from the ol)long fruit of the Per.sian melon, the date of its first culture lieing unknown. It is considered to he as old as any of the alimentary vegetables. That the Egyptians knew and grew melons seems to be well established liy certain well- known verses in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Xumbers of the Bible. The Romans and Greeks were familiar with it in its cultured form, as it appears to have been brought from Persia at least before the first century. Pliny speaks of it at length, describing the difficulties of obtaining melons for the Emperor Tiberius all months of the year. There are many and various classes of melons, one of the oldest and best being the cantalouppi, which, according to M. Jacquin. derives its name from Cantaloupe, a seat belonging to the Pope near Rome, where this sort, brought from Armenia by the missionaries, was first cultivated. ONION {AlUuin cefa). — A native of Western Asia, having been cultivated from the most remote period, from the references to it in Sanskrit and Hebrew. It is also represented on Egyptian monuments. Numerous references to it in Biblical history speak of the remarkable sweetness of the onions from Egypt. The name onion is no doubt derived from the Latin word iiiiio, meaning a single root. The Greeks and Romans, according to Pliny, name the different sorts after the countries or cities from which they came, such as Scalian which, no doubt, is responsible for our common word scallion. We are told that the Cypress Onion "drew the most tears." Although ancient scientists were never able to locate the onion in its wild form, Vihnorin states that a Frenchm&n, M. Regale, discovered a plant in Turkistan which has the appearance of being a wild form. A similar discovery has also been made in recent years in the Himalayas. Unques- tionably, the onion is one of the oldest vegetables known to man. POTATO [Sohuium tuberosum ) . — Native of the high valleys of the Andes : Chile, Peru and Mexico. The name has evidently been given it from the word batata, the Indian name for sweet potato. It was also called paf^as. Apparently the first specimens to be brought from the New World came from Quito, and from Spain they were gradually disseininated through Europe, first to Italy, thence to Mons, Belgium. The governor of Mons, recog- nizing the great possibilities of the new genera, sent specimens to the celebrated botanist Clusius in Vienna in 1598. During this time, however, the English had also discovered the great value of potatoes as a vegetable. Sir Walter Raleigh has credit for bringing the potato to Ireland in 1586. They were planted in Sir Walter's estate in Cork and soon had a reputation throughotit all of Ireland, where it was known many years in advance of England. This fact no doubt accounts for the common expres- sion Irish potato. PE.\S iPisiiiii satiiiMii). — Of uncertain origin, but probably a native of Central Europe or the mountains of Central Asia. They have been cultivated by man from a very remote time. They take their name from the Greek word Pisa, a town of Elis, where peas grew very plentifully. In 1596, they were spelled peson in England, thence the present spelling. Pliny, in the first century, refers to ancient writers having spoken of peas and we have numerous references to them in Biblical history, especially amongst the Hebrews. We are told that at Damascus there were many shops where people did nothing else but fry peas, as they were considered to be especially fine for travelers. Dios- coridcs, the physician to .Anthony ancl Cleopatra, recommended them very highly. A. de Candolle is of the opinion that peas were known to the Aryans 2.000 years before Christ, and that they, perhaps, brought them into Greece and Italy. Peas have also been found in the Swiss Lake dwellings of the Bronze Period. Peas were further introduced in England during the reign of Henry VIII. However, they were very rare until at least the time of Gerard in Elizalieth's reign. PEPPER (Caf'sicuiii ). — .A native of South .\merica, the generic name of this plant Iicing derived from the Greek word signifying to bite. This plant was first incntioned by Martyr in 1493, according to Irving's Life of Columbus. His book states that Columbus "brought back pepper more pungent than that from Caucasus," apparently having compared it with the black pepper of commerce from the oriental countries. There is evi- dence to show that it was cultivated by the natives in Tropical and South .America, long before Columbus' discovery. .Accord- ing to Gerard it was brou,ght into European gardens about 1600. First reference fif pepper to lie used as a condiment is apparently 'ly Chauca, physician to the fleet of Coluinbus. SPINACH (SpiiHicia olcracca). — Probably of Persian origin. The works of the early Arabian physicians speak of the medical properties only. It does not seem to have been introduced as a vegetable until about the Fifteenth Century. The fact that Spain was perhaps the first European country to introduce it as^ a vegetable was no doubt responsible for its being known to the older botanists as Ilispanach. Beckmann, who wrote about 1790, says the first use of spinach as a vegetable was in 1351, at that time bemg eaten by the monks on fast days. Turner, an English botanist, writing in 1538, states that it was known in England at that time. By that time the name had developed into spmage and spinech, both of which terms were used. "TOMATO (Lyciipcrsictiiii csculctitum. Var. I'lf/garc)-— Gale- nus. a celebrated Greek physician, 200 .\. D., gave a minute descrip- tion of Lycopcrsicum coming from Egypt. South America, prob- ably Peru, however, gave the tomato to Europe in a highly cul- tivated form. The name is derived from the Aztec word Xilo- mafc. the vegetable having been prized and extensively cultivated by the natives long before the discovery of the couiitry by the Europeans. According to Dr. Tracy, "there is little doubt that many of the plants as seen and described bv the Europeans as wild species were largely garden varieties, originallv natives of America, which are a variation or crossing of the original wild species." It was first introduced into England in 1596, but for many years was grown only as an ornamental plant, under the common name of Love Apple, the prevailing opinion being that they were poisonous to man. The tomato in Eurojie was first used as a vegetable in Italy in the seventeenth century, later being introduced into France and England as a table vegetable. The first rnention of it in North .America as a vegetable, apparently, was 1781. Seven years later a Frenchman in "Philadelphia mad'e earnest eltorts to have people use the fruit as a vegetable, but with httle or no success. The first record of this fruit being regularly quoted on the market was in New Orleans, 1812 THE MONTH'S WORK IN GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE (Continued from page 279) If you have a vacant lot that you intend to turn into a garden another year right now is the time to get started, building it up with cover crops. In the warmer states, one of the Summer cover crops may be sown, then turn it under and plant one of the Fall crops. In the Northern and colder states one will have to be con- tent with getting in a Fall cover crop in the late Summer. Rye is excellent, and a mixture of rye and hairv veitch is even better. The question of cover crops on one side, the month's big jobs are harvesting, or beginning to harvest and make the most of every available vegetable in the garden. Onions may be pulled at any time now, let the tops die down, and rake over every day until thoroughly dry. Store in open shed until in danger from freezing, remove tops, and store in cellar in open crates. Preparations should be made to prolong the supply of salad by plant- ing lettuce seeds now to be later transplanted to cold- frames : vegetables may be planted under glass for Win- ter sup]3lies, including beans, tomatoes, radishes, cucum- bers and melons if wanted during the Winter. Flowers for wintering in frames should be sown at once if not already done. Pansies, English daisies, iiiyosotis, half hardy perennials and biennials. Those sown during July are now ready for transplanting out- door in the flower gardens. Many of the perennials may be reset, after breaking up the old cluni]:)s. In the green- houses, roses are now growing rapidly, and a t0]> dressing of bone meal will be beneficial to them. See to it that all diseased leaves are picked off, and do not let the sur- face of the soil become baked and hard. Stir it up at frecjuent intervals, but as the roots permeate the soil more and more be careful not to stir too deep or one may damage the roots. Watch carefully for mildew, and tise sulphur on its first appearance. On cold, raw nights a little fire heat will prove a valuable aid in keeping mildew in check. Red spider should also be attended with a good stream from a hose, in cajiable hands. 282 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ^iiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiH nil inn nnnniiiiiiiiii tii nniu iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim iJiiiiiiiiiiinHiiiiiiiiii rnii tiiiiiinniiwiiiiiniiiiiii miniinnniniiiii iiJiiimiimiin iiiiiiii iiinniiiiini i iiinuniiiiiiiii iiiininiiin iiiniig 1 A Lesson on the Dietic, Medicinal and Economic j I Values of Vegetables | I Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Gardening, Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Cheonicle | I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH 1 iiUlliiiiiiiniiiiniHiiiiii I II I iiniiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiittiuniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii nil iNiiiiiiiiiiiinnn niiiiiiiiiiniinii iiniinni iHiiiiiiinntnnn i iiiiiHininnniiniinn in iiini i inn i luiiiiittininn i 1 AS the dozen or so lessons under this heading have been_ in the main devoted to matters connected with the production of garden crops, it appears at this time fitting, or at least not un- fitting, that we should consider some points relating to the use of garden produce. The events of the past few years have brought nito existence a large number of people who now grow more or less of the vegetable requirements of their households : people who before made practically no use of the ground surrounding their homes. Before the war, most people, even those who ahvays had plenty of home-grown vegetables at their command, ate vegetables simply as an adjuncfto animal food and even today they still do so to a considerable extent. As much, or nearly as much, meat was, and sometimes is, eaten when vegetables formed part of the meal as when they did not. While many haxe realized tlie wastefulness of such custom; have been forced to economize in animal food bv substituting for it the direct fruits of the earth, with such benefit to their physical welfare that very few would be satisfied to return to the old regime, there are still numerous families who net onlv do not make use of vegetables to the ex- tent to which it is d'esirable, but who do not gain all the good they might from those they do consume. We believe that to a certain degree there has been some check to the greatest possible use of vegetables by the method of meas- uring food-values entirelv by calories. A calorie is not a substance, but is a unit for measuring heat expressed in food values, in the same way that a yard is a unit for measuring length and a pound for measuring weight. Roughly speaking a calorie equals the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a pound of water four degrees b. There is also something more contained in the word calorie. What is called heat and what is called energy are really different forms of the same force. .\11 the organs and tissues of the body are built from the nutritive ingredients of food. With every motion of the body and with the exercise of feeling and thou.ght. material is consumed and which must be supplied and replaced by food. In a sense the body is a machine, and like all other rnachines, it requires material to build up its several parts, to repair them as thev are worn out, and to serve as fuel. From the time foods are taken into the body they undergo great chemical changes, very many of which liberate lieat It is through these complex chemical and other processes that the body derives energv- for internal and external muscular work and" for the exercise of brain-power. Also, part of tlie material which serves the body as a source of energy is used for build- ing it up and keeping it in repair. ,,, t- . a The chief uses of food, then, are two: (1) To form the material of the body and repair its wastes, and (2) to junn'*'' muscular and other po\ver for the work the body has to do. and to yield heat to keep the body warm. In forming and reforming the tissues and the fluids of the body the food serves for build- ing and repair. In giving power and heal it serves as energy. If more food is ealen than is needed, more or less of the sur- plus may be, and sometimes is, stored in the body, chiefly in the form of fat, which forms a sort of reserve supply of tuel and is upon occasion utilized in the place of food. When the work is hard, or the food supply is low, the body draws upon this reserve of fat and grows lean. . In order to be sure that we are stoking our body engine rightly we must be able to say both how much energy our food yields' and how much energy our bodies use. This is where the calories come in, for we can measure both food energy and body energy in calories. j r ^ Varying according to age, size, occupation and climate, an in- dividual requires to assimilate per day food containing trom two thousand to five thousand calories. These calories only refer to the three ingredients upon which food values have been based, namely, protein, which has a value of 1,820 calories to the Poutid ; fat, 4,040 calories, and carbohydrates with a value of l.b.U calories to the pound. , , ■ , . But a sufficiencv of all of these m properly balanced propor- tion can be consumed while at the same time the individual may be badly nourished, in fact it is possible for starvation to result. There are many more ingredients besides protein, carbohy- drate and fat required for a nutritious diet and to prevent and remove that malnutrition which is becoming more and more prevalent among all classes of people and of all ages. The average diet and its method of preparation appears to be getting farther away from Nature and we are becoming more and more a race that is sustained by artificially prepared products de- signed by chemists in the laboratories. Hence nervous break- downs and rest cures multiply. It has recently been publicly stated that America is suffering from wide-spread malnutrition, not from lack of sufficient food expressed in calories — on the contrary the average number of calories consumed per head is larger today than ever — ^^but from lack of those elements not measured by calories. What is called "lack of vitality," "run- down," "not thriving," can in almost all cases lie definitely traced to an insufiicient supply of certain elements. In addition to protein, carbohydrate and fat, the animal body contains, and therefore requires in its food, more or less of chlorin, fluorin, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, sulphur, silicon and iodine. It is important to realize that the human body must be constantly supplied with all of these although the quantity of each that is necessary is ver\- small, and it is only by the consumption of vegetables that we can be sure of obtaining them, and a superabundance of any elements can never take the place of a deficiency in others. Unfortunately the prevailing methods of cooking and so-called refinement, remove entirely most of these vital ingredients and at the same tim-e greatly reduce the percentage content of those which remain. .\11 these elements are contained in the soil in varying propor- tions ; they are also all of them part of every plant's require- ments, and as the plant has the power of obtaining them from the soil, which the animal has not, it therefore follows that the only natural way for ihe individual to obtain them is by con- suming the plant. Of course plants vary in the proportions of these ingredients they contain, as examples, spinach contains a larger percentage of iron, while the cabbage contains more sul- phur, than other vegetables. There is considerable analogy betw-een plant and animal life, which as regards food requirements, is almost complete. In both, a!! their constituents must be present in their food, and no excess of one or more will make up for deficiency in others. Xot long ago a scientist took up the work of demonstrating what an important part the mineral salts play in plant life. This investigator placed seeds of grain in a solution of water, iron oxide, calcium nitrate, magnesium sulphate, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride and phosphoric acid. In this solution the plants attained to normal, healthy growth, but in other solutions from each of which one or more of the above salts had been omitted the plant was seriously affected. When the grain was .grown in a solution from which iron had been omitted the plant was lacking in the development of chlorophyll, which substance gives the plant its green color, and corresponds with the iic-emoglobin, or red coloring matter of the human blood. Just as there can be no satisfactory plant life without chlorophyll, there can be no animal life without hemoglobin. Both depend upon iron for their existence. Other experiments have indicated that magnesium, calcium, iodine, silicon and manganese exert a powerful influence in the growth and development of plants and in the same manner we know that their presence is equally necessary in human foods. One of the mysteries of plant life is how they are able to take certain mineral elements and compounds, some of which are deadly poisons, and so change them that when absorbed into the human system their action is not only without harmful ef- fects, but is actually beneficial, and in fact their presence is neces- sary for health.- Iodine, for example, would not be a healthy solution to swallow, but when the thyroid gland is deprived of it the health of the whole body is sure to sufifer. The lack of understanding of the chemical practices of Nature has led us into many errors. When the chemist analyzes human blood he reports that the iron of the red corpuscles is iron oxide. However it is a fact that the iron in the blood does not exist in such form. The failure to understand that a de- ficiency of certain minerals in the body cannot be remedied by lor August, 1920 283 going to a drug store and purchasing supplies of mineral salts to take internally has worked much harm to the human race gen- erally and has built large fortunes for the manufacturers of patent medicines. The various minerals that are contained in the blood and organs of the human sj-stem are present in com- plicated forms that cannot be easily duplicated by the laboratory practices of man, but which are duplicated by. and are contained in. plants, or as we call them when upon our tables, vegetables. The sooner we realize to the fullest extent that the only satis- factory and sure way to get minerals which are needed in the human body is by eating vegetable food containing these essen- tial elements the better it will be for us and the worse for the makers of patent medicines. In addition to those ingredients which are measured by calories and to the others embraced under the term mineral salts, those curious chemical bodies called Vitamines cannot with impunity be absent from our diet. Vitamines were first discovered by Funk during his investi- gations into the cause of Beri-beri, and they have called forth a great amount of research during the past few years. Funk found that when fowls were fed upon polished rice they developed Beri-beri in from one to six weeks, and died in a few days after the onset of the disease. But if an extract of the rice polishings was injected into the blood the birds recovered magically in a few hours. Thus it was evident that a substance was present in the pericarp of the rice grain which when re- moved from the diet allowed the disease to occur, but which was also capal)le of curing the disease, although the latter was fully developed. He isolated this body and named it "Vitamine." The quantity in any food is extremely minute, only six grains being obtained from one hundred pounds of rice pericarps. The part of grain called the "pericarp" is that containing the embryo of the seed and which the process of polishing rice removes. Vitamines are found in all fresh vegetables and fruits which, while they are not destroyed by boiling, are invariable lost if the water in which the vegetables are cooked is thrown away. It has been experimentally observed that when animals are fed on specially vitamine-containing food the gain in weight is out of all proportion to the amount of food consumed, which shows that another attribute vitamines possess is to cause an in- crease in the assimilation of food eaten. As most people know, it is not what we eat but what we digest and assimilate that does us good. Therefore it follows that, providing vitamines are present in the diet, a much less amount of nourishment is re- quired to be taken, and less strain is thrown upon the organs of digestion and assimilation. To briefly summarize then : Vitamines are substances present in many foods, especially in fresh vegetables and fruits. As they are removed by the water in which vegetables are boiled, a liberal use of salads and fruits in our daily diet is the only way of being sure of getting a sufficient amount of them into our system. They control growth and nutrition to such an extent that they are indispensable. Their jjresence in the diet economizes food. Besides the essential constituents already mentioned vegetables contain a considerable proportion of indigestible matter known as fiber which is principally composed of cellulose. This is by no means useless, being in fact valuable. It forms liulk or bal- last, which by its merely mechanical eiTcct stimulates intestinal action. Therefore the usefulness of vegetables to the human system falls under three distinct headings, namely: Food value, that is its richness in proteid, carbohydrate, fat and mineral matter. Vitamine value. Bulk value. The great importance of the point must be our excuse for again alluding to the fact that the mineral, vitamine and bulk values are not included in any system of caloric measurement. Xow in the usual plan of preparing vegetables for the table — namely by boiling — there are always some of the calories left behind in' the water, and in the majority of cases the mineral and vitaiTiine contents are nearly all, and frequently quite all, lost by the solvent action of the boiling water. Consequently, it is evident that a method of cooking which dispenses with the irrmersion of vegetables into boiling water will not only econo- mize the food ingredients present but add tremendously to their nourishing and hvgienic values. There :s probably none of our vegetable foods which is gen- erally treated in a I'nore wasteful manner, both in the preparation for cooking and in the process thereof, than the potato, and what is left of it after cooking is, cspeciallv in hotels and dining rooms merclv a lump of soggy matter difficult to digest. If a transverse section of a potato is examined, three distinct lavers can be made out. The central one constitutes the largest portion of the total bulk and is almost entirely composed of carbohydrate: this is enclosed by what is called the fibro-vascular layer, somewhat darker in color, making about one-twelfth of the entire tuber. This layer is rich in proteid and contains the bulk of the mineral matter and vitamines. The outermost laver forms the skin. If the potato is peeled before cooking, a large portion, sometimes all, of the middle layer is cut away and thus the valuable contents of this layer are entirely wasted. But the waste does not end with the act of peeling, for in boiling a peeled potato a considerable proportion of the nutriment left by the knife is dissolved out in the boiling water; this, too. is generally wasted, although it could form a basis for soups. Therefore it follows that, in the case of the potato the onlv method of obtaining its maximum value is to cook it without removing the outer skin. It is true that many people do boil potatoes in their skins, and in this form they sometimes figure upon the hotel menu as "Potatos a la robe de chambre," but we fear that peeling potatoes after they are cooked is a very exceptional practice. The highest flavor, palatableness and digestibility of the potato are only secured by baking them in their skins, but unfortunately this way, especially with those of large size' en- tails the drying up of the middle layer and as it is only the rnealy interior which is generally eaten, the valuable constituents of that middle layer are lost. Some people, however, realizing the value of this middle layer, consume the whole of baked potatoes provided they are sure that the skin was scrubbed clean before cooking. \\ ithin our limits it is obviously impossible to deal specifically with the varying characteristics of each of the diflferent vege- tables, but there are one or two points connected with some which cannot be passed over. As regards Icgitincs, in which familv are included peas and beans, the most noteworthy feature is their richness in proteid containing as they do some twenty-five per cent of this ingredient' In these the proteid is in a form called by chemists "legumin,"' which closely resembles the casein of milk, and is in fact ex- tracted from the Soja bean and a cheese made from it. This legumin combines with lime salts, if they are present in the water, to form an insoluble compound, it is therefore necessary when one is obliged to use hard water for boiling them to first precipitate the lime with bicarbonate of soda. The onion, and its brother the leek, are the vegetables w-hich are richest in Vitamines, and it is no doubt to this that the stimulating, germicidal and generally beneficial effect of onion gruel is due. Raw onions are equally beneficial and are known to act as a nerve tonic. There will be no great loss in boiling provided the water is made use of, although there is no doubt that some of the essential oil of the onion is driven off by the steam from the boiling water. In connection with the onion there is a story told of a medical practitioner who went to a country district with the idea of pur- chasing a practice there. Upon arrival he discovered that not only did the gardens contain a good sized onion patch but that there were many fields of them as well. Thereupon he went away without considering the purchase, remarking, "These people are too healthy with all these onions to require a doctor ver^- often." Some people are wise enough to eat some raw onions every day and for this purpose a good way is to use them in the form of scallions which can be had in one's garden all the year round. These scallions are best produced from what are called "top-onions," that is, they form their bulbs during July on the top of a stalk. These bulbs should be planted singly, "in the same way as onion sets, as soon as ripe and they can be obtained in -August and later from the seed stores. They are never killed by frost, but as it is difiicuh to get them out of hard frozen ground a sufficiency for Midwinter use should be planted in a cold frame. In the case of all vegetables requiring to be cooked, the only way by which we can obtain the full benefit of their natural constituents is by steaming. This method can also be made to result in considerable economy in fuel as food-steamers are on the market with shelves enabling several vegetables, and also meat, to be cooked at the same time on one gas, or other burner. This method does not transfer the flavor of one thing to another, but the flavor of each is retained to a greater ex- tent than when immersed in boiling w'ater, and there is, of course, absolutely no loss of any of their ingredients. When it is possible to use them in that state, the eating of vegetables raw is the best way, and no one should allow a single day to elapse without eating some vegetable that has not been cooked. Most of us are. however, somewhat chary about or- dering a salad at restaurants as we are rightly skeptical as to whether the salad has been properly washed, but there is nothing to prevent the serving of a salad composed of fresh materials from one's own garden once a day for the greater part of, and by the use of cold frames, all the year. The early and conti'iual use of raw ve.getables as part of our (Continued on page 287) 284 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews Horticultural Education in Eu«l(iiid for IVoincu. — The appeal which the Horticuhural College, Swanley, is issuing will, we hope, meet with a generous response on the part of all who desire to advance the cause of women's education. The college has been in existence for some thirty years, and during that time, and in spite of severe financial limitations, it has been the means of training some 1,000 women in horticulture. Of this number some have entered the ranks of professional gardeners, others have taken up positions abroad and are now doi.ig horticultural work in different parts of the Empire — Canada, the Transvaal, Cape Colony, Natal, New Zealand and elsewhere. The re- mainder have, perhaps, not applied the knowledge of horticulture they gained at .Swanley to professional purposes, but we may be sure, nevertheless, that they have been able as citizens to apply it to good purpose. Apprehension is sometimes entertained by professional gardeners lest the advent of women among them should affect adversely the position of men gardeners. We think this apprehension is unfounded. Capable gardeners, of which this country can claim so large a number will always be aide to hold their own against no matter what class of competitor. It is to the interest of the profession of horticulture that the numbers of highly skilled gardeners should be yet further in- creased, and that the incompetent should be eliminated. In our opinion horticulture has far more to suffer from the pretensions of inadequately trained gardeners of either sex than from the competition of women. In any case, there can be no question but that the training in horticulture available for women should be as efficient and complete as that which is open to men. The educational facilities which are niw in existence for men are gradually becoming adequate to the needs uf the profession. The recent decision of the University of Cambridge to establish a School of Horticulture will, we hope, mean that promising young gardeners will be able to pursue advanced horticultural studies and qualify for the not inconsiderable number of posts which are being established in the counties. Training in horti- culture is available at University College. Reading, for both men and women and other schools of horticulture also exist. It is, nevertheless, important that there should be in this country one or more schools of horticulture for women: schools in which women may develop their own methods and pursue them in all the many branches of horticultural art and science. If this is to be done endowment is essential, for no form of higher educa- tion can be self-supporting. The Ministry of Agriculture is pre- pared to give assistance to Swanley to the extent of ilCOOO on a pound for pound basis — that is, for every pound subscribed up to this sum the Ministry will provide a like amount. — The Gardciicrx' Chronicle (English). Education of 'i'oiiii^ Gardeners. — I was very much interested in the short article by William McCombie, Osgodby Hall Gar- dens, Selby, in your issue of .\pril 24, about head gardeners giving boys in their employ encouragement by explaining the why and the wherefore of things, when they make mistakes. I remember well the good advice given me when a boy in the gai'dens at Mentmore. by that tine gardener and grower, Mr. William Duncan, now of Eosworlh Hall. Ru.gby, I believe. He never tired of explaining things and giving encouragement, and although 40 years have passed, I have very grateful remem- brances of the pleasure he gave me. I well remember how he used to allow me to take charge of a range of greenhouses if the regular journeyman left for a vacation of a day or a week, and I used to work early and late to gain his approval. If more foremen and head gardeners would do this we should have many more and better gardeners today. Helpful criticisms and explanations are never forgotten by a boy who is worth while and is interested in his work, as I can testify. — Frederick C. Green. Su/'l. of Parks. Prozidence. R. I., in the Gardeners' Chronicle of London. "Miniature" }Iyacinlhs. — The judges had a difficult task before them, for no fewer than 46.S suggestions w-erc sent in for a suit- aide alternative to the old term "miniature" as applied to Hya- cinths. It took a Icng time to go through them all and appraise their suitability, but finally the five pounds offered by Messrs. Sutton was awarded to Miss C. Helen Rottenburgh of Holm- hurst. Dowanhill Gardens. Glasgow, for the word Cynthella. I cannot do better than quote in full her interesting letter: "Might I suggest as a name for Aliniature Hyacinths the word Cynthella? It is made frr)m the last syllabic of Hyacinth with a dimmuti\e endmg, and also after Cvnthia. for which vide •Pope' (Epistle II, 17-20) : 'Come, then, the colors and the ground prepare ! Dip in the rainbow, trick her off in air. Choose a firm cloud, before it fall, and in it Catch, ere she change, the Cynthia of the minute.' " — The Garden. Carnations. — These were in great force at Chelsea, and never have we seen the flowers more worthily presented. Head and shoulders above all the rest, however, were those from Messrs. Allwood Brothers. Hayward's Heath, who, in conjunction with the Carnations, demonstrated the excellence of their new race of hardy Alhvoodi Pinks. Novelty at this great flower festival is ever looked for, and is rarely disappointing, though it is safe to predict that not the most sanguine of the habitues of these gather- ings ever expected such a wealth of it as these new Pinks re- vealed, such ravishing colors or engrossing fragrance. We can- didly confess they were in the nature of a revelation. Not in all our experience of Temple and Chelsea flower shows — and we have seen them from the beginning — have we seen their like, though, as the result of but a decade of careful and thoughtful work, greater things than those we are now reviewing might be achieved. This new race of hardy Pinks was the most epoch- marking novelty of the show.- and while worthy of the highest and best award from the spectacular standpoint, merited some- thing more as a recognition of the marked advance in the flower horticulture of the time. In fragrance alone these Pinks were as a few thousand flowers of the old crimson Clove, their entire proximity was pervaded with rich perfume. They were asso- ciated with the Carnations the firm grows so well at the end of one of the most spacious tents, great galleries flanking the im- posing vases of the last-named flowers in wondrous array, en- gaging the attention and admiration of thousands of spectators. Four of them — Harold (wdiite self), Jean (white, maroon cen- ter). Robert (rose, crimson base) and Rufus (old rose) — secured Awards of Merit by unanimous votes. Hardy, fragrant, easily grown and readily increased, with great flower freedom over a prolonged season are a set of attributes rare indeed, difficult to equal, much less excel. — Gardenin.^ llhistraled. Gold Flora Medal for }ilessrs. .4llzeood Bros. — We are in- formed that a mistake was made in the official list of Awards at the Chelsea Flower Show, and the president and council have now amended the award given to Messrs. Allwood Bros, for Carnations to the higher Gold Flora Medal, instead of the Gold Medal mentioned in the list. We believe an award of the large and handsome Gold Flora Medal is of rare occurrence. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. Irises. — That these take front rank among hardy flowers of the best none will gainsay, nor will any take exception to the statement that none among hardy flowering subjects affords a greater wealth of blossom or is hardier or miu-e accommodating. It is for these reasons and for the large part they play in this unique flower festival that we give these "Orchids of the garden" a place apart and specially urge them upon the attention of our readers. We do this not alone because they are worth seeing, or because we desire every reader of The Garden to make real acquaintance with them, but rather because we are not equal to describe the indescribable or to paint a word picture calculated to do justice ^o them. In a center group is placed the unique Dominion, a wondrously rich piece of coloring. Isoline. the in- imitable, too, is great — as much in stature as in freedom and color. Prosper Laugier, Iris King. Sweet Lavender (quite a suggestive and good name). Gagus, Clematis (an Iris wonder), Mile. Schwartz," Lady Foster, Lord of June. Morw^ell. the giant Alcazar. Dusky Maid, .A-sia and others must be sought out and inspected. It is the only way of realizing their beauty, or even the half of it. — The Garden. Acnleas. — The species that have been instrumental in producing the various garden Azaleas arc A. calendulacea, A. nudiHora, and .-i. occidenfalis from N. .America. A. pontica (Rhododendron flavuni). a native of the Caucasus. Asia Minor, etc., and .4. mollis and A. sinensis from China. .•Mthough mentioned here as Azalea, they are. of course, from a botanical point of view Rhododendron, the various soecific names receiving the necessary revised termination. The influence of the various species can be noticed /or August, 1920 285 ill many of the varieties in the shape, color and size of the flowers. A. ituditiora is a bush 7 feet to 9 feet high at its best, but often dwarfer. The tiowers are usually pink, not strongly scented, the corolla-tube long and rather slender, and the petals narrow. The e.xpanded flowers are each about 1^ inches across, and si-x to nine or more are borne in each cluster. It is a native of Eastern North .America. Varieties with pale or deep pink flowers often bear a distinct resemblance to this species. A. calcndulacca is also a native of Eastern North .\merica. It is very similar in height to the last-named, and is distin- guished by its bright, fiame-colored flowers, which are brilliant shades of red and orange. The corolla-tube is shorter and broader than in A. niididora, whilst the petals are also broader The flowers are not very fragrant, although many of the reds and orange-scarlets, which suggest this parentage, have fragrant blossoms, due to the influence of another species. In America it is known as the Flame Flower on account of its giving the mountain sides, at the time when it is in bloom, the eft'ect of being a mass of flames. A. poitica (altered by botanists to RhododendroM flavuiii to distinguish it from the evergreen R. poiiticum) is a native of Eastern Europe, Asia Minor and other places. It forms a large bush up to 10 feet high and bears rather large and very fragrant, bright yellow flowers. It is from this species that many of the garden forms inherit their delightful perfume. Its influence may also be seen in many of the varieties with fragrant orange or yellow flowers. A. occidi-^italls. — This is a \\'estern North .\merican bush 6 feet to 9 feet high, with fragrant white, yellow-blotched flowers produced during Jime or early July. Crossed with various garden varieties, a number of very beautiful forms, usually with white or pink, yellow-blotched flowers, has appeared. These are later than other garden .\zaleas and usually begin to flower as the others fade. A. mollis. — This is a Japanese species with larger and more formal-shaped flowers than those previously described. It forms a spreading bush 4 feet to 8 feet high, bearing flowers with great freedom. The blossoms vary a good deal in color, and may be red. rose, salmon, yellow of various shades, or almost white. It is .closely related to A. sinensis, which differs in its shorter and more rounded petals, and the hairiness of the leaves. It is more distinctly a native of China than A. mollis, which is a doubtful Chinese shrub. The two species have been intercrossed and have resulted in many free-flowering hybrids, which are characterized by their peculiarly pleasing colors and large, shapely flowers. The flowers have, however, little or no scent. The mollis group flowers earlier than the kinds derived from the American and Eastern European species, and is less suitable for cold districts. They are, however, invaluable for forcing, while they give excellent results in many gardens. Other species that have received less attention from the hy- bridist are : .4. iflicvi, a shrub up to 12 feet high, native of the mountains of Carolina, bearing pale pink or almost white flowers freely during late .\pril and early May. A. arborcscciis, a shrub attaining a height of 20 feet in East- ern North .\merica. Its white or pinkish flow^ers are fragrant and borne during late June or early July. It is of erect habit, with shining, dark green leaves. A. z-iscosa. the Swamp Honeysuckle, is a rather dense bush 6 feet to 8 feet high, which produces white or pink flowers freely in July. The flowers are deliciously fragrant, liut are rather disagreeable to handle, as they are covered with viscid hairs. In addition to these there are several species from China which bear reddish-purple flowers, such as rlwmbica and dilatata (R. rlwmbicum and R. dilatalum), which bloom in .\pril and are suitable for gardens where Spring frosts are not experienced. There is also the A. indica group, of which many very attractive hardy forms have recently been introduced from Japan, and we have also the beautiful free-flowering A. Ktcmpfrri and .-). am'riui. Of ./. Ktrmpfcri there are forms with salmon, lirick- red, and reddish-purple flowers. In addition to being such beautiful flowering shrubs, the .Azaleas have a further period of beauty, for the leaves turn to brilliant shades of red, orange and bronze in .Autumn, a condition retained over a period of three or four weeks. When purchasing plants for beds or informal masses it is not necessarv to obtain named kinds, for quite as brilliant effects tan he secured by planting imnamed seedlings. Provided special colors -ire desired, however, a visit should be paid to a nursery where these plants are grown in quantity during the time they are hi flower. Plants can then be selected for .Autumn delivery. When special varieties are required they are usually dearer and the advantage lies in procuring reliable plants for single color eflfects. .Azaleas require moist soil moderately free from hmc. It may be either loam or peat, but when loam is the prevailing soil it is advisable to incorporate a little peat with it at planting time. This is much better than excavating beds 2 feet deep and filling them entirely with peat. Light loam with a little peat added to the top 12 inches forms an ideal soil for this class of plants. Shallow planting must be encouraged, care being taken to give the surface roots every possible chance of spreading. To assist in this, carpet the ground beneath the bushes with half-decayed leaves, and in Autumn rake newly-fallen leaves beneath the l.iishes, keeping them in place with brush wood until the process ( f decay is far enough advanced to prevent them being disturbed by wind. In some places Azaleas are planted as an undergrowth to thin Pine woods, and very beautiful eflfects are produced by this method of cultivation. Large numbers of plants may be grown for this purpose by sowing seeds collected indiscriminately from mixed plants. They may be sown in boxes and the young plants pricked out in a cold-frame to be placed later in nursery borders for a couple of years previous to placing in permanent quarters. .Although the colors of the flowers of different plants are so varied they rarely clash, and there is no good reason for sepa- rating the colors. .Any variety of special value may be con- \-eniently propagated by layering the branches into sandy soil in Spring. — Gardening Illustrated. The best of all the Kurume Azaleas is R. Hinamayo, a plant as yet little known, but now grown in quantity by Van Des of Borkoep. It is a superb little gem, much hardier than Hinodegiri, which is common in gardens, and has given me a wonderful display eight years in succession, the whole of the plants being co\ered with their bright satin pink flowers about May 10. Speaking of the hardiness of the Kurume Azaleas, the writer of the article you quote concludes his remarks with "as to their suitability for outdoor gardens, there is every reason to believe that they will thrive wherever Azalea ania:na has proved per- fectly hardy in the open." Now this is entirely incorrect, and the gardener "who is so foolish as to attempt to grow any except the few I have named as fairly hardy will meet with much disappointment. The cultivation of these Azaleas is an important point. They require a very loose, but good rooting medium. Peat and sand are best, since the plants resent any loam that cakes, the roots being so fine and delicate. Shelter from wind and hot morning sun is also essential and semi-shade. Planted in bold groups as front edge decoration to large Rhododendrons, they will, where they succeed, afford the greatest pleasure to lovers of good things. — The Garden. The Rock Gardens. — The great international show at Chelsea of a few years ago witnessed the inauguration of these on a scale quite w'ithout precedent, and if the scale has diminished of necessit>' during recent years — has been for the moment in com- liarative abeyance — it has, as a phase, lost nothing of popularity. Today it is a more alive thing than ever before, fascinating thousands by its charms, while impelling admiration from many thousands of others — professional gardeners and laymen alike — who see in them a pleasure affording health-giving pastime of the best. Apart from these things they are a means to an end, showing the way to the betterinent of alpine gardening as a whole, and, while giving many of the plants just the help and the positions they need, afford the observer an opportunity of in- dulging them to advantage. All this and inuch besides have been demonstrated in these Chelsea rock gardens again and again, and the end is not yet. Great as has been their help in assisting plant lovers to appreciate alpine gardening, they have been immeasur- ably greater in the true landscape and artistic sense, since they have brought into being a true conception of the right use of stone geologically, have caused all workers in the field to seek out the best, most Nature-adorned classes of rock, and brought about their use in the only true and realistic way. Here, indeed, was one transported again and again to mountain pasture, tor- rent, or trickling stream, to rock, fern-decked cave, steep de- clivity, or strong escarpment, each in its way more or less com- plete. No wonder they fill us with so much delight, or cause us to admire the measure of enterprise — plus skill — which have made such things possible. Nor are they all of one kind, as though but one line of thought governed or pervaded all. Rather do they, by variety and diversity, give expression to its most varying phases: the whole of them "carefully linked up much of the best which Nature in the past has largely retained for her own, or permitted the mountain climber or student to see now and again. Hence, these rock gardening efforts are not a display merely, not something of today to pass into obscurity tomorrow, but something real, something above all else of an educative and instructi\-e turn, a welcome development in horticulture of the best. — Gardening Illustrated. 286 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Conius Xiiltallii. — This is une of its native places, and it grows here to a good-sized tree 30 feet to 40 feet high and in the Spring is a mass of bloom. The average size across the bracts here is 4 inches to Ayi inches, and often they run to 5 inches or more, and it is easy to pick branches 4 feet or 5 feet long with a spread of 2 feet or 3 feet with twenty to thirty llowers open on it. It often flowers again in the Autumn, and is then at its best. The leaves are turning red and pink; the bunches of scarlet berries from the first flowering and the white flowers of the sec- ond crop with a cushion of emerald green in the center (these flowers are sterile) make a perfect picture. It resents bemg moved except w^hen very young, and I hnd it is best grown from seed and transplanted at a year old. It does not like too much cultivation about its roots, but stands its branches being cut when wanted for decoration. If planted in poor gravelly soil its leaves color best, but it grows slowly. It likes partial shade, and grows well here in mixed woods among Douglas Firs, Hemlocks and Maples, and when near streams with Maples and Alders. It grows taller in moist and good soil, but the leaves do not color so well. Calvpso grows wild here, loo, and the flowers can be picked by the hundred. At one of the Royal Horticuhural So- ciety's shows in the spring of 1917 I was shown one in Mr. Reu'the's exhibit, but it looked very lonely after the woods out here. It grows with the bulb just under the moss with its roots in decaying wood and Fir needles, in woods of Fir with a sprinkling of Maple and where a little sunshine can penetrate. Its scent is fresh and sharp, if one can use that word with reference to a scent. British Columbia is a wonderful place for wild flowers and Ferns, some of the latter, especially Adiantum pcdatum. being very beautiful and range from a few- inches to 3 feet or 4 feet in height.— C. T. Hilton, Port Alberm, British Calnmbia, in The Cardcn. The Welsh Poppy in Shade.— The Welsh Poppy {Mcconopsxs canibrica) is so prolific that in many places it becomes a weed if allow-ed to seed and sow itself; yet there are positions where it is exceedinglv valuable, such as under deciduous trees, where it seems to flourish and flow'er with freedom. For an odd corner under trees or a semi-wild place it does not come amiss and renders such a situation cheerful and bright in May and June, and longer if the seed pods are removed in good time. The shade appears to give a greater softness to the yellow of the flowers and to bring them even more into harmony with the fresh green leaves than w^here the plants are in sun. Nor does it seem to require much moisture. I have a bank in a dull corner where there is but little moisture and a good deal of shade, and here there are a good many hundred plants which make the corner quite beautiful in its time. It also supplies flowers for cutting, and if taken in the bud stage they last a wonderfully long tune in water. Those who do not possess the Welsh Poppy can easily raise it from seeds, sown where the plants have to bloom or in boxes and the seedlings transplanted when small. They will flower next year if sown by early July.— T/u' Garden. Exotie IK(?c-(/i.— Native weeds, c. g.. Couch Grass, Dandelions, Rishon weed. Groundsel. Sorrel (which in Scotland we call Sooro'cks"), and Plantain are quite enough trial to temper and industry without the addition of exotics, .\fflicted as I am by the consequence of having in bygone years of much ardor^ and less experience introduced certain plants to the garden, either purchased from nurserymen or received as gifts from friends, it occurs to me that a word of timely warning may save incipient amateurs from trouble in the future. The subject has been brought painfully home to me by the destruction wrought on a colony of Lady's Slipper (Cyripediunt calceolus) which has oc- cupied a sheltered bay in a border of shrubs for more than thirty years. There were about a score of clumps which threw up magnificent trusses of bloom May after May until this year, when to my dismay I found not a score of flow^enng stems all told. Taking advantage of the disturbed state of Europe. Lily of the Valley has invaded the sanctuarv and strangled with its matted roots' the precious Orchid, .\nvone who has striven to remove I ily of the Vallev from a place whereof it has taken possession must know that it is no light labor, and that it is well nigh im- possible to deliver unhurt such plants as have been caught in the dcadlv embrace. Some mav consider Lily of the Valley as good a Ihing'as Ladv's Slipper. Perhaps it is; but my point is that you cannot have ix)th in the same border. The best place for Lily of the J'alley is in the tvoods; if you have no woods, then give if an isolated border to itself. , , ,■ I will now name two beautiful destroyers— CaHi/'nimm wen- tlora and the Welsh Poppy (Meconopsis cambrica). Woe worth the dav when I first planted them with exceeding care, chi^rtling in my innocence at having secured such desirable prizes. Now it 1 had the last bit of eilber of them before me in the garden and a ■'ood fork in mv hand, out it should go. The woodland again is "the place for them; in the borders they arc as one ot the plagues of Egypt, scattering their seed far and wide. When the seed lands in the middle of some treasure, the seedling produces such long fanlike roots that it becomes impossible to eradicate the robber without uprooting the choice plant also. The Oriental Poppy is another tyrant that requires strict discipline. We cannot forego its flaming splendor; but it must be kept scrupulously within bounds, else many a fair flower of humbler stature will lie crushed out of existence. Montbretia and the commoner Alstroemerias are terrible spreaders, and should never be planted in a mixed border. I am told that the Indians of Soutii .America eat largely of the succulent tubers which Alstroemeria produces in such abundance, but when I asked one who had traveled much m that land whether he had tried them as an esculent, he replied that he had not. and so long as he could get a decent potato he did not intend to do so. Sir Walter Raleigh was more enterprising. .'\nother South American plant. Erigcron miicronatus, also known as I'ittadonia triloba, has established itself as a weed in Europe. The roadside walls at Cintra. near Lisbon, are covered with it. and very gay it makes them with its myriad daisy flowers ; but I have cause to rue the day when I inserted a root of it in the wall garden here, for it has spread far, roots so deeply that it cannot be eradicated without pulling down the wall, and goodness knows how many feebler things it has suf- focated. Arenaria balearica is also an irrepressible little thug, and should never be admitted to select company. As for the Knot weeds, the robust members of that most Pro- tean family are enough to drive one to despair. It is fairly im- possible to get rid of Polygonum cuspidatum and saclialinense. .-Ml that ca.i b^ done is to hack down the shoots as fast as they appear above ground. So much for herbaceous weeds, .\mong shrubs I have ex- perienced difiiculty with two only, which I recommend amateurs not to place among other garden plants. One is a beautiful Rose w-hich came to us under the name of Pink Arches. Nothing could be fairer than its bending sprays laden with shell pink blocm. but it sends subterranean suckers to an amazing distance, to spring up in the midst of things quite unfit to fight with it. The other is I'eronica parviflora whereof T believe there are two forms, a dwarf and a tall kind. In itself the latter is a very desirable shrub, but it ripens vast quantities of seed. Seedlings spring up in all sorts of places where they are not wanted, and give trouble unless removed while still quite small. — The Garden. The following true story may interest and amuse readers of .Sir Herbert Maxwell's note on exotic weeds : Some years ago part of a Rhododendron garden was overrun by Bambusa pal- niata. It took a very strong man. armed with pick and crowbar, just seven days to get rid of it. I asked a very nice clergyman who was going round the garden whether it was right to say "Damn." alter the manner of Lord Fisher. "That depends on what you refer to?" "Bambusa palmata." "Oh, then I think you are quite justified!' Eriseron niucronatns is certainly a weed, but here it never seeds itself except within a short distance of where it has been planted. .\lso my kind friends always ask for seedlings. The orange variety of Meconopsis cambrica never becomes a nuisance : seedlings alw-ays come up near the parent plants, which grow under an east wall w'here nothing else can thrive. .\ plant which we designate a weed is. of course, not neces- sarily a worthless plant ("the Poppies in the corn are lovely"), but it is a plant in the wrong place. My first complaint is against Helianthus rigidiis, perhaps the most beautiful of the perennial Sunflowers, but a fugitive and a vagabond, ramifying in all di- rections with its fleshy roots. Another offender is Thalictrum adianttfotium. or Poor Man's Maidenhair, very useful for mix- ing with cut flowers, but an inveterate trespasser. Then there is the common Musk, an old-time favorite as a scented flower but popular opinion has condemned it. — The Garden. The Woodland Tulip.— Grown among the wild Hyacinths and other plants of the w-oodland, Tulipa syhcstris is pretty and graceful without being gorgeous: indeed, it might almost be con- sidered the very embodiment of refinement and grace, with its long and slender stem and deep yellcw flowers, so narrowly segmented and sharplv pointed at the tips. Instead of the bud of this Tulip being thrust stiftly upright, after the manner of its resplendent relations of garden origin, it droops over with a Poppy-like elesance. the stem gradually assuming the perpen- dicular as the flower expands. The latter, unlike most of its race, has a pleasant frasrance. T. sxkestris appears to enjoy a well- drained soil, and it will do satisfactorily under deciduous trees. In some places it has a bad name for being a shy bloomer, but this is a failing which can doubtless be remedied by a better understanding of the plant's requirements. It is apt to die out or disappear, but those plants which survive — usually in the driest places — bloom every season. — The Garden. for August, 1920 287 Colonedstcr huinifiisa. — This is the must prostrate of all the Cotoneasters, a plant that rapidly creeps with ruddy stems over the surface of tlje soil and soon makes a dense mat. The leaves are large, over an inch long, and of a fine Myrtle-green, which is chequered in Autumn and Winter with the yellow and crimson of the few older ones which are shed annually. The flowers and scarlet fruit are small, but as the latter are held erect on long stems they are effective and pretty. C. humifusa is a u.seful plant for covering steep banks or the face of a rock and it does not seem fastidious as regards position or soil. The trailing stems will easily run two feet the first season. — The Garden. fiiiiimiiiuiiiiiiiiniiiiiimiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiuniniiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiuiuuiuiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiij^^ I BOOK REVIEW DEPARTMENT | iiiiwniiiiiiiiiiuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiraiiiiiiiminiiiimHiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin The Apple. By Albert E. Wilkinson; 8vo, cloth; 492 pages, with 195 illustrations and 4 color plates ; Ginn and Co., Boston. This book, one of the important new Country Life Education Series, is certainly an outstanding work that in every way de- serves to be regarded as a standard. "Deeply convinced of the need of a single volume that would present, in a logical manner, the most essential of the recent practical ideas and methods," the author seems to have succeeded well in supplying the need even for the different apple-producing regions of North America. Throughout his treatment at every point he kec^s in mind the superior adaptation of certain varieties to particular localities, soils and sites. He gives good advice to the student, the farmer, the fruit specialist, the middleman and the person who buys for his own consumption. He has drawn exhaustively, but with nice discrimination upon the experiences of successful growers, upon the findings of the prominent governmental experiment stations of this country and of Canada. Particularly valuable is the chap- ter summarizing investigations that have determined, with a high degree of reliability, the adaptation of the standard and impor- tant varieties to particular climates and soils. Another valuable subject, that perhajis ought more to be elaborated upon, though it is treated suggestively enough, is "pedigree trees" ; the nursery- man's common practice of obtaining scions from blocks of nursery stock but recently propagated and not from the best of trees that have proven themselves by bearing is evidently, in view of all that has been accomplished by' selection in different fields, not commendable. In the treatment of windbreaks it would have been better to give caution against planting soft maples at all near apple trees the roots of which can not compete in their work with the extraordinarily lusty roots of the rapid-growing shade tree. And why should omission be made of the two trees best for the purpose in every way, the red pine and the Douglas spruce? Both of these grow more rapidly than the Xorway spruce and are long- lived, as the Xorway spruce is not. Then, too, attention might have been drawn to the fact that on many sites the windbreaks might well consist of a row or two of the hardier apple trees that would yield a crop of considerable value while shielding the more tender trees of better quality. Another rather serious shortcom- ing consists of omitting lo treat of the subject of Double Working in the grafting of apple trees. Several varieties need to be handled in this way and exjieriments just now going on in Europe, seem to indicate that the habit of bearing a crop only in alternate years, which marks some varieties in particular, can be eradicated by budding them upon stocks of kinds not so prolific. The person intending to plant an orchard of any size would profit by studying the chapter "Laying Out an Orchard," in which is shown, very graphically, the advantages of the quincunx and the hexagonal' arrangement over the common method by squares; the superiority of the first methods varies, of course, according to the extent to which use is made of fillers ; but the hexagonal method permits the planting of about 15 per cent more trees than does the square system. The chapter Insects, Diseases, Spraying and Miscellaneous Injuries is thoroughly admirable: the one devoted to Renovating Neglected Orchards, that should be of unusual interest in these days, demonstrates that "good business principles applied to a young or moderately old neg- lected orchard may result in profitable results. A good system of orchard management thoroughly applied will develop w-on- ders from neglected sound trees.'' The alphabetical list of 88 of the most common varieties, with a short description and evaluation of each, is a splendid feature and. although tastes differ, all judgments here expressed seem to have been fonuulated with great care. The Baldwin, for example, which not every one would be inclined to say has "very good quality," is pronounced "very good." but several others "very good to best" and some even "best." Such a list obviously can never be quite up-to-date; but a careful reading of it entire helps to rank, with a good degree of probability, the most promising introductions, like the new "Golden Delicious," that appear from time to time. A LESSON ON THE VALUE OF VEGETABLES (ContUiued from page 283.) diet would undoubtedly lend to save our teeth. In ages past man needed no dentrirtces for his mouth, and his teeth were cleaned and disinfected several times daily by the acids in the raw vegetables and roots that were eaten. 'The teeth of early races, and of the native races of many countries today, were also strengthened and polished by the exercise they got in crack- ing nuts and chewing fibrous vegetables. All evidences point to the fact that the farther we have got away from a natural diet the more trouble we have experienced from mouth infection and dental decay. One investigator recently produced proof which appeared to show that the removal of fiber or cellulose from our diet through the refining and cooking processes is tending to reduce the size and number of our teeth. In fact the mouth is becoming more and more merely an opening through which we swallow than an efficient machine for masticating food, and it appears evi- dent that under the conditions now generally prevailing we shall eventually evolve into a race having no teeth at all. The moderate use of vegetables in the form of pickles, pro- vided the pickles have been prepared without the addition of harmful matter, is no doubt a good practice, as pickling does rot entail the loss of any of their vital ingredients. One fre- quently sees children walking along the street luunching a pickle. W hile we are apt to think that this may not be a very desirable food for a child, it is extremely probable that in eating the pickle the child is Obtaining some valuable ingredient or in- gredients which are absent from its ordinary diet, and is there- fore doing itself good, or at all events less harm than by spend- ing its pennies in some of the kinds of candy that are known to contain deleterious materials. The economic value t f vegetables is not of transcendental im- portance ; it is, however, of interest and worth brief considera- tion. The vegetable having the greatest economic value is that which, upon a given area, gives the greatest amount of calorific food at the least cost and in the shortest time. A couple of years ago some experiments were carried out in England by Dr. F. Stoker, with a view of finding out the differ- ent economic values, possessed by soine of the more popular and useful vegetables. The method adopted was to devote plots of ground of equal areas to each kind experimented w'ith, and to keep an exact record of all expenses in the w^ay of labor, seed, manures, etc. ; to observe the period the crops occupied the ground ; to weigh the resulting crops and to calculate the actual food each plot produced. Without giving the figures by which the results were arrived at, it was found that the com- parative values of the vegetables tested were as follows : Yield in .Assimilable lbs. per calories Principally Economic Crop square perch, per perch. valuable for value Potato 176 73.949 Carbohvdrate 69.5 Carrots 392 31,360 Carbohvdrate 31.6 Beans (drv).. IS 23 325 Protein 28 Peas (shelled) 63 26,460 Protein 18 Parsnip 480 19.2t» Carbohvdrate 15.5 Onion 210 9,450 Oil & Vitamine 4.3 Cabbage 93 1,395 Salts and bulk 3 The following formula was used in making the calculations: Caloric value X Yield in pounds per perch : = Economic Value. Ccst of crop; number of weeks the ground is occupied It must be understood that the term "economic value" is used in this connection only in the home gardening sense, and has no reference to the commercial production of vegetables for profit. We must not be understood as advocating vegetarianism pure and simple, as without doubt some animal foods are necessary. Animal foods contain a high percentage of muscle-forming ma- terial, but eaten in excess cause an acid reaction in the system and tend to produce many functional troubles. There is more fatigue caused by faulty eating than by hard work and for animal food to do us any good wc must consume a sufiiciency of properly prepared, or raw, vegetables, which will produce an alkaline re- action to counteract the acid reaction of the meat. There is. however, considerable room for a great increase in the vegetable part of ordinary diets, and we feel sure that a greater daily consumption of the pn due's of our gardens, espe- cially in the form of salads, and a more rational and less wasteful ire! hod of preparing those having to be cooked will not only immensely increase our health and vigor but also prove of great benefit to cur pockets, and, conversely, produce the reverse of benefit to the pockets of druggists and doctors. 288 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ I Protest Against Quarantine 37 I I Statements regarding Federal Horticultural Board Quarantine 37, Presented at the Horticultural | I Conference in New York, June 15, 1920 | liii iiiiiiinniiinin iiiihiiiiiiiiiiiiu i iiiiiuiuiiiinimiii i i i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiii iiiii niiniiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiii iiiinuiii iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiikI PROFESSOR CHARLES SARGENT THE Arnold Arboretum is a museum of living plants in which Harvard University has agreed by contract to grow and display every tree and shrub able to support the Xew England climate. In order to carry out this contract the University has been importing plants and seeds from other scientific institu- tions and from commercial nurseries since 1874: and for forty years has been carrying on explorations in all parts of North America and in Japan, China, Korea, Manchuria and Siberia. These explorations have been undertaken for the purpose of introducing into this country trees and other useful plants which had been unknown before the establishment of the .\rboretum. The aim of the Arboretum is to increase the knowledge of trees; its museum of living plants growing in Massachusetts is only one of its methods for accomplishing this purpose. It is interested in iPiCreasing the knowledge of plants in all parts of the United States and in all foreign coi^itries. Much of its work of exploration has been undertaken for the purpose of bringing into this country and into Europe trees w'hich can suc- ceed only in the Pacific states, Louisiana. Florida, or the milder parts of Europe. For the Arboretum there is no foreign country. The Arboretum is net charged with having introduced into this country any serious plant disease or dangerous insect on the many thousand plants which have been imported, often with soil at their roots, from every country of the northern hemis- phere, or on any of the millions of seedings which it has raised and distributed During its entire existence plants have come to the Arboretum from foreign countries except during the au- tumn and winter of 1919-20. The Arboretum desired to import from Europe a few plants in the autumn of 1919 and received permission from the Federal Horticultural Board to do so on condition that they were sent first to Washington fur inspection and disinfection. It was impossible to arrange for the inspec- tion of these plants at Boston : and the Arboretum, having had unfortunate experiences with early importations which had been sent to Washington for inspection by agents of the Federal Horticultural Board, has decided to give up entirely importing plants and seeds until some modifications is inade in the methods of the Horticultural Board. As the .\rboretum has been active and successful, especially in the last twenty years, in the mtro- dution of new .plants into the United States it is believed that its inability to continue this work will be a serious blow to hor- ticultural progress in the United States. The managers of the Arboretum, in common with everj- intel- ligent and public-spirited citizen of the United States, believe in the exclusion of plant diseases and insects destructive to plants; they believe that the methods and rulings of the Horticultural Board can be modified and improved so that the desired results can be obtained without subjecting imported plants to the dangers and delays which it is impossible for them to escai^e under the existing regulations and methods of the Federal Horticultural Board. Officers of the Government realize that these methods and regulations cause serious delays and the unnecessary destruc- tion of plants, and agree with many importers that these delays and dangers can be reduced by the establishment of inspection stations at ports of entry and by changes in the list of excluded plants. If such inspection stations could be established more prompt and better service would certainly be obtained. Such changes can only be obtained by the active co-operation of every organization and of every individual in the United States in- terested in the cultivation of plants; and it should, I believe, be the duty of this Convention to urge the necessity of co-operation with the Department of Agriculture in an attempt to obtain changes in its rulings and methods in regard to the importation of plants on which the future of American horticulture depends. W. C. BURRAGE THE government, people, horticulturists and horticultural societies of Massachusetts recognize the fact that the United States Government, the United States Congress, the De- partment of Agriculture and the Federal Horticultural Board are seeking to foster and advance the horticulture and agricul- ture of the whole country, and that they are not trying to help any one interest at the expense of other interests. Massachusetts, which is sufifering so much from the Gypsy Moth, the Brown-Tail Moth, the While Pine Rust, the Corn Borer, and other imported injurious plant diseases and insects, and is fesrful of others yet to come, surely does not question the principles of Quarantine 37 or the wisdom of the Law of 1912 under which it was lawfully issued. \\ e do not protest against the law or the quarantine. Still less de we question the m.otives or intentions of those who framed the law or the quarantine or those who are enforcing them. We do earnestly protest against what the Federal Horticultural Board, itself, calls its drastic provisions, some of which we main- tain are wasteful, inefficient, unsound and dangerous. We do ask that the regulations of the quarantine and their enforcement shall be reasonable, effective and humane. We do ask that quarantine regulations of the Government, acting for the benefit of the whole people, shall be conducted in the right way. W'e ask that the United States Government, with all its power and wealth, shall handle the business part of this subject in a business way, the sanitary part in a scientific way, and the human part in a humane way. Ninety years ago she established the Massachusetts Horticul- tural Society, which consists of over a thousand members and is truly representative of the horticultural interests of the State. Nearly 50 years ago, within her borders, was established the .\rnold Arboretum, the botanical department of Harvard Col- lege ; and here a vast amount has 1)een done for the horticulture of the whole country. And Massachusetts, during a long period, has enacted many laws, seeking not only to improve agriculture, but also to protect and carry forward the science of horticulture in the broadest way. We want protection against future danger to our horticulture and agriculture and to that of the whole country, but w'e do not want to be prevented from safely importing" those trees, shrubs and plants which do not carry dangerous diseases or insects and which will give assistance, comfort, and pleasure to our people. In this state, if we find a person who may possibly have small- pox coming into the port of Boston from a foreign shore, we do not send him through the streets of Boston in a crwded street- car and '.hen in a crowded railroad car to a contagious-disease iiuilding in the Berkshire Hills, a hundred miles away, in order to determine whether or not he has smallpox, and if he has, to keep him there until he is fumigated and recovered from the dis- ease. We believe that the place to quarantine against dangerous disease is at the threshold, that is, at the port of entry, and we do it here and not in the Berkshire Hills. We believe that the place to inspect, fumigate, and treat piants is at the port of entry, and w'e de not l>elieve that it is economical, efficient, safe or justifiable, for example, to send plants from San Francisco, through California. Arizona, Te.xas, Louisana, and other states, to Washington, 3,000 miles away, for inspection and treatment, and then to send them back to San Francisco to be put into use. We believe that such a requirement is not only extravagant, wasteful and unnecessary, but most ill-advised — and we do protest against such regulations. We also believe that the inspection and treatment and the acceptance or rejection of plants should be by high-grade, skilled, experienced inspectors of the Government — not students, but those who can determine what is well and what is ill, what is reasonable and what is unreasonable, in the treatment of plants. In other words, we do not favor any evasions or violations of the law. We ask that unsound and diseased or infested plants shall be rejected at the port of entry. We also ask that sound, clean plants shall be allowed to come in at one of the large ports and there be inspected, treated, and accepted or rejected, without unnecessary delay, transportation, expense or danger. We ask that the Government establish suitable inspection serv- ices at tW'O ports on the west coast, such as San Francisco and Seattle, one on the south such as New Orleans, and two on the east, such as New York and Boston; and that the final decision upon plants be made at these ports and the plains there destroyed or released, as the case may be. Finally, we ask that the regulations be revised in a business v,ay and made safe and sound for all concerned. If it is a fact that the loss to this country from imported plant diseases and insects is over a million dollars a day, then surely the Federal government can afford to pay, and Congress can justly appropriate, the small amount necessary to establish and maintain the inspection services at these ports which may be required in addition to what the government already has there. for August, 1920 289 National Association of Gardeners Office: 286 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii IIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillllllllllllllllllllllllllUIIIIIUIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIUUIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllll^^ President — L. P. Jensen, St. Louis. Mo. Secretary— M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave., New York. Vice-President — D. L. Mackintosh, Alpine, New Jersey. Trustees — T. W. Head. Lake Forest, IlHnois. TRUSTEES (For 1920)— Peter Duff, William Waite, Arthur Smith. Xew jersir> ; Robert Weeks, Ohio; W. H. GrifTiths, Michigan. DIRECTORS (To serve until 1921)— William N. Craier, Massachusetts; William Hertrick, California; William Gray, Rhode Island; G. Hennen- hoier, Montana: Thomas Hatton, Connecticut: Albin Martini, Iowa; A. C. Jordahn, Florida. (To serve until 1922) — George Wilson, Illinois: James Stuart. Xew York; VVilliam Kleinheinz, Pennsylvania; John F. Hiiss, Connecticut; Edwin Jenkins, Massachusetts; Carl X. Fohn, Colorado; Joseph Tansey, Xew York. (To serve until 1923) — Robert Williamson, Connecticut; Robert Cameron, Massachusetts: Theodore Wirth, Min- nesota; George H. Pring. Missouri; George W. Hess, District of Colum- bia; Daniel J. Coughlin. Xew York; Jolm Barnet, Pennsylvania. SUSTAINING MEMBERS AVai York — George F, Baker, W, R. Coe, Mrs. T. .\. Constable, Paul D. Cravath, Mrs. W. Bayard Cutting, Cleveland H. Dodge, Mrs. David Dows, Frank J. Dupignac, Mrs. Coleman du Pont, Childs Frick. W. H. Gratwick, Daniel Guggenheim, Mrs. W. D. Guthrie, Mrs. William P. Hamilton, Mrs. John Henry Hammond, T. A. liavemeyer, Mrs. L. A. Hermann. B. H. Howell, C. O. Iselin, Otto Kahn, W. Eugene Kimball, Adolph Lewisohn, ilrs. Julian Mc\'icker, J. Pierpont Morgan. Mrs. T. Pierpont Morgan, Mrs. Harold I. Pratt, John T. Pratt, E. f. Price. Mrs. William A. Reed, H. D. Roosen, Charles A. Sherman, Mrs. Samuel Sloan, Benjamin Stern, Mrs. W. Stursberg, Mrs. R. M. Thompson, Mrs. Edwin Thorne, .Samuel Unter- myer. Mrs. Payne Whitney Xc'v Jerse\ — .'\. Albright, Jr., Charles A. Bradley, Joseph P. Day, Tames B- Duke. Mrs. Lewis L. Dunham, C. I^ewis, Hubert T. Parsons, Mrs. Manuel Rionda. Pcnttsvh'ania — Gen. Richard Coulter, Mrs. J. D. Lyon, R. B. Mellon, Edward -\. \A'oods. Delaware — Irenee du Pont, Pierre S. du Font. Connecticut — Dr. and Mrs. Tracy Farnam, (ieorge M. Hendee, Miss A. B. Jennings, W. H. Truesdale. William Zeigler, Jr. Rhode Island — Gov. R. Livingston Beeckman. Massachusetts — Harry E. Converse, Mrs. tienry C. Frick, C. H. Hutchins, ^Irs. C. G. Rice, Prof. C. S. Sargent. Mrs. J. A. Spoor. Ohio — F. F. Drury, Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss, Jchn L. Severance, H. S. Sherman, H. L. Thompson. Indiana — Theodore F. Thieme. Michigan — E. D. Speck. Illinois — Hairy B. Clow, .-\. B. Dick, Mrs. F. W. Upham. Wisconsin — F. D. Countiss. yiinnesota — A. C. Loring. Jowa — Mrs. G. B. Douglass. Missouri — August A. Busch. Virginia — Miss Grace E. Arents. Kentucky — F. M. Sackett. Georgia — E. H. Inman. and visit to Missouri Botanical Garden and Country Estates. 8 P. M. — Annual Banquet. ANNUAL CONVENTION MARQUETTE HOTEL, .ST. LOUIS, SEPT. 14, 15, 16. Tuesday, Sept. 14. 10 A. M. — Executive meeting of trustees and directors. 2 P. M. — Convention convenes. Address of Welcome — Dr. George T. Moore, Director of Missouri Botanical Garden. President's address. Secretary's report. Treasurer's report. Reports of Committee on Service Bureau Publicity Fund, Committee on Quarantine Bill No. 37. Committee on School Gardens, Committee on Interesting Young Men in the Gardening Profession, and Committee on Co-operation with Federal Vocational Board. Communications and resolutions. Consideration of next meeting place. General discussion. S P. ^L — Illustrated lecture on "Rock Gardens" — Montague Free, Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Wednesday, Sept. 15. 9 A. M. — .Address — Hon. Fred W. Pape, Park Commissioner of St. Louis. Untini.ihed business. NomiuatioM of officers. Subjects for discussion — Examination for and Classification of Gardeners. Inducements for Young Men to Take up the Gardening Profession. 2 P. M. — Subjects for discussion — The Threatened Food Crisis: How Can the Gardeners and their .Association .\ssist in Relieving It? Will Farmerettes Solve tlie Problem of Help Shortage on Country Estates' The Sign Board Nuisance Defacing our Highways; How Can It Be Combated Effectively? General discussion. 8 P. M.— Shaw Banquet. Thursday, Sept. 16. 9-9:30 A. M. — Polls open for election of officers. Unfinished business. 10 A. M. — .Adjournment for inspection of St. Louis Park System, Members should communicate with George H. Pring, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, for hotel accommodations without delay. Members going from New York and vicinity will leave Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12, and should address the secretary for further information as to time of leaving and Pullman accommo- dations. Members who cannot attend the convention, and may have ideas or suggestions to be brought to the attention of the conven- tion, should communicate with the secretary at his New York office before Sept. 1. Amendments to By-Laws. Notice of proposed amendments is here published as called for by the By-Laws. To amend Article 2, by adding two sections (Section 7 and Section 8) as follows : Section 7. Applicants for active or associate membership shall be passed on by a membership committee to consist of the secre- tary and any two members of the executive board, on whom the secretary shall be authorized to call, to pass on applications. An applicant for active membership must provide the membership committee with a complete record of his gardening experience and references as provided for on the application blanks. Section 8. The E.xecutive Board, or its authorized committee, shall have the power of refusing to admit an applicant to member- ship, and shall be empowered to expel from membership any one guilty of unprofessional conduct .or other conduct, calculated to reflect adversely on the association. The executive board shall be under no compulsion to give any reason for its action in refusing an applicant to, or expelling a member from the associa- tion, either to the individual concerned or to the association. To' aiTiend .Article 3, Section 1, by making the dues $5.00 a year instead of $3.00 a year as now provided. To amend .Article 3, Section 3, by making dues for lite member- ship $50 in place nf $25 as now provided. A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT. Those of you, who have not been alile tu attend previous conventions may fail to recognize the importance cf t'lese events, to your self and the profession at large. Questions of vital importance to the profession of gardening and to you as a gardener are to be brought up and discussed at the coming convention in Saint Louis, and I would like to impress upon the individual member the importance of a large attendance. We need your personal attention and council if we are going to be successful in solving our problems pertaining to the better- ing of our conditions individually and receive the recognition as a body of men, whose service is indispensable to the welfare of our country. .A well trained gardener has often, in the past, been- regarded as a "Jack of all trades," whose experiences and years of study were considered as of less value than tliat of less trained men in other professions. The real gardener is worthy of just recognition for his years of study and work, but interlopers have been permitted to usurp their places, at considerable cost to the employers and a sul)sequent loss to the gardener. These conditions can be changed only by serious deliberations at the conventions, and really constructive work can be accom- plished only when the professional gardener realizes the im- portance of the issues. It is for this reason imperative that you exert every possible effort to be with us in Saint Louis on Sep- tember 14, 15 and 16. By getting out of the everyday run of things, and coming in contact with your fellow worker in the field of gardening, hearing and seeing what is going on elsewhere, you will broaden your vision of your own activities, and cuter your work with renewed enthusiasm. For these, and other reasons too numerous to men- tion, I urge you to go to Saint Louis, and assist in, not only elevating your profession to a higher plane socially, but what is of equal importance, financially as well. Let us get together and make our meeting a memorable one in the history of gardening and a credit to ourselves and the profession which we represent. 1 liid you Welcome to Saint Louis. L. P. Jexsex, President. 290 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Examinations for and Classification of Gardeners. After considerable discussion which disclosed a divided opinion on the merits of examinations for, and classification of gardeners at the convention in Cleveland last year, the subject was referred to the 1920 convention and the secretary was instructed to secure data from members, organizations and other sources from which a concrete plan can be formulated, to be submitted to the St. Louis convention. IMeinbers interested in this subject should sub- mit any data thev mav possess, or ideas, to the secretarv before Sept. L Interesting Young Men in the Gardening Profession. The association has been successful in interesting a department of the U. S. government in its proposed campaign to attract young men to the gardening profession. It has been assured of national publicity as soon as the association is prepared to place the young men in positions where they can receive proper training. The secretary has gone as far as he can in the matter, and the issue is now up to the country estate owners, their superintendents and gardeners to provide places for these young men who may desire to make gardening their life work. The secretary is eager to hear from those who will co-operate with him. Sustaining Members Cleveland H. Dodge, Riverdale. X. Y. (George Norris. gar- dener) ; C. Oliver Iselin, Glen Head, L. I. (Fred Falconer, super- intendent ) ; Mrs. Harold I. Pratt, Glen Cove, L. I. ; Mrs. John Henry Hammond, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. (John J. Connolly, gardener) ; Mrs. J. A. Spoor, Pittslield, Mass. (John Johnson, gardener) : Charles A. Bradley, Convent, N. J. (Robert Crighton, gardener) ; Mrs. F. A. Constable, Mamaroneck, N. Y. (James Stuart, super- intendent) : Mrs. F. F. Prentiss, Cleveland, Ohio (R. P. Brydon. superintendent) ; Mrs. Lewis L. Dunham, Madison, X. J. (Ernest Wild, gardener): A. B. Dick, Lake Forest, 111. (Frederick \V. Sparks, superintendent); A. Albright, Jr., Maplewood, N. J. (William Barron, gardener): Mrs. Coleman du Pont, Great Neck, L. I.; Mrs. William P. Hamilton, Slerlington. X. Y. ; Ben- jamin Stern, Roslyn, L. I.: Mrs. Julian McVicker. Larchmont. K. Y. (Joseph Meckel, gardener) : Otto Kahn, Woodbury, L. I.: Pierre S. du Pont, Wilmington, Del. (William Mulliss, gardener) : Prof. C. S. Sargent, Brookline, Mass.: Hubert T. Parson, West End, X. J. (H. L. Crane, superintendent). AN APPEAL FROM A FELLOW MEMBER. In reading the July number of the G.ardeners' Chronicle, I was astonished at the small number of sustairang members recorded from some states. Why, I cannot get over it. to see Wisconsin represented by only one, and Illinois by only two ! \\'hat's the matter with Lake Geneva? What's the matter with Lake Forest, and the neighbors along the North Shore? There are plenty of opportunities for the gardener to have a heart to heart talk with his employer and if you boys — excuse the familiarity but we know each other so well — if you boys, put it up to your employer in the right form and explain how anxious we arc as a body of professional gardeners to elevate our profession to its proper level, your employer will not fail to sustain you and become interested in the work that is being done. But it requires concerted action. Don"t expect George to do it. His name, l5y the way. isn't George — but AL C. I am also reminded just now of the "Point of View of the Professional Gardener" so very ably explained by William N. Craig in an address to the members of the Garden Club of America. Many members of this club are your own employers and can easily be induced to become interested in our cause, if you yourself take the initiative. My own present employer thought Mr. Craig's article very worthy and timely, and brought me her own garden magazine to read it ! So my worthy col- leagues of personal acquaintance. I would ask you to get the good will of your employer for our cause, for I cannot believe that you have tried and have been refused. Brucemore. Cedar Rapids. Iowa. A. M.\rtin;. New Members. The following new members have been recently added to our meml)ership list : Paul Krietz, Lake Geneva, Wis. ; F. W. Silock, New Windsor, X. V. : Richard J. Black, Waterville, X. Y. ; Murray Scott. Omaha, Xeb. ; George E. Last, Englewood, N. J. : William T. Robinson, Xew Rochelle, X". V. ; H. Erickson. Port Jervis, X'. Y. ; Thomas Eastham, New York City : Cecil H. Halpin. Hyde Park, N. Y. : James Lyon, Yonkers, X'. Y. Service Bureau Publicity Fund. The following contributions have been received towards the Ser\'ice Bureau Publicity Fund up to July 31 : Previously acknowledged $1,372.00 Kenneth Cedarman, Port Washington, L. 1 2,00 Peter Morrison, Southampton, L. 1 3.00 J. C. Armstrong, Louisville, Ky 5.00 Charles Milburn, Suffern, X. Y 10.00 Alexander White. Ardsley, X. Y 5.00 Total $1,397.00 NEWPORT BRANCH, N. A. G. The local branch of the N. A. G. held a meeting on May 28th. After due consideration and general discussion it was voted not to encourage holding a conference in Xew-port this Summer, as it is the sense of the members that not mucli would be gained by it, and that not until local branches are formed in different parts of the country can there be that co-ordinated effort which the association stands for. We would therefore respectfully urge that our able secretary preach this doctrine whenever and wherever opportunity offers. A committee of three was appointed to consider the training of young gardners and the question of certificates and report at the next meeting. A. L. D. AMONG THE GARDENERS. D. L. Mackintosh, for the past six years superintendent of the gardens and farm of the Minnesota State Prison, Stillwater, Min- nesota, has accepted the position of superintendent on the estate of Manuel Rionda, Alpine, X^. J. Albert Jay, who for the past fourteen years has been in charge of "Seal Cove," the estate of Charles E. Mason, has secured the position of superintendent on the estate of Mrs. Henry C. Frick, Prides Crossing. Mass. Frederick Lagerstam, gardener of the John .\. Topping estate, Greenwich, Conn., for the last eight years, accepted the position of gardener on the estate of Edw. F. Albee, Larchmont, N. Y. Henry J. Moore resigned his position with the Queen Victoria Park System, X'iagara Falls, Ontario, to accept the position of Forester of Public Highways with the Ontario Government. Henry T. May has secured the position of superintendent to W. J. Myers, Springfield, Ohio. William Fischer secured the position of superintendent to E. S. Burke. Chagrin, Ohio. James Donald succeeded Henry T. May as superintendent of the Mrs. A. .\. Bradley estate, Hingham, Mass. Alexander Thomson secured the position of head gardener on the Clayburgh estate, Mt. Kisco, X. Y. Joseuh Meckel secured the nosition of gardener on the Julian McVicker estate, Larchmont, X. Y. W. H. McDonald secured the position of gardener on the estate of Mrs. -Arthur Lee, Elkins, West Va. George Bell, for the last three years gardener of the F. L. .'^tetson estate. Sterlington. X. Y., has accepted the position of gardener on the estate of John E. Brandeis, Omaha, Neb. Paul Hamer has secured the position of superintendent on the estate of Charles H. Candler. Atlanta, Ga.. which is under course of development. Robert Ross Moss has been appointed superintendent of Oak- wood Cemetery, Warren, Ohio. Murray Scott has secured the position of gardener to George Brandeis, Omaha, Neb. Thomas Kennelly has accepted the position of superintendent on the estate of David Dovvs. Brookville, L. I., succeeding Henry Gibson. J. Malcolm McAllister resigned his position on the estate of Mrs. Gustav E. Kissel. Morristown. N. J., to accept a position of florist of Exotic Gardens. Miami. Florida. Daniel Maclennan secured the position of gardener to Daniel Tatum, Glen Cove, L. I. Charles Milburn secured the position of superintendent of Pel- ham Farm, the estate of H. P. Robins. Southampton, L. I. Sydney G. Tranheld resigned his position as gardener on the Gail Borden estate. Larchmont, N. Y.. to accept a" similar position witli Conrad lluliert. White Plains. X. Y. for August. 1920 291 THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers are united to )nakc free use of this department to soke problems that may arise in their garden work. Questions on the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that can be readily answered by applying to the usual reference boohs should not be re- ferred to the Questionnaire. Here and There EUONYMUS RADICANS. F.Ki'iiyiiius riidu\!iis is the unly evergreen climbing plant really hardy in this climate which can attach itself lirinly to stone, brick or concrete walls. There are a number of varieties of this variable plant in cultiva- tion, and the handsomest of them is the broad-leafed form from northern Japan, known as var. vcgetiis. This plant can grow in Massachusetts to the eaves of a tall house and completely clothe its walls with a cover which grows thicker by an annual shortening of the branches, or if a wall is not provided for it to cling to it will grow as a low round-topped dense shrub. Like the other forms of the species it can also be used to cover the ground under trees and shrubs, but as a ground cover it is improved by occasional clipping. This variety fcgctiis is now covered with its small yellow-green flowers which will be followed by abundant pink fruit, which adds greatly to the decorative value of this variety which is the only form of E. radi- caiis which has flowered in the Arnold Arboretum. The e.xtreme cold of two recent Winters injured the leaves on many plants of this var. vegetus iii eastern Massachu- setts, but the wood was not hurt and the branches were soon covered with a new- crop of leaves. EFFECT OF LIGHT ON PLANTS. The information that government experts are accused of giving out, as a result of experiments by thern, "That plant life depends more on light than temperature'' and the discovery of this law will revolu- tionize the culture of plants especially under glass, is not likely to cause greenhouse men to scrap their heating plants or even ease their minds about their future coal bills. Possibly the Government experts have discovered something hitherto unknown, but in presenting it to the unscientific pulilic have not guarded against the sensational presentation of their discoveries. As a cub at Kew Gardens the writer well recalls the damage done to the tender exotics in the stove house by two con- tinuous weeks of London fog. Each morn- ing more leaves came off or turned yellow until pot and stems seemed more conspic- uous than foliage. He also recalls the con- troversy about tinted glass. The scientilic men decided glass of a green tint was the right thing with which to glaze the large Palm house to prevent the Summer sun from scorching the plants. Later science proved it was the worst color they could have used, and that clear glass was the best. Nature seems to have a fair idea what she wants and the limits or laws governin.g her needs are fairly well known. It docs not take a very experienced greenhouse man to know when the temperature has fallen too low in the houses under his care during the night, and it is just as obvious by the effect on the plants when it gets too high. Light, heat, moisture and food are all necessary to the growth of plants. The Putting In Our Oar About Orchids Sometimes I think that there is more sense, that is sheer nonsense; than there is sense, that is common sense. Take orchids for example. What a lot of bunk you hear about how seedlings grown in this country are not a success. Sure enough, many are not. Growing seedlings takes sense. A rather uncommon variety of common sense. So do French Hydrangeas. Still most folks admit we are growing just as fine ones as ever were chucked under the chin by a Frenchman. For the last six months our orchid seedlings have been in flower. The prices have always averaged higher than species. Buy a few seedlings each year, and by the time the species are exhausted you will have a fine lot of the seedlings to fall back on. Be uncommonly sensible and act on your common \iliuS* tfeekry Cor Ai Thg Sife of Thg Tree Box Rutherford N.J. proportion must necessarily vary with each kind of plant. .\ brief study of Geographical Botany will reveal the type of plant Nature has produced under different conditions. The cactus or that type plant that presents the least surface to the sun will be found to dominate in the localities of intense sun- light and little moisture. In the more humid or cloudy portions of the earth, the type follows along that of presenting the greatest surface to the light, but moisture and temperature seem to be the great dominating factors in the growth of plants, providing there is enough light for them to function. My observations have not been made f'l lilllll:iili:iiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiimimiiiiiiiiiimmiffl iiniiiiiiinniMii , I SPECIMEN TREE BOX 2',2-3' High— 21.-3' Spread 2-2! V Higrh— 2-2',' Spread For shipnurit latter ii.irt early .'^clitinilier. \usrusl or = I POT-GROWN STRAWBERRY ■ I PLANTS IN VARIETY | I Write for price list and varieties for ship- | I Hunt latter part of .Vugust and .September. | I FOR OTHER TREES .4ND PL\NT>^ a I WRITE FOR (H R PRICE LIST I I MORRIS NURSERY CO. J ll.!3 Broadway. New York City ; iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniin ijuinwiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiii 292 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE scieniitically but sad experience has taught what absence of sufficient light will do to growing plants and 1 have failed to note any appreciable difference in the growth ot plants growing in the vicinity of electnc arc lights. Until we get more information we shall have to follow old practices to enable us to pay the taxes to carry on the experiments. . . Whatever mav be the results of scientific experiments made by experts, the practical grower who has lived with his plants night and day, vear in and year out. comes pretty near knowing to a nicety the effects of light and heat on the various plants under his care.— The National Nurscryiiian. CHOICE OF LILACS. Hardly a week passes without a letter addressed to the Arboretum asks lor the names of the best, or of the best six or ot best twenty-tive Lilacs. There are now one hmidred and hfty named forms of the com- mon Lilac in the collection. They are all or nearly all handsome plants, and no two persons ever agree about their individual value. Some persons prefer flowers ot one color and other persons prefer flowers ot another color ; some persons like the Lilacs with double flowers and others detest them. \11 the forms of the garden Lilac have practically the same habit and foliage, and the same inconspicuous fruit; they all bloom freely nearly every year, and breed- m" and selection have not affected their perfume as it has that of so many much "improved" plants, like many of the mod- ern Roses. There is considerable variation in the size of the individual flowers; the double flowers open generally a little later than the single flowers and last longer, but there is really little dift'erence in the time of flowering of all these plants. The size ot the flower cluster varies somewhat on the different forms; it is larger on young plants than on old ones, and it can always be enlarged by severe pruning which increases the vigor of the flower-bearing branches. Choice therefore depends on color,^^ and really none of these Lilacs are "best" for everybody ; one color or one shade is "best for one person and another color or another shade is "best" for another person. Many persons who come to the Arboretum hnd the old Lilacs which have been growing on Bussey Hill for nearly a hundred years more beautiful than any of Leinoine's re- cent creations because they are the Lilacs which have long been common in old New England gardens and beloved by genera-_ tions of New Englanders. A choice ot Lilacs being largely a matter of taste in color or of association. — Arnold Arboi-L-tiini BuUctui. TRANSPLANTING. Transplanting is most successfully ac- complished after a rain, during cool cloudy weather, also just before a rain. At any event the ground should be moist for the best results. If transplanting is in hot weather, late afternoon or evening is the best time. In this way the plant may have time to strengthen up before the hot sun hits it the following day. H the season is very dry the plants may be watered; after the water has soaked into the soil, dry dirt should be placed around it, preventing the evaporation of moisture, and preventing the soil from baking. This dry dirt forms a mulch. Only the most vigorous and well-formed plants should be used. There should be enough plants that a selection can be made. Thin, slender, soft plants should always be discarded. V * ICDT FLOWER BOXES lEDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO >«axufactur{:rs 1 PHILADELPHIA. PA. 4- k HARRY RALDWIINJ Manufacturer oi | Greentiouse Shading j Latli Roller Blinds | VlAMARONE'TK. IM. Y. I THE FLOWER GROWER Published Monthly for both Amateur and Professional Flower Growers GARDENERS: Vou should grow flow- ers in quantity and help beautify your surroundings and brighten the lives of those who visit your gardens. The subscription price of THE FLOW- ER GROWER is Sl.W per year, three years for S2.50. Sample copy 10c. Madison Cooper, Publisher, Calcium, N. Y. BECOME A LANDSCAPE Prepare by mail for this uncrowded pro. fession. Inexpensive. Easy to master. Earn while yoa learn. Diploma awarded. Special proposition to HOME OWNERS and Plan (or beautiiying your property. AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SCHOOL Newark New York Slate ARCHITECT j„r Auisust. 1020 293 'fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilliilllllliliiiiiiiiliiiiniiiiliiiliiiinn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i iiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiim ii iiiiiiiib iiiii'i'"'iiiii i i i i nimuiL- DREER'S HARDY PERENNIAL PLANTS SPRING FLOWERING BULBS The Fall is an excellent time to set out Hardy Perennial Plants, \'ines, Shrubs, Roses, etc. We make a specialty of these plants and grow in large assortment. A complete list will be found in our AUTUMN CATALOGUE, also Spring-flowering Bulbs which must be planted this Fall for blooming next Spring. A copy mailed free to anyone mentioning this publication. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, - PA. TALL BEARDED IRIS ?5«»-Ar ifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir.'nimniiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiirniiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiyiiniiiiiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiw^^^^^^ Plow deep, and pulverize the soil. When transplanting keep the plants out of the sun. The slems as well as the roots should be kept damp to prevent evaporation. Broken or withered leaves and branches are removed from the plant as it is planted. Plants should be set deep. They have a better chance to absorb moisture when set deep and have a better root system. Firm the soil well around the plant. This will prevent evaporation. — Farm Life. A SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWER. Flowering ai the Cape of Gnod Hope all through the Winter is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world, which has been called the queen of the Suutli .\frican flora. This is Strclit::ia, with leaves like those of a small banana and flowers so magnifi- cent in coloi", form, and size that soon after its discovery it became one of the wonders of the flower world. It is along the river banks of southeast Cape Colony that it may be seen at home, standing up some four feet among the grass and scrub thai clothe the edges of the water. Open glades are also sometimes ornamented by scattered tufts some way from the valleys, but nowhere else in the world is it truly wild. So it is an endemic. The flowers spring one after another all through the season from the beaklike summit of the stem. In each there are three deep yellow sepals 4 to 6 inches long which stand up- right like the crest on the head of a parrot. Among tliem are the dark blue petals com- bined together around the stamen into the shape of an arrow. The whole bears a striking resemblance to the head of a large and gorgeous bird with its blue and yellow crest erect au(l_ its beak pointing forward. The likeness "is further helped by the flower stalk, which curves like the neck of a swan. The stamen is normally complete- ly hidden by the petals, but it is revealed when a honcv gatherer visits it, as they open down the middle when pressed from above, closing again to protect it as soon as the weight of the visitor is removed. Rather more weight is required than that of a bee, and it has been noticed that these flowers are visited and pressed open by the little sugar-birds and sunbirds. — Exchange. '■When one admires, late in May or early in June, the gardens of those few people who have had their places planted under the di- rection of good landscape garden- ers, one sees pictures made up largely of three types of flowers: Irises, peonies and Darwin tulips. These are the types that have the greatest piclure-making possibili- ties among the easily grown hardy perennials, and so they are utilized by experts in landscape picture making." — Clarence Moores West, writing in The House Beautiful for Septendier. 1919. .\ complete descriptive catalogue, listing distinctly and accurately, several hundred varieties, includ- ing all the finest of the old .and most of the finest, newest and rar- est of recent American and Euro- pean origin, is now ready. Write at once to secure a copy. Address: Growing in the Exhibition Grounds of the Tile \ an ^erl Iris Gardens 1 \ an Wen Iris Gardens West Main St., Van Wert, O. I fillllllllllllllllllllllll FLOWERS WITH EXTRA PARTS. .\ correspondent writes that a Chicago iris grower has a plant of the form known as Madam Chcrcau with four parts in each whorl, instead of the conventional three and asks how such multiplication of parts is brought about. In reiilv. it may be said that plants of this kind arc "sports" and may occur in practically any species with a dclinite number of parts in a whorl. The trilliums are often found in this condition and in the editor's grounds a race of four- parted Darwin tulips has been bred up from a single bulb that produced flowers with this characteristic. How to produce such sports is difiicult to say. Those in com- merce are commonly the result of chance finds and were not the object of experiment by the breeder. If one deliberately sets out to produce such "freaks" lie would be most likely to succeed if he varied the surround- ings of his plants as much as possible. No plant is perfectly adapted to its locality. It does the best it can under the circum- stances. When it is brought into a new region, therefore, it naturally begins to adapt itself to the new conditions, and in this effort sports are often produced. In general, any change in the plant's environ- ment— air. soil, water, light, or tempera- ture— is likely to result in more or less definite responses of the plant which may be sufficiently strong to make noticeable dif- ferences in its form. — .liiirriiaa Botanist. HOW NATURE PLANTS TREES The reprodiictinn of trees is an interest- ing study. While many species are easily and inoie quickly grown from sprouts or cuttings, yet the natural method, the way in which our forests originated and are main- tained is by seeds. .\s a rule all trees bear seeds and "witliin the seed the tree in miniature already lives." The seed falls to the ground and if conditions are favorable, in due time germinates ; first the tiny root- le' reaches downward into the earth, then a slender shoot pushes upward into the light and air. Such is the beginning of tree life, and slowly or rapidly, according to its kind. 294 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE the little seeding grows toward maturity. The way in which Nature provides for the sowing of the innumerable seeds borne by the trees varies greatly with character of the seed and the time of ripenuig, but the wind is the most common distributing agency — the great sower of tree seeds. In order that the seeds may be carried long distances, instead of falling directly beneath the parent tree where there is no room to grow, many trees produce winged seeds or seeds encased in tiny paperlike balloons. The wind blowing through the treetops detaches the seeds from the parent stein and scatters them far and wide. Of the trees producing seeds with wings the maple is a familiar example. The maples are prolific bearers, some, like the soft maple, ripen their seeds in early Sum- mer ; others, like the sugar or hard maple, mature in Autumn and often cling to the branches long after the leaves have fallen. The seeds of the elm and birch are provided with rilmy rims and those of the hop horn- beam are encased in tiny inflated balloons. Seeds of this character are carried long dis- tances by the wind. In the settled country where the land is under cultivation, only the seeds that chance to fall in fence corners or along the road side have any chance to grow, but in large forests or forest openings they spring up by the millions and where grazing is not al- lowed the young seedlings quickly possess the land. One frequently sees in the early Spring whole gardens or plowed fields in the vicinity of trees thickly covered with self-sown little tree seedlings which are destroyed as soon as cultivation of the soil begins. If these fields and gardens were left uncultivated for a few years they would be transformed into young forests. In the case of nut-bearing trees and fruit trees other agencies than the wind are neces- sary for distribution of seed. With the first named the squirrels play an important part, often carrying the nuts long distances and burying them here and there in the ground or hiding them in stone walls for further use. These are often never used by their harvesters for one reason or another and so germinate and grow. In the case of many kinds of fruit-bearing trees the birds are the seed sowers. With both fruit and nut bearing trees, standing on low lands or near large streams the Spring freshets often act as seed carriers, floating them long distances downstream andas the waters subside depositing them here and there to begin the miracle of life and growth. Thus Nature persistently carries on the work of iree reproduction. Lavishly do the various species bear seeds, and with an equally lavish hand are they scattered far and wide over the land. Were it not for the destructive activity of man our cleared lands would soon be covered with trees as of yore and our forests would regain their original density of growth. — Tree Talk. FLOWERS AND SEX. The commonest form of flower is that in which both stamens and carpels are pres- ent : in fact, this is regarded by the un- botanical as the only kind of flower. When any extended study of these structures is made, however, two other types usually appear — the monnecious, in which the sta- mens and carpels are separate and borne on different parts of the same plant, as in corn and the pines, and the dicecious, in which the two forms of flowers are still further separated by being borne on aiffer- eiit individuals, as in willows and poplars. While these are the most conspicuous, there are numerous other forms among which may be mentioned jierfect and staminate Rurpee's ^ $wee1 peas THE Burpee list of Early- or Winter-flowering Spencer Sweet Peas contains the finest varieties yet to be offered in a complete range of colors. In addition to the usual colors we have some beautiful shades of pink, salmon, orange, cerise and true blue. Plant some BURPEE'S SWEET PEAS for winter blooming in your greenhouse now. TA^ Aflee Burpee Co. Seed Growers Philadelphia SOLD BY SEEDMEN IN CANADA FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS 'JSxz^n/mom:^QfJcu3^ Q}^€7f^ it HAMMOND'S SLUG SHOT" Used from Ocean to Ocean A light, composite, fine powder, easily disfributefl either by duster, bellows, or in water by sprayint;. Thoronehly reliable in killinp Currant \Vorms.Pot,-u.> Bugs. Cabbage Womis. Lire. Slugs. Sow Bugs, etc. and it is also strongly impregnated with fungicides. !I[^B^Put up in Popular Packages at Popular Prices. Sold by Seed Dealers and Merchants. HAMMONDS PAINT AND SLUG SHOT WORKS, BEACON, NEW YORK. flowers on the same plant, as in some V m- belUfera; perfect and carpellate flowers on the same plant, as in AtrifUw and many Coinfositcr ; separate plants with carpellate, staminate, or perfect flowers as in some maples ; separate plants with carpellate and perfect forms as in Plantago lanccolata, and separate plants with staminate and per- fect flowers as in Caltliu. There are also all gradations from completeh- perfect flowers to flowers that are either staminate or carpellate. Ten different forms have been found in the ash. According to a writer in the American Journal of Botany, more than ninety families of plants have species that show- differences of the kind mentioned. — American Botanist. SOBARIAS. The Sobarias are better known under the name of Sfiirtra and the one most com- monly listed in the catalogues is S/'irtra sorhifolia. They are a handsome genus of flowering shrubs and it is really a wonder they are not more often met with in shrubbery plant- ings. The planter is usually concerned more about a plant's general appearance and time of flowering than botanical differences. Some of the points in their favor that should commend them to the gardener are : They are adaptable and vigorous in their growth, sometimes too much so, as they spread rapidly by means of suckers when the position suits them. They flower during the Summer when there is a dearth of bloom on the average shrubbery borders. A moist, partially shaded position suits them, and it is often diflicult to select a shrub for such a place that will be so much at home. The foliage is rich and handsome. The one fault, if it be a fault, is the un- sightly appearance of the dead panicles when the bloom is past. These, however, are easily removed which gives the plant a longer season of good appearance than most flowering plants. The different kinds are all much alike in habit but flower at different times. The first to bloom is the Sobaria sorhifolia, which comes in June, followed by .S". .'!tel- lipiUa, S. asurgcns. S. arborca and. last of all, 6". .litclnsonii in September. — Xational Nurseryman. for Aiiaust, 1120 THE JOYS OF A GAR- DEN POOL. There is no need to plead the merits and joys of a garden pool. Thej- are everywhere acknowledged, and every one has a pool who can afford the cost or the water. Growing aquatic plants is but one of the pleasures. Would that our tiuwer-beds could be so beau- tiful in their surface and ap- pealing in movement, so satis- fying, in short, whether the flowers grow or not ! The structural design of a pool is not a difficult matter. As a piece of engineering, it is simple so long as the pool is full of water. If it be emptied, then the walls of the pool be- come a retaining-wall and must be designed to resist earth- pressure, and, if it be in low ground, possibly hydrostatic pressure. The pool, however, presents a difficulty in that it must be water-tight, so that a movement of the walls which would pass unnoticed in a terrace wall will produce cracks which are sure to leak. This is most likely to happen if the pool be empty in \\'inter, when the pressure of the frozen ground will inevit- ably crack the walls by moving them slightly inward. Leaving the pool full of water through the Winter usually prevents this damage, s'nce the ice-pressure is equalized by the ground- pressure outside and the ice buckles or slips on the side of the pool until the outside and inside pressure are practically the same. It has been our invariable ex- perience that damage happens only when pools are emptied in the Winter, and that pools with water in them never come to harm so long as the water-level ill Winter and the ground level are the same. — Landscape Architecture. YES- owes iiimiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiUi;: MEMORIES OF TERDAY My garden draws its bloom from many climes — Lilies from Spain ; red roses bred in France ; White daphne, redolent of old romance. From Grecian groves : slim, silver-tassled limes From quaint Dutch highways; Canterbury chimes Prom Sussex hollows: quinces Japan ; \\ ild honeysuckle from far Ispahan, And Tuscan almonds famed in Petrarch's rhymes. ■\m\ strolling down the bordered pathways, sweet With fragrances so many winds have *' blown, Is like a glance through diaries, replete \\ ith chronicles of happy moments known In distant lands — each blossom fresh and gay, Marking some memory of yesterday. Ch.\rlotte Becker, in Life. This takes the perplex out of paint perplexities E\-er wished \ou had some sort of a book that told you in a right to the point way just what to do when \'ou wanted to do some painting, varnishing, enameling or staining ? Ever wished you knew what made paint peel or chalk off and how to prevent it ? Ever wished you knew the kind of floor paint or varnish to use on old floors and the best way to treat a new one ? Ever wished that some one would write a little book about just these things and do it in an interesting, chatty kind of way, so you could find out the things you want to know and be told those yoii ought to know ? In short, you have wished over and over for a book that would take the perplex out of paint perplexities. The Happy Happening Book is your answer. It's a tale of inside and out, told by one who has had a score of years' personal experience with exactly your kind of problems; He tells it to you just as if he were sitting right here by you and having a friendly chat. Send 10c. in stamps for this Happy Happening Book* Lowe's Paints and Varnishes are sold by the one best dealer in each town. ^'IxyweBrothors (^p<^ EAST THIRD STREET, DAVTOX, OHIO Boston New York Jersey City Chicago Atlanta Kansas City Minneapolis Toronto from WILDFLOWERS The haunts, h.ihits aiul u-^t-; of our na- tive plants, their behavior under cultiva- tion, and the orig-ination of new forms by sports and hybridizing is the special field of T^^E AMERICAN BOTANIST 5 a y-^- r Sample Free 23 Volumes Issued Vviliard N. Clute & Co., Joliet, Itl. ORCHIDS W.' nre Sfi.Tiiillsts lu Onhids. Wo cdlect. (frnw. Import, export nnd sHI orchids - ex- clusively. If you aro in tlie market for Orchids, we solicit yonr Irniulrles and orders. Cata- lopues and siMcial lists on appllcatlnn. LAGER & HURRELL •rcbld Growm and Importen Sumnnlt. N. a. OllALITV RED POTS Made of best material by skilled labor, uniformly burned and carefully packed. Famous "Moss-Aztec" Ware Inrludes Azalea Pots. Fern Pliihes, naDfrIng Baskets. Lawn Vases, etc. Write for cataloffue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesville. Ohio The New Hardy Dwarf Edtinc and Low Hcd^V Originators and Intrdm-Ts: TheEImCity Nursery Company Woodmont Nurseries Box 193 New Haven, Conn. Send for Boi-Barl'^Trj- FoMcr and General Nursery Catalogue .■ i^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:^^ The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden yV pj-JI^p" is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of the disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN-A. a reme- dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHiNE is most effective. FOR THE GREENHOUSE — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. f KJlWjlMiStLi For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V llirvlVlllNlli For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. ^ """ iiraiNiiiiiiraiii mill i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiii iliiiiiiiiiliNiiliiiiiiiiiliiilllllllimiH^ i""'"""""""" """" »«iburgh Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati. Chicago, Milwaukee; Canadian address 2S'> Laugaucliiierc West, Montreal. This tree zeas treated and restored to health in 1917. Note how concrete has been placed in the cavity, section on sec- tion, to allow for szvaying and prevent cracking. Note also view of Pilgrim MoninnenI in the background. JOHN DAVEY Father of Tree Surgery DAVEY TREE SURGEONS fivery real Davey Tree Surgeon is in the emplov of The D. •representing themselves. Ah agreement made with the ~ Dazey Tree Expert Co., Inc., and the public is cautioned against those falsely Davey Company and not zvith an individual is certain evidence of gettutneness GARDENER; r AMERIC STRATE HO $2.00 A YEAR Hiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiinii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ STOP! AND LOOK AT THIS PICTURE Here is a machine that trims edges better and five times as fast as present methods. The cutters revolve at a very high speed, they can never spread to allows grass to slip by, they never get dull because of the self sharpening feature. A coil spring and Hyatt Roller Bear- ing does the trick. '_<.; L_. Scrap your border shears and order one of Richardson's Boulevard T r i m - '"I'l., mers. ''ijijy v Write for detail description and price; we want to tell you more about this wonderful labor saver. T Ke RicKardson Boulevard 1 ri rimmer Manufactured by THE STANDAKD SAND ^ MACHINE CO. CLEVELAND, OHIO ^IH ■iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiit ^■IllllllllHll llllllllllllllllll!llllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Xo^V y^ Manda C, Ojjj Pa ^i- ORCH IDS— ORCHIDS— ORCHIDS We have the finest stock in the country both in 'species and hybrids. Come and see them and convince yoursejf. Our unique catalogue is ready. If interested send for a"^copy. special Offer for Beginners 12 Orchids in 12 varieties, $50 TWO GRAND NOVELTIES FOR 1921 CROTON "MARINE MANDA" Distinct and beautiful trilobed Crotim of tlie acubaefolia type. 3-in.| $2.50 each; 4-in. $3.50 each; 6-in.» $5.00 each ANTHURIUM SERGANT MANDA Very fine hybrid of Blood red color, flower large well shaped. Good strong plants, $25.00 each If you are in need of 'Palms, Ferns, Asparagus, Cyclamen, Primulas, etc., write to us. VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME *'Let Us Bid On Your Wants" ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s — B u 1 b s — S u n d r i e s West Orange - - - New Jersey William J. Manda Vice-Pres. Joseplf Manda Prcs. & Treas. Edward A. Manda Secr'y. .TiiiiiiiiHimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ 297 iJmniiiiNii II iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Ill niiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiii m mi iiiiiiiiiiiiti iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimrg fr 514 MICHELL'S MARKET ST., are selected to meet the requirements of the most critical ama- teur and professional gardeners, especially those desirous of pro- ducing prize-winning specimens. Our cata- log and bulb book il- lustrates and de- scribes numerous choice varieties of Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus and other bulbs, in- cluding many lare va- rieties. Michell's Bulb Growing Guide (value .$1.00) mailed free on request. Fall catalog now ready. A postal will secure one. SEED HOUSE I PHILA., PA. I llllllllllllllllllll II llii:illllllllNINIII]|IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII«llll|l|IIK ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiii>iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiC5^sBSO^m BURNETT'S BULBS Are a source of satisfaction to all that grow them. Exhibitors will find them sure ^' Prize Winners." See our Fall Bulb Catalogue, for description and prices of Freesias, Liliums, Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, etc., etc. BURNETT BROTHERS SEEDSMEN 92 CHAMBERS ST., ''The House Famous for Laivn Grass Seed" NEW YORK I iiiiiMiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiKiiiiniiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiu^ fi|llllllliliiliiiillinililillllllllilllllliiiiiiiilililiiiliiiiliiilillllllllllilllllllllllliiilllllllllllil!il!;;iliiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilii:iili^^ piliiiiiiiiililliiilililiiiiiinniiiiliuiiiiiiniiiliilliililllililililliiiiiiiiiliiiiiiilliiiiiiiiiiiiliiililiiiillliilililliiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiillliim We Wish to Call Attention to Our Fine Stock of SPECIMEN TREES wliicli we liave in fine sliape. We invite intend- ing purchasers to examine at our nurseiy at Scarborough, New York, the stock listed below, which should be seen to be appreciated. We have a particularly fine stork of Specimen Evergreens Colorado Blue Spruce. Kosler type. Oriental Spruie. Juniperus virginiana glauca, Juniperus Pfitzeriana, Hem- lock, While Pine, Mugho Pine. Montana type, Retino- spora filifera aurea, and Taxus cuspidata brevifolia; also fine specimens of Rhododendrons, medium to large sizes; and fine specimens of European Larch. Japanese Maples, Dogwood, Berberis Thunbergii and Euonymus Elatus (Cork-bark Euonymus), etc. Catalogue on application. The New Giant Everbearing Raspberry LA FRANCE The Greatest Raspberry Under Cultivation First introduced to the trade in Spring of 1920, having previously won lunnerous highest awards at the exhibitions of the leading Clubs and Societies. Main heavy crops of hcrrirs in July and Autumn "We saw La Iraiu'C liotii in the nursery and in the garden, side by side with Cuthbert, Columbia and other varieties, and could not help but note how much more vigorous it was than any of these; furthermore, we ob- served that, while La France was fruiting heavily, some of the other everbearing Raspberries, which were being tested beside it in the nursery and garden, were bearing practically no fruit at all." Article in The Florists' E.xrilANGE, issue if Xov. 2^, 1919. Place your orders now through your deal- ers for Fall planting I JOHN SCHEEPERS, INC. | I Introducers j I 522 Fifth Ave. (Cor. 44th St.) New York | giiiiHiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii^ 300 F. R. PIERSON TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK Telephone Tarrytown 48 Illlllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ P O T A S H - M A R L Makes Perfect LAWNS, more beautiful FLOWERS, larger farm CROPS Used on better farms every- where. Zach grain awakens plant life Nature will be greatly helped in growing plants if you use Nature's plant food, "POT- ASH-MARL," which is a continuous feast to worn out soil and growing crops. Let us tell you what it will do for your LAWNS. FLOWERS, BULBS, BERRIES. FRUIT, GRAPES, POTATOES and other FARM PRODUCT. Recommended by the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT and STATE OF NEW JERSEY. Send 25 cents for sample box for potted plants, and booklet telling about Potash- Marl. Delivered by Parcel Post. $2.00 for 100-Pound Bag, $30.00 per Ton., F. O. B. Marlton, N. J. AMERICAN POTASH -MARL CO., INC. 11-13 THOMAS STREET -:- -:- NEW YORK iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iii!ii{iii!ii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy^^ (^eenliouse Guilders ^iimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiimmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiii^^^^^^^ I The Contents for September, 1920 I Things and Thoughts of the Garden Montague Free 303 Reasons for Fall Planting of Roses 5. C. Hubbard 305 Those Who Work in Gardens 306 Hardy Spireas Arhorum Amalor 307 The Honey Harvest H. W. Sanders 308 The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse Henry Cibson 309 Up-to-Date Pruning Practices 311 A Lesson on the Production of Available Plant Food in the Soil Arthur Smth 312 Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews • 315 National Association of Gardeners 318 The Questionnaire 319 Here and There 319 America Dahlia Society Show — Length of F-ioots — On Planting Roses — How to Keep Cut Flozvers Fresh — Methods of Applying Lime. I THE CHKONICLE PRESS JNC. ^^ .. „„„ I I Published monthly, __, r- r , a m v i n'i \/ Subscription $2.00 a year s I the 1st of each month. 286 Fifth Avenue New York, N. Y. Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 | I MARTIN C. EBEL. Editor | = Entered at the New York Post Office as second class matter under the Act of Congress. March 3, 1879. 1 fiiniiiiiiniiiii»i>iiiiiniiiiiiiiii!i!iiNiiiiiii»iiriiiiii»iniNiHiuuiiiiiiiiiniiiiiraiiiiiiiiiiiii»iiiii^ liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiii:iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiHii:ii!ii!iii:iiiiiiiiiii^ Stumpp & Walter Co/s Bulb Catalog A complete list of all NEW and RARE BULBS For Fall Planting and Exhibition Is Now Being Mailed The Best Novelties in DARWIN— BREEDER and COTTAGE TULIPS— DAFFODILS-DUTCH HYACINTHS. NEW COLORED FREESIAS NOVELTY WINTER FLOWERING SPENCER SWEET PEAS Best Californian Varieties // we do not have your name on our catalog register, please write for one. QP 30-32 Barclay Str 'ing- them in cold storage until the following March when they could be planted out-of-doors. About thirty species were collected some of which are only of scientific interest. It is too early to say def- 303 304 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE initely as to the value of these plants for rock gardens at low altitudes with high Summer temperatures — some are very promising. The ''Mountain Cranberry" I'acciniuni Vitis-Idcra var. minus seems to stand our conditions well. It it dwarf, evergreen, about four inches high, with shin- ing coriaceous leaves. Geitm Peckii a species with bright yellow flowers; the "Mountain Sandwort," Arenaria grccnlandica; a mountain variety of "Bluets," Hoiistonia carndca var. Faxoiwrnm. having pure white flowers with a yellow throat ; and several species of dwarf Willow are thriving quite satisfactorily. The latter when growing above timber line hug the ground closely but when given less rigorous conditions they have a tendency to aspire and we have some that are five or six inches high. Among the interesting plants collected was the "Lap- land Rose Bay,'' Rhododendron lapponicum, a prostrate evergreen with bright purple flowers. A most deceiving plant to dig up as the roots are out of all proportion to the size of the top and usually extend in un-get-at-able positions between the rocks. The plants of this bloomed fairly well last Spring — some have since died but there are good prospects for establishing a few. Diapensia lapponica will probably prove amenable to cultivation if coddled. We have plants that have survived a Summer and a \\'inter. It is a typical alpine "cushion" plant form- ing mounds of tight rosettes spangled in Spring with soli- tary white flowers an inch in diameter. Ericaceous plants collected in addition to those already mentioned were the "Alpine Azalea," Loisleuria procumbens, small rose-colored flowers; "Labrador Tea," Ledum granlan- dicum; PkvHodoce ccerulea, purplish flowers ; and Cas- siope hypHoidcs, a dwarf moss-like plant with flowers of white or rose color. All of these are evergreen. They are very interesting botanically and horticulturally too — if they can be grown without too much trouble. The Cassiope is probably too "milTy" but the others are likely to succeed especially when we know more of their re- quirements. One plant found in great abundance is Potcntilla tridciitata. This, which is not by any means restricted to alpine summits, is a good rock garden plant and will thrive almost anvwhere. When looking over a list of "really truly" alpine plants that are cultivated in our rock gardens one finds that most of them are of European origin. This is partly due, no doubt, to the European alpine flora being richer in ornamental species than the N. American and to the fact that in Europe more attention has been paid to this class of plants, which in consequence have been taken up by the trade and thus made more accessible. But for all that it provides an interesting commentary on our lack of appreciation of floral treasures which are comparative- ly close at hand. Where can one obtain the gems of the Rockies except by the process of "Go get 'em?" Such plants as Erythronium grandiflorum, the Snow Lily ; Ranunculus Eschscholtsii, the Snow- Buttercup ; Aqiii- legia fla2'esccns; Delphinium iMcncicsii; Dryas Driim- tnondi: the choice Pentstemons and the Androsaces and Primulas, all good rock garden subjects, where can one get them ? I have been unable to find them in any cata- log even of those who make a specialty of native mate- rial. There is a Colorado nursery that lists a few Rocky Mountain plants, but many more must be added to make the list truly representative. Many lovers of horticulture have long been urging the use of native plants as land- scape material with good reason. Is it too much to hope that, with the increasing interest in rock gardening coupled with the difficulty of obtaining suitable plants from Europe, our own alpine flora may soon find its way into our gardens ? Perhaps it is permissible to return once more to the subject of the English sparrow. A couple of months ago use was made of a quotation from a contemporary to the effect that a British Experiment Station had demonstrat- ed that sparrows and other common birds had a horror of blue paper and that it might be a valuable method of protecting gardens from pests of this kind. Since then I have had an opportunity of seeing it put to the test. The partner of my joys and sorrows, who is head gar- dener of our backyard and the Morello cherry tree there- in, noticed that the robins were helping themselves to the ripe cherries. As she honors me by reading these monthly lucubrations the item concerning the new "scare- sparrow" was brought to mind and acted upon. In con- sequence, on returning home one evening, I was greeted with a vision of the cherry tree tastefully decorated with blue paper streamers. The result was according to ex- pectations. The robins treated the paper with absolute contempt and continued taking toll of the cherries ; while as far as the sparrows were concerned, instead of being horror struck as they should have been, they started in at once to pick the flower buds from the adjacent "Ken- tucky Wonders" — a thing they had never done before. I am not prepared to say that exasperation induced by the blue streamers impelled them to this unusual mis- chief, but the facts are as stated. Personally I intend to rely on hackneyed methods of dealing with sparrows in the future. * * * The most interesting profession in the world is made so, in part, by the contacts it affords with branches of natural science such as climatology, geology and zoology. The weather, if its frequency as a subject of conversa- tion is any criterion, is far from uninteresting, and to gardeners is most important. It is absolutely necessary that we should know a good deal about it, its eft'ect on plants, the methods of foretelling frosts, etc. In our handling of soils we come in close contact with the sci- ence of geology, and in the zoological branch of natural science we are intimately concerned with furred and feathered friends and foes and also with that vast host of animals that has neither fur nor feathers — the insects. All of these subjects are intriguing to specialists and perhaps even more to gardeners, who for lack of time, can only approach them in a dilettante way. With many gardeners to think of insects is to curse and not to bless, and yet many of the insects common in gardens have most entertaining life-histories, and some are of distinct service to the gardener. The beau- tiful "lace-winged flies'' or "golden-eyed flies," which are fairly common about this time, are examples of in- sects which are beautiful, beneficial and interesting. The adults of one common species have transparent, blue, wonderfully veined wings and conspicuous golden eyes. The female lays its eggs on vegetation of some kind, each egg being supported about a quarter of an inch from the surface by a slender stalk. This probably pro- tects them from other predaceous insects. I remember reading somewhere of a suggestion that the eggs were laid on stilts because the larvae are so voracious that they would eat each other unless the eggs were elevated in this way. One would think this cannibalism could be prevented more effectually by laying the eggs at widely separated points. The larvae feed largely on plant lice of various kinds which has obtained for them the name of "aphis lions." When they are full-grown the co- coons are spun in which they pupate to emerge later on through a circular lid in their exquisite adult forms. Al- though so beautiful one does not unnecessarily handle them more than once on account of the offensive odor which thev emit. for September, 1920 305 Reasons for Fall Planting of Roses S. C. HUBBARD SPRING is undoubtedly the proper time for the growth iif plants, but it is not always the best time for planting'. In the more northern latitudes where there is practically no intermediate period the cold, wet Springs and the hot, dry Summers, Spring planting is very unsatisfactory. Most rosarians have probably suffered a loss of plants to a greater or less e.xtent in connection with their Spring planting and have accepted it as inevitable. This loss, early in the season they frequently must be left in the package until the soil is in condition to receive them. With most nurserymen, the Fall is not as busy a time as the Spring, and consequently more time will be given in selecting the plants, and to the proper packing which in itself is an important factor of successful rose growing. It may be well to state here that a good, strong, fibrous root system is worth more than any amount of top growth. The root system of the dormant field grown m No. 2 No. 1 Xo. 6 No. 4 Xo. -S however, ma\- be reduced to a niiniiuum 1)\ j)lanling dor- mant roses in the Fall, preferably about the middle of Oc- tober, or any time before the ground freezes. There are several reasons for planting at this time. In the first place, by ordering in the Fall one is more apt to get stronger plants as they come directly from the field, while in the .Spring, one often has to accept the left-overs which are always of poor quality. Even though ordered plant is far superior to that of the ])ot grown rose which one has to use in late Spring planting. On many soils in this latitude the earth is so cold and wet in the early Spring that it is impossible to plant until the middle or last of May and often not until the first of June. As a rule, it is impossible to procure dormant plants after the first of May. When they are obtained later than this, they are not very satisfactory, as they re- 306 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE quire a great deal of care and attention. With the best of care many of them will die. In Fall planting the soil has a chance to become firmly settled around the roots and some slight root action takes place before cold weather. In other words, the plant has a better chance to establish itself before starting to do its work of producing flowers in the Spring. Unless planted very early in the season, Spring planting causes double work for a plant, since it is then necessary for it to make roots as well as produce blooms. Consequently a plant set out in the Fall, having its root system well established by the time the blooming season arrives, may direct all its' energy towards producing flowers. This means flowers of better quality. Another point in favor of Fall planting is the fact that as soon as growth starts in the Spring the plants may be fed with either manures or commercial fertilizers. With Spring planting, a month or six weeks must elapse before it is safe to force the growth by feeding. Since it is more advantageous to produce the growth during the Spring for summer flowering rather than in the Sum- mer for later flowering, it will be seen that the fall plant- ing is of decided benefit. The two factors which cause the greatest loss in late Spring planting are the drying winds and hot sun. A great deal of careful attention is necessary to overcome this loss and to bring the plants safely through. They must be frequently sprayed with clear water and shaded every bright sunny day for at least two weeks. This may be entirely eliminated by Fall planting, for the wood is ripe and there is no action in the top or branches of the plant at this season. The accompanying illustrations will show more clearly than words the proof of the foregoing statements. In figure No. 1 is shown the strong, fibrous, natural root system of a dormant field grown plant. This plant was not selected to show an especially fine root system, but rather one which is typical of this class of plant. Figure No. 2 shows the roots of a pot grown plant. It must be understood that the term "pot grown" does not mean that the plant has been grown to its present size in a pot. No indeed. They are usually lifted from the field at one year old, and then potted in the late Fall or Winter. The top growth and flowers are forced dur- ing the Spring. Note the curled and cramped position of the heavier roots. This was caused by crowding them into too small a pot. (Of course small pots take up less room in the greenhouses than the larger ones, and are therefore cheaper to handle. These roots will retain their cramped and twisted form even after being planted for two or three years. In fact, this plant had been in the garden fourteen months. Naturally roots in this con- dition cannot absorb the same amount of nourishment from the soil as the roots in Figure No. 1. As No. 2 is the type of plant which must necessarily be used in planting after the middle of May or later, the illustration clearly shows why our choice is with the former. (It' is to be admitted that for late plantings where immediate effect is desired, the pot grown plants are the only choice). No. 3 .shows a plant of the beautiful climber Dr. Van Fleet which was planted in the Fall. Note growth it has made as compared to No, 4. This is another Dr. Van Fleet of the same age and size in the Fall when No. 3 was set out. No. 4 instead of being planted was potted, carried over Winter in a greenhouse, and put out in the Spring. The soil conditions and culture after planting were the same in both cases. Which is the bet- ter looking plant? Numbers 5 and (i show two plants of the H. T. Vis- comtess F"olkstonc. number 5 being planted in the Fall. and number 6 planted the following Spring from a pot. Undoubtedly some rose fanciers will not agree with the Fall planting, especially in the milder climate such as Philadelphia and vicinity. For such latitudes as permit early Spring planting, the writer does not advocate this plan, since he has had no experience in the milder parts of the country. However, in the colder parts of the country where the soils are heavy and Springs late and wet, he is convinced after ten years" work that Fall plant- ing will give the best results. THOSE WHO WORK IN GARDENS .1/. 0. B. Wilkinson HOW strong they become who work in gar- dens for the sheer love of it! They are always learning, loving, seeking to understand and to utilize. They foster the beloved zivak and fight the in- imical strong. They root out the fulness which is a fault and Ull the emptiness that cries for more. They are able to beget and breed beauty. Those who it'ork in gardens plant other things than seeds and bulbs, tubers and cuttings. They plant hope and faith- a)td love. They gather in more than crisp zrgetables, lucent fruits, and flushed Hozvers, for they gather hardi- hood and health and a rich fulfillment. Having planted according to the law, they e.vpect germination according to the law, and the Hoiver and the perfect fruit. They do not worry lest what ought to be will not be. They have the confidence of seers, zi'herefore they are seldom disappointed. Those zi'ho z^'ork in gardens zvork in the labora- tory of life. They knozc as much as any one of its coming and its going; and far more do they knoiu, than most' of us, of its grozmng and striving, fight- ing, zi'inning, blossoming, becoming and being. They sec many meanings unintelligible to others. God has giz'cn into their hands a book of secrets. As they press the earth zi'ith kindly hands they smile inscrutably, and the earth yields up her smil- ing strength as their rcz^ard. In a gardei.1 there is as much chance for self- e.vprcssion as in any art, if only the soul of the gar- dener be free of a money bond. For a garden may be compact enough to reveal the careful soul, zvliimsical enough to shozs.' the dreamer, stately for the proud, homelike for the hcarih-lover, fragrant for the serenely religious. The variety is endless. The condiinations can not be counted. But ahi.'ays, those zvho zvork in gardens, make them, in something, like themsclzes. And there is in a garden as great a chance for altruism as in any philanthropy. The sick of soul zi'ill lag beside a sloping lazi'n, or under the generous, shade-bestozi-ing tree. The zi.'eary of Iteart can find a bit of peace in benez'olent arbors, or in bozvers of friendly shrubbery. The poor can forget their debts for a space zchile they zvatch bezi'itching poppies nodding to each other. And are there not a few convicts zvho zvould be gentler zmth their arms full of roses? Hozi' natural it is tliat those zvho zvork in. gardens should be strong. They are very close to the heart of life. Perliaps. also, they are close to God! for September, 1920 307 Hardy Spireas ARBORUM AMATOR OF all of the hardy ornamental flowering shrubs none give greater general satisfaction than the Spireas. They are of easy culture, very florifer- ous, and their foliage as well as their flowers is pretty. Furthermore, if we make a careful selection of sj)ecies, one or more of these will be in bloom each month from April to November. Indeed one or two species bloom periodically throughout the Summer and Autumn under proper culture. Again they are adapted to many uses in both small and large landscape work. Lastly their com- parative immunity from disease and insects commends them strongly to our favor. Spireas belong to the botanical order Rosacea:, of which the Rose, Hawthorn, Plum, Blackberry and Apple are also members. They are natives of Asia, Europe and America. Some species are hardy ; others, half-hardy, and still others tender perennials. We will mention some of the most desirable hardy species. Classification According to Flozi'cring Period. — Spi- reas may be divided as regards their flowering period into two classes, namely, the Chanurdryon group, the members of which produce, umbels of white flowers from April to June, and the Calospira and Spiraria groups, whose panicles or corymbs of flowers, some white, others pink, and still others crimson, continue to appear more or less from June till mid-Autumn. The species and varie- ties of the first group, though their flowering period is comparatively short, make for the time a wonderfully beautiful and showy display, which well repays for the year's care of these. The members of the second group have a much longer blooming period and some bloom re- peatedly under careful culture. Foreign Species the Taller Growers — Spircca pru- nifolia flore plena, though a native of China, was brought by Dr. Siebold from Japan to Europe and thence into the United States. Of all the Spring-blooming Spireas this is easily one of the most valuable. In form it is bushy and it attains a height of five to ten feet. In May its pretty, white, double flowers are produced in great numbers, the entire height of its slender, graceful branches. The foliage, too, of this species puts on a beautiful orange color in Autumn. This Spirea has been highly recommended for seaside planting, as it appears to be benefited by proximity to the salt water. Spircca Thunbergii, a native of Japan, grows from three to six feet high ; thrives in almost any location and is very hardy. When it is closely covered in Spring with white blooms, it presents a marvelously beautiful sight. The pretty bronze and golden tints which its foliage as- sumes in Autumn gives this Spirea an increased value. When selecting shrubs for planting, we too often fail to give preference in our choice to those which carry well into the Autumn a foliage which puts on pleasing shades of color as well as produce pretty flowers in Summer. Spircea Van Honttei has a spreading form and grows from four to six feet high. Though of comparatively late introduction from Japan, a country from which w-e have received many of our best shrubs, it has justly achieved great popularity. In May its white flowers ap- pear in great profusion. Spircca Rccz'csiana is considered by many the most beautiful of the genus Spircca. It is hardy south of New York, but farther north requires some Winter protection. This species comes from China. Its large blooms of purest white appear in June. Tlic Dzi.'arfcr Species. — There are several Spireas of low growth. Spircca cana attains a height of no more than two feet, and forms a rounded bush as broad as it is high. This Spirea is a native of the Croatian Alps, growing there in dry, bare, rocky locations. For this reason it is very suitable for planting in rockeries, and is much used in England for that purpose. It is ex- tremely floriferous, carrying its small white flowers along its stem as well as its branches. Furthermore its small leaves, grayish and indeed sometimes almost white, at once draw atttention to this charming little shrub. Spircca decunibcns is the dwarfest of all Spireas. It has a procumbent form and grows only about six inches high. In June its white flowers appear. This Spirea is admirable for planting in rockeries. Spireas have small alternate leaves, usually simple, but in a few cases pinnate. Spircca trilobata is an exception; this species has three lobed leaves. A native of the Al- satian Alps, it reaches a height of only two feet. In May it is well covered with corymbs of small white flowers. Another small Spirea, but a little taller than trilobata is Spircca arguta, a relative of Spircca Thunbergii, and like it coming from Japan. This Spirea has slender branches, which are covered in May with an abundance of pearl-white flowers. This species thrives well in the South and West, and is also hardy in the North. Later Flozttcring Species. — The Spireas which we have mentioned thus far all bear white flowers and bloom only once in a season and in the Spring months.. Spircca Bumalda not only in its entire make-up is a handsome shrub, but is all the more valuable because it bears beautiful pink flowers which begin to appear in mid-Summer and continue to appear until late Autumn, when few shrubs are in bloom. This Spirea is a vigorous grower, yet reaches a height of only two to three feet. It is an excellent border shrub and can be used in beds in.stead of such tender plants as Salvias and Geraniums, having the advantage of permanency. Spircca Anthony IVaterer, said to be a variety of Bu- malda, came to us from England. Its bright crimson flowers, in larger heads than those of Bumalda, appear in June, and if the withered flowers are removed, others follow until late .\utumn. Attaining a height of two to three feet only, this Spirea is excellent for making a low hedge and for groups and beds. Spircca Lindleyana is a native of the Himalayas. The pinnate leaves of this species make it distinct from most others. Its value is enhanced by the fact that its white flowers are produced in Se])tember. Even when planted so far North that it is killed to the ground in Winter, flowers will be produced next season on the strong Spring growth. Spircca Callosa and its variety alba, the former bearing pink and the latter white flowers, were introduced into this country from China by Mr. Fortune, and the variety alba is sometimes called 'T'ortune's Dwarf.'' These Spireas arc useful for outlining paths and for low orna- mental hedges. Alba remains in bloom for a consider- able period of time. Natiz'c Species. There are several native Spireas, which, though worthy of cultivation, are inferior to the foreign sorts, .\mong these are Spircra tomcnfosa, com- monly called Steeple Bush because of the .shape of its (Continued on page 310) 3oe GARDENERS' CHRONICLE THE HONEY HARVEST H. W. SANDERS THE Fall of the year is the great harvest time for everything that depends upon the progress of the season for its maturing, and the beekeeper as well as the farmer, the gardener, and the' fruit-grower, looks forward to the pleasant task of garnering the fruits of his labors. Perhaps one ought to say, "the labors of his bees," for the little insects have worked throughout the Summer with their wonted and untiring energy in storing the honey that we propose to take from them, but in the last analysis, it is the skill and knowledge of man that has produced the crop, for without the modern hives and appliances that man has invented, the energies of the bees would have been consumed in multiplying their numbers by way of the swarm, and the honey stored would have been but barely enough to feed them till the next season. In taking off the harvest, the beekeeper is urged to be generous to his little servants in the matter of their Winter supplies. Great numbers of colonies of bees are lost every Winter and Spring, simply through starvation, and this' is a double loss, since both bees and feed are gone. It is far better to leave them an abundance of feed, or else take all that they have for sale or use, and join them to the neighboring colony, leaving the united colony thus formed with an abundance. Generally it is concluded that from twenty-five to thirty pounds of honey is needed for wintering a colony of bees, but the amount varies, and the safest way is to leave them as much as their hive will contain.' We go through the hives early in September and see that every comb not actually occupied with brood, shall be well filled with honey. If not it is exchanged for such an one. Then there will be a certain amount in the top corners of the brood combs, and between the two sources we feel that they have plenty. When thus provisioned, a hive should be about as much as a man can comfortably lift, and when this is the case, the stores may be considered to be ample. Having provided the bees with their Winter food, we may now proceed to take our crop of honey. The amount of it will vary between the limits of extreme scarcity and great plenty, according to the season, the beekeeper, the strain or breed of bees, and the management. We have known of as much as 400 pounds having been yield- ed by a single hive, and yields of from 100 to 150 pounds are not uncommon. Perhaps about sixty pounds might be considered an average taking one season with another, but there exist the most striking divergences between the seasons, and the colonies. This honey is stored in the "supers" that we have given to the bees from time to time, as they have occu- pied the ones previously given, and it is according to the kind of supers given that they have stored the crop in the form of "comb honey" or of "extracted honey." If we have provided the small sections holding about a pound of comb honey, then our harvesting will consist merely of getting the bees off the combs and the honey is immediately ready for use. To accomplish this the bee-escape is used. This is a small device in which there are two slender springs so adjusted that bees can pass through them one way only, and the escape being fasten- ed in a board, the super can be thus cut ofif from the rest of the hive. If the boards are gently slid between hive and super at night, by morning the honey is often free of bees. Sometimes it takes 24 hours, but the de- vice usually works all right and then the supers can be taken into the house and the honey removed, scraped and sold, or stored for subsequent use. It should be stored always in a warm, dry, place. If the supers given were filled with the same large combs that are used below in the brood-nest, then these must be extracted in the machine designed for that pur- pose. This form of honey production is so much simpler that it has become well-nigh universal, the production oi comb-honey being now confined to the hands of the spe- cialist. The combs can be taken out of the hive on any sunny day, using a little smoke to quiet the bees, and being careful to prevent robber-bees from getting access to the honey. The bees are now brushed off the combs with a small brush or a bunch of grass in front of the hive and the combs, as they are freed of bees, are taken to the honey-house. Here they are uncapped with the knife designed for that purpose, the cappings dropping into a tank where they can drain off their honey. After- wards they will be melted up for beeswax. The combs thus uncapped are placed in the baskets of the extractor and revolved rapidly. This has the effect of throwing the honey out of them by centrifugal force against the sides of the can, and there is no more pleasant sound than this, that resembles the beating of rain against a tin roof, and tells the beekeeper of an abundant yield. The honey collects in the bottom of the extractor and can be drawn off through a faucet into cans or bottles and sold. It is well to let it settle in the extractor or another tank for a day or so, so that any bits of wax that may have got in will float to the top and not get mixed with the honey. The combs when extracted are piled up where the bees cannot get at them, and allowed to remain till night. Then they are taken and replaced on the hives, and soon the bees will have cleaned and repaired them, and they can be stored away till next season. This is one of the advantages of extracted honey, that the combs can be used season after season, while the comb-honey producer has to provide his bees with new supers and foundation in each successive season. "IT COULDN'T BE DONE" Somebody said it could'nt be done, But he with a chuckle replied riiat maybe it couldn't, but he would be one Who wouldn't say so till he tried. So he buckled right ni, with a trace of a grin On his face. If he worried, he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done, and he did it. Somebody scofifed "Oh, you'll never do that ; \t least no one has ever done it." But he took off his coat and he took off his hat. And the first thing we knew, he'd begun it; With a lift of his chin, and a bit of a grin. Without any doubting or quit it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done, and he did it. There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done ;, There are thousands to prophesy failure; Tliere are thousands to point out to you, one by one. The dangers that wait to assail you; But just buckle in with a bit of a grin. Then take off your coat and go to it ; Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing That cannot be done, and you'll do it. Edgar A. Guest. for September, 1920 309 .'agc 307) spirals of showy, rose-colored flowers which appear in July and August. This Spirea is of unique appearance on account of its brown stems thickly furnished with leaves, green above but whitish beneath. This Spirea is widely distributed over the United States. It makes a very pretty Summer hedge or division line. Spircca regciiana grows from three to five feet high. Dense panicles of rosy pink flowers are produced in July and furthermore upon its new growth a second crop of flowers usually appears in Autumn. Spircra salicifolia. and its varieties latifulia and alba, often called Meadow Sweet, are found in this country growing in the edge of swamps or moist meadows. This species produces terminal panicles of flowers rosy-white or white in July and August. From the Pacific Coast we have Spircra ariccfolia. This is a good shrub for shady places. In July it bears panicles of small wdiite flowers with a yellowish green tint. In its Pacific habitat it reaches a height of eight feet, but in the North it is of much lower growth and is benefited by some Winter protection. The list of Spireas which we have mentioned is by no means exhaustive but it comprises most of the best for general culture. Pruning. The species which belong to the early flow- ering group should be pruned very little ; only the weak shoots should be removed and the stronger shoots after they have finished blooming thinned out sparingly. The late flowering group should be pruned severely as soon as their first flowering is over. 5*0(7 and Location. Spireas flourish in a moderately fertile soil and prefer a moist but not wet location. Propagation. The only flowering Spireas are propa- gated from greenwood cuttings taken during the Sum- mer and placed in sand under glass. The later flowering species are increased from hard wood cuttings taken ofif in Autumn or Winter and placed upright in boxes of sand in a cool cellar. Greenwood cuttings should be ];lanted out in the garden as soon as rooted, and hard wood cuttings the next ^pring. ''Tust one remedy will' cure every ill in our distracted world today, and that is Christianity. Its practice must be by every individual in all the relations of life — in state- craft, in business, in social relations, in the home, in the secret life and thought. For this transformation we need a new brand of discipleship — the discipleship of the single eye.'' for September, 1920 311 Up-To-Date Pruning Practices RECENT experiments have thrown much Hght on pruning, and recommendations are somewhat of a modification of those put forth a few years ago. Time was when a heavy annual heading back was highly recommended, but recent results have shown us our error, and now rigorous heading back is only to be recom- mended with reservations attached. At planting time the young tree receives its first jirun- ing, which consists in the removal of broken branches, the elimination of cross shoots, the selection of the best placed four or five branches to form the main part of the tree, and the heading back of all remaining growths by about one-half. Before this first pruning can be intelligently performed the grower should decide, first, the height of head he desires ; and second, the type of tree he washes to grow. Types (if Trees. — The different types of trees that one may grow may be roughly divided into three classes. One is the pyramidal form, another is the open center, and the one that is recommended for most conditions is a combination of the two. The first, or pyramidal form, w'hich consists of a central leader with branches radiating from it, gives too large and too high a tree for our con- ditions. It shuts out too much sunlight, thus making the production of clean, well-colored fruit a more diffi- cult task than it should be. The first -factor to consider, therefore, in choosing the type of tree is balance between sanitation and strength of tree. The central leader type cannot be called a sanitary type of tree. The open center tree, while possessing admirable sanitary qualities, does not possess the strength of the central leader type, so 'hat a combination of the two is more desirable. This combi- nation type consists in allowing the central leader to grow for the first few years until five or six good branches, arranged in a whorl, and well spaced, can be selected to form the framework of the tree. By well spacing these scaft'old limbs the tree is stronger than if all the limbs arise from a small area where they would each be pulb'ng against the other, and would break down under heavy winds or heavy loads of fruit. The central leader is not allowed to grow to any great height, so that you have a type with the combined advantage of the pyramidal form and the open center, and with their oljjectious eliminated. The Pruning Year b\ ]'ear. — Having decided on the form our tree shall take we are now ready to follow ihe pruning year by year. The first year, or the year the tree is set out, it will be necessary to head back all branches in order to give the roots an opportunity to get a Iiold and to make our trees stocky instead of long and willowy. In recent e.xperiments conducted by the experimental sta- tion at Kentville. X. S., trees cut back when planted made a growth of 4.82 inches the first year and 20 inches the second, while trees not headed at all made a growth of 1 inch the first year and only 2.4 inches the second year. Connnencing with the second year, the practice to be ad()])ted will depend upon, first, the variety: and second, the vigor of the tree. Sonic varieties are straggling and vigorous growers, others are as vigorous but more shapely in their habit, while others are slow growers. .\11 can stand slightly diflierent treatment. An example of the first type of tree is the King. The second type is repre- sented by the Baldwin, while the Wagener is a typical exanii)le of a slow grower. Kach of these three ty])cs will require individual treatment. The King can be made into a sha])ely tree by somewhat vigorous jiruning. whereas for the Baldwin a moderate amount of shaping up will suffice, while the Wagener t\pe mav have to be headed in occasionally in order to obtain sufficient annual growth to make a shapely tree. .■iboiit Heading Back.~\ tree which is vigorously headed back in Spring will probably produce a greater length of wood that season than one which is not so headed back, but the girth measurement of the tree not headed back will be greater, so that, after the first year, to cut back annually with the idea of obtaining stockiness is a mistake. This "butchering" should only be resorted to to allow of the development of a vigorous and shapely tree. In general, then, the practice to adhere to during the younger stages of a tree is to give it as little pruning as will maintain a well-formed, vigorous tree. It has been shown by experiment that trees cut back annually do not fruit so early as those which receive very little pruning, neither do they fruit so heavily. Points to Remember.— In cutting back a main branch, and one of its strong-growing laterals, do not cut both to the same length. Permit the main branch to retain the lead, otherwise two branches of equal dimensions will result which will produce a very weak crotch, a constant •source of trouble. Whenever given the option of select- ing either a branch growing at a sharp angle to its parent or one growing almost at right angles, choose the latter ; it will make a stronger crotch in future years. Always cut back to a bud, cutting as close as possible without injuring the bud itself. By paying attention to the position of the bud one can do mu'ch to decide the fornr the tree shall take. Study each variety you are dealing with, and adopt a system 'most suited to its needs. It is not a question of how much pruning one can do, but how little one can do and still retain the desired shape, vigor and productiveness of the tree. — Canadian Horti- culturist. If nature w'ants an oak, she works on the job a hun- dred years, if she wants a squash, six months is suffi- cient.— Charles W. Eliot. Blessed is he who has found his work ; let him ask no other blessedness. He has a work, a life purpose; he has found it and will follow it ! Labor is life ; from the inmost heart of the worker rises his God-given force, the sacred celestial life-essence breathed into him by Al- mighty God ; from his inmost heart it awakens him to all nobleness — to all knowledge, "self-knowledge,"' and much else, so soon as work fitly begins. — Carlxle. * * * Almost as deplorable as the other extreme of self- conceit is self-disparagement, and more surely derogatory and hampering it is to personal success. Never, neither openly nor secretly, derogate your own powers or abili- ties. Learn, on the contrary, to think well of yourself, to believe in your own latent capacities, and to respect your individual, (]od-given rights and titles to success and hnpi)iness in life and all the good things which these two terms suggest. Thus only can you become as a mag- net toward the things you desire: thus only will you cease to be dull and inefficient in your efforts and become cap- able— able to achieve and accomplish the cherished de- sires of your heart. Be kind to yourself — cultivate con- fidence in your own ability to win. If you have no con- fidence in yourself, how in the world can you reasonably ex])ect others to have? — 0. Byron Copper. 312 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiui.iiiiiiiiiiiir iiiiniiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiinininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii!! I A Lesson on The Production of Available Plant | I Food in the Soil I i Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Gardening, Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle 1 I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | lliiiiiiuiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiHiiiiiiiHiii(iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiii^ ~ Diirinj; recent years scientific investigators along the lines of crop production have made soils a prominent feature of their work, and rightly so, since the soil wealth in connection with plant growth is the greatest and the most important form of the wealth of a nation. Our knowledge regarding the chemistry, physics, geology and bacteriology of soils is still far from complete, but a great many fundamental principles, of soil fertility are, however, well es- tablished, and the cultivator today has far wider possibilities of intelligently increasing and conserving the fertility of soils than was the case in the days of Pliny, who wrote some 2,000 years ago. "The Earth, gentle and indulgent, ever subservient to the wants of man, spreads his walks with flowers and his table with plenty ; returns with interest every good committed to her care, though consiantly teased more and more to furnish the luxuries and the necessities of man." There is no e.xact science of the soil, and it lies on the borderland where the chemist, botanist and bacteriologist meet the gardener and the farmer. We propose this month to dis- cuss briefly one phase only of the relationship between the soil and the plant, and to set forth some of the results of investiga- tions which have been made by scientists in the above respective branches of science. By long custom gardeners and' farmers give the name "plant food" to those substances in the soil which help the plant to grow, and while the term could be criticized from the stand- point of plant physiology, physiologists have never supplied a term equally as expressive and as simple. At the same time most of us are aware that what are called plant foods are strictly speaking only the raw material out of which — if such material is in an available condition — the plant forms its food by processes infinitely wonderful and complex. Plant food in the soil we shall understand to be those substances — available or unavailable, as the case may be — which a plant requires, and in speaking of the production of available plant food in the soil we refer to the changing inorganic and organic plant materials naturally in the soil in a condition of availability. The processes of soil formation have been previously briefly set forth in these lessons and we cannot at this time afiford space to repeat them. In connection with our present subject, however, it may be mentioned that a soil is, roughly speaking, composed of two parts: (1) Substances which were part of the original minerals from which it was derived. (2) Substances which have come in as the results of vege- tation. Earth composed entirely of mineral matter is not soil, the for- mation of the latter is not complete until vegetation has sprung up and died and its remains have mingled with the mirieral fragments and have be.a.un to decay. Further, soils contain a large population comprising various species of bacteria and other micro-organisms which are necessary to the growth of higher plant life, these organisms not being found in merely pulverized rock. It is generally known that the earliest form of vegetation upon the hard rock is those minute plants called Lichens, but how this soil population springs up in the first place wc do not know, but we do know that the production of avail- able plant food in the soil is, in the case of one at least of the plant's necessities, entirely dependent upon it (excepting so far as we may apply plant food to it in an available state, such as nitrogen in the form of nitrate), and indirectly to a greater_ or less degree in the case of most of the plant's other food require- ments also. While soils vary in their richness, potential or otherwise; in their physical characters, whether light or heavy, and in their depth; we can, for all . practical purposes, assume that all soils are capable of supporting vegetation— otherwise they are not soils at all — except in the case of vegetation being_ impos- sible on account of an arid climate — and that they contain more or less of all the ten or twelve ingredients necessary for plant growth. As regards depth, ordinary tillage rarely goes below eight inches, although it might in many instances go deeper with advantage. An acre of land eight inches deep, calculated on an air-dry basis, weighs upon the average one thousand tons. Most people iiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii''uiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil would consider an application of half a ton of complete fertilizer, or its equivalent in stable manure (not forgetting that stable manure is seventy-five per cent water) an ample dressing each year, although in truck farming and in gardens double this quantity is generally used. Based upon the above weight of an acre of soil an application of one ton of fertilizer gives only two pounds to a ton of soil. Probably few of us have realized what an insignificant and infinitesimal proportion this really is, as, at the rate of a ton of moisture-free fertilizer to the acre we do not supply more than one grain to each pound of soil. It would scarcely appear possible that such a minute quantity, only one part in seven thousand, could have any effect upon a crop, and yet we know that it does have effect. Further in this connection, we must remember that with one ton of high grade complete fertilizer we only apply about five hundred pounds of actual plant food in the forms of nitrogen, phosphoric and potash, which may or may not be all available. From this we have forced upon us the important part which the natural plant food in the soil must play in crop production. It has long been known that practically all tillable soils are naturally rich in all plant food elements. The average of the results of fort>--nine analyses made a few years ago of the typical soils of the United States showed per acre for the first eight inches of surface, 2,600 pounds of nitrogen, 4,800 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 13,400 pounds of potash. If all of this poten- tial fertility w-ere rendered available, there is present in such an average soil, in the first eight inches, enough nitrogen to last the average crops for 100 years (without taking into considera- tion nitrogen brought into the soil from the atmosphere by clovers and other legumes), enough phosphoric acid for 500 years, and enough potash for 1,000 years. In addition to this there is the unestimated plant food in the earth below the depth of eight inches. Most people will at once ask, "Why, in the face of all this plant food in the soil is it necessary to fertilize at all?" In the first place we must remember that only a very little of the natural plant food in the soil is in a condition available for the plant. Further, in spite of all the scientific research which has been going on for many years and the wonderful advancement in our knowledge of the relationships between the growing plant and its environments, the above question even today cannot be fully answered. We know that manuring generally increases crops, and we know that, especially in fertilizers of an organic nature, some of their benefits are outside and beyond those de- rived from their actual plant food content; but we also know that there is a great deal which in the present state of our knowl- edge is une.xplainable. At the same time, while giving manuring all the credit it is entitled to, we can by devoting more attention to the rendering of the plant food naturally in the soil available, greatly reduce the cost of crop production without decreasing the crops, by reducing the expenditure for e.xpensive fertilizers. It must be borne in mind that a chemical analysis of a soil is no criterion upon which to base an opinion as to its fertility at the time the analysis is made, because soil analyses do not dis- tinguish between what is available and what is unavailable. While there is naturally a difference in the quantities of the various plant constituents soils contain we may for all practical purposes assume that those constituents are present in all tillable soils. A dozen different elements are required by plants as food, but the only ones necessary to trouble about are nitrogen, phos- phorus and potash ; lime is only required as actual food in a ven.- small degree, but it has a greater importance in other directions which will be alluded to later on. While every ingredient is important in the sense that plants must have all of them or suffer in their growth, nitrogen gen- erally has the first place on account of its expcnsiveness when purchased in fertilizers ; its tendency to be easily lost from the soil, and to the fact that it only exists in the soil as the result of vegetation, that is to say, that merely pulverized mineral matter practically, never contains nitrogen. In a pure and uncombined condition nitrogen forms a large proportion of the atmosphere, but in this state nitrogen is un- available as plant food. To become available it has to undergo in the soil the process known as nitrification. The work of for September, 1920 313 nitrification is carried on by the ceaseless activities of several species of micro-organisms classed as bacteria, and recent in- vestigations at New Jersey and Rothamsted seem to suggest that in addition to bacteria, minute plants classed as ferments, molds, etc., also assist in the process of nitrification. The fascinating story of the nitrifying organisms is now becoming an old one and we have previously in these lessons briefly outlined their work, but the story bears retelling, es- pecially for the bcnetit cf the many new readers of this journal. The nitrogen found in the soil is derived chiefly from the accumulated remains of animals and plants, but as nitrogen, it is useless to be used again as plant food. Not until the nitrogen ha.i been changed into a nitrate does it become available. This change can only take place by the work of micro-organisms, and the passage of soil nitrogen into a nitrate involves several stages each complete in itself, and each stage is the work of a distinct species of bacteria. Roughly speaking, nitrogen is first broken up into ammonia, a process involving several changes. If the ammonia were left to itself it w-ould be partly lost into the atmosphere and partly changed into carbonate of ammonia, a substance of which the plant may possibly utilize indirectly small quantities, but which in excess is harmful to plant life. But the ammonia is not left to itself. It is at once seized upon by another set of bacteria — quite distinct from those bringing about the existence of the ammonia — which change it to nitrite; this in turn is acted upon by another micro-organism, also quite distinct from any other, and changed to nitrate. Strictly speaking the bacteria do not actually form the nitrate, but they form nitric acid, which acid immediately combines with and is neutralized by some base, provided such base be present, generally liine as being the most active of bases, although it may combine with soda or potash, and the result is a nitrate of one of these bases ; such nitrates, being soluble in water, are therefore easily available for the plant. .•\11 living organisms, if they are to live and carry on their work, must have their proper food requirements and live under a suitable environment, and in these requirements the nitrifying organisms are no exception to the rule. Two conditions which are highly detrimental to these nitrifying organisms are acidity of the soil and the lack of air. They also require food, which they obtain from phosphates and other min- erals already in the soil. While they cannot carr>' on their work in acid soils, neither can they do so in those of extreme alkalinity. Also, as is implied by a previous statement, nitrates cannot be formed without the presence of some 'basic inatcrial. .Another requirement is an adequate supply of oxygen. Thisis obtained from the air in the soil. When soils are saturated with water or in a condition known as water-logged, nitrification cannot go on for want of oxy-gen. The formation of a hard, dry crust on the surface of soils also checks nitrification. In a very dry period the process is arrested for want of water. Temperature is also a factor, the most favorable being from SO to 93° F. The presence of organic matter in the soil is also necessary and when thoroughly decomposed nitrifying bacteria obtain part of their food from it. but the presence *of much partly or undecomposed vegetable or animal matter, otherwise known as organic, materially checks the work of these organisms. In order to allow nitrification to proceed all the necessary con- ditions must exist, and the process is frequently checked or stopped entirely either because one or more of these conditions are unfulfilled, or because of the existence of conditions which are distinctly adverse to the life of the bacteria. F.'xcepting temperature out of doors, the cultivator has the creating of the necessan,- conditions for nitrification practically under his control. He can by cultivation cause his soil to be well aerated so as to supply plenty of oxygen, which cultivation also tends to keep the soil moist: he can correct acidity by liming, which at the same time supplies a base for the nitric acid to combine with ; organic matter can be supplied by the turning under of cover crops and the phosphates can be' obtained from those already in the soil. It will therefore be apparent that along these lines available nitrogen can be supplied to the soil at a merely nominal cost. Thus far we have considered nitrogen from the point of view of rendering available the organic nitrogen contained in the soil, but there are two other processes, which as they involve the use of atmospheric nitrogen, are strictly speaking perhaps out- side the range of our present discussion although as these processes take place in the soil and are connected with the use of nitrogen contained in the soil atmosphere, and have no con- nection with the addition of nitrogen in the form of fertilizer to the soil, it appears fitting to consider them. Outside the question of classifying the micro-organisms_ as members of the vegetable kingdom, plants may be divided into two classes, namely, nitrogen consutners and nitrogen gatherers. The former obtain their nitrogen from the soil in the form of nitrates, while the latter gather their nitrogen from the atmos- phere through the agency of parasitic bacteria which are found in the nodules on their roots. Practically all plants belonging to the family Lcgitminosa are nitrogen gathers, such as peas, beans, clover, alfalfa, etc. Each separate genus, and perhaps in some cases species as well, have their own special bacterium, and this bacterium confines its attentions to its own plant. The species ot bacterium found in the nodules on clover roots will not work upon alfalfa roots, nor will those found upon peas or beans work upon clover or alfalfa. The bacteria inhabiting the root-nodules of the principal crop plants belonging to the above family have been isolated and cultivated separately, and can now be obtained through trade channels for the purpose of inoculating the seed of any species or the soil upon which it is to be grown so as to be sure that such plant's special bacterium is present. This inoculation is, however, frequently barren of results from want of recognition of the fact that, in common with those previously mentioned, these bacteria must have right soil con- ditions for the carrying on of their work. As they obtain the nitrogen upon which they work from the soil atmosphere, aera- tion of the soil is, of course, absolutely necessary ; there must also be a supply of phosphates and potash, with sufficient lime to prevent acidity. If any one of these conditions are absent, or any distinctly adverse conditions, such as want of drainage, present, then all the inoculation in the world will be useless. Crops of this family of plants always enrich the soil in nitro- gen, even when entirely removed from it, and a crop of clover turned under will add some two hundred pounds of nitrogen to the acre, which nitrogen would cost today in the form of nitrate of soda, about eighty dollars. We see at once w-hat great op- portunities the gardener and the farmer have to obtain their nitrogen almost for nothing, if they make leguminous crops serve as the source of nitrogen for crop production. It must be borne in mind that the nitrogen in the clover or other simi- lar crop turned under docs not become available until acted upon by the nitrifj'ing organisms first mentioned. .\nother source of available nitrogen is to be found as the result of the activities of certain free-living bacteria which have the power of fixing atmospheric nitrogen on their own account and do not require the co-operation of a living plant. The work of this class of micro-organisms has not yet been followed so closely and so finally as with the others previously mentioned. Their existence and initial work upon free nitrogen is known, and their activities require the same environment as do other nitrifying organisms. Unfortunately available nitrogen as such does not remain long in the soil, that which is not used by the plant being easily washed out by rain. Also the reverse of nitrification, namely, denitrification, may take place and is the result of the workings of a class of organisms which act upon the nitrates, forming free nitrogen which is liberated as gas. One of the conditions for denitrification is the absence of oxygen. Denitrification occurs in soils saturated with water and where the soil is so com- pacted that air is practically excluded. It is not possible to store our soils with available nitrogen as it does not. as is the case with other plant foods, undergo fixa- tion. Fixation is a chemical change taking place in the soil whereby a plant food in an easily soluble form, like nitrates, undergoes a chemical change and becomes less soluble, but which is at the same time, as a rule, in an available condition or may readily become so by cultivation, and in this state the plant by the acid secretion from its roots is free to render soluble in quantities and at times desired. This non-fixation causes a great loss of nitrogen to take place when the ground is bare, as in the cases of a bare fallow, and when a cover crop is not used in the .\utumn after the crops for use have been removed. In addition to the micro-organisms which carry on the work above mentioned there are a great many others, some of which are benehcial while others are in various ways harmful, to plant life. There are some of the latter which are injurious by reason of the fact that they prey upon those which carr\' on the work of nitrification. In a general way conditions which are harmful to the beneficial bacteria are such in w'hich the harmful bacteria thrive. .\n accumulation of partly or entirely undecomposed vei'elablc matter in the soil, and the soil condition known as "sick" due to continuous heavy manuring, all encourage the growth of the harmful bacteria, as do also undrained and badly cultivated soils, the want of lime and any other soil condition harmful to higher plant life. These harmful bacteria preying upon the nitrifying organisms are. while microscopic, of a considerably larger size, which size causes them to be more susceptible to conditions which are harmful to bacteria as a class, such as extremes of heat and cold. Tliis enables us to adopt measures of partial sterilization of the soil by which the harmful species are killed. Exposing the soil to severe frost is destructive to them; the same effect is brought about when "sick" soils are treated with quick-lime ; they are 314 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE more or less destroyed when a bench of soil in a greenhouse is allowed to dry out all the Summer, and treating soils with steam while killing harmful organisms leaves at least some of the beneficial ones unharmed, otherwise the great good which a soil derives from the steaming process would not come about. In many parts of the world, especially in India, brush is burned upon the surface, a process which greatly benefits succeeding crops, an effect which is undoubtedly brought about by the heat from the burning brush destroying the harmful organisms. Such organisms may be also killed by the use of germicidal preparations applied to the soil. Experimental work at Rothamsted and elsewhere has re- peatedly brought out the fact that conditions harmful to life in the soil, such as extremes of heat or cold, use of liquid germi- cides, and so on, always lead to greater activity on the part of the beneficial organisms as soon as such harmful conditions have passed, owing to the fact that such condition have at least con- siderably decreased the numbers of those bacteria which prey upon the beneficial ones. All -oils worth cultivating contain a large supply of phosphoric acid, the proportion of it which is availalile will depend upon the treatment which the soil has received. The store of phos- phoric acid in the soil is always in some form of phosphate, in the absence of cultivation, etc., it is generally and largely in the unavailable forms of phosphates of iron and alumina. The production of available phosphoric acid is mainly brought about by chemical action, such action being set in motion by culti- vation, green manuring and the application of lime. So far as is known the soil micro-organisms have no direct action in this direction, but doubtless their work in the way of breaking up animal and vegetable residues has considerable indirect action. Lime is what is known by chemists as a very active base. When it is added to the soil it seizes upon the phosphoric acid contained in the phosphates of iron and alumina and forms phosphate of lime, which easily becomes available as actual plant food. Unlike available nitrogen, available phosphoric acid is not easily washed out of the soil, although under certain conditions it does sometimes revert back to its unavailable form, but this of course involves no actual loss. When it is necessary to apply phosphoric acid to the soil, as might be the case for instance when ground has been neglected, it is best to apply it by means of fertilizers having an organic origin, of which ground bones is an example, and the finer they are ground the quicker will be their action. Phosphoric acid of an inorganic nature, such as superphosphate or acid phosphate, is not so good as these and has a detrimental effect upon the nitrifying organisms. With regard to potash, this important plant food is present in abundance in all soils worth cultivating, and it is never, or very rareiy, necessary to apply it, still less is it necessary to import it into the country so far as feeding plants is concerned. It is present naturally in the soil in a very insoluble state, generally as a complex form of potash and alumina. In this case, too, lime is an important medium of bringing it into an available form, as when this active base comes into contact with dormant compounds of potash it takes the place of the potash, which, being thus liberated, goes into solution and becomes available for the plant. In this connection, sulphate of lime (gypsum) is more active in regard to potash than carbonate of lime. There is practically never any soluble potash in an acid soil, and soils in this condition must first have their acidity re- moved before the lime can act upon the potash. Rocks known as feldspar and also granite are very rich in potash and there is generally a superabundance of it in all soils formed funda- mentally by their disintegration. It will have become apparent that the application of lime is necessary in connection with the production of the available forms of all of the three important plant foods, nitrogen, phos- phoric acid and potash, and it is only for this purpose that it is really necessary to apply lime, as plants use ver\- little of it as actual food and all soils contain an abundance looked at from this point of view only. A liritish agriculturist wrote some 400 years ago, "Tillage is manure." His observations showed him that land well tilled, receiving little or no manure, produced better crops than that receiving an abundance of manure but little cultivation. In connection with all plant foods contained in the soil con- tinual cultivation always tends to render them available. As much of the breaking down of the original rocks was brought about by the action of weather changes, exposure of the soil to the weathering action of Winter frosts is another active agency in producing available plant food. The presence of organic matter in the soil is also another active factor in this direction. This organic matter can be cheaply supplied by the turning under of green crops. The fact that organic matter is a very potent agent in the breaking up of insoluble plant foods, is doubtless due to the amount of carbon dioxide formed during the de- caying process of vegetable matter, such as green manures ; this carbon dioxide renders mineral matter more soluble. Also the organic matter forms a medium for the growth of various bac- teria, ferments, etc., which assist in breaking down soil com- ponents. Stable manure, while being a direct plant food, is equally as valuable for its indirect action in assisting very materially in unlocking dormant phosphoric acid and potash already con- tained in the soil. While we are not advocating the entire discontinuance of manuring, a greater dependence upon the practically inex- haustible supplies of potash and phosphates in the soil and of the nitrogen in the atinosphcre by taking the steps necessary to render them available and less dependence upon purchased plant foods, will be found to produce at least equal results at a considerable reduction in cost. THE SAMENESS IN GARDENS I NOTICE in your "Here and There'' column of July number just received the writer deprecates the formal (hardens of -which we have got so tired in favor of some- thing more natural. No doubt they have even now their I)lace in large establishments where all sorts of gardens can be indulged in. But it is in the small villa gardens which are to be seen by the thousands in the subitrbs of our cities, that formalism and sameness seem so pitiful. \\'here as soon as Spring comes a row or two of Lobelias, Geranium, Calceolarias, Alyssum or Marguerites are just put out and for about two months or so in the middle of Summer are just bright and gay. But one soon tires of the row of red, white, yellow and blue and all interest in the garden is lost and add to this the miles of Privet Hedges which have to be clipped every few weeks. Oh, my, the sameness of it all ! But it is fashionable for the bed- ding out to be done and so it is done and oftentimes the plants are left till every one is killed by Frost and the bedding out time comes round again. I know a front garden of a detached suburban villa in which for at least eight months there is always some- thing worth looking at. It only measures 36 by 24 feet, includes a grass plot and rockery and in it are more than 100 varieties of plants, and passers-by invariably and hab- itually look over the low fence to see what is newly in bloom, and often pull themselves up sharp to see some- thing strikingly fresh or distinct. The front of the house is well covered with Red Pyra- cantlia, backed on one side with Ceanothus dentatus and on the other with Clematis Jackman, Tamarisk and Rose Crimson Rambler. In middle of the grass plot is an oval bed planted with Rose Antoine Rivoire. but also filled with Forget-Me-Not, Asters, Wallflower — and now inost effective of all, Lobelia cardlnalis. It is quite a picture for months. The rockwork is prettily covered with such things as Dwarf Veronica, Red Valerian, Primroses, Polyanthus-Crocus, Cat Mint, Hcuchcra san^^ulnca, Sedums, Llthospernmin fruflcosum, Funkias. Arabis, It has confolla. Hardy Ferns, Ccrastlmn, Aubretias, Gen- tian, Violas, Saxifrage, Pulmonarla mollis. Verbena chamcrdroldes in the front and on either side are stand- ard double white Lilac, Standard Golden Privet, White and Crimson Rhododendron, Gum Cistus, Silver Eiion- ymus, Acer Polymorphum Atropitrpureum, Bambusa Fortunei. Phlox, Hydrangeas on either side, Rose Tea Ramblers, Dorothy Perkins, Yellow Broom, Erica vcltchli, Sak'la patens, Lygiisfrnm Henryi, Buddlela variabilis, ^lagnifica Rose Hiawatha, Golden Rod, Daffodils, Fox- gloves. Helianthemums, Azalea mollis, etc., etc., etc. As I said before over 100 varieties and only 3 Geran- iums and 2 Fuchsias that will not stand the Winter. The owner thoroughly enjoys "messing about" as he calls it in his garden — pruning this, tying that and chat- ting with neighbors as they pass by. Truly a big lot of fun can be gotten out of a little garden. H. A. B. London, England. for September, 1920 315 Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews | -Wti.' Roses lit Biigatcllc. — We have already announced (June 19,) the fact that the Gold Medal at the Bagatelle trial of new Roses this year was awarded to Rose Frances Gaunt, and we now have particulars of the other awards. Certificates of Merit were given to President Parmentier, sent by Sauvageot, a cross between Colonel Lcclerc and Le Progres, pinkish Apricot color very strong and free-growing; Le France Viclorieuse, an H.T. hybrid sent by the Rosary of L'Hay, pale pink with a slightly deeper heart, very large petals ; Comicsse de Cassagne, another H.T. from the firm of Guillot, petals ivorj'-yellow outside, lightly suffused with pink inside, very strong in growth and with a long season of flowering; and Mermaid, an interesting hybrid obtained by crossing 7?. bractcata with an unnamed Tea Rose, the large flowers are pale-yellow. I am not surprised to heart that Rosa Frances Gaunt won the premier award at the Rose trials at Bagatelle. It is one of the best of the new varieties. The habit of growth is all that could be desired ; vigorous, carrying the blossoms erect on stout stems, which renders it ail the more useful for garden decorations. The color is deep apricot. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. Rose Competition at Bagatelle. — The new roses sent out in 1919 have been very numerous, in spite of the difficulties of all sorts, and many of them are very beautiful. The choosings for the Gold Medal and for the certificates have been very difficult. SotiiH'nir de Claudius Fernet. — The Gold Medal — is a grand rose of pure chrome yellow held up on a stiff stem. The bush is very vigorous and extremely floriferous. The name was given by Mons. Pernet-Ducher to perpetuate the memorj- of his eldest son gloriously fallen on the field of battle. Its vigor and the color, a pure yellow and the good form make it very remarkable. In the competition of next year we shall find an admirable rose bearing the name of the second son whom the war has taken away from this unfortunate father. Another yellow rose of Mons. Pernet-Ducher, Benedicfc Scguin, with large petals, very beautiful in the bud was noteworthy; its color, very different, is golden yellow; the beautiful foliage is dark, the stem stout and very long; it is more of a H.T. than a Pernetiana ; it has moreover the delicate and penetrating perfume of the hybrid teas, a quality deserving to be noted in a yellow rose, especially in one so strongly colored as is this. (First-class Certificate), The Gold Medal for roses of foreign origin was assigned to Frances Gaunt, of .^lec. Dickson. — Le lardin. PAPAVER SHIRLEIENSE. If it were my fate (as in these days I could almost wish it were), to be Crusoed on the Island of Juan Fernandez, and did the power that marooned me leave me but a single flower to solace my captivity, I should say: "Give me then, tyrant, a pinch of Shirley Poppy seed" ; and the first phrase I should teach my parrot would be, "Hurrah for Wilks and Liberty!" With Orchids and Roses, Tulips and Passion Flowers, Dahlias and Delphiniums to choose from, il may seem a curious lack of discrimination to single out the "harmless necessary" Poppy, th's Ii,ghtly held, unconsidered annual, hut yesterday a memtier of the despised proletariat of weeds, exposed to the harrow- ing persecutions and objurgations of farmers and their hinds — to choose this field .^rab for the sole ornament and glory of my Pacific island; this surely, if only in the interests of sanity, would stand in need of justification. To begin with, if I am to have but one flower, it must needs be a flower likely to be in evidence throughout a large part of the twelve months — seven or eight months of the iwclve at least. Xc.xt I choose these Poppies as giving the minimum of trouble and anxiety; no nursing or coddling, no strapping and wrapping and swad- dling in Sphagnum as if they were babies or Orchids, no striking, or .grafting, or budding or layering as if they were Roses or Carnations, no truck w-ith tul)crs as if they were Dahlias, no lifting and repianting of bulbs as if ihcy were Tulips or Daflfo- dils. No! none of these troublesome operations! Just fling your pinch of seed broadcast on the wind, and there you are! T dare say that the Poppy is not aver.se to rich diet, though it thrives none the better for battening on the fat regimen of Kroccolis or Dahlias. I have no doubt it would take to a nitrogenous diet as readily as a beggar to pate de foie gras.' but it is not the better for it. On over rich food the Poppy tends to become gross and obese, with a susceptibility to dropsy or gout. In s'lort, the Poppy dees itself more credit on a me- dium soil ; if light and gravelly, perhaps, all the better. Fling it on any spot where Chickweed is happy (and where is not Chickweed happy?), and the Poppy will spring into life, and grow space, and flower in flamboyant splendor, and produce seed a thousandfold and die, and rot, and, in response to the first shower after its decease, will spring into new life and a gjorious re-incarnation. There are only three troubles with this Poppy, the thinning, the staking and the gathering, but these, especially the last, are greater than the inexperienced would be ready to believe. The Shirley Poppy is, I understand, descended in direct line from the Poppy of the field, Papaver Rliaras. Most people sup- pose they are familiar with the Field Poppy, and probably they are with a Field Poppy. But P. Rhoeas is a protean species Long before the Shirley Poppy was known to English gardens, this extreme variability of ihe Field Poppy was noied by scien- tific writers. In a w'ork written in 1857 I find the following remark made about P. Rhaas: "By cultivation many beautiful varieties of this species are obtained, both double and semi- double, and of various shades, from rose color to white, and not unfrequenlly variegated" — which is not a bad description of the Shirle}- Poppy as we know it now. The Shirley Poppy does not owe its origin, as some possibly suppose, to John Wilkes, who was member for Middlesex and a Mayor of London in the eighteenth century. John Wilkes, by all accounts the most charming man of his time, did not so far as I know, concern himself much with flowers, except indeed, with the Flowers of Rhetoric, to w-hich he gave assiduous attention and which he cultivated with notable success, his Hyperboles, in particular, being of such a robust and vigorous strain, though coarse, as to make quite a sensation at Westminster and Windsor. He had, however, nothing to do with the Shirley Poppy, the origina- tion of which unquestioned tradition ascribes to the Reverend (which the editor of the North Briton certainly was not), Wil- liam (not John), Wilks (not Wilkes). The story goes that Mr. Wilks, Vicar of Shirley, who was secretary to a well known horticultural society, and felt, besides, a genuine in- terest in horticulture, found one day in his garden what he considered an e.xceptionally fine specimen of the Field Poppy, Papaver Rha-as. that he proceeded to segre.gate this plant and pay it the attention it seemed to deserve as the possible progeni- tor of a desirable posterity; that by saving the seed and select- ing for several generations, he at length evolved the present glorious race of flowers which, from its place of origin, is named Shirley. .As to the cultivation of the Shirley Poppy there is something to be said, but not a great deal. The necessary counsel is fourfold: (1) Sow in Autumn (September or early O.tober); (2) thin unsparingly; (3) stake firmly; (4) and gather assidu- ously. 1 do not say that soil is of no consequence. Like other things, this Poppy '.vill flourish most vigorously and supply flowers of the best quality where the soil is in reasonably good heart. Soil, for instance, that will grow good carrots and turnips will also grow good Poppies. But more important than the richness of the soil are its mechanical properties, a fairly light soil I)ein.g the more congenial, at least in the early stages. The Shirlev Poppy (and probably all Poppies, certainly the Orien'.al, (^pium and Iceland Poppies), opens its flowers only in the earlv hours of the mornin.g. However brilliant the sun- shine, no Peppy flowers will expand during the daytime, that is, af'er the sun is well up in the sky, say from 8 a. m. on- wards, nor do they open during the dark hours of the night. (father all your Poppies before breakfast today, and you will have no more blossoms till five oclock or thereabouts to-mor- row morning. One of the chief features of interest in the Poppy i-; it strict adherence to times and seasons, not merely t'e seasons of the year, but even the hour of the day. Shirley Poppies sown in .\ututr.n may be expected to come into flower in late May or early June, and to be at their best about the Summer solstice, that is, when the days arc long and warm. The most convenient way of growing Poppies for purposes of observation is. I think, in the form of a hedge, like a row of Peas, and staked much in the same way. — The Garden. COLOR AND CHEER. The heritage of Autumn beauty ought to be ours just as much as that of any other season such as Spring or Summer, and although its reign is such a short one it is worth ij-hile 316 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE to do what we can to secure it. Nature lends her most bril- liant colors to dj'e the falling leaves and ripening berries, mak- ing as it were one last dash for beauty before she assumes the sombre garments of the year. Many of the shrubs and trees at our command take part in this pageant of beauty, and by ex- pending just a little thought in selection, some fine autumnal effects and color combinations can be obtained. Ligiiidambar- styraciiiiiia (American Sweet Gum) is one of the most satis- factory trees in this respect A native of the northern United States, it is hardy and affords excellent shade in Summer. From the gray branches hang long stalked, glossy, maple-like leaves of elegant shape which at the tirst touch of cold run from pale green through gold into a deep crimson, sprays of which mixed with pink dahlias, are a thing to be remembered. The leaves, which are fragrant when bruised, remain on until the first frosts Seeds (mostly imported) take a year to ger- minate and when the seedlings are about 6 inches high they should be transplanted into deep, moist loam. Liriodcndron tuliftifera (The Tulip Tree) is another beauti- ful North American tree which not only gives good and striking color effects but is also valuable from a decorative point of view on account of its flowers. These open in Spring and early Summer when the foliage is a soft light green. They are shaped like those of a tulip and are sweet-scented, the cujj greenish yellow without and orange within. The leaves borne on this splendidly sturdy tree of which the wide spreading branches often crown an erect stem 60 feet high, are ver\- hand- some and distinctive, with two lobes at the base and two at the apex, separated by a broad shallow notch. In Autumn they are a rich golden yellow. In Great Britain the trees are found to thrive under very varied conditions as regards soil but a good deep loam in a sheltered situation is most desirable. Other trees for Autumn effect are Qucrcus coccinca, Acer sacchaium and Cornus fihrida, which sometimes has its glowing tints aug- mented by the presence of scarlet fruits; whilst amongst shrubs we have Etionyiiuts ahtus — the Japanese Burning Bush, — Ber- beris tnnlgaris. Sambucus, and the many attractive species of Samhucus. — South African Gardening and Country Life. ANDROMEDA (PIERIS) FLORIBUNDA. Those who live on poor, peaty soils have at least one ad- vantage in that all the charming small shrubs that we know under the general garden name of Andromeda can be grown to_ perfection. One of the earliest and most lavish of bloom is Picris floribinida, a stiff, woody shrub covered in early April withits pretty white bloom. It has the unusual habit of form- ing its flovyer-buds in early Autumn, when, quite six months before its tinie of blooming, it has all the appearance of prom- ising to be in flower within a fortnight. It grows to a height of 6 feet to 7 feet, then taking a form between bush and sinall tree. We have it by one of the several paths that lead from garden to wood, in company with Ganitheria, Skimmia and the dwarf alpine Rhododendrons, all plants that thrivi; In i ur light, sandy soil. — The Garden. THE POPULARITY OF TUFTED PANSIES. A summary of some of the dwarf plants used for Summer planting in the flower garden in a recent number makes one realize how much the Tufted Pansies predominate for such work in the majority of gardens. When one sees them in mass in scores of varieties thoroughly well done there is no question as to the reason for their popularity, because, in addi- tion to their freedom and long-continued blooming season, they give in their variety almost every shade of color with the ex- ception of scarlet, and this has led to the exclusion of many dwarf plants largely used at one time but now shelved in favor of the Pansies, as the Av,'?Lr{es.t^ Ageratum, Gazania splen- dens. Tageles piiniila. and the white Alys.mm. Those retained either supply a shade unknown in the Pansies, as in Linum graiididoruin, or have a peculiarity of their own, as in Cuphea platyccntra. A grand point in favor of the free use of these Pansies is their adaptability to association with so many dif- ferent plants, both hardy and tender, as Roses and Pentstemons in the one and Fuchsias and Begonias in the other, and many other things classed as bona fide greenhouse or stove plants that are occasionally used in the llnwer garden. I noted above the free and continuous blooming of these Pansies, but it must be remembered that this is only obtained by liberal culture and making sure that the soil is always fairly moist, the latter se- cured by a good soaking and a surface mulching if the weather prove hot and dry. In addition to the many different shades commonly known and planted, some new varieties have been introduced in recent years in copper and brown which serve as capital carpet plants to Roses of similar hwe.— Gardening Jlhistrated. WHITE FOXGLOVES. One of the many interests of the garden is the gradual better- ing by selection of some kind of flower. Among a batch of white Foxglove grown some twentv-five years ago there came one absolutely without spot of any kind. It is usual for them even when colored spots are absent, to have some kind of faint spotting of pale buff or brown; but the unspotted white one was isolated, and every year there were more of the pure white Now the strain may be considered fixed, for though there may still be here and there the faintest trace of spotting, one may say that quite 95 per cent will be pure. The whole growth is handsome, the spikes well over 7 feet in height and of good form ; the individual bloom held in the hand might almost pass for a white Gloxinia. It is a plant for many uses; in patches in garden borders or among shrubs, but best of all in woodland. When a tree is grubbed, leaving a space of loosened soil, we sow the white Foxglove, and in two years time there is a noble group of the pure white spires.— ^/^^' Garden. HOEING IN DRY WEATHER. The amateur gardener is at first inclined to be rather sceptical about the advantages of hoeing in times of drought. He does not see how it is that breaking up the surface soil is going to prevent his plants from drying out. The constant use of a hoe is worth any amount of watering. Any soil, whether it be light or hea\-i-. is composed of count- less numbers of minute, almost spherical particles, the water forming almost continuous channels from the lower levels of the soil to the surface. When evaporation is taking place at the soil level, as it is always doing to a certain extent, and to a greater degree in hot weather, a stream of water is continuously being drawn up to take the place of the moisture evaporated at the surface, and the reserve water a foot or so down gradually becomes exhausted as it travels up to be dried by the sun's rays. By breaking up an inch or two of soil at the surface with the hoe these continuous channels of water are disturbed and broken through, and the moisture ceases to be drawn up by the action of the sun. .A. loose layer is provided at the surface through which the water only rises upward with difficulty, as the further apart the particles are the more difficult it is for the water to form continuous channels. This continuous hoeing in dry weather conserves the moisture in the lower soil levels, where it is available for the roots instead of its being evaporated into the air and lost to the plant. So if you are afraid that your vegetables are suffering from drought, ply the hoe vigorously and ■ leave the watering can severely alone. — Gardening Illustrated. PEACH LEAF CURL. Having regard to the ease with which Leaf Curl of Peaches is controlled it is remarkable how wide-spread this unsightly malady remains. So long as it was supposed that the mycelium of the fungus (Exoascus deformani:) perennates in the tissues of the Peach tree, and growing with the new shoots infected them in turn, it seemed hopeless to attempt to check the malady by spraying. But a crucial experiment made some years ago at Wisley showed, nevertheless, that spraying may serve to arrest the disease in the most strikingly peremptory manner. A row of Peaches trained against the south side of a wall was chroni- cally affected with Leaf Curl and almost completely unfruitful. It was decided to test the effect of spraying with Burgundy mixture, which had been used, already with marked success by Dr. Home in controlling American Gooseberry Mildew. In order to secure if possible a decisive result, one-half only of each fan-trained tree was sprayed. The work was done in the early Spring, just before the buds were about to expand. The result was remarkable. As the new foliage developed that on the sprayed half of the tree was as clean as the hand of the healed leper— that on the other was distorted and discolored after the drastic fashion of leaf-curled foliage. The conclusion was therefore plain : that the Spring infection is the result of the germination of spores shed from diseased foliage during the previous year, and lodged in or between the bud scales where they hibernate, start into growth as the buds expand, and infect the young foliage. When this mode of infection is understood it is easy to realize also how it is that Spring weather acts so often as the deciding factor — determining whether infection shall take place or not — for the spores are minute and are likelv to in- fect the tissues of the leaf only under conditions most favorable to them. These conditions are either moist air and developing leaves gorged with water or dry air due to winds, with con- sequent injury to and reduced resistance of the young foliage. Hence it is that the gardener is apt to attribute" Leaf Curl to adverse Spring weather and to ignore the fact that it is only a contributory and not a prime cause of the disease. In view of these facts two conclusions may be drawn — one with cer- for September, 1920 317 tainty, the other provisionally ; the former, that by Spring spray- ing, Leaf Curl may be abolished from our gardens; the latter, that spraying in late Autumn or Winter after the leaves have fallen may prove to be as effectual and possibly more con- venient than spraying in the Spring. It is to be hoped that experiments on these lines will be made and also that mycologists will complete their inquiry into the life history of this disease by ascertaining in what state the spores rest during the Winter. The Burgundy mixture which was used at Wislcy was com- posed of 'A pound of copper sulphate. 2-54 pounds of sodium car- bonate and 12 gallons of water. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. THE BULB SCHOOL, LISSE, HOLLAND Situated on the outskirts of the village of Lisse, and in the very heart of the bulb-growing district, stands the Government Bulb School, where students receive a very thorough education and technical instruction in the practice and principles of bulb cultivation. The aim of the school is to instruct youths in the very complicated business of bulb growing and also endow them with a sound education. Before entering the .school a youth must have had at least six months' experience on a bulb farm to enable him to under- stand the meaning of the technical terms employed in the in- dustry and to bring him into contact with real processes, with men at work, and with the great current of the world's industrial life. Having submitted himself as a candidate, he must then pass an entrance examination and show knowledge of such sub- jects as Dutch grammar, mathematics and geography. The standard required is about equivalent to that needed to pass the Cambridge or Oxford Junior Local Examination. The candi- date, however, must have an clementarv- knowledge of three languages — English, French, and Gerinan — as languages neces- sarily play a very important part in the trade of the bulb grower, since his business is one of exportation to the British Isles, Scan- dinavia, America, France. Russia. Germany and .\ustria. The course of study at the school lasts over a period of three successive years. During the flow-ering season of bulbs the students are .given one month's vacation, wherein they have am- ple opportunity to study the flowers and the habits of the varieties, as well as to help with the operations on the farms at that season. Again, in the lifting and planting season they gam further experience in the tield and in the warehouse and office. From October to May instruction is given in the school. The subjects are many and varied. Pure and applied botany, with special reference to bulbs, is a principal subject, and instruction is also given in horticultural physics and chemistry. Special teaching is given in bulb cultivation, particularly of Hyacinths. Tulips, Narcissi and Gladioli, while such operations as cross- breeding, planting, lifting and warehouse management receive detailed attention. The student is also trained to recognize the diseases and pests affecting Dutch bulbous crops and the method of controlling them. Correspondence, office adininistration. bookkeeping, as applied to a bulb fann and business, surveying and commercial geography are also included in the syllabus and all these subjects are com- pulson,'. The student may also receive additional in.struction in the English, French, Scandinavian, Russian and German lan- guages and correspondence. If he wishes, he may study all these five langu.ages. Typewriting and stenography are optional sub- jects. The school examination is held at the end of each year. The Dutch Government has entered heartily into the business of educating youths to take an important standing in a profes- sion which means so much to the country. Holland is regarded as one of the most productive countries in the world and in bulb growing it certainly takes the lead. The bulb growers have much in their favor and can perform cultural operations which are commercially impossible in this country. The degree of proficiency which the best growers have reached is marvelous, but there should be finer results, as the school succeeds in equip- ping youths with sound, practical knowledge, specially adapted to the business they are to enter. Not only does Holland possess a special school for bulb cul- ture, but in other parts of the country there are schools where a complete training is given in other branches of cmnmcrcial horticulture. To ihe writer it appears that this system of com- mercial education is admirable and the time may come when the horticultural student in the ITnited Kingdcnn may demand an opportunity, at very little cost, of .gaining a business and scien- tific insight into whatever branch of the huge industry he de- cides to enter. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. THE DOUBLE WHITE NARCISSUS A quarter of a century or more ago its failin.g to flower was much discussed in gardening journals by leading market men and prominent amateurs, who variously attributed it to "late spring frosts," "drying east winds," and things akin after the flowering scapes were prominent above ground. These superficial views I never favored. At the time I grew it on a large scale — many thousands of it — and was as much disappointed as the rest at the fewness of good flow^ers which resulted from fairly generous cultivation. Blind flowers, so-called, were abundant, albeit the foliage was healthy, the scapes (flowering stems) strong. These facts set me thinking. The variet>- flowered late, t. c., in May, when conditions of dry- ness and increasing solar heat were but natural. The soil was good, light loam, fifty years old pasture recently brought into cultivation, though much drained by reason of a deep bed of gravel and sand below, which in Summer rendered it dust dry. With such conditions obtaining, it was noticed — and the fact would be obvious to the most casual observer— that leaf maturity in the case of the Double White was much earlier reached than was the case with other sorts flowering weeks in advance of It, and, knowing that in the Narcissi the germ of any season's flowering is virtually laid with the maturing of the leaf growth in the previous year, caused me to decide that 1 had touched the root of the whole matter. In other words, I decided that the late flowering of the variety, the much-drained soil, absence of atmospheric and root moisture, with increasing heat combining to an appreciably shortened period for the maturing of bulb and foliage, were the chief factors of the failing. In fine, that imperfectly-formed flower-buds being laid, blindness was assured practically a year in advance of its becoming apparent. Subse- quent experiments with bulbs in pits sheltered from the weather and treated on a semi-aquatic plan proved the contention right. A year or two later, in a private garden I came upon a few scattered groups of it at a pond-side and in fine flower. Its owner had thoughts of filling in the pond, and I was on the spot professionally with a view to suggesting an alternative. From inquiries I found that the Narcissi had been there for years, and without care or attention came up and flowered well annually. In Winter they were many times under water, and at other tiines always in cool or moist soil. — Gardening Illustrated. I'oie Lactee with its large, pure white, single flowers, is prob- ably the finest single white in cultivation, the flowers are power- fully scented, stamens golden-yellow. The variety purpureo- mactiiatus. with its dark patch of rosy-purple in the centre of each flower and its delicious spicy fragrance, is certain to be- come a favorite in time. Virginal is the finest double form of P. Leuwinci in cultivation. It has dense clusters of large, pure white flowers. Even those who do not as a rule care about double flowers are carried away by the great beauty of those of Virginal. .\11 three varieties are very fragrant, the spicy odor of purpureo-macuhitus bein.g very pleasant in the garden in the evening as it is carried about in Summer breezes. The flowers for this year will alas, soon be a thing of the past. As soon as they are over, the old flowering wood will be lightly thinned out. — The Garden. Seed pods on Rhododendrons. — It would be greatly to the advantage of Rhododendrons if the fact were more generally recognized that the development of a mass of seed pods inflicts a great strain on the plants. It will be found of great service to the plants if the pods are removed as soon as the blossoms are oyer. This applies even more particularly to the choice varieties, which kre probably obtained in the shape of small plants. — Gardening Illustrated. .'Single Roses. — These have a charm of their own. Some of the free growing varieties such as Irish Elegance can be effect- ively cultivated as specimen plants if lightly pruned each year. .\mongst the newest introductions are Isobel and Ulster Gem, both holders of the gold medal of the N.R.S. Isobel is fragrant with carmine red petals surrounding a golden heart of pure yellow. Ulster Gem is a deep primrose yellow with prominent anthers. The long pointed buds open into flowers sometimes 6 inches across Climbers. — A word of warning has to be uttered with regard to "climbing sports" developed from dwarfs, now becoming more numerous every year. On the part of somciralion of Ground. — Should take place some time before you expect the ar- rival of your plants. Coarse raw soil is no place for rose roots, so, having selected a sheltered position apart from other trees or plants, to avoid closeness which in- duces mildew — trench 2 feet deep, mixing a fair quantity of rotted cow or stable manure with the soil ; and if the latter be old, renovate it by the addition of some good fresh loam. Decide how far apart you will place your plants. Next, mark out the bed and make basin- like holes 12 inches deep. Fill these with water and leave for a few days before planting as this should never be done while the soil is wet and sticky. On receiving your bushes from the nur- seryman, undo the wrapping and if un- fortunately not ready to plant that day, thoroughly saturate with water and cover with a damp bag, placing them for pref- erence in some dark shed until you can begin operations. If the weather and ground be very dry it may be advisable to dig a shallow trench, fill it up with water, and after this has drained away and you have made sure that the adjacent soil is really moist, heel in for two or three days by putting the roots and part of the lower stems into the trench so that they lie at an angle against one side of it and then fill in the trench again with wet soil. T'^is heeling in is a necessary procedure should the plants for any reason, su."h as delay, have become very dry during transit. They should at the time of plantin.g be plump and green or a nice ruddy brown. No rose-bush should ever be planted looking dry. In arranging many varieties in a bed put the weak growers along the front line, the stronger ones to the rear. Look at each tree before planting and if there be any bruised tips to the roots or broken roots, cut these away with a sharp knife. Bone- dust the bottom of each hole, putting a good handful in each, then lay in a nice spadeful of sandy soil and round it over like an upturned saucer. If in a windy region drive in a stake. Avoid deep planting especially in the case of weak growers which are only of use on the briar roots. For dwarf roses and the ordinary budded ones, place the union of the stock with the bud two inches be- neath the soil. Just above this point the rose will then throw out roots of its own in addition to those of the briar which are situated lower down and the plant derive much benefit. Spread the roots out carefully so as to have nothing crossing. Place some fine soil between and over them, then a little well decayed manure and lastlv fill the hole up loosely with the soil. Give gentle foot pressure all round to ensure the necessary GREENflOUSES Are extremely popular among gardeners who take pride in having the best showing of flowers and vege- tables. The remarkable growing qualities of King Green- houses are due to the careful attention given every detail of construction to insure maximum strength and minimum shadow. _Wp ^voukl like to have you see a King House and let It tell Its own story. Write us today and we will give you the name of some gardener near you who will be glad to show you one. King Construction Company North Tonawanda, N. Y. 1 West 47th St., New York Harrison bidg., t*hiia. 307 North Irving Ave., Scranton, Pa. ':'T->A •iilll.4iuiMiiiiiitiitMiti)imuiiiiii;j tpe- ■%1 firmness. Then fill up the hollow thus caused to make top of hole level with surface and tread again. The shorter you make the stems of your newly planted roses the better. Six eyes are sufficient on each stem. Give each plant a good drenching once a week and mulch, a fortnight after planting, with litter or old manure.— ^OK/Zi African Gardening and Country Life. HOW TO KEEP CUT FLOWERS FRESH The following notes upon the keeping of cut flowers, compiled from official and graduate work carried on at Cornell Uni- versity, may prove of interest: 1. The factors concerned with long keep- ing of freshly cut flowers are, proper tem- pcrature, humidity, light and ventilation. The temperature should be from 35 deg. to 45 deg. F., cool crops doing better at the lower temperature. A high humidity (85 per cent) should be maintained by sprink- ling the floor of the storage room; this will also help to reduce the temperature, since evaporation is a cooling process. (The notable exception to this treatment is Sweet Peas which are injured by a damp atmos- phere.) Light should be reduced to a mini- mum. A constant and uniform circulation of air should be provided for, to prevent the rotting of the flowers. 2. The avera.ge of the results of over a thousand experiments made in this country and in France indicate that Carnations will keep best in a 10 to IS per cent, 'Mums in a 15 per cent. Orchids in a 10 to 20 per cent, and Roses in a 7 to 10 per cent sugar solu- tion. Prof. Knudson found that soluble mineral salts in the water .greatly retarded (or prevented) the fouling of the water, by their inhibiting effect upon the growth of bacteria. for September, 1920 321 •21 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii in iiiiiii i i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiranii i iiiiiii iiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiliiiim«^ DREER'S HARDY PERENNIAL PLANTS SPRING FLOWERING BULBS The Fall is an excellent time to set out Hardy Perennial Plants, Vines, Shrubs, Roses, etc. We make a specialty of these plants and grow in large assortment. A complete list will be found in our AUTUMN CATALOGUE, also Spring-flowering Bulbs which must be planted this Fall for blooming ne.xt Spring. A copy mailed free to anyone mentioning this publication. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 CHESTNUT STREEl", PHILADELPHIA, - PA. iiiiiiiiuiiiiliiiraiiiiiiNiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ This treatment may prove advantageous where the water in the vases cannot be fre- (lucnt)y changed. I beheve that the laundry hhiiiiH (usually a ferrocyanide) mentioned in the Nov. 15 article, would act in a way similar to any other salt in preventing the development of bacteria in the w^ater. There is little doubt, however, but that the daily changing of the water in which flowers are placed is the most efficient and most eco- nomical method in the long run. 3. Most flowers should be cut, not broken, straight across the stem, in the early morn- ing when the water content is highest. Of course, Roses and otlier flowers whose t)uds open quickly, must be cut twice a day. The longer the stem, the better, since there is more tissue for water storage, and more surface which can absorb water, providing the vases are deep and well filled with water. 4. A heavy application of fertilizers to the plants, prior to cutting, will sometimes send the flowers "to sleep," and may affect their keeping qualities. Heavy fumigations act in a similar way. 5. Clipping the stems under 'ui'atcr every day caused flowers to last for 11 days, as against 9 days when clipped out of water. There are many other pointers, such as charring the stems of Poinsettias, etc.. which every florist knows. \ great deal depends upon the kind of flower and how it was grown.. In general, the problem consists in arresting development, not in feeding the blooms. Flowers and fruits, when cut from the plant, tend to oxidize their carbon to carbon dioxide gas, hence any method which tends to prevent this will tend to increase the keeping. For the florist with a store window, the aim should be to maintain cool, moist and airy conditions, to protect the flowers from intense light, and to use deep va.scs well filled with pure water, which is changed. — Florists' Exchange. :iHiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii)i:iiii.tai.(iii.iuiNiii:iii.r>ii>ai .iiih,iii.iiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,iiii>iiiiiiiii'liiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiii.iiiiiilllllil?^ Rurpee's ^ S^®®* peas THE Burpee list of Early- or Winter-flowering Spencer Sweet Peas contains the finest varieties yet to be offered in a complete range of colors. In addition to the usual colors we have some beautiful shades of pink, salmon, orange, cerise and true blue. Plant some BURPEE'S SWEET PEAS for winter blooming in your greenhouse now. Wi Aflee Burpee Co. Seed Growers Philadelphia A BALLADE OF INCOMES. ["What income have we not liad frorn a flower, and how unfailing are the divi- dends from the seasons." — J.-\mes Russell I.OWEI.L.l The tax on my income is due — Kach year it is harder to pay ! For ihe whole cost of living's askew. And of hope there is hardly a ray; Yet though my purse shrinks in dismay. My heart's bank account gayly grows, For where are the taxes, I pray, On the dividends paid by a rose? The govrrimicnt's trying to screw Fvery cent from our pockets, they say; While strikers and profiteers, too. Mix in in the general melee ; Yet few of these menaces sway Or threaten my secret repose. For in a fair palace I stay On the dividends paid by a rose. There's given to me and to you .-\ heritage that can defray .Ml the burdens of life, and make new The soul in its garment of clay; The sweet seasons never betray. Their bountiful banks never close, And we can feel solvent for aye On the dividends paid by a rose! ENVOY Friends, gold can be taken away ! Rut safe from the robbers are those Who'll have entrance to Heaven some day On the dividends paid by a rose ! — .'\nne Lloyd, Tribune. Illlllllllllllllillllll liiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiinitiittiiiiiiiiiiiiininiinDinininniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiii I SPECIMEN TREE BOX | 2\i-r 2-2l'2' High— 2'/,-3' High— 2-2".;' Spread Spread i For sliipnicnt Utter r-irt of August or = = cirlv Scptetlibcr. 1 I POT-GROWN STRAWBERRY | I PLANTS IN VARIETY j = Write for price list and varieties for ship- j = ment latter part of August and September, g I FOR OTHER TREES AND PLANTS | I WRITE FOR OUR PRICE LIST | I MORRIS NURSERY CO. | I 1133 Broadway, New York City | IllllllllllllllllltllWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIll METHODS OF APPLYING LIME. Contrary io common belief, lime and soil do not selfmix to any large extent, nor does lime penetrate to Ihe deeper zones of ordinary soils. On upland soils, such as clays, silts, and the finer loams, all of which are compact, the chance for the descent of time is small and the benefits to suBsbil therefrom are of negligible practical value. Relative to this point, it may be said that applications of lime have been found to exert no perceptible influence in reducing subsoil acidity. In loose, open sands, how- ever, a considerable quantity will be car- PLANT NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS is the title of a series of aitieh-s now appearing in The American Hotanist, where a multitude of other things of interest to the plant lover are also discussed. Quarterly, $1.50 a year; specimen copy, 25 cents. THE AMERICAN BOTANIST Joliet, III. 322 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ried downward by means of mechanical washing and by sokition. Two general' methods of liming soils are in use ; namely, by incorporalion and by top-dressing. The former is preferable where feasible. Since lime is unable to distribute itself effectively through the soil by natural pro- cesses, it becomes at once evident that this must be accomplished artificially by proper application. To be ideally placed for ma.Kimum effectiveness, lime needs to be distributed throughout the main root zone. What, then, are the requisites that constitute good liming practice? They are the fol- lowing : Even Spreading. — The aim should be to give every square foot of soil the same quantity of lime. If some spots receive an overdose, it is at the expense of others. In the one case the lime is not used efficiently and in the other there is neglect. Lime piled in heaps and scattered by means of a shovel results in a spotted effect and con- sequently less benefit per pound of material. The use of a fertilizer distributor or pre- ferably a lime spreader will generally in- sure better distribution and should be cm- ployed. Uniform Incorporation and Proper Depth. — Incorporate lime with the soil uni- formly and to as great a depth as is practi- cal. Good practice prescribes a depth of three to five inches. The quickest response and the fullest measure of benefits are realized when the lime is distributed throughout the major part of the root zone. This constitutes the ideal; anything less falls short of attaining the full object sought. The above cardinal principle should be ad- hered to as the keynote of efficient liming- Mi.fing Immediately with Soil. — Mi.x the lime with the soil immediately with a disc or spike-tooth harrow before rain puddles it. Applying at Plow-time. — The logical time to use lime is after plowing and before seeding. Several reasons are involved; (a) Generally the need for lime is vital at this time as it is common practice to utilize manures and crop residues then. By the decay of organic materials, available plant food is created. In the absence of bases, such as lime, soil acids exist which depress bacterial activity with consequent curtail- ment in the nitrate supply for crop use. Unless lime is provided to correct the un- favorable condition the crop suffers. Here the use of lime is timely, (b) In the case of an intertilled crop, such as corn, the subsequent cultivations aid in pertecting the incorporation of the lime and thereby augment its effectiveness. (c) Further- more, adding lime at plow-time is oppor- tune as it comes just at the point in the ro- tation to nicely pave the way for clover crop followin.g. Especially is this true with corn, wheat, and oats, to be put to clover. In this way, action is well started by the time the sensitive crop is seeded. Lime and Manure Usually ^ot to Be Mi.ved. — As a general policy it is not ad- visable to place lime and maiuire in direct contact before or after application. If the two are hauled as one load and spread simultaneously, however, the spreading should be done promptly. To finish the job properly, work immediately into the soil. Such a procedure is more permissible in the case of carbonate forms, which are slow acting, and on soils in acute need of liine. On the average soil, however, the proper practice consists of plowing under organic matter alone so it will rest in the lower portion of the furrow-slice, while the liiue is well distributed above. Isolation is more necessary on open sandy soils than with op- posite types. Mixing Lime with Commercial Ferti- lizer.— Lime added to commercial fertilizers, SOLD BY SEEDMEN IN CANADA FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS ^ya-my^ptonc/b^oiA^-c^ ef^i^t^ (( HAMMOND'S SLUG SHOT 99 Used from Ocean to Ocean A light, composite, fine powder, easily distributed either by duster, bellows, or in watei by spraying. Thoroughly reliable in killinR Currant Worms. PotaJo Bugs. Cabbage Worms, Lire. Slugs. Sow Bugs, etc., and it is also strongl.v impregnated with fungicides. %^Vw^ up in Popular Packages at Popular Prices. Sold by Seed Dealers and Merchants. HAMMONDS PAINT AND SLUG SHOT WORKS, BEACON, NEW YORK. Trees and shrubs, dis- tinctive in quality and large size which will produce an immediate effect u^or country residences and estates ANDORRA NURSERIES axstma'hm.'Pii Have you seen ANDORRA? ORCHIDS \Vf lire t^piTialists in Orchiils, We cllect, erow. import, exnort and spU orclilda ex- rlnsively. If .von are in the market for Orchids. we solicit ynur inquiries and orders. Cata- logues and special lists on application. LAGER & HURRELL 6rehid Growen and Importen Summtt. N. J. The New Hardy Dwarf EdgiaK and Low Hedge Oriainatnra and Intri}iour Recreation Cainp at Round Lake. Illinois. Note the large nujtiber of splendid trees. Many of these trees were saved A>r future gcneroHons hy tin: skill of Davey Tree Experts. ThetributeofJ.M.LaPointe to Davey Tree Surgery THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO.. INC., KE»IT, 0. GcntltMiK-n: Lnst f:i]I we finplnycd tlio I>avpy Tree Experts to treat and prnno tlie trees locaterl on the groiimls surrounding our Girl's Recreii- tlon Cnmp at Round Ijike. III. Now tliat the trees are in full hlooni it is very apparent that the results of this treatment are >;oin;r to be satisfactory. In addition to doing very hiffli-class work, your experts jiroved them- selves to be very steady, courteous jnul obliging in every respect. Believing the work of preserving trees to be commendable, we wisli you success in this undertaking. Yours very trul.v. ARMOUR AND COMPANY J. M. La Pointe. Supt. of (ii-ounds. The saving of priceless trees is a matter of first importance on every estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the maximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will be made by appointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc., 309 Elm St., Kent, O. Branch Offices with telephone connections: New York City, Astor Court Building: Chicago. IVestminster Building; Baltimore, American Building: Philadelphia, Land Title Building: and Boston. IVrile nearest office. Poruinnont reprosentatives available in districts surrounding Roston. Springfield, T.euox. Newp(u-t. Hartford. Stamford. .Mbany, Pouglikeepsie. White Plains. Jamaica, Montclair. New York, Philailel phia. riarrisburg, Psiltiinore. Washington, Ricliruond. HulTalo. Toronto. Pittsl>nrgh. Cleveland. Detroit, (,'inciima t i. Chicago, Milwaukee. Canadian .\ddress. 2^2 T.anganchilere West. Montreal. DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Every Real Davey Tree Surgeon is in the employ of The Davey Tree Expert Company, Ine., and the public is Cautioned against those falsely representing thenisclres. J. .17. La Poiirje. superintendent for the Armour Recreation Camp, Round Lake, Illinois JOHN DAVEY Pother of Tree Surgery Another z-icw of the pictur- esque Armour Camp, as seen from the lake. HORTI $2.00 A YEAR 25cAC0PY uiiiuniujiuiuhiiuiL .::iii:iii:i:i:aiiiiiiiiiiii:iii!:;i!iiiii!!,iiiiiiiiuuuiiuiiuiiiiii!;iiii:M STOP! AND LOOK AT THIS PICTURE Here is a machine that trims edges better and five times as fast as present methods. The cutters revolve at a very high speed, they can never spread to allow^ grass to sHp by, they never get dull because of the self sharpening feature. A coil spring and Hyatt Roller Bear- ing does the trick. Scrap your border shears and order one of Richardson's Boulevard T r i m - mers. Write for detail description and price; we want to tell you more about this wonderful labor saver. 1 Ke KicKardson Ijoulevard 1 rimmer Manufactured by THE STANDARD SAND ^ MACHINE CO. CLEVELAND, OHIO lllllllllllllllllllllll!lllllllll!lllllll{llllll!lllllllllllllllinillllllll|{»1l{||||||llllllllll[||llli^ gniiiiniii IIIHIIIIIII illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllimillllllilllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ■llllllllillllllllllllllMIMMIIIIIHi \^ iP CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE SANDERAE We have thousands of this choice Yellow Cypripedium in bud. This will be an opportunity to obtain plants for your Fall Flower Shows. These plants having one to six flowering buds at the following prices : $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 and $25.00 each PALMS GET YOUR ^'OUNG PALMS FOR GROWING ON NOW KENTIA BELMOREANA KENTIA FORSTERIANA IVa inch pots $-25 each 2 li inch pots $-25 each 3 •• •• 50 •• 3 •• •• 50 ■■ 4 •• •• 1.00 and $1.50 ^ .. .. 1.00 and $1.50 5 •• ■• 2.50 and 3.00 .... -) "in J ? nn 6 •• •• 5.00 and 6.00 5 2.50 and 3.00 ARECA LUTESCENS 3 inch pots $.50 each COMBINATION ^ ." ;.' 250 " 5 inch pots $2.00 each 6 3;50 •• 6 •• " 4.00 and $5.00 ASPARAGUS ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS ASPARAGUS SPRENGERIl 2% mch pots $.12 each 2% inch pots $.10 each 3 ■• •• 18 •• 3 _, 18 .. 4 •• •• 25 •• 4 25 ASPARAGUS ELONGATUS 2!/4 inch pots $12.00 per 100 3 mch pots $20.00 per 100 FINE ASSORTED FERNS FOR FERN DISHES 21/4 inch per 100 $12.00 3 inch per 100 $20.03 TRY OUR NEW SPECIAL GREENHOUSE HOSE $30.00 a 100 feet. Visitors Always Welcome "Let Us Bid On Your Wants'' 9 9^ ORCHID EXPERTS Plants— Bulbs— Sundries West Orange - - - New Jersey Willia^n J. Manda Joseph Manda . ^^'""L% ""'" m iiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiii 323 y« iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinimniiii iiiiiiiiii nniiniii iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiimiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinrE, . s^^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ IVIICHELL'S are selected to meet | the requirements of ^| the most critical ama- | teur and professional | gardeners, especially | those desirous of pro- | ducing prize-winning | specimens. Our cata- | log and bulb book il- | lustrates and de- | scribes numerous | choice varieties of | Hyacinths, Tulips, j Narcissus, Crocus | and other bulbs, in- j eluding many rare va- | rieties. Michell's Bulb j Growing Guide (value | Sl.f)0) mailed free on | request. | F a 1 1 -catalog now | ready. A postal will | secure one. | I MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE I I 514 MARKET ST., PHILA., PA. | liiii:;iwiriuinu»iiiiniiiiiiiiiiuiii;iiiiiii mil i i i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniin ASPARAGUS a Coiiover's Colossal" Splendid 8 year old roots, particularly adapted for midwinter forcing. Specially grown for this purpose. SI. 2.5 per dozen; $10.00 per hundred clumps. Delivery up to November 15tli Charles H. Totty Company | I MADISON NEW JERSEY | jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllim P O T A S H - M A R L Makes Perfect LAWNS, more beautiful FLOWERS, larger farm CROPS Used on better farms every- where. Each grain awakens plant life Nature will be greatly helped in growing plants if you use Nature's plant food, "POT- ASH-MARL," which is a continuous feast to worn out soil and growing crops. Let us tell you what it will do for your LAWNS, FLOWERS, BULBS, BERRIES, FRUIT, GRAPES, POTATOES and other FARM PRODUCT. Recommended by the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT and STATE OF NEW JERSEY. Send 25 cents for sample box for potted plants, and booklet telling about Potash- Marl. Delivered by Parcel Post. $2.00 for 100-Pound Bag, $30.00 per Ton., F. O. B. Marlton, N. J. AMERICAN POTASH -MARL CO., INC. 11-13 THOMAS STREET -:- -:- NEW YORK niiai iiiiiiiiniiin 326 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii: iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^^^^^^^^ THE BEST ONLY U Y U RIM EXX ROS' ESX GARDEN VIEW OF BURNETT'S GIANT DARWIN TULIPS WHITE ROMA>^ HYACINTHS BURNETTS EXHIBITION HYACINTHS BURNETT'S BEDDING HYACINTHS DUTCH MINIATURE HYACINTHS SINGLE EARLY TULIPS For Bedding and Forcing GIANT DARWIN TULIPS. Best Named Varieties NARCISSUS, Paper White Grand iflora NARCISSUS, Grand Soleil D'or NARCISSUS, Emperor and Empress — Jumbo Bulbs NARCISSUS, Von Sion. Double and Single Nosed CALLAS, CROCUS, FREESIAS, LILIUMS, ETC. For Prices on Above ond All Other Bulbs, Write fur Our Bulb Catalogue BURNETT BROTHERS SEEDS M E A 92 CHAMBERS STREET NEW YORK The House Famous for Lanii Grass Seed IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 327 IIINIIIIII1III MiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH juiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiim Orchids If you contemplate buying semi-estaljlislied, | established or imported orchids, consult us first. | We carry in stock about 25,000 species. \ A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- | leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other | choice hybrids. j We specialize in supplying the private trade. | Let us figure on your requirements — our quality | is second to none. | Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot | hangers, always on hand. I Send for our price list. I G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY | Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers | MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK | FALL BULBS For Forcing and Outdoor Planting. LILIUM GIGANTEUM and AURATUM Cold storage Bulbs for immediate forcing. Herbaceous Plants Shrnljs, Evergreens and Fruits Bulb and Nursery Catalogues mailed on request. W. E. MARSHALL & CO., Inc. Bulb Importers and Seedsmen 166 West 23rd Street New York ^iiiiiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiiii nil iiiiiiiiiiiiiin K ^lUiiiuiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii II I I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiii n iiiiiu i iiiiii.iiiiiiiiiiii ».«^3^liE ^^BS^3i^1& 328 |iiiiiiiiiniiiriiiiiiiiii iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niiiu iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniitiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuii^ ji n I Bobbink & Atkins I ^^^'J?^arden/or&0e7jJlome ROSES will be very scarce — make sure of getting the varieties you need by sending your order now. EVERGREENS RHODODENfDRONS TREES and SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS The assortment and quality as good as ever. RUTHERFORD NEW JERSEY Winter Flowerino; and Forcing Plants Azalea Indica in Variety. Potgrown Amygdalus, pink and white. Deutzia, Roses, Malus and Hydrangeas. Acacia longifolia. Baileyana, paradoxa and pubescens. Camellias, Genistas and Jasminnm. Erica Melanthera, grandinosa. King Ed- ward VII, persoluta alba. President Carnot and translucens. All the above arc described and priced in our Catalogue. Send for copy. MULLER-SEALEY COMPANY, INC. Horticultural Specialists 145 West 45tli Street, New York City aiiiniiiliiiniiiiiiniiniuiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiililliiiiliiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ siiiililllliiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiNiiiiiniiiiniiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!il r^eenliouse guilders In our catalog are several views of this same general plan. One of them having two right-angle wings, you may find of particul;ir intirest niad to send you the catalog. Send for Booklet ofd,& BtinihamCS. Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories NEW YORK CHICAGO 42n(i Strcit Hldg Continental Bank Bids EASTERN' FACTORY Irvington, N. Y. PHILADELPHIA Land Title Bids. WESTERN' Dera- tures has been unfavorable to the / 'ictoria and miserable growlh has been made. Some of the hybrid tropical water lilies, however, have done fairly well. The strong- est grower in our collection is one received as "Wm. Becker" ( which, however, according to Air. Becker, is wrongly named). This was planted on June 18th, hav- ing at that time two or three leaves about 3 inches in diameter. By the end of .\ugust it had spread over an area of water surface about 30 feet in circumference and its leaves were two feet in diameter. Another variety, "Airs. C. W. Ward," is a clo.se second. In ])assing it may not be out of i)Iace to remark that, although not so strong a grower, one of the best of the tropical night-bloomng Nympha:as is .V. Sturtevantii which has beautiful coppery leaves and red flowers which may attain a diameter of 12 inches. Tricker states that it requires liberal treatment and a hot Summer to bring it to perfection. The new, tender, dav-blooming Xywpha-a "Airs. Edwards Whittakcr," raised by G. 11. Pring of the Alissouri Botanical Garden and awarded the gold medal of the X. .\. G., is one destined to take a foremost place in the ranks of the water lilies. It is a truly wondertuly lily, which i)roduces quantities of fra- grant blue flowers twelve to fourteen inches across. In .spite of the large size of plant and bloom of the tropical water lilies there are many people who prefer the hardy kinds. There is a charm about the latter which seems to be absent from their giant relatives. They have a greater jjurity of color in the flowers, a more pleasing form and are, in general, more graceful in appearance. For small ponds or tubs they are much to be preferred. Reverting ag'ain to rapidity of growth amongst aquatic plants, the "Floating Heart" Limnanthcmum nyni^ plioidcs. although individual plants are small, spreads so rapidly by means of runners and seeds that it is inad- visable to plant it in a pond with other plants unless one has facilities for keeping it under control. A still smaller plant, the diminutive "Floating Fern," AzoUa caroliniana, continually e.xcites wonder by its power of multiplication ; a few pieces introduced into a small pond early in the year will usually manage to grow at such a rate that the pond is covered bv the end of the season. * * * s? Amongst land plants some of the gigantic Bamboos are probably paramount as rapid growers. The young growths, looking like enormous asparagus tips, shoot up at an almost incredible rate" once they appear above ground. It used to be said, with how much truth I am not prepared to say. that the Chinese made use of this rapid growth as a means of torturing their prisoners by tying the victim over one of these shoots and allowing it to grow through him ! There is less reprehensible use for young bamboo sprouts as they provide an important comestible and are a prominent ingredient in the de- lectable "Chop Suey" and other similar messes. Para rubber trees, Hcvca brasiliciisis, are said to make a growth of thirty feet in a season and I have had mider obsei"vation a ])lant of the Ceara Rubber, Manihot Clhiciovii, that, under greenhouse conditions, made a growth of 20 feet in about six months. Both of these plants belong to the family Eiiplwrbiacccc. A species re- lated to the Ceara Rubber provides the tapioca of com- merce— which may e.xplain the rubbery nature of some tapioca puddings I It is oftentimes im])ortant that we should be familiar with some of these ra])id growing plants when immedi- ate temporary effects are desired in the garden. Then our thoughts turn, not so much to those that have just been mentioned, but to Castor L'eans, Hemp, and other rampant annuals : such trees as the gawky Carolina pop- lar and its spirelike relative the Lombardy Poplar; and to the Kudzu vine, the ornamental gourds and others »f a similar nature. When visiting nurseries and i)rivate gardens this year 1 have been imiJressed with the fact that many of them have degenerated from the former high standards main- 331 332 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE tained. Places which were noted for their spick and span appearance, in some cases now present a weedy, un- kempt appearance which is depressing to those who have the welfare of horticulture at heart. The shortage of help, both of trained gardeners and unskilled laborers, is in most cases responsible for this condition of affairs. Here is a situation where the National Association of Gardeners is in a position to render a g'reat service to horticulture by its endeavors to interest young men in gardening as a profession and by opening up means whereby they may obtain suitable training. Bound up with this problem of interesting young men, who should be of the highest calibre in our craft, is the one of en- suring adequate remuneration and tolerable working conditions — in other words the carrying out of the ob- jects of the Association — "To uplift the profession of gardening." It is useless to get men started in as gar- deners if the inducements are insufficient to keep them there. :|; ^ ^ ^ It is only with a sufficiency of trained help that "fine gardening'' can be accomplished. It is the attention to small details, that have to be "scamped" when labor is short, that makes the difference between excellence and mediocrity in gardening". But many of us this year 'have almost been in the position of having to choose be- tween having our plants killed by insects or choked by weeds. There are some, no doubt (not many amongst professional gardeners) who will affect to be pleased at the turn affairs have taken. I refer to those who find more pleasure and interest in a garden that is allowed to run more or less wild than in one where meticulous tidiness prevails. There is, of course, something to be said in favor of the feeling of freedom and informality promoted by the garden which does not show too plainly the marks of the rake, and broom, and shears, but the more formal type of garden is a hideous failure unless maintained in a carefully groomed condition. In connection with this subject some remarks of W. H. Hudson, the famous naturalist and writer, can ap- propriately be quoted. In "The Book of a Naturalist,'' in the chapter headed "Concerning Lawns," he savs : "I am not a lover of lawns ; on the contrary I regard them. next to gardens, as the least interesting adjuncts of the country house. Grass, albeit the commonest, is yet one of the mo.st beautiful things in Nature when allowed to grow as Nature intended, or when not too carefully trimmed and brushed. Rather would I see daisies in their thousands, ground ivy, hawkweed, and even the hated plantain with tall stems, and dandelions with splendid flowers and fairy down, than the too-well- tended lawn grass." After mentioning that "a fine country house or mansion * * * looks best on a level green expanse" he goes on to say: "Now I think that this grass setting would be just as effective or more effective if left more in its natural state. Seen closely, the smooth lawn is a weariness to the eye, like all smooth monoto- nous surfaces. * * * An acre or so of green linoleum or drugget, drawn evenly and smoothly over the ground surrounding a large house would probably have as good an effect as a perfectly smooth grass lawn." The dis- approbation of Mr. Hudson need not cause us any great perturbation — the whole question is largely one of the point of view — Mr. Hudson's being that of the natural- ist. There are many who sympathize, in part, with Mr. Hudson's views and it might be salutary for some of our garden makers to take note of them. We have landscape architects who appear to look on plants in the same way that an artist views his pigments — as something with which to make a picture. They fail to take cognizance of the fact that plants have beauty of form as well as coloring, that many are fragrant, and that some are interesting because of adaptations to their environment. There are landscape architects who main- tain that a great variety in landscape material is not desirable and seem to have little appreciation or love for plants for their own sake. A garden in which these ideals prevail, and where everything is subordinated to the garden picture is likely to be deadly dull in the eyes of the naturalist and plant lover. Let "it not be inferred that I am decrying the work of the landscape architect; this is only a plea that they will not get too much into the habit of looking on plants as "pigments," or we may find ourselves back in the Victorian period when colored bricks and sand were used instead of flowers ! * * ^ Young gardeners, and old gardeners too, for that mat- ter, have splendid opportunities nowadays for increasing their horticultural knowledge by reading, even though circumstances may deny them access to a public library. There are many periodicals to be obtained at a trifling cost which cater to the needs of those thirsting for in- formation on gardening matters. In some cases, it is true, the information given needs judicious sifting, but generally the high class periodicals are to be relied on. Then there is the vast amount of literature appertaining to plant culture put out by State College of Agriculture, Experiment Stations, and the U. S. Departmenl: of Agri- culture— free to those who ask for it. Looking over a list of Farmers' Bulletins issued by the Department of Agriculture one is impressed with the fact that there is oft'ered the nucleus of a fine garden li- brary. Interspersed with such titles as "Rabies or Hydro- phobia," "Hog Cholera," "School Lunches'' and "Breeds of Dairy Cattle" one finds scores of bulletins on subjects of direct interest to gardeners. These range from "Propagation of Plants" and "Pruning" to the "Cultiva- tion of Mushrooms" and "Fumigation of Ornamental Greenhouse Plants with Hydrocyanic-Acid Gas." There are many bulletins on the significance of birds in agri- culture and horticulture, detailed discussions on insect pests of plants and even one entitled "The Bedbug." The latter probably does not concern present day gar- deners very seriously but I imagine some of the old- timers have had experience of living conditions in "bothies" where such a leaflet would have been welcome ! In times past much criticism was leveled at the is- suance of these Bulletins on the score of waste of time and paper in their preparation. It used to be said that their ultimate destination was the wastepaper basket^ unread. But modern farmers and gardeners are losing their prejudice against "book knowledge." One reason, no doubt, why many failed to take advantage of informa- tion contained in publications of this kind was their heavy, stogy appearance. Latterly, however, endeavors have apparently been made to make them more attrac- tive._ Many of the later issues of the "Farmers' Bulle- tins," for instance, have blossomed forth in interesting looking pictorial covers. At first when one regards the vast amount of horticul- tural literature that exists today one wonders how it is possible for anything fresh to be written on the subject of gardening. , Yet, take the example of the English Gardeners' Chronicle which has appeared weeklv since 1841 and far from being stale, it is still fresh and inter- esting to garden enthusiasts all over the English-speak- ing world. But we must remember what a great and intricate subject horticulture is, with many ramifications interlocked with other branches of art and science — for horticulture in its larger meaning is both an art and a (Continned on page 343) joT October, 192n 333 Viburnums ARBORUM AMATOR Ol' the nearly one hundred species of I'ibiininin which are widely distributed through North and Central America, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Europe, some growing in shrub and others in tree form, about a score are well worthy of cultivation. The genus J'iburnum, which belongs to the botanical order CaprifoUacccc^ has opposite leaves, flat compound cymes of small flowers, mostly white, and bears some- times blue but mostly purple or red, one-seeded, soft, pulpy drupes containing a flattened and thinly crustaceous stone. The hardiness of \'iburnums, their compact form. their handsome foliage, their showy flowers, and deco- rative fruit, and their adaptability to dift'erent situations, soils and uses all commend them to the lover of orna- mental flowering shrubs. Viburnum totncutosum is indigenous to Japan and China. Of a spreading form, and attaining a height of about eight feet, it is a handsome shrub either in foliage, flower or fruit. In June its cymes of white blooms appear, and these are followed by its fruit, at first red, but changing later to a blue-black. Viburnum pUcatum is the well known Japanese Snow-- ball, one of the finest of all Viburnums, considered by some a variety of tomcntosum. Its globose heads of sterile flowers, about three inches in breadth, are showier and denser, and last longer on the bush than those of the common Snowball. The brown shoots of this species are well furnished with a dark green foliage, and are. like the branches of an oak, nearly at right angles to the body. This species is of compact form of growth, and is of about the same height as tomentosum. There is a variety of this called rotuudifoliuin which blooms about ten days earlier. I'iburnuiii opiilus, often called high cranberry, is indigenous to Asia, Europe and North America. This species varies in height from five to ten feet. Its white cymes, the marginal flow'ers of which are radiant, are about four inches broad, and appear in Alay and June, and are followed by oval red fruits, which, as the birds do not eat them, remain on the bush till the next Spring. These fruits, having a pleasant acid taste and resembling cranberries somewhat, are sometimes used in place of them. In Autumn its foliage assumes ver\' bright shades of color. Sterile, a variety of opxilus, is the old favorite Guelder-Rose or American Snowball. Though its blooms and foliage make this variety a showy shrub, it lacks the red fruit of the species opulus. There are furthermore some forms of opuJus with variegated leaves and a very dwarf variety nanum, the smallest of the genus, grow- ing no more than one to two feet high and seldom flower- ing. Viburnum lantana grows to a height of twenty feet. This is sometimes called in England the Rowan tree, but more commonly the Wayfaring tree. It is often planted close to the side of houses and other buildings, because it is supposed to be a sure protection against witches, sprites and goblins. This species has an upright form. In May or June its cymes, two or three inches broad, of white flowers, appear. These are followed by ovoid- oblong fruits, at first red, but turning later to nearly black. The fruit is very sweet, and remains long on the stem, and both it and the acrid inner bark arc medicinal. J iburnum lantanoides, the American species, is dif- ferent from lantana in having the form of a low bush or shrub. It is indigenous to rockv. moist, dark woods from Xew Brunswick to New England, and as far south as North Carolina. It is usually found in desolate, wild places, and its broad heads of white flowers, which are followed by crimson fruit, turning at maturity to black, are in beautiful contrast with their surroundings. Viburnum macro cephahmi comes to us from China. This has a spreading habit and reaches a height of ten to twelve feet. It produces in May and June cymes three to five inches across of yellowish white flowers, the marginal flowers being sterile and radiant. There is a variety of this called sterile. This is rarely seen, though not new, and is known as the Chinese snowball. Its blooms are in nearly globose heads, seven to eight inches across. Sterile is the largest flowering of the Viburnums. It is reputed to be hardy in New England. J'ibnrnuiii Icntago is a hardy native species, found from the Atlantic Coast to Missouri and Minnesota, and northwards. It forms a bush or small tree having slender branches and attaining a height of fifteen to thirty feet. In May or June its yellowish white flowers ajipear in cymes three to five inches broad, and these are followed by bluish-black oval fruits, which remain on the branches till the following Spring, hence the conunon name of this species, Nannyberry, Sheepberry. Viburnum accrifolimn is a native shrub, found in New Brunswick to Minnesota, and southward to North Caro- lina. It grows in shaded situations always, and is an excellent shrub for planting in such locations. Its flowers are of a pale purple color at their opening, but later become white and are followed by nearly black fruits. The foliage has the shape of that of the maple, hence its specific name acerifolium, maple-leaved. Viburnuiii dentatum reaches a height of about ten feet. In May or June its cymes of large showy white flowers appear and are succeeded by purple fruits. This hand- some native shrub, which is found frotn New Brunswick to Maine, and southward as far as Georgia, is commonly called arrowwood, because from its tough, heavy, hard- wood shoots the Indians used to make arrows. Viburnum dilatatum, by reason of its scarlet fruits, rthich remain long on the branches, is a highly decorative shrub in Autumn. Its flowers are pure white and are arranged in cymes three to six inches broad, which appear in May and June. This species, which comes from Japan and China, has an upright and bushy form. It attains a hei.ght of ten feet, is hardy and free flowering, and is commonly known as the Japanese bush cranberry. VibunuDn- molle has an attractive foliage, is more robust than dentatum, and blooms about two weeks later. Its native habitat is along the coast of New England from Massachusetts soiuhw'ard to Florida and Texas. Viburnum pubcscens. native from lower Canada to the Georgia mountains, and west to Iowa and Minnesota, is a strag.glin.g low shrub, much inferior to daitafum. This is commonly called downy arrowwood. The pretty evergreen species Viburnum tiuus. Japon- ieuin- rugosum and and lucidum are not hard\- in the North. Viburnum cassinoides, commonly called Appalachian tea and white rod. is native from New Foundland to Manitoba, and Minnesota to North Carolina. Fruits at first pink, but later dark blue follow its yellowish-white pink flowers. The folia.ge of this hardy species assumes beautiful hues in Autumn. {Continued on page ^43) 334 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Preparing the Bees for Winter H. W. SANDERS WE come now to a time of year in the apiary when the bees are preparing for their long \\'inter rest. They do not sleep, or hibernate, after the manner of flies and other insects which lose all sem- blance of life during cold weather and revive again when Spring returns, but retain their activity all through the Winter, and even when their repose is deepest the slightest jar or tap on the hive, or the ef- fect of a rise or fall in temperature is felt by the bees and the experienced beekeeper can tell by carefully listening to the gentle buzz that comes from the hives whether the bees are comfortable or not. The exact means b'y which the bees keep up the heat inside the cluster is not fully understood. They are not warm blooded animals, yet a thermometer pushed into the centre of the dense cluster that is formed dur- ing cold weather w^ill register not very far from the level of the human body — in other words blood-heat. We know that they do this by the consumption of honey, in itself a very concentrated food-fuel, but just how they turn their muscular energy into heat is ob- scure. The most that science can tell us is that there are bees inside the cluster busily "fanning" with their wings as they do during a hot day at the entrance to the hive, and this is the sound that the beekeeper knows so well. In the preparations for Winter the most important thing is to see that there is an abundance of food, for the use of heat production as above outlined. In the case of most of the animals that are kept by man, the exact nature of the food is capable of considerable variation, and it is better for the animal if a varied diet is given. With bees, however, the sole function of the food provided is to produce heat, and therefore it is of the utmost importance that the food should be a heat-producer (carbo-hydrate), of the utmost purity. Nature has provided this in honey, and if it is neces- sary to supplement what the bees have provided the only thing that will take its place is syrup made from the best granulated sugar. In fact, where the honey gathered is of such a nature as to granulate rapidly sugar syrup is far better. One of the photos shows a comb filled with candied, or granulated honey that was gathered from certain flowers that bloom in the Fall, chiefly Aster, and although there was plenty of this in the hive a colony starved to death through their inabil- ity to utilize it.' The honey from the earlier flowers, such as Clover or Basswood is nearly always safe, and the practice of many of the best beekeepers is to leave combs filled with such honey in sufficient quantity as to ensure the food being abundant. In order to be sure of this we always weigh our hives and if one scales less than 65 pounds for a ten-frame Langstroth, we feed enough sugar to bring it to that figure. For an eight-frame hive the amount is 53 poun' root. When finished the plant should be in the soil just as firmly as if it had been growing there some time. Leave a loose dirt mulch on the surface to check evaporation of the moisture, and when the ground freezes up apply a mulch of well rotted manure over the whole area planted. Vegetable Garden. — While a number of the hardier vegetables may be left out until it is quite late, yet one cannot afl:'ord to take too long chances, as verv cold weather may come overnight, and they will be frozen before you are aware of it. In this connection it might be well to have some pro- tc-ctive material at hand in case of a killing frost to throw over the growing things yet in the garden. Wire or string run along the rows of string beans or Limas will keej) the liurlaps or other material from weighting down the plants. A few barrels placed near the egg plants and pcjjpers are easily slipped over them at night. Salt hay makes excellent covering for lettuce, endive or celery not yet put into winter quarters. Spinach may also be cov- ered with hay. as well as that which is to be carried through the \Vinfer. Tomatoes on the trellis may be pro- tected by using mats, burlaps or heavy pajier. but a heller plan is to gather all the fruit and j)lace it in a light airy room where it will ripen perfcctlv. .Ml herbs may be gathered and stored for Winter: cut and tied in separate bupches, and hung from the ceiling in the attic until dry, when they may be powdered and put in boxes for everyday use. It is not too late to put in a new bed of asparagus. 338 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Protection will be needed during the Winter, but aspar- agus starts early in the Spring, and by planting in the Fall one gets advantage of an early start in the Spring. As the crops are cleared away every available piece of ground should be sown down with rye; it not only makes a pleasant ground cover during the Winter, and prevents erosion, but is a valuable addition to the soil when ploughed in the Spring. Onions and spinach may be sown for wintering over. If rhubarb is thin, and goes to seed rapidly, it needs resetting. Do it now in well manured soil. Winter celery still grows rapidly, and will need atten- tion in the way of blanching by hilling, or otherwise. Lazi'iis and Flower Gardens. — The lawns should be kept mowed right up to actual freezing ; don't neglect this, or a straggling growth will be left which will prove troublesome in the Spring, inasmuch as it dies back, and makes the lawn unsightly. Remember to shut off the water from all exposed pipes and drain them out, before they freeze up. Just as soon as the frost blackens the dahlias, cut off the tops, dig up the roots, and stre them in a dry cellar, in sand. Cannas are handled in the same manner, but they may be stored without covering ; under the greenhouse bench is a good place for them, though they may safely be stored in the cellar. All tender plants of a bulbous nature that cannot endure the rigors of Winter, such as Caladiums, Tritomas, Gladiolus, Tuberoses, Montbretias, had better be lifted and stored in the cellar. Extra fine Sweet Peas may be had by sowing the seeds now. Of course, protection is necessary, but they are worth the effort. Boards set on edge, with a top board over these, and the space between filled with dry leaves, and a good covering of salt hay or long manure over this will gen- erally be sf.fficient during the severest weather. Continue to plant bulbs as they arrive; also to reset perennials that have become crowded. Give the flower bed a thorough cleaning if you are not planning any changes in it. Cut down all dead flowering stems, and clean the spaces between the plants, leaving everything in readiness for the mulching when the time comes to put it on. Bay Trees, Hydrangeas, Oleanders. — Other decorative plants of a like nature, should be placed where they can be protected overnight, now that frosts are inevitable. It is too early yet to put them into permanent quarters, as they will get soft, and not winter w^ell. Summer bulbous plants, such as Aeluinenes, Gloxinias, Begonias, Caladiums, etc., should now be fairly well dried off, so that the pots may be placed on their sides, under a bench in a cool greenhouse, free from drip. Tender water lilies must be brought in from the ponds after the first killing frost and stored under the benches in the greenhouse, until time for starting them into active growth again next Spring. Tender aquatics that are not tuberous must be brought in before freezing weather, otherwise they will be destroyed. Frames. — Do not leave the frames empty and neglected this Fall. Plants that have occupied them all Summer and which are intended for winter flowering had better be placed in the greenhouse. If put into service at once the frames can be used for blanching celery, ripening up tomatoes and melons, which are nearly mature, but not quite ripe, at the first killing frost, and' developing partly grown cauliflower to a larger size. Get the frames as snug and tight as possible for the Winter by banking them nearly up to the top. All cracked and loose glass should be reset. Old sash ma\- be made quite snug and tight by the use of liquid putty, which can be applied very rapidly with a putty bulb, or by a hand machine made for that purpose. Then place in the frames a good light friable soil. It will pay to put this in now; even if you do not intend to grow anything in them this Fall, it will be ready for spring planting. Do not use heavy clay soil in the frames, as quick drainage is essential to success. One of the most easily grown, and by far the most popular vegetable for the cold frames is lettuce. The two varieties that can be most strongly recommended for the amateur are Grand Rapids and Big Boston, both of which do well at a low temperature. About fifty plants can be put under each sash, but if this number is planted at one time they should be of dift'erent sizes. Try and locate the frames so that they can utilize some of the surplus heat from the cellar window, and make a sowing of lettuce every three weeks throughout the Winter. Radishes are easily grown, and Crimson Globe gives good satisfaction. It cannot be planted as closely as some of the other varieties, because its foliage is larger. Make the rows five or six inches apart, and sow the seed thin. Spinach is a low temperature crop, and in a frame where a mild temperature can be maintained, a crop of this vegetable may be had from w'hat otherwise would be wasted space. Chicory may be lifted from the open ground, and jilanted to a frame, where it may be blanched by darkening the sash. Pansies or other hardy biennials, started this Fall for next Sunmier's growth, can be developed into more sturdy plants by transplanting to a frame than if left in the open. They will continue to thrive long after those in the open, and will begin growth earlier in the Spring, and be in vigorous condition for transplanting. Yet another way of utilizing a spare frame is to pot up some good straw- berry plants, and sink the pots half their depth in the soil. They will continue to grow for some time with the, protection of the frame. When hard freezing arrives they may be protected v^^ith mulching, so that they will not freeze hard, and then in the Spring they may be stim ulated into active growth by the aid of a mild hot bed. Not infrequently it happens that in a batch of cauli- flower plants from seeds sown at the same time, quite a number lag behind in maturing. With a deep frame available one can take up these late plants, which ver\ often make fine heads, and save them from what would otherwise be a total loss. Set them as close as practical in the frame, wetting down the soil if at all dry. Keep them shaded, and the half-grown heads will increase con- siderably in size, and give some fine cauliflower out of season — something that will be doubly appreciated because of the scarcity of such plants then. Any frames that are not to be used now, if manured and fertilized, will be in the very best condition for spring planting, besides saving a good deal of time at that busy season. Greenhouse. — In the greenhouse vegetables are being grown more and more, and the first crops of Lettuce and Cauliflower should now be ready for planting out into the benches. Beans and Cucumbers may also be sown in a warm house. The successful grower of vegetables under glass must be able to judge his own needs to have a continuous supply with a minimum of waste. No hard and fast rule can be laid down. The easiest and best insurance is to sow plenty of seeds always; the cost is small and the returns great. Sow often, and you will have on hand enough young plants to assure a continuous supply. It is well to tap the tomato plants as one passes them about the noon hour. This will usually be sufficient to cause them to set. In very dull dark weather it may be necessary to resort to hand pollination. Now, that ventilation is reduced and fire heat again a necessity, a sharp lookout must be kept for insect pests. Chrysanthemums will be showing color earlv this month, and fumigation should be done thoroughlv just before for October, 1920 339 the buds burst to insure them not being infested with black fly. Feeding- should stop as soon as the buds show color, save perhaps for an occasional dose or two of soot water to improve the color. A slight shade on the house when the flowers begin to expand will give better quality flowers, but it must not be overdone or the flowers will be too soft. A slat trellis that may be removed on dull days is best for this purpose. This is the last chance to get Bouvardias, Stevias. and other forcing plants potted up or benched. Freezing weather may be experienced at any time now, and even if it does not freeze, a succession of cold nights will harden the wood too much. Bulbs for forcing should be potted up as soon as received, and placed outdoors to root well before being taken in to force. Tender bulbs, such as Lilies, Freezias, etc., should be stored in a frame, until they have rooted. Sf^inca clumps should be potted up and set out doors to freeze. Just as soon as the leaves fall from the potted fruits they should be stored in a cool cellar, barn or garage. Not because they are not hardy, but they are liable to winter kill on account of the restricted roots. .■\11 bedding plants that are to be propagated heavily should be brought indoors without further delay. C)ld plants of AUcrnanthcra, Hydrans.ca, Geraniums, Fuchsias, Vinca, etc., may be lifted, and stored, to fur- nish cuttings later. Acacia, Acalca, Canicllia, Gciiisia, and other hard- wooded plants must be brought into the storage pit or cool greenhouse at once. Withhold the water somewhat, but don't let them get so dry that the leaves turn yellow. Roots intended for forcing should be ordered at once, or, if you have your own grown at home, lift them any time after the tops have died down. Roses that are growing freely will be benefitted by applications of liquid cow mantire. Keep the heating pipes painted with sulphur to hold mildew under control. Red spider should be looked after on all fine days with a good stream of water from the hose in capable hands. Carnations require to be watered carefully where the soil has a tendency to be heavy. Light soils dry out more readily. The flowering shoots require to be dis- budded, and all dead leaves and growths picked oft'. Wire and strings for support should be put in place as the plants demand it. Palms and stove plants require a period of rest; there- fore, as Winter approaches, do less syringing and give less water at the roots. Do not allow them to stiflfer for want of water, but withhold it just enough to check growth, and hold it that way for some time to come. Seeds of Clarkias, Stocks, .Annual Lupines, Schi.zan- thiis. Xicofiaiia. Rhodantlic, Mignonette, and other an- nuals intended for forcing, all do well under pot culture with the possible exception of Mignonette, which does better planted in the bench. NATIVE FLOWERS FOR THE WILD GARDEN VW'H'S' a wild garden? The term might be con- sidered a misnomer by some people, vet it is very expressive of what is intended. In our gardens there is generally some spot where many of the regular cultivated flowers cannot be grown with success. In such .spots, plants which flourish in the wild state, particularlv those which endure shade, can be utilized to produce de- lightful efl'ects. For an individual who is fortunate enough to have moi-e land than can be looked after as a well-kept garden, a wild garden also oft'crs an oppor- tunity to f)btain sonu' charming eft'ects with \-erv little cxi)ense or labor. There is another strong reason why a wild garden can be made attractive in reality as well as in theory, namely, that some of our best native flowers will do far better as near natural conditions as you can provide for them than they will under the more artificial conditions of our planned gardens. Of these flowers, the Trillium, Hepat- ica, lady's slipper, and cardinal flow-er are examples As a rule, the site of our wild garden is not difficult to decide upon ; it is generally a matter of "Hobson's choice" ; but the preparation of the site is of some im- portance. \'ery often we can get rid of rocks, stones and all kinds of rubbish by using them as foundation material. It is necessary that the wild garden should have good drainage and, if it is not possible to procure earth from the woods, this coarse material will become of great value. About six inches of soil should be placed on the top of the foundation material. Such soil may consist of a mixture of sand, leaves, and even such ma- terial as moss, in order to provide a spongy-like soil, appro.ximating the soil in which such plants grow under natural conditions. .\ quantity of moss gathered from the woods and laid over the surface, w-ith spaces at regular intervals at which to place the plants, is also another way of repro- ducing the natural conditions for the plants. The moss keeps the soil damp, and prevents it from becoming too compact. Large rocks can also be used to advantage, especially if the wild garden is raised above the level of the surrounding area, as they can be used to border the area and to pre\ent the soil washing out ; they are valu- able in providing cool crevices for roots of the plants. There is, perhaps, a greater delight in creating a wild garden than in any other form of gardening, for the simple reason that each batch of plants added to the wild garden generally recalls some pleasant excursion into the woods or the surrounding country for the pur- pose of collecting them. Fortunately almost all wild plants can be collected most of the Summer, as owing to the shady nature of the spot in which they are planted, they are not so liable to be killed out by the sun. Recog- nition, however, must be given to the fact that they must be collected with care and judgment, and planted with skill. \A'ith this proviso, a plant can be added to our wild garden as easily in Summer as in the more suitable season of early Spring, although early Spring or late Fall are the ideal periods to collect the plants. It is often necessary, however, to take them when we can get them ; this, with many persons, is when the plants are in bloom If the plants are collected at such times, it should be remembered that specimens should be taken which are just past bloom, as they are more likely to recover than specimens which are in full bloom. Ferns collected in Spring will generally make magnificent growth during the same season, provided they 'are collected just as the fronds are uncurling. .A few cardboard boxes or an old suit case will answer for collecting wild plants, as the foliage of the plant should never be allowed to wilt. \\'hen planting, do not place the roots into the soil as firmly as it is customary with cultivated flowers. Do not make the mistake of attempting to complete your wild garden in one season. It is far more enjovable to build it up gradually over a period of several years, and the results will be far more satisfactory. — J. E. Buck, Cana- dian .li'vicxltityist. The man that's clean inside and outside: who neither looks U]i to the rich nor down on the poor, is considerate of women, children and other people : who is too brave to lie. too generous to cheat and too sensible to loaf: and who takes his share of the world's goods and lets other people have theirs, has the characteristics of a true gen- tleman.— Dohcrtv NcTvs. 340 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Chinese Rhododendrons TWENTY-FIVE years ago the Himalayas were considered to be the headquarters of the genus Rhododendron. In these few short years so many new species have been introduced that we have abundant evidence in our gardens today that China is the native habitat of the greatest number of species. French mis- sionaries, Pere Delavay, Abbe David and Pere Farges, sent home seeds of several of the earlier introduced species to France. We are, however, indebted to Mr. Ernest H. Wilson. Mr. George Forrest and those who have so generously financed their expeditions, for by far the larger number of new species recently introduced from China. Today upwards of 300 named species are in cultivation, and many more seedlings are growing under numbers. Thanks to the hybridist, Rhodo- dendrons are our most valuable evergreen flower- ing shrubs, and the Azaleas sup- ply the richest coloring in the pleasure grounds during May and early June. The newer Chinese species appear to possess almost boundless possi- bilities in the hands of the hy- bridist. In shel- tered positions the first flowers of R. sutchucncnse open during early Spring. Onwards until July and August a succes- sion of flowers open with unflag- ging interest, ter- minating with R. aurkulatiim. This species and R. dis- c ol or, which flower about mid- Summer, should in the hands of the breeder give us a valuable race of summer-flowering evergreen species. Rhododendrons as a whole are well known to prefer a somewhat moist position and shelter from the midday sun. It is doubly necessary when planting the species named to give shelter, or the blossoms are ver}^ short- lived, opening as they do in the height of Summer. As an indication of how widely the newer introduc- tions vary in habit, collectors tell us that in China R. calophytum is an evergreen shrub or tree up to 30 feet high, while leaves on some of the plants in cultivation exceed 1 ft. in length. At the other extreme we have R. prostraHim a few inches high, and R. intricatum with leaves a quarter of an inch to half an inch in length. Similar comparisons may be made in the flowers. R. dis- color and R. auriculatmn have blossoms 4 inches to 6 inches in diameter, while the flowers of R. micranthnm are a third of an inch to half an inch across. A basket bouquet of the neiv water lily, Mrs. Edzfard IVhitaker, with petals of a delicate blue, shading into a deeper blue, and stamens a golden yellow, e.vhibited by George H. Pring, Horieulturist of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and awarded the National Association of Gardeners' gold medal at the convention in St. Louis. With such a varied and interesting genus of plants no wonder can be expressed at the enthusiasm of amateur and professional horticulturists in the Rhododendron family. The war obviously has hindered developments during the last five years, but interest now must expand in all directions with so much valuable material at hand. Peat has been considered indispensable for the culti- vation of Rhododendrons, but while a certain amount may be used with advantage, the fact that it contains no lime is the reason why Rhododendrons revel in districts where peat is abundant. Mr. Forrest is of the opinion that some at least of the new species should thrive in soil contain- ing lime, and it will be interesting to watch experiments in this direction. In the light sandy loam at Kew Rhodo- dendrons are a leading feature. When preparing beds or stations for Rho- dodendron leaf- mold is freely nii.xed with the Kew soil. Truck- loads of peat have been used in days gone by, but the amount used has gradually dimin- ished, and frequen- ters of Kew will a d m i t that the [ilarits have not Nufifered in conse- ([uence. ^'\'hile some shel- ter from the heat uf the midday sun is an advantage in the cultivation of our present race of evergreen hybrid Rhododendrons. w ith at least a con- siderable number of the new Chinese -pecies shelter is most important. K. sittchiieiiense, R. Williamsianiim and R. 'oreodoxa, for example, because they flower early in the year, and R. discolor and R. auriculatuin. require shelter for the flowers in June, July and August. Other species indicate by their behavior in our gardens that they are shade-loving species. R. Sotdiei, R. orcotrephes and R. orbiculare {rotundifoliuni) being notable ex- amples. How best to provide the desired shelter will largely depend on local conditions. Shrubbery borders, usually with a western aspect, may provide exactly the conditions suitable for Rhododendrons. Seeds provide a ready method, and with few excep- tions the best means of increasing the Chinese species. R. impeditum ( fastigiate group) flowers in eighteen months from seeds, R. racemosmn in two years, and R. Souliei and R. orcotrephes in three or four years. Cut- tings of numerous species root readily in a slightly heated propagating house. The greatest success is attained when plants to provide the cuttings are grown under glass. — The Garden. jor October, 1920 341 am n 1 A Lesson on Beautifying Home Surroundings Being Une of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Gardening, Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH I Snniiiiiiiiiii I III I HUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "I iiiiiiiiiii I I Ill iiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiui iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimil In no country in the world during the past fifteen years has there been a greater amount of what is called landscape work carried out than in the United States. As a consequence, land- scape gardeners and others claiming the higher-sounding title of landscape arcliitects. have sprung up like mushrooms, among whom true artists form the minority, with the consequent result of causing the average method of laying out the grounds of country homes to be characterized by more ugliness than beauty. In connection with the terms landscape gardener and landscape architect, the terms mean nothing as regards the capabilities of the persons using them, as the work of many calling themselves by the latter term is characterized by a conspicuous want of knowledge concerning tlie elementary principles of true landscape art. When applied to the art of laying out artistic and therefore beautiful gardens we regard the term landscape architect as a misnomer, although it is applicable to, and is more often used by, those whose work is the reverse of artistic because they know nothing about gardening. The term is not out of place when applied to those who make the more prominent features of their plans to consist of concrete, stone, or marble stairways, balustrades, urns, fountains, statues and topiary work ; those who are willing to have these architectural gardens surrounding their homes only show themselves to be possessed of depraved tastes and incapable of appreciating the true beauties of Nature. If the word landscape means anything at all it is "the natural aspect of the country or a representation thereof." It can. there- fore, onl\- be correctly used with that phase of gardening which uses plants in such a way as to form an artistic picture within the limits of a garden or of the grounds surrounding a house. In creating this picture the more formal and therefore the more inartistic the style the further will the picture be away from true landscape art. There is no reason why we should not have true art in the garden and no reason why a garden should be inartistic and merely conventional. The word "art" is used here in its highest sense and perhaps as good a definition of the word as any is "power to see and give form to beautiful things." The work of the artist is always marked by its fidelity to Nature. All who see natural beauty in landscape know that no imagining can come near to the beauty of things seen, art being frequently powerless to seize their full beauty, and the landscape painter has often to let the brush fall in despair. Great landscape painters like Turner and Corot have given us pictures from a faithful study of Nature, and that is the only true path for the landscape gardener, all true art being based upon her eternal laws. Any deviation from the truth of Nature, though it may pass for a time, is in the end — it may he years after the artist is dead — classed as debased art, and we may be as true artists in the gar- den and home landscape as anywhere else. Much of the crude and inartistic work which one sees about the country, more especially that carried out in recent years, is the outcome of the false idea that landscape gardening can be taught either at college or by other means. Men sometimes take it up in response to statements that they can earn by it while learning it. Nothing which can be learned by means of memorizing rules, formulre, combined with mere manual tlexerity, can be called an art, and those who place landscaping among the things capable of being taught, lower it to the level of mechanical trades, such as plumliing. which can be learned in si.x weeks. The artist in landscape gardening portrays a picture upon the earth by means of living plants : a landscape painter does the same thing upon canvas by means of pigments. If in its real and fullest sense the latter could be taught there could be plenty of landscape painters capable of producing works equal to those of Turner and Corot, and landscape painting would be degraded to the level of a commercial business, a level to which landscape gardening is rapidly lowering itself. .A true landscape artist cannot hand down his artistic genius to bis heirs and successors, and yet many firms of landscape archi- tects hold a reputation based entirely upon the names of real landscape artists who have been dead many years, and who, if they could come to life, would be ashamed to have their names connected with much of the work now being done. While in its entirety the art of composing artistic pictures upon the earth cannot be taught, at the same time there are some underlying principles connected with it which are capable of being set forth which are the same in their application to both large and small gardens, more perhaps along the lines of what not to do than otherwise, and which are additionally val- uable in enabling the layman to have a sympathetic understanding of the artist's work. Strangely enough those who make the strongest claims to teach landscape gardening in its fullest sense ignore entirely the most fundamental and necessary principle which the greatest genius in this art must have, namely, a thorough knowledge of everything connected with the living material with which they compose' their pictures. In other words, a man must first be an expert gar- dener before it is possible for him to create a really artistic garden. Absolute ignorance of plants is lamentably apparent in many of the planting plans emanating from the offices of many land- scapists. Examples have come before me of shrubs being set down to be planted unifonnly at eighteen inches apart, instead of from three to eight feet, according to their character; trees planted at three feet when twenty or more feet are necssar>- for their growth and development ; plants which require sun, placed in positions where the sun will never reach, and those requiring shade placed in full sun; group plantings having plants of a dwarf nature placed entirely at the back of others of the tallest grow- ing potentialities, and so on. When a painter has finished his picture upon canvas it is com- pleted for all time, excepting so far as time may modifv the colors; but when the planting of a garden is finished the pic- ture is very far from being complete, except in the mind's eye of the artist. If the planting has been properly devised and carried out the beauty of the composition will have to be brought out by time and will increase as the individual plants develop. This development requires, among other things, room ; the full beauty of trees can only be obtained wdien their branches can persist down to the ground, and in many cases the spread of the branches will equal the height of the tree: shrubs require suffi- cient room to attain to their fullest beauty of form and to realize all their potentialities in the way of flowers, beauties which are annually destroyed in inany gardens by the system of shearing and bad pruning to which they are subjected. It is not only the effect of a composition as a whole when seen from a distace which has to be considered, bul also the beauty of the individual subjects composing it when viewed from their immediate vicinity. Overcrowding plants is a very com- mon source of inartistic eflfccts and is generally caused by in- ability to visualize what a planting will look like in a few years' time. Upon one occasion two people were discussing the ques- tion as to whether a tree was or was not blocking up a vista of distant scenery. A third party who was present.but who did not happen to have much acquaintance with the general subject, was, during the discussion, trying to discover where the tree stood, and was surprised to learn that it was just in front of him and only three feet tall. The others could see in their mind's eye what the tree would be like in years to come and wanted to be sure it was put in the right place to start with. In these days it is of course possible to surround a new house w'ith a garden ten, twenty, or more years old by planting trees and shrubs of those ages; but apart from the question of expense in transplanting more or less full grown things, there is with many plant lovers considerable interest and enjoyment to be obtained from watching natural growth and development from small beginnings, Hefore laying out a garden, owners should have, in addition to the cost of carrying out the plan, some idea of the annual cost of care and upkeep after the planting is finished. Many well-planted gardens have been ruined and all beamy extinguished because the owner could not afford the necessary expense for proper care. It is much better in every way to do only a little in the way of planting and to give it the re(|uisite care and attention, than the reverse. The result of the former is con- tinual beauty, and of the latter continual ugliness. Any really expert gardener can by looking at a planting plan form a close 342 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE approximation uf the annual cost of upkeep involved by it, al- though there arc very few professional landscapists who could give any definite answer if questioned upon the point. The fundamental principle of an artistic garden is an open lawn. It should be as large as conditions will allow. In a gen- eral way all the center and interior of any landscape plan should be open lawn, as it affords a natural setting for the plantings of trees, shrubs, etc., which should be confined to the boundaries. The house should be located towards one side, and drives and walks must never cut through the middle of the grounds if a pleasingly natural effect is to be preserved. Boundary plantings should be, if possible, so designed in out- line as to obscure the boundary. This can be accomplished in the larger places by means of bold bays and promontories, with per- haps an island or two in the foreground uf these when there is plenty of room. If a hedge, or fence, or wall is necessary — and cither should be avoided if possible — the boundary plantings should be so arranged that they are not seen from the garden. When the property beyond the garden belongs to the same owner all the protection from animals given by a hedge, etc., can be se- cured by the use of the invisable protection known as the Ha-ha ( a sunken fence not seen until one is actually standing over it ; the word being derived from the old Anglo-Saxon word haga, a yard or inclosure). When the use of the ha-ha is possible some openings may be left in the boundary planting, or the plant- ing may be in certain spots composed entirely of dwarf growing subjects so as to afford an undisturbed view of the natural lands- scape beyond, which by this means becomes part of and ap- pears joined to the garden landscape, and if the latter is properly designed it will be scarcely, if at all, possible to tell at a distance where one ends and the other begins. In any case and in all connections, boundary plantings should be so arranged that the ultimate natural growth of the material used will be such as to cause the sky-line to be of an undulating form. In connection with small places it is not always possible to obtain the full effect of boundary plantings along the lines above mentioned ; at the same time, however, the idea need not be en- tirely lost sight of so that the outlook from the house can be upon something more than a hedge and street. In any case, the hedge assumes a position of greater importance in the small garden than in the large, as in the latter it can be often eliminated altogether. From the point of view of beauty as well as from every other, I have never been able to understand the everlast- ing use of privet for hedge purposes, as from an artistic stand- point it does not have a single redeeming feature. The fact that it is cheaply reproduced is a benefit not received by the planter, and even if it were its cheapness is counterbalanced over and over again in one season by the continual expense of its up- keep. The use of this privet is the more inexplicable in the face of the fact that there are so many other plants suitable for hedge purposes both beautiful and hardy, which latter, privet is not. For the northern half of the country there is no hedge plant which from all points of view equals the Barberry (Brrbcris Ihunhcrgii) . It has practically four distinct phases of beauty, which, merg.ing into one another, gives it a beautiful character all the year round. In the Spring it is the earliest shrub to put forth its bright green foliage, which it dees several weeks be- fore privet; this is followed by a mass of golden yellow dowers. In the Autumn its leaves gradually assume a brilliant scarlet, and when the leaves fall their place is taken by its bright red berries, which remain on until after the y( ung leaves appear in the Spring, these berries being especially effective in brightening" up the garden during mid-Winter snows. This barberry is abso- lutely hardy and the severest Winters have no power to harm it. The upkeep of a barberry hedge costs practically nothing com- pared with privet, as barberry requires no shearing and is in fact spoiled by so doing. It can be kept within any required bounds by cutting out old wood close to the ground, an operation which is not requisite more frequently than once in three or four years. At their best, hedges must be looked upon as necessary evils, adding nothing to a naturally artistic composition, but when they are required as boundary protection it is surely better to have something pleasing to look upon instead of that which is commonplace and unbeautiful like privet, which its additional feature of being kept sheared causes to introduce an element of discord into any natural beauty. Whatever reasons or excuses may be given for hedges on the outside of one's garden, it does not appear possible to advance any for sticking them about on the inside, and when these inside hedges arc privet too, then a feature which is in any case bad is made ten times worse, espe- cially in the face of the numerous beautiful flowering plants suitable for the purpose. If a screen line of demarcation between the ornamental grounds and the vegetable garden, for instance, is considered necessary it can be of flowering shrubs arranged in such a manner as to have the side towards the vegetable portion straight and the other of varying widths so that it is not a hedge at all. Also a combination of the beautiful and the useful can be obtained by using bush or pyramid apples and pears ; quinces, too, can be used for the purpose. Gooseberries, cur- rants, raspberries, blackberries, make good interior hedges and certamly their use would afford more evidence of common sense than wasting time and money upon such a useless thing as privet. When an evergreen hedge or screen is desired, material for the purpose in the north can be found among the hardy conifers, in the south there are in addition many evergreen flowering shrubs which can be used. What is called "tying the house to the ground" is accomplished by plantings close to the foundation. This, being under close and continual observation, should be composed in an harmonious and natural manner of the choicest subjects, avoiding all stiffness and formality. Terraces should be shunned as introducing an element of dis- cord. There is nothing artistic in a terrace, and the common idea that a terrace adds to tUle beauty of home surroundings is utterly false. When the house is built upon a hillside a terrace may be necessary, but making a terrace upon level, or practically level, ground is an anachronism destroying the harmony which should always exist in a work of true landscape art. otherwise it cannot be true. Trees must always be an element to be considered in com- posing a landscape, as they form the framework of other plant- ing, and unless they are felicitously selected happily placed and well grown, the whole composition falls to pieces. The smaller the place, the greater the care necessary in making a selection and in avoiding planting too many. When only a few can be used, these few should afford the most prolonged and maximum amount of beauty possible. Upon the smaller places and near the house upon a place of any size, the Norway and Silver Maples should be entirely eliminated from consideration. They are each commonplace and for ornamental purposes they stand among deciduous trees in the same category as the common privet does among shrubs. Some trees around a house are necessary and desirable for the purpose of affording shade, but it is unfortunately a com- mon practice to over-indulge in the craving for shade trees, and there are many houses too much shadowed and shut in by them, and numerous gardens are cramped and crowded by three times as many trees as the place ought to support ; such places would be greatly improved by the use of the ax. In woodland planting it is possible to create a landscape satisfy- ing to the most artistically fastidious taste by trees alone, and all extensive landscape compositions should include a number of specimen trees so placed as to show their individual good quali- ties, and above all so planted and grown as to possess these good qualities in the maximum degree. Nothing mars a land- scape to a greater extent and is more inartistic than an unthrifty, scrubby, starved tree, shrub, or other plant. Eliminating from our minds the two maples above mentioned, trees suitable for the soil, climate and position can be selected from among the many others. Trees vary in their most dis- tinctive features, as examples, some, like the Horse Chestnut and Calalj^a sj'cciosa. have their flowering features more pronounced than others ; the Scarlet Oak and Sugar Maple are most con- spicuous towards the end of the year by reason of the brilliant autumn coloring of their foliage; Lindens in the flowering sea- son cause their neighborhood to lie pervaded by a delicious per- fume : oddity combined with prettiness is afforded by the Gingko ; coniferous plantings are brightentd bv the White Birch, and so on. An idea connected with trees for ornamental and shade pur- poses which appears worth mentioning, and which I have adopted with success in connection with small places where room is very limited, is to use fruit trees, apples, pears and cherries, for these purposes. Nothing is more beautiful than fruit trees in full bloom; all other things being equal, they grow as quickly as any other trees, and quicker than some ; they afford all the shade required from a tree, and sooner or later there is a harvest of fruit to gather. Monstrosities, like the usually planted artificial form of Catalpa biingci. and deformed horticultural specimens like the Weeping Mulberry, should never be planted. There is no more unequiv- ocal testimony to the general poverty of good taste in garden- ing than the constantly recurring sight of such-like monstrosities in the gardens of people whose houses are, in most cases, fur- nished inside with taste and propriety. It is not much evi- dence of good taste when prominent firms of landscape architects include these things in their planting plans. A person must be very peculiarly constituted who does not care for flow'ers, and generally speaking, apart from sentimental reasons, the flowers which 'are most valued are those which are grown in one's own garden. Of all the things made by man for his pleasure a flower garden has the least business to be ugly or stereotyped ; and yet we find in a very large number of country places, large and small, flower beds of pattern plans. for October, 1920 343. conventional design, and the garden robbed of all true grace and artistic beauty by the bedding-out system of setting out ephem- eral tropical and subtropical plants in geometrical ways. The most ugly features of the suburban place are the middle walk with a round or other shaped bed of geraniums or other plants of similar nature in the center of the lawn on each side, and when what is known as "carpet-bedding" is used, it is simply a further remove in ugliness. To obtain the maximum amount of room for lawn and flowers the entrance walk should be upon one side combined with the drive to the garage, if there is one. This gives the largest sized open lawn the ground in front of the house will accommodate; around this lawn should be placed the flowering shrubs, which will form a background for the dwarfer hardy perennial flowering plants. It is better to have no flowers at all than that a lawn should be cut up into formal beds for their accommodation. To many people the great advantages of gardening with hardy plants are so apparent as compared with tender bedding plants, that it would appear almost a waste of words to make any argu- ment in favor of the former; but the argument is needed as much as ever, in spite of the tendency in recent years to a more rational system of flower gardening, for it is an undeniable fact that more than half of the flower gardening is still done with a few species of commonplace, uninteresting and ephemeral bed- ding plants. AH the annual expenditure for this is practically wasted as in the norlhcrn half of the country it only occupies the ground for a few weeks, leaving nothing but bare ground for the remaining nine or ten months. My own experience tells me that it is possible in the vicinity of New York to have flowers blooming in a border of hardy plants for ten months in the year. It is true that this is not probable every year, but upon the aver- age, flowers from a planting of hardy plants can be had for as many months as weeks from tender bedding plants. I do not think the majority of people prefer tender bedding plants to hardy ones, but too often they have little choice in the matter in connection with small places, as they buy what the Iccal florist recommends. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, superintendents of city parks who should be educators of the people in the highest and in the most artistic form of gardening, are content — sometimes they have the job only as a reward for political services and know nothing better — with what may be termed an annual pyrotechnical display of bedding plants, as it is of such short duration and of no artistic value. Obviously there are numerous other matters connected with our subject which have been omitted from consideration, but we have endeavored to mention the more important ones relating to what to do and what to avoid in ornamental gardening. In conclusion a paragraph from Mrs. Schuyler Van Rensselaer's de- lightful book, "Art Out of Uoors," is worth quoting : "If now we ask when and where we need the Fine Art of Gar- dening, must not the answer be, whenever and wherever we touch the surface of the ground and the plants it bears with the wish to produce an organized result that shall please the eye? The name we usually apply to it must not mislead us into thinking that this art is needed only for the creation of broad 'landscape' ef- fects. It is needed wherever we do more than grow plants for the money we may save or gain by them. It does not matter whether we have in mind a great park or small city square, a largQ estate or a modest dooryard, we must go about our work in an artistic spirit if we want a good result. Two trees and six shrubs, a scrap of lawn and a dozen flowering plants, may form either a beautiful little picture or a huddled disarray of forms and colors." dener it affords a desirable means of improving his edu- cation. THINGS AND THOUGHTS OF THE GARDEN ( L ontimtcd fium pai^^c 332 ) science. Then too, new information and theories, are continually coming to light, and, in spile of the antiq- uity of our craft, there are many problems connected with it that still remain to be solved. Which reminds me of a remark by one of our foremost horticulttirists, in a discussion of the etherization of plants, to the effect that our horticultural knowledge is as yet in its infancy. This is prohably trtie and many of us no doubt will see great changes in gardening jiractice as time goes on. Of course in garden writings there has been, and must con- tinue to be, a great deal of overlapping and repetition that is sometimes wearisome to the seasoned gardener, but, we sometimes need to be reminded, and, to avoid getting into a rut, it is necessary to be familiar with cur- rent horticultural literature; while for the young gar- VIBURNUMS {Continued from pai^c 333) The Uses of Viburnums Of the several species of I'iburnuui which we have mentioned, accrifulinni and cassinuidcs are excellent for the borders of shrubberies; dcnfatuni is a good hedge shrub, preferring a rich upland soil or a moist location ; lanhina will thrive in a dry situation and in a limestone soil; opiiliis nanum is suitable for borders and edgings; hyitanoidcs thrives in moist, and accrifoliuin in dry loca- tions, under trees ; dilatatiim. Icntago, lantana, opulus and optdus sterile in tree-like form make handsome single specimens. Pl«II'.\G.\TI0X AND PkuXIXC, \'iburnums are propagated by layering, by half- rii)ened or green wood cuttings taken oft in "wet weather in Sununer and placed in sand under glass, the latter method being used for the evergreen species and for inaerocephahiin. inolle. tomentosnin and cassinoides and by seeds sown in Auttiiiin. Pruning should be done directly after the flowering season, and should be confined to removing dead branches and such green branches as are necessary to preserve svnimetrv. .\ touch of frank friendliness, a fleeting revelation of kindly human nature, in correspondence or personal inter- views, in any sphere of life, on any occasion — these things mean so much to the people witli whom one comes in_ contact, and they make life so much more interesting. We're all human beings, living in the same old world — we're all most desperately human at heart — we may do different work, read different books, have different reli- gious and political opinions, utterly difl'erent interests in Hfe — but we can't get away from the fact that we've got that one supreme thing in common — our humanity, and we don't diff'er so very greatly in our emotions. So why stand on ceremony? Every man is your friend until he proves himself otherwise. — Higliham's Magazine. g I'll"! iiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I mill iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiii^ I WILL YOU HELP SUPPRESS I I THE SIGN BOARD VANDALISM | I ALONG OUR HIGHWAYS? | I At the convention of the National Association of | I Gardeners, held in St. Louis in September, a resolu- | J tion was adopted condemning the despoliation of the | i beauties of the natural scenery along our highways | I by unsightly sign boards. It was decided to begin j I a country-wide propaganda to arouse an indignant | I public sentiment against this nuisance. I I We invite every individual and organization inter- | I ested in seeing the scenic beauties along our highways | I protected and conserved to co-operate with us in sup- j E pressing this sign board vandalism. | V If interested, address I I SIGN BOARD COMMITTEE | I National Association of Gardeners | I 286 Fifth Ave., New ^'ork. N. Y. I ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiii>iiiiiiiniiiniiniiiiii!»iiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiimiiiiii:iiiiitiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiniiiirnii:iiiiiiii^ 344 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews (IIIIIIHI ' DARLINGTON ON THE ROSE IT is always interesting to hear what a man who thoroughly knows a subject has to say upon it, so as I was in London I took the opportunity of going to hear Mr. Darlington (the pres- ident of the National Rose Society and the author of "Roses" in the Present-day Gardening series of horticultural manuals) lec- ture at Vmcent Square on June 29, and I was rewarded for my trouble by a clear and concise ex cathedra sort of statement upon the present position of garden Roses and what remains to be done for their improvement. Mutatis mutandis we heard a modern George Glenny laying down what were the correct properties which the ideal garden Rose of the future should possess. It was most interesting, and I take this opportunity as a note-taker of congratulating him on the simple and the clear way in which he put his facts and his views before his audience. The following is a short resume of his ten points: ;^(,,-,„._Raisers of new varieties of garden Roses should aim at high centres and shapely reflexing petals. The Hybrid Teas as a whole show the greatest advance. Much remains to be done in the yellows, which originated with the old Persian Yellow. Carriage of Flowers on the Stalk.— The flower must not hang its head as in the case of Bessie Brown, nor should it be too stiffly upright. The golden mean between the two extremes should be aimed at. l_ pi^ir. — The lecturer mentioned McGredy and Pernet-Ducher as two raisers who had done much to improve color, which should be (a) clear, bright and decided, and (b) fast._ Sunburst is an example of a Rose with a bad color "property." Continuous Flouvring.— This is what most of all distinguishes the modern from the old-fashioned Rose. It is the greatest gain that hybridizers and seedling raisers have wrested from Xature. The old Hybrid Perpetual bloomed once a year only. General McArthur blooms periodically. Mme. Edouard Herriot goes on uninterruptedly from July until the frosts come and cut it down. Freedom of Flowering. — Some very beautiful varieties are not free. We want the freedcm of Richmond, Red Letter Day, and Mme. Edouard Herriot in all new varieties. Fragrance. — If new Roses have gained in perpetualness, they have lost in fragrance. The Hybrid Perpetuals were sweet at any rate. Perfume, the lecturer said, can be improved, and he hoped that before very long it would be, as quite half of our modern varieties are scentless. Even in the yellows there are signs of better things. A yellow Rose shown by Mr. Henry Waller on June 29 had a slight touch of perfume. In both climbers and Dwarf Polyanthas there were but few varieties with much scent. Evangeline among the tir.st-named class and Ellen Poulson in the second are exceptions. A point to notice about perfume is that the true Rose scent, as it is frequently called — the scent of the ancient eentifolia and the old-as-the-hills Damascena — is by no means the only type to be found in the genus Rosa. There are Tea types, fruity types and Musk types, and I have read that one or two species almost rival the very doubtful nasal delights of Stapclia blooms. Growth. — It is a fact that some varieties will not grow. Mrs. Charles L. Pearson was cited as an instance. Now, as the lec- turer said with that Delphic smile of his, "A plant must grow." Garden Habit. — There are greater differences than many imagine. It is important to know which varieties to choose for particular purposes. For example. Hybrid Teas as a rule do not make good pillar Roses. Again, varieties which make long flowerlcss shoots are best used where these can be pegged down in the following year. Good Foliage. — A Rose with but scanty foliage is not suitable for bedding, as too few leaves produce a bare effect. Then the character of their surface must be taken into consideration. A smooth shining surface is a distinct and valuable asset. The Life of a Plant. — This should always be taken into ac- count, and if catalogs would mention this in their description of varieties it would be a great help to both young and old rosarians ; it makes a considerable difference in the trouble and cost of a Rose garden. At the present moment a good deal remains to be found out. Mr. Darlington instanced three beds of Richmond in his own garden. One was si.xteen. one was twelve and a third five or six years old. He had more renewals to make in the youngest than in the oldest, and he could not account for it. He tilted at overpropagation, and said he had read of a case where a single strong plant in the February of one year became 18,000 in the September of the year following. Such a feat is possible, I have since been told in the United States, where growing Roses from their birth to their grave has been reduced to a fine art. In our climate such a feat is most probably impossible, so we must not be unduly nervous about what might happen, for propagation on the same grand scale is unlikely here. The above heads are as it were the dry bones of an interest- ing and instructive lecture. I have not the requisite knowledge to comment upon it or to amplify it as I should like to have done, but that does not in the least matter, for the ipsissiina zrerba of the President are to be published in the next Royal Hurticultural Society's Journal, so it will then be possible to go to the rock from whence these notes have been taken, and learn in addition what he had to say about the shifting of taste, and study the lists of what in his opinion are the best garden Roses. — The Rev. Josefh Jacob, in The Garden. A fine single yellow Rose, Mermaid. — We cannot always judge a Rose by seeing it at a show for many reasons, especially as regards its value for the garden. Having seen the above a few days ago in vigorous health, and bearing freely its handsome, large, yellow flowers, I am convinced that in this we possess a Rose of great beauty. The specimen referred to was loosely trained to a pillar, and was from 9 feet to 10 feet in height, having made this amount of growth, I was informed, during the past season. The lovely sulphur-yellow flowers, each 5 inches to 6 inches across, at once arrested attention. The depth of color in the petals was remarkable, the deep amber stamens prcminenlly disposed after the maimer of the Macarfiey Rose (/?. bracteata), which surely was one of its parents. The large, glistening leaves, turning bronze with age, have that clean, healthy appearance we admire in a good Rose. Messrs. W. Paul and Sons were awarded the Gold Medal of the National Rose Society in 1918 for this fine introduction. — Gardening Illustrated. HYBRID DELPHINIUMS Judging by the number of flowers whose names have some connection with bird form, in the minds of nature lovers of long ago there must have existed some fanciful association between the two. The curious spurred nectaries of the Delphinium, which give the flower its peculiar quaintuess, suggested a dolphin's head and then came the name Delphinium from delphin — meaning a dolphin. Today no garden is complete without a representative collection of the Hybrid Forms of these beautiful flowers and the old strains have been so much improved and developed that they would scarcely recognize some of their descendants. When we consider the numberless varieties it our disposal in A.D. 1920, it is rather instructive to read in one of the most reliable catalogues published in 1817, that the species and varieties at that time totalled nine. This will serve to show us the leaps and bounds with which delphinium cu'ture has proceeded and how much better off we grumbling gardeners are today than people were at the time of the Battle of W'aterloo. Then the flowers had narrow petals so crowded together that much of the beauty, both of color and form was lost and one cannot help wondering what the gardeners of long ago would say could they see the modern stately spikes with their large blossoms ranging through all the most delicious shades of purple, to heliotrope blue, lavender and sky blue, for- get-me-not blue, gentian blue and azure — so the grand color sym- phony goes on. D. calil. from Afghanistan, has pale yellow flowers D. moerheimi pure white, and besides these there are the crimson flowered species. D. datum, the Bee Larkspur, was introduced into European gardens from Siberia over 300 years ago and to it we no doubt owe those varieties with bee-like centres to their flowers which we have today. It would be difficult to trace back the origin of the new forms which are constantly being raised, so much crossing and inter-crossing has gone to create these achievements of the florist's art. All are hardy and quickly establish themselves in any well-cultivated border. There is a great variety of color and form — some have donlile flowers, some single, some are tall, some dwarf. .\ mixed bed of hybrids with the taller ones planted in the middle may be made a thing of great beauty. Is not the delphinium patch invarialily the brightest spot in the garden? for October, 1920 345 The rtowers seem to diffuse light wherever they are. — South African Gardcmng & Country Life. CALIFORNIA TREE POPPIES When Romiicya Coultcri does well it is one of the most con- spicuous of the flowers of middle and late Summer. The 6-inch wide milk white bloom with its large tuft of bright yellow stamens is seen from a long distance, and a nearer view of the clear-cut glaucous foliage shows a plant of great beauty and distinction. It grows to a height of 7 feet, in a bush-like mass, thriving in a deep, light soil in a sheltered, sunny place, best of all near a south or west wall. When well established it runs freely underground, some of the more adventunus growths coming up two or three yards away from the parent plant. In this way it will pass under a gravel or paved path, appearing as healthy young plants on the further side. It will even pass through or under the foundations of a wall. Young growths so formed look tempting for trans- plantation but this never succeeds. It is best grown from seed, though it is easy to strike in heat the young shoots when they are just iiushir.g up from the base in Spring, The petal is so trans- parent that if laid on a page of bold type the print can be read through it. It has an excellent scent, something like a com- bination of Primrose and Magnolia. It is nearly allied to Platy- stigina. also plants of American origin, and, with them, is a branch of the Poppy family. California Bush Poppy is its popular name. In your note upon Roniiicya Coultcri you speak of the difficulty of moving young plants which are the offsets from the main plant, and therefore I think I ought to tell you that I have never had a failure, but that a few months previous to moving a plant I have always cut the runner from which it has sprung. I have always looked upon them as the easiest plants to move. Reference has been made to Romncya Coultcri thriving best in a well drained but poor soil. For several years I have had very conclusive evidence of the truth of this assertion. Mr. P. Kitcher, head-gardener to Major Wyndham Pain, Bransgore House, Christchurch, has a remarkably fine specimen, many feet high and as far through it, growing in a rock garden on a natural slope and in a very hot position. The flowers are of immense size and very fragrant, \\hen the buds are just showing color they are cut and placed in water, where they gradually open fully. Suckers grow freely from this plant. — The Garden. THE SHIRLEY POPPY AGAIN The best time to cut these Poppies is the evening lieforc they are due to open, the likely flowers being known by their upright position, and being thus easily distinguishable from the less mature buds, which retain the "swan's neck." Flowers so cut and placed immediately in hot water open the following morn- ing as if they had been left on the plant, and remain for a longer time fresh than those cut in the morning. Also for send- ing by post, cut in the evening, placed for a little in an inch or two of hot water, packed firmly and posted for the evening post, they will travel unhurt any distance covered by a night train, and, on reaching their destination, will emerge from their wrappings like a bunch of tropical butterflies newly issued from the cocoon. It is also worth noting that flowers cut in the evening before expansion retain much longer than flowers cut in the morning those creases and corrugations which are such a charming feature of the freshly blown Shirley Poppy. I might mention also that for flower-loving invalids, confined to room or bed, the Shirley Poppy is a flower of flowers. The Poppies may be brought to the bedside while as yet shaggy and colorless buds, and. in the too often tedious hours of early morning, they will play for the wakeful invalid their little flower drama with the spirit and variegated grace of a corps dc ballet from the Alhambra. A transformation scene indeed ! Also these Poppies have little or no smell, and for some in- valids those flowers smell best that smell least. — The Garden. WHITE-FLOWERED HARDY PLANTS The white hues of flowers sometimes produce a distpiieting effect, perhaps never more so than when a single white-flowered plant gets into a combination otherwise quite free from white or cream. The effect is to arrest the sight, draw attention from the rest of the flowers and concentrate it almost wholly on the one plant among the many. But, apart from instances such as this, white flowers, if properly employed, are of great value in the garden. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. .1 Black Tlozt'cr. — The color black is hardly met in the world of flowers. The wild ginger, the dark larkspur and one or two other plants have corollas of a blackish brown. It is known that the Oncocyclus group of irises, of oriental origin, have flowers of white ground more or less spotted with black. Now we have at this moment in flower, at Florair. writes M. H. Correvon, a sage, semi-frutescent. of which the tips of the flowers present a color positively black. Humboldt and Bonpland, who have described it, give it the color blackish violet; but the lips of the flower, which are the only part in evi- dence, the throat being concealed by the long and large calyx, are postively black, of a beautiful silky black, or rather of the black of velvet. It is a plant of upright habit, glandulous and viscous, with leaves broadly entwined and of liright verdure. It is extremely rare in the gardens and is scarccl\- met in the collections of specialists. Nevertheless it has a beauty of its own and merits the attention of the lovers of beautiful plants. Its foliage is strongly aromatic. — Le Jardin. A Variety of Viburnnm Carlesi. — The Bulletino has already made mertion of this species which, in spite of its absolute decorative value is not yet known in our gardens. Now the Bulletin of Miscel aneous Information from Kew describes a variety which, if it has not greater merits than the type, is in every way worthy of being introduced to cultivation. The variety is called Syringa: flora through a certain resemblance which the florets have to those of the lilac. — Bulletino della R. Socicta Toscana Di Orlicnltura. Ridiculnus Patriotism. — A French rosarian has publislicd the catalog of his firm with the omission, in the collection of roses, of all the names of the rose of German origin, indicating them simply with a number. This is simply ridiculous! Has he per- haps believed tliat he could destroy the geneological history of these varieties obtained in Germany or dedicated to a German personality? If he had been possessed by his own spirit of patriotism he would have given, in his collection, the ostracism to all German varieties ; but these are as they are and they will^ remain such also without naming tbem.—Biillcttino della R. Socicta Toscana di Orticu'tura. Delpliinium. The Alake. — Many of the finest Delphiniums are so formal in the form of their spikes that it is a pleasure to see some of the newer ones which do not conform to the cIosc-hal)ited. thick-set columnar spikes which mark so many, yet with all the good qualities of form of flower, size, and color which distinguish the individual blooms of the best perennial Larkspurs. With The Alake it seem diflicult to find any fault. It has symmetrical, yet not stiff, spikes ; the individual flowers very large, and of a fine bright blue or purple. The Alake is not one of the most recent novelties, many of which are as yet too expensive for the ordinary grower, l;ut it is so beautiful that it cannot well be dispensed with. — Gardening Illustrated. HERBACEOUS PHLOXES Of all hardy flowers in the garden none is more appreciated than a collection of desirable varieties of herbaceous Phloxes. Commencing to flower early in July and continuing until the middle and sometimes the end of October, they make a bright patch of color. They are very useful for supplying cut flowers for indoor decoration, for which they are so well atfapted. giving such a variety of color. The perfume, too, from these flowers, es- pecially in the early morning and evening in the garden, is much appreciated, as also it is from the cut spikes in the house. To grow herbaceous Phloxes really well and to obtain fully developed panicles of large, highly colored blooms so many per- sons spoil their chance of success by allowing too many shoots to grow from each plant, thus overcrowding them so much that the growth is weakly and. consequently, the blooms and flower panicles are small. Such plants, too, are more difficult to support; when they are tied to one central stake in l)esom-like manner tlie shoots are more crowded still, each stem being robbed of its share of light and space. To obtain success the foliage must be fully developed, and this can only be done by spreading the shoots out with a separate stake, say, six or eight growths to the largest clump is ample, removing all others, naturally selecting the strong- est directly the growth commences. Phloxes will succeed in almost any kind of soil provided it is deeply dug and well manured. Tlie plants cainiot flourish under too dry conditions ; they revel in moisture at the root, a light mulch of manure, leaves or even straw during dry, hot weather while they are sending up their flower panicles is very beneficial. Some slight shade is an advantage, for instance, a border facing west is a gain in keeping the roots cool. Liquid manure applied judiciously is much appreciated by the fast developing panicles of blossom. Phloxes are easily increased by division of the roots and by cuttings of the young shoots when 3 inches long, early in .\pril, and inserted in sandy soil singly in 3-inch pots, stood in a close cold frame, kept shaded until roots arc formed, which is quickly done, when they should have abundance of air, and when well established they can be put out where they are to flower or shifted into larger pots to bloom in the conservatory, where each will give one stout panicle of flower. The following varieties are desirable : Miss Pcmberton, carmine rose, darker centre. 3 feet ; General Van Heutsz, 4 feet, brilliant 346 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE salmon pink, one of the best ; Elizalicth Campbell, 3 feet, pale salmon pink, this is an exquisite variety in every respect; Selma, 3 feet, pink with a crimson eye, laryc flowers on a huge panicle; SherilY Ivorv, 3 feet, light rose, with a deeii crimson eye. compact growth and late flowering; Iris. 3 feet, bluish violet, blue centre; Eclairenr, 4 feet, carmine, large blooms, early flowering; Etna, 4 feet, orange scarlet : Europa, 3 feet, snow white, with carmine centre; Baron Von Dedem, 3 feet, rich scarlet; Marconi, 2 feet, pink, crimson bars and deeper eye; Thora, 3 feet, salmon, free branching habit ; Le Mahdi. 2 feet blue, excellent ; Aeger, 3 feet, crimson scarlet, late ; Antoiue Mercier, 2 feet, lilac when openmg, increasing in tint with age ; Hanny Pfleiderer, 3 feet, compact habit, creamy white, with salmon eye; Asia, 3 feet, huge spikes, lilac rose ; Mons. Kind, 3 feet, brilliant rosy orange ; Steuben, 3 feet, rich cerise crimson, brilliant color; Reich Graaf Von Hock- ling, 4 feet, dark blue ; Thynistroom, 3 feet, rose, with lighter eye,' very eft'ective ; General Pan, 3 feet, bright orange red, com- pact flower heads. Of white flowered varieties there are a number to choose frorn. In my opinion the best is Fran Von Lansberg, 3 feet, stifif habit of growth, needing no support, good foliage, large panicles of pure white huge blossoms. Tapis Blanc, 1 foot 6 inches; Sylphide, 3 feet; F. A. Buchner, 3 feet; Virgo Marie, 4 feet, is the best late flowering variety, very free, with small panicles, most useful for cutting. — The Garden. The copious rains have come just in time for the Phloxes, which were beginning to show signs of their dislike to the drought, for no plants are so quickly affected, especially if they are on a light, dry soil. Where one has to grow them under such conditions it is advisable to make special provision in the way of removing a portion of the natural soil and rtlling up with a mixture of loam and chopped cow-manure in the proportion of three to one. Given this and a mulch in hot, dry weather one is fairly certain of a good, long-sustained flowering season and some tine heads of bloom, A partially shaded position is the best for them, especially the highly-colored selfs, like Coqnellicot in the scarlets and Le Mahdi and William Ramsay in the purples, as these are apt to scorch under the influence of a powerful sun. The lighter shades are not so easily affected, but a strong point in favor of partial shade is tlie considerably extended flowering season. All varieties are valued for cutting for large vases, special favorites being the very delicate shades, of which Eugenie Dan- zanvilliers may be taken as an example, and all the newer types stand as well cut as in the border if decaying pips are promptly removed. When stools are allowed to remain in the same place for several seasons (and there is no reason why they should not do so if the ground is well prepared at the outset ) it is advisable to thin out the growths, leaving about five of the strongest, as bigger heads and individual pips are thereby obtained. Although quite at home with other things in the hardy plant border, I think the Phloxes are seen to best advantage alone in large beds, when the colors can be arranged to give a pleasing and efifective display. I wrote "alone." but if planted thinly, which is ad- visable, so that each variety is seen clearly and distinctly, inter- vening spaces may be filled with Tufted Pansies or some very dwarf, long-flowering annuals. — Gardening Illustrated. eMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiititiniiiiiuiiiniiiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiij^ BOOK REVIEW DEPARTMENT s;iiiii.vi»iii»iii)iiiuiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiii^^ Correction. Acknowledgment is cheerfully made of a cour- teous letter from Captain George C. Thomas. Jr., objecting to certain items in last month's review of his Practical Book of Outdoor Rose Growing. Regarding the fact that he apparently bases his estimate of roses only upon observations made in his own gardens he cites an account of explorations and of con- ferences with other eminent rosarians. all over the country and even extending up into Canada, that are astounding in extent and thoroughness. It is to be hoped that he may soon publisli the narrative, for it would certainly be interesting and in- structive. It was not due to lack of oliservation in others' gar- dens that climbing Bess Lovett and Alida Lovett were omitted by him. He has not found them hardy in spite of their thriving at Washington. Yet growers in New Jersey, near New York City, have them forming blooms upon wood of the preceding year. Evidently, then, the matter of hardiness is often a diffi- cult one to handle. Engelman's spruce, for example, which luxuriates under the buffeting of tremendous storms high up among the Rocky Mountains, does not find con,gcnial the dry cold of the northern prairies. The writer has always found that the rose Gruss an Teplitz, several times referred to by Mr. Tliomas as remarkable for its hardiness, kills back nearly to the ground in north-central Ohio. Premier and Madame Butter- fly for Mr. Thomas have not succeeded. Of them, accordingly, it might be asked if they may not yet adapt themselves so as to earn the change of opinion to the better attained by Climbing Gruss an Teplitz. which, according to page 127 of the book, "has not been successful, as during the second year, on two plants, less than a dozen blooms appeared during the season," but of which one reads, on pages 222 and 223, "One rose stands out as fulfilling the conditions of an ever-blooming hardy climber. . . . It takes time to become established; and if it does not bloom well after its second year, it should be root pruned or moved to insure blooming wood. Its habit is most vigorous and hardy and when well grown it blooms most prolifically from Spring until frost." Obviously then one is to take into account that the present edition of this splendid book is the edition of 1916 with only a new chapter, Rose Development From 1917 to 1920, appended, and interesting and valuable chapter to which, by the way. attention ought to be directed by the Table of Contents. As to providing in the Score Card' for a place to set forth in detail the habit of the plant and its appearance in the garden the reviewer must admit that this can be attended to under growth. Is not this a point deserving of much more attention than is ordinarily given to it in the selecting of roses for out- doors? As to roses for certain sites a second reading shows that very many points, perhaps enough for almost every planter, are treated here and there in the book, points which it would be hard to tabulate. The use of species for "wild" planting is a subject that would hardly come within the scope of a book of this nature. It is an exceptionally excellent and inestimably valuable hook of remarkable accuracy. Who could write a book that every one would find flawless? The .Adventl-res of a N.vture Guide, by Enos A. Mills; cloth, X\T+271 pages, 8vo., with iZ full-page illustrations. Double- day. Page & Co.. Garden City, New York. It may be questioned whether the person who confines himself to a garden made with hands does not miss much. Man's original progenitor was "put into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." Some persons garden from necessity and others be- cause of a realization of advantages to be obtained, while in the case of still others it is a hobby or a pastime. But gardening, like other pursuits, may become constraining or absorbing. A person in such a case is too apt in his love of Nature, not to" "hold communion with her visible forms" and to him she hardly "speaks a varied language." She should not be a mother im- posing drudgery upon her children. On the contrary, declares Mr. Mills, "irresistible is Nature's call to play. The call comes in a thousand alluring forms. . . . She pictures alluring scenes in which to rest and play ; in mysterious ways she sends us eagerly forth for unsealed heights and fairylands." "It is seri- ously splendid to iJlay with wild w'inds. There is no greater joy than wrestling nakedhanded with the elements. Life in the wild places is not all struggle, not all hunger, fright and fasting. All wild animals find time to rest, and all. from time to time, give themselves up to play." The author leads one, in a most fascinating manner, with elo- quent words, into the wild places ; but he shows us that the wilderness is one of the safest and most interesting places on earth. In fact, he records more dangerous encounters with human beings, a stockman and prospectors, to whom his ways of examining trees, in the Rocky Mountain National Park, were mysterious, incomprehensilile and suspicions. From the elements, however, he did once suffer most critically. Snowblinded for two days he wandered, at an altitude of 12,000 feet above sealevel, along the edges of precipices, with feet nearly frozen and once knocked down by the onrush or concussion of air as, with terrific crash and roar, a snowslide swept into the canyon a short dis- tance in front of him. The book is strikingly different from all others, thoroughly original and thrilling and throbbing with the heartbeats of Nature pulsating poetry in a manly man who. through his "winged words." not inappropriately to borrow an expression from Homer, guides the reader's thoughts to Nature, as he has sympathetically conducted in reality willing children who have learned from this Nature Guide. With hand on the spade and heart in the sky Dress the ground and till it ; Turn in the liltle seed, brown and dry. Turn out the golden millet. Work, and your house shall he duly Work, and rest shall be won ; I hold that a man had better be dead Than alive when his work is done. -Alice fed ; Cary. }or October, 1920 347 I National Association of Gardeners f I _ Office: 286 FIFTH AVE., NEW YOKK | iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiNiiiiniuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin President — L. P. Jensen, St. Louis, Mo. Vice-President— D. L. Mackintosh, Alpine, New Jersey. Secretary— M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave., New York. Treasurer — T, W. Head, Red Bank, X. J. TRUSTEES (For 1920)— Peter Duff, William Waite, Arthur Smith, New Jersey; Robert Weeks, Ohio; W. H. Griffiths, Michigan. DIRECTORS (To serve until 1921)— William N. Craig, Massachusetts; William Hertrick, California; William Gray, Rhode Island; G. Hennen- hofer, Montana: Thomas Hatton, Connecticut; Albin Martini, Iowa; A. C. Jordahn, Florida. (To serve until 1922)— George Wilson, Illinois; James Stuart, New York; William Kleinheinz, Pennsylvania; John F. Huss, Connecticut; Edwin Jenkins, Massachusetts; Carl N. Fohn, Colorado; Joseph Tansey, New York. (To serve until 1923) — Robert Williamson, (Connecticut; Robert Cameron, Massachusetts; Theodore Wirth, Min- nesota; George H. Pring, Missouri; George W. Hess, District of Colum- bia; Daniel J. Coughlin, New Yorli; John Barnet, Pennsylvania. SUSTAINING MEMBERS .Will i'or/,-— Mrs. T. I. .\lbriglit. Georse I'. Eakcr. \\'. R. Cue. Mrs. T. .\. Constable. Paul D. Cravath. Mrs. W. Bayard Cutting. Cleveland H. Dolge, Mrs. David Dows. Frank T. Dupignac. Mrs. (^oleman du Pont, Childs Flick, W. II. Gratwick. Daniel Guseenheini. Mrs. W. D. Guthrie. ^Irs. \\'illi.''-m P. Hamilton. Mrs. Jolin Henry Hammond, T. A. Havemeyer, Mrs. L. A. Heiniann, B. H. Howell. C. O. Isehn, Otto Kahn, W. Eugene Kimball, .^doh»h I.ewisohn, Mrs. JuHus Mc\'icker. Mrs. Eugene Meyer, Jr., J. Pier- pont Morgan. Mrs. T. Pierpont Morgan. Stanley G. Mortimer. ^Irs. Harold I. Pratt. Tohn T. Pratt. E. F. Price, Mrs. William .\. Reed. H. D. Roosen, Charles .\. Sherman, Mrs. Sai-niel Sloan, l^enjamin Stern, Mrs. W. Stursberg, Daniel Tatum, Mrs. R. M. Thcmpson, Mrs. Edwin Thorne, Mrs. Henry M TiVford, Samuel ITntermyer, Mrs. Payne Whitney. Nczo Jersey — A. .\lbright. Jr.. Cliarles A. Bradley. Joseph P. Day, James B. Duke, Mrs. Lewis L. Dunham, Mrs. Frederick Freling- huysen, Mrs. Charles Giiggenheimer, Mrs. Gustave E. Kissel, C. Lewis, Mrs. Paul Moore. Hubert T. Parsons. Mrs. Manuel Rionda, Mrs. John I. Waterbury. Pennsylvania — Samuel T. Bodine. Gen. Richard Coulter. Mrs. J. D. Lyons. R. E. Mellon. Gifford Pinchot, Edward A. W'oods. Delaware — trenee du Pont, Pierre S. du Pont. Connecticut. — E. C Converse, Dr. and Mrs. Tracy Farnam, George M. Hendec. Miss .\. B. Jennings. W. H. Truesdale. William Ziegler, Jr. Rhode Island — Gov. R. Livingston Beeckman. George P. Wetinore. ^lassa- chusetts — Harry E. Converse, Mrs, Henrv C. Frick, i^Trs. Louis Froth- ingham, C. H. Hutchins, Mrs. C. G Rice. Prof. C. S. Sargent, ilrs. J. A. Spoor. Ohio — F. F. Drury, Mrs. Frances I"". Prentiss, John L. Severance, H. S. Sherman, H. L, Thompson. Indiana — Tlieodore F. Thienie. Michi- gan— E. D. Speck. J. 1'.. .Sclilotman. Illinois — Harry B. Clow. .\. B. Dick, Clayton Mark. Mrs. F. W. Upham. Wisconsin — F. D. Countiss, Minnesota — Mrs. Chester A. Congdon, A. C. Loring. lozca — Mrs. G. B. Douglass. Missouri — August A. Busch, Dr. George T. Moore. Virginia — Miss Grace E Areuts. IV. Virginia — Mrs. Arthur Lee. Kentttchy — F. M. Sackett. Georgia — C. H. Candler, K. H. Inman. NEW SUSTAINING MEMBERS George P. W'etmore, Newport. R. I.; Mrs. Henry M. Tilford, Tuxedo Park, N. Y. (Joseph Tansey, superintendent) ; Daniel Tatum, Glen Cove, L. I. (Daniel J. Maclennan. gardener); Charles H. Candler, Atlanta, Ga. (Paul Hamer, superintendent); Joseph B. Schlotman, Detroit, Mich. ( Arthur Jackson, superin- tendent) ; Stanley G. Mortimer, Tuxedo Park, N. Y. (Anton Bauer, gardener); S. T. Bodine, Philadelphia, Pa.; Mrs. Paul Moore, Convent, N. J.; Gifford Pinchot, Milford. Pa. (Peter Stroyan, superintendent) ; Mrs. Chester A. Congdon, Dululh, Minn. (Donald F. Shepherd, gardener) ; Mrs. Frederick Freling- huysen, Flberon, X. J. (George Masson, superintendent): Dr. George T. Moore, St. Louis, Mo.; Mrs. Louis Frothingham, North Easton, Mass.; Clayton Mark, Lake Forest. 111., have be- come sustaining members of the-association. ANNUAL CONVENTION HELD IN ST LOUIS SEPTEMBER 14-16, 1920 Officers elected for 1921— President, W. X. Craig, Brook- line, Mass,; Vice-President. George H. Pring, St. Louis, Mo.; Secretary, M. C. Ebel, Xew York, N. Y.; Treasurer, Peter Duff, Orange, N. J. Trustees for 1921— William H. Waite, Arthur Smith, D. L Mackmtosh, New Jersey; L. P. Jensen, Ernest Strehle, Missouri. Meeting place 1921 convention, Xew York City. The ninth annual convention of the National Association of Gardeners (since its reorganization) was opened at the Hotel Marquette, St. Louis. Mo., on Tuesday afternoon, Sep- tember 14, by Dr. George T. Moore, director of tlie Missouri Botanical Garden, who welcomed the members to the city of St. Louis, jocosely remarking that, while he did not have the key of the city to present to them, he felt certain the visitors would find the freedom of the city was theirs during their stay. Dr. Moore spoke of the interest horticulture holds in and about St. Louis, and referred to the changeable climatic conditions and the smoke unisance the}- have to contend with in plant cultivation, which do not exist in many other places. Xevertlieless, he said, St. Louis would have much of interest to show the visiting members. In concluding his re- marks. Dr. Moore introduced L. P. Jensen, president of the association, who, on taking the chair, called on M. C. Ebel, of Xew York, secretary of the association, to reply to Dr. Moore's words of welcome. PRESIDENT Jensen's address In his address to the convention President Jensen said: Large and important issues have been before us during the past year, and many of these will be brought forward at this convention for our discussion and solution. I feel quite confident in asserting that this meeting in St. Louis should prove to be the most important one to our profession ever held. The reasons for this are many. We have entered into the reconstruction period following tlie greatest of conflicts of nations. Conditions are as yet unsettled, and we have gathered here to discuss the ways and means by which we may, on the one hand, help to restore a healthful balance of conditions pertaining to the welfare of the people of our na- tion at large, and on the other hand, how we may utilize this period for the uplift of our profession, and the bettering of the social and economic conditions of the professional gardener. .\ fi)Uiidation has been laid for a larger, stronger and more powerful association, which if we do not relax, but continue to build on wisely and with deliberation and thought, will enable us to enter into questions of national importance to horticulture and gardening, which those en- gaged in commercial horticulture, for many and obvious reasons, are not in position to handle, but which we, who have no axes to grind, may take up and adjust with a fair assurance of success. He referred to the reports of the various committees to be submitted, and to the subjects to be brought before the con- vention for discussion, urging that they receive most careful attention. If we can, he said, in the short time at our dis- posal at the present convention, work out a feasible and sensible solution to each and all of these questions, even 1 if the final solution of some of them will mean a lapse of tiiiie and a contribution of individual exertion in time and ma- terial, let us put the shoulder to the wheel and keep the good work going, step by step, but each step an advance. Then this convention will have been a success and a mile- stone in horticultural progress. President Jensen recommended what seemed to him of the greatest importance to the future growth and efficiency of the association, and tliat is, to get in close toucli witli the local gardeners' organizations throughout the country and permit them to affiliate with the national body. .-V nominal annual dues should admit such associations to membership and en- title them to a delegate at the convention. This seemed particularly desirable because of the many and varying con- ditions under which the .-\merican professional gardener works. The problems of gardening in llie East, as com- pared with the West, X'orth or South, are lUtirely different both as regards culture and .general practice. Our strength as a national organization will depend largely on how nearly we are alile to help solve the problems of the gardeners in each and all of these sections. secretary's and tke.vsuuer's reports The secretary, in his annual report, showed that 190 new members were enrolled and 66 suspended for non-payment of dues during the year. 76 owners of country estates sub- scribed as sustaining members, which mcmbersliip list would have been materially increased if the active members liad made greater efforts to interest their employers. Most of the sustaining members were enrolled through a direct invitation from the secretary's office. 348 GARDENERS' CllROMCLE U & ^ ,~ ^ ^ 6 a o fc. Ki lor October, 1920 349 \\'hat proved to be of the greatest benefit to the gardener and his profession, and to the credit of the association, was the masterly address delivered by W. N. Craig on "The Point of View of the Professional Gardener," before the Garden Club of America, at its meeting in New York City last Spring, and its publication in that organization's official bulletin. As a result, the professional gardener is today regarded in an entirely different light than he formerly was by many owners of country estates. The association is indebted to the Garden Club of America for the opportunitj- to present the cause of the gardener to its members, who include many of the fore- most country estate owners of America. The action taken at the Cleveland convention last year to discontinue the standing committees and to have the president appoint special committees as required, was a progressive step, as is indicated by the committee reports. The Service Bureau was a busy department of the associa- tion during the past year, bringing many visitors to the office, creating an extensive correspondence, and involving con- siderable additional work for the secretary, who directed the attention of some critical members (who, from the tone of many letters received, appeared to be under the impression that the entire time of the secretary is at their disposal) to the fact that his position is not a salaried one, and consequently, he has to devote some of his time and energy to inatters pertaining to his own personal business. The Publicity Campaign of the Service Bureau has ad- vertised it well and estate owners are beginning to learn of this source to which they may turn when seeking tlie services of efficient gardeners. The strong contention that the Service Bureau would never be more than a local service, and could not serve a national purpose, was upset by the visits to the office of country estate owners from Ohio, Illinois. Virginia. Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida, besides many others from eastern states, with communications from as far distant as Arkansas, Nebraska and Montana. What may be regarded as the greatest achievement of the Service Bureau in its efforts to bring country estate owners and their gardeners into closer and more confidential relations, was the success in turning what had been classed as impossible positions into desirable ones, by placing gardeners qualified to meet the particular requirements which the position called for. Those who are most familiar witli the operation of the Service Bureau fully realize that it is still far from perfection, but that it is constantly developing to meet the aims for whicli it is intended. The secretary's financial statement showed collec- tions from dues and Service Bureau Publicity Fund amounting to $5,155.00 Expenses of the secretary's office and of the Service Bureau for postage, telephone and telegraph toll, stationery, clerk hire, and the secretary's traveling expenses, amounting to $1,507.54 The treasurer's report showed disbursements for members' subscriptions to the G.\RnEXERs' Chronicle, advertising the Service Bureau, puli- lishing the 1919 convention report. 1919 conven- tion expenses, general printing, and the secre- tary's office expenditures, making total dis- bursements $5,016.72 Balance in bank September 10, 1920 2.018.70 Investment Third Liberty Loan Bond 1.000.00 The secretary's financial statement and the treasurer's re- port were audited by L. P. Jensen, Peter Duff, George H. Pring. auditint;; committee. SPECIAL COMMITTEES' REPORTS Service Bureau Publicity Fund Campaign Committee, Alexander Michic, chairman, reported that 262 members con- tribute awarded the society's gold medal for the best general commercial exhibit. The Judge Marean collection of dahlias, staged by John Scheepers, Inc., was un- doubtedly the outstanding feature of the show. The size and beauty of the flower? and the manner in which they were staged, in large baskets and bases against a back- ground of purple velvet, made a gorgeous display. It was awarded a gold medal. THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers are iuzited to make free use of this department to solve problems that may arise in their garden work. Questions on the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that ca/i be readily answered by applying to the usual reference books should not be re- ferred to the Questio}inaire. Here and There GREENHOUSES Are extremely popular atiiong gardeners who take pride in having the best showing of flowers and vege- tables. The remarkable growing qtialities of King Green- houses are due to the careful attention given every detail of construction to insure maximum strength and minimum shadow. We would like to have you see a King House and let it tell its own story. Write us today and we will give 3'ou the name of some gardener near you who will be glad to shov,' you one. King Construction Company North Tonawanda, N. Y. 1 West 47th St., New York Harrison Bldg., Phila. 307 North Irving Ave., Scranton, Pa. «• (iiilklKiiiiHiiiinuiniiniimHiiimJ THE DARWIN TULIP. Much of the adverse criticism of the early Tulips is due to the preponderance among them of gaudy or harsh colors which do not harmonize with the surrounding land- scape. Quite different are the Darwins with their rich tints including various shades of helio- trope, mauve, salmon-pink, maroon and deep crimson. The large flowers, which appear in May, are borne on strong stems two to two and a half feet high, and placed well above the foliage. If the flowers are cut as soon as they open, they will develop to perfection in the house, and last many days. The culture of these Tulip is very simple. The bulbs should be planted during October or November in soil that has been pre- viously enriched, placing them five to six inches deep and about four inches apart. No further care is required except the ap- plication of a cover after the ground has begun to freeze, and the removal of the cover in early Spring. This cover may con- sist of coarse stable manure, or a layer of leaves, the object being to prevent alternate freezing ar.d tha- ii:.g in '.he Tulip bed, a conditiim which would disturb the roots at the base of the bulb. When the blooming period is over, the bulbs are allowed to mature, a condition indicated by the yellowing of the leaves. They are then taken up and allowed to dry in the sun for a few days, after which they may be put away in a dry place to await rc-plan;ing in the Fall. Or, if prcferrei. the bulbs may remain undisturbed and shallow, rooted annuals planted over them, care being taken to avoid injuring the bulbs while using the trowel. — Flozvcy Grozvcr. GLADIOLUS PRIMULINUS Since the days of its introduction, in 1890, the quaint hooded form of this species and its dominancy in most of the hybrids, has always aroused differences of opinion. The .•esthetic have always seen charm and beauty in this peculiar hooding coupled as it is, with pale primrose color. The genus lor October. mO 357 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiliniliiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJitltiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii Ill iiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii imiiiii i iii iiiiii iiniimiiiiii | DREER'S HARDY PERENNIAL PLANTS SPRING FLOWERING BULBS The Fall is an excellent time to set out Hardy Perennial Plants, Vines, Shrubs, Roses, etc. We make a specialty of these plants and grow- in large assortment. A complete list will be found in our AUTUMN CATALOGUE, also Spring-flowering Bullis which must be planted this Fall for blooming next Spring. A copy mailed free to anyone mentiiming this publication. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 CHESTNUT STREET PHILADELPHIA, - PA PliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiUMiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiniiiiliiiM^^^^ II iiiiiiiiiiiii I I 'iiii:iiiniii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiii i iiiiiiiniiiii ii iiiiiNNiiiiiinniiiiniiiiiiiiin! Gladiolus had never been rich in yellow- shades, for until the discovery of /.. primutinus, only about half a dozen yellow species had been found and these had proved slow in helping the development of a yellow large flowered garden type. /.. priiiiuHnus has not materially helped in this direction either, for while its yel- low coloring is so potent that it almost always appears among crossbreds, either as a clear shade or intermixed with red, the hooded character, too, is dominant. The same character was noticeable in the old Lemoine type, a strain derived from pur- purco-auratits. Raisers all over the world have strains of PrimuHnits hybrids, many of them exceedingly lovely and worthy of name, yet for our own part we have always felt we would like to see these glorious orange and other tints in the ordinary type. We scarcely dare use the term Gandai'ciisis in these days, for the species and varieties have now become so mixed that the whole bunch of hybrids have apparently got together until no one knows where Ganda- voisis. Saundcrsii, Cliilds^ii, Lcmoinei, etc., begin and end. It was to be expected that size would be developed in the Priiiiiiliniis hybrids and it is in this direction that the sesthetic see decline rather than advance. At the recent Boston show .\. Gilchrist, of Toronto exhibited hybrids of Primulinus X America, which, while retaining the loose habit of the former, had lost the hooded character and yellow tint and par- taken of the color, size and open form of the other parent. That development in this direction is general, is evident by the fact that one of the most noted nurserymen on the other side makes a protest against the spoiling of this charming type. While urging every effort in the direction of new colors, he considers any departure in the matter of size and form a loss, not a gain. The tendency to expand every flower to its utmost limit of size at the expense of balance and form is. he considers, to be deplored. — florist Excliange. COLD WATER FOR FROZEN PLANTS An article in The Fruiterer and Market Grower on the above subject from the pen of the veteran horticulturist, Mr. W. F. Emptage, reminds me of my own experi- ence. Many years ago I took charge of a garden in Northern France. I was but twenty-tw-o years of age, and considered myself lucky to get such a charge at so early a period of my gardening career. It happened that there came a severe Winter. SOLD BY SEEDMEN IN CANADA FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS '^,a/m^??zondh^QfJcco^ Qf:n^ « HAMMOND'S SLUG SHOT " Used from Ocean to Ocean A light, composite, fine powder, easily distributed either by duster, bellows, or in water by spraying. Thoroughly reliable inkillinsCurrant Worms, Pot-ito Bugs. Cabtage Worms, Lire, Slugs, Sow Bugs, etc.. and it is also strongly impregnated with fungicides. Ir3"Put up in Popular Packages at Popular Prices. Sold by Seed Dealers and Merchants. HAMMOND'S PAINT AND SLUG SHOT WORKS, BEACON, NEW YORK. One night the thermometer marked 3U de- grees of frost. I had made the round of the glasshouses about 2 p. m. and found the temperature all right, but as the frost was increasing I thought I would make sure and go through again about an hour later. Everything was right in the Palm, Caiin-llia, and Orchid houses, but when I came to the house which contained my whole stock of bedding plants I saw. w-ith horror, that the stokehole was half-filled with water ; it was evident that the boiler had given out. It may be imagined what my feelings were. I knew that the boiler could be repaired on the following day, for, like nearly all the hot-water boilers then in use in France, it was made of copper, but what could I do to stay the destruction. The thermometer steadily fell until frost entered the house and ultimately 10 de- grees of frost were registered, the plants, of course, being frozen as hard as boards. To all appearance the plants were doomed, which meant either a big outlay or denuded ilower-bcds the following Sinnmer. Sud- denly it flashed into my mind that my father once related how he had dealt yvith a house of frozen plants. Fortunately, it was one of those frosts that do not last throughout the day, and soon after day- lireak the temperature hcgan to rise. I I'dled all the water cans and stood, syringe in hand, watching the thermometer, and when it was within a degree of thawing point I thorou.ghly drenched the house with tank water. This operation T repeated, so that the foliage was covered with moisture until the temperature was .t degrees above freezing. In all my life T never passed WANTED On a large private estate near New York City, six unmarried exceptionally capable experienced trained gardeners. Must be strictly sober, expert growers capable of handling small gangs under general fore- man. Fine modern separate rooms with recreation room and every modern comfort. Wages $85 per mcnth besides room and board. All year round place and oppor- tunity for promotion if satisfactorj-'- y you," he writes, "a message of appreciation for ac- complishing a task wdiich is both inspiring and valualile. The con.stant war drain on agricultural employment makes it neces- sary that production be stimulated by the utilization of new agencies, and I feel that the Woman's National Farm and Garden -Association can serve a very useful pur- pose.'' In order to enlarge its scope, however, and meet as effectively as it may, the pres- ent critical situation in agriculture, this organization feels that it must double its memliersliip. It believes that every woman who realizes what food means to the world today, should sign up for at least two dollars' worth of support (one annual membership) and send the sainc in to the secretary, Mrs. N. F. Conant. at 4 Joy street, immediately. — Boston Evening Trans- crift. We have American gardens, English gardens, French gardens, Italian gardens, Dutch gardens, Japanese gardens. Has any one ever heard of a Bolshevik garden? We know of no type of garden that breeds unrest. Those who work with Nature find contentment. -^liimiiiiiii iiiiiiitiniiiii iiiii!ii;iiii[iiiiiiiiiiiiii[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiii;iiiiiiii[:iiiiiiii :iiii;iiiitiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiii ii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii[| |iiiiitiliitiiiiiiiiil]iilillllli!ililllii[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiliillil[Hiii[|[Niiiiiiiiiilllillll^^^^^ HOSE interested in planting will find i It to their advantage to consult our | service department before purchasing § anything in this line. Our 800 acre § nurser}', one of the largest, oldest and h mi St scientifically cultivated in America, = IS replete with a nmltitude of varieties i in 1 TREES, SHRUBS, I EVERGREENS and I PERENNIALS | i A comparison of our stocks, prices and service will show why we have | 1 been ■"successful for over a century." h AMERICAN NURSERIES | I SINGER BUILDING -:- NEW YORK CITY j iiii iiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii i iiiiiiiiiiii mill iiniiiiiiiiuiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiil gjuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiuiiiinn Ill iiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiHiiin iiiniiii iiiiiiiiiii iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiii:iiiiiNiniiiiiiiii{iiiiiiiii| I William M. Hunt & Co. I IF YOU CONTEMPLATE PLANTING Native Azaleas and other (lecidiious shrubs, Mountain Laurel, Rhododendrons, Ferns, Wild Flowers, YOU WILL BE INTERESTED in learning that Mr. Herbert Duraiul. of Bronx- ville. N. Y., is now associated with me as my exclusive representative in the territory within 50 miles of ]\ew York City. VALUABLE PERSONAL SERVICE Mr. Durand is an experienced landscape spe- cialist, who is thoroughly acquainted with our indigenous plants, knows their simple but ex- acting cultural requirements and understands their tasteful use in landscape and garden work. His advice and suggestions are worth having, and, if you are planning to use native material extensively, it will be to your advantage to write him at Brouxville and invite him to come and see you. A preliminary consultation involves no expense or obligation. SEEDS - BULBS - PLANTS ALL ACCESSORIES For the Garden and the Greenhouse I EDWARD GILLETT | I Fern and Flower Farm. Southwick, Mass. j iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiJiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiininiiniiiiiiiiii^ I Greenhouse and Garden Plants 1 I Shrubbery and Nursery Stock | I Of all descriptions j I ANPlEI«ON mc I I QpMWELL GARpENS | j Crpmwell Conn | I Make your needs known to us. | I We will properly serve your interests. | £ 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiimiiiininiiiiiiiiiil |iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniwiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I Competent Gardeners \ I The comforts and products of a country | I home are increased by employing a competent | I gardener ; if you want to engage one, write us. | I Please give particulars regarding place and | I say whether married or single man is wanted. | j We have been supplying them for years to the | j best people everywhere. No fee asked. | I PETER HENDERSON & CO. | I Seedsmen and Florists | I 35 and 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK CITY | I 148 CHAMBERS ST., NEW YORK | flllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllN piiiitiiiiiiimi!iiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiraiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii[w^^^^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiijg I ROSEA WATERER \ j HIGHEST QUALITY BULBS | I Hyacinths Tulips Narcissus | Waterer's Special Ever- | Green Lawn Grass Seed | Seesdman and Bulb Importer | 107-109 S. Seventh St. | PHILADELPHIA, PA. | Catalogue on requesl. = ilIlfllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllH^^^^^^^ ^IlKllllllllllilllllllllliltlililliiilli ,llililllill|||ll1l|l|l|!ll!IIIIIIIIIIIi:il!l!IIIIIIMIIIIIIIIII[lll!illimill!illlllllllllllIllllllim FOLEY GREENHOUSES **Hiissijikaii8aiaigai i Scientifically Planned, Carefully Made and Skillfully Erected f i Wri te for Estimate § I THE FOLEY GREENHOUSE MFG. CO. | I 3200 W. 31st St. Chicago | ItiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiHiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiniiiniiiiiiiniiin 360 iiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiniii iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niiiniiitiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i iiuiiiiiuiiiiimiiiuiiiiiiiiiuiiii i iiiiiiiiiiJiiaiiHiiiiiiuiiiiiuiiiHUiiuiiiuiiiiin^ The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A pUJNp is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of ■'^* '**^^ the disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN-A» - FOR THE GREENHOUSE reme- dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most efTective. — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. F UNGINE For mildew, rusit and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V tiKJN^llNti For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. smiiiiiiiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii iiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiinii III iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiniiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ Dciman Angelon, gardener on estate of the late Otto Huber I 'lew of the Rod: Island estate of the late Otto hluher. Many of the splendid trees on this estate zi-crc preserved for future generations by the skill of Davey Tree Experts The Tribute of Deiman Angeloff to Davey Tree Surgery THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc., KENT, OHIO Gentlemen: Your system of Tree Snrgery is the best that I know of. It saves trees. Your men know their business thoroughly. They are courteous, gentle- manly and industrious. They work all the time and their work is tine. Deiman .\ngelofT. The saving oi priceless trees is a matter of first importance on every estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the maximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will be made by appointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO.. Inc., 310 Elm Street. Kent, Ohio Branch o'ficcs uith telephone connections: Nezc York City, Astor Court B!dg.; Chicago, IVestminister Bldg.; Baltimore, American Bldg.; Philadelphia, Land Title Bldg.; and Boston. Write nearest office. Permanent representatives available in districts surrounding Boston, Springfield, Lenox, Newport, Hartford, Stamford, Albany. Poughkeepsie, White Plains, Jamaica, Montclair, New York, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Buf- falo, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincin- nati. Chicago, Milwaukee; Canadian address, 252 Laugauchitere West, Montreal. JOHS DAVEY Father of Tree Surgery DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Every teal Da-ey Tree Sn.scon is in the emfloy of the Da-.ey Tree Exfert Co., Ine., and the t'nblie is civttioned against those falsely representing themseki s HORTICULTURAL . _ DIGEST YEAR 25cA X\!\'. \q li Puldished monthly by The m--^e Press. Inc.. 286 Fifth Ave., New York NOVEMBER, 1920 Entered as second-class matter Xov. 3. 191 [lost office at Xcw York under the act of Ma i;!iiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii HOW GOOD ARE YOU AT FIGURING? You don't have to be very good to figure out why you should own a RICHARD- SON BOULEVARD TRIMMER after taking a good look at these illustra- tions. ^.^.:.V-,.,^±.^ Ti Eventually you are going to own a RICHARDSON BOULEVARD TRIM- MER because when your man learns what it is, he will not do without one; there- fore, why not place your or- der now for spring delivery? 1 Ke Kichardson Doulevard 1 ri rimmer Manufactured by THE STANDAKD SAND ^ MACHINE CO. CLEVELAND, OHIO ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiii^^ pllllll iiiiii,iiii,i,i,i,„ii,iii,iiiiiiii,iiiMiiiiiiiiimi!iii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii n 1 iiiiiii II iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiMiiiBiiiiiiiiiiii'ii'i'iiii'iiiMii^^ \° if- CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE SANDERAE We have thousands of this choice Yellow Cypripedium in bud. This will be an opportunity to obtain plants for your Fall Flower Shows. These plants having one to six flowering buds at the following prices : $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 and $25.00 each PALMS GET ^'OUR ^OUNG PALMS FOR GROWING ON NOW KENTIA BELMOREANA KENTIA FORSTERIANA 2Va inch pots $.25 each 2 '/I inch pots $-25 each 3^^ •• •• 50 •• 3 •• •• 50 ■• 4 •• •• 1-00 and $1.50 ^ .. .. I QQ 3„j $1 50 5 •■ ;; i^n ^"^ IZ 5 •• •' 2.50 and 3.00 (, •• •• 5.00 and 6.00 -" ARECA LUTESCENS 3 inch pots $.50 each COMBINATION 4 ;: ;; '-^^ '.'. 5 inch pots $2.00 each ^ .. ;• ^Iq •• 6 •• ■■ 4.00 and $5.00 ASPARAGUS ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS ASPARAGUS SPRENGERII 214 inch pots $.12 each 21/4 in-^ P°'^ ^^^ ^?.<='^ 4 •• •• '.■.'.'..■.■.'.'. ^25 •' 4 •• •■ 25 ■• ASPARAGUS ELONGATUS 21/4 inch pots $12.00 per 100 3 mch pots $20.00 per 100 FINE ASSORTED FERNS FOR FERN DISHES 2/4 mch per 100 $12.00 3 >nch per 100 $20.00 TRY OUR NEW SPECIAL GREENHOUSE HOSE $30.00 a 100 feet. Visitors Always Welcome '*Let Us Bid On Your Wants" ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s— B u 1 b s— S u n d r i e s West Orange - - - New Jersey William J. Manda Joseph Manda ^'""s«t'v "^"""^ ViccPres. Pres. & Tr«s. ^'" V- liiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimniiiiiiiiiii MA i'"""" "«'"«»" iini Niiiiii mill II iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I I ttiiiiii iiiiiiiiii iiiiiniiinc, ^innin niiiiinii i ,|,||,„„ , ,„ , ,„ iiiiiiiiniiimiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiin iim i iiiiiiiiiiins Orchids IVIICHELL'S If you contemplate buying semi-established, established or imported orchids, consult us first. We carry in stock about 25,000 species. A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other choice hybrids. We specialize in supplying the private trade. Let us figure on your requirements — our quality is second to none. Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot hangers, always on hand. Send for our price list. G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK are selected to meet the requirements of the most critical ama- teur and professional gardeners, especially tliose desirous of pro- ducing prize-winning specimens. Our cata- log and bulb book il- histrates and de- - c r i b e s numerous ■ hoice varieties of Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus and other bulbs, in- cluding many rare va- rieties. Michell's Bulb Growing Guide (value $1.00) mailed free on request. Fall catalog now ready. A postal will secure one. MICHELL'S SEED HOUSE I I I 514 MARKET ST., PHILA , PA. ^iiiiiiiiniiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin ^iiiiii,!»;iiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiii i w Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories NEW YORK 42nd Street Bldg CHICAGO Continental Bank Bldg E.\STERN F.\CT0RY Ir\ington. .\. V. PHIL.\DELPHI.\ Land Title Bldg. BOSTON' — I Little Bldg. WESTERN F.^CTORY Des Plaines. 111. CLEV'ELAND 2063 East 4th St C.\NADL'\N K.\CT0RY St. C^atlierines. Ontario 362 FALL BULBS I I Bobbink & Atkins For Forcing and Outdoor Planting. LILIUM GIGANTEUM and AURATUM Cold storage Bulbs for immediate forcing. Herbaceous Plants Shrubs, Evergreens and Fruits Bulb and Nursery Catalogues mailed on request. W. E. MARSHALL & CO., Inc. Bulb Importers and Seedsmen 166 West 23rd Street New York ROSES will be very scarce — make sure of getting the varieties you need by sending your order now. EVERGREENS RHODODENDRONS TREES and SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS FRUIT TREES AND SMALL FRUITS The assortment and quality as good as ever. Ask for Rose Catalog RUTHERFORD NEW JERSEY ^uuiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiniuiiiiiiiiiiiii i i iiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiii^ gngiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiN^ r-'y ^^.'^ -v ''y^r;~Z!Lid^-2.;;:^"j^s'yy.sr^.-'-^j::^y^-:E..>^ \ & KrNCi C0NSTRITCTION COMPANY ■^ (;l.Nf.KAl. OIITCfcS NOKril rONAWANDA?^. Y W a are glad to refer Gar- deners rvho appreciate the value of the proper union of practical and artistic qualities in greenhouse construction to owners of King Greenhouses. I 1 WFSl 47TH sT . HARRISON BLf)(.. WEW YORK CITV PHILADF.I.PHIA. TELEPHONE. TF.I.F.PHON F. BR^l'ANT 809 SPRUCE 6521 BOSTOM, MASS. TELEPHONE FORT HILL JI5 _^07 N, IRVING AVE., SfRANTON, HA. TELEPHONE 363 Oo 00 pniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiHiiiiiiiaitiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuaiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiin HOSE interested in planting will find h il to their advantage to consult our | service department before purchasing § anything in this line. Our 800 acre 1 nursery, one of the largest, oldest and i nil st scientifically cultivated in America, = is replete willi a multitude of varieties g ^J]ll[|||iiii;iiii!iiiIilii[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiii]|{iiiMii:iiii:!iii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii{|]iiN{^ I FOLEY GREENHOUSES I TREES, SHRUBS, EVERGREENS and PERENNIALS = A comparison of our stocks, prices and service will show why we have ^ = been "successful for over a century." s AMERICAN NURSERIES | i SINGER BUILDING NEW YORK CITY | siiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiimiuiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiii^^^^^^^^ giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifliiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiniiiiiu^ j Greenhouse and Garden Plants j I Shrubbery and Nursery Stock | I Of all descriptions | I ANPlEI\SON INC i I QpMMLL GAI^ENS I I C^pMWELL Conn I I Make yourneedsknowntous. 1 I We will properly serve your interests. | 3 1 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliniiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ ailllllllllllllllll ' I Ill IIIIUIIHIUII NllilllllllNIIINinilll!IIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII|llll|l|||l|||||||||l|||||!|||i: Rhododendron I Carolinianum I specially fine stock of this, the most beautiful of all Rhodo- i j dendrons, just received from the North Carolina mountains. | I No plants sent out without natural earth on the roots, so | i they may be depended upon to grow. E I Sizes from 18 inches to 4J/$ feet; prices remarkably low. | i Writ« for quotations for delivery now or in spring. 1 I Orders should he placed early, as supply is limited. 1 EDWARD GILLETT, Fern & Flower Farm Southwick, Mass. HERBERT DURAND, New York Representative Bronxville, N. Y. ^iiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^^^^ = Scientifically Planned, Carefully Made and Skillfully Erected § p Wri te for Estimate i j THE FOLEY GREENHOUSE MFG. CO. | I 3200 W. 3Ut St. Chicago | liMiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiuiliiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin =:illillll1IIIIIII1Iilllllliiillllillli!l'liillll'llllililllllllllllllllllllllliiii'iiii'liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ I HOSEA WATERER i I HIGHEST QUALITY BULBS j I Hyacinths Tulips Narcissus | Waterer's Special Ever- | Green Lawn Grass Seed | Seesdman and Bulb Importer j 107-109 S. Seventh St. I PHILADELPHIA, PA | Catalogue on request. ^ iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinif piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim^ I WORLD'S BEST SWEET PEAS | I Novelties for 1921 | I Hand-Picked Seed j i There's just as much difference between machined seed and § 1 hand-picked as there is between margarine and real fresh = i country butter. The difference is scarcely noticeable in the s i price of the seed, but the results are amazingly diflferent. = I And it. is not to be wondered at. Starting with perfectly i 1 developed seed such as can only be assured by hand picking, = i you get a strong germ wliich eventually culminates in perfect E E flowers, in fours, on wand- like stems. = j LISTS RE.\DY. | I CHARLES ELLIOTT, Box 337, | Park Ridge Illinois ?:jiiiiiuiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii»niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii»iiiiiiiiiiiiiNmiu^1II^^Q«« lis 365 2'niiiiiiiiiimi[[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii[[ifMiiiiiiiii!iiii]iiiiiiiiiiii[[i[[|iiii^ I The Contents for November, 1920 I Things and Thoughts of the Garden Montague Free 367 Hydrangeas Arborum Amator 369 Distinctive Gardens. .Bertha Berbert-Hammond 370 Protecting Tender Garden Subjects Henry J. Moore 371 Profit in Bee-Keeping H. IV. Sanders 372 How Often Does a Branch Bear Leaves? .... WiUard N. Clutc 373 The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse Henrxi Gibson 374 Sulphur as a Plant Food . Taming the Wild Fruits . A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in Relation to Its Environment. .Arthur Smith Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews National Association of Gardeners. The Questionnaire Here and There Rhubarb — Winter Protection for Roses — Propagating by Layering — The Lace Flower — Japanese Barberry — Competing Florists. 375 375 376 378 380 381 381 Published monthly. the 1st of each month Subscription .... $2.00 a year Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 THE CHKONICLE PRESS. INC. 286 Fifth Avenue New York, N. Y. j MARTIN C. EBEL Ed.ior | i Entered at the Neiv Vorlz Post Ofhce as second class matter under the .4ct of Congre.i.t. March 3, 1879. 1 |iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii!iiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii« iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiii iiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii^ ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiuiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiM Stumpp & Walter Go/s Bulb Catalog A complete list of all NEW and RARE BULBS For Fall Planting The Best Novelties in DARWIN— BREEDER and COTTAGE TULIPS- DAFFODILS— DUTCH HYACINTHS. NEW COLORED FREESIAS NOVELTY WINTER FLOWERING SPENCER SWEET PEAS Best Californian Varieties // we do not have your name on our catalog register, please write for one. CR- ^ i>/'/Y h (^ 30-32 Barch Barclay Street K CITY riiHmiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJLiiiiii'MiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiaimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimjiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiniimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiii iiiiiiii 1 1 h ii 1 1 ii 1 1 tin in nil i niiiii iiiiiiiii i n 1 1 it lunniiiiniiiiiiti it 1 1 1 iniiiiii niiiiiii t mti in iinniii tin 1 1 iiinii unui nitiiiinniiiiic 366 ^iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture ■ Vol. XXIV ^lOiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuMuiiiiiiiuiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii NOVEMBER, 1920 No. 11 ■ Things and Thoughts of the Garden MONTAGUE FREE IT is pleasurable to notice towards the close of the grow- ing season that many plants revive their energies and commence to bloom again. This is probably due, in part, to better moisture conditions at the roots and to the congeniality of cool nights. Walking around the garden in mid-October many plants, which normally bloom in Spring or early Summer, were noticed having quite a respectable crop of flowers. Amongst them were Helianthemums and several species of Dianthus, Cam- panula and Armeria. It is a fairly common occurrence for fruit trees such as apples and pears to bloom again in the Fall as is evidenced by the almost annual crop of letters to the press from excited amateurs telling of their trees bearing fruit and blossoms at the same time. \\"e have quite a number of plants whose natural time of blooming is in the Fall and one of the best of these, although it is all too seldom seen in gardens, is Sedniii Sicbohlii. Its gracefully arching stems arise thickly from a central tuft to a height of about nine inches, many of them bending over so as to touch the ground. They are clothed with thick, succulent, glaucous leaves arranged in whorls of threes. This is a plant worth growing for the beauty of form and coloring of its foliage alone, without taking into consideration the bright pink flowers that are freely produced on the tips of the shoots in early October. It is so distinctive a plant that it is well worth while to take measures to protect its blooms from the frosts that are sometimes experienced in October. This can be easily done by throwing some light covering over it. such as heavy wrapping paper, on nights when frost is anticipated, or it may be dug up. potted and brought into a cool greeifliouse. Like the rest of the Sedums it is (|uite tolerant of being disturbed at the root, and ac- cepts moderate mutilation with perfect equanimity. The well-known Plumbago Larpentce, or, to give it its latest title. Ccratostigiua plumbaghwides. is another fall bloomer whose bright blue flowers are welcomed dur- ing September and October. There are many others that we are grateful to for assisting in brightening the closing of the season, notably the hardv 'Mums and the fall Crocuses. :!< * % I he annually recurring glory of the hardwof>ds in tin- Fall is a reminder that the suggestions made by "On- looker." about ;i year ago. relative to the greater use of trees and shrul)s prominent for their fall coloring, should be pondered over by those res|)onsible for garden mak- iiig. It is noteworthy that although nuich attention is given to the ])lacing i>f trees and slirubs with reference to the color of their flowers, the question of eli'ectively grouping them with reference to their leaf coloration in the Fall is often overlooked. Bright svmshiny weather and cool nights, in other words sharp fluctuations of temperature, seem to be factors which have much to do with increasing the in- tensity and brilliance of the fall coloring. An instance of low temperatures influencing the production of red coloring in the leaves of plants was noticed during the coal shortage three years ago. The temperature of a greenhouse, containing a collection of succulent plants, which was normally maintained around 50° in the W inter, on a few occasions fell several degrees below freezing point .owing to the absence of sufficient fuel for proper heating. Many of the plants thereupon exhibitefl the characteristic leaf coloring that we associate with the Fall. The jilants most afl:'ected were Scdum and Ilchn-cria. The red color that appears in the leaves of lettuce when newly transplanted outdoors in the Spring has frequently been commented upon. The explanation given of the fall coloring of the leaves of our trees and shrubs is that chlorophyll, the green coloring matter of leaves, is disintegrated by cold and bright sunshine, cor- related with the waning vitality of the leaves. This un- masks the yellow pigment that is present in all normal leaves. The presence of sugar and probably tannin in the leaves seems to be a factor in the production of red coloration — the disappearance of the chlorophyll ad- mitting a sufficient intensity of light to produce the proper chemical reaction. Probably a similar exjilana- tion may fit the case of transi^lanted lettuce with the afliled factor of the shock to the root system which pos- silily assists in lowering the vitality of the chlorophyll. The fall coloring of trees in smoky cities is not by any means as brilliant as that to be seen in the country. The presence of a layer of soot and du.st on the leaf sm-face accounts in a large measure for this, and, in ad- dition, injurious gases may so hasten the dying of the leaves once their vitality begins to wane, that they fade away into a series of dingy browns befv)re the true colors hri\e an opportunilv to show. * * * ll seems to be fashionable in ultra-aesthetic circles to decry the use of shrubs having variegated leaves, or foli- age of a dift'erent hue to the norma! green, but most gardeners will, when the surroundings warrant it, sponsor the use of shrub> of this type in gardens. Even the golden leaved privet, which to some people seems 367 368 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE inexpressibly vulgar, is decidedly beautiful when used in the right situation. I have noticed several times during the year a clump of privet bushes in which the green and golden leaved kinds are intermixed. Whether the two forms were planted together or whether some of the branches of the golden leaved form have reverted to type was not determined. These bushes have attained a height of from eight to ten feet and it so happens that the golden leaved branches prevail at the top. When seen from a distance one is given the impression of a flowering shrub of some hitherto undescribed species. The illusion is lost, of course, on closer approach and the effect is not so pleasing, but in many gardens there are situations not subject to close insjiection, that could be considerably brightened up by the note of color con- tributed by this rather conmionplace shrulj. It has one advantage not possessed by flowering shrubs, namely, that of performing its color giving function throughout the major part of the year. An instance of the use of a shrub with colored leaves in connection with flowering herbaceous plants was to be seen in the Royal Gardens, Kew, ten or more years ago. In this case a large group, many yards across,' of a yellow leaved form of Elderberry was' used as a back- ground for a bed containing orange colored Kniphotias. This combination was designedly made with the inten- tion that it should be telling from distant points of view. The result was certainly magnificent and aroused wide- spread comment. A form of Dicrvilla tlorida known in gardens as D. Sicboldii alhd-inarginata is a fine example of variegation and has the additional merit of also being a flowering shrul) of no mean value. The well-known variegated form (It the (Jsier Dogwood, Cornus alba, var. Spccthii is extremely effective when space can he found to mass it in a large group. The colored forms of the Conifers are for some reason or other seldom satisfactory. There is one, however, that usuallx- excites interest and is burdened with the name Jmnpcrus cliiucnsis f^rocitiiibcns albo-varicgata. This, as Us name implies, ih a jirostrate growing form and the variegation consists of scattered branch tips of a delicate ivory yellow. 1 hat elusive element known as "taste" must alwavs enter into the use of variegated shrubs in gardens, lender some conditions, as for instance, in naturalistic planta- tions, they must be rigidly barred, but in some circum- stances their judicious use is a decided advantage. Those forms where the color is indeterminate should be avoid- ed. This applies especially to the vellows, for, miless the colormg IS clear and distinct the onlv impressif "Kiss me over the garden gate." This is almost as bad as some of the examples of scientific terminology of which complaint is made and is on ;i par with another gem of plant nomenclature — namely. "\\'elcome-home- busband-be-you-ever-so-drunk." The latter name is the vernacular for some unfortunate plant or other and. it is believed, is used in Maine. The writer is curious to know its scientific appellation I -Many gardeners, amateur and professional, have cursed the day when they introduced one or other of the strong growing perennial Polygonums to the garden. .Many, attracted no doubt by the bold, and handsome foliage and vigorous growth, ten to twelve feet high, of P. S'jclialniicusc ha\e planted it, but have wished they hadn't when they found in a year or so that it flourished far beyond their expectations with growths shooting up, anywhere and everywhere, yards bevond. the point of original planting. ISlot all of the strong growers have so bad a reputation however, and P. Sicboldii, or ciispi- datitui. as it is sometimes called, can be used to good ef- fect. 1)ut it, too, should only be planted in such a situa- tion where it is possible to curb its tendencv to ramble. Ibis species attains a height of about five' feet and is beautiful when covered with its abundantlv produced white flowers. 1 here are :i few Polygonums hailing from the Himalayan region, where they grow at altitudes ran.g- nig from 9,0iJ0-H,00U feet, that are used with telling ef- fect m rock gardens in England. Thev are comparatTvely dwarf, more or less prostrate in fact, with good foliage aiKl striking flowers. Coming from this altitude they ought to be hardy as far north as Philadelphia, at any rate, but so far as I have been able to discover they are not cultivated in this countr\'. Amon,gst the most de- sirable ones in this group are P. affiitc. >. Bnnionis. and P. vaccinifoHnii). I he climbing P. Baldshuaniciiin i one could wish it had a more euphonious specific name) is well known and widely planted. F'ew climbers surpass it when seen at lis be-t covered with panicles of white or pink flowers. Il remains attractive over a long period as the calvces n-tam their pink coloring long after the ]>etals have tormed. 1 he seeds are attractive to birds and sparrows and are much m evidence when they are ripe. There is one climbing member'of this family that is said to be much used in the south, which should 'be orown to a much greater extent in the greenhouses of the north I his is Autigoiiuni Icptopus which rejoices in the rather misleading name of ".Mountain Rose." When its pendent racemes of pink blossoms are seen for the first time one is teinpted to say it is a climbing Begonia so much do the flowers resemble, onlv superficallv it is true those of certain types of Begonia. for ^oi ember. l<)2i) 369 Hydrangeas ARBORUM AMATOR HYDRAXCIEAS are natives of Japan and China, Java, the Himalayas, and the United States. There are abon: thirty species, but about ten onl)- of these with their several varieties are in use as ornamental flowering shrubs. Of these ten the species [>anicitlata and its variety graiiditlora, both hardy, are the only Hydran- geas commonly used in lawn, garden, and landscape planting, and these on account of their many meritorious qualities are planted in very large numbers. Two General Divisions. — Hydrangeas may be divided into two sections, the hardy and the half-hardy. The hardy species and varieties may be used through a wide range of latitude in permanent plantings, but the half- hardv or tender s|)ecies and their varieties can be used in ]jermanent outdoor ]>lanting onl\- where the winter temperature is comjjaratively mild. The Hardy Foreign Species. — About forty years ago Hydrangea panieidata was brought into the United States from Japan, and later its larger flowered variety, grandi- flora. These are the hardiest of all the Hydrangeas. They usually attain a height of six to eight feet, but are easily kept lower by ])runing, which they bear well ; sometimes they reach a height of twenty to thirty feet in rich soil and favorable locations. The white flowers, mostly sterile, of panicuhUa appear in ten to tw^elve inch long, erect, plume-like panicles, in early .\ugust, and turning from the creamy color, which they have at their opening, gradu- ally to a greenish white v^'ell overspread with a red shade, continue to be ol>jects of beauty well into the Autuiun. The variety granditlora has the same habit of growth and bloom, and period of flowering as paniculafa. but its drooping panicles of flowers are luuch longer, often twelve to eighteen inches. There are three other varieties of paniculafa no one of these supierior to grandiflora, but interesting in a collection : these are tardiva. later flower- ing, but in other respects like the species ; prcccu.v, nearly like the S]jecies and Horibmida. bearing more nuiuerous and larger panicles than the species. There is a s]U'cies from Northern China named Bretschneidcri. This is not new. but is not often seen, and is deserving of a larger use. This species is very floriferous, extremely hardy, and the earliest of all to bk)om, its cymes of flowers opening in early June. This is regarded by many the most beautiful of all the hardy Hydrangeas. I'estita puhescens is a prettv llimalavan species of dwarfish ,growth attaining a height of onlv five feet l)ut having a breadth greater than its height. This also is an early flowering species, producing in June luany cymes of sterile flowers, at first white, but later changing to rose- color and continuing to be in attractive condition well into the .Autunm. It is perfectly hardy in Xew ICnghuid and New N'ork. TIte Hardy Native Species. — Hydrangea arboresccns is a native shrub found from New Jersey to Iowa and south- ward to l^'lorida. It is of erect growth. The period of its blooming is June and July when it bears cymes of mostly perfect flowers. Far more showy is stcrilis, a variety of arboresccns whose flowers are mostly sterile, and which is commonly called Mountain of Snow. This variety or sport of arboresccns was found growing wild in the moun- tains of Pennsylvania. The extreme hardiness of this variety, which is said to be able to withstand a tempera- ture of thirty degrees below zero, makes it suitable for ]il;inting in the colder parts of our country. The leaves of most Hydrangeas have the same shape, but the species qucrcifolia is so called because it has oak- shaped foliage. This native species is found growing wild from Kentucky to Alabama. It reaches a height of about six feet, and has a spreading form. In June on the ends of its tomentose branches there appear pinkish-white flowers which later assume a purple shade of color. The rich colors of the oak-shaped foliage of this species in the Autumn are very eft'ective and add to its value. It is hardy as far north as Philadelphia, and even farther in protected locations, and its value as an ornamental flower- ing shrub is still further enhanced because it grows vigorotisly in seaside gardens. Radiata, a third native species is found growing wild from North Carolina to Missouri and south to Georgia, but is hardy as fat"- north as Philadelphia. This species, quite siiuilar to arhoresceiis, hears cvmes of flowers, all sterile, in June and July. More recently two new varieties of our native species have been introduced, both hard}'. One of these two is ciuerca stcrilis, a variety of radiata, and the other grandi- flora alba, a variety of arboresccns; the first is known as Teas' Snowliall Hydrangea. Both of these newer and very desirable native varieties produce in July, before paniculafa, and its variety grandiflora begin to bloom, large heads of white flowers. Sonic Uses of Hardy Hydrangeas. — Large groups of Hardy Hydrangeas on lawns with large areas, and smaller groups on those of lesser size, of a foriu which harmonizes with the contour of the lawn, and properly located are very eft'ective not so much as foliage shrubs as because of their luagnificence of bloom dtiring Mid- Summer and early Autuiun. Equally useful are they in corner groups on each side of the entrance of drives and walks leading into the home ground, or in the foreground of larger shrubs and trees. Small groups of the .bush form or single specimens of the tree form placed at proper intervals are excelleiU for outlining walks through law^ns. The species paniculafa luay be used to form a deciduous hedge, and answers the purpose very well, if kept severely ]jruned. Well grown single specimens of either the bush or tree form are efl'ective on lawns of (|uitc limited area in front yards. Soil. Location and Culture. — Hydrangeas thrive best in a moderately luoist, well drained, rich, porous soil. The soil around these should be worked shallow, and a gen- erous application of pure ground bone worked into it two or three times yearly. Free waterings just before, and throughout the bloom-ing season are very beneficial. Hydrangeas make a larger growth in a partly shaded lo- cation, hut bloom more freely in the unbroken sunlight, if watered alnmdaiUly, Pruning and Propagation. — Pruning should be done after the shrubs become donuant during the Winter. The strong canes should be cut back to one to three pairs of buds, and the weak shoots removed entirely. The smaller the number of buds, the larger the blooms. For propaga- tion these stronger canes may be cut into pieces about six inches long, tied into bundles and placed upright in boxes of ])ure sand, deep enough so that only one pair of eves come above the sand. The sand should then be wet thoroughly froiu top to bottom, and the boxes placed in a cool cellar or ])it till Spring, when they should be set out about six inches apart in rows in the garden to the same de])th which they were in the sand. They will tuake good sized l)n--hes in two seasons. Another wav 370 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE of propagating is to take cuttings of half-ripened wood in the Summer and put them in the propagating bench in the greenhouse, and, as soon as rooted, plant them out in the open ground. Half Hardv or Tender J'arictics. — These belong to the genus opuloides which is a native of Japan and China. and which has been cultivated there for many centuries. This genus for convenience has been divided into the Japonica, Hortciisia, and Stcllata groups. All the varieties of these groups produce cymes made up of white, pink or bluish flowers, in some varieties a few, and in others all being sterile. The varieties of the Hortcnsia group, whose globose cymes of nearly all sterile flowers are very showy, are most cultivated. Chief of these are Hortcnsia which is said to have been introduced into England by Joseph Banks in 1790, Cxanoclada, whose branches and peduncles are dark purple and otaksa. all bearing pink or bluish flowers, and Thomas Hogg with pure white flowers. In comparatively recent years many beautiful forms mostly of hybrid origin of the Hortcnsia group have been introduced. These hybrids are largely used for forcing into bloom under glass. These varieties cannot be used in permanent out-door plantings in a latitude where they will be subjected to a low temperature for, though the ])lants ma\' not be killed, the buds which produce next year's blooms will usuallv be destroyed where they are subjected to more than fifteen to twenty degrees of frost. Bending down the branches, and mounding up with earth so as to cover the whole plant, or planting them in very protected positions may enable them to endure the Winter without loss of flower- ing buds. Soil, Culture and Propagation. — A mixture of sandy loam, swamp muck, dried cow manure and pure ground bone makes a good compqqJ house, lettuce, radishes. >pinach, green onions, parsley and beets are all possible, and if space is available, cauliflower should be added to the list. In the same house under the benches, asparagus, rhu- barb and french endive may be forced. In the warm house, that is, where a temperature of 60-65 degrees F. at night is available, beans, forcing melons, cucumbers and tomatoes do well. They add variety to the list of fresh winter vegetables. Mustard and Cress may be sown at intervals during the Winter as required for the table. Mint and Tarragon are useful for seasoning and should be lifted from the open groutid before it freezes up. Plant them in boxes and place in a cool house where they will soon start into growth. In the fruit house the vines may be pruned as soon as they have shed their leaves, and a sharp lookout should be kept for mealy bug. Remove the loose bark, and fumi- gate the house with hydrocyanide acid gas. Paint the cane with wood alcohol and be careful to keep this liquid awav from the eves. SULPHUR AS A PLANT FOOD That sulphur is an important plant food, often a limit- ing factor in maximum ])roduction. is a recent discovery in scientific research in the field of agriculture which appears to have an important bearing upon agricultural production in the Far West, inasmuch as it has already proven its economic value in Oregon in districts similar in many fundamental respects to many thousands of acres of cultivated area in the eleven Western States. For many years it was known that sulphur in minute quantities was utilized as plant food. The quantity ap- parently was so small, however, that no provision was made for supplying it in commercial fertilizers. It has within recent years been determined that previous meth- ods of analysis were incomplete and modern methods brought to light the t:ict that leguminous crops, espe- cially alfalfa and clover and members of the cabbage family, were heavv feeders on sulphur and that its appli- cation as a fertilizer to soils in the arid and semi-arid districts proved highly beneficial to yields. Scientists on the staff of the Oregon State K.xperiment Station began experimental work in 1912 and already it has been learned that there are in that state approxi- mately 100.000 acres growing alfalfa which will return an increased yield of one ton per acre on an average, a thirty per cent increase, from the addition of one hundred pounds of flowers of sulphur. This single application is sufTicient for three years in all districts and apparently for four years in certain districts. No ill effects are noted in Oregon from the use of sulphur, which might be expected to bring about an acid condition in the soil. Freedom from acid conditions is brought about bv the ].)revalence of lime in arid and semi-arid sods, there being ten times as much lime in such soils as is the case under htunid con ■ ditions. It is also believed that sulphur will also have an im- portant eft'ect on Eastern agriculture. Many state ex- periment stations in the East are now working on the problem. In past years gypsum, a combination of lime and sulphur, 15 per cent sulphur, was highly beneficial to soils growing clover. This was attributed to the stinmlating effect of the lime. After a few years of con- tinuous application, the beneficial effects were lost. This was believed to be due to acidity of the soil and such was doubtless the case to some e.xtent. Professor F. C. Reinier, of the Oregon Experiment Station, who carried on the experiments there which are proving of so much practical value, advances another probable occurrence, the idea that since gypsum added only the sulphur and a small amount of lime and at the same time stimulated production to a great degree other limiting plant foods Ixjcame exhausted to the point where production neces- sarily diminished. He believes that if at this stage the other elements had been supplied, the profitable returns from gypsum would have been continued. This is a basis upon which investigations in Eastern states are being conducted. — F. L. B.\li,.\'rd, (Jregon State Col- lege. TAMING THE WILD FRUITS .\11 of our culti\atcd fruits have been developed through years or centuries of cuUivation from wild species. Grapes and apples date from earliest history, but the grapes and apples as we know them are much more palatable than the fruits of Bible times. Peaches came into prominence among the Greeks and Romans ' soon after the beginning of the Christian Era, and through gen- erations of selection have been vastly improved. Oranges, coming as they did from warmer climates, were known to the Romans in the days of Caesar and Cicero, but they did not possess the excellence of the Washington Navel or Valencia now- grown. Much progress has been made in the improvement of some kinds of fruits, but in the case of our native berries, such as the blackberry, raspberry or dewberry, few cultivated varieties are superior to wild forms. In very recent years attention has been given to the cultivation of the native blueberry, with re- sults that are highly pleasing, and from present indications the blueberry is certain to soon be recognized as an important fruit and possess a size several times that of the best wild specimens. From the tropics now comes the avocado, a fruit that is gaining popularity by leaps and bounds. Unlike the banana, pomegranate, fig or orange, the avocado is neither sweet nor sour in taste. In- stead, it is oily, like the olive, and from its size, shape and color it has been dubbed the "alligator pear." The avocado is respond- ing in a very gratifying manner to the influences of civilization, as is evidenced by the general superiority of the recent named varieties over the wild forms from Guatemala and the VVest Indies. Much room for improvement still exists in all of our cultivated fruits. Plant breeders are striving to improve peaches, apples, pears, cranberries, oranges, grapefruits and others that have been under cultivation lor many, many years, while the fruits of more recent introduction, such as the everbearing strawberry, blueberry and avocado are receiving the attention of skilled plant breeders as well as of the amateur. Many wild fruits yet remain to feel the influence of civilization and it is not to be doubted but that another generation will find as commonplace many fruits that are entirely unknown today. — Aiiicricaii Fruit Gron'cr. J76 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Illlllllllll|[|||lll!llllllllllllll1tlllllllllllll!£ ^iiulilillllllNlliilllliiiilillillil iimiiiiuili mmxi niii'i : i:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i i :iiil niiiii Iiiiiiilii iiiniii mil iiiiiiiiiiininiiiii I iiiiiiinifliinun I A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in j I Relation to Its Environment | I Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Gardening, Appearing Regularly in The Garde.vers' Chronicle | I Under the DirecUon of ARTHUR SMITH | .Rmilliliiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiniminiiiDiiiiiiiii iiiniiitiiiiiiiiinimwiii mi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiniuiiiiiimiiiii i i iiiimiiiiiiimimii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiii iiii iii ONE of the objects of these lessons has been to set forth the whys and the wherefores of gardening practice to a greater extent than is usually found in ordinary and popular gardening books. In endeavoring to cover as much ground for this purpose as possible each month, it has not been practicable to do more than Tierely scratch the surface of the various subjects dealt with. In spite of lilts shallowness of treatinent and of other shortcomings, it is gratifying to learn from both ainateur and professional gardeners that the lessons have been found interesting. We have therefore decided to delve somewhat deeper into first principles to deal more fully with the various phases of plant life and of the soil upon which that life grows, and we trust that the resulting lessons will prove worthy of continued appreciation. The deeper and wider a gardener's knowledge of the underlying principles of his work ; of the whys and the wherefores of his practice, the more interesting it is to him and the more intelli- gently he carries it out. Without at least some knowledge in this direction, he cannot claim to be a gardener at all. .\n important fact to be borne in mind is. that these principles have the same bearing all over the world, and this applies with equal force to all the fundamental operations of gardening, such as soil preparation, fertilizing, seed .sowing, planting, etc. To those having only a slight acquaintance with plant life it will be obvious that the grotuid co\ ered liy the above caption can- not be gone over, however shallouly, in one lesson, and, although we are not proposing to deal with it at all e.xhaustively, it is there- fore proposed to 'ake more than one issue in discussing matters included under it. .Ml hfc upon the earth is co\ered liy the science of biology, and is divided into two classes or kingdoms : the animal or zoological, and the vegetalile or botanical ; judged by the number of living subjects, the vegetable kingdom is very much the greater. There are some forms of life, principally microscopical, which are claimed by both zoologists and botanists as belonging to their respective branches of science. Most jieople are willing lo pay more or less lip service to botany as an interesting subject, but the true relation whicli this branch of sc'ence bears to the daily life of man is appreciated by compara- tively few, and there is a popular impression that botany is of small practical importance, offering as its best reward only the discovery and naming of new plants : to which may be added, soniet me^ much to our ainioyanee, the renaming of old ones. Even many, who know that botany represents the foundation upon which gardening, farniin.g and forestry rest, imagine that its chief aim is the classification of plants. There is little in the appearance of linen, su.gar, or rubber, for instance, to remind one of their \ egetable origin ; but when we remember that food, fuel, clothing, lumber, furniture, paper, medi- cines, and hosts of other essential materials are derixed from plants, we get a hint of the universality of the vegetable kingdom, and of the vast importance of the science of botany, especially on its eco- nomic side. The raw material required for the Ihings above mentioned is built up by chemical action and stored in one part or another of a plant. Plants are therefore so many laboratories engaged in the manufacture of all kinds of chemical compounds which man has been, and is, slowly, learning to convert to his best use. Through successive centuries these discoveries have been made, first by acci- dent, then by experience, and finally by scientific investigation. The ambition of botanists is to peiietr.ate into the inner recesses of these laboratories of Xature : to di'^cover there her secret processes, and to employ her forces lo carry out their own designs. The vege- table kingdom abounds in problems which need more continual and complete investigation, and questions are contimially arising which scient'sis hesitate lo answer. While we are nowhere at all ap- proaching finality in these connections, still much is known about plant physiolo.gy. Literally, physiology means the ■science of Xature. and, although the term is now never used, phytology is the science of plants. .Strictly speaking in present day usage, plant physiology deals w-ith the anatomy of plants and with the funct'ons of their various organs. One of the main features in the art of gardening is to provide such an environment for a plant as w'ill enable all its parts lo function in the highest possible degree. The initial starting point of a Ihm-ri-in}; plant's ( botanically called phrenoganious ) separate existence is at the time the ovule in the ovary, which is to be found at the lower extremity of the pistil of the dower, matures into a fruit. This becomes fertilized by the pollen produced by the stamens, resulting in the formation of a seed containing an embryo. The ovule stands in exactly the same relationship to the plant as the egg, or ovum, does to the animal, therefore we may say that the starting point of all the higher animals and plants is the egg. Among Ho-ivcrlcss plants (known as cryptogamous), that is, plants without either stamens or pistils, such as ferns, mosses, horsetails and fungi, reproduction is by means of spores (simple cells) in place of seeds. These spores are commonly, in the case of ferns especially, contained in one-celled spore-cases (sporangia) and these hold but one kind of minute, one-celled, powdery, numer- ous spores, which are discharged when the sporangia finally split open. The lowest forms of plant life consist of a single little sack, or cell. In these, reproduction is entirely by cell-division, that is. a cell divides itself into two or more cells which ultimately separate into single plants. This cell division goes on indefinitely and. when the environnient is favorable, with extreme rapidity. Most of these unicellular plants are microscopic and the micro-organ- isms living in the soil, to which attention has been called in previ- ous lessons, belong to this class of plants. .All forms of animal and vegetable life consist of one or more cells. The higher plants and animals are built up of many cells united, which cells assume various forms and properties in the different organs, and, to some extent, in different species. Some- times the united cells can be readily separated from each other, and the cell is then seen to be an independent structure sur- rounded by its own cell-wall. These cells can only be seen through a microscope, although they vary greatly in size, and when living contain a transparent, jelly-like substance, called protoplasm, which protoplasm is the source of, and the medium for the manifestation of, the various phenomena of life. Under certain conditions this protoplasm may become dormant, in which state it may- exist in a dried form for a considerable period, as is the case with seeds, and may again become active under suitable con- ditions of moisture, temperature, etc. Growth or increase in size takes place partly by expansion of cells already formed and partly by cell multiplication. The latter may take place by division, as in the case of the unicellular plants, or by the formation of new cells within the older ones, the young cells thus brought into existence attaining full growth by subse- quent enlargement. It appears probable that the earliest plant life upon the earth was in the form of unicellular plants, and in the geological period known as the carlioniferous none but flowerless plants existed. Their environment W'as then practically that of a gigantic hot- bed, with the atmosphere in a state of continual mist, thus pro- ducing ideal conditions for these plants to grow with extreme rapidity and to attain a gigantic size. Their reiriains are seen to- day in the deposits of coal which are found close to the X^orth Pole, as well as in other parts of the world. The flowerless plants we have today are the degraded descendants of these earlier forms. The sun's rays could never fully penetrate the continuous pall of mist, and it was not until this environment passed away that flowering plants appeared, these representing a higher and more intricate form of life. .As before mentioned, flowering plants are those bearing true flowers ; that is. having stamens and pistils, either both or one or the other, and which produce seeds containing an embryo. We may ronglily divide flowering plants into three classes : ( 1 ) Those having perfect flowers ; that is, flowers which all con- tain both stamens and pistils: (2) plants which produce flowers of two kinds on the same plant (monoecious), one of which con- tains the pistils and the other the stamens, and (3") those species having staminatc and pistillate flowers upon different plants (difecious). When the staminate and pistillate flowers are pro- fhiced separately, it is only the latter which can bear fruit. In a few plants, such as the asparagus and the strawberry, some indi- viduals produce perfect and others imperfect flowers. Examples of tlie second class can be seen in corn, squash and melon. Sometimes, in the two latter and in their allies, numerous staminate flowers arc iirodnceri. but very few pistillate. It is an for November, l')20 ill article of faith among many professional gardeners tliat old melon seed — of conrse, provided it is not too old to germinate — produces more pistillate tlovvers and therefore more fruit than is produced by plants grown from new seed, and with the idea of artificially aging seed they sometimes carry it about in their pockets for some time previously to sowing. So far as I know, this theory has not been subjected to any scientilic test, although such test would be simple to carry out provided the a,ge of the seed ex- perimented with was definitely known. Among diiecious plants, those more commonly seen in gardens are the various species of Ilex (Holly); also, as a pot plant in the Xorth. the Acuba japonka. sometimes called the .\cuba Lau- rel, but it bebjngs to the Dogw^ood family. These plants are more ornamental in their berried state, for which purpose pistillate plants are the first necessity, and these must also have some staminate plants growing near them for the production of pollen. In growing the Acuba under glass it is necessary to shake a flow- ering staminate plant over the flowers of the others. If the former produces flowers much before the latter, then the pollen may be collected and kept in a dry state until the pistillate flowers are ready. The pollen will not. however, keep lunger than a few- weeks. In the animal kingdom, spontaneous movement, either volun- tary or involuntary, is an attribute of life, generally looked upon as a matter of course. In the animal, the brain is conceded to be the motor which puts into motion the power or force which is at the back of all movement. While plants have no brains, yet much evidence of brain power is to be foiuid in connection with them by reason of the fact — amongst others — that they exhibit the faculty of being able to move voluntarily in various ways and directions. This power of volinitary movemeiu can be c>liser\ed in co.inec- tion with the germination of pollen .grains. When pollen grains come into contact with the outward end (stigma) of a pistil, which in a ripe state exudes a sticky, sugary substance, germination takes place in the form of the growing out from them of a tube, which tube grows down the pistil into the ovary and by this means the setting of good seed is b.rought about. If pollen grains are placed upon a suitable medium cm the slide of a microscope the tubes will be seen to grow out in all direc- tions, Init if a piece of ripe stigma is placed among them upon the slide the tubes will soon deviate from their indifferent paths and will grow tow'ards the stigma. Similar phenomena — in prin- ciple— is sometimes to be seen in connection with the germination of seed when the root, if it emerges towards the surface of the ground, will turn round and grow downwards; also, in the way in which roots, of trees and shrubs especially, will grow tow-ards and invade rich soil, and towards water. This power of growing towards congenial media is very widespread among plants and is kr.own as ehemiotaxis. Ihe idea being that the pollen tubes and roots are attracted by the chemical nature of the medium to which they respectively grow. Without disputing the possible correctness of this idea, it does not appear to be improbable that some other force, namely, brain power, may be behind this power of movement, especially when taken in connection with other evidence which cannot be gone into now. The transfer of the pollen from the stamens to the pistil is termed pollination and is to the gardener of the greatest im- portance in connection with fruit production. Botanically, the term fruit is applied to all ovaries, or seed cases, wdiatever form they may assume : popularly, the word fruit is used only in con- nection with those ovaries wdiich become enlarged, fleshy and edible, like the apple. In the case of some perfect flowers, the stamens and pistils are so arranged that the pollen falls directly upon the pistils, but in numerous instances the arrangement is such that self-pollination is impossible and the introduction of pollen from outside is neces- sary, which is known as cross-pollination. This cross-pollination is brought aliont mainly in two ways : by wind and by insects. Certain iilants. such as the grasses and conifers, are always wind- p()llinated. The flowers of these are generally inconspicuous, without nectar or fragrance, and they produce a great abniKlance of liglit, dry ])ollen, which is sometimes carried many miles by a strong wind. The pistils of these plants are comparatively long in the case of corn — in which case what we call the silk is the pistils — very much so: also, in many instances thev are very feathery and arc thus adapted to catch the flying pollen. On the ober band, flowers of insect-pollinated plants are more or less showy, and have either nectar or fragrance, or both, which attracts the insects and. in going from one flower to another, they carry pollen with them and cross-pollination is accomplished. Cross-pollination is known to be beuelicial even in tlie ease of those plants bearing self-fertile flowers; that is, flowers in which the ovule can bc_ fertilized by the pollen produced in its own flower. The benefits noticed by the cross-pollination of self-fertile flowers are larger and more numerous seeds, producing more vigorous plants, and in the case of fruits, they are invariably larger, Xature favors cross-pollination in perfect-flowered plants by numerous adaptations which prevent self-pollination; as by so locating the st:inieiis that the |)ollen is not readily deposited on the stigma of ilvj same flower, or by maturing the pollen either before or after the receptive stage of the stigma. In some cases pollen is infert'le upon the stigma of the same flower or plant which is ciuite fertile on stigmas of other jilants of the same species. This condition of self-sterility is not usually due to a deficiency in either the (|nantity or the quality of the pollen, or to defective pistils. The pcdlen grains often germinate upon the sti.gma, but tertili/alion does iku take place. \\ by this is so is not clearly understood. It canr.ot be degeneration of the pollen, because two self-sterile varieties arc invariably fruitful when planted together. Self-steril'ty is very important in connection with the produc- tion of certain fruits, h is common in varieties of apples, pears, plums and grapes, but is uncommon or unknown in cherries, peaches, currants, ,go(iseberries, strawberries, rasplierries or other like lierries. Regarding strawberries, soine of the most produc- tive varieties yield little or no pollen and are even without statnens ; they are. therefore, unproductive unless growing near varieties producing plenty of pollen. Self-sterility does not appear to be a constant factor in any variety, as those wdiich are self-sterile in one locality are fre- quently self- fertile in another not very. far away. In reviewing the evidence in this connection from various authorities, Fletcher .says: "It is quite evident that the degree of adaptation of a \ariety to its environment has much to do with its ability to fruit abundantly from its ow'u pollen." It is not,_ therefore, possible to make a complete list of fruit varieties under the headings of self-fertile and self-sterile respectively which w'ould be applicable to all localities. There are. however, a few varieties which are generally quite dependable as being self-fertile. .Among apples these are, Ben Davis, Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening, Oldenburg, ^'ellow Transjiarent and Yellow .Vewtown. While there does not seem to be so much positive self-sterility among pears, many are uncertain, and the only kinds usually considered reliably self-fertile are .\ngouleme (Duchess). Bosc, Flemish and Seckel. Practically all varieties of Japanese and native plums are self- sterile, but while most European varieties are self-sterile in Eng- land, the^e varieties when grown here are generally self-fertile. Many \arieties of grapes are self-sterile, the most strongly slf- fertile ones being Concord, Delaware, Diamond, Niagara, Winchel and Worden. Quinces and peaches are always self-fertile. With the possible exception under some conditions of the apple, all pcUination of fruits is done liy insects and almost entirely by bees. Hooper estimates that e-ghty per cent of cross-pollination of fruits is done by tlie hive bee. fifteen per cent by various wild bees, especially the Bumlile Bee. and five per cent by miscellaneous insects. The importance of bee-keepin,g in connection with fruit production cannot be overestimated, and it is worth while to keep bees for this purpose alone, irrespective of the surplus honey they may give. To avo'd destruction of bees, spraying for the larvre of the codlin n:oih should only be done just before the flower'; open and soo:i after the petals have dropped, never when the trees are in full flower. \\ bile cross-pollinatio 1 appears in most cases to cause a self- fertile variety to produce larger fruit than when it is fertilized by its own jwlleii, there does not appear to be any other influence exerted by it so far as the fruit itself is concerned. For cross- pollination to take place between two varieties it is. of course, necessary that the bloom at about the same time. The flowers of some plants can only be pollinated through the agency of a special insect. This is the case, for example, with Red Clover (Trifoliuiii pnih'iisc), which never produces seed in countries or districts wdiere the Bumble Bee is absent. In Xew Zealand, for nistance. this bee had to be imported and naturalized before Red Clover seed could be produced. In Xature an absolutely seedless spccirs is unknown : seedles varieties are not. however, uncommon, although there are not many plants upon which edible fruit develops" without the fer- tilization of the ovule resulting in the formation of a seed with a living embryo. Seedle'^s varieties of fruit have generally in the first instance resulted from a sport, and when seedless fruits of any kind have a greater economic value, such as is the case with bananas, citrous fruits and the grape from which the .seedless raisins are ob- tained, the sport has to be increased by suckers, grafts, or buds. Seed production exhausts the plant more than any other of its life processes, as the plant must store up in the seed prepared and highly concentrated rich material for the food supply of the embryo. Many plants die immediately after they have produced seed, and nearly all annuals and biennials do so after flowering, whether they have been allowed to produce seed or not : perennials are always more or less weakened by seed production. The flowering .season of most plants can be greatly prolongc'l (Cniiliiiiicd on page 379) 378 GARDEl^ERS' CHRONICLE Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews RIGHT OF PROPRIETORSHIP AND PROTECTION IN HORTICULTURAL NOVELTIES The question is eagerly discussed— and this may be conceived — by our able seedsmen, hybridizers and, in general, by the hor- ticulturalists who. with reason, maintain that their efforts in the way of improving and of perfecting the floral and vegetable species and varieties should be recognized and be productive of the legitimate profit that their labors and their researches ought to assure them. And certainly it is not a feeling of pure vanity nor of egotism that has been able to dominate those who have claimed, with arguments of indisputable right, the protection of the fruit of their patient studies. Any one whatever has the right to have officially patented a valuable invention; why should not the horticulturist and the floriculturalist benefit at all from the same right? The account, very complete and well ordered, of the last Horti- cultural Congress, an account given by our sympathetic confrere. Mons. Ch. Arranger, informs us that Messrs. Pernet-Ducher. Rivoire and Turbat, considering the actual status of French legis- lation, which likens, it is said, the registering of horticultural novelties to the registering of manufacturers' brands, have ex- pressed the opinion, the very just opinion, that "that which is of most importance is to afiirm, in ways most prompt, the right of priority in horticultural novelties." All sensible souls will range themselves along with this opinion. But it seems fitting that the interests of horticulture demand more than the right of friority and that it is the right of prol<)-ictorship that ought to be considered. .'\s Mons. Emile Lemoine has said, at this same congress, horti- cultural proprietorship has actually nothing effective, and we add, to the great loss of all skillful hybridizers and of investigators ■whose perseverance, for all that, should deserve to hallow for them the results that are fortunate for everybody, in a way the most positive. Mons. Emile Lemoine would advocate a system analogous to literary proprietorship and to that that obtains in the arts, which is regulated by international conventions. It is the sentiment of Mons. Pernet-Ducher also, who demands the protection of the state through the deliverance of a patent right. It is therein perhaps that is to be found the most rational and most efficacious system of protection. -Mready, in the session of June, 1919, the Council General of the Maritime .'Mps was inspired with this same thou.ght in e.x- pressing "a wish tending toward the right of proprietorship of a floriculturist who, by his la])ors, 'has succeeded in creating a new variety of flower.' " It is a pleasure for us to recall this desire which accords in the best possible way with the conception that ought to be formed in all reason of the right acquired by the initiator, nr by the inventor, in a matter horticultural as in a matter industrial. Just as in the case of every proprietorship, industrial or artistic, the creation of a new variety horticultural, floral, vegetable, etc., ou.sfht to procure for him who is its author the sanctioning of an absolute right over the results of his labors. Now look at the unreasonableness of it in this way : When a painter, in order to compose a picture with more or less resemblance, can draw inspiration from a flower, in repro- ducing, more or less faithfully, the purity of the lines and the richness of the colors, and sees his work protected against repro- ductions, against those who would be tcmjited to copy, when his right to proprietorship in a work of art is recognized, tlie ex- plorer or introducer, the sower or tlie floriculturist who. by his art (which the public at large is ignorant of or misinterprets too often) — by his scientific researches and by his labors, let us say which often are long, painful and costly, has succeeded in fixing a new variety, in realizing, to follow the expression that is sanc- t'oned, a new gain that is going to enrich the French horticultural inheritance, this cannot insure the legitimate ownership of the fruits of his patient researches bv preserving, at least for a cer- tain time, the exckisiveness of this ownership to which his quite personal creation ought to give an incontestable right, if not im- prescriptible. In the actual status of legislation have the horticulturist and the floriculturist the possibility of protecting themselves against an immediate appropriation, through copying, of the novelties that they have created? It seems not so, for they cannot claim the application of the law of July 19-24. 1873, on artist proprietorship, which applies exclusively to the rights of ownership of literary authors of all sorts, of musical composers, of painters and designers. They have not any more the ability to appeal to the law of j'uly, 1844, concerning letters patent for inventions, the patent right not being furnished except "for a process having for its object an industrial result." The sole and only resource, then, that they have in the actual condition of legislation, is the right of priority, by virtue of which the registration of horticultural novelties is likened to the regis- tration of manufacturers' trademarks, which is far from being equivalent to the right of ownership. To pretend that the transformation obtained in a certain type of flower, by artificial hybridization or by any other treatment having for its end the calling forth in the plant of a vital dif- ference of natural evolutions, cannot be likened to the proprietor- ship of an author, of a composer, of a painter or of a designer, is at least going too far. For it is incontestable that every orig- inal conception, realizable under a new form and reproducible, constitutes a work that may be protected, that is to say, patented, because it is the fruit of personal work and the creation traceable to a horticulturist, just as legitimately as that of the industrial worker or of the artist, and may claim the protection of the law. This protection is accorded to works of art of a low class and to industrial innovations having only a relative value. It is inex- plicable that it should be refused still to the one who, in order to obtain a horticultural novelty, has devoted special knowledge, at times has even created for this end a particular method and has had to consecrate to the work long and patient researches lasting some years. One ought then to expect that the ownership of novelties in horticultural matters should be likened to literary and artistic proprietorship and that it should enjoy the same protection. Horticulturists will join, without reserve, in the wish formu- lated by the Council General of the Maritime -\lps. a wish over which one could not congratulate one's self too* much, the more because it is a matter sufliciently rare to merit its being em- phasized. This cause must triumph over indifference and apathy. It must assure the legal protection of novelties to the persevering re- searches, to the persistent efforts and to the science of our horti- i-iilturalists. — Lc Jar din. LENGTH OF DAY AND BLOSSOM TIME The remarkable effects in forcing premature blooming produced liy the curtailment of the period of exposure to daylight have already been descri1)ed. It now remains to recount the no less remarkable results observed by Messrs. Garner and Allard when plants thus forced are re-exposed for the full period of daylight. They found that plants of Soy Beans treated in this manner ripened their seed : their leaves turned yellow and the plants looked as if they were about to die a "natural" death: but instead they threw out new branches and while still bearing their first crop of ripened seed blossomed for the second time in September — the month in which the plants that throughout their life had been exposed to normal daylight blossomed for the first time. Similar resumption of growth took olace among .\sters and other plants transferred from curtailed daylight to normal conditions, and a second blossoming coincident in time with the first natural blos- soming of normal plants also took place. The gardener with the habit of reflection will think in this connection of the second flow- ering in the -Autumn of such plants as -\nchusas and Cat Mint when cut down after they have finished their first period of blos- somin.g. The experiments carried out with early and late vari- eties of Soy Beans and with other plants sho'w on the one hand that certain plants are what may be called "short day" plants, that is, they only flower wJien the light hours of the day do not exceed a certain maximum, which of course varies for each plant, and on the other hand that some plants fail to find in a given latitude a day of length sufficient to enable them to develop blos- som at all. Thus a Composite. Mikania scatidcns. maintained throughout the year under short day conditions remained sterile and could only lie prevailed upon to blossom in the summer time when long days occur. Conversely, late varieties, c.i^.. of Soy Bean, are apparently late because they can only blossom when the long summer days have given place to the shorter dayl'ght periods which characterise the later months of the year. It would seem that these observations throw a new and interestin.g light on the sterility and other vagaries of plants introduced from one for ^ovember, 1920 379 country to another. The failure of Sweet Peas to flower m the West Indies may be due to an incompatibiHty between the length of day there and that to which this plant is naturally attuned, and the change or maintenance of season of flowering of introduced plants may be due to a like cause. That the failure of some trop- ical or sub-tropical plants to blossom in countries of temperate climate would appear, from the authors' observations on the be- havior of Phaseolus vulgaris, to be attributable to a like cause. For this plant, when grown in the open in the latitude of Wash- ington generally fails to blossom before it is cut down by autumn frosts ; whereas if taken up and sheltered in a greenhouse it pro- duces flowers freely during the short winter days. When the days were experimentally limited each to seven hours P. vulgaris was found to blcom in 28 days, and to ripen its seed pods a month later ; albeit that when grown in the open it could not blossom liefore October 11. 109 days after germination; it is as though the plant has to wait until the days arc short enough in order to find release from the vegetative stage and to pass mto the reproductive i)hase. According to the views developed in this interesting contribution to our understanding of seed time and harvest, plants range themselves in three categories : short day plants, which in such a climate as ours must flower either in Autumn or in Spring, long day plants which are summer tlowerers. and ever-flowering or perpetuals. for which the limits of suitable days' lengths are" so wide as to free them apparently from the restraint which controls the blossom time of the plants of the first two categories, .\lthough the cautious will no doubt prefer to await the result of further experiments, yet it cannot be doubted but that JSIessrs. Garner and Allard have opened up an extremely interesting line of inquiry, have shed a new li.ght on many obscure phenomena exhibited by the blossoming plants and have elucidated the mode whereby plants conform to the divine behest — "so long as the earth endureth. seed time and harvest shall not fail." — Tlic Gardoii-rs' Chronicle (British). quently any severe pruning in Winter will limit the display of blossoms. '.\11 that is needed is to remove any weak or exhausted wood that is not likely to flower, but be sure and retain the vig- orous shoots, as they will yield the greatest wealth of blossoms. Clematis Jackmani, on the other hand, forms shoots of consider- able length before they flower, so that they may during the Winter or early Spring be pruned back to good strong buds and any weak or exhausted shoots cut out. Clematis Duchess of Edin- burgh will require little pruning, all that is needed being the thin- ning out of any weak growth during the Winter when dormant. Clematis indi-cisa lobala. the evergreen species that requires the protection of a greenhouse, blooms early in the Spring, and all the pruning needed must he done directly the blooming season is past. Where it is necessary, the vigorous shoots may be short- ened back to good strong eyes and the weak ones thinned out. but in the case of this Clematis, as with the others, the less prun- ing that is indulged in. unless in some exceptionable cases, the greater will he the display of blossoms, though such a free grower as C. Jackmani may sometimes form too dense a tangle unless pruned back somewhat during the Winter before the buds push into growth. — Gardening Illustrated. THE CLEMATIS FOR NATURAL EFFECT Xo genus of plants furnishes us with such a varied assortment of handsome flowering subjects of climbing habit as do the Clematises. These, though always beautiful when in blossom, are never seen to such advantage as when permitted to ramble at will through and over other living growth. It should be remembered that, for artistic efifect. the more freely climbing plants grew the better, and tliat most species of Clematis may be allowed un- restrained freedom with the happiest results. The large-flowered Clematises provide a charming picture when clambering among the branches of shrubs and trees. It is often thought that these large-flowered Clematises of the lanuginosa, fratcns, florida, and Jackmani sections are of too delicate constitution to admit of theit being planted in close proximity to trees and shrubs possess- ing a vigorous habit of growth, but such is far from being the case, even such a rapacious neighbor as a Laurel hedge failing to affect their vitality and being garlanded in the summer months with trails of widespread stars. The Clematis, in common 'u-ith all climliers. ^bnuM. at the start, be afforded a deep and rich root-run. but when the plant has once become established it is enabled to hold its own against the most greedy associates. Large-flowered Clematises have, unfor- tunately, a habit of dying off suddenly when apparently in the best of health, shoots that are one day green and vigorous being found withered on the succeeding day. This failing, which has been styled the "Clematis disease," has been ascribed to a variety of causes, such as the widely-employed system of graftin.g, exposure of the stems to the sun. excess of water at the root, and the after- effect of injury by frost during the Winter. Init. up to the present, no authoritati\e decision on the subject has been arrived at. That the evil of grafting, while, doubtless, tending to weaken the plant, is not the sole reason of dying ofif is proved by the fact that speci- mens raised from layers and seed sometimes fail in the same manner, but the three other assigned cau.ses — namely, excess of moisture, scorching of the stem, and injury by frost — are avoided by growing the plants with other subjects whose roots absorb any overplus of water, and whose growths shield from damage by sun or frost. Thus it is that in large-flowered Clematises grown over shrubs or in company with other climbers the "disease" rs rarelv seen. The pruning required by the dififercnt kinds of Clematis will to a great extent depend upon the position in which they are growing, for if festooning any extensive support, such as neigh- boring trees, or clothing an arbor. little if any pruning will be required, while, on the other hand, if trained to a wall where space is limited, pruning is absolutely necessary in. order to keep the specimen within bounds. Clemaiis montana flowers from the young shoots directly they push from the old wood, and consc- A LESSON ON PLANT PHYSIOLOGY [L iintiinied from pifge 377 I by the prevention of seeding, and even in the case of many annuals, especially with sweet peas, which soon perish if allowed to seed but which will continue to bloom throughout the Summer if the flowers are persistently picked. The same is true with the majority of perennials, and even with those perennial species, like Iris, Peonies, and bulbous subjects, flower stems should be cut as soon as the bloom falls. It may be taken as a general rule that the more flowers we cut the more we 'have. The prevention of seed formation can, too, with advantage, be carried out among shrubs, especially with those forming their flower-buds the year before they bloom ; examples of the latter are seen in the Rhododendron and Syringa (Lilac). The same principle applies in connection with many vegetable crops. Whether the produce is required at the time or not. all peas, beans, cucumbers, etc., should be gathered as ready, for the total yield will be considerably increased and the bearing of the plants much prolonged 1)y gathering before the ripening process begins. Overbearing of fruit is frequently harmful, and certain varieties of some cultivated fruits, as apples, pears, plums and peaches, may in some seasons set such a full crop which will, if it is all allowed to mature, cause such an undue amount of their reserve food to be devoted to fruit pr'iduction as to result in greatly en- feebling the trees : in fact, instances have been known where a young tree has been allowed to bear such a heavy crop of fruit that death has resulted. It is always a wise procedure to thin a heavy setting of fruit before it has made much growth, as this will save the tree from undue exhaustion, and improve the size and quality of that allowed to remain. -\Iso, in the case of apples especially, thinning tends to increase the possibility of an average crop the followin.g year, instead of, in the case of a tree ex- hausted by overhearing, none at all. In connection with fodder crops, grass and other things in- tended for feeding purposes should not be cut in such ripe con- dition as is frequently the case; their feeding value is .greatly reduced when seed is permitted to form or ripen before cutting, and also more plant food is tliereliy taken out of the soil for no good purpose. THE TREE I lo\e thee when thy swelling buds appear. •And one by one their tender leaves unfold. .\s if they knew that warmer suns were near, Xor longer sought to hide from Winter's cold ; .\nd when with darker growth thy leaves are seen To veil fri-ni view the early robin's nest. I love to lie beneath thy waving screen. And when the .\utumn winds have stripped thee bare. And round thee lies the smooth, untrodden snow. When naught is thine that made thee once so fair, I love to watch thy shadowy form below, .•\nd through thy leafless arms to look above On stars that brighter beam when most we need their love. — ^JoxES Very. 380 GARDE\ERS- CHROMCLE Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiniiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii:iimiiii;iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii»miittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH I National Association of Gardeners I J Office: 286 FIFTH AVE.. NEW YOKK I ^iiiliiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiii^^^^^ President — L. P. Jensen, St. Louis, Mo. Vice-President — D. L. Mackintosh, Alpine, New Jersey. Secretary— M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave., New York. Treasurer — T. \V. Head, Red Bank, \. J. TRUSTEES (For 1920)— Peter Duff. William Waite, Arthur Smith, New Jerse> ; Robert Weeks. Ohio; \V. H. Griffiths, Michigan. DIRECTORS (To serve until 1921)— William N. Craig. Massachusetts; William Her trick, California; William Gray, Rhode Island; G. Hennen- hofer, Montana; Thomas Hat ton, Connecticut; Albin Martini, Iowa; A. C. Jordahn, Florida. (To serve until 1922) — George Wilson, Illinois; James Stuart, New York; William Kleinheinz, Pennsylvania; John F. Huss, Connecticut; Edwin Jenkins, Massachusetts; Carl N. Fohn, Colorado; Joseph Tansey, New York. (To serve until 1923) — Robert Williamson, Connecticut; Robert Cameron, Massachusetts; Theodore Wirth, Min- nesota; George H. Pring, Missouri; George W. Hess, District of Colum- bia; Daniel J. Couglilin, New York; John Barnet, Pennsylvania. SUSTAINING MEMBERS AVw York — Mr>. J. J. Albnglu, ( leurge l-\ Baker. Edwin S. Bayer, Albert Clayburgh, \V. k. Coe, Mrs. F. A. Constable. Paul D. Cravath, Mrs. W. Bayard Cutting. Cleveland 11. Dodge, Mrs, l^avid Di: ws, Frank J. Dupignac. Mrs. Coleman du Pont. Cliilds Frick. W. H. (Vratwick. Daniel Guggenheim, Mrs. W. D. Guthrie, ^Irs. William P. Hamilton. Mrs. John Henry llanmiond. T. A. Havemcyer. Mrs. L, A. Hermann. B. H. Howell, C. O. Iselin, Otlo H. Kahn, W. Fugene Kimball, Adolph Lewisolin, Mrs. Juhiis Mc\'ickcr, Morton H. Meinhard. Mrs. Eugene Meyer. Jr., J. Pier- pout Morgan. Mrs. T. Pierpont Morgan. Stanley G. Mcrtimer, Mrs. Harold I. Pratt, John T. Pratt, E. F. Price. Mrs. William A. Read. H. D. Roosen, Charles A. Sherman. Mrs. Samuel Sloan, Benjamin Stern, Mrs. W. Sturs- berg, Daniel Tatum, Mrs. R. M. Thompson. Mrs. Edwin Thorne. Mrs. Henry M. Tilford. Samue' Untermyer, Mrs, Payne Whitney. Xciv Jersey — .\. Albright, Jr., Charles A. Bradley. Joseph P. Day, James B. Duke, Mrs. Lewis L. Dunham. Mrs. Frcdtrick !*"re]inghuysen. Mrs. Charles Guggen- heimer, Mrs. (aistav E. Kissel. C. Lewis. Mrs. Paul Moore, Hubert T. Parson, Mrs. Manuel Rim da. Mrs. John I. Waterbury. Fennsylrania — Samuel T. Bodine, (leu. Richard Coulter. Mrs. J. D. Lyons, R. B. Mellon, Gilford l*inchot. Kdward A. Woods. Dclazcarc—lrenee du Pont, Pierre S. du Pont. Connecticut — E. C. Converse, Dr. and Mrs. Tracy Farnam. George \L Hendee, Miss A. B. Jennings, W. H. Truesdale. William Ziegler, Jr. Rhode Island — (_iov. R. Livingsti n Beeckman, George P. Wetmore. Massachusetts — Harry E. Converse. ^Irs. Henrv C. Frick. Mrs. Louis Froth- ingham. C. II. Hutchins. Mrs. C G'. Rice, Prof. C. S. Sargent. Mrs. J. A. Spoor. Ohio — l*". I-. Drury. M. S. Firestone. Mrs. Frances F. Prentiss. John L. Severance. H. S. Sherman. II. L. Thorn ison. Indiana — Theodore F. Thieme. Michigan — E. D. .Speck, ]. B. Schlotman. Illincis — A. Watson Armour. Harry B. Clow. A. B. Dick'. Clayton Mark. Mrs. F. W. Cpham. li'isconsin — F. D. Countiss. ^Itn}leso^ll — ilrs. Chester A. Congdon. A. C. Lonng. 1 ozva — Mrs. G. B. Douglas. Missonri — August A. Busch. I>r. George T. Moore. I'irginia — Miss Grace E. Arents. 11'. Virginia — Mrs. Arthur Lee. Kentucky — F. M. Sackett. Gedgia — C. H. Candler. E. H. In man. NEW SUSTAINING MEMBERS Albert Clayburgh, Alt. Kisco, X. \'. (Alexander Thomson, superintendent); Edwin S. Bayer. Mt. Kisco, X. Y. (John F. Proctor, superintendent); A. Watson Armour. Lake Forest. 111.; K. S. Firesttne. Akrcn, Ohio; Morten M. Meinhard. Port Ches- ter, X. Y. (Ewen MacKenzie, gardener), NEW MEMBERS The following new members ha\e been added to our member- ship list: Frederick Heeremans, Lenox, Mass.; George Jacques, Peter Caresselo, Cleveland, Ohio; W'm. Reid, Harrisbnrg, Pa.; Charles H. Young, Katonah, X. \". ; John Patton. Shields, Pa.; Samuel Langford, Newport, K. L; George (jraves. Tuxedo, X. Y. ; Charles Green, Somcrville, X. J.; William Webb, Xew \'ork City; Timothy Kenny, Oyster Bay, L. L; Robert S. Gran- tham, Manhasset, L. L: los. Marshall, Tenatlv, X. J. ; P-rnest L. Lory, Red Bank, X. J.;"R. S. Egbert, So. Bellingham, Wash.; Z. W. P)oylc, Milton. Mass.; Peter Peterson, Yonkers, X. Y. : William Thomson, Pleasantville, X'. Y. ; Warner S. Hamilton, Ixosemon", Pa.; John I ildebrandt. Salina. Kansas; James L. .'\llison. Glen Cove, L. 1.; David Watson, Oyster Bay, L. I.; Henry (joodband, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Thomas Twigg, Glen Co\ e, L. I.; Max Schiller, St. Louis, Mo,; .\ugust Koch. Chicago. Ill; John Meisenbachcr, Tulsa. Okla. ; W. M. Gillies, St. Louis, Mo.; B. Gamester, Huntington, L. L; John Fairweather, Ber- nardsville, N. J.; .\rthur Stephen, Fort Eric, Canada; Peter Stobie, Cold Sprmg on Hudson, X^. Y. ; James Marr, Brooklyn, X. Y. ; David Purgavic, Bayport, L. L; Edward J. Lofving, .Augusta, Ga. ; William C. Co'tterell, Topstield, Mass. ; John Der- van. Port Chester, N. Y. ; Harry W. Johnson, Peekskill. X. \'. ; Robert Wright, Port Chester, .\'. Y. ; .\lbert S. .\llen. Springlield Centre. X. Y. ; Sydney Bowcock, Fairmont, West Va. ; John Comiolly. Oyster Bay, L. L AMONG THE GARDENERS ^ardem t^j William Charles Swain secured the positinn ul Crawford, Bridgehampton, L. L Louis Kay accepted tb.e position of gardener on the L. B. Price estate. Greenwich. Conn. Edward Hardin.g resigned his position as gardener to William du Pont. Montpelier, Va.. and accepted a similar position on the estate of F. W. Borchers. Elkton. Md. Alexander Douglas secured the position of gardener on the Leroy l-'rost estate. Xyack, X. Y., succeeding William Allen. William Allen accepted the position of gardener on the Pratt estate;. Glen Cove, L. L Robert Budd secured the position of gardener to H. T. Bradner, Gates Mill, Ohio. Geor.ge Wood accei)ted the position of gardener on the L. Ledyard estate, Syosset, L. L Irving Schofield secured the position of gardener to D. Walton. East Orange. N. J. John Dervan resigned his position as gardener to Mijrton H. Meinhard. Port Chester. X. Y.. to accept the position of gardener to F. M. Sackett. Louisville, Ky. Ewen MacKenzie secured the position of gardener to Morton H. Meinhard, Port Chester. X. Y. C. S. ST. LOUIS ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS The lirst meeting following the Xational Convention was held at Forest Park. October 6. The treasurer reported on the financial standing of the con- \ ention entertainment, that the combined entertainment, includin.g the Missouri Botanical (harden. Saint Louis Park Department and Saint Louis Garden Club, was taken care of independent of the local association entertainment fund. Of the latter he was glad to announce a balance of seventy-five dollars. It was proposed by G. H. Pring that this money should be set aside as a conven- tion fund to be used to send a representative to the annual con- vention. The member to represent the local society to be elected by ballot and the fund increased by assessment or by entertain- ment. The motion was unanimously adopted. Members re- marked that it might be the means of other organizations adopting the same means of being represented at the future conventions instead of relying on one or two men to represent their organiza- tion at the expense of the individual. . The lecture of the exening was presented by President L. P. Jensen on The Relation of Birds to Gardening. An interesting discussion followed of the acts of certain birds in the Sprin,g at the time of seed sowing. The question argued was wdiether to kill the birds that watched the gardener sow his seeds with the ( bject of having a good meal during the gardener's absence. Mr. Jensen, however, was equal to combat the argument in protecting the l)irds. G. H. Pring, Cor. Sec. iiitnmiinimiiii)!iiii)iiii'iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiw^ :l:iil!iilluiNi;lll!:illi:ll1IIIIIIIIIII!i: I O^ Interest to Country Estate Owners | I The National Association of Gardeners takes this opportunity 1 i to place its Service Bureau at the disposal of owners of country 1 1 estates when requiring competent gardeners, in the capacities of 1 I superintendents, head gardeners or assistant gardeners — thor- § 1 oughly qualified in every particular to assume the responsibilities 1 i the positions call for — gardeners truly efficient in their profession. i I The Bureau is maintained entirely at the expense of the | i association and makes no charge to the employer it may serve § 1 oi to the member it may benefit. § I NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS | 1 M. C. EBEL, Secretary | I 286 Fifth Ave. New York | iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiuiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiuiiu^ for November, 1920 381 THE QUESTIONNAIRE | Subscribers are vnited to make free use | of this department to solve problems that e mav arise in their garden work. Questions | on' the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that 5 con be readily answered by applying to the | usual reference books should not be re- | ferred to the Questionnaire. j Last year I cut off a horse chestnut tree about twelve feet from the ground and placed a birdhouse on the top. This season new shoots have been constantly appearing. What can I do to kill the stump and prevent new growths?— D. C. B.— N. J. 1 would Miggcst that you remove the soil from around the stump of the tree to enal>le \ou to reach the roots. Then hack the i..i)ts to bruise them, and apply a strong ,nhition of carbolic acid on ihe wounds. This will kill the roots and prevent any future growths. — D. E. K. I have a bed of Antirrhinums that were set early in the Spring. I had then about fifty plants, now about thirty of these have died; they all seem to have the same affliction. The foliage wilts and the plant soon dies, and I am unable to find any insect either on the plants or at the roots, or in the stems, that is causing this. They seem to drop off in all sections of the bed, but some are still blooming and doing fine. I have lost a few of my Asters in the same way, but not nearly so many. I have also had trouble with my Delphiniums rotting at the ground. I lost all of my seedlings this Spring with that trouble. Is the soil infected with some Fungus that is causing this, and if so, is there any rem- edy for it? Thought possibly a heavy liming might do it good. This is the first season I have worked this garden, as it has been running wild for years; that is, the former owners planted in the Spring and let it grow up to weeds each Summer, which I don't imagine did the soil any good. I am used to gardening in New England and conditions here are so different it is going to take time to get used to them.— G. P. McK. — Ga. Kcyarilinf; the truuMc you are experienc- iiig ill raisini; Antirrliinums and Delphin- iums, these plants usually act the way you have described when tlicy are attacked at the roots by a small maggot which is found in the soil. But as you say you can dis- cover no insects on their roots, it may be due to the fact that the soil has been neg- lected, and wliilc it may be rich in its nature, it may have soured, and in that case a good application of lime would be most beneficial. I would suggest that you do not use any green manure, especially with Delphiniums, if you later find that you have tfi fertili/f the ground. — E. I). Can you tell me how to permanently rid my garden of the white grub worm? The area is about one-eighth acre, and I have great difficulty in raising raspberries and strawberries. It is almost impossible to raise them on this account. — A. A. L. —Mich. The most effective way of ridding your garden of the white grub worm, is by ap- plying lime to the soil this Fall, and rake it in, or if it would be possible for you to do so, plow up the soil and then apply the lime. How permanent an effect such an application will have, will depend very much on the soil surrounding your own grounds, for if this is affected and not treated, the grub worm will soon invade your soil again from the surrounding grounds.— K. M. Winding Up Your Window Boxes When I was 10 years old, Dad gave me a Waterbury watch that you wound up each morning with a monkey wrench, and that made so much noise that everybody in the house was always up in plenty of lime for our early breakfasts. As noisy as it was winding up, it made a noiseless noise when it ran down. In which particular it was like window boxes when their Summer filling is done for, ami they sit there yammering for their Winter clothes. And speaking of their clothes, we have some Yellow and Green Retinospora and .\rborelum that are just the thing for Fall and Winter effects. And, of course. Ivy — you want plenty of that. Happily for you, we have aplenty. Start winding up your window boxes. We can ship promptly or in many cases deliver by truck. I ^ A-t Tho Si£n of The Treg 1 Sox 20 Rutk« rrford N.J. Here and There RHUBARB. A rhubarb plantation, when once estab- lished, becomes a permanent institution. I have in mind beds that to my certain knowl- edge, have been cropped continuously for more than fifty years, and, apparently, arc becoming more thrifty each year. These beds were made by excavating a cubic yard for each plant, filling the hole thus made with a mixture of equal parts of rotted manure and good garden soil, covering with the earth taken from tlie excavation, so as to form a ridge and setting the plants upon the ridge. And liear in mind that the one great secret of success in rliuliarb growing lies 111 the heaviest kind of fertilization. Rhubarb is not very particular in regard to the charac- ter of soil, provided there is sufficient mois- ture in it, though, of course, it will not stand wet feet. One of the best ways to grow it is to mulch very heavily around the crown, as soon in the Fall as the tops have been killed. Use good manure for this pur- pose, but cover the crowns with straw. Then, as soon as the frost is out of the ground in tlie Spring, work the manure well into the soil. If this is done, the plant will need no more attention, except to har- vest the stalks, until the next Fall, since the 382 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE illlllllllll DAHLIAS FREE Three new Peony-Flowered Dahlias that sell at $1.00 each. Ninigret, rich d;trk red, clouded and striped ligliter. Powhatan, dark crushed strawberry, a flower ol very beautiful shading, free bloomer. Frances Lane, light lavender red; this flower is wonder- fully shaded and is difficult to describe. A strong root of each of these three grand Dahlias and a year's membership to the American Dahlia Society, annual dues, $2.00, which includes the interesting quarterly bulletin, giving Dahlia cult.ure and Dahlia news of the world. Also a season ticket to the Society's Great Dahlia Show, all for the regular annual dues for 1921, $2.00, with 50 cents sxtra. total $3.50, to cover cost of packing, postage, etc Order at once. Roots will be sent in time for planting in the spring. This offer may not appear again. Address EDWARD C. VICK Secretary, American Dahlia Society, 205 Elwood Ave., Newark, N, J. big leaves will effectually choke out all weeds. Most gardeners make the mistake of al- lowing the stalks to attain full size before pulling. Much is gained in weight by this practice, but more is lost in quality. The Havor is at its best, in all respects, when tlie stalks are not more than half grown. Many growers cut or break the stalks close tn the crown. This, also, is a mistake, and will surely diminish the yield. They must be pulled entirely free from the crown, leaving not the trace of a stub. It requires a little practice to do this every time, but it is an essential part of Rhubarb culture. The leaves are sometimes used for greens, and there are also many apparently well authenticated instances of people being poi- soned by their use. I have eaten them with- out unpleasant results, but they are not a desirable potherb, and hence it is not worth while to take any risks along this line. The truth is that the variety originally in- troduced into England, from Siberia, was introduced solely as a pot-herb, and was cultivated for this purpose for many years. Subsequently a variety was introduced from India, the root of which was used for medic- inal purposes, and the foliage of which was highly poisonous. A variety was also intro- duced from China, by the way of France, the stalks of which were used. And the parent stock, from which all of our culti- vated varieties are derived is a hybrid be- tween these three varieties. And whether the leaves are edible or poisonous depends on the parent from which they derive their characteristics. — Market Groiccrs' Journal. WINTER PROTECTION FOR ROSES 1 treat my Kdsls according to the haliit of the plant. Such varieties as Madame Planticr. which produce blossoms on short stalks thrown out all along the large branches, I lay flat on the ground and cover with four or five inches of dry soil. Care must be taken to prevent the accumulation and retention of water in the covering. As as a means to this end I cover the soil over the bushes with tarred paper or something which will shed rain. Hybrid perpetuals, when grown on their own roots, send up so many shoots from the bases of the plants each season that 1 do not attempt to save all the tops. Instead I cut away most of them, and bank up the portion left with litter. For this class of Roses I find this a more satisfactory method than laying the bush down, as it greatly lessens the work, and, if plenty of manure is used to produce vigorous development. BURPEE'S Bulbs Burpee's Fall Bulb Catalog ready for distribution. IS I The edition is limited. If | I you are interested in Dutch | I Bulbs write for a copy today. | I TA^ Aflee Su rpee Co. | I Seed Growers Philadelphia | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ SOLD BY SEEDMEN IN CANADA FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS 76.'a^?2^mom:^Qi£cuy Qf:4€^ a HAMMOND'S SLUG SHOT' Used from Ocean to Ocean .\ Hgtit. composite, fine powder, ea^ilv distributed either by duster, bellows, or in water by sprayins. Thoroughly reliable in kill ins Currant \Vorm3. Pot.xto Bugs. Cabbage Worms. Life. Slugs. Sow Bugs. etc.. and it is also strongly impregnated with fungicides. flE^Put up in Popubr Packages .-it Popular Prices. Sold by Seed Dealers and Merchants. HAMMONDS PAINT AND SLUG SHOT WORKS, BEACON, NEW YORK. cue gets liner flowers from the new growth than from the old stalks. In laying down Roses one should provide oneself with thick canvas or leather gloves. The work of bending the bushes to the ground should be done with much care, as there is a great danger of injuring them if they are not carefully handled. Take hold of each bush at its base with the left hand, and hold it in a firm grasp while, with the right hand, you bend it down. Unless this part of tlie work is done with extreme care there is danger of breaking each bush close to the ground ; but if its base is held firmly, and no abrupt or sudden pressure is made upon it, it will yield gradually and safely to the strain. After the plants have been placed flat upon the ground strips of wood or something with sufficient weight should be laid across each bush to hold it in place until it can be covered. It is a difficult matter to lay down Roses of the Crimson Rambler class, with their thick, stiff canes. I do not attempt it. I gather the branches into as compact a mass as possible, tie them to keep them in place, and then cover them with evergreen branches tied on to the plants, which are left in upright position. Be liberal in the use of this covering. It will not keep out the cold, but it will shade the stalks, and thus the protection from the sun will be se- cured. Then bank deeply about the roots. — Country Gcnih'iiiaii. PROPAGATING BY LAYERING There are several kinds of fruits and shrubs that we can very easily propagate at home by layering or mounding. I have had good success with gooseberries and several kinds of shrubs by this method, and currants can be rooted in the same way, though they are not so hard to root from cuttings as are the gooseberries. It is the best means I know of for rooting hardy hydrangeas. To prepare the gooseberries, or other plants that grow in clumps of slender canes, we clean out the clumps in the Fall after they are dormant, and then it is well to cut a V-shaped notch in one side of the strong canes we wish to root, not cutting more than half through. Just cutting the cane half through from one way, slanting up- ward is practiced and works well enough, especially if the cane is bent so as to open the Slit a little. Some do not cut at all but bend the canes sharply and fasten in for November, 1920 383 i/iiiiiiiiiiimii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin DREER'S HARDY PERENNIAL PLANTS SPRING FLOWERING BULBS The Fall is an excellent time to set out Hardy Perennial Plants, Vines, Shrubs, Roses, etc. We make a specialty of these plants and grow in large assortment. A complete list will be found in our AUTUMN CATALOGUE, also Spring-flowering Bulbs which must be planted this Fall for blooming next Spring. .A, copy mailed free to anynne nientidning this publication. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, - PA. riiiiiiililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillilliiiiliiiiiii»iiiiiiiiliii»iiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii::i: iiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiuiii i nil iiiiiiiii :iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiimiii iiiiiiiiiini.- tliis shape, but I have had best success with the cutting" notches. -\fter preparing the clump tlius, the ne.xt tiling is to bank carefully with a mellow soil that is well pulverised so it will be firm around the canes and keep the cuts moist. During the Winter the canes will callous where cut or bent, and roots will form here during the ne.xt growing" season. By Fall they will be strongly-rooted plants and can be divided and transplanted either in the I'"all or the ne.xt Spring. While it is possible to root a large num- ber of the canes of a good clump, the plants will be better if only the stronger ones are used. Many of the weaker ones can be cut away before layering so the strength of the plant can go into the selected canes. Some of the canes can be left to grow nat- urally, and these will not be very likely to root, and will renew the old clump. Some- times canes will root if not cut or bent, but the conditions must be ideal to secure this. It is much surer to prepare as suggested. (irapes and rosebushes can be rooted in the same way, only we have to bend down the canes and stretch them along on the ground. I have seen several fine plants grown from one long grape cane, and also from a crimson rambler rose. In both cases I have cut the canes, but I have seen grapes rooted without cutting, rooting at each joint. — American Fruit Grower. THE LACE FLOWER In the heart of every flower lies a secret. TIic dainty lavender flower in my garden shows tb.at the secret of Queen Anne's flower as some wizard saw the purple spot in her white lace and from it bred a flower more dainty than that of the wild carrot or Ihiiiiiis Car rota, yet retahiing its manner of growth. Last Winter this flower was largely cata- logued as the blue lace flower. It is not A CHRISTMAS GIFT \\\' .ill aiMircciatc practical gifts, so wh.v not Rive your friend a subscriiJtioii to the Cardcncrs' Chronicle for Christmas? $:.ni] a year. THE CHRONICLE PRESS, INC. 286 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. QUALITY RED POTS Made of best material by skilled lafwr, UDlforraly burned and carefully packed. Famous "Moss- Aztec" Ware Includes Azalea Pots. Fern rushes. Hanging Baskets, Lawn Vases, etc. Write for catalogue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesville. Ohio FRUIT TREES and FRUIT PLANTS for .\utunin and Spring planting. Apple, Cherry, Peach, Plum and Pear Trees. Also Grape Vines and Currant Bushes. Write for varieties and price. MORRIS NURSERY CO. 1133 Broadway New York HARRY BALDWIM Manufacturer of Greentiouse Stiadlng Latti Roller Blinds ivia.ivia.rone:ck. m. y. PLANT NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS is the title of a series of articles now appearing in The American Botanist where a multitude of other things of interest to the plant lover are also discussed. Quarterly, $1.50 a year; specimen copy, 25 cents. THE AMERICAN BOTANIST Joliet, III. THE FLOWER GROWER Published Mojithly for both Amateur and Professional Flower Growers GARDENERS: Vou should grow flow- ers in quantity and help beautify your surroundings and brighten the lives of those who visit your gardens. The subscription price of THE FLOW- ER GROWER is $L00 per year, three years for $2.50. Sample copy 10c. Madison Cooper, Publisher, Calcium, N. Y. ORCHIDS Wo are Specialists in Orihifls. We collect, ernw. linnort. exnort and spII orchids ex- clusivoly. If you nro in the market for Orchlils, wo Bcilicit your impiirica and orders. Cata- Inpncs and sTirclnl l!^;ts on nppllrntion. LAGER &: HURRELL Orchid Groweri and Importen Summit, N. «J. Trees and shrubs, dis- tinctive in quality and large size which will produce an immediate effect \}orcount}y residences and estates ANDORRA NURSERIES Oxsoal'JiUl'PiL Have you seen ANDORRA? BECOME A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Prepare by mail for this uii crowded pro- fession. IncxiJcnsivc. i-.i>.> tu iii.i>ti. i . Karn while vou learn. Diploma awarded. Special prop- r^^ition* to HOME OWNERS and Plan for bcautJ- t}ing y(jur proper! >. AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SCHOOL Newark, New York State v ► CUT FLOWER BOXES lEDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO MAkUrACTUREMM PHILAOCLPNIA. PA. ^- -► 384 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE lilue, but a lavender suggesting stokcsiii. It is better so, for we like to tbink of old lavender and lace. Tbis is a new flower bred from one wbich came originally fr(mi Tun'opc, tnit wbich is now growing wild among us, mak- ing pretty birds' nests as it seeds. Yet as we look at tbis exquisite new flower witb the dainty sparkle to its bloom we tbink of ladies of an older day when Nathaniel P. Willis and Charles Sprague wrote. We will lea\-e the rosebuds to the debutantes, the daisies to the children, but let the old ladies tuck these dainty blooms into their white kerchiefs holding tbem in place by their cameo brooches over their black satin gowns. Are there any such dear old ladies left? Remem- ber there is a sparkle to these lavender blooms. — HorticuUnrc JAPANESE BARBERRY The JapancM- barberry is one of the best and most popula- of the low growing shrubs. It is extremely hardy, has beauti- ful foliage and makes an idea! low hedge. Can be trimmed to most any shape desired or it is very attractive when allowed to grow up untrimmed. The common barberry and the pur- ple variety of common barberry are not planted to any great extent on account of their sus- ceptibility to acting as a host plant for the wheat rust. On account of its similar name to the Japanese barberry, some people have confused this splen- did plant with the common barberry, but there is absolutely no danger of wheat rust from the true Japanese barberry and it can be planted witb entire safety. T!ie government and (litTercnt state authorities brought out this point when they were carrying on the wheat rust campaign and at that time told the public that there was no reason to stop planting the Japanese barberry as it was entirely harmless and is one of the best shrubs. Other points of value in the Japanese barberry hedge are the in-illiant coloring of the foliage in .\utumn and the red berries that hang on throughout the Winter and until Spring. Early in the Spring when the small green leaves appear, the con- " trast of the red berries and the bright green of the leaves is exceedingly at- tractive. Yon can plant these in a single row hedge or in a double row with tlie plants zig-zag, so that each plant hi one row is opposite the space in the adjoining row. The double row will give a thicker hedge in a quicker time and the small thorns of the plant make it an excellent protective hedge. You can trim barberry into a round ball or otlu r shapes. COMPETING FLORISTS In a principal street of a country town there were two florists' shops ,uid the ri\ airy between Ibeni was keen. They ilealt in potted jdants and cut flowers and abuse of each other. This takes the perplex out of paint perplexities Ever wished you had some sort of a book that told you in a right to the point way just what to do wheny'ou wanted to do some painting, varnishing, enameling or staining ? Ever wished you knew what made paint peel or chalk off and how to prevent it ? Ever wished you knew the kind of floor paint or varnish to use on old floors and the best way to treat a new one ? Ever wished that some one would write a little book about just these things and do it in an interesting, chatty kind of way, so you could find out the things you want to know and be told those you ought to know ? In short, you have wished over and over for a book that would take the perplex out of paint perplexities. The Happy Happening Book is your answer. It's a tale of inside and out, told by one who has had a score of years' personal experience with exactly your kind of problems; He tells it to you just as if he were sitting right here by you and having a friendly chat. Send 10c. in stamps for this Happy Happening Boola Lowe's Paints and Varnishes are sold by the one best dealer in each town. ^^IxMQ Brothers ^^/^y Bo 482 EAST THIRD STREET, DAYTON, OHIO ston New York Jersey City Chicago Atlanta Kansas City Minneapolis Toronto aiTt Business was rather slack and W'iiite, whose shop w'as No. 21, thought to wake things u]) by offering a packet of seed, "guaranteed to grow" something, with each pot plant be sold. He was quite pleased with the result un- til one morning he saw a new placard, large and liold, outside the shop of Black, liis rival at No. 27. This read : THE EARTH GIVEN AWAY WITH E\T£RV PLANT. — Horlicnlliire. THINK YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS The ke\' to success today has not changed from what it was flfty or a hundred years ago. It still is right think- ing which has its application in action — action that results in the correct decision. The truism that brains are superior to brawn never needed more emphasis than it does today. The business man who thinks logically, makes unerring de- cisions, and then has the courage of his convictions to act boldly on those deci- sions is the man who will forge ahead and attain his goal. If he thinks along the wrong lines, if his reasoning power is weak and his judgment warped, his clecisioiis will be incorrect and the result will be failure. The keen business mind cuts a straight passageway through all obstacles to suc- cess.— Spur. ft:M|lllllllllllllllll||||l||il|||||||||[|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||t|i|||||||||t||||i{[||i|||||||ti;<||i|i||,||||i|||||||||||||||||||l!l|||||||||||||||||||||||ll^ The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A pUI^p is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of the disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN-A* a pOR THE GREENHOUSE dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. r" UlN vslINlli For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V trxlVllIN ti For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J, =niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiniiiiiiininirjiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiii[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii»iiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ I T comes to GreenKouse Buildinrf consf to HifcKin[;ui,v, I'ntif;hk<'ppsic, White I'Uiiiis. .TaninicM. .\loiitcl;iir. .\<-\v York. T'liihulelphi.n. linrris- biiru, I '.all iiiiorc. \V:isIiiiij.'tnii. Uiohiiioinl. Itnfliilu. Tm-diito. rittsbursh. ( lovelaml. ( 'iiic-innati. Detroit. ('Iiirano. Milwaukee. Cjn'juiiflii ;n](lress; 2.')2 I.atitrinichitcre \V<";t. >!• iitifal. JOHN DAJ'nV Father of Tree Snr^ery This -.naiinHiccnt tree was sat-ed for future genera- tions by tt^e skill of Darey Tree Snrgeons. \'ote how it has been tilled,' layer on layer, to allo7v for swaying and f^r event cracking DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Every real Daicy Tree Surt^coii is in the tlicniset:i s. .In aLircentcnt i/uidr iif^lny of The Davey Tree Expert Co.. Inc.. a'ui the fuhlic is cautioned against those falsely rertesenttng iU llir Pavrv C onifany and not 7eth an in''i-<-idual is certain evidence of ,i;enninrncss. ^IV. No. 12, Published monthly by The le Press, Inc.. 286 Fifth Ave.. New York DECEMBER, 1920 Entered as second-class matter Nov. J. l'M4, post office at New York under the act of March IlillllllllllllllllllUllllilllillilllllllllilllllllllillllllllllllllilllilllllilllllll^ l!lllllUllllllllllllililllilillilUllilllllllllllllll!lll!!llll!llll!llllllllllllllllllllllll!lllllllll!IIIIIIIIIIIW HOW GOOD AKE YOU AT FIGURING? You don't have to be very good to figure out why you should own a RICHARD- SON BOULEVARD TRIMMER after taking a good look at these illustra- tions. *"; ■' ■ '"ff^hi'^J^-, '" J''."',— ^ri-i^ ^'S^:^^W^^- ^'.r \ Eventually you are going to own a RICHARDSON BOULEVARD TRIM- MER because when your man learns what it is, he will not do without one; there- fore, why not place your or- der now for spring delivery? 1 Ke RicKardson Boulevard 1 rimmer | Mcinufactured by | THE STANDARD SAND ^ MACHINE CO. | CLEVELAND. OHIO | ,„„,„„ „„ ;„; ,,,:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffliiiiiiiiiiiiim^^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiimiiitiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiii^^ CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE SANDERAE We have thousands of this choice Yellow Cypripedium in bud. This will be an opportunity to obtain plants for your Fall Flower Shows. These plants having one to six flowering buds at the following prices: $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 and $25.00 each PALMS GET ^'OUR ^'OUNG PALMS FOR GROWING ON NOW KENTIA BELMOREANA KENTIA FORSTERIANA 2J4 inch pots $.25 each 2 !4 inch pots $.25 each 3 ;; ;; 50 •• 3 •• •■ 50 •• 4 " " I.00and$l.50 . .. .. .nn Jtii;n 5 •■ ■• 2.50 and 3.00 ^ 'OO ""^ *'-5° 6 •• •• 5.00 and 6.00 5 •• •• 2.50 and 3.00 ARECA LUTESCENS 3 inch pots $.50 each COMBINATION 5 •• •• 2 50 " 5 inch pots $2.00 each 6 •• •• ......... 3.50 ■■ 6 •■ '• 4.00 and $5.00 ASPARAGUS ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS ASPakaGUS SPRENGERII 2J4 inch pots $.12 each 214 inc^i po's $-10 each 3 ■• •• 18 •• 3 •• ■■ 18 •• 4 •• •• 25 •• 4 •• •• 25 •■ ASPARAGUS ELONGATUS ly^ inch pots $12.00 per 100 3 inch pots $20.00 per 100 FINE ASSORTED FERNS FOR FERN DISHES 214 inch per 100 $12.00 3 inch per I UO $20.00 TRY OUR NEW SPECIAL GREENHOUSE HOSE $30.00 a 100 feet. Visitors Always Welcome "Let Us Bid On Your Wants" ORCHID EXPERTS Plant s— B u 1 b s— S u n d r i e s West Orange - - - New Jersey William J. Manda Joseph Manda Edward A. Manda Vice-Pres. I'rcs. & Trcas. S«r'y. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ ."•« ^'^J Inthe heart of the shobbing district the cMwyork Office GREENHOUSES affordsj/ou the opportunity of inspecting iho various JUn^ productive and art- istic features under the nwst prac- tical conddions liiNG Construction Company GENERAL OFFICES NORTH TONAWANDA, N. V 1 WESTi^TH ST.. MAimiSON IlLPr., [6(11 COKKOOf TKAOE tLDC, JO7 N. I 'ij^^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ i DREER'S I \ Gakden Book ! I FOR 1921 I I Ready in Januaiy and will be mailed to all customers | i wthout their asking for it. We also want all who | J are interested in Gardening to have a copy and will | I mail it free, when ready, to those who mention this | I publication when writing. | IT WILL SOLVE YOUR GARDENING PROBLEMS and will be an invaluable aid during the entire growing season. Beautifully illustrated with colored plates and many photo-engravings show- ing both Vegetables and Flowers, also telling how to grow them. Write today and we will send the Garden Book when ready free of charge. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. IlilllllllllllllllllllUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIllllllllllllin; 'jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii nil iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiu iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiHUiiiiiiig i ^ ? -1^^ P. S. We are always glad to discuss technical de- tails Tvith gardeners. Orchids If you contemplate buying semi-established, established or imported orchids, consult us first. We carry in stock about 25,000 species. A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other choice hybrids. We specialize in supplying the private trade. Let us figure on your requirements — our quality is second to none. Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot hangers, always on hand. Send for our price list. G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK II I lllllllll Hill 1 1 1 II I III nil iiiiiii I 11 inn iniiininnniiniiiniii iiiiiiiuiiiiuiiiuninnnuuniiiininniiuiiuiiiinniiiiiiiiiic 386 liiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii!^ I "TOTTY'S 'MUMS" | I AT THE FRONT AGAIN! I While we do not exhibit against our customers, did you notice that at all the Fall Exhibitions we scored First in every class open to Commercial Growers, wherever we exhibited? This is only a repeti- tion of what we have done for the past fifteen years. The record is the same whether for Exhibition, Single or Pompon Types. If you, too, want to be a prize-winner, or if you want the very best stock obtainable, keep in touch with us. Our 1921 catalogue is full of new kinds you will want to grow! If you don't receive it write for a copy. CHARLES H. TOTTV COMPANY MADISON NEW JERSEY ■Ullllllll iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii T pi ■ "j; Palm House and Wings Erected for Mrs. A. D. Morse, Cleveland, Ohio. four, duiilicatc of which could he furnishrd 111 :i snrpri- It is our Standard house number inerlv short time. Send for Booklet Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories NEW YORK 42nd Street Bldg C HICAGO Continental Bank Bldg. I'HILADKLIMIIA Land Title Bids. BOSTON -n Little Bldg. EASTERN FACTORY Irvington. .N Y. WESTERN FACTORY Di-< Plaines. 111. 387 CANADIAN FACTORY St. Catherines. Ontario CLEVELAND 2063 East 4tb St piiiii iiiiiNiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiinuiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiuiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiK aillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltllllUIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIW ^^^ELL'S SEEDS j I Bobbink& Atkins Oui- and mean prolific, satis- factory garden and lawn, an attractive Conservatory or greenhouse. Our mammotii ware- ro^ '^^ardenJbrSveri/^o/ni' SPECIAL OFFER For Immediate Delivery Gesiiera Hybrids Tuberous Begouias Gloxinias in separate colors Lily of the Valley Finest pre-war quality Our new Seed Catalogue containing all the choicest Varieties and latest Novelties wiU be ready January 1st. Write for copy. ROSES will be very scarce — make sure of getting the varieties you need by sending your order now. EVERGREENS RHODODENDRONS TREES and SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS FRUIT TREES AND SMALL FRUITS A visit to our Nursery is always interesting. RUTHERFORD NEW JERSEY .^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiuiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin ^iiiiNiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiHiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiniiiiiiii^ ARDY LILIES | Lilium Auratum. | Lilium Sp?ciosum Melpomone. j Lilium Specicsiim Album. | A'cit' crop arrivt'd from Japan for | immediate delivery | Lily of the Valley Pips | Cold Storage & New Crop | For immediate or later shipment. W. E. MARSHALL & CO., Inc. Bulb Importers and Seedsmen 166 West 23rd Street New York I MULLER-SEALEY COMPANY, INC. | I Horticultural Specialists j I 145 West 45th Street, New York City | ijiiliiHli|iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|i|iiMiiiiii|iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiil iiWUUiiiiiiiiiiiuinniiiniiiitiiiiiiiniUNiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNNlNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniuii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllilllllliililillililllllilliiS 388 Ijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii !iiiiiiiiiiiNliiiiiiiiiiiniiiiliiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiii:iiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ FOR 1921 9 ANNUAL LIST OF NOVELTIES ALSO RECENT NOVELTIES AND SPECIALTIES OF INTEREST TO ALL UP-TO-DATE GARDENERS FOR 1921 i\'ovelties are setit out in original packets Descriptions are those of introducers EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN NOVELTIES This List includes the 1 92 1 as well as Recent Novelties and Specialties in Flower and Vegetable Seeds. A copy will be mailed to you on request. For Complete List of Seeds, etc.. Send for Our General Catalogue for 1921 BURNETT BROTHERS, Seedsmen THE HOUSE FAMOUS FOR LAWN GRASS SEED 92 CHAMBERS STREET NEW YORK Between Broadway and Church Street Telephone Barclay 6138 fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiimiiniiiiiiimiiiiiffliiiiiiitmmmm i i i iiiiiiiimiiiiimiiiiiiimiraimiiiiiiiiNim iimmiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiimimiiiiiNiirmnimiimimiimiiiimimimimiiimiiimf ^.S^D^SiE: Why indulse in vain regrets over the passing of the flovirers wfith the advent of 56*^^ Winter, when a V-Bar Greenhouse will give you your favorite flowers all you want, whenever you want them, at a very low cost of operation? B\WR ^^' ^' ^^'^'^^^ COMPANY, INC. p»\VV/p? sRtt\VHousE5 -)I2 FIFTH AVE.. NEW YORK CITY lmNV^ous?s •?^ifS 389 liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii nimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuiuiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i!iiiiiiiniuiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiumiiiiiiiiiiiini| I The Contents for December, 1920 I Tilings and Thoughts of the Garden Monlague Free 391 Plants for Winter Effect in Southern Florida. . E. Heppler 393 The Argument for Wild Gardening Herbert Durand 395 American Wild Flowers 395 The Cedar of Lebanon. . . .Maude R. Toombs 396 Dutch Bulb-Growing for World's Market .... 398 Living Christmas Trees 398 Lilacs (Syringas) Arborum Amalor 399 The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse Henry Gibson 400 A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in Relation to Its Environment. .Arlhur Smith 402 Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews 404 National Association of Gardeners 407 The Questionnaire 408 Here and There 408 Planting Evergreens — Late Root Action and Bud Formation — Propagating Retinosporas — By and By — Under the Trees — Burbank's Neiv Miracles — Shell Fire Increases Productivity. Published monthly, the 15th of each month. THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. - . . ,. .,00 « Subscription .... $2.00 a year 286 Fifth Avenue New York, N. Y. Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 MARTIN C. EBEL. Editor I Entered at the New York Post OtHce ai second class matter under the Act of Congress, March 3, 1879. | liiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiHiiii uiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiii mill iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii.^. ,„„i„i„ , , , ,111,1,11, II, mill iiiiiiiii nil iiiniiiiuiiiiiiiiiuiiiiii iiiliiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiii uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiimiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH^^^^^^ SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS JAPANESE LILIES (Just Arrived) We have the follcwins list of Japanese Liliums. These varieties are considered to be among the best for the hardy border. Bulbs planted in pots in the Fall and transferred to the borders in the Spring invariably give better results than if dormant bulbs are planted in the Spring. SPECIAL OFFER — Any of the following varieties and sizes at $40.00 per case. Speciosum Album 8/8 (200 to case) Spcciosum Album 9/11 (130 to case) Speciosum Magnificum 8/9 (200 to case) Speciosum Magnificum 9/11 (130 to case) Speciosum Magnificuni 11/13 (100 to case) Auratum 8/9 (200 to case) Auratum 9/11 (130 to case) Auratum 11/13 (100 to case) SUPERIOR LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY PIPS NEW CROP FOR DELIVERY NOW THE FINEST VALLEY PIPS OFFERED In judg-ing- our price of Lily-of- the A'alley. please remember that the best is ttie cheapest. Our Valley is positively among the best. Is bought at open prices, with instructions for a selection of the best-developed pips. Our long- experience and larg-e importations have commanded this e.\tra selection. Introduced a few years ago, it has now become famous, being forced very extensively by a large number of celebrated Lily-of-the-Valley growers. This Valley produces strong spikes of flowers, about 15 inches in height, hearing from 12 to 20 extra-large pure while bells, which are delightfully fragrant. We make a specialty of Lily-of-the-Valley. ami are prepared at. all times to supply from our cold storage warehouse m orieriiial cases of 250 S. & W. Co.'s Superior Lily-of-the- Valley for $15.00 500 S. & W. Co.'s Superior Lily-of-the- Valley for $25.00 iM^% 1,000 S. & W. Co.'s Superior Lily-of-the- Valley for $45.00 30-32 Barclay Street NEW YORK CITY ^ =1111111 1 < UIIIIIIIII IIIDIIIKIIIIKIIIIIIIIII I I Ill« f.m luiuiiiiiiii II Ill I iiiiiiii mil mill I iinmimiim iii miiniiii iiiimimm mmmiiiuium i mmmimmim iiiiii iniiimm mm liiiiiim iiiiimiiiinimiim 390 siiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture Vol. XXIV DECEMBER, 1920 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ No. 12 I liiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,ii;iiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiilllii Things and Thoughts of the Garden MONTAGUE FREE NEW YORK 30TAN1CAU A I this season of the year many of us are concerned with the problem of providing Winter overcoats for plants that may be expected to suffer from the rigors of Winter if left unprotected. Regardless of the latitude and climate in which gardening operations are carried out there seems always to be a tendency for gar- deners to attempt to grow out-of-doors plants which are on the border line of hardiness and which need consider- able coddling in order to carry them over the Winter. Whether this is a laudable desire on the part of garden lovers is a moot point. The most potent argument for growing nothing but truly hardy stock is on the score of the appearance of the garden in Winter, although this will not hold good where the garden is frankly designed and used as a Summer place only. It is, of course, jxissible to protect many plants without rendering the garden too unsightly, if the right kind of material is available, and happy should be the gardener who has at his disposal an adequate supply of fir or pine branches to cover and protect Rhododendrons and choice Conifers. But in a garden that is intended for all the year round use, those trees and shrubs that need protection should be taboo, or relegated to a spot where the sight of them will not interfere with one's enjoyment of the rest of the garden. For there is so much of beauty and interest, even in the depth of Winter, that can be enjoyed by those having a seeing eye that it is a sad mistake to clutter up the garden with semi-hardy plants that have to be swathed in unsightly coverings. At this time one can appreciate more fully the beauty and strength of the framework of the deciduous trees and admire the diverse ways in which their branches are disposed in order to secure the maxi- mum amount of light and air for the leaves that they sup- port. It will be noticed that those trees which produce large leaves, such as the Kentucky Coffee Tree and Paulownia. to mention two of a widely diverse type, have strong stocky twigs sparingly produced and spaced far enough apart to support the leaves without overcrowding. On the other hand, in the small leaved trees, such as Elm. Willow, ;incl I'irch, the branchlets arc small and slender, much more numerous and well adapted to their purpose of displaying myriads of small leaves. During the Winter one can more thoroughly enjoy the beauty of the feathery tracery of the branches and twigs of such trees as the Elm, especially when they are seen silhouetted against the late afternoon sky. One can enjoy the spectacle presented by the slender, flexible branches of the Ilabylonian Willow as they are whipped by \\'inler .•?91 gales and the graceful beauty of the white Birch, most appropriately named "The Lady of the Woods." Their form is not alone in arresting our attention as there is the style of branching, many details of the structure of buds, and coloring of bark and twigs, that call for notice. Most of the trees can be distinguished one from the other by their habit of growth and it is most interesting and profitable to become proficient in determining the dif- ferent species by this means. The Lombardy Poplar, vyith its numerous aspiring branchlets, simulates a gigan- tic besom, differing from the sturdy, rugged white oak. the symmetrical Linden and compact, stiff-twigged Horse-chestnut, as widely as these differ from each oUier. The most pronounced bark coloring is to be found amongst the Birches, but these are not the only trees that exhibit striking coloration. There is the Striped Maple, with green bark handsomely striated with white ; the Tree of Heaven, curiously mottled with light and dark gray, in more or less regular patterns; the White .Mulberry, with cinnamon brown bark; the Sycamore, grotescjuely marked with leprous splotches; and the Beech, with its smooth blue-gray bole. If one were asked to name the most striking of the trees in their Winter garb, what would, be the answer? If the evergreens are excluded the first choice of many would undoubtedly be the Beech, with its massive trunk, well proportioned branches and graceful slender twigs. The coloring of the bark in this noble tree is also noteworthy and produces almost indescribable effect when manv are seen growing together in a pure stand. The .Sycamore. Plane, or Buttonball. is also arresting, espcciallv when I)lentifully adorned with its dangling ball-like fruits. The bark of this tree often affords us an approximate indica- tion of the points of the compass, as there is usually much more flaking of the bark from the south side. The .\mcrican Elm provides a note in the Winter landscape at once strong and graceful. .As is well known this beautiful tree occurs in many different forms. Those of the so-called "Vase" shape, in which the trunk divides into several massive branches which swerve outwards in bold curves, are perhaps the most beautiful of them all. Although it is scarcely possible to find two Ginkgo trees that resemble each other closely, yet their style of branching is so distinctive that in spite of great variety in outline, the greatest tyro experiences no difficulty in at once recognizing them without close inspection. Their habit is unique, possessed by no other tree. Young trees usually have an uncouth appearance, owing to the erratic 392 GARDEyERS' CHRONICLE way in which one or two strong branches shoot out from the main trunk leaving the rest of it practically bare. As the trees become older a more symmetrical appearance is gained, but without the loss of the straight, rigid, ramrod- like effect of the branches arising at a fairly acute angle from the trunk. The Sweet Gum, Liquidainbar styraciflua, is another of our striking trees — especially those forms which have peculiar corky ridges along the twigs. Its buds possess a high polish, even when growing in thickly populated centers where they might be expected to be overlaid with city grime. Its pendent fruits remind one of the spiked ball maces used with murderous intent dur- ing the middle ages. Those wishing to delve farther into this fascinating subject will find that "Studies of Trees in Winter." Hunt- ingdon, or "Trees in Winter/' Blakeslee and Jarvis, are useful aids to observation. Nature in some of her meteorological manifestations adds much to the beauty of vegetation in Winter. Amongst the phenomena that compel the admiration of all beholders is the ice storm which coats every exposed thing with a sheet of ice. What an alluring place the garden is when the sun breaks through immediately after one of these ice storms ! Every twig, every leaf, encased in glit- tering ice which emits a musical tinkle and crackle as the branches are swayed by the breeze. Although these storms are a feast for the eyes, yet they awaken much trepidation in the heart of the gardener, for, should a strong wind spring up whilst the trees and shrubs are still shrouded in the heavy covering considerable damage may be caused by snapping of the overweighted branches. Much has been written of the surpassing loveliness of snow-laden trees. Here the evergreens possess an ad- vantage over their deciduous brethren in their ability to make an entrancing picture. It can almost be said that no two snowstorms are alike in their efifect on the garden landscape. The trees and shrubs exhibit an entirely dif- ferent appearance after a snowstorm accompanied by wind and a low temperature, and after one of those quiet storms, with the temperature just above freezing point, when the snow is heavy and stays just where it falls. Storms of the latter type are often the cause of serious damage to our cherished evergreens when the snow lodges on their branches and by sheer weight breaks them. Some ten years ago there was an interesting article in the Gardeners' Chroniele (London) on hoar frost and snow in the alpine garden. The article was illustrated with photographs which clearly showed the enchanting, fairy-like effects produced when Jack Frost has his way with the denizens of the alpine garden. The pictures showed seed heads of Scdum spectahilis transformed into powder-puffs of snow, and Scmperinviim and other al- pines with leaves rimmed with hoar frost. The writer stated that he made a practice of leaving seed stalks on many plants, so that he might enjoy their beauty when transformed by frost or snow from dried-up rubbish into objects of beauty. The shrulis in general are not particularly noleworth>- for their Winter appearance, but there are some that are so .strikingly distinct that they cannot be overlooked. The shrubby Dogwoods with colored stems ought to receive much more attention than they do. .\ group of Cornus alba provides a most pleasant touch of color which is greatly enhanced when the blood-red stems have the snow- covered ground as a foil. C. stolonifcra. a North Ameri- can species, similar in appearance to the preceding, which is Asiatic in origin, has a variety, iiaviramea. with bright yellow stems which can be effectively used associated with the red-branched forms. This genus contains several other species with colored twigs ; notably C. amuniuiii, purple ; C. Beileyi, with reddish stems, and C. sanguinea, red. There is a variety of the latter, z'iridissiina, with green branches. A most interesting and beautiful plant- ing for Winter effect could be formed by the use of vari- ous species of Coniiis alone, but we are not by any means restricted to this genus. In sections where very low temperatures are not expe- rienced the pale green stems of Kerria Japoniea are very effective. Here in Brooklyn the Winters are usually suf- ficiently severe to kill back the tips, which causes them to turn brown and spoils their appearance. Many Chinese specimens of Ritbits introduced to culti- vation Ijy E. H. Wilson are unique amongst shrubs in their winter garb. The canes of many of this group exhibit a bluish-white, or white appearance, caused by a waxy exudation on the bark. This is so pronounced in some species as to make them appear as if whitewashed. These are not in general cultivation in America and we need to know more of them as to their hardiness and adaptability to our climate. To many the effects of a clump of these ghastly canes is bizarre rather than pleas- ing, but to others they are interesting and well worth growing. R. Giraldianus, a strong growing species, is amongst the most effective of these white-stemmed Rubi. This has the merit of being particularly graceful, as many of the strong canes arch over so that the tips touch the ground. Many of the Willows exhibit striking coloration of the young twigs, which is usually intensified towards the close of Winter. Indeed, this brightening of their color may almost be taken as the first sign of the coming of Spring. .Vlthough some of these Willows could more properly be considered as trees rather than shrubs, yet, when they are grown for Winter effect, it is sometimes desirable so to prune them as to cause them to assume a shrub-like habit. Two varieties of Salir vitellina are desirable forms. One, var. aiirca, has yellow .stems, and one, var. britcensis, has red stems. Judicious pruning is advisable with all shrubs grown for twig coloration, as it is the young growths that exhibit it in greatest perfection. Pruning therefore should be carried out with the idea of securing an abundant supply of strong young growth and, of course, should be per- formed in spring before growth starts. With the many opportunities of providing interest and beauty in the outdoor garden during the \\'inter, is it not worth while to endeavor to grasp them and to avoid, as much as possible, marring the eft'ect by unsightly Winter There are two kinds of men in the world : those who sail and those who drift ; those who choose the ports to which they will go, and skilfully and boldly shape their course across the seas with a wind or against it, and those who let winds and tides carry them where they will. Suc- cess of the real kind is always in the man who wins it, not in conditions. No man becomes great by accident. A man gets what he pays for. in character, in work, and in energy. The only road to advancement is to do your work so well that vou are always ahead of the demands of your position. Keep ahead of your work and your work will push your fortunes for you. Our emplovers do not decide whether we shall stay where we are or go on and up. We decide that matter ourselves. — Hamilton D. Maine. jor December, 1920 393 Plants for Winter Effect in Southern Florida E. HEPPLER TIIK subtropical climate of Southern Florida, with its rainy season and its mild Winters, offers an ideal home to a great number of plants growing under similar conditions at corresponding parts of the world, which, in addition to the valuable representatives of the native vegetation, are of great service in planting, and, arranged carefully as to their habits and natural require- ments, are a ready means of creating pleasing scenes and landscape pictures. It is a task of no difficulty to select out of the diversity of material those trees, shrubs, and plants that in succession give a disjjlay all the year round. However, considering the fact that most of the owners of estates spend only Winter and early Spring in Florida, it will be a wiser plan, and of more advantage and credit to the planter, to confine his selection to plants that are at their best during this time. Deciduous trees, shrubs and vines should for this reason be used sparingly or not at all, for, no matter how delightful at their clima.x. they will be bare in Winter and carry a not very agreeable contrast to the surrounding landscape, the keynote of which should be life and vigor. There are unlimited horticultural opportimities to se- cure the desired effect by bringing out the subtropical •character of this zone, an tmdertaking which will always be successful and appreciated. Desirable plants suited for that purpose will be found among the following, which, though it does not comprise everything adapted to this climate, will give a fairly good idea of the material mostly employed. Palms, the most conspicuous representatives of the tropical flora, are planted here to a great extent and. where properly attended to, splendid results are the recompensa- tion. Well mulched, watered, and fertilized, they develop to stately specimens, their beauty and elegance making them an adornment to any home grounds. An admirable palm for outdoor planting south of Tampa is the Fishtail palm, Caryota iiiitis. which is of rapid growth and whose bipinnated leaves are of a peculiar beauty. Cocos are generally planted along the coast line and its immediate vicinity, where they do exceedingly well and .show their character better and sooner than elsewhere. Cocos plnmosa. the most striking species, does not object to slight, occasional frosts and is a rapid grower, reaching a height of 30 feet to 40 feet. For street and avenue planting, as well as for arrangements in groups or as a single specimen, it is second to none. Cocos uncifcra is found in plantations on almost sterile soil along the sea- shore, where it fruits to advantage, even without an ap- plication of fertilizer. Inland, however, it bears very irregularly, and is planted for its ornamental qualities only. Oreodoxa rci^'ui, a native of the Fverglades. is one of the most desirable j)alms for the extreme .South, where it will grow to a height of 100 feet and more. Its mag- nificent crown of feathery leaves is supported by a gray- ish white trunk of immense proportions, which gives the plant its majestic appearance, hence its name, Roval Palm. When grown north of Fort Myers, protection should be provided, as it is not quite hardy, and, though larger palms will stand a light frost to a certain extent, the younger and more tender ones will invariably be in- jured. Phoenix is very jiopular and is difficult to surpas-^ In regard to hardiness and luxuriant growth. Phoenix canaricnsis is undoubtedly the best of all for this climate. BS it is of a very vigorous growth and develops to its fu'l Ix-auty sooner than any other kind of this genus. Phoenix dactylifera, the true Date palm, is a somewhat slow grow- er and is the least shown of all, but specimens of it will occasionally be found. As a rule, better results will be obtained in shorter time with the first-named variety. Sabal^ palmetto, the cabbage palmetto, is another native of Florida, and is cultivated abundantly through all sec- tions of the state. It is often used as a street tree and as specimens on lawns and in parks, as it is easily trans- planted, and with ordinary care always sure to survive this operation. Immediate eft'ects are secured by planting .strong, old plants taken from their native places. Scafortliia clcgans, the Australian Feather palm, is an- other i)alm adapted to Florida and deserves a place as well as Thrinax pannflora, a fan palm of smaller size, which presents at all stages of its growing period an interesting appearance. W'ashingtonia robusta, one of the characteristic street trees of Southern California, has become very popular in this part of the state, and it is freely planted on account of its fast growing qualities. Of the Cycadacecc, the most ornamental plants of sub- tropical gardens, C. revolitta and C. circinaUs are often met with. They are of half-dwarf habit, quite hardy and do not object to an occasional drought. They are favorite plants for the conservatory, because of their easy culture, and thrive fairly well, even if somewhat neglected. Xext in importance to the various palms are foliage plants : plants that are cultivated more for the decorative eft'ect (if their foliage than for flowers, which are usualh" insignificant. Their chief value lies in the outspoken per- manency of presenting a wide range of colors all through the year and they are, if tastefully arranged and not used too abundantly, a very welcome means to set oft' a back- ground or give a pleasing contrast to the prevailing land- scape. The Acalxphas can claim to be one of the most popular plants of this .group in Southern Florida. They are ex- tensively planted and have always given satisfaction if not planted on too wet a place. One of their merits is the magnificent coloring which with A. niarginata is ex- ceptionally beautiful during Winter. Besides A. inar- ginata, A. viusaica and tricolor are generally used. For placing in shaded or half shaded places, no plant can be more highly recommended than Aspidistra Iiirida, which does exceedingly well and responds to such a loca- tion, with fine variegated leaves. Crotons are of a luxuriant growth, attaining consider- able height and size. To develop them to their final glory and bring out to perfection those color shades ])cculiar to them, they must be set in the full sunlight and given a liberal supply of water. An occasional application of fer- tilizer is also of great benefit, and one need not be afraid of giving them too nmch. Coleus. in its difl'erent varieties, is extensively used for bedding and in the tloral arrangement of vases and window boxes, .\lthough many carry the old stock over, cutting them back and thus growing them for several years, better plants and brighter colors will be had from plants grown from cuttings every year. Draccrna aus- tral is and iiidi'i-isa thrive in the open under ordinary care and are desirable for subtropical displays on account of their ])alm-like appearance and their ornamental char- acter. The Screw-Pine. Paiidaniis itlilis. and its variegated 394 GARDEiSERS' CHRONICLE form, r. I'dfcliii, are found in great numbers in Southern Florida, and are attractive in all stages of their growing period. As young plants they are useful for vases, table decorations and other purposes where an orgamental eflfect is wanted : when mature they are very pleasing on lawns, planted either singly or in groups. Fine, nicely branched specimens are frequently found. PJulodcndron pcriusum. a striking example of a tropical climber, is grown successfully in this State, and the large, perforated leaves seldom fail to attract the visitor's in- terest. It is an admirable plant for the covering of pillars, arches and trellises, of a rather fast growth and easy culture, and it is deplorable that it is not so exten- sively planted as its merits deserve. PhyUanthus nivosus, roseo-pictits, is conspicuous for its brilliant foliage, which, besides green, shows most pleasing shades of white, pink and red. It is a useful shrub for low hedges and shrubberies, and should be cut back severely before the rainy season to induce a bushy, compact growth, as it naturally is of a somewhat strag- gling habit. The number of shrubs or trees flowering in Winter or early Spring is limited to a certain extent, for, while most of them bring their blossoms in Summer or early Fall, others of a more tender condition do not grow satisfac- torily. Bauhinia purpurea flowers in early Spring, its blossoms resembling an orchid in shape. It is of rapid growth, evergreen, and does well, even in a soil of moderate fer- tility, if properly fertilized. Bauhinia triandra flowers in the late Autumn and is also interesting on account of its characteristic two-lobed leaves. Hibiscus rosa-siiiensis and its varieties is a very popu- lar shrub and found in almost every garden. It forms excellent specimens of enormous size when planted singly and is also very attractive in shrubberies. The large- sized flowers of the difl^erent colors are produced freely all through the year. Jacobiuia coccinca, a soft shrub attaining a height of about 6-8 feet, is an abundant bloomer that can always be depended upon. The flowers are a vivid scarlet and are most numerous in Autumn and early Spring. Jacobinias should always be pruned closely, as, when left alone, they grow too straggly and arc of a somewhat weedy appear- ance. Kcrinm Oleander is one of the most floriferous shrubs in this zone and commences flowering in the middle of February. The number of varieties is large, ranging in color from pure white to a deep red, and there is hardly a garden that is without at least one plant of this handsome shrub. Poinsettia pidcherriina ])resents its fiery scarlet flowers, or rather bracts, with the first days of December, and is a source of enjoyment for a long period. The middle of February still sees them in their full glory and it is March before they fade av\-ay. To get the best results it should be planted on well-drained land, pruned closelv. and re- ceive an application of connnercial fertilizer at least twice a year. Roses can be had in flower during Winter if a high culture is followed and great pains taken as to the prep- paration of the soil and selection of the varieties. In almost all cases, however, the efiforts will not result in j)roducing the efifects that we are accustomed to see in rose gardens in the North or in Europe, as the lack of a dormant season and the different -climate provides too manv factors completely beyond the control of the gar- dener. Of shade trees. Eucalyptus have been latelv planted on a wide scale and are a ready means to obtain a good showing in short time. Although they usually prefer a well drained land, Eucalyptus rudis has been found to do fairly well on wet ground. Of other kinds. Eucalyptus robusta, rostrata, and viminalis, are largely planted. E. globulus, though doubtless one of the most handsome of this genus, is somewhat tender and should be planted only where no frosts are to be feared. The growth of Euca- lyptus, as a rule, is of an upright character, and results consequently in tall, slim trees, but a bushy specimen of a more compact habit can be had if the tree is judiciously topped several times in its infancy. The rtibber trees, Ficus, are desirable as much for their decorative foliage a.^ for their shade-giving qualities, and thrive with comparatively little care. The most popular of all is Ficus clastica. Grcvillea robusta is well liked on account of its peculiar foliage, often being planted as a shade tree. It is rather hardy, fast growing and some- times attains a height of 100 feet and more. To avoid breakage from wind it should always be cut back closely. Magnolia grandiflora. the famous broad-leaved ever- green of the South, thrives in moist places and requires a rich, fertile soil and a permanent mulch to grow to per- fection. It attains an enormous size, which makes it verv desirable for avenue plantings, and it is also well adapted for landscape settings because of its large, fragrant flowers. Parkinsonia aculcata, the Jerusalem thorn, is a small tree of the order of the Leguininoscr, the drooping branches of which are literally covered with deep yellow flowers at the time of blossom, as it makes a good de- fensive hedge and can be used to advantage in shrub- beries, its planting should be more encouraged, for it does splendidly, even in dry places. Poiiiciana regia is a typical subtropical tree that de- serves planting in every garden, were it only for its large, finely-cut leaves which are of a highly ornamental char- acter. In addition, fiery scarlet flowers appear in Spring and it is hard to think of another plant that is so suitable for lawns as this svmmetrical tree, with its wide-spreading branches. Of the climbing and trailing vines planted in this sec- tion, none is more esteemed and used for so many pur- poses than Bignonia vcnusta. It is a prodigious Winter and Spring bloomer, bringing its marvelous clusters of orange-red flowers sometimes as early as Christmas. The plant itself, though delicate and tender looking in its first stages, is of tremendous growth after becoming estab- lished, ultimately reaching a height of 50-75 feet when trained on trees. Bougainvillca glabra is of a somewhat louder color and should. consec|uently, be used more cau- tiously in regard to its environments. Like Bignonia zrnusta it is of fast growing qualities and responds well to an occasional application of commercial fertilizer. The bright magenta red flowers are produced freely during Winter and Spring and often used as cut flowers in vases. This does bv no means exhaust the theme in any way. Tt is onlv an enumeration of plants of my knowledge that do well here in Florida under ordinary care and that can lie relied upon for Winter effect. Thus I have omitted all deciduous and Sunnuer flowering shrubs and vines that are in their prime in Summer or Autumn, and are of little value and more or less out of place in an arrangement which is to bring out satisfactory, subtropical eft'ects for the ^^' inter season. Good health, imagination, persistencv, and a good memorv — and of course keeping everlastingly at it — are the principal requisites for a successful career. — Sawuel Insull. Jor December, 1920 395 The Argument for Wild Gardening HERBERT DURAND WILD Ciardeniny may be briefly defined as the use of native trees, evergreen — both large-leaved and coniferous — shrubs, vines ferns and wild flowers, to produce pleasing landscape efl:'ects in woodland, mea- dow and bog, or on barren hillsides, outcroppings of rock, etc. It involves but little construction work, no exten- sive preparation of soil, and no cultivation or care after planting. On many country estates there are wooded areas, rock ridges, uncultivated fields, or perhaps marshy spots through which a brook meanders — any or all of which may, with tasteful treatment and the use of native plants, be made the most exquisitely beautiful features of the place. The expenditure involved is surprisingly moderate as compared with other forms of gardening. Even the home owner with only a small plot of ground suitable for gardening can usually find some shaded spot in which he may enjoy the beauties of many of our native ferns and flowers provided their simple but exacting soil requirements are complied with. In Wild Gardening are used primarily the plants that are already growing on the premises or are indigenous to the vicinity. These are supplemented by choicer and larer things that will grow and thrive under existing soil and climatic conditions. Frequently there are old fields and pastures formerly under cultivation but now overrun with natural growth — old grotesque apple trees, bayberry, dogwood, shadbush, red cedars, huckleberries. Everything of this sort is pre- served and utilized, thus very materially reducing the cost of planting material. Some estate owners are fortunate in possessing a brook, or pool, or perhaps an old millpond which can quickly and inexpensively be transformed into a water garden in which our charming pond lilies, pickerel weeds, irises, arrowheads and other aquatics will flourish, while the banks can be clothed with pussy willows, white birches, alders and other beautiful shrubs under which will thrive moisture-loving ferns and such brilliant flow- ering plants as the cardinal flower, the closed gentian and the marsh marigold. A boggy place is an ideal location for azaleas, sweet pepper bushes, wild roses, American holly, the high-bush huckleberry and a host of gorgeous orchids and flowers like the showy lady's slipper, meadow sweet, meadow beauty, manv violets, the meadow lily, the turk's cap lily. and even the loveliest of all wild flowers — the fringed gentian, colonies of which may be established in such places by sowing the seed as soon as possible after it be- comes ripe in late Fall. There is a wide difference between the planting of a cultivated garden and Wild Gardening. The former im- plies plowing, harrowing, grading and raking; then putting in as many vegetable or flowering plants, shrubs or evergreens as the space or stilted plan will permit : then weeding and hoeing, watering and pruning, .staking and spraying— altogether an expensive and interminable task. Wild Gardening, on the other hand, involves simply the cleaning up of the place by destroynig and removing brambles and briers, rank weeds, dead or unsightly trees and shrubs and other undesirable objects, the intelligent deforestation of thickly growing woodlands and the laving out of paths and trails. This preliminary work accom])iished the new planting is, as a rule, confined to spots of special interest becau.sc of unusual beauty and convenience, or the presence of some natural feature of peculiar charm — such as a spring, a striking rock forma- tion, a natural forest glade, or a lovely vista. And it should be borne constantly m mind that no at- tempt should ever be made at cultivation or coddling, pruning or spraying wild plants or planting — that here such things as plows and shovels, hoes and rakes, stakes and trellises, must be rigidly tabooed. The upkeep of such gardens is therefore practically nothing. Further- more, the great majority of our indigenous plants will, by seed or underground runners, propagate themselves and increase and multiply as the years go by, thus adding to the beauty and the naturalness of the surroundings. The Winter months are best for studying country places and planning wild plantings because of the ab- sence during the ^^'inter of foliage, weedy growths and vines which prevent easy access to and free open views of the areas to be treated. This is also the best season to determine what locations are suited for special treatment, to prepare lists of plants, and to place orders for them, so they will have priority and be fowarded promptly as soon as the Spring planting season opens. Finally, everyone who establishes in congenial loca- tions, colonies of our rarely beautiful but fast disappear- ing wild flowers and ferns, is not only providing a never- failing present source of enjoyment but is helping to pre- vent their extinction and to preserve them in all their refined and delicate beauty for future generations. AMERICAN WILD FLOWERS LJOMER D. HOUSE, our State Botanist, calls atten- tion to the need of conservation of wild flowers, be- cause, wiih the increase of automobile traffic, motorists, particularly the thoughtless, have been uprooting, break- ing down and gathering these beauties of wild life by the armful for the fleeting pleasure of a few hours. Mr. House points out that our byways and woodlands, formerly attractive through their wealth of true Ameri- cans, become the abiding place of burdock, thistles, mus- tard, ragweed and numerous other obnoxious aliens. Fur- thermore, the trouble does not end with the mere change of plant life, but the insects, animals and bird life also suffer a marked change, adding nothing to the attractiveness of the byways and woodlands. The forest primeval gives protection, home and sustenance to a remarkably varied life : it aft'ords shade, recreation and homes to many birds ; it shelters shrubs, wild flowers and animals. Not long ago the State of Connecticut had to place placards throughout the hills and valleys calling attention to the widespread destruction of wild flowers, such in- roads being made that the State was being denuded of those plants which, by reason of their size and colors, are conspicuous objects to the ordinary observer. In New York State the trailing arbutus has been especially perse- cuted. New York has a profusion of wild flowers. The number of wild flowers described and illustrated in "Wild b'lowcrs of New York" is slightly less than four hundred, and this does not include all plants with conspicuous or attractive colorings which might be called wild flowers. Trailing arbutus, jack-in-the-pulpit, the wild-calla, blue flag, poi^onia. wild pink, marsh marigold, buttercup, flow- ering dogwood, mountain laurel and white daisy_ give ])leasurc to the observer whether he is hiking or riding, and a little thought fulnes? and restraint on the part of the passerbv will make the landscape more attractive for all who follow. — Xczv ]'(»■!: Sun. 396 The Cedar of Lebanon MAUD ROBINSON TOOMBS Fl\( )M e:'.r!iest Biblical times the Cedar of Lebanon was the symbol of majesty and was held sacred. It is called "the tree of Jehovah planted by His right hand crowning the great mountains," and in the XCII Psalm is the beautiful verse: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. This cedar is a native of Syria on the coldest part of Mt. Lebanon where it grows at an altitude of 7.000 feet. It is a coniferous evergreen of the larger sort, bearing large roundish cones of smooth scales, standing erect, needles one inch long and thick set. The wood is of reddish hue and very aromatic, reputed al- most imperishable and of such bitter taste that worms and bugs cannot endure it. For this reason the an- cients used tablets of cedar when they wrote anything they wished to last. They also smeared their books and writings with a juice drawn from cedar to pre- serve them from rotting. Cortes is said to have built a palace in Mexico in which were 7,000 beams of cedar mo.st of it 120 feet long and 4 feet in dia- meter. The cedar used in the main mast of the galley of King Demetrius meas- ured 130 feet long and 18 feet in (iiameter. The wood was in particular demand for religious build- ings. King Hiram of Tyre sent it to King David as the most precious material with which to build the temple of Tcrtisalem. Its massive trunks, great height and dark heavy foliage, green at all seasons made the forests of Lebanon famous the world over, even^ in the days of the prophets. Heroes and emperors were likened to the kingly cedar of Lebanon, until it stood for ail that was most precious and majestic in trees. The wonderful fragrance of its wood, wliich never dies away. also made it highly prized. Some of the giant trees on the slopes of Mt. Lebanon were said to have been planted by Solomon himself, and when Palestine was opened to the Christians in the Aliddle Ages the patriarchs threatened with ecclesiastical censure those who harmed these venerable old trees liy making pilgrimages to them in order to collect wood for crosses, tabernacles and the interior of churches. In this manner, the grove was no doubt saved for future genera- tions, but a scientific investigation conducted by Sir Joseph Hooker, the eminent English botanist in 1860 rc- ])ortcd a rapidly diminishing number of trees. Those remaining did not exceed four hundred in number, var\ - The Old Cedar of Lebanon al FlusJiin!;. Lon;^ Island. X. )' ing in girth from 18 to 40 feet, and he found no seedlings or young trees, showing that favorable conditions for the germination of the seed must occur at great intervals. It will be seen therefore how rare and valuable these trees are and how difficult to raise from seed. In 1863 the cedar of Lebanon was introduced into Eng- land, and in the latter part of the 18th century it was brought to this country. It is claimed that there are only five adult specimens in the United States, many of the trees which pass for Lebanon Cedars, both in this country and in England. Iieing the much easier grow'n and- far less valuable Cedar of Mt. -Atlas. The trees in the ' L'nited States are : The "Old Cedar" in a field in the northern sec- tion of Flushing, Long Island; one on the Prince estate, also in Flushing : one at Woodlawn, Prince- ton, New Jersey ; one on the Collis Huntington es- tate at Throggs Neck, L. I., and one in Idaho. The "Old Cedar" has a right to its title as it is the largest and most venerable of the five trees. It has been the object of many pilgrimages from tree lovers all over the country, some coming all the way irom the Pacific coast, and with reason, for it is a ma- jestic specimen. It stands at a height of 75 feet, with a diameter of 6 feet, and its lower limbs extend 54 feet. Its heavy and matted branches spread their plane- shaped masses of dark green, both Winter and Sununer. The origin of this venerable ancester can- not be traced but it was probably brought over as a seedling in Revolutionary times. The cedar on the Huntington estate was imported by Philip Livingston the former owner of the estate. It is about 70 feet tall. The Princeton tree was planted at \\'oodlawn by the late Judge Feld in 1842. It is in the neighborhood of 60 feet. The tree in Idaho was one of two trees planted from seed brought from the Holy Land many years ago. One tree died, but the survivor — a mere youngster as cedars are measured — is about 40 feet high and has a diameter of about 14 inches near its base. The Cedar of Lebanon is one of the hardest trees to propagate, and almost every one who has tried it has failed. The "Old Cedar" in Flushing was particularly the subject of experiments and was at last pronounced sterile, as no one had ever obtained results with its seeds. It remained for C. H. Runtleman of that town to experi- ment successfullv with its cones. He loved the tree, made it his hobby, and finally, after many years spent in strug- for December. 1920 J97 gles and difficulties, he found a method of his own, and today he has several thousand hardy one-, two- and three- year-old seedlings growing in his nursery. These seed- lings are growing successfully in the Arlington National Cemetery, some as far away as Wisconsin and California. After making the mistake of following the old hooks on the subject and coddling the bal)y cedars, and after he Scedlin^Lls Slioii.' The I fuwi Sioson's Groz^lli had lost all of his shoots but three out of several hundred he took the opposite viewpoint and put them out of doors in the snow and icy h'ebruary weather, after which they did wonderfully. One of the illustrations shows the first season's growth of seedlings, and in speaking of this Mr. Runtleman says: "The four larger seedlings in the picture are 10 to 11 inches high. That is what the seedlings look like from the first season's growth. The little seedling in the center is a white, five-needled pine ; it represents a fair growth for the first season. It was grown to illustrate how nuich stronger grower the Cedar of Lebanon is than the other needled varieties. .\ tree of this sort can readily attain a height of 36 feet in 17 years. "The picture showing the cones and blossoms (there are four of these) also gives an idea of the dense forma- tion and compactness of the needles. The blossoms are about one and one-half inches long, and one-half inch in diameter. \Vhen they first open they are of a bright yellow color, turning to a rich brown, and they remain on the branches about a month. The tlixee cones are nearly of matured size, are about 4 inches long and about 3 inches substance which looks like powdered sulphur and smells like resin. It does its fertilizing of the seed bearing cones with its substances in the month of June. The seed bear- ing cone is a growth and when it is the size of a hen's egg it becomes covered with a very fine woolly-like growth. If the cone is obstructed so that it doesn't receive any fertilizer there will not be any seed in that cone. I'or instance if a cone hapj>ens to have a branch and its needles resting on it that part of the cone will be seedless. A cone which has its full share of fertilizer will bear 150 to 175 seeds. The cone grows from three-year-old wood and it take two years to grow a cone from the cone bud which grows from the branch. The branch on which it grows is five years old when the cone comes to ma- turity. Then the cone and the seeds are scattered, but by that time, in this climate, almost all the seeds become rotted by the weather and rain before ready to fall. There nuist therefore be some plan for taking the seeds from the cone." Mr. Runtleman is recognized as an authority on raising these difficult trees. In his opinion there is no tree so well worth [ilantiiig as the Cedar of Lebanon. .Sliii'iciiii; Cgrowers — who, with their own cultivated bulbs. send them all over the world. Here follows a very rough and, on popular hnes. short survey of the cultivation and propagation of the bulbs. We commence in September, the time of planting the bulbs on the beds which were prepared a long time ago. The cultivation requires changing the ground every year, so that a field being planted one year with, let us say. Hyacinths, then Tulips or Dafl:'odils, the third year fallow land, or is planted with some vegetables. So there is always land that can be dug up and dunged a considerable time before. After planting the bulbs in lines on the beds they will be covered for the Winter with reed or sometime turf dust against frost as well as blowing away of the sandy soil. At the end of January this cover will he partially'removed. being taken wholly away in March. In the flower time, in the month of ApvW. looking after sick bulbs requires much time. The bulbs may be suffer- ing from several diseases showing on the leaves as well as "on the bulbs, and the sick bulbs have to be taken away verv carefully to prevent infection of the others. Except acme diseases, hares, rabbits, mice and crows are the cause of much loss to the bulb-growers. In the middle of June, after the withering of the foliage, a start is made with the digging up of the bulbs, and after cleaning them from soil they are brought up to the bulb-houses. After being dried in the bulb-hduses on the stands, the cleaning, peeling of the young bulbs, and sorting into different qualities is mostly done by women and children, who are allowed by the law to take special holidays from school in this part of the country for working in the sheds. Besides the natural propagation of the bulbs by seeds and young bulbs produced round the old one, the bulb- growers apply two artificial methods — the cutting and the hollowing — directly performed after the digging up. With a sharp knife several deep cross-cuts are made in the base of the bulb (the cutting) or the whole b&se is taken out with a knife of .special shape (the hollowing), and the wound done over with a little lime. The bulbs operated on in this manner will be put for some time on the stands and planted out in September. The large number of bulbs which develops on these cut or hollowed bulbs have to be taken oft' the following year, and they are full-grown after three to five years. — Irish Garden- ing,. LIVING CHRISTMAS TREES A S we approach the festive season when "Peace on •^^ earth and good will to men" is the all prevailing spirit that permeates the family life of this great country of ours — living Christmas trees will add a touch of real life to this Christmas spirit. It is only too true that living Christmas trees have not become as popular as they might be, but they are far superior to the cut tree which is thrown away when it has served its purpose, a mere relic of recent festivity. Living trees are now ob- tainable from many nurserymen and florists, at prices well within the reach of most pocketbooks, and after they have served their purposes during the holiday they may be planted outdoors and become a permanent feature of the home grounds. As the years go by, each adding a tree to the grounds, a new interest will be created, not to mention the sentiment and pleasant recollections sur- rounding each one. Living Christmas trees are coming, and it may be of necessity, if we are to have Christmas trees at all. One may read in the newspapers almost every day at this season of carloads upon carloads of trees arriving in our large cities to be sold for Christmas, trees, and there is no doubt that the cutting down of large numbers of young trees every year is making serious inroads into the future lumber supply of the nation. It is claimed by those whose business it is to make up the statistics relative to the nation's lumber resources that two-fifths of the total sup- ply has been consumed, and that not more than 40 years' supplv remain in the western reserves, where the present suppl'v is being drawn from. In fact the impending shortage is such that one of our largest railroads is already importing its requirements. Serious consideration is being given by the governors of lumber producing states to reforestation of the prin- cipal sources of supply. There is, of course, a more or less constant supply of material available every year for use as Christmas trees from "thinning" out the'forests, in order to give better opportunity to more vigorous trees, but, unfortunately, the cutting down of this surplus material is not always (lone withproper supervision, and thousands of trees that would eventually add to the nation's wealth are improvi- dentlv cut down. jor December, 1'I20 399 Lilacs (Syringas) ARBORUM AMATOR THE shrubs which are commonly called Lilacs really belong to the genus Syringa and those which are gen- erally called Syringas belong to the genus Philadcl- fhns. However, the name Lilac is deeply intrenched and nearly everyone except the botanists calls a Syringa a Lilac, and probably always will, but in this article we will •call them by their correct botanical name, Syringa, though in our headline we are using the popular name. Lilacs. The Syringa belongs to the botanical order, Olcacac, of which the olive that bears the olive fruit of commerce is a member. There are about a dozen species of Syrin- gas and several varieties of each species. Some bear single and others double flowers. Alany have a pleasant odor, but some are scentless, characteristics which we should note when making a selection for planting. The flowers have a large range of colors, from pure white to dark red. The species are natives chiefly of Northern China, JNLinchuria, Afghanistan and the Caucasus. SPECIES AND VARIETIES Syringa vulgaris is the common Syringa, as its name vulgaris signifies. If we are looking for really old-fash- ioned shrubs, this is surely one. Indigenous from South- eastern Europe to Caucasus and Afghanistan, it was brought into England in 1579 and later it came into the Colonial gardens in America, being one of the earliest shrubs planted in these. Not long after it was intro- duced into the towns and countryside and became a farm- house dooryard shrub, and later still escaped to the road- sides. May we say right here that even in these present days for the countryside Syringa vulgaris is a desirable shrub. It has an upright growth, bright green foliage, and attains a height of 15 to 20 feet, sometimes, when grown in tree form. In !May it produces large panicles of lilac-colored flowers. Some of the original forms of vulgaris are alba, with white, purpurea with purplish- red, carulca with l)lue. and violacca with violet-lilac flow- ers, and, perhaps, Marleyensis, and Charles X. Syringa z'illosa reaches a hei,ght of about 7 feet ; it has a bushy form, and strong, upright, round, warty branches. It produces in Alay whitish or pinkish lilac flowers which are nearly odorless. Its several varieties are aurca, whose foliage has a yellow variation, emodi. which is too tender for the North, and rosea, with pink flowers. On the bank of a Transylvania river there was discov- ered by the Baroness Josika a Syringa which was in her honor named losik^ea. The violet-colored flowers of this species also are almost without odor, but this species is valuable because it blooms late, its flowers appearing in June. It has an upriglit habit of growth, reaching a height of about 10 feet, and dark green foliage. There are two varieties of Josikea, pallida, with pale violet, and rubra with reddish violet flowers. Among the more graceful species is Syringa pubeseens. reaching a height of only about 6 feet, and clothed with dark green handsome foliage. This native of Northern China produces in May on slender quadrangular branches not large, but c|uite numerous panicles of fragrant pale lilac flowers. Syringa oblata forms either a small tree or a shrub of about 12 feet in height. Its foliage is dark green, but in- stead of dropping in early Autumn, as that of nearly all Syringas. it remains on the branches till November, and assumes a vinous-red color. It is, like most Syringas, a May bluomer, and in that month produces loose pyramidal racemes of very fragrant purple-violet flowers. This species also comes from Northern China. Still another native of Northern China is the very distinct species of large growth, Syringa Pckuicnsis. Ihis grows about 15 feet high and has slender reddish branches, upon which are borne in pairs in June yellow- ish-white flowers in large panicles. This species comes into bloom rather late, but has the valuable habit of re- taining its foliage till late in the Autumn. ^. Pendula, a van'ety of this, has slender drooping branches, Syringa Chinensis is believed by some to be a native species from China, but by others to be a hybrid of Syringa vulgaris and Pcrsica, originating in 1777 in Rouen, France. It has a bush form, is about 12 feet high and on its slender arching branches appear in May nuiperous flowers of purplish-lilac color in large panicles, which have too pronounced a fragrance to suit some. There are several varieties of this, duplex with double purplish-lilac, alba with white, Mertensis with pale pur- plish, and Sougeana with purplish-red flowers. Chinen- sis, like Pckinensis, does not come into flowering young. There is one Syringa which has a distinctive tree form. This is Syringa Japonica. It has a pyramidal shape and grows as high as 30 feet. This is a free and a late bloomer, producing in June and July, yellowish-white flowers in panicles a foot long. The foliage of its variety, argentea, has a silvery white variegation, THE HYBRIDS Syringa Jiyacinthiflora plena is a double form, a hybrid of oblata and vulgaris. This is one of the older hybrids, but from this and the varieties of vulgaris many of the new double-flowered varieties came. The purplish hue which hyaciiithiflora plena as-,iimes in Autumn enhances its value as a shrub. The botanists and horticulturists, chief among these M. Lemoine, of Nancy, France, have carefully studied the species and varieties and by crossing and recrossing these have produced a new race, so to speak, of both double and single flowered Syringas of great beauty. We will men- tion briefly a few of these single-flowered Hybrids : Syringa rubra insignis, rosy purple; Ludung Spaeth, purplish red ; Charles X, dark lilac-red ; Philemon, dark purple ; Aline Moequeris, dark red : gigantca, bluish-red ; Doetor Lindley, pinkish lilac ; Geant des Bataillcs, bluish lilac: Sibiriea. purjilish lilac: Gloire des Moulins, pale ]jink : Lovaniana, li.ght pink; Frau Bertha Dainmann, and Marie Legraye, white. IXJUBLE FLOWERED HVIiRIDS President Carnot, lavender flowers with white centers; La Tour d'Auvergne, violet purple; Comte Horace de Choisetd, a magnificent lilac purple variety^ Doven Kete- leer, lilac blue; Condorcet, blue; Belle de Nancy, pink with white center : Charles Joly, one of the darkest of the purplish-red varieties : Leon Simon, considered one of the best, pinkish, changing to bluish lilac; Lemoinei, lilac pink : Jean Bart, pinkish violet ; Lamarck, loose panicles of large violet flowers ; Michel Buchner, very large and very double pale lilac flowers ; Virginite, white and pink ; Madame Cassimir Perier. large white flowers borne in graceful panicles '.Marie Lemoine, large white flowers in dense panicles: Madame Abel Chatenay and Obclisque, white. These lists arc far from exhaustive, but embrace some of the best hybrids. Double-flowered Syringas are usually of dwarfer {Continued on pasf 401) 400 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ^Mliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNNiiNiiNiiitiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiit tiiniiMMnMriniiiHtittrNtiiMrmiiHNiiiMiMiMMiiunimtuiniUJUiuuiruuiiuiiMHiiMhiMiirniiuiiiitihiuiiiiiiMuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiimiiiHmHiiiiHU The Month's Work in Garden and Greenhouse HENRY GIBSON MtitiiiiiiiriMiKiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii)iiiiiiiiiiii!iuiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ imiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttiMiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiNiriHiiimiiiiHiiiMii ,,,. ^ \Miile a srreat deal of harm is Winter , . ^. ^ , , , p . not intrequently done by covering up the hardy plants too early, yet when December is passing on there is not likely to be much damage from premature covering. At this writing we are having mild weather in many sections of the country, but this may pass overnight, and the most should be made of every available opportunity to get the Winter covering into place. It is not usually during the early part of the season that stock suffers for want of covering. It's the first three months of the year that the damage is done. Dry leaves and straw make the best covering for most plants. Heavy wet nianure and like material is to be avoided for mulching. Dry leaves covered with sufficient manure to hold them in piace is as good as anything, ex- cepting, perhaps, salt hay, where it is available. For small seedlings recently transplanted, a little brush, in, among and over the plants before the leaves go on will prevent damage when the leaves get wet and weigh down on the plants. The lighter the covering the better the chance the plants have, especially during a mild Winter. With plants like Phlox, Aquilegias, and Peonies, it does not matter so much, as these subjects have no growths above ground, and any one of them is benefited by a heavv mulch of well rotted manure, to be dug in in the Spring. Others like Iris, Coreopsis, Shasta Daisies, Pinks, Lani- panulas, and Primulas, cannot stand such treatment. Light covering is of benefit to most plants, but there is every bit as much danger from too much as too little. All evergreens that are likely to have their branches broken by being weighted down by heavy snows should have a string around them. As soon as possible after a heavy snowfall they should l^e gone over with a long pole, and the snow shaken from them. A good stock soil leaf mold ^'"*^y and sand, for use during the Win- Preparation ^^^^ should be put in without de- lay. Breaking through several inches of frost in order to get soil in Mid-Winter is not an undertaking that is any too well relished by most gardeners, whether they be amateur or professional. Nor is it necessary.^ when it can be obtained by a good deal less effort before it freezes up. Newly fallen snow should be removed from fram-s. if thev "have not frozen through, as the growing plants within soon damp oft' if allowed to remain in darkness too long. Decaying foliage should be removed from let- tuce, parsley and violets. Flats, Bean Poles, Pea Brush, should be gone over and the stock replenished as circumstances permit. A'eee- tables and fruit in storage should be gone over at fre- quent intervals, and any decaved specimens removed. The Sunimer Flowering Inilbs should be likewise treated. Seeds of Calendulas sown now will start to flower in ^March. when planted out on a bench in a carnation house temperature. They will be at their best round the Easter holidays, when something in the In the Greenhouses way of variety is appreciated. Give them good, rich soil containing plenty of well-rotted cow manure, as they are gross feeders, and under generous treatment they are prolific bloomers. A plant that is worthy of more general cultivation is the new Salvia "America." It blooms well in the Fall, and is very decorative. It grows to a height of 15 inches, with the flower spikes thrown well above the foliage, and bids fair to become the leader among the dwarf salvias. It increases readily from cuttings, and those who have a few plants will do well to pot them up, and root as many cuttings as needed during the Winter. It is easily raised from seed which has been on the market for the past two years. Gladiolus is one of the most useful bulbs we have for adding variety to the supply of cut flowers during late Winter and early Spring. It forces readily and as it does not occupy much room can be grown where other plants cannot. It takes anywhere from 12 to 15 weeks to flower Inillis that are planted at this time, but the later in the \\ inter they are planted the less time it requires for them to bloom. They are adaptable for culture in pots, one bulb to a 4-inch pot, or three to five, according to size, to a six- inch pot. or where enough head room is available they are admirably adapted for planting between crops of violets, _pansies, forget-me-nots, etc., without interfering materially with these crops. The soil should never be allowed to dry out or blind buds will be the result. As the buds appear a bi-weekly application of liquid manure will greatly benefit them. During the short, dark days, when heavy firing has to be done, more attention will have to be paid to watering. No good gardener has any regular days for watering ; it is a matter of being on the lookout all the time, with the watering can or hose nearby at all times. Best results are obtained with greenhouse plants, grown with artificial heat, by keeping them fairly moist at all times. ( irown along without a check, perfect plants are pos- sible, whether it be Begonias or Primulas : in fact, any kind of plant : but when the leaves hang over the sides of the pot a few times, and raw drafts allowed to strike them, the results are soon visible. On the other hand, the soil they are growing in does not have to be kept saturated all the time. No hard and fast rule can be laid down for watering; only actual experience and a critical eye for dry places in the bench, or dry pots can be a sure guide. Heating pipes below and along the sides of the benches cause them to dry out unevenly, and one soon comes to know the spots that dry out quickly. Excess moisture is always to be avoided, but should the atmosphere appear dry soak the walks and below the benches with water. Alm'ost all soft wooded plants when making growth demand a moist atmosphere, and when thev don't get it there is sure to be trouble. Pot plants that are growing actively and that don't need watering once a week should have the drainage examined, for something is likely to be amiss there. Carnations are always best watered in the forenoon so that the foliage will be' dry by evening, though thp un-to- the-minute jjlantsman seldom wets the foliage p^: this time of the vear when watering. Put the end of the hose m /or December, 1920 401 between the plants and let the water run gently. A good method is to have a piece of extra hose about a foot long attached to the regular hose. Cut this short piece, or rather split it down about three inches, and flatten out the end to a level surface, and hold it in this position by a piece of stout wire, passed under it and the ends bent over the two cut edges of the hose. As the water runs over this flattened surface it will spread out into a flat thin stream that will not wash the soil, and saves one the necessity of having to break the force of the cold water with the fingers, a none too pleasant task, when it has to be kejJt up for any length of time in very cold weather. House Plants House plants need more attention during the Winter months, under the conditions that obtain in the average home when the furnace is running. The dry- arid atmosphere usually created is anything but beneficial to them. Some heating systems are worse than others. Hot water heat is the best for the average home, not only for the plants, but for the members of the family. Steam gives off a dry heat, but it is to be preferred to that of an hot air system. The heat of the latter will cause the skin and throat of persons in the rooms to feel dry and parched, hence growing plants that demand a humid atmosphere have a hard time to survive such conditions. Something can be done to alleviate this, however, by placing vessels about the rooms containing water. A pan of water set over the kitchen range will keep the atmos- phere there moist, but generally water for one thing or another is usually being boiled, so any special effort is hardly necessary. We know of one enthusiastic lover of house plants, who was blessed with a hot air heater, who conceived the idea of placing a pan of water inside of the wall register. The pan was a little narrower than the opening through which the heat came, but long enough to be placed in position, and as the heat made its way up it had to pass round the side of the pan and over it. In doing so moisture was carried along at the same time, which did much to relieve the dryness of the atmosphere in the room. Flower vases and other receptacles filled with water and set round the rooms will serve a like purpose, though not so effectively, and the real purpose of them need not be known. Watering under '\\'inter conditions in the home will need careful attention, since the plants are bound to dry out quicker, and when water is given it should be given copiously, and not again until the plants again show signs of being dry again. About as good a way as any is to take the plants to the kitchen sink and set each one in a pail of water in turn, until it is thor- oughly saturated, then set it on the drain-board to drain. Evergreens of small proportions that are readily handled may be syringed off while at the sink, care being taken not to use enough force or volume of water to damage the plants. Saucers or jardinieres used to set plants in tor purposes of cleanliness or adornment should never be allowed to stand full of water for any length of time. It is true, of course, that moistening the atmosi)here of the room is accomplished in this way. The hole in the bottom of all plant pots is not only for purposes of drain- age, but also to permit the air to pass more freely throuL'h the soil, and when saucers and other receptacles are al- lowed to stand fi'll of water air cannot circulate, anH the plant suffers. Moreover, water standing around plants in this wav soon emits an odor that is far from entranc- insT. and particularly is this so with deen iardirieres. Cleanliness is. of course, essential. Tt is iust as n^ces- sarv If) dust the leaves of the nlants cverv day as it is to dust thf' ni-ino. Plants breathe much the sam" as do human beings, and if their leaves are covered with dust they cannot properly perform this or the other functions they must carry on if they are to flourish. During the not far distant holidays thousands of plants, will find their way into the living rooms, that have been grown in the genial atmosphere of the greenhouse, ideal conditions suited to the needs of the respective plants have been maintained, and it is not a matter for surprise they soon show resentment in heated rooms. Don't be all attention and kill them with kindness, but study the plant, keep it clean, give it water when dry, and' then thoroughly. If it is a hardwooded plant like Erica, for instance, don't keep it in a room w-here the thermometer runs up to seventy degrees night and day. A cooler room will suit it iinich lietter. LILACS— SYRINGAS (Continued from page 399) growth than single-flowered varieties, and of more com- pact form : they flower less freely, but their blooms keep longer before fading. The panicles of flowers are not as a rule placed as gracefully on the branches as are those of the single varieties. SOIL AXP LOCATION Syringas, except the variety cmodi, are hardy in the North. They will flourish either in full sunlight or in a partly shaded place. While they will grow in ahnost any soil they prefer one that is rich and moderately moist. CULTURE AND PRUNING Applications of bone meal several times during the Summer raked in lightly and a mulch of stable manure in late Autumn will help to increase the number of buds and size of the flower clusters. After the flowering period is over the dry flowers and seed pods should be removed, and such pruning as is necessary to keep the bush or tree in the desired form should be done directly. Avoid Winter and Spring pruning. Transplanting may be done any time after the foliage drops in Autumn, when the ground can be worked, until Spring. PROPAGATING Syringas may be propagated from green cuttings placed in frames under glass in Summer or from ripe wood taken in Winter and placed upright nearly to the tops in boxes of moist sand in a cool cellar or pit, and from thence transferred, after they have formed calluses, to the garden in the Spring, or new plants may be obtained from root cuttings handled the same as ripe wood ; also from suckers, or -by layering, or by grafting on stocks of Syringa vulgaris. DISEASES AND INSECTS Syringas are generally free from injurious insects and from diseases, but sometimes the species vulgaris is in- jured by a borer, Trochilium dcnudatum, which lives within the branches and stems. This rarely attacks other species or varieties, and can be destroyed only by the use of a knife or sharp pointed wire, or by Inirning the affected parts. In late Summer or very early Autumn a fungus, Micro- sphccra alni, sometimes comes upon the foliage of the species, vulgaris, Chincnsis, Pcrsica and oblata, resem- bling a covering of meal. Other species are seldom af- fected with this. This disease can be remedied by spray- in"' with some I'fficient fungicide. Decide your future — determine that you desire some- thing more intensely than you have ever wanted anything- before in your life — and then, work hard, work persist- ently, to accomplish or attain your desire. Realize that success is largely made up of three ingredients : deter- mination, persistency, and hard work. .\nd of these, the last is the mo.st essential. — Sparks. 402 GARDENERS' CHRONlCLh ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Hiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii:iiii:iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiii»i 111:11 iiii: umiii 1111:111 i:i::::ii:i:i:n:iiii.iiii:iiu:nn:iiii:iiii:iiiMiii:iiii:M!iiiiinii:iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiii:iiiiii iii:iiii;iiii:iiii,iiii:iiii:iiii:iiiiiii!iiiiii;iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiminiin I A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in | I Relation to Its Environment I 1 Eeing One of a Series of Lessons c-f a Home Study Course on Gardeninij. Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle 1 I Ur.der the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | P.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBniiiiiiiuuiiimmiiiini f:!iiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiii iiiii:iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllli:illlllllillliiiiiiiiiiiii jiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiii''^ Wii callfd attention last month to plant cells, and in mention- ing that the starting point of a multicellular plant's separate existence that reproduces itself from seed, is the fertihzing of the ovule in the ovary (fruit) situate at the bottom of the pistil, by the pollen produced by the stamen, we might have added that this is practically the union or fusion of the female cell in the ovary with the male cell of the pollen. Not only are plants, as we previously stated, so many chemical laboratories ensaged in the manufacture of all kinds of chemical bodies, but each living cell is itself an individual laboratory, and is the seat of all those complex chemical and physical changes, and energy transformations, which are the cause of a plant's growth and development. In unicellular plants the cell is a complete and distinct unit, acting independently; in a multicellular plant, while respondhig also as a complete unit, a cell works in co-operation or in unison with other cells associated together. There is not only co-opera- tion among cells, but also organized division of labor, and this has become developed to such an extent that certain cells have special activities and each cell, or co-operative group of cells, carry on their particular part connected with the growth and development of the plant and with all the functional activities associated therewith, side by side with others whose occupation is something entirely distinct, and this under conditions which show that there is something more than physical force behind their activities. Marked examples of this are seen when the formation of hard seed-cases (testa) synchronizes with the development of a watery pulp, like, for examples, the fruits of the peach and the melon. Also, in connection with plants having woody stems, we see the cambium consisting of a continuous layer of growing cells full of protoplasm, and the formation of the wood-ring or seasonal growth on the inner and that of the bar'.- on the outer sides of the cambium. Fertilization results, we repeat, in the union and fusion of two, single, sex-cells (gametic), one being derived from the pollen grain and the other from the ovule. These have been previously differentiated by a series of special developments, and wheti de- rived from different plants, or from different species or varieties of plants, the characters of two individuals are fused and two, more or less extensive, lines of ancestry are brought together into one cell, the fertilized egg, which will develop into the embryo of the seed. Ample provision against the death of any race of plants is made in the act of reproduction. Although reproduction appears to be useless to the individual and even entails upon it not only serious losses of matter and energy, and in annual plants espe- cially, death itself, yet to this function every part of the plant directly or indirectly contributes. The reproductive cells are carefully prepared, are provided with a stock of food sufficient for the earliest stages of development, and are endowed with the peculiar powers and limitations of each species which influence their life-history at every step, and are by them transmitted in turn to their descendants. They are living portions of the parents detached for reproductive purposes and they contain a share of cell protoplasm directly descended from the original protoplasm from which the parent came. In short, we are caused to believe that reproduction is the supreme function of the plant. It is a wonderful fact that living things have this power to de- tach from themselves portions or fragments of their own bodies endowed with fresh powers of growth and development and capable of running through the same cycle as the parent. There is therefore an unbroken continuity of the germ-plasm from one generation to another that forms the physical basis of inheritance, and upon which the integrity of the species depends. Living things never arise save through this process, or through a process which practically amounts to the same thing. In other words, every bit of existing protoplasm is the last link in an unbroken chain that extends backward in the past to the first origin of life, or of the life of the particular race to which it belongs. Wliatever theory we may hold as to the origin of life — and no scicntilic statement of this origin is possible — the fact that today spontaneous generation is non-existent has been so w'ell proven as to be beyond discussion. While as a general rule the embryo of a seed cannot exist without the fertilized egg-cell being previously brought into existence, still cases aie not uncommon where seed is produced capable of giving rise to plants without fecundation. This phe- nomenon is called parthenogenesis and is said to be characteristic of some forms of dandelion, hawkweed, yarrow, etc. Reproduction without immediate fertilization is a well estab- lished occurrence during part of the lives of certain insects and other lower animals. Aphids, for example, at some periods pro- duce by v\'hat is known as "budding off", full-grown, sexless in- dividuals, without fecundation. A more generally known case, and also perhaps the most marked is in connection with the hive bee. Without fertilization the queen bee will produce fertile eggs which, however, only give rise to drones. After fertilization eggs giving rise to worker or neuter bees only are produced, and we believe that in no case is a queen bee naturally produced from an egg. Queens are brought into existence artificially, we may in a sense say, by the neuter bees commencing to feed larvae immediately after the eggs hatch with a special kind of prepared food and continuing this feeding throughout the larval stage and at the same time giving these larvje a special environment. While parthenogenesis in flowering plants is not of great prac- tical importance, it is mentioned as being an interesting e.xcep- tion to the .general rule, and it may be said to be the invariable method of reproduction among the majority of flowerless plants. .\mong flowering plants, however, as also among the insects mentioned this method is not continuous, but alternates with fecundation, and is sometimes described under alternations of generation. In the embryo, the inherent characteristics and possibilities for development possessed by its parents, and to a minor degree any variations acquired by either or both of them, are fixed, and every plant grown from seed and spores has a certain definite and changeless character which was inherent in the embryo from which it sprung, which character is made up of different ten- dencies, potentialities and limitations of development, inherited in different and varying degrees from each of its ancestors for an indefinite number of generations, plus more or less influence exerted by climatic and other environmental conditions affecting the development of the seed-producing plant. Invariably the in- fluence of the immediate parents is the predominating one, but sometimes a transmitted characteristic or characteristics of an ancestor, which have remained dormant or repressed for many generations, appear in such a way as to materially change for good or evil the character of the plant. It is this general faculty for transmitting the characters of its parents possessed by the embryo of the seed which renders possible the improvement of plants by selection and hybridization, and also the maintaining an improved variety in its higher state. It must be borne in mind that practically all our garden plants raised from seed have come from a wild type and in many cases few would recognize that type as being botanically the same as its garden representative. How strong is the pull of ancestral germ-plasm is shown by the tendency of improved varieties to revert back to the original wild type. While this tendency works more quickly in some species than in others, it is only through continual re-selection and elimination (roguing) by seed-growers that the standard of improvement is kept up and increased. What are known as "stock-seeds" are grown by seedsmen upon their own farms under rigid supervision so that each variety may be of the highest standard of purity and excellence. These stock-seeds are subsequently given out to men who make a busi- ness of growing seeds under contract and the seedsman giving out the stock receives the whole of the produce. There are probably not many more, even if as many, than a hundred seeds- men in the whole of the United States who produce their own stock-seeds. The production, as apart from mere selling, of really high-class seeds is very expensive and requires a consider- able outlay of capital. Seeds of this character must be sold at a higher price than those raised at a much less expense, but they are always cheaper than those of inferior quality, whatever price is paid. Seed selection is of the greatest importance and no gardener can really afford to be indifferent as to the quality of the seed he sows. It is not enough that the seed be plump and of a high standard of germination; it should be from care- for December, 1920 403 fully bred varieties and should contain in the protoplasm of its ernliryo potentialities for producing the highest possibilities of its kind. During recent years commercial seed growing has assumed large proportions and has become almost strictlj' localized; that is, the growing of certain kinds of seeds is confined to one or two localities. This selection of localities does not ap- pear, however, to have been as a whole brought about because of any advantages the region may possess w'ith respect to the maintenance or development of desirable hereditary quahties, but more because of cheapness of production in that locality and the effects of the conditions upon maturity and curing. Perhaps the most striking instance of localization is that of the Santa Clara Valley, Cahfornia. This region has a great reputation for seed-growing mainly because of the relative cer- tainty in the prevalence of uninterrupted dry conditions during the period covering the maturing and the harvesting of seeds. Among numerous other kinds, many hundreds of acres of sweet- peas are grown for seed in California ; but the question arises as to whether that locality does or does not produce the best possible seeds for out-door work in the Northeastern States ? Judged by all factors of plant physioIog>- relating to the de- velopment of desirable hereditary qualities, it would appear that the climate of the above region is not the most suitable for the purpose, because it may in general be taken as a physiological fact that seed should be groicn under as >iear as possible the same environment as the crop grown from it will have to occupy. Further, many gardeners have been for some years of the opinion that there has been a marked cliange for the worse in the results from some seeds continually produced in California, especially has this been so in connection with the onion and radish, the former showing considerable deterioration in its keep- ing qualities. Attention has been previously called to the fact that seeds inherit the constitution and characters of their parents, it there- fore follows as a matter of course that seeds from plants grown in a particular environment will themselves produce plants more suited to a similar environment, and less suited to a more or less opposite environment elsewhere. It is a well known fact that the same variety of corn grown in the South and sown side by side in the North with the same variety from seed produced in the latter district, will mature very much later, even if it matures at all. The advisability of gardeners producing their own seeds has frequently been considered. In a general way this is scarcely worth while, and is in the majority of gardens impracticable under proper methods. There is. however, little doubt that the growing of purer and better strains of the kinds best suited to one's own local conditions and environment maj- be made of great practical value by those having sufficient room and who under- stand the principles of plant breeding and seed selection. .\ not uncommon practice is to save seed from "left-overs,'' or from plants that have run to seed more or less prematurely, and which are useless for table purposes. The only result of this method is to deteriorate the quality of the strain, and, if con- tinued over a series of years, to produce worthless varieties. In saving seed it is of the first importance to have clearly in mind what are the ideal characters of the plant from which seed is required, and out of the plants one has, to select the best or those which approach the ideal the most closely. A row of spinach sooner or later runs to seed and is of no further use; but it frequently happens that there are one or more plants in a row which do not commence to throw up flower heads until some time after the others. If these latter are allowed to remain for seed while pulling up all the rest, w^e shall be saving seed from those standing the longest, which is what is re<|uired of spinach. From this stock-seed more seed can be produced and if selection of the longest-standing plants is again carried out and continued year after year the long-standing char- acteristic of the strain will become more pronounced as years go by. This same principle can be applied to any plants grown from seed in connection with any special characteristic which makes particular individuals stand out as being better than others, and in all cases seed should only be saved from the best, and in some cases the best one has are not good enough to save seed from. The fact that all cultivated plants have had wild ancestors has been previously alluded to, and with some exceptions the wild types are still to be found although they have been domesticated since before the dawn of history. However long the period durinc which cultivation and selection has been going on, plants today have retained in their cell protoplasm, potentially or actively, the specific characters of tlie respective types from' which they have sprung. Some thirty or more years ago Weismann brought out very clearly the fact of the continuity of the germ plasm. By saving seed from plants with more pronounced features in certain desir- able directions, and at the same time by giving these plants more food and other things calculated to improve them, undesirable cliaracters l;ecomc suppressed by better ones. It must be re- membered that before any visible betterment of the constitutional characters of the growing plant can be obtained, such betterment must be produced in tlie protoplasm of the cells, and there is more or lejs a kind of competition going on in the cells between what may be called the germs of good and bad characters. It is only by constant selection and attention to breeding from the best that bad characters are kept suppressed and good ones strengthened. .As it is, "throw-backs'" are common and the elimination, or "roguing" of these is one of the necessary and continual oper- ations of high class seed production. The acquired characters of cultivated plants do not cause any fundamental or specific change in the germ-plasm; it is therefore very easy by want of care in seed growing, coupled with poor environment, for seed stocks to run down, and in some cases, as pansies for e.xample, they will revert to their wild types in a few years. Improved varieties of fruit and other trees are sometimes the result of bud variation or "sports" which have been propagated by vegetative process, such as grafting, (to be more fully dis- cussed later ) and not by seed. Plants from seeds of apples, etc., invariably produce fruit little, if any, better than the original wild type, although it does happen, perhaps once in many thousands of tiiries, that a variety arises from seed that is worth wdiile cul- tivating. This reversion to the original wild type is equally as possible among animals. Our improved varieties of domesticated animals are, as with plants, the result of the combined influences of selection and of better environment, and a discontinuance of these influences would sooner or later result in the production of comparatively useless mongrels and a complete reversion to their originals. Darwin emphasized this when he pointed out that if specimens of all the varities of domesticated pigeons were together turned loose upon an island far aw-ay from any other land and the incursions of other pigeons, they would in a few years revert to the wild Blue Rock Pigeon from which the various kinds of domestic pigeons have been selected and bred. A very striking assertion which is really a proof of the impossibility of the origin of species by natural selection. The improvement of plants and the production of new varieties by hybridizing is quite a different proposition from selection alone. Strictly speaking a hybrid is the result of the interbreeding of two difi^erent species. The term is, however, frequently used in a broader sense as covering the offspring of a cross between two distinct plants, whether they are merely different varieties of the same species or belonging to difl^erent species. The tendency of systematic botanists is to multiply both genera and species. Were the zoologist to adopt the same methods as the botanist, he would class the pnny, woolly Shetland pony as a different species to the .\rab horse, whereas there is no specific difference between them as they are merely two varieties which have resulted mainly from living under e.xtreme differences of environment for many thousands of years. It almost goes without saying that some species are more closely allied than are others in the same genus. The closer the alliance lietween two distinct plants the easier is it to produce hybrids from them ; and even when hybrids are produced they themselves are often sterile and in this case the hybrid cannot be propagateit financially capable of carrying out these ex- aminations is equally poor. Had the prin- ciple been adopted the initiation of these examinations would be naturally confined to an advertisement to the etTect that those wishing to sit for them should send in their names ; this would cost a few dol- lars. Further expense would depend upon the number of names sent in, and would be covered by the nominal fee suggested. If no names were sent in the onus of re- fusing to consider examinations would be shifted from the N. A. G., upon whose shoulders it now rests, to the rank and file of the gardeners. The turning down of this question by the St. Louis convention of gardeners will cause outsiders to think that gardeners have no desire to uplift their profession and bring it into line with other professions, the members of which have to undergo examinations before being accepted as members of their professional organization. People will be inclined to think that gar- deners cannot stand a professional exami- nation. Many gardeners are complaining that employers do not treat them as pro- fessional men but as servants, and yet take no steps themselves to advance their pro- fessional standing. The X. A. G. is receiv- ing support and co-operation from estate owners, who have a right to expect that gardeners will at least meet them halfway ni their desire to uplift the profession. .\rthur Smith. It is unfortunate that all those deeply in- terested in the foregoing subject were not able to attend the convention and take part in the discussion wdiich occupied nearly all of one of the forenoon sessions. There were many arguments advanced in favor of examinations and classifications of garden- ers, but space did not permit publishing the discussion verbatim. In the January num- ber of the Chronicle we will have Mr. Smith's recommendations on the subject — [Ed. Note.] THE QUESTIONNAIRE Subscribers arc intited to wake free use of this department to solve problems that may arise in their garden work. Questions on the ordinary pursuits of gardening, that can be readily answered by applying to the usual reference books should not be re- ferred to the Questionnaire. GARDENERS' CHRONICLE For the first time I have white mold in my root cellar. The tubers being in pretty bad shape. I would be pleased to have you make suggestions as to the best way to fumigate or save my stock of bulbs.— A. E. McK.— R. I. We would recommend that you take your dahlia roots out of your cellar immediately and set them in a dry, cool place, as tlie white mold is caused by dampness and lack of ventilation. I We do not believe fumiga- tion will aid. lUthough vou might burn sul- phur.—D. M. I I HB^;^ and There | PLANTING EVERGREENS. .'\s far as practi-able, the largest subjects should be taken in hand first, and the longer Then I went and sat under Robinson Crusoe's Palm. I picked up the childrens' copy of that heautiful new Wyeth edition of Robinson Crusoe, the other night, and before I knew it, I was having the time of my life, reading about the tight that Robinson and Friday had with cannibals. Remember how they fought up and down the beach, ducking in and out among the palms, be- laboring the cannibals with -■word and pistols and chas.ng them into the sea? Whew — I got so excited thai when I got to where old Rob sat down under the palms to rest, I felt like resting too. And I got to thinking how his palms compared with ours. We've hundreds of 'em, you know, from fine little chaps just big enough for fern dishes, all the way up to splendid 15 and IS-foot ones that anybody could rest under. Then I thought that there are a lot of you fellows who'd be glad to know about these palms of ours. For our houses are full of them. For my part. I like to keep them that way. They're good to look at, but, as Julius says, we're in business to sell palms, not to keep them as souvenirs. And I guess he's right. ^ Ai Tho Si^f Thg Trge i Box 20 Rut Box 20 Rutker/ord N.J. tl o liave remained undisturbed the more care siiould be taken in moving them. Se- cure all tlie roots possi1)le, whether large or small, as the less they are cut about tlie lietter : the greater the number of roots that are severed, the greater the shock to the plant or tree. I do not set so high a value on securing a big ball of soil with the roots as some people do, because 1 have found in practice that to get the liall of earth of a size to be conveniently moved a good many roots must be cut asunder. My experience shows me that it is better to search further for the roots, so as to secure as large a liody of them as possible without mutilating them. It is also unwise to move any shrub or tree when the soil about the roots is dry, and notwithstanding that the rainfall of late has been considerable, it will be found that when large plants have to be dealt with the ground will probably be dry. If such is the case it is very necessary to success that it should be well watered the day before the moving is to take place, and it is equally necessary to well water the roots after the plant is put into its place, and if the weather is dry to syringe the plants in the early afternoon. A mulch of leaf-mould goes a long way toward the re- establishing" of the plants that have been moved, in that it helps to retain the moisture. — Gardening Illustrated. for December, 1920 409 LATE ROOT ACTION AND BUD FORMATION. The importance which gardeners attach to the early Autumn planting of all trees and shrubs is probably due to the fact that root action is continued for a considerable period— varying undoubtedly according to the season and conditions of the soil as to warmth and moisture, particularly the for- mer— after the branches have shed their leaves. To allow this period to pass before the greater part of planting is completed is a great mistake. Many amateurs and others not conversant with the growth and habit of trees and shrubs do not fully realize this, as it is seldom indeed that, having carefully planted a tree, occasion arises to lift the same a few weeks later, and so they remain in ignorance, as it were, as to whether the roots are still active or have become, and will remain, dormant until the following Spring. It is not merely the power of taking hold and becoming estab- lished in fresh soil that makes Autumn planting a success, but also in assisting both wood and fruit buds, which are then de- vclopip.g, to store up such matter as will promote clean growth and fertility the com- ing season. The subject is of great interest, and should receive careful thought by those who would be successful, especially in fruit cul- ture. What a mistake it proves, that be- cause the trees have yielded their crop, and .show signs of the fall of the leaf, further attention is withheld in the way of seeing that the rooting medium at least is kept in a suitably moist condition. Yet this is far from being the case during the Autumn with trees growing against walls, and also with fruit-tree borders under glass. Liquid manure may not be necessary where the trees were well looked after and regularly fed while the crop of fruit was developing, but what would prove beneficial, especially with trees bearing stone fruits, would be lime-water. The ground may have become manure sick : then all the more reason to treat it with lime. In other directions one's thoughts turn to the value of not only pre- serving but encouraging prolonged Autumn root action. This, however, is lost sight of by many who dig ruthlessly about their fruit trees at that season, because it is a practice to bury leaves and rubbish and present a neat appearance. How much damage can easily be done, and the prospect of full crops in the future seriously risked by severing all the feeding roots with the spade. Per- haps this proves no worse, however, than lifting the trees carelessly and injuring all the roots, on the preservation of which the future crop largely depends. — Gardening Illiistrntctl. PROPAGATING RETINOSPORAS. Those accustomed to the raising of Con- ifers from seeds will have noted, particu- larly in the case of several specie? of Cuprcssus and Thuja, that the juvenile type of foliage is widely dilTerent from that of the adult. In the young state the leaves are comparatively long and spreading, whilst in ihe adult stage some of them are little more than scales. Furthermore, when raised in (|uantity from seed it will be found that soine individuals remain in the juvenile stage much longer than others ; indeed, oc- casionally that character becomes fixed, or nearly so. M one time such juvenile forms were known under the generic name of Kctinost'Ora. Of the Cupressus the most marked is C. plumnsa, represented by two or three color varieties, and C. squarrosa, with an even more juvenile type of foliage than the pre- ceding. This is still very often met with as Retinospora squarrosa, but its correct name is Ctiprcssus pisifera squarrosa. Under the name of Rctmospora ericoides, a dwarf, rounded shrub, which acquires a brownish tinge in Winter, is often met with in gardens. It is really a permanent juve- nile form of Thuja oricntalis; a correspond- ing one of Thuja occidcntalis being known popularly as Retinospora dubia. In propa- gating these different ("onifcrs from cut- tings it will be found that those formed of the shoots clothed with juvenile foliage will strike root much more readily than those taken from the adult portions of the plant. Those in which the infantile leaves are permanently established, such as the few examples referred to above, are among the eas'est of all Conifers to strike from cut- tings. If shoots from four to five inches long are taken in the Summer or early .Autumn and dibbled firmly into well-drained pots of sandy soil, they will, if kept close in a frame or covered with a bell glass, root without difficulty. — The Gardeners' Chronicle. (English.) BY AND BY. .All that we have willed, or hoped, or dreamed of good, shall exist, Xot its semblance, but itself; no beauty, nor good, nor power. Whose voice has gone forth, but each sur- vives for the melodist. When eternity confirms the conception of the hour. The high that proved too high, the heroic for earth too hard. The passion that left the ground to lose itself in the sky, .\re music sent up to God by the lover and the bard ; Enough that he heard it once ; we shall hear it by and by. — Robert Browning. iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ An English Garden from English Seeds N OWHERE are more charming gardens than in England. You too, can enjoy the quiet beauty of an old English garden — plant Sutton's seeds this year. For many years we have been carefully developing flower and vegetable seeds on our own grounds, to a high degree of excellence. This special seed we offer to those who appreciate inherent goodness in seeds. ■We publish a "Garden Guide" that contains the offerings that will en- able you to plant a truly artistic garden. This will be sent you upon receipt of 35c which will be returned to you with your first $5.00 order. Send for it today. To you, who are gardeners, if you will send us your name and the name of your employer — the catalogue will be sent free. kic(j07t^i cntcs Royal Seed Establishment, Reading, England AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVES H. P. Winter & Co. The Sherman T. Blake Co. 64-G Wall Street 429-G Sacramento Street New York, N. Y. San Francisco, Cal. ^illllllllillllfilllllllllillllllllllllllttlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliy^ llllllilllllllllllllliili iiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiiii 410 GARDENERS- CHRONICLE kiiiiii'i!iiiiiiniii!ii:iiiiiii.:iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiNi.iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii)iiiiiiiiiii^ I Burpee's New Dahlia J I Coppersmith j I TN THIS new Dahlia we have an ideal variety of strong growth blooming g I A early and continuously until killed by frost. The plants are literally | i smothered with flowers whirh are borne above the foliage on stiff, j I wiry stems. COPPERSMITH is a glorious Autumn color; a pleasing ? i shade of light copper with a suffusion of salmon-yellow. For the past j I three seasons. COPPERSMITH has been one of the most admired peony- i g flowered varieties in our fields. Although brilliant in daytime its unique | i color is intensified under artificial light. .Awarded Certificate of Merit [ 1 at the Dahlia Show of the Pennsylvania Dahlia Society at Ardmore, Sep- | I teraber, 1920. | I STRONG ROOTS, $2.00 EACH, 3 FOR $5.00 POSTPAID. | "V^^A+lee Burpee Co. I Seed Growers Philadelphia j tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiN UNDER THE TREES. Under the trees at noontide When the summer sun shines hot, What restful joy and comfort -Abound in this sheltered spot ! The rustle of leafy pennons .And the winsome song of birds .\re balm to hearts aweary, Beyond the power of words. .-\nd dull must be the spirit Of him who never sees A glimpse of heaven's own sweetness, While reesting 'neath the trees. Blessings on him who planted These bowers of shade and song. Where we may reest in comfort Apart from the busy tlrron..^ ^^^^^ | ^^^ p^^^^^j^ GROWER , — E Published Monthly for both Amateur and ProfessionsJ Flower Growers GARDEJVERS: You should grow flow- ers in quantity and help beautify your surrounding's and brighten the lives of those who visit your gardens. The subscription price of THE FLOW- ER GROWER is $1.00 per year, three years for $2.50. Sample copy 10c. Madison, Cooper, Publisher, Calcium, N. Y. FRUIT TREES and FRUIT PLANTS for Autumn and Spring planting. Apple, Cherry, Peach, Plum and Pear Trees. Also Grape Vines and Currant Bushes. Write for varieties and price. MORRIS NURSERY CO. 1133 Broadway New York Trees and shrubs, dis- tinctive in quality and large size which will produce an immediate effect \?or country rasidmces and estates ANDORRA NURSERIES Chestmit'hiU.'Pa. Have you seen ANDORRA? BECOME A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT BURBANK'S NEW MIRACLES. Members of the vegetable kingdom will .soon be suffering from hopeless amnesia if Luther Burbank goes much further with bis experiments in transforming fruits, cereals and plants into things that Nature never in- tended them to be. According to recent re- ports, Mr. Burbank w'ill soon introduce to the world a toinato-pepper, an ever-bearing strawberry plant, a new giant dahlia, an ornainental pepper tree and a beardless barley. Mr. Burbank's gardens of magic in Cali- fornia must be like that wonderland in which Alice had so many amazing adven- tures. While admitting the practical value of this modern wizard's experiinents, one nevertheless feels that some of the results are almost grotesque. If, for instance, the beardless barley could speak, it would prob- ably echo the words of the bewildered old lady in Mother Goose : "Law k a mercy me! Can this be I?" — Nnv York Suit. ICWT FLOWER BOXES! EDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO I PHILADKLPNIA. PA. ORCHIDS We are Specialists in Orchids. We collect, crow, import, exoort and sell orchids ex- clusively. If you are in the market for Orchifla, we solicit your inquiries and orders. Cata- logues and special lists on application. LAGER & HURRELL Orthid Growers and Importers Summit. N. «!. Prepare by mail for this nncrowded pro- fession. Inexpensive. Easy to master. Earn while vou learn. Diploma awarded. Special prop- osUion to HOME OWNERS and Plan for beauti- fying' your property. AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SCHOOL Newark. New York State QUALITY RED POTS Made of best material by skilled labor, unifonnly bumed and carefully packed. Famous "Moss-Aztec" Ware includes Azalea Pots. Fern Dishes, Hanging Baskets, Lawn Vases, etc. Write for catalogue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesville. Ohio HARRY BA.I X>WIM Manufacturer ol Greenliouse Stiadlng Latti Roller eilnds MAMARONECK. N. Y. (i HAMMOND'S GRAPE DUST" Used effectively to kill Powdery Mildew on Roses and other Plants. USED BY THE FLORISTS FOR OVER 25 SUCCESSIVE YEARS Sold by the Seed Dealers. For pamphlet on Bugs and Blights address HAMMOND'S PAINT & SLUG SHOT WORKS BEACON. N. Y. for December, 1920 -lit STATEMENT OF THE OWN- ERSHIP. MANAGEMENT, CIR- CULATION, ETC.. required by the Act of Congress of August 24, 1912. of "Gardeners* Chronicle of Amer- ica," published monthly at New York. N. v.. for October 1, 1920. State of New York | gg. County of New York J Before me, a notary public in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared M, C. Ebel, who, having been duly sworn ac- cording to law. deposes and says that he is the editor of the "Gar- deners' Chronicle of America" and that the following is to the best of Iiis know led ce and belief a true statement of the ownership, man- agement fand if a daily pai>er, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in section 443. Postal Laws and Reguiaticns, printed on the reverse of this form, lo wit: 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, managing editor, and business manager are: Pub- lisher. The Clironicle Press, Inc., 286 Fifth Ave., New York. N. Y. Editor, M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave.. Xew York. Managing Editor, M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave., New \''ork. Business Manager. M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave., New York. 2. That the owners are ((iive names and addresses of individual owners, or, if a corparation, give its name and the names and ad- dresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 per cent, or more of tin- total amount of stock.) The Chronicle^ Press, Inc.. 2S_6 Fifth Avenue. New York. N. Y. M. C. Ebel. Madison. N. T. M. E. Hurniston and T. A. Burniston, both of. Summit, N. J. S. Waren- dorff. 325 5th Ave., N. Y. Chas. H. Totty. Madison, N. J. A. Bauer. Deal. N. J. J. Barnett, Sewickley. I^a. 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security hold- ers owning or holding 1 per cent, or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (If there are none, so state). There are no bondholders, mortgagees or other security holders. 4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the own- ers, stockholders, and security hold- ers, if any. contain not only the owners, stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the coinpany, but also, in cases where the stockholder or se- curity holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given ; also that the said two para- graphs contain statements embrac- ing affiant's knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and condi- tions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the bonks of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to belirve that an\ other persons, association, or corpo- ration has any interest rlirect or in direct in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated by him. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 4th dav of October. 1920. M. C. EEKL. Editor. [Sean C. J. KELLER. (Mv cr-mmission expires March 30. 1921.) SHELL FIRE INCREASES DUCTIVITY. PRO- The effect of .shell fire on the farm land of Xorthern France is explained in the re- port brought hack from France by Hugh FnllcrtoTi of the Long Island Ac^riciiltural Fxperinicnt Station, on behalf of ihe Ameri- can Coniniittfc for Devastated hVance, of which Miss Anne Mor.can is the head. "The French agriculturists believed that the devastated areas would never again be productive." he said. "I went over two months ago convinced that this was not true, because I had had experience in tearing up Long Island soil with dynamite and had found the subsoil fertile. It is an aid axiom of agriculture that the subsoil cannot be pro- ductive, and the bVench government, acting on this premise, had condemned large por- tions of what used lo be the most productive areas of France. "In company with Miss Morgan and rep- resentatives of the French government, I visited one of the worst bits of the Aisnc war zone. It was called 'Red Monkey Plateau.' which was taken and retaken IS times. Not a trace of cellar wall remains to tell of its villages, and the soil was overturned to the depth of two to five feet. *'.\t the foot of the hill the French experts were still maintaining that nothing could grow there. When we reached the top we found ourselves wading knee deep through the richest red clover 1 have ever seen. The leaves were as big as silver dollars. Alfalfa covered the deepest holes. "I will say this for the French: They were prompt to admit their error. Within two days the order condemning this territory was revoked. Four thousand people re- turned to their old homes in one (h\y. "It appears that the plowing done by the shells brought to the surface the deep soil which contains valuable materials of which the top soil, used for generations, had been depleted. Riding through b"rance, one can trace the lines of the trenches, now filled in and planted, bv the richer, darker green of the wheat growing in the deep-plowed soil." —The Field. IJiliiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiiiiiii I iiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii .iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiinii:iiiiii!iiiiiiiii| I World's Best Sweet Peas | I Novelties for 1921 | I Hand-Picked Seed j I There's just as much difference between machined | I seed and hand-picked as there is between margarine | I and real fresh country butter. The difference is | I scarcely noticeable in the price of the seed, but the | I lesults are amazingly different. And it is not to be | 1 wondered at. Starting with perfectly developed seed j 1 such as can only be assured by hand-picking, you get | I a strong germ which eventually culminates in perfect | I flowers, in fours, on wand-like stems. | ciiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiuiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii>"i>i>w>>'>>>'ii'i'>>'ii''i''''''i'ii''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''" HOSE interested in planting will find § It to their advantage to consult our ^ service department before purchasing § anything in this line. Our 800 acre | nursery, one of the largest, oldest and = mrst scientifically cultivated in America, § is replete with a multitude of varieties 1 Newport and Lenox Appreciate Their Quality l-cnox. Mass, Nov. 12. l^-'O. (Extract from Letter) With this I would like to say. 1 k;is very much T>leased with result.s from your seeds this past season, and we had a verv fine h i of flowers. S. W. (WRLQUIST. Ne\M)ort. R I., Nov. 2. 1920. Tlie plant.s from seed I received from you a month ago came good and strong with healthy root action, and lOU per cent germination. Tliose 1 received from another are a sickly lot, and I am dumping them on the compost heap. I appreciate the quality which I re- ceived from vou in my first order. \V. n. TAYLOR. , TREES, SHRUBS, ^ EVERGREENS and PERENNIALS A comparison of our stocks, prices and service will show wliy we have been "successful for over a century." AMERICAN NURSERIES SINGER BUILDING -:- NEW YORK CITY =(iiwiiiii II iiiiiiit I iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiii uiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiniiiniuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i ii i^ siiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiimuwiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiK i Send lor Lists of Novelties and Specialties | I CHARLES ELLIOTT | I Box 337 Park Ridge, Illinois | |i,iii{iiiiii,iiiiii,iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiituiiiiinmiiuttiiuiiiiuii m i < ' 'I'liii iitiiii.iiiiiiiiiiiifi fjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiM^^^ iiiiiiiiiMiii'iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiw^ Rhododendron I Carolinianum 1 Also Rhododendron Maximum, R. Catawbiense, Kalmia, ^ i Andromeda and Leucothoe, in any quar,tity up to car loads. | 1 Specially fine, bushy, well-rooted stock of this, the most j i beautiful of all Rhododendrons from the North Carolina moun- | i tains. No plants sent out without natural balls oi earth, so g 1 they may be depended upon to grow. g I .Sizes from 18 inches to 4'A feet; prices remarkably low. | i Write for quotations for Spring delivery. | 1 Orders should be placed early, as supply is limited. | New White Everbearing Raspberry WHITE OUEEN. We offer for the first time this woii- ilerfiil lunv Raspberry. Bears abundance of almost wbite fruits from August until well into November. The extra large firm berries I whioh are free from seed and acid I are of exquisite flavor and aroma. Plants attain a height of 6 feet. Awarded Special Certificate of Merit, American Institute, New York, Nov. 4. 1920. SIO.OO per doz., $75.00 per 100. Place orders now few Spring delivery. WM. M. HUNT & CO. 148 Chambers St., Ne York EDWARD GILLETT, Fern & Flower Farm Southwick, Mass. HERBERT DURAND New York Representative 286 Fifth Ave.. N. Y. |,„,i„, iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiuiiinii iiiiiiniiiiiiiiHiiniiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiii mil iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mil I 'g Competent Gardeners The comforts and products of a country home are increased by employing a competent gardener; if you want to engage one, write us. Please give particulars regarding place and say whether married or single man is wanted. We have been supplying them for years to the best people everywhere. No fee asked. PETER HENDERSON & CO. Seedsmen and Florists 35 and 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK CITY ifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNNiiiiiiiuii.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiniini iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ii i giiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiinin iiiiiiiii_ I Greenhouse and Garden Plants | I Shrubbery and Nursery Stock j I Of all descriptions j I ANPlERSON mc. I I QpMWELL GAKpENS | I O^pMWELL Conn | I Make your needs known to us. | i We will properly serve your interests. | KiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniNiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiii.iiiiiiiiii^ fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiniiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiN I FOLEY GREENHOUSES f giiiimmiiitimiimmmmiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii in i iiiiuiuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiu.- i Scientifically Planned, Carefully Made and Skillfully Erected | 1 Write for Estimate § I THE FOLEY GREENHOUSE MFG. CO. j j 3Z00 W. 31st St. Chicasro | lliiiiiiimiii IIIIIII) iiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiniiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiuuiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiniiimiim iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijir. 412 wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniililliiiiliiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii NiiiiiiiiminiiiiHiiii; iiiuiiniiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiuiiinwS The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A pUI^P is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of •^*-* rii'l^*-. ^j^^ disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN-A' . reme- dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. FOR THE GREENHOUSE — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. FUNGINE For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V tlvlVllIN ti For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. iuiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiinii^^ '■'^UJJien if comes io GrcenViouse Duildintf come to HltcKin^s C- Co. New York Boston 1170 Broadwa,v 294 WaskinJIon S' ETiizabcthNJ, r-T-T----i !jrj.'j.'.i'-^!ii.iii!.i, iTjEi;— m /. C. Bacon Siff^crintendent of Grounds Equinox House View of grounds sitn-ointding Equinox House. Manchester, J'crmont The Tribute of J. C. Bacon to Davey Tree Surgery Manchester. N'erniont U'l'.rit Davey Tree Ex- perts started to treat this tree there was iwlhin^^ left but a mere shell. The fact that this tree is noxi' in full foliage bears elo- quent testimony to the nbiiily of Davey Suri:eons. The Davey Tree Expert Compaiij-, Inc., Kent. < 'hio. ("icntlemen: Thirtj- of your experts operated n])i'n a numlier of badly decayed maples and an elm at the Equinox Hotel last November. After a winter of raging wind storms, heavy snows and temperature way below zero, not a sign of cracking of the cement can be seen, nor have there been any limbs broken. It is now .August and tlie trees are in full folia.gc. denoting that circulation had not been cut off, altliough in many trees only just a thin shell is left. A sure sign that we have the backing of a most reputable company is the many visits of inspection made by your District Manager, and also his constant atten- tion during the course of operation. Your work is indeed a valuable asset. Most sincerely yours, (Signed) J. C. B.vcox, Sti]u-;-ijHLMul .-in of (-^rounds. Equino.K House. The saving of priceless trees is a matter of tir?.t im])ortance on everj' estate. Davey Tree Surgery is a fulfillment of the maximum expectations of those who love and value trees. A careful examination of your trees will lie made by appointment. THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT CO., Inc.. 312 Elm St., Kent, Ohio Branch Offices with tclefhone connections: A'eti< )'pW. Cilw Astor Court Puilding: Chicago, H'cstminstcr Puilding; Philadelflda. Land Title BuilHni:: and Boston. Write nearest -office. JOHN DAVEY Father of Tree Surgery I'crmaiient re])r«'S('iit;itivt's iiviiihiliU' in ilisfrirt snr- irimiiiiii!; Boston. SpriiiLifn'ld. I-enos. Newport. Ilnrt- l"nl. Stiimfoiil. .Mliun.v. I'oiislilcpoiisi,.. Wliito I'liiliis. .IiiMi.ii<-.-i, Montcl.iir. Now York. I'liiln.l.-h.lii.i, HMirj.. I'lirtr. li:iHi:iioro, Washington. Iticlimoiut. Riifl':rlo Toionlo. IMttsUnri^Ii. CIovpIiuhI. ('inoinnnti. Petroil l'lii''!\u'o. MiIw:niUoc. C'nnniliiin .\ililross. 2.")2 l.:in uiMHhit.-r.- West. Molitroiil. DAVEY TREE SURGEONS Every real Darcv 'tree Surgeon is in the etitl-hy of The Davey Tree Exf^ert Coinf^anx. Inc.. rr.l the public is cautioned against those falseh: refi^fcntivs themselves. An a.O'eciuctif made with the Davey Comf^any and not with an individual is certain evidence of genuineness. CHRONICU (OF AMERICA) ILLUSTRATED ?»; HORTICULTURAL DIGES~ EAR No. 1. Published monthly by The o>s. Inc., 2S6 Fifth Ave., New Yorl< JANUARY, 1921 post office at New York under the act ol Marc 'jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ RICHARD DIENEK CO., Inc. KENTFIELD, MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA GLADIOLI THE varieties here offered have been tested in every state of the Union as i ' r. w <4tfiHi^^^VK^ ' . ^^" ^^ '" foreign countries and they iii"^ 3r^^^^K^F^i^^':''y ^ " *" have been found far superior to any varieties - ,!j|K|3j<%, ir», ' "ow in existence. They will, without any f-pW^ rt^' ~Ji',__T!^/^^Si3mi'^-^^ ' r I doubt, be the leading varieties in the near ^iLnm No. \ MRS. WILLIAM KENT, Light fawn | to light ashes of roses; old rose in throat ^ L-y^j- sometimes lightly striped with rose-pink. It | ly ' . 'j ''"^iitJl''^*'^^*^ '* SS^^'^HmPP^Y''*^* ' '•' i'"- '''■'■ -y ■ is a very rapid propagator. Flowers are 6 | W .'J^^w^h^^ui^^^ i largest varieties, one of the heaviest propaga- | f^Bjj jBfmK ly Alf^M^mKftfh 7 tors. Flowers 6 to 8 inches in diameter, < f^WMlWHHlHlffljfcy*?^ J^JBr^^SMmG spikes 6 feet high. Bulb Doz. 100 I $0.25 $2.50 $22.50 | No. 191 MRS. H. E. BOTHIN, Flesh-salmon | 'J\wm^ \ !)^^mfj pink, flame-scarlet center; large size, strong i p.4yB^Bflv.!iiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiNiiii:;iiiiimi[iiiiiii^^ The Dahlia "Patrick O'Mara" Received Silver ]\[edal, Society of Hi.q'hest score ;it the Trial Grounds American Florists, 1920; Gold ^Medal, of the American Dahlia Society. 1920, American Dahlia Society, for best new at the Connecticut Agricultural Col- variety, 1920; Medal, Toronto Horti- lege, under ordinary field culture, cultural Societ^^ 1920. American which is the real test and shows what Dahlia Society Certificate of Merit may be expected in an}- urdinary 1920. garden. The tliiwers are 8 inches or more in diameter, borne on long, strong, erect stems, set at right angles close to the stems. The stems hold the massive flowers, erect and firm. This makes these stiperblv beautiful flowers invalual)le for decorative purposes when cut. or for a grand display in the garden. The cohjr is an tmusually soft and pleasing shade of orange-buff, slightlv tinged with Neyron rose. A rare Auttunn shade that will be in great demand. The flowers arc full to the center as perfect flowers should be. The petals are solid and in every way it is a jierfect flower. It is a splendid shipping and a long keeping Dahlia when the flow- ers are cut. None better for commercial use. Prof. Geo. W. Fraser, Connecticut Agricultural ColloKe. in charge of the Dahlia Trial Grounds, saj-s: "Its growing, keeping and shipping qualities are excellent. Growers will find its habit, color, etc., some- thing that has been greatly needed." Orders booked now and plants shipped next Spring in the rotation in which orders are received. Price, $10.(X) per plant, $100.00 per doz. Tubers will be sent un orders from far distant points. S.ife dcHvery guaranteed. Casli to accompany order. I'icliiri' «/ floucr in iKiliinil size nnd color on request to intriulinf: purchasers. Richard Vincent jr. &- Sons Company White Marsh, Maryland More than forty thousand persons, in one day. from all over ihe United States, visited our vast Dahlia 5elds last autumn 413 iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM WEEK 192HARPCN miK Compiled for the amateur, but equally interesting to the professional gardener, as it is the most complete catalogue of Seeds and Plants published. A large, handsomely illustrated book, showing in colors and photo-engravings, the varieties offered and giving cultural information which will assure a successful garden. It ofifers the best Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Lawn Grass and Agricultural Seeds, Plants of all kinds, including the newest Roses, Dahlias, Hardy Perennials, etc. Write today for a copy which will be mailed free if you mention this publication. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Pa. Bobbink & Atkins Visit Nursery Ask for '^lllllllllllllllllllllllllllimilllilllllimillllllihlllllllllNIIINHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINI'im^^^^ |lll|lilll[||lllllll!llillllil[llllillllll!!illllllltliilillillilllllillilliiillt^ I ROSES I I EVERGREENS I I RHODODENDRONS I I TREES AND SHRUBS I ! OLD-FASHION FLOWERS | I FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES I ! SPRING - FLOWERING BULBS j I LILACS Ask for Special List. You will be interested 1 i in this collection when you see the large number of § § varieties. ^ 1 Nurserymen and Florists | " RUTHERFORD NEW JERSEY | iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiN iiiiiililiiiiilliiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ HARDY ROSES Orchids iriiiMiiiinttiihKiiiiKiiMii Yes, perhaps it is early to talk Hardy Roses, but not a bit too early to order what you want while stocks are in good supply. We catalogue some twenty varie- ties of the very cream of the up to date sorts. Your copy of our catalogue is waiting for you if you did not receive it! Don't forget! Roses will be scarce, so let us hear from you. If yoii contemplate buying semi-established, established or imported orchids, consult us first. Ve carry in stock about 25,000 species. A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other choice hybrids. We specialize in supplying the private trade. Let us figure on your requirements — our quality is second to none. Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot hangers, always on hand. Send lor our price list. CHAKLES H. TOTTY COMPANY MADISON NEW )ERSEY G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK ^iliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiNiiiliinillliliiiiiiiiiiiliiliiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniuitiniiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiii^ ^limlllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIHII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIJIIIUUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE 414 ^NifilllllllllltlllllltlllllNllllltllllllltllllll^^ iiiiijiiimi!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii!iiin.iiiiiiiiiii^ Eel ipse( % Though awarded Gold Medals and Highest Honors wherever exhib- ited, out of and beyond competi- tion, MAREAN DAHLIAS do not need this vis- ible sign of man's recognition of MERIT. Supreme creations of a sublime flower, they will be a monument to a man's love for the Dahlia, when scores of now pop- ular standards will be but a memory. I Merely the SURPLUS of ludge Marean's own private gardens is made available to amateurs, and exclusively through = I the House of Scheepers: a beautifully printed book, showing some of the magnificent flowers in natural colors and size, 1 I is ready for distribution amongst true Dahlia Hobbyists who desire the finest. i I May we hope to count you among those who, this coming season, will share the delights of Exclusive Dahlia connoisseurs 1 I everywhere? 1 I JOHN SCHEEPERS, Inc., 522 Fifth Ave., New York City | ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiililNiiiiiiiiiniimiiitiiiniiiiuiimiiimiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ ^.JHD^ISiE: E^^B^O^tK 415 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim "The Dawn of Spring" 1921 | Is here — so also IS I BURNETT BROS.' CATALOGUE 1 . An Illustrated Book of 96 pages containing a comprehensive list of f Vegetable, Flower and Farm Seeds, also Garden Implements, Fertil- 1 izers, Insecticides, etc., etc. Bulbs, Roots, Plants of every description. I SEND FOR OUR CATALOGUE AT ONCE; IT WILL BE MAILED FREE UPON I APPLICATION I BURNETT BROS., Seedsmen I THE HOUSE FAMOUS FOR LAWN GRASS SEED I 92 CHAMBERS STREET I Between Broadway and Church St. Tel. Barclay 6138 NEW YORK iill llllilllliiil!i;ili':lll:l!Ulllll!llllll:lllill|:!lllilil||ii:IUIll»iiilliilllllllllll{lllllllllllllllllllllllllira ■ .-A-^rg Q}5; \ 'SiVS^ (Tii- King Construction Company u -% Technical information on King Greenhouse Con- siruction is gladlv fur- nished on request. GENERAL OFF 1 WFS1 47TH ST., NEW YORK CITV TELEPHONE BRYANT 809 HARRISON BLDC, PHILADELPHIA TELEPHONF SPRUCE 6521 NORTH TONAWAN Fbldg boston, mass. telephone FORT HH L ^1 5 V. JO7 N. IRVING AVE., SCRANTON, PA. TELEPHONE 41J6 416 OOr ■ C3;' We Grow Them in England / I )E solicit orders from critical owners or private vL' gardeners who appreciate the ultimate in seed quality. They will realize that the flower and vege- table seed we grow in our own grounds are superior to uncertain seed bought in the open market. For many years we have been carefully develop- ing Sutton's Flower and Vegetable Seed to the highest possible degree of excellence. It is the seed of exceptional quality, thus produced, that we offer to those who appreciate seed superiority. Our catalog, "The Garden Guide," lists seeds of a quality seldom found outside of England. It will be sent you for 35c which will be refunded to you with your first $5.00 order. Free to gardeners who will send name, and name of employer. MKtj07t4^i CflUs The Sherman T. Blake Co. 429-G Sacramento Street San Francisco, Cal. #iiiiiiii{iiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiHiiii inuiiuiii nil I iiiiiiiiii 1 1 I niiiiiiiiii III! II iiiiiinjj I J ^iiiiiuiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii^^^ 1IIIIIIUII1IIIIIUIIIIII [iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiei£ LILT of tKe VALLEY Splendid quality; packed in cases of 250 each; ready for immediate shipment JOSEPH MANDA COMPANY Established 1895 NEW YEAR'S GREETING As we have enlarged our greenhouses and increased the area of our nursery during the past year we are well prepared to take care of our constantly growing business which has been founded on Service plus Satisfaction. $15 Per Case I MULLER-SEALEY COMPANY, INC. i Horticultural Specialists I 145 West 45th Street, New York City I Phone Brvani 9141 Visitors Always Welcome "Let Us Bid On Your Wants" ORCHID EXPERTS Plants — Bulbs — Sundries West Orange New Jersey wniiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii>iiii:iiiiniiiiiiiiiiii iiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiimimiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiimiiiimiiiii iiiiii iiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiminmuiii^ The Contents for January, 1921 Things and Thoughts of the Garden Montague Free 42 1 Making a Rose Garden . Rosarum Amator 423 Cuhural Notes on Calceolaria Stewartii and Its Varieties George F. Steivari 425 The Power of Movement in Plants Willard N. Clule 426 The Dahlia and Its Future Richard Vincent. Jr. All January Birds Paul B. Riis 428 A Town With Walls Covered With Peach Trees 429 Winter Protection 431 Work for January in the Garden Samuel Colding 432 Wild Flower "Sanctuaries" Proposed Herbert Durand 433 The Greenhouse, Month to Month W. R. Forvkes 434 Gypsophila (Babies' Breath) .. /^ic/iar J Rathe 435 A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in Relation to Its Environment. ./lr(/iur Smi//i 436 Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews 438 National Association of Gardeners . 441 The Questionnaire 443 Here and There 443 By Way of the Soil — Identity of Marigold — the Veining of Leaves — Sports and Varieties of Trees — Asclepias Tuberosa. THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. 286 Fifth Avenue New York, N, Y. MARTIN C. EBEL, Editor Entered at the New York Post Ofhce as second class matter under the Act of Congress, March 3. 1879. Published monthly, the 15lh of each month Subscription .... $2.00 a year Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 i^^ ,,,„„„„„ I, IIIIIIIIIIIII iiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mil iniiiii I """""iiii I I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiii nil I mil i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiii iiiiiiiii iim luiiiu ninu ,, iiiiiiiiiiii I Ill I II I mill Ill Ill iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiii '''ISml™^^ ' I """""" = SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS JAPANESE LILIES We have the following list of Japanese Liliums. These varieties are considered to be among the best for the hardy border. Bulbs planted in pots now and transferred to the borders in the Spring invariably give better results than if dormant bulbs are planted in the Spring. SPECIAL OFFER — Any of the following varieties and sizes at $40.00 per case Speciosum Album 8,8 (200 to case) Speciosum Album 9/11 (130 to case) Speciosum Magnificum 8/9 (200 to case) Speciosum Magnificum 9/11 (130 to case) Speciosum Magnificum 11/13 (100 to case) Auratum 8/9 (200 to case) Auratum 9/11 (130 to case) Auratum 11/13 (100 to case) SUPERIOR LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY PIPS NEW CROP FOR DELIVERY NOW THE FINEST VALLEY PIPS OFFERED In judging our price of Lily-of-the-Valley. please remember that the best is the cheapest. Our Valley is positively among the best. Is bought at open prices, with instructions for a selection of the best-developed pips. Our long experience and large importations have commanded this extra selection. Introduced a few years ago, it has now become famous, being forced very extensively by a large number of celebrated Lily-of-the-Valley growers. This Valley produces strong spikes of flowers, about 15 inches in height, bearing from 12 to 20 extra-large pure while bells, which are delightfully fragrant. We make a specialty of Lily-of-the-Valley. and are prepared at all times to supply from our cold storage warehouse in original cases of 250 S. & W. Co.'s Superior Lily-of-the- Valley for $15.00 500 S. & W. Co.'s Superior Lily-of-lhe- Valley for $25.00 1,000 S. & W. Co.'s Superior Lily-of-the- Valley for $45.00 0(Mr§ 30-32 Barclay Street NEW YORK CITY ii^iiimMiiS^ '"""" ' ' "'""<'"i"""" """" "" "'" """ """""" ' ' '""" """ '"""" ' '" iiiiiuiiniiii^ 420 iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiii GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) ,_,,,,^. Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture rotanscal vJAkUUN I Vol. XXV JANUARY, 1921 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiuiuiiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii No. 1 ■ inniiiiiiiiii Things and Thoughts of the Garden MONTAGUE FREE IT oftimes happens when looking over collections such a.-- may be found in botanic gardens, that one be- comes acquainted with plants, or groups of plants, whose beauty and usefulness are so pronounced, but yet so unrecognized by cultivators in general, that they are entitled to be called the Cinderellas of the plant world. Belonging in this category is the plant family Brome- liacece. Here is a group that is practically unused by the commercial florists, poorly represented, if at all, in the collections of tropical plants maintained on some private estates, and it is only in botanic gardens that anything like a fair representation of this interesting fam- ily can be found. And yet it possesses horticultural pos- sibilities that are practically unbounded. The beauty of many of the Bromeliads is unquestioned by those who have seen them grown to perfection. The coloring to be found in their flowers, bracts and leaves is unique and incomparable with any other group of plants. The orchids are often cited as being of wonder- ful coloration, but many Bromeliads are equally worthy of notice in this respect and have a distinct advantage in being attractive even when not in bloom, and are wortliy of an honored position in any collection of trop- ical plants for their foliage alone. They are amongst the easiest plants to grow well, and many of them adapt themselves admiralilv to dwelling house conditions. It has been hinted that the coloring both of their in- florescences and leaves is unique. • Let us examine, for example. Billhergia Leopoldii. Its leaves on the upper side are pale green, with plentiful mottlings of a creamy color. The undersides are red-brown, with perhaps a tinge of purple, and the mottlings are suffused with pink. The effect is remarkable when the plant is grown in a hanging pot or basket and seen suspended against the light. But it is the inflorescence that is most striking and bizarre. The large conspicuous bracts are bright red, dusted with silvery furfuraceous scales, the flowers have petals of green and violet blue, conspicuous golden stamens, and a violet blue stigma curiously marked with spiral ridges. Wliere in the plant world can we find coloring to compare with this? Amitlier species. B. r~ nutans, is similar, but rather more graceful in appear- ■^ ance, with arching leaves and a drooping inflorescence 2 composed of red bracts and flowers with green petals lO edged with blue. cvi One, perhaps mort' cotnnionly seen in cultivation than ;^ any other, is I'ricsia carinata. which has thin, almost < membranaceous, leaves of a pleasing pale green color. 1 he flowers are yellow, arranged in a flat, paddle-shaped spike with bracts of yellowish green changing at the base to various tints of rose pink. Another, belonging in a dift"erent genus, which has its flowers arranged in a similar distichous spike, is Tillandsia lindeniana. In this beautiful subject the bracts are of carmine and the flowers, which are about two inches in diameter, of bluish violet. As they open out in succession, one or two at a time, the inflorescence remains attractive over a long period, .\mongst many others that should be grown for the brilliancy of their flowers are Pitcairnia Roezlii, with flaming scarlet bracts and flowers, and Mchmea fujsciis, which has a bright red, persistent calyx, tipped with violet blue. * * * * Striking leaf coloration is to be found amongst many of this family, but space will not admit the mention of more than a few. The genus Cryptanthus, not note- worthy so far as its flowers are concerned, contains sev- eral species which exhibit remarkable leaf coloration. C. zonatus, for example, has its leaves fantastically barred in a zebra-like effect with buff colored scurfy scales on a ground color of green and brown. The shape and horizontal habit of growth of these leaves is almost lizard-like. C. bcuckcri is a rather taller grower than the preceding, with leaves of dark green mottled with pale green or white. A favorite of mine in this family, because it combines grace with its other attributes, is Guzmaiinia Zahnii. This deserves to rank with the best of our foliage plants, and vet it is seldom heard of. and still less often seen. Its leaves, instead of being arranged in the rather tight rosette common amongst the members of this family, are long and beautifully recurved. They are semi-transpar- ent, veined with red parallel lines on a groundwork of green which is sometimes suffused with pink or brown, and are entrancingly lovely when seen against the light. .Still more striking, but ])erhaps less beautiful, is Vriesia splciidcns. which has broad strap-shaped leaves boldly barred with transverse red-brown markings. Most in- triguing are the curious markings to be seen on the leaves of Gii:~mannia miisaica. These take the form of broad, transverse bands made up of irregular pencillings of dark green on a li.ght green ground. On the under- side the markings are fainter and of a reddish color. Queer contrasts are to be seen in the coloring of Nidiilarium iniioccntii. The leaves towards the base are of a purple color which gradually merges into the green 421 422 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE of the rest of the leaves. (This purple is of a hue similar to that found in the leaves of many of the CommcHnacca, such as Tradcscantia regince and Rhoco discolor.) From the center of these rosettes of green and purple arise the bract leaves of bright scarlet which produces an effect that is startling in its uniqueness. To find combinations of color in any way comparable to this one is restricted to the Bromcliacccc. Botanical interest in these plants centers largely in their adaptations to environment. They are mostly na- tives of tropical America, and many of them are epi- phvtes. In a large number of species the leaves are ar- ranged in rosettes in such a way that their bases form cup-like reservoirs of water. Considerable quantities may be held in this way, as those who have inadvertently tipped over such plants as .Echiiica can testify. I have measured the amount of water held in the leaf bases of a single rosette of JEchmca piiicliana and found it to be almost one quart. This water storage apparently has an important func- tion in the economy of the plants. Growing on trees, as many do. the ojiportunities for absorption of water by the roots is somewhat limited, but this is counterbalanced by the ability of the leaves to catch water and to absorb it by means' of thin-walled cells that occur at the base of the leaves. It has also been suggested that the plants obtain some of their nitrogen from insects, and debris of various kmds that fall into the reservoirs, which de- cay and form food substances that can be absorbed by the thin-walled cells. The water in the petiole bases frequently has other plants growing in it and Darwin, in his fascinating Insectivorous Plants, quotes from Gardner"s Travels m the Interior of Brazil concerning a species of I'.ladder- wort, Utricularia nelumbifoiia, which grows exclusivelv in the leaf bases of certain Bromeliads : 'Tt is only to be found growing in the water which collects_ in the bottom of the leaves of a large Tillandsia, that inhabits abundantlv an arid rockv part of the mountain, at an elevation of about 5,000 feet above the level of the sea Besides the ordinary method by seed, it propagates itself by runners, which 'it throws out from the base of the flower-stem : this runner is always found directing itself towards the nearest Tillandsia. when it inserts its point into the water and gives origin to a new plant, which in its turn sends out another shoot. In this manner 1 have seen not less than six plants united." Other author- ities state Bromeliads and other epiphytes are themselves overgrown bv mosses and lichens. Thus we have the Bromeliads growing on trees, although not parasitically, be it remarked, and" other plants, in turn, on them, whicli calls to mind the oft quoted lines of ."^wift; "So, naturalists observe, a flea Has smaller fleas that on him prey: And these have smaller still to bite ■em: .\nd so proceed ad infiuitum." The leaf cuticle of the Bromeliads is usually greatly thickened and often covered with scurfy scales which serve to prevent evaporation and thus tide the plants over hot dry periods. That it is effective I have seen proven bv rosettes of Crxptanthus. which have been broken off, or fallen off, the parent plant and thrown under the bench. Here, without roots, they kept m good condition for a considerable time, although there were steam pipes just above them and such watering as they received was spasmodic and accidental. Some of the Bromeliads may be considered as true -xerophvtic plants, and as such can perhaps best be cared for in the Cactus house rather than in one wdrere more humid conditions prevail. Examples of plants in this group are D\ckia of various species, Bromclia lasiantha, and Hechtia argentca. The latter is a striking olaject, forming rosettes which may be a foot or more in diameter, formed of very stiff, spiny and recurved leaves which are silvery and shining. In this group belongs Puya chilensis, one of the hardiest of the family, which can be grown outdoors with Winter protection in favored sections in England. The xeroph}'tic nature of many of the Bromeliads may account in a large measure for the tolerance they exhibit when grown in the arid air of the ordinary dwelling house. It is amongst these xerophytic types that we find pro- tective spines most highly developed. In some species ii almost seems that they are designed as revengeful weapons as well as a means of defense. Thus in Ananas niacrodontes. for example, the stout formidable spines at the tips of the leaves point outwards whilst those at the ba'-c point inwards. Therefore, it would appear that should any browsing animal have the temerity to at- tempt to make a meal from this particular species, he would be warned by the out-pointing spines and chastised on his retreat b\- the in-pointing ones. Bromclia pingnin, a species that attains a height of about four feet, has similar vicious proclivities and is said to be used as a hedge in the West Indies. After seeing it one can imagine that such a hedge would be impenetrable. In manv S|)ecies the spines form a distinct decorative fea- ture, esjieciallv when they are colored, as in ^Hchmea piucliaihi. which has prominent brown spines. The only plant of prime economic importance in this family is the pineapple. Ananas satiius. Many gardeners, especially those with English training, whose experience extends back a period of years, will remember when this delicious fruit was an important product under glass on many mMvate estates in northern climes. But with the advent of improved methods of transportation, the pine "pit" has lost its importance and we rely instead on fruit shipped from some center where it is grown in the open, or on the canned product. To many the latter is preferable, as the fresh fruit that we receive in northern markets is shipped before it is properly ripe and is none too palatable. It is worth while to grow a few pine- apples in pots, if only for the purpose of surpri.smg casual visitors, manv of whom have a vague notion that "pineapples grow on trees somewhere in the South." There are tw-o variegated varieties of the pineapple that are worth growing for their foliage, and these, if given reasonably good treatment, will often reward the grower with a fruit. The best form. I think, is Ananas satnnts var. varic'^atus. in which the center of the leaf is green and the niargins of cream or yellow. In A. sativiis var. porteanus this coloring is reversed with the yellow m the center. In addition the leaves are sometimes striped or suffused w-ith red. The other species in this family that enters into com- merce for reasons unconnected with its ornamental ap- pearance is Tillandsia iisneoides. the well-known Spanish Moss which is used for .stuffing mattresses. This is a true "air plant" and bedecks trees and telegraph wires in ],arts of the south. In general appearance it is strangely similar to the lichen Vsnea. wdiich is to be seen hanging from the branches of the firs and spruces in the north. The Spanish :Moss lives under greenhouse conditions, provided a warm humid atmosphere is maintained, even when suspended on nothing more nutritious than copper wire. for January, 1921 423 Making a Rose Garden ROSARUM AMATOR rHH Location — The location of a Rose garden is of utmost importance. This garden should not be shaded either by buildings or trees or shrubs to any appreciable extent ; it should receive the unbroken light, and free air. It should be far enough away from trees and shrubs so that their roots cannot penetrate its soil. A Southeastern exposure is, all things being taken into con- sideration, the most favorable ; next best a Southern, and third a Southwestern, a building or wall or hedge or trees on the North side or indeed on every side but not so near as to rob the garden of sunlight and free air, yet near enough to break partly the force of the heavy winds, is beneficial. This is the ideal location, where the very highest re- sults may be expected, but the Rose lover may be assured that good results may be looked for in Rose growing where buildings or trees, not very close to the garden, shade it, but not very heavily, some part of the day. Soil — Any soil which will produce a good crop of gar- den vegetables, will, when properly prepared and suf- ficiently fertilized, be suitable for successful Rose growing. A clay loam, not over stiff, and well drained is the best. A light sandv loam is benefitted greatly by removing a portion of it and substituting a rich clay, and a heavy clay soil by a partial substitution of sandy loam or sand. fertilizers — Thoroughly decomposed cow maimrc. a year or more old is best for Rose growing, as it can be used very freely without burning the roots, and helps re- tain moisture in the soil. Sheep, hen or hog manure, well rotted and pulverized, or at least well broken into small pieces may be used where cow manure cannot be obtained. If animal manures are unobtainable, the best substitution is pure ground bone in several degrees of fineness. Preparini^ the Beds — Rose beds should be only so wide that a gardener can give the bushes all necessary care without stepping on the beds. In preparing these throw ■ lUt the soil to the depth of one and one-half feet. If the lower soil, or indeed all of the soil, is very poor, cart it off and substitute good soil for it. If the ground is rather low, and the water settles away slowly after a rain, ex- cavate a foot deeper than before mentioned, and at the bottom of the excavation place a layer of broken bricks or stone, and above this a second, and a third layer, each of pieces of brick or stone of smaller size than the former, and so placed as to fill the interstices of the former layer. I'inish with a top layer of gravel and coarse sand. The object, which should be kept in mind, of this arrangement of brick or .stone and gravel, is to so lay them that the soil when returned to the excavation will not work down- ward through the gravel and stone, and clog the drain- age. In returning the good soil to the bed, it should In- mixed with the animal manures previously mentioned in the proi)orti(ins by bulk of four j)arts soil to one part luanure. and both soil and manure should Ix' well pulver- ized. A spread of jnire bone flour, in addition to animal ma- nures, sufficient to whiten the surface of the soil, applied after the bed is prepared, and raked into the soil lightly, will be beneficial. If it is necessarv to relv entirely upon bune fertilizer, mix pure cracked bone in the proportion of about one part to sixteen of soil when making the bed, and after the bed is made ajjplv to its surface a sjjread of equal parts of pure bone meal and bone flour, thick enough to entirely cover the soil, and fork or rake it in thoroughly. The Rose bushes will soon feel the effect of the bone flour, and later of the bone meal and cracked bone. The soil of the bed or border, when finished, should be about four inches higher than the surrounding sur- face : it will soon settle. If a Rose bed is prepared a few weeks before the Rose bushes are set, the result will be more satisfactory. Upon the quality of the .soil, the fertilizers, and the thor- ough mixing and pulverizing of these when the beds are prei)ared, much of the success in Rose growing depends. Setting Out the Bushes — Hybrid Tea and Tea Roses should be planted eighteen inches, and Hybrid Perpetuals two feet apart. Alany Roses are grafted or budded on wild Rose stock, at a little distance above the roots. In setting out such Roses the point where the graft was made should be about two inches below the soil, when the bush is set out. Before setting the bush, cut off all injured roots with a sharp knife just back of the injury. Place the bush in the hole prepared for it; spread out the roots carefully on all sides : cover them with sufffcient soil to nearly refill the hole, pressing it down very firmly, but leaving the upper soil loose. After setting, prune with a sharp knife, the very slen- der, weak shoots back to the body of the bush, or large branch, out of which they are growing. Prune the stronger shoots back so that there" will be only one eye (branch bud) and the strongest .shoots so that there will be onlv two or three eyes between the point where the cut is made and the body or branch out of which the shoots grow. The Blooming Habits of the Several Classes — Tea, Hy- Irid-Tea, Dwarf Polyantha (often called Baby Ram- bler), roses under favorable conditions bloom from Spring to .\utunm. Hybrid-Perpetuals produce their main crop of blooms in June and some, not all, varieties under good culture give some casual blooms the remainder of the season, especially in the Autumn. Ramblers, Trailers, and Climbers, except Hybrid-Tea and Tea Climbers with very few exceptions, bloom only once during the year. Summer Pruning — Hybrid-Perpetuals, in order that they may give some casual blooms after the June crop, and the Teas, Hybrid-Teas, and Dwarf Polyanth.as should be severely Sununer pruned for best results. This prun- ing in a large measure is performed in the proper cutting of the blooms. Cutting blooms and pruning at the same time is done in this way : when we pick a bloom, or in case of Poly- antha ro.ses a flower stalk of blooms, we should sever the stem or stalk with a sharp knife taking with the bloom or cluster of blooms a stem of such a length as to leave only one or two full size, vigorous leaves between the point wb.ere the cut is made and the body of main branch out of which the flower branch grew. Out of the axils of these leaves new branches will spring: allow onlv one or two of the strongest to grow, and cut away the weaker. These stronger branches will probably produce other flow- ers, for it is on the new wood of roses that the flowers grow. This method of picking will give sometimes long and sometimes short stems, but should be strictly followed, and a branch bearing a rose should never be broken oft" clear back to the bodv or main branch merely to secure a long stem, but should be cut exactly as di- rected above, be the stem long or short. 424 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE As for further pruning any small weak shoot, which has unobserved got a start, should be cut entirely away, as it only takes the strength which should go into the vigorous branches, and will itself either produce no flower or an insignificant bloom. Sometimes even vigorous shoots from leaf axils, mentioned above, or from latent buds on the main body or branches or root fail to produce flower buds ; such shoots are spoken of as blind wood, and should be cut back so as to leave only two or three full sized leaves between the point where the cut is made and the body or branch from which it sprang, the number of leaves left on either a blind shoot or flowering branch before mentioned always depending on the vigor of the shoot. This manner of cutting blooms, and this cutting out of weak shoots and cutting back of blind shoots make low-growing robust bushes, which produce flowers of largest size and highest quality. Frequent culture and fertilizing also are important fac- tors in the Summer care of roses. The soil not only closely around the rose bushes but over the entire surface of the bed or border should be stirred once or twice each week to the depth of about one inch and made as nearly fine as dust as possible. This frequent culture and dust- like surface soil will conserve the moisture and leave little necessity of watering. Once a month from April to September inclusive there should be worked into the surface of the soil all over the rose bed or border and around specimen bushes on lawns, a generous application of pulverized sheep manure or well decayed cow manure, and half way between these applica- tions a spread of pure bone flour (often called by the seedsmen "Rose bone flour") sufficient to make the sur- face white. Well pruned, thoroughly cultivated and generously fer- tilized rose bushes are far less liable to the attacks of disease and insects than neglected bushes. The prevalent diseases are mildew, which appears as a whitish powder on the foliage and causes it to curl and blister, the remedy for wliich is flowers of sulphur applied dry, preferably with a pow-der bellows or gun, or fun- gine, and "black spot," which appears as black spots on the foliage, a very dangerous disease w^hich, if taken at its first appearance, spraying with Bordeaux mixture or fungine will help somewhat. The most common insects which attack rose bushes are aphis, thrips and several kinds of small worms, and rose bugs. The remedy for the first three is any one of the nicotine preparations. For the rose bugs, hand picking has always been the main dependance, but now "Readeana Rose Bug Exterm- inator" is much used and pronounced very eft'ective. and there has been recently placed on sale a new Rose bug killer named Melrosine which is w-ell spoken of. Preparing the Buslics for JVinter — Pruning and fer- tilizing should be suspended by Oct. 1st, and when in No- vember the ground freezes an inch or two deep at night, the rose bushes should be put into Winter quarters by simply heaping up the soil a foot high or more around each, a protection which is both safer, as it does not har- bor mice, which often girdle the bushes by eating off the bark, and more effective than manure or leaves. This soil is easily thrown up around the bushes, when they are planted in rows, and even when they are in beds, it may be brought in a wheelbarrow from another part of the garden for banking the center bushes of the beds while the soil aroimd the bed can be thrown up against the outer rows of bu.shes. This soil should be drawn away from the bushes in early Spring as soon as the buds on the tops of the bushes begin to swell, and all dead and weak wood be cut out and the other branches cut back so as to leave onlv one to three eyes (leaf buds I lietween where the cut is made, and the body or branch out of which it grows. The following lists of roses comprise some, but not all of the best varieties. Tea Scented and Hybrid-Tea Varieties. — These are grown for cut flowers, and bedding plants combined. They bloom from Spring till late Autumn more or less continuously, some more freely in Spring, others in Sum- mer and others in Autumn. Under good cvdture they are very satisfactory. Red and Crimson Colors Chateau De Clos Vougeot. Etoile De France, Crimson. General McArthur. Edward Mawley. Hadley. Hoosier Beauty. George Dickson. Red Radiance. Yellow Shades Marquis De Sinety. Mrs. A. R. Waddell. Mrs. Aaron Ward. Harry Kirk. Rayon D'Or. Lady Hillingdon. Duchess of Wellington. Lilian Moore. Mad. Ravary. White Kaiserin Augusta Victoria. Pharisaer. Double White Killarney. White Maman Cochet. Florence Pemberton. Molly Sharman Crawford. Different Shades of Pink Belle Siebrecht. deep pink. La France, bright pink. Jonkeer, J. L. Mock, Carmine- Laurent Carle, velvety car- rose or "Imperial pink." mine. Mad. Caroline Testout, sal- Los Angeles, flame pink, mon-pink. Mary, Countess of Ilchester, Marquise De Canay. silvery- crimson-carmine, rose. Mrs. Charles Russell, rosy Prince De Bulgarie, flesh- carmine, rose. Premier, dark pink. Radiance, pink. Mcountess Folkestone, sal- Lady Ashtown. soft pink. mon-pink. Dean Hole, Carmine-pink. Ophelia, salnion-pink-flesh. Columbia, pink. Hybrid Perpetual Roses These give a heavy crop of splendid flowers in June, and some varieties under excellent culture give a limited number of flowers in late Summer or Autumn. Different Shades of Pink Baroness Rothschild, light Mrs. John Laing, soft pink. pink. Mrs. R. G. Sharman Craw- George Arends, soft light ford, rosy pink. pink. Magna Charta, rosy pinkish Mad. Gabriel Luizet, silvery- carmine. [link. Paul X'eyron, clear pink. Red and Crimson Ulrich Brunner, cherry-red. Prince Camille de Rohan, Marshall P. Wilder, crimson. ;rimson-maroon. J. B. Clark, deep scarlet. White Frau Karl Drnschki. Mad. Plantier. Margaret Dickson. Dwarf Polyantha Varieties These are used for massing in beds or for edging beds of tall growing roses. Their blooms, which are borne in sprays, may be used for cut flowers. Aennchen Muller, deep rose. Jessie, crimson. Baby Rambler, red. Baby Dorothy, bright pink. Baby Tauscndschon, pink. Perle D'Or. yellow. Cecile Brunner, bright rose. Mrs. Wni. Konig. white. Climbing Roses Tausendschon. pink. Crimson Rambler, red or Dorothy Perkins, pink. crimson. White Dorothy Perkins. Philadelphia, red or crimson, white. Dr. W. Van Fleet, flesh-pink. Excelsa, red or crimson. Silver Moon, white. jOT January, 1921 425 Cultural Notes on Calceolaria Stewartii and Its Varieties GEORGE F. STEWART AS I have been asked by many of my fellow gardeners to furnish the cultural directions for Calceolaria Slcwartii and its varities, I have decided that the best means of disseminating them is through the Gardeners' Cronicle. These plants are now starting into active growth and their shoots need to be stopped back. It is preferable to perform this operation about a week previous to potting, for after they are potted, they start with a more evenly balanced break all over the plants. The soft shoots that are pinched off are used for cuttings and inserted in clean sand in a temperature around 50° to 55°. The cuttings should be watered every day for about ten days, not a mere spray overhead, but a thorough drenching with clean water. I may here state that I have practised the drenching method every day with nearly all kinds of cuttings, except geraniums and other similar wooded plants, and have found that it is not only a quick means of rooting cuttings, but also the best preventa- tive for the so- called damping off that we hear so much about among gardeners. This practice cov- ers an experience of over thirty years. The Calceolaria will be rooted in about two Aveeks if one obtains good soft tops. Pot them in two inch pots in nice, light, sandy soil, shifting the m right along as they require it. The compost for pot- ting is one part loam, leaf mold, preferablv oak leaves one y e a r old, fern root such as is used for potting orchids, sand and decayed horse manure. These are used in equal proportions with some broken charcoal. To about one ]iailful of the compost a small handful of Clay's Fertilizer is added. After the plants are well rooted in their flowering pots, water with manure water, about a good handful to an ordinary watering pot. I apply cow manure, horse manure and hen manure and when watering with a fertilizer use a handful to the same amount of water. The plants can be manipulated so that they will flower early or late. I have had them in flower as early as the first week in .'\pril, and as late as July, and I have no doubt, near the salt water, along the coast of jNTaine, one could have them in flower in .Xugust. Gauging the lime of flowering is done by pinching and potting. Near Bos- ton, about seven weeks are allowed from the time they are cut back until they flower, always potting a few days after they have been cut back. A little care has to be exercised to carrv stock plants in good condition after iIkv flower, until Fall. This is done by placing the plants in partial shade in a cool north house or outdoors under a tree, and using care in water- ing. Water is given only when they show signs of wilt- ing. Along about the end of September, I look over our plants which have flowered in from six to eight inch pots and select the best for large specimens for the following year. These may with good care, as described above, be flowered in twelve inch pots with a spread, when staked out, of from four to five feet in diameter. I grow the plants in a night temperature of about 45°. If they are desired to flower early, from 50° to 55°, allowing a rise of ten degrees with the sun. The plants are subject to attacks from green and white fly. Fumigating -once a month with Hydrocyanic gas at the rate of one-quarter ounce to the thousand cubic feet of space our house is not troubled with them. To those who have never used this gas, I will add, that there is a little booklet sent out by the Roess- ler & Hasslacher Chemical Co., 100 William St., New York city, giving full information how to apply. The)' also supply Sodium Cyanide in one ounce egg form, which I have found to be the handiest form for greenhouse fumi- "ation. There remains to us a great duty of defense and preservation ; and there is open to us also a noble pur- suit, to which the spirit of the times strongly invites us. Let us advance the arts of peace and the works of peace. Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we, also, in our day and generation, may not perform something worthy to be re- membered.— Daniel Webster. A spcctiiu'ii /)/(!«/ oj Cultcolaria Slcwurtii — I'ar. Lyiiuuiu Today is yoiu's and mine: the onl}- day we have; the day in which we play our part. What our part may sig- nify in the great whole we may not understand, but we are here to play it, and now is our time. This we know : it is a part of action, not of whining. It is a part of love, not cynicism. It is for us to express love in terms of hu- man helpfulness. — David Starr Jordan. i^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiniiininnmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiinwiiiinii laibiiimiUir.iiLiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiu I NEW YORK SPRING FLOWER SHOW I Grand C.-nlral Palace New York City I MARCH 14 to 20, 1921 n)iinniiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiv'''viniiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiriiniHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiniiiiiii which must often quickly grasp a support, the coiling nio- tion is quite rapid enough to be easily seen. It is often as rapid as the second hand of a watch. The sunflowers are celebrated in prose and poetry for turning their flow- ers and leaves to the sun all day, but this is an error. The\ derive their names from the flower-head which resembles the conventional picture of the sun. and aside from facing the best light do not generally move more. There are some plants, however, which do follow the sun through the heavens and these are commonly known as helio- tropes. It is likely that not all the plants named helio- trope have the habit, however. No adequate explanation has ever been given of the movements involved in the so-called "sleep" of plants. It was once thought that such movements were adjust- ments made to prevent the radiation of heat at night, but this seems to be negatived by the fact that plants with ''sleep" movement> are comninn in the warm tropics where no heat conservation is necessary. Whatever the cause, the phenomenon is fairly common and may easily b^ observed in the leaves of axalis, clover, bean, locust and many others. The habit is found in the seed-leaves or cotyledons of many plants which do not exhibit the habit when mature. Strangely enough the sleep habit is not confined to flowering plants but is found among :he fernworts. The marsilias or water-clovers close their leaflets in the same way at the approach of evening. The numerous compass plants have the habit of turn- ing their leaves in such a way that they face roughly East and West with their edges toward the sky and earth. The ])rickly lettuce, a common garden weed is well known for this habit. In all probability it is the increasing heat that stimulates the compass plants to turn the edges of their, leaves to the sun. In torrid regions a number of |:lants habitually carry their leaves in this position. Other movements of leaves due to heat are in the nature of passive changes due to loss of water, rather than to any action of the protoplasm. Of this nature are the rolling of corn leaves, and the flagging of numerous other plants mider a hot sun. The classic example of a plant with motile leaves is the well-known sensitive plant of old gardens and conserva- tories. In this plant the leaves droop at a touch, the leaflets folding rapidly together and the wdiole leaf low- ering toward the earth. Heat and other stimuli will cause the plant to go through its motions and it is interesting to know that the plant can be put to "sleep" by the use of chloroform, .\mong connnon sensitive plants are the par- Iridge-pea of sandy waysides and the Schraiikia or sensi- tive rose. Xumerous other plant movements are connected with the phenomena of flowering. In this category are in- cluded the opening and closing of flowers, sensitive sta- mens and stigmas, various positions assumed by the es- sential organs as flowering" progresses, the nodding of flowers to avoid the rain or to facilitate pollination, and the changes in position that occur after the flowers have faded. The movements concerned with seed dispersal are for the most part not movements of living matter. In a majority of cases, dryness sets the trap and pulls the trigger. As the fruits dry a tension is set up in certain tissues which finally ruptures 'the seed vessel and scatters the seeds. It is well known tlmt certain insectivorous plants prey upon animals, catching and devouring even such active forms as flies and beetles. In some cases no motion on the part of the plant is necessary, the traps being so ar- ranged that the insects trap themelves. In the sundews, butterworts, and Venus' flytrap, however, the plants take an active part in their capture. It is true that the sundew and butterwort first entangle their prey in a sticky secre- tion, but then the leaves roll up to form an impromptu stomach in which the insects are digested. The \'enus flv tra]i, however, scorns decoys of any kind and with a contrivance not unlike a steel trap on the tips of the leaves manages to grasp its agile prey. There are at the present day but too many who im- agine they have perfectly done their duty, because thev are kind toward their friends, affectionate in their families, inoffensive toward the rest of the world. — Mac.zini. jor January, 1921 427 The Dahlia and Its Future By RICHARD VINCENT, Jr., President American Dahlia Society THE past history of the UahHa up to a few years ago has been published many times, so tliat while it is interesting as any other flower that is grown, it is hardly necessary to repeat it again in these columns. What interests us most at the present time is the tremendous change that has taken place within the past decade, in the wonderful size, coloring and texture of a number of varieties produced. There is a little lack of good commercial and all round varieties but these will come along, as several real good ones were shown at the last New York show, and more will be produced as the requirements call for them. The majority of new Dahlias are adapted to the amateur more so than to the commercial grower. That the Dahlia is growing in popu- larity is plainly evident, as the Dahlia shows every- where indicate, and should the interest this season in- crease as it has done the past few years, there is no doubt but that there will be such an exhibition of blooins at the various Dahlia shows that it will surprise even the most en- thusiastic growers. The indications are that the New York show the com- ing year will be the largest and best the world has ever seen, additional space has already been engaged and many entries made One thing that will and does help the Dahlia cause, is its easiness of cultivation, its adaptabil- ity to various situations, the many uses its flowers can be put to both by the florist and the private gardener, as the more the Dahlia blooms are cut the better ones there will be. The time has arrived when any garden not hav- ing a few Dahlias to cut in the Autunm misses a big opjiortunity for a display just at a time when they are most needed, as it is the Dahlia that tills the gap between the Summer flowers and the Chrysanthemum, and we all know that a bunch of beautiful Dahlias are acceptaldc anywhere and at all times. New types are constantly being brought forward, so much so, that a set of rules made by the nomenclature committee a few years ago has now to be changed, and so it will contintie for time to come, as new seedlings are continually introduced at every exhibition, some entirely different from previous ones, which make it puzzling to the judges, and often a disappointment to the exhibitor, as there are alriiost sure to be some among those ex- hibited that, according to the present ruling, are apt to be disqualified by the judges, simply because they show some other tyi)e ditterent to what the class calls for. The nomenclature committee of the American Dahlia So- ciety will attend a meeting in New York during the month of January to take into consideration the classi- fication of newer types and hybrids and to formulate new rules for the judges of this year's shows to judge by ; there will also be a set of rules adopted that will meet all cases wdierever possible, so that no one will be debarred because his or her type does not conform to a certain form of classification. When w-e realize the few limitations that the Dahlia grower has in either soil or climatic conditions and that it will grow better with less work and also yield more blooms tor the work done than any other flower, we real- ize how hard it would be to forecast what wonderful achievements the Dahlia specialist will have accom- plished at the end of the next ten years. It would seem like a wild prophecy to predict restilts as there will be almost a countless host of people growing the Dahlia when its easy cultivation and the charm and beauty it adds to the home garden during the Fall blooming season be- comes better known. I^et the American Dahlia So- ciety's motto be "Educa- tion and Onward for Dahlia Beauty," whether in the palace garden or the cottage home. In the March number of the G-\iU)EXERs' Chronicle there will appear an article on the cultivation of the Dahlia, the uses it can be put to, a description of the novelties and newer va- rieties and special notes by some of our Dahlia en- Ihihlia I'lilrick O'Mara, Introduced by Richard Vincent, Jr. thusiasts. OUR COVER ILLUSTRATION TTHE illustration on our front cover, reproduced from a photograph through courtesy of John Scheepers, Inc., shows a group of the famous "Marean" Dahlias in the private gardens of Judge Josiah T. Marean, Green's I'arnis, Conn. The varieties shown are. from left to right: Theodora Bickley, Airs. I. de \'cr Warner, Cleo- patra, Venus. The Judge does not plant his wonderful Dahlia crea- tions in rows ; he uses them for decorative etfect in his ornamental gardens, together with the full range of other fine flowers, and he succeeds admirably with them. During the flowering season, many of the Eastern Garden Clubs and Horticultural Societies visited the Judge's private gardens, which are open to the public, everybody leaving full of enthusiasm about the wonders thcj- had seen. 428 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE January Birds PAUL B. RlIS JANUARIUS, the child, symboHzes the birth and dawn of the new year. But, this child possesses the grip of the mature man and the force of a giant. No feeble, groping efforts, nor indecision mark its steps, nor does sympathy disrupt its energy. Relentlessly it rules with an iron hand, sweeping the dormant fields with fury, and disdaining to temporize its force. Life is at a low ebb. The birds are more nearly stationary now than any other time of the year. Yet, one may take a ramble out of doors through the frozen fields and meadows, the silent woodlands, and wrest from the bleak landscape delight- ful hours. We select a charming valley of woodlands and mead- ows, where once a cardinal and evening grosbeak, and a little later a flock of purple finches, rewarded our efiforts. Here the Sumach bobs, the Nanny berry, wild grape, bit- tersweet, acorns and wild hemp grew abundantly : a par- adise for feathered friends. The opalescent sky contrasts strangely with the white mantle of Mother Earth and the sting of the North wind challenges our mettle. The silvery covering of snow faultlessly stretching away in the distance, truthfully records the coming and going of our wild life. Empty hangs the seed-pod of the milkweed and the dried florets of heath aster and wild sunflower blow vio- lently in the wind. Here in a patch of waving ragweeds, we examine the delicate tracks of tiny feet of field mice. The tracks become variable and countless as of great numbers and on a nearby willow, we spy their eternal Nemesis, the northern shrike. The few juncos flitting away through the underbrush seem oblivious to the dan- ger above them, and continue their ranging unharmed. Purposely we follow the winding course of the creek closely. Its barely audible murmuring beneath th€ ice grows in volume as it regains an opening where its rapid descent hinders the formation of icy prison walls. The silvery ripples are rendered musical for joy of its mo- mentary freedom. The noisy remonstration by a red-headed woodpecker at our intrusion into its sanctuary arrests our attention and we note with interest that the black and white of the immature bird is undergoing a change ; its crown dis- tinctly tinged by the dawn of fiery red. Dumbfounded by a familiar rattle, inseparable from open water and seasons and yet sure of our grounds, we single out its author, a belted king-fisher. Its familiar form and antics belie the severity of the season, and yet its measure of prosperity is running over. The minnows basking in the open stretches, furnish an easy living for the delinquent migrant. A little further up the stream, we note the en- trance to its nest in an overhanging gravelly clay bank, now serving as a shelter for the Winter, and close by a second one partly caved in, revealing the chamber with- in littered with bones and refuse. The grasses and what were but a short time since, beautiful flowers, now brown and dead, are nodding in the free wind sweeping up the valley, but the cheery note of the chickadee, engaged in cracking the seeds of wild hemp, softens the sting of the elements. At other and difterent times during this month, we have encountered here song-sparrows, goldfinches and redpolls, partaking of this delectable seed, while the adjacent field harbored the snow buntings, horned larks and prairie horned larks. Once a Cooper's hawk, angered or confused by our per- sistent calling, gave us a violent start. We discovered beautiful examples of bird architecture, cleverly concealed nests of phcebe, finely fashioned strawy nests of the song sparrow, pendant structures of the oriole, goldfinch and vireo. The secret of the wily indigo bunting at the edge of the meadow is ours, though it led us a merry chase some months previous. Here where the embankments are steep and overhanging, we hear a familiar scolding as of a wren, but in a higher key. It betrays that invincible busybody, the Winter wren, prying into windfalls, rotten logs and caved in embank- ment for the life sustaining insects and larvae. The bitter temperature is no deterrent in curtailing shortcuts through the shallowest of water. Persistent wren energy alone could wrest a meat diet now from the solidly frozen earth, but this hardy Northerner simply laughs at hard- ships and occasionally refreshes itself with an icy bath, clearly denoting its aqtiatic ancestry. Erom yonder grove comes the persistent tapping of the hairy woodpecker or its smaller relative, the downy and lusty "Yank! Yank!" of the white-breasted nuthatch assures us of their fateful life's work. Other signs of life claim our interest also. Here the blackened snow confirms the unerring scent of the squir- rels for their hoarded nuts ; there a rabbit, rudely alarmed in its shelter of grasses, bounds away over the frozen ground. Another trail with broad toes spread, well clawed, the miniature human heel, records a midwinter forage of a coon during a lull in the weather, and its successful search for acorns under an accustomed tree, and a little later on, we follow the unmistakable tracks of skunk to its den under a cliff, whither a farm- er's dog had followed it, and learned a lesson. We quit the course of the interesting stream and follow the fortunes of another, not so turbulent and less fre- quented. Alas, to our sorrow, we note that the slender ribbon is frozen for unbroken miles. Wild life is sadly lacking. The temper of the valley portrays truly the temper of the season. But, the strident note of the blue jay and the derisive cawing of the crows in the distance, strive vainly to dampen our ardor for Nature in its Jan- uary mood. Listening pays. Listening broadens. Listening edu- cates. It is human to prefer a listener to a talker. To grow, to advance, to gain friends, learn how to listen. It has been said that even a fool can pass for a wise man if he will but hold his tongue. It was Disraeli (who knew how to talk) who once re- marked : "There is some silent people who are more in- teresting than the best talkers." He also said: "Silence is the mother of truth." Carlvle, who wrote more about silence than he prac- ticed it, nevertheless enunciated a worthwhile truth when he said: "Under all speech that is good for anything there lies a silence that is better. Silence is deep as Eter- nity : speech is shallow as Time." Silence is essential to contemplation and reflection. .\nd only through contemplation and reflection can we come to know wisdom. Even if your ambition be to become a good talker, an important preparation is to be a good listener. You will never make enemies and rarely will make mistakes by listening. You are in danger of making wth by careless talking. Learn to listen. — Forbes. for January, 1921 A29 A Town With Walls Covered With Peach Trees S^' UPON the sunin- slopes of the httle town of Mon- treuil, situated several kilometers from Paris, is a network of high walls covered with peach trees that bear fruits remarkable for their form, their pretty bloom with vivid colors and their exquisite and fragrant fiesh. For two hundred and fifty years, in fact, the gar- deners of this locality, thanks to a good preparation of the soil, to the choice of varieties successively improved and to methods of sensible pruning, have succeeded in obtaining peaches universally renowned. According to the Pratique du Jardinage, of the Abbot Roger Schabol (1774), this unique horticultural industry arose under Louis XIV. A musketeer, Rene Claude Girardot, lieutenant of archers of the captaincy of Vin- cennes, who withdrew from service in 1697, was the promoter on his estate of Bagolet, as was a horticulturist of Montreuil also, by the name of Pepin, pupil of La Ouintinie, the celebrated director of the vegetable gar- dens of the Grand King at ^^ersailles. Both diffused the methods already in use toward the end of the XVII century and owed more to chance than to close observa- tions. Accord- ing to the tra- dition the in- habitants of M o n t r e u il, having at that time eaten peaches grown at C o r h e i 1 , upon trees in the open, threw the pits into their gar- dens. Some sprang up along a wall and the whim caught them of raising up the branches laden with fruit and of attach- ing them to the wall. These good people, having neither rushes nor osiers, made bands out of the pieces of their old clothes and fi.xed nails in the masonry at the two ends of the worn out cloths with which they wrapped each branch. The peaches took color, acquired more taste and increased in size more quickly than those grown among the surrounding vineyards. Most of the trees rarely froze. So the gardeners of this corner of the Parisian suburb erected walls in all their grounds, and this custom has become enormously generalized in France since then. Today, as our photographs bear witness, the same pro- cedure is still followed at Montreuil. The peach de- mands a good deal of space on an espalier, and, above all, if it is grafted upon the almond is it necessary that it be able to develop over from forty to fifty square meters of wall surface. It adapts itself to nearly all soils on condi- tion that they be deep enough, cool, but not loo moist. They are propagated by grafting or liudding a dormant eye upon a seedling, almond, plum, apricot or sloe-thorn, according to the case. Thus in the south is found everv- General view of Montreuil near Paris. hig,h walls, xvhich are where the peach grafted upon a seedling, whereas if late varieties are desired use is made of the almond as a stock and the tree is planted in good soil. When only moist and shallow soil is at disposal the grafting is done by preference upon the plum — (variety. Black Daucas or St. Julienj. If the soil is both shallow and dry, recourse is had to the apricot ; finally, if the peach tree is intended for growing in a pot it is grafted upon the sloe-thorn. Some cultivators at Montreuil employ, with success, as a stock the vigorous cherry, St. Lucie, which finds itself at home in all soils. After the grafting, practiced in the vicinity of Paris, from the month of August until into September, the peach tree is subjected to different forms: oblique (simple or double), palmetto horizontal, palmetto vertical with two, three or four branches. Then it is planted upon a espalier. There is one general practice : the trees are oriented toward the west or the south, for the action of the rising sun often causes damage to peach trees exposed to the east, and the north ex- posure is too cold to ripen these fruits that originated in Persia. In dry and warm soils the walls are always fronted west, although the trees grow well with southern expo- sure ; but the peaches fall before they mature. In France the Winter pruning of the peach trees is done during the months of February and March, for the sap is then swelling the flower buds or future fruits, when their plumpness and their dark color permit the pro- ductive eyes to be distinguished from the pointed and dark green shoots. Experts can then sacrifice this or that branch quite advisedly. The gardeners of Montreuil see to it that, following the annual pruning, the main branches producing fruit- ing branches shall occupy fixed positions. When the main branches are vertical tlie fruiting branches ought to develop to the right or to the left and when the main branches are horizontal they ought to develop upwards and downwards, like the bones of a fish in relation to its vertebral column. Once the fruiting branches have been treated accord- ing to the preceding principles the peach trees are sub- jected to the cultural operations of the Spring season and of the .Summer, which complete the series of meas- ures intended to insure the future fruiting. These are, according to the case, the disbudding, the paling up. the pinching off the small buds, the ])runing in the green" tTie thinning of the fruits and the removing of leaves. The town covered is surrounded with Pcaeh trees with a network of 430 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Pruning a Peach trc in,- iciiils nt Mixurruu General vien' of an espalier during pruning and paling up WashiKg ihc branches with a nicotine solution Gathering the peaches for the inarktt /or January, 1921 431 The disbudding consists in removing- entirely tlie eyes situated between tlie one at the tip of a fruiting branch and the two of its base in order to force these to develop so as to obtain replacing Inids. After the disbudding of a peach tree there remains a bud at the extremit\- of each branch, two at its base and some others spaced at from 10 to 15 centimeters upon the intervening part. To lessen the vigor of too strong growth and in order to bring the growing efifort into the more feeble the branch is pinched, that is to say, its soft tip is cut with the finger nails in order temporarily to arrest its growth and to favor the ripening of the wood. At Alontreuil, however, many owners do not pinch their peach trees, vegetation being not vigorous there. In compensation they pale them up, in the drv and in the green, that is to say they fasten the young branches of the tree with the aid of bands upon a trellis, or by means of strips of cloth upon the wall. They arrange the fruiting branches symmetrically according to the ramifications of the main branches, like the bones of a fish around its vertebral cohuun. The paling up in the dry is performed in IMarch and April, immediately after the Winter pruning, and once only, while the paling up in the green is done several times in the course of June and July. Ordinarily the paling up is begun at the tips of the branches of the tree that are the most vigorous, and ten or twelve davs later the retarded branches are attached. The paling up slack- ens the force of vegetation and furthers the formation of the flower buds. Besides, one proceeds again, in the course of the Sum- mer growth, to suppress the useless branches ; this opera- tion, called pruning in the green, is practiced from June to .August when the replacing branches do not grow fast enough or when a fruiting twig does not bear peaches. Then the fruiting branch is cut above the replacing buds spared at its base. If the buds upon a fruiting liranch fall before maturity, jiruning in the green is likewise practiced. Pruning, disbudding, pinching or paling up have as their end the control of the tree in view of the future harvests. But it is good also to remove a part of the fruits, for their excessive abundance is detrimental to both their beauty and their quality. It is necessaty then to thin out, upon two or three different occasions, by pre- serving one or two peaches in a cluster ; that is to say, at intervals of about ten or twelve meters along the main branch. The first thinning takes place in May, and nearly at the same time as the disbudding. First are cut off the fruits poorly placed, for example, those back against the wall, or those hanging at the ends of branches that are puny. Every discreet horticulturalist ought to show him- self ])rudent in the first thinning and leave three or four peaches in a cluster, for at the time of the hardening of the pit many of the fruits fall naturally. One waits for the end of this critical period before proceeding to the second thinning. In addition, when et with orient pearles, and garnished with great diversitie of rare and costly jewels." These words apply with singular force today. Ng^ work on the herbaceous borders, shrubberies, and flower gardens can be planned, and color and planting schemes worked out on paper. Any plants which you contemplate securing should be ordered to save valuable time later on, and that your supply may be sure during the rush of the planting season. Also secure your supply of flower stakes, pea brush and bean poles. Look over the stock of tools, insecticides, spray- ing materials, fertilizers and various sundries that need replenishing. Regarding vegetables, our efforts during the early part of the month are mainly directed to conservation rather than production. The stocks of roots, tubers, vegetables and fruits stored will require inspection, and those show- ing signs of decay should be removed. The less fortunate who have no regular storage cellar possibly have to con- tend with the heat from a furnace, making a too dry atmosphere with the subsequent shrivelling and deteriora- tion unless great care is exercised. Celery, that has been banked up with litter and dry leaves outside, may have the tops exposed to allow the moisture to escape. Should we get a break of mild and open weather, take care to cover again in the evening. Where it is possible and greenhouse space available, successions of crops of beets, stump-rooted carrots, spinach, cauliflowers and salads can be sown in a temper- ature of 40° to 45°, for they quickly respond to the rising lemperature and increase of sunlight. They are always much appreciated when produced. String beans and to- matoes are profitable crops to .grow, but require more heat than the above-mentioned. When growing early vegetables, one has always to take into consideration the room at his disposal, and the use that will be called upon for it during early Spring. I cannot too strongly emphasize the fact that there is no gain in an early start, unless you have the room to keep your plants growing, and will not have to overcrowd at a later date. Do not let enthusiasm get the better of good judgment. Continue to bring in more asparagus, rhubarb, seakale, and chicory to force. If these roots are lifted in the late Fall, and stored in a cool place, even where a little frost can reach them, the^' will respond more readily when for January, 1921 433 brought into heat. To force seakale properly, requires a brisk, bottom heat, and it must be kept quite dark, other- wise it will not be ijroptrly blanched, and the quality suf- fers accordingly. These remarks also apply to chicory. Mushroom growing presents few difficulties where abundance of horse droppings can be obtained. If one does not possess a properly constructed house, they can be grown in a warm cellar or shed. Collect enough material, which should be turned over each da}- to sweeten the mass thoroughly, to make the bed decided upon. This is generally accomplished when the strong ammonia has gone and the violent heat has subsided. (Some growers mix some loam with the droppings at this stage.) It is then ready to be made into beds, and should be beaten down firmly, and watched for a few days before spawning. Sometimes the heat may rise and we must wait until this has subsided to around 70° or 75°. favor- able to the growth of the mycelium. Insert, in spawning, pieces of spawn about the size of a hen's egg, covering the bed with good loamy soil to about three-quarters to one inch in depth. r^Iake it firm. Mushrooms may be expected after a period of six weeks. Flower beds that have been bearing and are showing signs that their cropping power is on the wane can be watered with tepid water, in which has been dissolved a good handful of common salt in a five-gallon watering can, as it has an invigorating effect on the beds. Push on with pruning, and apply Winter spray to fruit trees, for these are two important operations which must be done with care, if we desire first-class fruit. Prun- ing does not consist of indiscriminately cutting and thin- ning, and often as much harm is done by too much knife and saw as when they are neglected entirely. Chie should bear in mind the object in view, with some knowledge of the conditions of the root action, that can be deter- mined by the growth made last Summer. Our main ob- jects are to remove weak and useless wood; to admit light, air and sunshine; to mold the trees into shapyely specimens and to convert gross and strong wood into fruitful growth. Gather and burn all prunings and trini- ings, as these ashes are rich in potash and are an excel- lent fertilizer. Evergreens and flowering shrubs suffer from the ravages of scale and other insect pests and should have attention. Care should be taken that evergreens and specimen conifers do not get heavily weighted with snow. It is advisable to take a long pole or rake and give the branches a sharp shake. Trees are often damaged if not attended to in this way, and their value as ornaments impaired or even ruined. Wild Flower ''Sanctuaries" Proposed HERBERT DURAND THE Garden Club of America has inaugurated a prac- tical nation-wide movement to prevent the threat- ened extinction of many of our conspicuously beauti- ful wild flowers. It has appointed a Committee on the Preservation of Native Wild Flowers, of which Mrs. F. C. Farwell, 1520 Astor Street, Chicago, is Chairman, and this committee is sending out appeals to owners of country places, urging them to establish wild flower "Sanctuaries." Excellent locations for such sanctuaries are wooded areas, boggy meadows, the banks and pools of streams, rocky hillsides and other neglected spots, particularly those which are unsuitable for cultivation. Such nooks and corners, by the use of the right native plants, may be made the most attractive features of any place, and safe harbors as well for those choicer varieties, which, through carelessness, or ignorance, are rapidly disap- pearing. The "Sanctuary" idea is fine and should receive en- thusiastic support from every owner who can provide congenial soil and surroundings for the lovely denizens of our woods, hills and fields. This provision, however. is absolutely essential. For example, a plant whose nat- ural habitat is moi.st, acid leaf mold, in shade, will soon perish in ordinary garden soil and full sun. An intiiuate knowledge of indigenous plants, their habits, require- ments and methods of self-propagation, is necessary to success. Each variety must be jirovided with the kind of soil and given the kind of exposure and associations to which it is accustomed. Yet all this is a simple pro- cedure: it requires only the exercise of comtnon sense and securing and following the cheerfully given advice of those who know. Most good nurserymen oft'er a number of attractive nati\-e plants — the indigenotis conifers, Rhododendrons, Azaleas. Kalmias, and other broad-leaved evergreens, the shadbushes, viburnums, dogwoods, ilexes, niyricas, cle- thras. etc., several of the ferns and many herbaceous plants, like Mcrtensla. dodccathcon, trUUum. meadow and turk's cap lilies, and hepaticas. The common kinds of both ferns and flowering plants may be transplanted from neighboring wilds, a most agreeable diversion for a day off, or durmg a vacation. It is, therefore, not difficult to secure the planting material for whatever kind of sanct- uary is desired, whether it be along or at the end of a woodland path, a rock garden, a meadow garden, a bog garden, or a water garden. Few lovers of wild flowers know the charm of our native terrestrial orchids, yet even these shy beauties may be obtained and enjoyed and per- petuated by anyone who can comply with their simple but exacting requirements. The Garden Club of America is also endeavoring to arouse interest in the preservation of American wild flowers, through the education of American school chil- dren. Mr. Frank A. Vanderlip, at "Beechwood," his estate near Scarboro-on-Hudson, is responding to this ap- peal, by installing an out-of-doors living Botany. An area of hillside, meadow, bog and woodland, through which a brook meanders, and which adjoins the campus of the Scarboro school, has been devoted to this purpose. Here some 6,000 plants were put in last October and more will be added until the school children will have available for their instruction an approximately complete collection of the ferns, flowering shrubs and flowering plants of Northeastern America. The enormous educational ad- vantage of such a living and growing collection, as com- pared with the customary dried herbarium specimens, is readily manifest, and Mr. Vanderlip's example will un- rloubtedly be followed by many other institutions of learn- ing in all parts of the country. The "Sanctuary." as applied to birds, has fully proved its worth, as the noticeable increase each year in the nimiber of our feathered friends testifies. That it will be equally efficacious as applied to the wild flow- ers is not to be doubted. It is a certainty, if every- one who can find a safe haven for the wildings will do his part. 434 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The Greenhouse, Month to Month W. R. FOWKES JANUARY is not a very busy month for the greenhouse department, and early February does not call for many changes pro\iding the December needs were attended to. So we shall discuss for a short time that beautiful and much misunderstood class of Nature's gems, the orchid. It is gratifying to note the revival in orchid cul- ture that is taking place in our broad land. The mis- taken ideas regarding their cultural requirements have been somewhat clarified by recent writers, and the so- called mysteries of orchid growing are being dispelled. The more commonly known commercial orchids are the Cattleyas, and they are of the easiest culture, if one or two technical items are studied. I know well that to be a real orchid grower requires many years of study in the best European places, but European culture is not suitable for the United States. The novice will do well to let alone what he reads about orchid culture that is prac- tised there. (_)ur more severe Winters requiring more artificial heat, that dries the atmosphere, has to be com- bated, and the European rest for orchids has to be mod- ified, for with Cattleya.^ here the most of them are either growing, flowering or recuperating. Several Cattleyas now out of bloom having their so- called rest, need a little attention. Cattleya gigas, the noblest of the family, flowers from June to July. In order to succeed, keep the plants in a lower temperature than the earlier bloomers. By this treatment they will not shrivel but will have firm bulbs which will in due season send up strong flowering bulbs. The idea is to restrict this capricious variety to make one growth on a small plant annually, and thus successfully give its mag- nificent blooms in season. A few cultural details for a mixed collection which can be grown in a temperature of from 50° at night to 60° in the day time, follow : The lovely Epidcndrmn vitcHiniiin has given its bril- liant scarlet spikes during the last eight weeks. It is evergreen. To rest would be disastrous. Give it the lower temperature and spray only on bright days, or not more than three times a week. Cattleya Pcrcivaliaiia will succeed with the same treat- ment. Cypripediums will stand with success more water at all times, being evergreen also. The beautiful Pliahnwpsis is now flowering and its resting period is at this time, but give these plants the warm corner of the house, and they should never be dried off, or their fleshy leaves will shrivel. This variety should not be sprayed with insecticides as its roots dislike any- thing poisonous. After blooming, take the sour compost carefully from the roots and replace with sphagnum moss and small pieces of charcoal. No heat is necessary. The deciduous Calanthes as they go out of bloom should be shaken out and stood perpendicularly in a flat containing the dust shaken from the Osmunda fibre or peat, when mixing compost. Keep these bulbs dry. They will start their next year's growth at the base in March and their culture will be noted then in these columns. Dendrobuivn Phalcrnopsls is an evergreen orchid and should not be kept too dry or the bulbs will not be stout enough to give the support necessary for the next growth to flower. Dcndrobuun nobilc, and li'ardiamim are not ever- greens, but deciduous, and are now resting in a carnation house, suspended from the roof and are dipped every Saturday morning for three minutes. With this treat- ment, the nodules appear along the dried growths, and they can then be taken into warmer quarters and be wat- ered freely. But the idea of resting these Dendrobiums is to flower them before new growth appears, and if the lower temperature is adhered to there will be no shrivelled up plants, but healthy and vigorous ones that will repay any care given them, for in orchid culture. Art must assist Nature, and we must not grow weary in well doing. There is no magic art in their culture and when the problem of their period of rest, and how to rest them is understood, it will be a pleasure. Exhibitors have carnation and chrysanthemum cuttings in the sand, and it is well not to start the latter too soon, or lanky growth will intervene. What is wanted with "mums is a continuous period of growth, and the transi- tion of the periods of formation of buds will not be so perplexing. Single and decorative kinds need not be propagated until IMarch. The lilacs that w-ere dug from the garden early in De- cember, and have been at rest in a cold cellar, can now be brought into a cool house. Keep the temperature low for two weeks and the plants will prodtice good results when forced. In the meantime, cuttings of lilac shoots, Forsythia and Pniniis, that have now been well frozen can be placed in vases or jars of water in a warm room or green- house and will give useful flowers for the home before the potted plants will be ready. Do not forget the Nectarines in pots in the cold cellar, r.ring them in and prune off any dead twigs, but if dis- budding tn five eyes was attended to last Summer, little |:runing will be necessary. A temperature of 39° at night is sufficient the first two weeks, but see first that the roots aie not killing dry. and that the drainage is right. Poinsettias that have bloomed can be kept dry and laid to rest on their sides in a dry room. Hive Cyclamen a light position and if you want stout stems do not feed at all. Feeding makes fat stems that (|uickly fall over when the sun shines. The compost should' be rich enough to carry them through all right. Liliiiiii fnrmosum or Harrissii for Easter can now stand plenty of heat. Do not neglect the aphis that are sure to infest the growth, and apply the proper remedies in time to keep them clean, for Easter is early this year. Gloxinia bulbs can be started now for early blooming and there is no better method than a flat with moss and sand. Just press the bulbs in gently and, if the moss is moist, no water will be necessary until growth has nicely commenced. Insist on vourself ; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's ci!iltivation ; out of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half posses- sion. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. No man yet knows what it is. nor can, till that person has exhibited it. — Emerson. for January, 1921 435 Gypsophila (Babies' Breath) RICHARD ROTHE Fi;\\ harcly garden inmates are better known and more appreciated than the "'Babies' Breath'" or Gypsophia. One reason for the prevailing popularity is the wide latitude of usefulness of their flowers in a cut stat. The graceful ])anicles of the annual GypsopJiila cicgaiis, as well as the perennial species Gypsophila paniculata, seem indis])ensable for mid-Summer table decorations. A few sprays mixed in bouquets, centerpieces or vases take away any stiffness in the forms of common every-day garden flowers, ameliorating colors and, in a general way, help to improve matters perceptibly. To lie without a con- tinuous supply of Babies' Breath during the prolonged Sweet I'ea season in fashionable northern Summer resorts reflects very badly on judgment. In the eyes of most emplovcrs and customers, gardeners and florists minus Gypsophila Ceraslioides de.-ired article figure as well nigh com- The simple and easy way of producing sowings in proper rotation leaves the constantly plete failures, the annual kinds by no e.xcuse whatever. Gysophila paniculata, the perennial border favorite, while in bloom, serves the same purpose. Here we are at present facing the ever increasing demand for the double flowering form and subsequent problems of its propagation. Seed of G\psophila paniculata flora plena when sown comes true only about 15 to 20 per cent. Trying cuttings, including those of roots, the results ac- cording to my experience are usually anything but satis- factory. 1 hear, however, of marvelous successes in propagating the double form of Gypsophila paniculata in California, and sincerely hope the reports may prove true, for paniculata Hove pleno is a wonderful im- provement. Less known, and by no means duly appreciated, we find the dwarf growing and creeping species. All are valu- able for rockgarden and drywall planting. Gypsophila ortegioides, wdiite, blooms in July and August. Gypso- phila rcpcns is easily grown from seed and propagated by division. It is a splendid subject for dry walls and extremely graceful when in array of its clouds of white Ijlossoms during June and July. Rcpcns monstrosa is much stronger in growth than the former, and for this reason more adapted for large rockeries. Rcpcns rosea bears pale pink panicles and Gypsophila Snendcrmanni IS distinguished by an unusually strong rambling growth. .Strikingly attractive are also the two most dwarfy species. Gxpsophila ccrastioidcs is a native of Central Europe, wliose white blossoms are marked by finely penciled Ijrown veins, and Gypsophila transylfanica, a true little Alpine, bears tinv pure white flowers during June. Cypsdphila Rcpeiis Gypsophilas require an open sunny exposure, a deep loamy garden soil, and during Winter a mulching of liarnyard manure or leaf-covering for protection. New York's Spring Flower Show TIIL eigluh International Flower Show in the Grand Central Palace, Xew York city, opens on March the 14th and continues until March the 20th. The pre- liminary schedule has been in the hands of the growers and gardeners for some months but the final schedule, which comprises all the cut flower classes, is also now- available and if anyone desiring a copy has not received one. a letter to lohn Young, secretary. 43 West 18th street, New York city, or .\rtliur Herringlon, manager. Madison, N. J., will hrmg one by return mail. Ii is in these smaller classes where many gardeners could, if they would, make exhibits and help materially to augment this part of the show and the Mower Show (/ommittee solicits the co-operation of the gardeners to- wards this end. The more there are participating in it ihc greater the interest, the wider its apjieal and the more extensive its patronage. The plans that have been worked out for this year's show are entirely different from the plans of those that have preceded it. For example ; instead of the 500 sq. ft. Rose groups which, by the way, the jjublic have become (|uite used to, there has been ])rovided this year a class for the best development of a garden covering 1,000 sq. ft. l""our such spaces have been laid out in the ])lan and four entries to fill such spaces have been received. Other (Continued on page 442) 436 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE glililliiiiniiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuimniiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiinmiiiiiiiiiiim E i I A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in | I Relation to Its Environment | § Eeing One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Gardening, Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle 1 I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | F.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimii)iiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiinitnnniMimiiiiii!iiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ;!iii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii::iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii]iiin^ IMMEDIATELY after the union, or fusion, of the single staniinate and pistillate cells, respectively, otherwise known as fertilization, has taken place, the embryo commences to form. In cross-fertilization this enil)ryo contains all the characters of two lines of ancestors, which characters will continue to remain part of the germ-plasm tif the resulting plant, and which are not radically changed or added to by differences in environment. At the same time some characters may become more dominant, and others more or less repressed, but not extinguished, by differences in food, soil and climate. One of the most important parts in the art of gardening is the working out of methods of supplying such food, soil condi- tions, etc., and in greenhouses, temperature, which, all together, are known as environment, which will best conduce to the domi- nance of the characters most desired. As soon as the embryo comes into existence, the deposit of food for its sustenance during the period of germination com- mences, resulting in the formation of the body known as a seed. While sometimes an enlarged fleshy ovary, popularly known as a fruit, is brought into existence without the formation of seed, as in the case of the banana, yet, so far as I am aware — except sometimes indirectly in what are called alternations or genera- tions— seed is not produced unless the ovule is fertilized and an embryo formed. In this connection, Nature obviously does not consider it necessary to store up food for an embryo which does not exist. This can easily be observed wlien shelling peas. Some pods will be found to be perfectly full, others will contain some full-sized peas and also some tiny peas which have evidently stopped at the initial stage of their growth : these latter are unfertilized ovules. .Seeds contain all the necessary ingredients for the building up of the plantlet which results when the embryo starts to grow, or commences to germinate, which germination is not complete until the plantlet is able to gather its own food from the soil and air. Plant food is stored up in the seed in the form of proteids, carbohydrate (starch), fat and mineral salts. The proportions of these ingredients vary in seeds of different genera and species. Thus in corn, wheat, and in other seeds from the same order of plants, starch is the predominating ingredient; in le;umincus plants, such as peas and beans, proteid occupies the larger posi- tion : while the seeds of flax and cotton are remarkable ft r their excess of fat. which fat is extracted in the well known cotton- seed and linseed oils. These stored up materials have to undergo certain changes before they can be utilized by the germinating embryo, the manner of this will be taken up later. As seeds of their kind vary in size, there is a greater amount of total plant food in heavy than in light weight seeds, and the additional reserve food in the larger seeds enables the plantlet not only to reach a more advanced stage cf growth before being compelled to collect and assimilate food from outside but the two processes may go on together. Also the largest seeds invariably contain the strongest embryos, therefore the combina- tion of an especially virile embryo and an extra supply of food will, all other things being equal, result in a plant of considerably greater vigor than would be the case from small seeds. This has been practically proved, amongst other ways, by commercial growers of lettuce under glass, who are able by only sowing large seeds to raise one more crop during the Winter than when unsifted seed is used. In all cases it is therefore cheaper to pay more for properly screened seeds. ft would seem scarcely necessary to emphasize the importance of quality and potential vigor of seeds in crop production, or in other words, their capability to produce the most vigorous plants of which the variety is capable. .Another important consideration is the inherent adaptability of the strain of seed to the environ- ment under which it is to be grown. These considerations as a whole will be affected by the environ- ment of its parents, in which connection the most important points are cultural conditions, soil and climate, and there is no doubt whatever that some strains of seed are better adapted, and will therefore produce better results, under some environments than they will inidor others. Hitherto- this point has received little or no consideratii n from sardeners, although some large commercial growers are aware that seeds produced on certain soi's give bet- ter returns than those grown upon soils of an opposite character, and they act accordingly. Some further points connected with this were considered last month. In harvesting seed crops, careless methods may produce seed not only of a poor germinating percentage due to the embryos being killed, but may also cause the embryos to be wanting in vigor, so that even when germination takes place they may not have strength enough to produce a plant, and in any case a plant from a weak embryo is never at any period of its life so vigorous as a plant from a strong one. The duration of an embryo's vitality after the seed has ripened varies with the seed's maturity when harvested and w-ith the conditions under which seed has been stored, hut why this vitality is more enduring in some species and less so in others, we cannot tell. The fact remains that while seeds of some species will retain the power of germi- nating for many years, others will lose this power in a few days or weeks. The difi^erence in the time which seeds of various species remain viable are, in one respect, irrespective of the conditions under which seeds are kept ; that is to say, it matters not how perfect these conditions may be. the embryos in certain species of seeds will only remain alive for a certain limited period. At the same time, with .-.pecial precautions and treatment, there is no question that the life of seeds may be greatly pro- longed beyond that which we know at present, though never for centuries as is sometimes stated. Cases so reported cannot be taken as evidence of the longevity of seeds. Numerous assertions have been periodically made about the longevity of seeds which are of little value froin lack of detail and of sufificient proof. The most notorious are those concerning seeds from the sarcophagi of Egy^ptian mummies. It is now generally acknowledged that no adequate proof of this germina- tion has been produced, the reputed success in connection with mummy wheat for instance, being due to the duplicity of .-Krab relic vendors — in which characteristic they are not at all singu- lar— in palming off modern seeds as being taken from sarcophagi. The average life of seeds varies greatly with different families, genera and species, but there is no relation between the longevity of plants and the \iable period of the seeds they bear. The seeds of trees as a rule lose their vitality sooner than those of annual weeds, for instance. Seeds of coniferous trees lose their vitality in a year or so. and in the case of the Elm, unless its seed germi- nates within a few days after it falls its power of doing so is lost. It is a matter of common knowledge that many seeds of plants classed as weeds may be buried in the soil for some years and then germinate when brought near the surface. In this latter connection the old saying that "one year's seeding makes seven years' weeding" is easily understood, which would be equally true if the word "ten" were substituted for seven. The question here arises regarding the advisability of keeping unused seeds over from year to year. It has long been known, and we have previously stated it, that the conditions under which seed plants have been harvested and the degree of maturity at the tim.e cf harvesting are factors which play an important part not only in the percentage of germination immediately after harvest, but also in the duration of the seeds' vitality. Apart from the fact that some seeds have to be sown as soon as ripe and are therefore not handled by seedsmen, there are many kinds which, while their vitality may lie retained for some years if stored under proper conditions, soon become useless when such conditions are detrimental. Many investigators have learned that the rapidity with which seeds with more or less long- lived potentialities lose their power of germination varies greatly with the section of the countrv in which thev are kept. The loss of vitality is especially marked in the case of seeds stored in places of relatively high htniiiditv. The rapid deterioration of seeds in localities having a humid atmosnhere has become a source of much embarrassment to seedsmen. Many difficulties in shipping seeds to the Gulf of Mexico for instance are a matter of com- inon experience, as in that district seeds, which in other localities keep for some years, lose their vitality in a few months. Expcri- ineuts witli twelve species of garden seeds, stored midcr identical conditions otherwise, possesed the power of .germination after a lapse of six months, 60 per cent greater at -\nn .^rbor, Mich., tlian at Mobile. .Ma. This shows that seeds retain their vitality for January, 1921 437 much longer in some sections of the country than in others, and the part which the environment surrounding a seed plays in its germinating power is of much more importance than is generally supposed. \Vhile species differ in a decided manner with respect to the length of time in which vitality is maintained under what may be termed artificial conditions, and this is true however ideal these conditions may be, there is no doubt that the life of a seed is dependent upon many factors, but the one of the greatest impor- tance governing the life of seeds artificially kept is dryness. Probably the best method of keeping seeds in small (juantities is to have them perfectly dry and place them in an equally dry fruit jar and screw down the top upon a rubber ring so that the jar remains air-tight. In this way peas, beans, radish, cab- bage, melon, and others allied to these, may be kept over, but it is not worth while doing so with parsnip, carrot, onion, lettuce and herbs generally, as these latter soon lose their vitality. With flowers, new seed is invariably advisable. In all cases a germi- nation test should be made of kept over seeds before sowing time. While the entire round of plant life is wonderfully intricate and extremely interesting, there is no phase of that life more so than seed germination, unless we class as still more wonderful the fact of a plant transferring its life to its seed, which seed, while to all appearance dead, contains under normal conditions, a living germ. This small germ, in some cases invisible to the naked eye, contains within it all the characters and potentialities of its parents. While this germ can. under certain possibilities, be easily destroyed, it is at the same time under some possibilities difficult to kill. When perfectly dry it is not killed under a temperature as high as 212° F., and it will also withstand a tem- perature as low as 70° F. below zero. The seed is practically a perfect plant in an embryonic state, and it is so designed that it will survive conditions which would be fatal to the plant itself. Generally, seeds which are buried deeply in the ground retain their vitality for a long period, in fact, much longer than under any method at present devised for keeping them artificially. Reliable evidence has proved that both red and white clover seeds, amongst others, will germinate after being buried for thirty years at a depth of three or four feet. Neither by the use of the most powerful microscope, nor by the most delicate chemical analysis, can we determine whether the embrj'o of a given seed possesses any vitality or not. The vitality of seeds can only be determined by a germinating test, which test may be made in the natural way by sowing seeds in the soil, which, provided the seeds are sown under proper con- ditions, is the most useful method of testing; or by means of several artificial methods, such as placing the seeds between two pieces of flannel or cloth kept continually moist in a warm atmosphere, or by placing thera in a laboratory seed-tester. If one sends a sample of seed to their State Experimental Station for testing, they will sooner or later receive word that the seed germinated so much per cent, which means that a certain num- ber of seeds were viable inasmuch as the embryos they contained had sufficient life to start into growth, or sprout. Properly con- ducted laboratory tests are carried out under ideal conditions as regards temperature and moisture, and such tests will always give a liigher percentage of germination than is generally possible when the seed is sown in the ordinary way in the soil. Further, in nearly, if not quite, all samples of seeds there are always some in which the embryo, while having sufficient vitality to start into growth by sprouting, is not sufficiently strong to complete the act of germination, in other words, to produce a plant. For this reason, as well as for others which will be apparent as we pro- ceed, we inay calculate that from a sample of seed which under a laboratory test will show a germination of 80 per cent, will not give more than 40 per cent wliich will produce perfect plants when sown in the ground under ordinary conditions. Obviously the better the entire environment surrounding seeds after being placed in the soil the greater will be the number of plants pro- duced. It is possible for even viable seeds to be sown with little or no germination resulting. When this happens, the blame is generally put upon the seedsman, while the chances are that the seeds which failed to come up were perfectly good, and that the reason for their not doing so should be sought for in other directions. The germ or embryo of a good seed is in a state which may be likened to deep sleep: its life is, as it were, arrested, suspended, but under the stimulus of a favorable environment, it awakens, comes out from its coverings, gathers strength from the food stored up for it within the seed, and becomes a perfect plant, part of which appears above ground, while the other part ramifies in the soil searching for food. A sufficiency of moisture, heat and oxveen are tlie determining causes which bring about the starting of germination, which causes are only eflfectivc when co-operating together. .Ml of the food iTialcrials in seed.; undergo certain changes during germina- tion. The chief agents bringing about these changes are ferments, whicn ferments are started into action when hi the embryo, or in other words, at the initial starting point of germination. When seeds germinate the starch is changed into soluble dextrose bodies before it is utilized by the plantlct. This change is brought about by the action of ferments, particularly diastase which is found in all seeds. As germination progresses, some of the starch is oxidized and heat is produced, and under all conditions of soil temperature, the temperature of a germinating seed is higher than it was before germination started. In gertnination, the fats are first broken up into fatty acids, and then converted into starch and other soluble carbohydrates, as dextrine and sugars. It is estimated that 887 parts' of fat will produce 1,700 parts of starch simply by the addition of oxygen from the air. In the oil seeds about twice the amount of reserve food is stored up in the same space in the form of fat as in other seeds in the form of starch. The proteid compounds of seeds, which are mainly present in insoluble forms, are rendered soluble by ferment action. Some of the soluble proteids are broken down into a condition which enables them to be transported through the plant tissues and used as building material. After passing through the cell walls, these compounds are reconstructed into proteids. As a whole, the changes taking place in the seed during germi- nation are the same as those w^hich occur in the digestion of food in the animal stomach. In the germination process, starch, fat and proteids are changed by ferment action into soluble forms. The diastase and peptonizing ferments are aniong the most active in producing the chemical changes in both germination and digestion processes. As above mentioned, the co-operative action of moisture, heat aiid oxygen is necessary before germination can begin. The action of moisture to soften the seed, which, when placed in the soil, is in an absolutely dry condition, must take place first, and seeds have to be nearly, or quite, saturated with water and the seed- case soft enough for the sprout to break through, before they will begin to germinate. The unfolding and expansion of the embryo is largely due to the great absorptive power possessed by the protoplasm within the cells. When water is obtainable, this power causes all parts of the embryo to be constantly satu- urated. and the clastic cell-walls are distended until they are like minute inflated bladders. The pressure thus set up aids in unfolding the different parts from their resting place within the seed-case, and enables the plantlet to burst the covering of the seed. Of course, further growth by cell division soon takes place. In botanical language the outer coverings of seeds — which may be one or more — are given different names according to their exact part in the seed's make-up, and the word seed-case can be taken to include all the various botanical terms used to designate the outer covering of seeds. Seeds differ considerably in the hardness of their coverings, and some take a very long period before the softening process is complete. Some seeds of this character may lie in the ground for weeks, months, or even years, without swelling, and plant raisers have adopted many methods for hastening the process ; such as, stratification in moist sand kept just above freezing point all the Winter, and then sowing the seed in the Spring; in some cases soaking in hot water has good effect. Seeds with a hard shell, as with nuts, peach stones, and such like, the shells are first broken, or the same thing occurs in X'ature by the action of frost when they are planted in the Fall, in the latter case germination does not take place until the following Spring. The germination of seeds w-ith hard cases, like canna, is hastened by filing a groove through the case. While all the ordinary garden seeds will, under the usual soil conditions as regards inoisture, absorb sufficient water, some require a much longer period than others, and with the latter, parsley, for instance, germination can be hastened by soaking the seeds before sowing in warm water not exceeding 100° F. Care should be taken not to soak the seeds too long, they should be taken out of the water as soon as swollen and sown imme- diately. It is usually sufficient to place the .seeds in water over- night and they will have absorbed sufficient water by the fol- lowing morning. It is also neccssarj- to have the soil conditions right, otherwise the sowing of soaked seeds may do more harm than good. After seeds have absorbed sufficient moisture, the next step in starting germination is a high enough temperature, and the seeds of some species and varieties of the same species will germinate at a lower temperature than others. It is inter- esting to note that the absorption of water will not alone start the necessary biological and chemical changes in seeds ; these do not begin until the embryo commences its activity. Unless the tem- perature is high enough for this activity to start within a com- paratively short time after the seed is saturated, it rots. (Continued on page 4401 438 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews NEW HYBRID TULIPS Althougli there has heen no lack of diversity nor o{ choice among tulips the possibility of obtaining forms actually new did not seem to me miaginary wlien 1 began, twenty years ago, the systematic hybridization of tulips. One of the objects of this attenupt was to produce a race of lulips with recurvuig, or reflexing, petals, in the class of Tulipa rctroriiwa and cicgaiis. The results have corresponded to the expectation and tne liist flower that opened in 19U8, as a result of a cross of Tulipa retle.va with a Darwin of pink flower, pre- sented the effect of an iris-flowered tulip, with petals elegantly reflexed and of a bright salmon-pink color heigntened by a tinge of carminea little darker on the outside. This vaiiety was presented, under the name of Sircnc, to the tulip experts of London and of Holland who accorded it three first-class certificates (London, Haarlem, Amsterdam). The Kciuc horttcolc. always in search for novelties, had caused to be painted, as early as 1914, a colored plate of it, by the artist Mons. Gcossens, and if circumstances had not hindered its puljlication ti.e plate would have appeared six years earlier. In the meantime the superior qualities of the tulip Sirciic have been confirmed and now ue can besides rank it among the varieties ready for early foicing in February. Of other varieties of the iris-flowered are Adonis of an in- tensely bright pink and Artemis, scarlet-pink. In the number of the li.y-flowered tulips I have obtained a good number of tulips absolutely new as to quality and color, which have bee.i received very favorably by the bulb-culture specialists. There can be distinguished three groups. First, there are some varieties of absolutely pure white, which rank among the better tulips for early forcing. Albino (Certificate of Merit. Haarlem, 1917, first class certifi- cate and certificate for forcing, Haarlem. February 9, 1920) is a variety that is vigorous, of large globular flower, pure white, with strong and erect stem. The certificates mentioned, which have been accorded at Haarlem in a most rigorous manner, can give an idea of the appreciation this variety has among the experts. Such a list of distinctions could be cited for Themis, another variety which permits forcing a fortnight earlier even than the preceding. A third white variety, Carrara, is distin- guished by its iTiilk-white tint. A second group is composed of varieties of which the colors are absolutely new or present artistic combinations hitherto unknown. Alcmcnc is a carmine-red, at the base pure white surrounded by blue. Anibrc is an egg-shaped flower, of lerra-cotta color clouded with amber. Ambrosia, lilac-pink on the outside, is colored salmcjn-orange on the inside, carrying flowers of Darwin form upon long stems. Dido is distinguished by the very large oran,ge-red flowers, reflexed with carmine and tinted salmon-orange. The flowers of Pulciiiea have a round form, glossy orange-red on the inside, lirigbt red on the outside. llias. violet-purple, at the base dark yellowish white. Jupiter, a very large flower, bright carmine-pink, at the base yellow on a blue ground. Leda is remarkable for the warmth of its salmon-pink, at the edges lighter. Marx'cl. of an elongated flower, fragrant, old-gold on the inside, salmon-pink on the outside. Nectar is a flower with pointed petals, brilliant carmine with heart pure white. Orion produces large flowers of a strartge combination of colors, carmine and salmon, copper and other hues mingling together in harmonious fashion. The third category comprehends the Darwin tulips with vel- low flowers. It is known that yellow is lacking in the original race of the Darwins. Crossings with other late yellow tulips have produced several varieties which by reason of their globular flowers, more or less cubical, can be ranked best among the Darwins. .As stich may be considered the variety Luna, of a delicate yellow color. All of the novelties mentioned have obtained one or more certificates, either at Haarlem or Amsterdatn, or at London from the Royal Horticultural Society, but it would be fastidious to make enumeration here. The series which we have just described is but a beginning. Thousands of seedlings are examined each season of flowering. and each year some new seedlings flower for the first tiine. .Among them several hundreds have been marked out to be cultivated and matltiplied by tne vegetative method, and to be introduced to commerce after having been tried by forcing and from every point of view, or perhaps to be rejected, if the first favorable impression should not be confirmed. In fine one will not be able to complain of a lack of choice of tulips during the coming years. — Frnest Ivrelage^ in La Revue HortiLolc. GENTIANA FARRERI L'nques.iouably the most exquisitely beautiful member of the G. ornata set and from every point of view a first-class alpine. In the circumstances it is but fitting that it was an easy winner of the high award of first-class certificate. Like others of its set, it is made up of numerous procumljent stems, freely furnished with narrow leaves, each growth terminated by- a solitary erect, trumpet-shaped flower of lovely turquoise blue, interspersed with white internally. No word picture, however, can do the plant justice. Valuable at any time, it is priceless as an addition to .Autumn-flowering plants. Wedded to unrivalled beauty is an amialily disposed nature that will render it indispensable. — The Lc.rdcii. Mr. Reginald l-'arrer, who discovered this beautiful Gentian in the high alpine sward of the Da-Tung chain (Northern Kansu- Tibet), states that "it is by far the most astoundingly beautiful of its race, reducing G. verna and G. Gentianella to the dimmest acolytes." Mr. Farrer describes the color as "an indescribably fierce luminous Cambridge blue within (with a clear, white throat), while, without, long Vandykes of periwinkle-purple alter- nate with swelling panels of nankeen, outlined in violet, and with a violet median line." In cool, rich soil in its natural habitat it forms patches a yard across. The robustness of the plant, together with its dwarf habit and great freedom of flowering, makes it a desirable subject for the rock-garden, and it will also lie valuab'e, like seme of the other Gentians, as an edging plant. — 77i<- Gardeners' Chronicle (British). DIANTHUS ALLWOOD This new race of hardy garden Pinks, introduced by Messrs. Allwood Bros., Haywards Heath, is the result of some nine years' work in crossing the hardy garden Pinks with perpetual-flowering Carnations. Judging from their behavior, they promise to be of immense importance not only out of doors, but for pot culture as well. For both purposes they are free growing, flower in great profusion, while not the least of their charms is their delicious fragrance. They are perfectly hardy, and are easily propagated at any time by means of cuttings. I have rooted them readily from cutting in Midwinter, placing them under a hand-light in a cool house; the resulting plants were ready to plant oul during Spring, and made large specimens the same season. Planting may be done during Autumn or early Spring; on cold heavy soils Spring planting is probably best. For Autumn plarit- ing propagation should take place in July or early .August, while for Spring planting I find that cuttings dibbled into cold frames during September give perfect results the following season. They root in a few weeks, and when they have made sufficient growth they should be stopped at the sixth pair of leaves to induce them to break from the base and become bushy. For bedding purposes it is not necessary to pot them, as they transplant readily from the frames, and grow freely in ordinary garden soil. Needless to say, they do best in open positions, such as suit border carna- tions, and like most members of the Dianthus family they enjoy lime in some form in the soil ; for this purpose basic slag should prove excellent, or old mortar rubble in heavy soils. Planted nine inches or so apart they grow quickly, and soon cover the ground; grown in the mass they are more or less self-supporting and require very little support from stakes. They flower on long stems, and cutting the blooms induces them to throw up new flowering growth. — The Gardeners' Chronicle (British). FRAGRANT PLANTS So highly esteemed a quality is fragrance that many a plant is given a place in gardens for its fragrance alone. Some sweet-scented flowers are inconspicuous or not par- for January, 1921 439 ticularly showy, like those of the Winter Sweet (Chimonanihus fragrans) ; others, like the Rose and Carnation, combine beanty of form and color with fragrance, but the garden that does not contain a few of them is indeed dericient. A very pretty idea sometimes carried out is to have a garden, or one portion of it, entireh" devoted to plants which give forth sweet odors. There is no lack of variety, for the list of plants entitled to find a place will be very large, particularly if those whose scent is stored up in their leaves are included. Roses and Carnations and Pinks, Lilies, Irises, Jonquils, Hyacinths and Day Lilies are almost as well known as Sweet Peas and Mignonette (and, by the way, the varieties of Sweet Peas are so numerous that a pretty garden miglit almost be made of them alone). Then there are Psonies, Lilies of the X'alley, \'iolets. Rockets, Sweet Sultan, Wallflowers, Woodruff, Musk-scented Mallow (Maira moscluita), Lavender, Bergamot, ^Myrtle, Lemon-scented X'erbena (Aloysia or Lifpia citrwdora), Balm, Mint and Thyme; and the Eve- ning Primroses, the Sweet-scented Tobacco plant, and the Xight-scented Stock, which are best towards evening. Of plants suited for walls, the Honeysuckle is not often enough seen, while some of the Clematises, Jasmine, and the Winter Sweet, with, of course, Roses, supply a large choice. The Winter Sweet blooms even in the open about Christmastime, and its odor is powerful and most pleasing. Magnolias, Mock Orange or Syringa (Philadcll'lius), L:\acs. the .\lmond, and Hawthorns will be welcome where there is room for larger trees and shrubs in the open. These do not by any means e.xhaust the list, and if further additions are needed there are Sweet Cicely, Sweet Gale, Primroses, and Cowslips, Alyssiiiii. Phlox, .Rosemary, Yar- row, Southernwood and the Flowering Currant to choose from. One advantage in making such a garden as this is that most of the plants are old-established favorites, and neither difficult' to olitain nor expen^ve to buy. — Gardening Illustrated. THE SHRUBBERY BORDER The general kinds of liedding and hardy herbaceous plants are not. collectively, suitable for fringing natural shrubberies, and ovcrplanting is detrimental to the desire to attain fine results. First give consideration to such subjects as Acanthus, HemcrocalUs. hardy Ferns, Saxifraga. Hy/'crkuni, Ibcris, Polygonatun oiHcinatc (Solomon's Seal), Aster, Fo.x- glove, Gyncriinn. l-'uchsia, Lavender, and varieties of Clematis, Honeysuckle and Hedcra: these to a great extent, struggle for supremacy with the roots of shrubs and Conifers. Simple groups of one species are desirable, and should be planted with due regard to aspect and the kind of shrub growing in proximity. If space permits, hardy Ferns and Henwrocallis (Day Lily) associate well; whilst Gyncrium (Pampas Grass) stands out in relief from a wide encircling mass of broad-leaved Sa.rifraga. Bcrbcris ll'ilsonee will gracefully overhang a closely planted bed of common Thyme, and bold groups of Fuchsia corallina make striking contrast against Ciiprcssus ntacrocarpa lutea. Inter- esting relief is obtained by employing dwarf flowering plants beneath trees giving light shade; for this purpose, Asperula odorala and Sa.rifraga unibrosa (London Pride) should be in- cluded. Polygonum baldschuanicum makes a pretty picture growing through an evergreen tree, and also on old stumps, although the latter are probably best reserved for Clematis and Honeysuckle. The natural form of specimen Conifers growing on the extreme margin should be carefully preserved and encroachment by other subjects prevented. — The Garneners' Chronicle (British). HARDY SHRUBS FOR FORCING. Large numbers of hardy shrubs arc suitable for forcing, and some of them, such as Rhododendrons, will give good results if merely lifted from the ground and potted. Others, such as Lilacs, species of Pyrus, Prunus and similar sulijects can only be had at their best when grown in pots over a sufficiently long period to become established and active at the root. It is true that most of the shrubby species used for forcing prove more or less successful when forced if merely lifted from the ground, but there is a great difference in the time they last in flower compared with those specially prejjared in pots. Pot- grown Lilacs, for example, will give flowers that keep fresh for .several weeks, while those of plants lifted from the ground will only keep fresh for a few days. Where a stock is grown in pots the plants should now be sorted, selecting and standing together all those that are well set with flower buds ; at the same time examine and correct faulty drainage. Subjects that have to be lifted from the ground and placed in pots or tubs should be attended to forthwith, that thev may have time to make fresh roots before they arc forced. Pot firmly and work the soil well m between the roots. The plants slinuld afterwards be stood out of doors, and the pots protected from the frost by placing leaves or litter of some sort around them. Some of the most useful shrubs for forcing are Pyrus Horibunda and its variety atro- sanguinea; P. speclabilis and P. Scheideckeri. The Prunus family includes the beautiful double flowering Peaches, also /'. triloba lar. H. pt., P. japonica, of which there are two double varieties, rose and white-colored ; P. subhertclla, and the Japanese Cherries, P. pseudo-cerasus. Spirseas, such as S. argula, S. prunifolia, tl. pi, and 6". I'an Plouttci, are also suitable for forcing. Of Lilacs some of the most reliable varieties are Marie Legiaye, Charles A. and Mm€. Lemoinc, double white. Kerria japonica var. II. pi., is an e.xcel- lent plant that forces readily. Ueiitcia gracilis is also an old favorite for this purpose. Forsythia suspcnsa is also useful, but is excelled by /'". speclabilis^ which flowers with wonderful free- dom and lasts in bloom for several weeks in a cool greenhouse. Xanthoceras sorbifolia is less commonly used for forcing, but it is a very beautiful plant in flower. Large, poi-grown specimens of Wistaria chinen<';is flower with great freedom, but thex- will not stand much forcing, and should be brought on gradually in a cool house. The A::aleas of the so-called Ghent section include a wide lange of beautiful colors. The small, white-flowered, sweet- scented Acalea Da'i'isii is very popular for flowering early under glass. Rhododendron pracox is naturally early in flowering and excellent for forcing, as also is the variety, liosy Bell. .Among the larger evergreen Rhododendrons there' is plenty of material to choose from, hut all are not adapted for forcing, the most suitable varieties in most cases lieing those that naturally flower early. One of the best and most dependable is Rosa Mundi. It is dwarf, very floriferous and may easily be had in flower at Christmas. Good early varieties are Boule dc Neige, Cunning- ham's White, Mme. Wagner, Pnncc Camillc de Rohan and Pink Pearl. — The Gardeners' Chronicle (British). COTONEASTER SIMONSII AS A HEDGE PLANT Those about to plant^ a garden hedge may lie reminded of the value of Cotoneasler Simonsii for the purpose. In a coinpara- tively short time it forms quite a good hedge and presents a pretty aspect at all seasons. It is quite easy to keep trimmed, and does not resent this process in the way that some plants do. We know a fainous northern nursery where the dividing hedges are all coinposed of Cotoneasler Simonsii, and very pretty indeed they are; while it serves admirably as a dividing and sheltering sub- ject. It is more expensive than Thorn or" Privet ; but, on the other hand, is less costly than Holly or Arbor i-itce. Another .good point is that it is not too fastidious regarding s,o\\.—The Garden, DEPARTMENT OF BOOK REVIEWS FERTrLizER.s .\NU Crops, by Lucius L. \'an Slvke, Ph.D.. cloth, Svo., XIV + 734 pages, with illustrations; The Orange judd Company, Xew York. To this volume inay be applied fittingly a grand term that in these days of things all practical, when speed and directness and cojiciseness and swift efficiency are to the fore, is not often inet, — thesaurus, "a treasurj- or storehouse; hence a repository, espe- cially of knowledge ; — often applied to a comprehensive work like a dictionary or cyclopedia." It really does, as the Preface claims it docs, "not only assetnble. in a connected way, the facts and principles relating to soil' fertility and plant nutrition": it follows, "such a preparatory foundation with a systematic, rcasimably thorough study of plant foods with relation to practical use in crop growing." It is far from being "a mere collection of recipes giving the number of pounds of different materials to apply to different crops" ; for it makes as prominent as possible the vital factors influencing or controlling the effectiveness with which a crop uses the plant food furnished it." The reasons underlying every practice are suggested. Though an academic man. Chemist of the X^ew York .Agricultural Experiment Station, the autlior has for a quarter of a century been in more or less constant touch with plant feeding questions ; "he has been enabled to learn the practices, difficulties and needs of the farmer in relation to many problems of crop- feeding." He keeps these needs in view in the handling of the iriany theories of soil fertility and soil infertility, which are very, very many in these recent times of flux and transition. Rut while endeavoring thus to be positive in his instruction of practical farmers he keeps a broad- mindedness without which his work would nut W of service, as it 440 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE is, to classes in agricultural colleges and in higli schools as well as to the educational work of granges and other farmers' clubs. That there is imperative need of such instruction is suggested by another quotation ; "The controllable losses of plant food on American farms is fairly appalling, taken in the aggregate. To give, as an illustration, the loss from only a single source, it is a moderate statement, well within the limits of actual truth, that one-third of the plant-food value of the manure produced by the different kinds of farm animals in the United States is lost by carelessness, a loss equivalent to $700,000,000 a year ; and most of this enormous waste, equal in value to an annual wheat crop, is pm'entablc." The need of education is suggested further by calling attention to the difficulties met in choosing wisely when it comes to using artificial, prepared or manufactured fertilizers or manures. The names under which they are sold are so many and so misleading. Lack of knowledge concerning them is apt to involve great loss. With the necessary intelligence, on the other hand, the user may himself put together the elements for which in a form already compounded he might pay several times the price. If properly informed the farmer can not only make the manure produced go much further than manure, solid and liquid, commonly does go but he can grow fertilizing material on ground that would otherwise, at the time, be unoccupied. Following the treatment of farm crops as generally defined there is a chapter given in detail to Garden Crops and there is a chapter entitled Greenhouse Crops, Nursery Crops and Orna- mental Plants, the last sub-topic being e-xcellent, as are all parts of the book, but very brief, altogether too brief even for the farmer in these days. The ne.xt chapter, concerning Fruit Crops, is, however, a very fine one. After it comes the heading Special Crops : Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar Cane, Hops, Flax, Peanuts. The Appendix consists of a number of tables, carefully; elaborated, to show the composition of certain fertilizing materials and of the different crops. .\ complete Index makes all the items of the work readily accessible. The whole is systematically and thor- oughly well arranged. The many tables and illustrations are all clear and impressive. Biology for High Schools^ by W. M. Smallwood, Ida L. Reve- ley and Guy A. Bailey; 8vo., XXI + 590 pages, cloth; Allyn and Bacon, Boston. This is a "meaty" book. It contains an extraordinary amount of very useful information about matters most vital to man from almost every point of view, all presented clearly and attractively, in ways that in fact, it seems could not be improved upon. The illustrations alone, actually totalling 439, constitute an interesting course in that most important of all studies, Life, wdiat il is and how to have it. Oi these illustrations a. set are of a character that is novel and that might be imitated in other books of instruc- tion to good advantage. This is a series of portraits of the biolo- gists who have made the largest contributions tow;ard the progress of the study and have done most service to mankind. Such pic- lures, with the illuminating little biographies attached, stimulate to worthy emulation. Other outstanding features, of the many commendable features, are the clear and convincing mannerin which are set forth dis- eases of plants and of animals, including the human animal, and ways to maintain health, individual and communistic and a per- vading inculcation of appreciation of the beautiful wonders of created life in all its forms. .\ny boy or girl, who in the high school, under a teacher of the right sort and able, might make a study of this admirable work, in which the publishers have successfully co-operated with their usual proficiency, would have gained much indeed ; would he a far wiser and better human. It would not be an cas\ task to masler, but it would be worth the effort. A LESSON ON PLANT PHYSIOLOGY {Continued from fagc 437) It goes almost without .saying that no sample of seed is 100 per cent viable. Then, too, the embryos van.- in strength, or in ihe amount of vitality they contain. Some w'ill begin to sprout and then die, while others have not sufficient strength to push their way out of the ground. These things happen even when the environment is practically perfect. When some or all of the conditions making up the environment are less perfect, then a lar.uer proportion of viable seeds will fail to complete the act of germination. Sometimes the plantlet exhausts the food in the seed before it emerges from the soil, and of course, this is more likely to happen with light seeds than with heavy ones although if seed is planted too deeply, or the soil conditions are bad, it may happen in any case. If the food contained in the seed is exhausted before germination is complete, that is, before the shoot of the plantlet has come up above the surface of the ground, growth ceases, because plants cannot assimilate food from outside until the green substance they contain, known as chlorophyll, has been formed, and the formation of this, can only take place in day- light. We learn from this, among other things, that seeds must not be planted too deeply. It may be argued that the shoots of bulbs, tubers, and other fleshy roots, will keep on growing in the dark ; this growth, however, takes place by means of the reserve of plant food stored up in these bulbs, etc., in which a similar chemical action goes on as in the seed. None of the chemical, physiological or biological changes essen- tial to the development of plant food in the soil can take place in the absence of the stored up energy in the soil derived from the sun, and indicated by temperature, and this statment applies with equal force to seeds. There is for seeds a certain range of soil temperature under which germination is the most rapid, under which the plantlets at the completion of germination are the most vigorous, and which ensures the highest percentage of plants from a given number of viable seeds. The seeds of different species and sometimes varieties of the same species have (1) a minimum temperature at which they will germinate at all; (2) an optimum temperature at which germination is the quickest, and (3) a maximum tem- perature beyond which germination will not take place. The seeds of plants native to temperate climates will germinate at a lower temperature than those from tropical species. Thus peas will germinate when the soil is as cold as 32° F., while the cucumber, melon, egg plant, must have one not less than 60° F. String beans will germinate at a soil temperature of 45° F., but pole lima beans rarely germinate at a lower temperature than 65° F., although it is safe to sow bush limas when the tempera- ture is ten degrees lower. Seeds of the round seeded varieties of peas will germinate at a lower temperature than those having having wrinkled seed-cases. With sweet peas, those seeds having dark colored seed-cases will come up under soil conditions which may lie fatal to those with white or very light-colored seed-cases. Seeds 'which will germinate at a very low temperature will not do so under a very high one. Thus the embryo of peas has been found by experiment to be killed when the soil temperature is over 99° F.. while the ma.ximum for corn, melon, and such like, is as high as 122° F. Soil conditions have much to do with successful germination. In a deeply worked, thoroughly drained and pulverized soil, especially if somewhat sandy, seeds invari- al)ly germinate better than when the conditions are the reverse; this is especially noticeable when a more or less prolonged period of cold rain occurs after sowing. As is the case with all living organisms, the einbryo of the seed requires oxygen for its development, and without oxygen, even if the other conditions are right, germination will not com- mence. As a matter of fact, favorable soil conditions for ger- mination are such as to secure an ample supply of oxygen to the ui)per part of the ground. Careful observations along lines of experimentation have proved in man3- ways that when oxygen is completely excluded from seeds, which are otherwise under good conditions for germinating, they fail to start. It has been found, too, that even after the embryo has commenced to grow, if the o.xygen supply is cut off, growth ceases. A soil in the best condition for germination and for the continual growth of plants must permit the ready entrance of fresh air ; in other words, it must be thoroughly aerated and constantly ventilated. It sometimes happens that after sowing, heavy rain will cause the particles of soil to run together, and soon after, the hot sun will cause the formation of a hard crust upon the surface, a con- dition wdiich not only cuts off the supply of oxygen, but also prevents the shoots, especially those of the smaller kinds of seeds, from pushing through. This condition occurs more readily in some soils than in others, and gives the most trouble with those containing much clay and little humus. When this condition has been brought about, it is advisable to carefully break the crust with a fine rake, .which operation should be done as soon as the surface is dry enough, .^s a preventative of this condition upon soils liable to it, sprinkling sand along the rows after sowing does good, and in the case of small seeds, they may be covered by hand with a specially prepared sandy compost. Covering the surface of the soil after sowing with sand, is also a preventative of an attack of the "damping-off" fungi, and should always be adopted when sowing seeds in frames or i.i a greenhouse. The sterilization of sand before using it for this purpose renders the effect of this safeguard the more certain. Small quantities of sand may be sterilized by the use of boiling water or by baking in an oven. Welfare work is merely applyine: the golden rule to in- dustry. ^^'elfare work is good for factory, home, and commnnitv. — loliii II. Patterson. for January, 1921 441 I National Association of Gardeners | j Office: 286 FIFTH AVE., NEW YOKK | iniiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitNiiiiiiHiiiiiu^ iiiiiiiii[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNi:iiiiiiiiiiiiiii{iiti President — W. N. Craig, Brooklinc, Mass. Vice-President — George H. Pring, St. Louis, Mo. Secretary— M. C. Ebel, 286 Fifth Ave., New York. Treasurer — Peter Duff, Orange, N, J. TRUSTEES (For 1921)— William H. Waite, Arthur Smith, D. L. Mack- intash. New Jersey; L. F. Jensen, Ernst Strehle, Missouri. DIRECTORS (To serve until 1922)— George Wilson, Illinois; James Stuart, New York; William Kleinheinz, Pennsylvania; John F. Huss, Connecticut; Edwin Jenkins, Massachusetts; Carl iS. Fohn, Colorado; Joseph Tansey. New York, (To serve until 1923)— Robert Williamson, Connecticut ; Robert Cameron, Massachusetts; Theodore Wirth, Min- nesota; George W. Hess, District of Columbia; Daniel J. Couglilin, New York; John Barnet, Pennsylvania; Montague Free, New York. (To serve until 19J4)^ William Gray, Rhode Island; William He rt rick, Cali- fornia; Alliin Martini, [own ; Thos. Hattnn. Connecticut ; Robert Weeks, Ohio; W. H. Griffiths. Michigan; Thos. W. Head, New Jersey. SUSTAINING MEMBERS New York — Mrs, J. T. Albright, George F. Baker, Edwin S. Bayer. Albert Clayburgh. W. R. Cce. Mrs. F. A. Constable, Paul D. Cravath, Mrs. W. Bayard Cutting, Mrs. Charles Daniels, Cleveland H. Dodge. Mrs. David Dows, Frank J. Dupignac. Mrs. Coleman du Pont, Cliilds Frick, W. H. Gratwick, Daniel Guegenheim, Mrs. W. D. Guthrie. Mrs. William P Hamilton, Mrs. John Henrv Hammond, T. A. Havemeyer, Mrs. L. A. Hermann, B. H. Howell, C. O. Iselin, Otto H. Kahn, Mrs. Frank B. Keech, W. Eugene Kimball, Adrlph Lewisohn, John Magee. Mrs. Julius McVicker, Morton H. Meinhard, Mrs Eugene JNIeyer, Jr., J. Pierpont Mcrgan. Mrs. J. Pierpont Morgan, Stanley G. Mortimer, ^Ir,^. Harold I. Pratt. John T. Pratt. E. F. Price. Mrs. William A. Read, H. D. Roosen, Charles A. Sherman. Mrs. Samuel Sloan, Benjamin Stern, Mrs. W. Stursberg. Daniel Tatum, Mrs. R. M Thomp.son, Mrs. Edwin Thorne, Mrs. Henry M. Tilford. Carll Tucker. Samuel Untermyer. Mrs. Harcld T. White, Mrs. Payne Whitney. Nevj Jersey — A. Albright, Jr., Qiarles A. Bradley. Joseph P. Day, James B. Duke, Airs. F^ewis L. Dunham, Mrs. Frederick Frelinghuysen. Mr?. Gustav E. Kissel, C. Lewis, Mrs. Paul Aloore. Hubert T. Parson, Mrs. Manuel Riondn. P. S. Straus. Mrs. John I. Waterbury. Pennsylvania — Samuel T. Bodinf:, Gen. Richard Coulter, Mrs. J. D. Lyons, R. B. Mellon. Gifford Pinchot, George F. Tyler, Edward A. Woods. I>6'/{iw'arc— Irenee du Pont, Pierre S. du Pont. Conneeticut — E. C. Converse, Dr. and Mrs. Tracy Farnam, George M. Hendee. Miss A. B. Jennings, W. H. Truesdale, William Ziegler. Jr. Rhode Island — Gov. R. Living.ston Beecknian. George P. Wetmore. Massacltusetts — Harry K. Converse. Mrs, Henry C. Frick, Mr^. Louis Frothingbam, C. H. Hutchtns. Mrs. C. G. Rice. Prof. C. S. Sargent, Mrs. ). A. Sp^ior. Ohio — F. F. Drury, H. S. Firestone. Mrs. Frances F, Prentiss. John L. Severance, H. S. Sherman. H. L. Thrmpson. Indiana — Theodore F. Thieme. Michigan — E. D. Speck. J. B. Schlotman. Illinois — A, Watson Armour, Harry B. Clow. A. B. Dick. Clayton Mark. Mrs. Julius Rosenwald. Mrs. F. W. Upham. lViscons:in — F. D. Countiss. Minnesota — Mrs. Oiester A. Conpdon, A. C. Lcring. Iowa — Mrs. G. B. Douglas. Missouri — August A. Busch, Dr. George T. Moore. Virginia— Miss Grace E Arents. IV. Virginia — Mrs. Arthur T ee. Kentucky — F. M. Sackett. Georgia — C. H. Candler. E. H. Inman. S. Carolina — Robert S. Mebane. NEW SUSTAINING MEMBERS P. S. Straus. Red Bank, N. J. (Thomas W. Head, superin- tendent) ; Mrs. Julius Rosenwald, Chicago, 111. (Frederick W. Sparks, superintendent) ; Mrs. Harold T. White, Bedford Hills. N. Y. (William Tait, gardener) ; Robert S. Mebane, Great Falls. S. C. (Andrew Andersen, superintendent); Mrs. Charles Daniels, Sabattis, N. Y. (Peter MacDonald, superintendent;, have become sustaining members of the association. THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE DL.\R tcllow Gardeners: .\t the last very successful conven- tion of the National Association of Gardeners, held in St. Louis, which, much to my regret, I was unable to attend, you were so good as to choose me lo be your President for the current year. Having already in 1916, filled this position, it naturally came as a great surprise to me to be selected again, especially wlieii there are within our ranks so many able men, better fitted in many ways to fill the ofiice, than myself. I am a very busy man and would tliat some one else had been your selection, but I appreciate the honor conferred on me for a second time, and assure vou that I will, to the liest of mv abilitv, fill the presidency creditably in 1921. Conditidns today are vastly difl'crcnt in the world as compared with 1916, when I was your President. Readjustment is the order of the day in practically all countries, and a steady liquidation of securities, cuininodities and labor is taking place. We were favored in being but little scathed by the great world conflict, and wliile we are now eagerly anticipating a trade boom and more prosperous times, it is well to remember that we cannot continue to enjoy good times while other countries of the world, including those which at awful cost, and with our aid saved civilization, are still suffering acutely. When we can stabilize exchange rates and make a broader market for our products, then, and not until then, will we become really prosperous again. Perhaps you may say what has all this to do with our society and our profession? A great deal more than appears on the surface. Horticulture in times of stress remains more or less stationary. The European war showed us what a great hold it had on the people there, and the way Great Britain, France and other countries have come back horticuhurally should surely be an inspiration to us. I sincerely believe that the work being done for our associa- tion should commend it to an increased number of the rank and lile of our profession. Even though men should today be holding positions of responsibility and trust and receiving salaries com- mensurate with services rendered, is not that all the more reason why they should join rather than hold aloof from us? With their aid we can the more easily lift our association to a higher and better plane. Even with the membership dues advanced to five dollars per year, surely the benefits received will be fully worth that amount, and if we really believe we do not derive any beuefit, should we not be i cady and willing to help others who may temporarily be less fortunate? It is most encouraging to note the steadily growing list of sus- taining members. There is abundant room for a large accretion of members here. There is not, unfortunately, always that hearty co-operation between gardeners and their employers which should exist, and anything which tends to create a better atmosphere and feeling deserves our sympathetic support. The bringing in of more sustaining members so that our list can be doubled in 1921 is surely not too much to ask. As our sustaining member- ship grows we can reasonably look for a gradual coming of that l^etter feeling and greater appreciation of the work of the gardeners. Our association has been taking a very active part in the cam- paign being conducted for a radical modification of the iniquitous and grossly unfair Quarantine No. 37. Our committee on the Quarantine has been very actively engaged to bring about the needed changes, and while I am unable at this time to disclose what we have done, are doing, and will do in the future, and can only report progress. I would state that the committee hopes in the very near future to make an important announcement of what has been accomplished. The outlook for modifications is cer- tainly brighter than it has been at any time. In the campaign inaugurated at St. Louis against the Sign Board nuisance, the committee has been somewhat disappointed in the lack of co-operation which had been promised to it by several other organizations, if we would take the initiative. This, however, will not in any way deter us in our ctTorts to bring about an abatement of this national nuisance. The Garden Club of America has voted to co-operate. It is pleasing to note from diflferent parts of our country that individuals, asso- ciations, and communities are at last waking up to the reali- zation of this glaring and hideous nuisance. Our Service Bureau is now becoming widely known, and while there have not been many worth while positions during the past year, the association has had a goodly share of the positions which have been filled. These are not alone local, but national, quite a number of vacancies being filled in the West, Middle West and South. There is no doubt in my mind that in due time country estate owners will turn naturally to our association as a source from which they are to obtain their efficient and trust- worthy gardeners. Having paid several visits to the office of Mr. Ebel while in New York last March, I can testify to the growing importance of the bureau atid the great care and tact used in filling vacancies. The question of how to interest young men in our profession is a deeply important one and we have every assurance that the present year will sec this movement well under way. Two of the foremost estates in the country are now preparing to receive a number of young men. where they will have opportunities for both practical and theoretical trainin,g, and if plans now afoot materialize, the association will have a school of gardening started by one of the large horticultural institutions of this country, where young men, after they have had two or three years' 442 GARDENERS' CHROMCLE training (in an estate can secure a year or two of traming to help round out their work. At the risk of being considered needlessly pessimistic, let me urge on our membership the continued great need of maintaining a maximum production of food crops. The need for these may not be apparent now with falli.ig prices for cereals, fruits and vegetables, but these low values which benefit the consumer are hard on the producer and the probable result will be a consider- ablv diminished area of our leading staples m 1921. Ihe high price era of labor now ending drained our farms and gardens and made the production of food both costly and difficult. With more depressed conditions we may hope for a gradual migration back to the land but at all events we shall not be doing our iuU duty if we do not maintain food production ourselves; urge and encourage others to do likewise; support school and home garden movements, and everything which leads people back to Mother Earth. I yield to none in my love for flowers, but this is no time for us to allow interest in food production to lag. In order to make the Gardeners' Chronicle of Americ.v increas- in<^ly attractive and useful I appeal to members to send m occa- sional notes of gardeners' movements, cultural methods, photo- graphs of rare, unique or well-grown specimens, or any other matters of general interest. Short, pithy paragraphs will be appreciated by the Editor, even if not written in flawless English. Co-operation should ever be our watchword. We should co- operate with similar organizations, either private or commercial as our interests run on very similar lines and many of our prol)- lems are equallv theirs. Your new President feels that the asso- ciation should 'co-operate in every legitimate way with other bodies aiming to advance horticulture; repress existing injustices such as Quarantine 37 has caused and handle other problems, where individual efforts might be unavailing, but where union would be strength. I cannot refrain from adding a word of commendation anrl appreciation for the excellent work being done by our hard work- ing Secretary, M. C. Ebel. His work has increased very much since the New York office was opened, and I would ii^ge the members of the association when in the city to call at 280 Fifth Avenue and satisfy themselves how ably the association's Secre- tary is handling our affairs. ,, , ,- , t . ■. Our next convention will be in New \ ork City and 1 trust it will be the most largely attended of any yet held. Will you not lay plans now to take a short vacation next Fall and come to the Empire Citv which is sure to give you a cordial welcome? In conclusion, I want to say that the National Association of Gardeners holds a warm place in my heart, and I will, to the best of my ability, endeavor to advance its interests during my time of office. VVitb cordial New Year's Greetings to all > n: members, [•raternallv 3-ours. WiLLi,\M N. Cr\ic. Fri'sidriil. PRESIDENT CRAIG'S APPOINTMENTS President Craig has appointed the following directors whose term expired on January 1st to succeed themselves for a term of three years : , ^ i-x • William Grav, Rhode Island ; William Hcrtnck, California ; Albin Martini, Iowa ; Thos. Hatton, Connecticut. New directors, Robert Weeks, Ohio ; W. H. Griffiths, Michigan ; Thos. W. Head, New Jersey; Montague Free, New York, apiiointed to succeed George H. Pring, Missouri, whose term expires 1923. General Committee for 1921 Convention, to be held in New York city. Alexander Michic, Locust \'alley, N. Y., chairman; J. W. Everitt, Glen Cove, N. Y. ; George R. Hale, Oyster Bay, N Y. ; James Stuart, Mamaroncck, N. Y. ; John Canning, Ardsley, N. Y.; William Graham, Tarrytown, N. Y'. ; M. J. O'Brien, Mt. Kisco, N. Y'. ; A. Bieschke, Noroton, Conn.; Joseph Tanscy, Tuxedo, N. Y".; William Brown. Morristown. N. J.; William H. Waite, Rumson, N. J. Committee on Training Young Gardeners, M. C. Ebel, New York ; Montague Free, Gardener, I'.rooklyn Botanical Garden. Brooklyn, N. Y'. ; George H. Pring, Horticulturist, Mis- souri Botanical' Garden, St. Louis, Mo.; H. Ernest Downer, Horticulturist. \'assar Colle.gc, Poughkcepsie, N. Y. Committee on Sign Boards, M. C. Ebel. New York; Robert W. Cameron, Ispwich, Mass. ; L. P. Jensen, St. Louis, Mo. Committee on Quarantine 37. The committee appointed by ex-I'resident Jensen last year consistin,g of ^^^ N. Crai.g, Massachusetts; M. C. Ebel, New Y'ork, will be c"iitiiiuelshcs. Itanirtng Baskcta, Lami Vases, etc. Write for catalojue and [irlee list. PETERS ( REEO POTTERY CO. So. Zanes¥lllt, Ohio m ANCOPM Trees and shrubs, dis- tinctive in quality and large size which will produce an immediate effect \9or country residences and estates ANDORRA NURSERIES Cbestma'hia.'RL Have you seen ANDORRA? RHODODENDRON MAXIMUM in car lots. MOUNTAIN LAUREL in car lots. FRUIT TREES. FRUIT PLANTS, ROSES and other Ornanicnlal trees and plants Send List of K'anis for Prices MORRIS NURSERY CO. 1133 Broadway New York City 446 oiiiy forms with colored leaves hitherto known are : Tiiia cordata, var. aurco-vari- egata, Schneider, a sport of the small- leaved Lime, witli yellow-spotted leaves; and Tilia siiblanala var. rarirgata, Szy., a sport of a form of the common Lime (T. rjilgaris). also with yellow-spotted leaves. There is a tree of the latter kind, about 40 years old. in Kew Gardens, which displays no beautv and can only be looked upon as a curiosity'— r/ir Gardeners' Chromcle (Brit- ish). GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA Of native .\mericau floral treasures which are deservedly now liecoming popular, this lovely one, with its beautiful 'flat topped clusters or umbels, is not yet appreciated as it ought to be. The reason is that it is next to impossible to buy plants that give gen- uinelv red flowers. It has been my experi- ence in buving nursery-grown plants that all of them would produce orange or yellow flowers. It has been claimed again and again that the Asclepias will not come true from seed ; but. knowing how some nurseries sow all the seed collected. I decided to test out tliis theory. After several collecting expeditions, cover- ing three vears, a collection of real ver- milion-scarlet shades was accumulated. After several years waiting, seed was ob- tained from these plants. All have bloomed and out of over two hundred plants there have not been more than a half dozen that produced yellow or orange-colored flowers. The others are all of a bright orange red and among these there are a dozen that have produced flowers of intense vermilion shades, accordinglv I think that one theory has been exploded, namely, that the Asclefias will not come true i'rom seed, and another theory has been annihilated, namely, that this valu- able perennial is hard to transplant. Such has not been mv experience. The plants that I collected were mostly old specimens, some at least ten years old, and not much root was secured with the crown, but every plant grew, and some of these roots lay agMWtd until they had commenced to decay, ^en vears' study of the Asch't'ws has con- vinced me that this superb wild plant has great possibilities. It would be possible to originate early and late varieties, and, if a system of careful seed selection from the brightest red-flowering plants should be kept up long enough, in time a race of such in- tense scarlet shades would be produced, that this perennial would be largely used as a substitute for Geraniums, though it grows a little taller. The Asclepias is of the same nature as the Peony. U has a long life and can take care of itself better. In fact, it can hold its own without anv altention whatever. It would be a waste 'of time to plant the Asclepias in heavy soil, however, for it will freeze put. It is never found growing wild in heavy soil, but a heavy soil would not be a deterrent to an enthusiast A hole or trench could be excavated, about three feet deep and wide, ■and filled with sandy soil, the chances are ihat then the plants would prove hardy. — H. W. Grcschner, Flower Grotccr. SONG OF PLENTY 'Taters in the ashes. Cider on the shelf. So fat with plenty You hardly knows yerself ! Take down the fiddle, Reel us off a tune, 'Til! we scare the red stars An' dance away the moon. Ain't the world you live in Close to heaven's door? Long time thanksgivin' An' pass yer plate for more! — Atlanta Constitution. /a ^ France Giant (^L^ qJ Everbearing BIG JlflCY SWEET BERRIES FROM JULY TO NOVEMBER ^^.XK-JK-^^/^ I^Hfi bushes grow rapidly, and are covered •V?^^^^'^ i with firm, luscious, wonderfully flavored l^erries. 'a'if/i fcir seeds, from July until freezing berries which are constantly ripenmg. ,1 ,. grown "..'!-. ^-dens of J. P Morgan Glen Cove,^ N. ^Y.; P. S. du Pout Wilmington Del Cli^j. *'■ J^<='} jj „ g.^^, Lake ■ -S-e^: «^^^s'.f^H"•H.°lore-."■^'u.han,Vton^,^"I!. i. and others who demand tht world''! Iiest. The La France Red Raspberry is perfectly hardy. It has been carefully tested for years, to absolutely prove its merit. ^ • , ■ T„lv the first season planted, and ccmtinues in fruit until frozen. Free'^f^'m i;'sec;s'SnI"dI;ease. ^A'doz;.! pla'n.s will su,„..y the aver-.ge family all season, '•ear after year. Plants mnltirly rapidly. A Great Money Maker for Berry Growers , , . ( . i.,i,, -.TrcL-ns m.i a creat money maker for marketing. It IS the hcst fut '■""'[ '/^\';^"\ I,,, leading Agricultural and Horticultural Societies, 1 '^"''■th'e '];fat'n^.?^it.\" on ctilt'nral Socfe.y,' Horticultural Society of New York, mcl'iding the ^"^?i"^;'" „f V y etc etc. It pays to buy the best. ^sLtr'^r ™"-.'Uv'-^^ ^'I'so -^'^ ^1^-°° <-" "--"■ "' '''''" """' "''■ Safe deliver, guaranteed in proper time for planting if ordered now. Circulars on request. JOHN SCHEEPERS. Inc. Raspberry Farms at Sound Beach, Conn., and Glen Head, N. Y. 522 Fifth Ave, New York City PROPAGATING SAND Clean Sand lor Propagating Use, or mix ine with soil; lUO lb. bags, by freight, unless ordered by express, $2 per bag. Cash with order. J. H. SPERRY MOUNTAIN VIEW, NEW JERSEY ORCHIDS We are Specialists in Orchids. We collect, ^rnw, import. exDort and spII orchids ex- clusively. If you are in the market for Orchids, we solicit yo\ir inquiries and orders. Cata- logues and special lists on application. LAGER & HURRELL 6rehid Growers and Importers Summit« N. J- WANTED High class salesman for nursery stock. One who knows trees and plants and can make good. Answer with reference, and experience. G. A., Gardener's Chronicle, 286 5th Ave., New York. CUT FLOWER BOXES EDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO WAHUrACTURCnS PHILADCLFMIA. PA. HARRY BALDWIN Manufacturer ol Grccriliousc Shading Latti Roller Blinds VIAVIAROIMECK, N. Y. HUMUS For the price, it is the best fertility makel for lawns, flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees. Special prices on bulk er I'Hg carloads. H. B. PRINDLE, 101 Park Ave., New York fcfc '«*0E ■ rAfr***^' HAMMOND'S GRAPE DUST" Used effectively to kill Powdery Mildew on Roses and other Plants. USED BY THE FLORISTS FOR OVER 25 SUCCESSIVE YEARS Sold by the Seed Dealers. For pamphlet on Bugs and Blights address HAMMOND'S PAINT & SLUG SHOT WORKS BEACON, N.Y CALCEOLARIA STEWARTII ( V ar. Lymanii) AWARDED NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS' GOLD MEDAL for best new plant (first time awarded) MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S GOLD MEDAL THE GREATEST ACQUISITION TO THE COOL GREENHOUSE SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF CALCEOLARIA STEWARTII Plants from 2^2 in. pots Si. 00 each Stock limited. S. J. GODDARD Framiiigham Centre, Mass. gnniuiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiu I World^s Best Sweet Peas | I Novelties for 1921 | j Hand-Picked Seed f = There's just as much difference between machined E seed and hand-picked as there is between margarine ^ I and real fresh country butter. The difference is i scarcely noticeable in the price of the seed, but the i results are amazingly different. And it is not to be i wondered at. Starting with perfectly developed seed ^. i such as can only be assured by hand-picking, you get ^ a strong germ w^hich eventually culminates in perfect flowers, in fours, on wand-like stems. K **On Top" in Cleveland Lake Shore Blvd., Cleveland, Dec. 15, 1920. Mr. Charles Elliott. Dear Sir: I am sendingf 'or another collection of Sweet Peas from you, as the seeds I had last year were a very great success. I took quite a number of prizes at the Cleveland Horticultural Society June 3'1, 1920. Collection of Sweet Peas, Certificate of Merit. For table ctTect, first prize. I*"ive first prizes in sinple classes. One s'-cond prize. If this will be any advantage to you for publishing, I shall be very pleased to have you use it. Yours truly, KOHERT BROADFIELD. (iardener to Mr. Windsor S. White. Send for Lists of Novelties and Specialties CHARLES ELLIOTT Box 337 Park Ridge, Illinois Don't Neglect the Wild Spots! I am prepared to supply in any quantity the cone- bearing Evergreens, the Rhododendrons, the Moun- tain Laurel, the Azaleas, the shrubs, the ferns, the native orchids and hundreds of other wild flowering plants that will transform any woodland, meadow, hillside, bog or pool into a spot of surpassing interest and charm. Send for my unusual catalog, or when in New York, drop in and talk it over with Mr. Durand. EDWARD GILLETT, Ftrn & Flower Farn*., Southwick, Mass. HERBERT DURAND, 286 Fifth Ave.. New York City, 447 gllli iimiimiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mil iiii mil mil i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimii mmim mill mmii iiniiiiiiii imimmmmiii miiimiiii iiiiiiiii mil ii""'""""'"""™"™™^^ The Insecticide of Recognized Merit for Greenhouse and Garden A piJI^P is a concentrated material — mixes readily in water — efficient in its action — easily applied — free of •'^* '^**^'-' the disagreeable odors and features of most insecticides — excellent as a wash for decorative plants. FOR THE GARDEN-^' => reme- dy against all sap sucking insects infesting flowers, fruits and vegetables APHINE is most effective. FOR THE GREENHOUSE — Applied at regular intervals (once each week or ten days) APHINE will keep plants in the greenhouse and conservatory free of insect pests. FUNGINE For mildew, rust and other blights affecting flowers, fruits and vegetables. V tlvJYllINti For worms and insects infesting the soil. Sold by dealers in various sizes. APHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals MADISON. N. J. i,iiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu"iiiiN"iiin»iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniinmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiii^ King Koal Karburetor You will need no doctor's prescription to get coal if you use one of these Karburetors on your boiler or furnace. The coal company will be asking you if you want coal instead of your begging them to send some. No Ash Sifting — No Coal Gas — No Adjustmertts — No Chemicals K. K. K. For BOILER or FURNACE COST $15.00 For Range — $5.00 Per Set (BY DRILLING SMALL HOLEl EASILY ATTACHED TO ANY TYPE OF BOILER, FURNACE. COAL RANGE, TANK HEATER OR PAR- LOR STOVE. Write for Laboratory Tests T. J. NOLAN Greenhouse Supplies 308 N. Irving Ave. Scranton, Pa. ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiimiiimiimiiiiiiimimiiiiiiiimiiiimimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM^ I Competent Gardeners | 1 The comforts and products of a country | I home are increased by employing a competent | I gardener; if you want to engage one, write us. | I Please give particulars regarding place and | I say whether married or single man is wanted. | I We have been supplying them for years to the | I best people everywhere. No fee asked. j I PETER HENDERSON & CO. ] I Seedsmen and FloritU | I 35 and 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK CITY | liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiNiiii^ fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiniitiiiiiiiiiniiHimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii| I GARDENERS' CHRONICLE j I The Standln nf thi.- professional. | i The Safe ( iuide for the amateur. | 'I I'liblished on the l.^th of each month. | : If vou are not a subscriber, send two dollars | I for a year's subscription and receive this maga- | I zine regularly. j " GARDENERS' CHRONICLE, 286 Fifth Ave. t New York iiiiiimii immmmuiiiiiiiiililiimi.mimiiiiii- 448 liiiniiiiiiiiifiiiiHffliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniinnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy^ "'miiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniivi' HOW GOOD AKE YOU AT FIGURING? You don't have to be very good to figure out why you should own a RICHARD- SON BOULEVARD TRIMMER after taking a good look at these illustra- tions. Eventually you are going to own a RICHARDSON BOULEVARD TRIM- MER because when your man learns what it is, he will not do without one; there- fore, why not place your or- der now for spring delivery? 1 Ke Richardson Ooulevard I ri rimmer Mcinufactured by THE STANDAKD SAND ^ MACHINE CO. CLEVELAND. OHIO aiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ Frederick Dim ran. gardener on the estate of Mrs. C. IV. Gocdyear. 888 Dehrvar'- .-frr. /^r ,'>'fi/f). A'c'.v Yorh 7 It is iiiaii II iticcn f t ref o u the Mrs. Goodyca^ -state was saved from death through trunk decay by Dove\ Tree Surgeons^. A'o- ticc the evidences of scien- tiiic internal hraeing. .1 :iezc of the hrartifnl c.y!n!e of Mrs. C. If. C'oodycar. Buffalo, AVic York, the fine trees of 7vhi(h were entrusted to the t^rovcd skill of the Davey Tree Surgeons Why Frederick Duncan commends Davey Tree Surgery The Davt-y Tree Expert C(i., Inc.. Kent. (Jhio. Buffalo, New York Gentlemen: Diiring the past fourteen j'ears tliat 1 have heen employed as a gar- dener, it has heen niy pleasure to see the handiwork of Davej' Surgeons on various estates alxint the eomitry. and note theii' steady, patient progress. The wi>rk just completed on Mrs. Goodyear's estate appeals to me strongly a^ heing as near perfect as possihle under present day standards, and I congratulate you on your wonderful organization. Believe me to he . Sincerely. FREDERICK DUNCAN. TLvery gardener and estate suijerinlcndent lias a most ini])nrtant work in tbe sa\'ing of the trees under his care. I );i\e_\' Tree .'^nri^ery l)rings tn his aid the highest development of science |ihis a generation of ex|)erience. A careful examination of your trees will he made by ai)i)ointnient. Tllh: DA\ EY TU.KK EXPERT' CO.. Inc., 301 Elm Street. Kent, Ohio [branch Offices with telephone connections: Xew York City, Asior Cou7't Bids.: Chicago. 814-816 li'cslminster Bldg.; Philadclf'hia, 2017 J.avd Title Bld^.; Bcston. 19 Pearl St. Write nearest office. JOhlh' UAl i. V Father of Tree Surgery i\ -niaiu-nt representatives available in districts sur- v i-ndiiis; Boston. Sininj^fieUl, I.enox. Xewport. Hart- ford. Stamford. Albnnv. Piuiphkeepsie. While Plain-, lani.-tica. Munlclair. N'i:\v York, riiiladflphia. Ilarrl'^' bur,K, Baltimore. Washington, Richmond, Bnflfalo. Toronto, Pittshnrah, Cleveland, Detroit. Cincinnati. Chicaso. Milwaukee. Canadian Address. 252 Laugan- chiterc" West. Montreal. DAVEY TREE SURGEONS ttrtv real Davey Tree Surgeon is in the ctnp'oy of The Davey Tree Expert Co.. Inc.. and the public is cautioned against those falsely representing themsehcs. An agreement made Jcith the Davey Company and not xvJh an tm^ividual is certain evidence of genuineness. rn GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF America: LUS ■i^ Sniranceio Judge J.F.Mar(3a.n's C&rdeti yi $2.00 A YEAR 25cAC m '. N'o. 2. ruhliiiluMl monthly by Tlit t'rcss. Inc.. 2S6 Fifth Ave.. New York FEBRUARY, 1921 Jtiitercd as st'cond-class matter Nov. 3, 151 4, at piist office at New ^ ork under the act of March 3, giiiiiimiiiiiiiniiN I I Ill iiiiniiiiiiii i i niiiiini i i iiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiuiiiiiin iii iiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiuni in i iin iiiiiiiiiiiniini in in i iiiiiiii iiiiiii i iniiii niiiiiii liin iiiiiinniiig 111:1 iiiiiim' = Society of Anirricciii I'lDiisIs, Silver Medal .lincrican r-alilui Soiirly. Gold Medal IVVil^lCK il."MA\CA The Splendid New Decorative Dahlia "Patrick O'Mara" "A MEDAL WINNER WHEREVER SHOWN" Universally admired and praised by Dahlia Groicers. Speetato's. and by Ihe Press at the American Dahlia Society Exhibition i« .Vert- )'ork last Sef'tenil>er This Dahlia Brings Profit to the Professional and Credit to the Amateur A FTER cutting, shipping and exhibitnig the Howers •^^ four days, where the temperature was high and the wind across them bad, they looked almost as when fresh cut. A wonderful, large, beautiful flower Ships well and keeps a long time The blooms are 8 inches or more in diameter, on long, strong, straight stems, firmly set at right angles, close to the stem which holds the heavy flowers without drooping. The petals are firm and compact, showing no open center. THE COLOR, an unusually soft, and pleasing shade of orange-bufT, slightly tinged with Neyron rose, more pronounced on the reverse side. ."X rare, beautiful and taking autumn shade. Sure to be in great demand for commercial use and ornamental gardens. HIGHEST SCORE at the trial grounds of the .-\meri- can Dahlia Society, at the Connecticut Agricultural College under ordinary field culture, which gives results that any grower may expect to equal. "Its :^rowinii. f-eel'inii and shipping qualities are excellent. Groit'ers tcill find its habit, color, etc., something that has been greatly needed. It was the outstanding variety of the trial garden both as to habit of growth and the tvay it holds the tloivers on the strong stems well above the foli- age; a splendid keeping lariety." Prof. Geo. W. Praser, Connecticut .Igricultural College. Chicago, 111., Oct. 28, 1920. The box of blooms of Dahlia Patrick O'Mara came safcl.v. -\lthoush the box seems to have been in the hands of the e.xpress company for something like fifty-six hours, the flowers were in remarkably good condition. The firm texture seems to give this novelty, shipping qualities quite exceptional in the Oahlia. The blooms have attracted much favorable comment from visitors to our office. Yours very truly. Florists' Review. Orders booked now and plants shipped next Spring in the rotation in which orders are received. Price $10.00 per plant, $100.00 per dozen. Tubers will be sent on orders froin distant points. S:ife (leliverv .guaranteed. "Plate of flouer for framing, in natural size and colors sent FREE on requts'." RICHARD VINCENT JR. & SONS COMPANY WHITE MARSH, MARYLAND More than forty thousand people visited our Dahlia fields in one day Inst Autumn. ]'isilors alivay.s welcome. ^iniiuiiiiiuiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiMuiiuniiiiiininniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiitniim urpee's Sweet Peas Burpee's Improved Snowstorm T HERE is always grov/n flowers realize doubtful if any other ready demand for good Sweet Peas. Well most remunerative prices, and it is any other crop will bring the florist greater profits, considering the outlay for stock and the ease with which the crop is handled. To ensure flowers of highest quality and at a time before the market is glutted with ordinary stock, the seed should be sown duiing January or February in pots. Start them in a cool house or even a cold-frame, and so have first-class sturdy plants for set- ting out in the open field early in April. This method will give you flowers in late May, and much superior to those sow^n directly in the open. When ordering ask for our leaflet on Sweet Pea culture. The House of Burpee is recognized the world over as American headquarters for Sweet Peas. Burpee's Sv/eet Peas are grown and developed on Floradale Farm, our California seed ranch, and our strains are unsurpassed for high-class quality and "trueness" to type and color. Good Sweet Pea seed is scarce this season, due to short crops, and as our stocks of some varieties are limited, we suggest early ordering. The following list includes only such varieties as we know^ to be of value for market work. For fuller descriptions and classified list of all varieties, including many novelties now offered for the first time, request. w^rite for Burpee's Annual, which is sent free upon BLUSH Elegance. Bhi^h pink Agricola. Wliite. fluslicd lilac. LIGHT PINK Daisybud. A rich color. Elfrida Pearson A fine jiink, Cis Wright. Pink on cream. CREAM-PINK Margaret Atlee. Deep pink on cream. Mrs. Routzahn. IlntT-Dink. ORANGE-SCARLET Tlie President . I triz/Iinc orange-scarlet. CERISE Ilhiminator. Rich cei isesalmon. Fiery Cross. Rrieht orange-cerise. CRIMSON Kin^ Edward. Deep criinscn. BLUE IVcdgwood. Deep a^ure-blue. Bine Monarch. J)ark Iilue self. SALMON Barbara. Salinon-oran^c. Stirling Stent. Deep salmon. SALMON-PINK Beryl. Srft salmon-pink. I.iHan. I'ale pahnon-pink Doris Usher. Satnion-piiik (Hi rrcam. DEEP PINK Countess Securer. Soft rose-pink. Hercules. Rich pink. Hazotinark Pink, Bright salmc^i-pink. Annie BoTvnass. Salmon-pink. ROSE George Herbert. Rosy carmine. Rcsabellc. I aree rose self. LAVENDER Margaret Madison. Azure-blue. Orchid. Lavender-pink. Florence Nightingale. Rosy lavender. Don Alvar. Silvery blue. MAUVE The Lady Ez-clnie. Kusv mauve. PURPLE Royal Pvrplc. Rich, warm purple. PICOTEE EDGED Dainty. White, edged rose-pink. Cherub. Cream, edged hrighl rose. PINK AND WHITE Blanche Ferry Spencer. Rosy stand- ard. i)ink wings. Mrs Ciithbcrtson. Rose-pink standard, witV^ whitc- BURPEE'S EARLY OR LONG SEASON SPENCER SWEET PEAS To anticipate the blooming season of the Summer-flowering type, we recom- mend using' the Winter, or Early-flowering varieties in the same manner; they will give you flowers two or three weeks earlier, thus considerably prolonging the season. Tlie best varieties for this purpose are included in the following: Ini/^roved Snowstorm. Immense i)ure Blue Bird. Bine ?.c\i. white. Fordhook Rose. Ro.sy carmine. Loveliness. Soft pink. Early King. Rich crimscn. Pink Beauty. Rose-pink on white. Early Fairy. Cream, sutTuscd apricot. Daybreak. Rose-pink on cream. Yarraufa. Rose-pink and cream. Illumination. Salmon cerise. Daintiness. White, edged rose. Princess. I.avendcr-mauve. WAtlee Burpee Co. Seed Growers Philadelphia 449 19! ^gS.^lt^^:f 31^^3»» iiifi5l«ll!imH|iiji,J jr^' No argument is needed to convince you tbat you ought to have a greenhouse. The question is which greenhouse to select; a perfectly simple matter to decide when you have seen photographs of greennouses we liave huilt and looked over the names of their owners. . i r-p They are people who buy the best the market affords, and their approval of the V-Bar is an enuorse- nient of which we are justly proud. ^^^yV^^ W. H. LUTTON COMPANY. INC. T^^\Ay?p^ eREENV^dusts 512 FIFTH AVE.. NEW YORK CITY eottN^A/^ousES arsoE^^eii^E: lE^^mi^^^xsF^^^^^^ ^M^^ l^n lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliillillllM^^^^^^ 1!!lll!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll»l!l»llllllllllll!IT i!!!!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU FOR 1921 mm BURNETT BROS. ANNUAL LIST OF NOVELTIES ALSO RECENT NOVELTIES AND SPECIALTIES OF INTEREST TO ALL UP-TO-DATE GARDENERS \ovelties are sent out in original packets Descriptions are tliose of introducers NOTE — The novelties we offer in this list are not our own creations, or, old varieties under new names. But are introductions of some of the oldest and most famous European seed firms. To be convinced. Send for this Novelty List at once. LILT of tke VALLEY FOR EASTER FORCING Cold storage extra selected slock. Packt-cl in ca.scs uf 250 and ,^00 each. Price, case 250 pips, $20.00; 500, $35.00 LAWN GRASS SEED To obtain a Perfect Lawn — sow early with Burnett's "Special" Mixture Price, qt. 30c., pk. $2.00, bushel (20 lbs.) $7.50 Or Burnett's famous "Killarney" Mixture Price, qt. 35c., pk. $2.50, bushel (25 lbs.) $9.50 "Soiv Killarney and W alk on Velvet" NOVELTY LIST AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE MAILED FREE ON APPLICATION BURNETT BROTHERS, !££22S55 92 CHAMBERS STREET Between Broadway and Church Street NEW YORK Telephone Barclay 6138 FOR 1921 mm mm i I :iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy mil 451 ■iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii |IIIIIIIIIIIIIII{||l!llllllllllllilillllin!llllllllllllll!n!!llllll!^^ (I'ifiv of R<-lail I'l'i^itaHe Seed Drfl > The HOUSE Built on QUALITY SERVICE HONESTY "Ask Your Neighbor" BECKERT'S SEED STORE 101-103 FEDERAL ST. PITTSBURGH, PA. iliiiiiiiiiiiiiilliiillilllliiillliiiliiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiillilllliilllllllllllllllllllilllllllliililiiilliiilliy^ THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN ESTATES COMMAND SUC- CESS IN LAWN, GARDEN, FIELD AND GREENHOUSE BY USING BECKERTS SEEDS THE BEST SEEDS GROWN THEY ARE THE CHOICEST PRODUCTS OF THE ENTIRE WORLD SUIT- ABLE TO AMERICA If you are not at present one of our customers, write for our FREE ANNUAL CATALOGUE, an up-to-the-minute Handbook of the best strains of flower, vegetable, field and lawn seeds, roots and bulbs, cultural methods, and general supplies for pro- ducing finer flowers and bigger, better crops. IlllllUlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllUIIU^ (reenliouse guilders 111 our catalog arc several views of this same general plan. One of them having two right-angle wings, you may find of particular interest Glad to send you the catalog. Send for Booklet Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories IRVINGTON N. Y. PHILADELPHIA Land Title Bldg. NEW YORK CHICAGO 42nd Street Bldg Continental Bank Bldg. EASTERN FACTORY WESTERN FACTORY Irvington, N Y. Des Plaines, III. BOSTON— I Little Bldg. CANADIAN FACTORY St. Catherines, Ontario CLEVELAND 2063 East 4th St 3!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiN giiliiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih I The "Worlds' Best" | I Sweet Peas= I I For Outside Sowing I I H^A,(e— CONSTANCE HINTON I I ^/(/s/i— ELEGANCE I I P/cok'c— ANNIE IRELAND | I Cnrson— CHARITY | I An^— EDITH CAVELL | I Maroon— WARRIOR j j Lavender— R. F. FELTON I I P/n/f— PEACE j I S/ue— JACK CORNWALL, V. C. j ! DOBBIES CREAM RO^'AL PURPLE j I Cense— ALEXANDER MALCOLM j I $L00 Per Ounce j I The "WORLD'S BEST" Mixture | I 50c Per Ounce | I CHARLES ELLIOTT I I Box 337 Park Ridge, 111. | liiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin ^iiiiimiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I Potgrown Polyantha Roses | I FOR MAY DELIVERY | I of dwarf lial)it, they flower practically all suiiiiiier and | I can be most efiectively used in Rose (Jarilens or Border i I planting. | I tic offer tile lolloivirti^ i-firielies in extra siroiiff plan's i I out of 4 incli pots: j I BABY RAMBLEH— Red, dwarl habit. | I ECHO — Soft pink, rather vigorous in growth. | I EDITH CAVELL (New)— Vivid scarlet, very | I brilliant and color never fades. | I ELLEN PCJULSEN— Brilliant rosy pink. | I GRETA KLUIS — Dwarf, deep carmine pink. | I JESSIE — Bright cherry crimson, fine for mass- | I >ng- I I MARIE PAVIC— Snow white Willi faint flesh | I center. j I MAD. .IlLES GOUCHAULT— Vermilion red, | I shaded orange. I I MRS. W. H. CUTBUSH— Peach pink. j I ORLEANS — Cerise pink with while eye. j I OUR 1921 CATALOGUE CONTAINIiNG MANY I I NOVELTIES WILL BE SENT ON REQUEST. | P. MULLER-SEALEY COMPANY, INC. LL'> \^ est 4,5tli Street, New York City, N. Y. TESTED SEEDS THE initial cost of the seeds is one of the smallest items in your garden but it is the most important, and you cannot get the fullest results unless you have started right. Henderson's Seeds Are Tested Seeds. Our seventy- five years of seed raising, testing and sell- ing has given us an unequalled experience that is back of every packet of seed we sell. Everxithing for the Garden is the title of our 1921 catalogue. It is our Dia- mond Jubilee number and is really a book of 168 pages with 8 colored pages and over 1 ,000 halftones, all from actual photographs, showing actual results with- out exaggeration. It is a library of every- thing worthwhile, either in garden, farm or home. We will mail it to you without charge if you will mention The GarDENEr's Chronicle. '^nimKniiiiiiiimiiiiniiiiiiiinimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiuiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!w I Peter Henderson &■ Co. | I 35-37 Corilandi St. New York City | ^iiiiiniuiiiiinii II Ill mil Ill ininiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiui iiiiiil 453 i Scientific Lawn Care 'i'lii- siiiootli. iH'antilti!. v.-Ivety hnviis are tlinsp that nil' cared fur scientifically. Where the sod is kept well rolled aril tlie grass cut at intervals frequent 'Mioiigh to iireveiit too long a growth. The Ideal Power Lawn Mower makeg the care of large lawns a simple and '•asy matter. large areas of grass are ■ ■lit without effort and at snialf cost. Moreover, as the Ideal in a power roller as well as a power mower, the suil is kept smooth and firm; and harmful lawn nests are discouraged against invasion. Furnished either with or without riding trailer; also special cutting unit for put- ting greens. Everyone interested in lawn care should write for a copy of inir large illustrat^'d catalog. IDEAL POWER LAWN MOWER CO. R. E. OLDS, Chairman •134 Kalamazoo St. Lansin^r, Mich. LUaui-'i ni all t'lir.rif-a! cit:C'\ UetroiK>litQu Water Works. Chestnut Hill, Mass. IDEAL POWER LAWN MOWEPL Doi'5 i/ic uuiK (ivf h.ii\iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|]|iN MiS Hiiiiiiiiniiiuiiiuui iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii im:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim»i iiiiiimiiiiiiiiii uiiiiniriiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiciiii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininuig I The Contents for February, 1921 I Things and Thoughts of ihe Garden Montague Free 457 How to Make a Vegetable Garden and Main- tain Its Production James Donald 459 Silene (Catchfly) Richard Rothe 461 Work for the Month in the Garden Samuel Colding 462 Walks and Talks Among the Spring Flowers . . Florum Amator 463 The Master of "The Moorings" 464 Essentials to Success with Wild Gardens Herbert Durand 465 Peach Trees on Walls in Massachusetts 1 28 ^'ears Old 466 New \ ork Spring Flower Show 466 Plant Travelers Willard N. Clute 467 February Birds Paul B. Riis 468 The Greenhouse, Month to Month W. R. Forvkei 469 Consider the Gardener. . .Ellen P. Cunningham 470 Hardy Cjclamens 471 A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in Relation to Its Environment. .Arthur Smith 472 Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews 475 National Association of Gardeners 478 The Questionnaire 479 Here and There 479 .Slirubs Under Trees — Color in Ihe Garden in ll'inler —Buds of the LUac— •'Winking Mary Buds?" Publiaked monthly, the 15th of each month. THE CHKONICLE PRESS, INC. ,, .. nny r-ri * Ni \/ Ki\/ Subscription . . . . $2.00 a year 286 Flfih Avenue New York, N. Y. Canada, $2.15; Foreign $2.65 I MARTIN C. EBEL, Ediior | i Entered at the New York Post Office as second class matter under the Act of Congress, March 3, 1879. I 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii! iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiniiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Hiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niinini iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^^ I Stumpp & Walter Co.'s Catalog | I Our 1921 Spring Catalog will be mailed to | j you, on request, if you are not regularly | I receiving it. | I Many New and Exhibition varieties of 1 I Flower and \^egetable Seeds are offered. | I Farm and Grass Seeds are also a feature. | I Cannas, Dahlias, and Gladioli — the best | I varieties to date. I ^(Ihtier^ 30-32 Barclay St. Mew York pllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!llllllllllllllllll!ii;KllliN»iO^ 456 iiiii!ii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture ■ Vol. XXV leiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiii FEBRUARY, 1921 eiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiaiiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii; No. 2 I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Things and Thoughts of the Garden MONTAGUE FREE cr> C()NSIUERIXG the capricious season \vc are ex- periencinj^, it is (jiiite unsafe to prophesy, but, by the time these notes appear in print we should be in the depth of Winter, and horticultural interests traiis- ferred in the main from the outdoor garden to gardens under glass. That this is possible is an important factor in making the horticultural profession attractive, for, in most cases, the gardener is not deprived of the pleasure of seeing living plants growing and blooming even though all outdoors is in the grip of Winter. When pondering greenhouse matters, the question sometimes arises as to whether we are getting the most out of our greenhouses by the prevailing system of grow- ing plants in pots. Those who attended the 1920 conven- tion of the association at St. Louis, could not fail to liave been impressed with the pleasing showing made in those greenhiiuses of the Missouri Botanical Garden, where benches were eliminated and the collections planted directly in the soil. Even when the material used did not possess any particular intrinsic beauty, such as some of the plants of economic value or those of purely bo- tanical interest, a pleasitig eflfect was produced. Such desirable results may be attributed to several factors. In the first place, planting directly in solid beds provides sufficient soil for plant roots to ramble freely. This, especially in the case of the stronger growing subjects, enables growth to be made that more nearly approxi- mates what one would expect in Nature, and is in strik- ing contrast to the results obtained when the plants are starved in pots. Secondly, one is spared the distrac- tions occasioned by obtrusive benches and inartistic pots. Thirdly, it is possible, provided those responsible have sufficient strength of mind to avoid overcrowding and to rigorously sacrifice when crowding does occur, to obtain results on a small scale comparable to the garden pic- tures to be seen in the outdoor garden when it has been laid out by a landscape artist with due regard to com- position. \\'e must admit there arc difficulties to be faced to achieve this desirable result, and also disadvantages con- nected with a planted out house, but it is maintained that in many cases the advantages to be gained make it well worth while to take the extra thought which will result, partially at least, in eliminating these drawbacks. There is one obstacle to a successful landscape compo- sition in a greenhouse that can scarcely be eliminated, and tb.at is the house itself. Wc can never hope to cn- tirel\- relegate to the backgrc)iint;I> and Due must be reconciled to the feeling that the glass is there, but much can be done by skillful planting, espe- cially when the house is of a good size to make it less obtrusive. The suitable disposition of the heating pipes is as much of a problem in a plant house where the planting is de- signed to be of beauty, as a whole, as it is to an interior decorator who wishes to obtain best results in a dwelling house. It is a problem that can be overcome, however, in several ways, such as by hiding the pipes behind a re- taining wall extending around the house and grading the soil in which the plants are to be planted to the top of this wall. Or, the pipes may be placed below the general level of the house and the openings for the escape of heated air masked by suitable planting. ( hie difficulty that must be guarded against is the exu- berant gr<)Wth of niany tropical plants when given liberal soil conditions and ample head room. This danger can be obviated by planting subjects that will do no more than fill the space allotted them or those that can be kept pruned in without injury. Probably the greatest drawback to a "planted out" house is the limitation of the number of si>ecies it is possible to grow, although more can be maintained in health in a house of this kind than is generallv believed. There are quite a number of the smaller plants that ap- preciate the shade cast by the more vigorous subjects and thrive in the shelter thus afforded. Many ferns, be- gonias of various species, such trailing plants as Fittonia, PcUionia and Sdai^iiu'lla and many other tropical and subtropical ornamentals fairly revel in such conditions. However, when the aim is to grow as large a number of species as possible, potted plants must be used. For it is only by growing them in pots that we can control the growth of the more vigorous kinds, induce them not to take up too much room and still keep them reasonably healthy. Then, too, there arc many tropical plants that under northern conditions can only be grown success- fully when they are kejJt in pots. Most orchids, for ex- ample, are not a great success when planted out. Some absolutely demand pot or basket culture, but with many species novel and interesting effects can be gained and natural conditions approximated, if they are attached to stout branches or planted on suitable rockwork. Mate- rial intended for exhibition purposes, small growing flowering i)lants and bulbous stock in most ca,ses must be grown in ])ots or tubs. The most effective and beautiful inddor "ardening is 457 458 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE only possible when there is a combination of the two methods, where a suitable selection of subjects are planted out in a show house so that they may attain their full development, and pot grown material, such as flowering plants that cannot be grown to advantage planted out, used to fill in bare places and to provide variety and additional interest throughout the year. All this, of course, implies ample room, a liberal supply of reserve houses and prodigal appropriations for upkeep : but with many of us such conditions seem to be nothing more or less than beautiful pipe dreams. :(: ^ :}; ^ It is all very well to talk and write of the ideal condi- tions for growing tropical plants under g^ass, but the tendency appears to be in the opposite direction, and the greenhouse seems to be cutting less and less a figure in horticultural life, except so far as the production of cut flowers is concerned. Reports from England indicate that there has been a bad slump in indoor gardening; thus E. H. ^^'ilson, writing in the Garden Magaainc of December, says : . . . . "but the death knell of the tender exotics has been rung; .... the hothouse with its miscellaneous collection of tropical and semi-tropical plants is fast vanishing." His remarks are amply confirmed by other observers. We are wondering if there is not a tendency towards a similar condition in our own country. AVe hope it is a mistaken notion, but, excluding vegetables and fruits under glass, we do seem to be developing mainly along the lines of material suitable for cut flowers to the neglect of "the miscellaneous collection of tropical and subtropi- cal plants," to which Mr. Wilson refers. If this is so, it is deplorable, for apart from the intrinsic value to horti- culture of well grown specimen plants of Crotons, Dra- caenas, Anthuriums, Mcdin'dla, etc., so dear to the hearts of old time gardeners, we have an opportunity to assume the mantle that seems to be slipping from the shoulders of the European growers. The conditions which operate in Europe to cause a diminution of interest in tropical ornamentals, viz., the high price of coal and labor, com- bined with increasing interest in hardy plants, do not obtain here, at lea.st not to the same extent. Truly, coal is high priced, labor co.sts more than it used to do, and there is a gratifying increase in the interest accorded to hardy plants in America. But surely this ought not to cause tender exotics to be relegated entirely to the background. Admitting that coal and labor is high, .\merica is the paradise of millionaires to whom the exu- dation of sufficient money to maintain a collection of tropical plants is a mere trifle, and surely some of our horticultural enthusiasts are sufficiently catholic in taste to have room in their hearts to appreciate bijth hardy and tender plants. % ^ ^ ^ Whenever there is any di.scussion of tropical orna- mental plants, the name of Veitch is always sure to in- ject itself in some form or other. Either plants are men- tioned that commemorate the name of this world famous, firm such as Pinanga VcUchii and Masdn'allia Vcitch- iana, or the name is recalled in connection with the intro- duction to cultivation of some plant or other recognized to be in the front rank of ornamental subjects. It is im- possible at present to adequately estimate the immense influence the firm of James A'eitch & Sons has had in furthering the progress of horticulture. Time must elapse before the full value of some of llu-ir later intro- ductions can be appreciated. Looking over "Hortus \'eitchii," a somewhat Ijald record of the "rise and progress of the nurseries of Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, together with an accoimt of the botanical collectors and hybridists employed by them, and a list of the most remarkable of their intro- ductions," one cannot fail to be impressed with the mag- nitude of the contribution this firm has made to horti- culture, of the romance and danger attendant on the col- lection and introduction to cultivation of plants that now grace our greenhouses and gardens, and of the patient endeavor in the field of hybridization. It should be remembered that it is not only in the in- troduction of tropical and subtropical plants that this firm will be remembered — their hardy tree and shrub, fruit and vegetable, and herbaceous introductions are perhaps of ec|ual importance. But as being more ger- mane to the present discussion, consider a few names only from the long list of tropical subjects Veitch's have given to horticulture. jMany would accord first place to Anthuriiim Veitchii, a truly wonderful plant when well grown. Immense leaves, five to six feet long, the lateral veins depressed, causing exquisite undulations and the whole enhanced by the metallic sheen of their deep green coloring. The illus- tration of this plant in "Hortus X'eitchii," is of one in the Palmen Garten, Frankfurt-am-Main, but I think the specimen in the New York Botanical Garden is of equal merit, though possibly not quite so symmetrical. An exquisite ornament for the roof of an interme- diate house is Cantita dcpcndcns, introduced from Peru by William Lobb, one of the earliest of Veitch's col- lectors. As I remember it. planted in a solid bed in a corridor connecting a range of houses, it was wonder- fully beautiful when bedecked with its pendent orange colored blooms fully four inches in length, but cranky in disposition and much favored by the red spider. Another Veitchian introduction that is also somewhat intractable, although not bothered with red spider, is that remarkable submerged aquatic the Lace-leaf or Lat- tice-leaf Plant, Aponogcton [Ouiirandra) fcncstralis. It is seldom that really good plants of this are seen in cultivation. Fine specimens were to be seen in the Bo- tanic Garden of the University of Penn.sylvania ten years or so ago. and probably today. Personal experience has convinced me that it objects to growing in a painted re- ceptacle. A fine specimen growing wonderfully in a decrepit, partly rotten beer barrel promptly sulked and grew smaller instead of larger when removed to a sim- ilar barrel painted with white on the inside, for the pur- pose of reflecting the light that the beautifully netted veins could be seen. Many notable species of Nepenthes, Aeschynanthns. ColiDnnea. Dipladenia, Eranthcmnm- and Ixora owe their introduction to cultivation to \'eitch's. Good specimens of these are not so common nowadays, and it is much to be regretted that they do not receive a wider apprecia- tion. Perhaps we are unwilling or unable to give them the superlative care necessary to maintain them in good condition. .Some of the introductions, however, are to be found in almost every establishment that boasts of a greenhouse. Amongst the circhids such plants as Cvpripedlum Law- rcnceannm and Calanthe Veitchii, the latter a hybrid raised at the Chelsea Nursery, are universally grown, and it is a small and meagrely stocked greenhouse that does not contain examples of Asparagus plitmostis. Pan- da ii us Veitchii, Primula obconica and some of the in- numerable varieties of Crotons sent from the South Sea Islands by the late J. G. Veitch. .\nother widely grown plant is the "double" Poinsettia, discovered by Roezl in ^Mexico. "Hortus Veitchii" states that "it proved of difficult culture, and is now lost to cultivation." The double form now grown does not seem to present anv ex- ce])tional difficulties in its management, and it would be interesting to know if it is identical witli the variety distributed bv \"eitch in 1876. jor February, 1^21 459 How to Make a Vegetable Garden and Maintain Its Production JAMES DONALD Sl'ATlSriLS show that vegetarianism is becoming more popular every year, therefore vegetables de- serve to be grown more plentifully to meet the in- creasing demand, and as they are one of the necessities of life, are worthy of careful study, plenty of forethought, and the best of care. The three points to be considered in the making of such a garden are : site, soil and water. As regards site, the aspect due South or Southeast is always preferable in view of securing more favorably the sunshine of early Spring months and thus making the growing season longer. Level ground is most convenient, although a site possessing undulating slopes, is capable of producing, by proper culture, excellent crops. It is de- sirable to protect the garden from North winds by plan- tations, fences, walls, hedges or anything suitable to fill such requirements. Always avoid as far as possible low- lying places as undrained swamps, from the two-fold fact that colder subsoils generally abound and late Spring frosts prevail, both of which cause injury to early crops and are verv injurious to perennial vegetables wintered therein. The next consideration is the soil. A good site may be chosen with poor soil, or vice versa. Of course you can help a great deal to make the soil right, while it would be almost impossible to make the site as Nature herself or the glacier period has solved this problem for us. A col- lection of different soils in the garden would be a good thing to have at command as different crops need dif- ferent soils, but this can seldom be had. The quality of subsoil should be examined, and if it is of a retentive nature, and so prevents the free passage of air and water, this has a marked eft'ect on vegetables in general. Land of this nature should be drained freely and especially in districts where the rainfall is heavy, in order to remove the superabundant moisture that would otherwise collect. The third point is water, and not at all the least im- portant. In supplying water to the garden, in whatever system you adopt, the source should be secured from a stream or large open reservoir, exposed to plenty of sun- shine and air. It will therefore be warmer, softer and better suited in every way for plant life, than if olitained direct from a spring or well. Having these points settled, the next is the tillage of the soil. The ground should be all trenched to a depth of two and a half to three feet. This is seldom done, but in gardens where this .system has been adopted, the results have been marvellous. A liberal quantity of manure should !)e used and cow manure which has no etjual in this respect, is the best for vegetables. Horse manure is favorable to early crops, as it is sooner available as plant food, although it does not last as long as cow manure. No strict rule can be laid down as to trenching or manur- ing. Good judgment should be used, as light soils are often well drained naturally, but may be able to absorb good manuring, whereas heavy alluvial soils may need trenching, but not a heavy manuring. The garden should be plotted into at least four sections, dividing into roads and paths in proportion to its size for convenience and general appearance. These sections may be utilized as follows : 1. For all perennial crops as asparagus, artichoke, rhu- barb, strawberries, etc. 2. Peas, early potatoes to be followed by corn, celery, beans, lettuce, etc. 3. More tender kinds as tomatoes, egg plants, peppers, melons, martynia, etc. 4. For all small seeds as onions, carrots, beets, spinach, lettuce, salsify, etc. Pole beans, cabbage, sprouts, are often planted on the farm if the garden is too small, and each year the cropping of sections can be changed around, so that no crop will follow itself in the same spot next year. Of course in many cases onions are often grown in the same place for years with no marked deficiency. When Spring comes asparagus is generally the first vegetable to appear. Autumn is the best time to prepare a bed for this delicious vegetable, but Spring is the best time to plant it. Trenching three or four feet deep is absolutely essential, mixing good cow manure with the soil. Seeds or plants may be used, the latter being prefer- able because they bring quickest results. Use two-year- old plants and do not cut them much until the third year. They may be planted in beds, or in rows two and a half feet apart and eighteen inches between, leaving six inches for a channel for watering while young, and mav be filled as they grow. Any extra care given will be amply repaid in future years. Other perennials as artichoke and rhubarb, the latter may be grown in almost any corner of the garden, give protection in Winter, and a few can be forced early in the Spring by covering with a bottomless barrel sur- rounded with fresh horse manure. Artichoke can be car- ried through the Winter the same as rhubarb with pro- tection, or to save time, sow seeds indoors in December or later and these plants will bear fruit the coming Fall. To obtain success with peas, dig a trench one foot deep and fill in four inches with pure cow manure and cover over with six inches of soil. Then sow deeply ; tramp down : cover lightly and leave a channel for water about two inches deep which can be filled in later. Place the brush or wire fencing, the former is the better, on each side of the rows — as in the rush later on this may be neglected — so that the tendrils may get support without delay. Keep up a succession of peas as long as possible, sowing extra early peas first, and filling in with early and late varieties. Adopt this system and you will prolong the season. Corn may follow peas in the same groun 1, hut il will grow in almost any soil, providing the land is sweet and exposed to plenty of sun. It is a gross feeder and requires plenty of available plant food and extensive cultivation. Plant in hills three or four feet apart each way. or in lines two feet apart or more according to the variety. Do not push up hills as is often done, but keep the land level and the rain force will be equal all over. Simply feed and hoc until the foliage meets. Celerv is often planted alternately with ciirn for partial shade which is a good asset to it. Seeds may be sown indoors in February or March or in frames later, and planted outdoors after the third leaf appears. Harden oft' and plant outdoors in cold frames. Celery loves cool treatment but will not stand frost. Plant about four inches apart so that a ball of roots is easily secured for final planting. In their permanent quarters whether on 460 GARDE^^ERS' CHROMCLE the level or in trenches, plant in lines four to six inches apart or more, depending upon the depth of soil available for furrewing up. Celery can be well taken care of in its own trenches all ^^'inter or moved into cellars in lines of sand. \\'hile in the open, celery keeps in most cases its own nutty flavor at its best, it is of course, far more convenient to get at in the cellars during the long and cold Winter months. With two feet of soil overhead, more or less depending on the latitude of the locality, and plenty of good leaves and manure it will keep well. This method, however, requires much labor. Leeks can be grown beside celery and placed in trenches like them. As they are quite hardy they can be left out- doors all Winter with little protection. As a rule, potatoes are planted on the farm and not in the vegetable garden proper. They require a lot of room and would take up a good sized garden to hold enough for an average family, but if a few early ones are desired, they may be planted in the garden about the end of April or May in lines two and a half feet apart and eighteen inches between seeds. When scab is prevalent, soak the seeds in formaldehyde, one to twenty parts of water. The seeds like free and friable soil. Old pasture land broken up is the best. Use fertilizer if necessary ; spray well, and often cultivate until foliage meets. This is a standard vegetable and deserves every care and attention to obtain a good clean crop. Melons, although not classed as a vegetable, deserve a prominent position in the garden. Locate a well drained spot with full sun exposure. Sow seeds about ten inches apart, in boxes twelve inches square. Cover with glass and ventilate as a greenhouse. \\'hen plumule appears then take out all but three plants. Let the foliage grow to fill the box ; harden oiif and remove the box. ^Melons have many pests which we strive hard to get rid iif. The best resistant to disease is to keep the plants healthy and growing. Thorough cultivation is essential. Apply liquid cow manure or any fertilizer with good judgment throughout the growing season. Pinch the shoots be- yond a flower bud at the limit of the space permitted. Water when necessary — a fountain sprinkler is good in the long cool evenings. Dust dry powder as Hellebore or Shot after rain if aphis are troublesome or any other eat- ing insects. Spray arsenate of lead if beetles should appear after fruit is set, but be very careful in this opera- tion as this fruit is edible. Should rust appear on the foliage spray with a w-eak Bordeaux mixture. Apply it, say once a week, until all effects of it disappear and the plants regain their normal health. Cucumbers require about the same treatment as melons. Cucumbers and melons should be grown far apart to pre- vent fertilization with one another, as they are of the same order and the sourness of the cucumber will soon spoil the sweet taste of the melon. Lettuce is a favorite salad, and there are many good varieties to choose from, either cabbage or cos. They like cool treatment whether forced or grown outdoors. If sown or planted in a light rich soil and partially shaded in hot weather, they will succeed well. The cos varieties should be tied up before maturity of grovi'th so as to blanch the heart like celery. Sow at intervals, and with the assistance of the greenhouse, lettuce may be had all the year 'round. Pole beans require a rich soil, well exposed to the sun, so that free circulation of air surrounds each pole. A great drawback is a damp atm(is])here, in fact, it is often a cause of failure with beans. Set up poles securely in the allotted space, whether farm or garden, four feet by four feet, in lines. Plant eight or ten seeds to a pole ; ihiu nut later to three seedlings; train vines up the poles; feed and water judiciously, and cultivate until the crop is harvested. Dwarf beans may be grown in the garden in lines two feet apart, and three inches between the seeds. If sown thinly, plants thrive better. Continue sowing every two weeks until August. Cauliflower seeds should be sown earh- in a gentle heat, potted into three-inch pots when the third leaf appears, or when the seedlings are about three or four inches long. Harden oft' gradually and plant in a good position to get the first batch oft" before hot weather sets in. Later sow- ings can be made in cold frames or outdoors to furnish cauliflower in the Fall right up to frost. Plant in lines three feet apart and two inches between. Water well and if the flower is shaded from sun and heavy rains, it will attain a perfect specimen of purity and size. Tie the leaves together, which will act as a good protection. Cauliflowers deserve good care for they are among the most delicious vegetables in the Brassica family. Brussels sprouts may be treated about the same as cauliflower. They must be sown early indoors as they need a long season to reach maturity. Pot up ; gradually harden oft'; plant outdoors in April or May in lines three feet by two feet apart ; stake the plants firmly ; feed and water \\ell, and cuhivate often. As the sprouts are hardy the plants can be left outdoors unprotected until used on the table. Squash was the leading vegetable in the war gardens, everybody had squash. The Hubbard and Delicious seemed to be the popular varieties grown. Sow eight or ten seeds to a hill ; thin out to three or four when ready ; place screens over hills to prevent attacks of insects while leaves are small and tender. This delicious vegetable will grow almost anywhere. It is a gross feeder and can be fed mechanically on milk. Squash has a good vine to cover over an undesirable place, and its foliage alone makes a great attraction at least for the Summer and Fall and until frost. Parsnips are hardy and will stand the outdoors all Win- ter, but .should have some slight protection in extreme zero weather. If grown for exhibition, unusual methods of culture may be adopted, such as digging holes in lines in a good position in the garden, three or four feet deep, with a crowbar. Fill up the hole with ver\- good soil ; sow seed on the surface of the hole ; thin out to one plant. Good soil will produce long and perfect shaped roots. In ordinary treatment sow the lines two feet apart, and thin out accordingly. Give good care all season. Onions prefer a rather stift', hard soil, but will do well in any ordinary garden soil, providing they get plenty of food, as they are gross feeders. To grow the large onions or exhibition kind, sow seeds in gentle heat in January or February ; keep them growing along, potting and repot- ting. Gradually harden oft', and plant outdoors at the first opportunity. Sow outdoors in lines twelve inches apart, or broadcast in beds, but lines are preferable as cultivation is easier. \\'eed them bv hand and thin out with good judgment; water when necessary; feed often and cultivate well The harvest crop is ready in .\ugust or September. Let the bulbs ripen good and keep in a cool, airy ]ilace, but do not allow them to freeze. Egg plants may be sown indoors in a gentle heat and pottecf in six-inch ])ots in a good compost of soil, three- quarters soil to one-quarter decomposed manure. Grow indoors until Mny, and harden oft' gradually. They should not be planted outdoors before the fifth of June. They thrive very well in a newly starteil grapery, as they like heat and moisture, but cannot stand the cold. When the nights are warm and when they receive no check, they will fruit anecies could be grown equally well in our climate, liut two years ago I saw a bed of Silene pendula coin- pacta in Rosemont, Pa., and the grower assured me there had been no trouble whatever in attaining good results. Of the hardy perennial kinds the Cushion Pink, SUcnc acaulis, a native of the mountainous districts of the north- ern part of Central lunope and the I'.ritish Islands and Silene alpestris, a denizen of the Austrian Alps, arc both valuable subjects for open sunny positions in rock-gar- dens. The flowers of the former are pink, rarelv white ; ^vl-lik■ those of 5. alpestris appear in white onl\-. Con- Si i.kxi: .\i.pi\.\ latter during .May and June when adorned with its white- blossoms is exceeding- graceful, while in .August and .September Silene Scliafta with its dis]-)lav of bright rose pink flowers ]iroves outright indispensable in adding- color lo the aspect of our rockeries. -\11 the perennial species may be raised from seeds sown in Spring or propagated by cuttings and division. For Winter protection a light leaf-covering or a good nuflching with old nianure is a necessitv. 462 GARDESERS- CHROMCLE piiiiniiiir:ii!i.iiiiiiiii:iiinntiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJinii!niiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiii!i>:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ = * * I Work for the Month in the Garden I SAMUEL GOLDING '^iiiiiiiiiiiii;iinii»hiiii[iiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiniiiiiiiuiiiiiwini:iiii:miHimnimiini:iin .uii. >..>....,.. u .m.i. iiiMiii!iiii;iiu::iiiliiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiiiniiii ii'Mii :i!ii'iiii!iiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiii:iiii;iiiiiiiii;iiiiiiia FEBRUARY ushers in the beginning of the gardener's busy season, and by the end of the month the cam- paign will have opened in real earnest. This does not refer to large establishments where, by up-to-date methods and equipments, production is carried on with- out a break throughout the Winter season. Where greenhouses or heated pits are not available, and cold frames the only means at one's disposal to raise the early plants, it will be time to commence towards the end of the month. No doubt plans have been made before now for the coming season for vegetable, fruit, and flower gardens. Foresight is the one great asset the gardener nuist possess to cope successfully with the demands that will be made upon him. The needs of the individual establish- ment and his ability to supply the demand for fruits, flow- ers, and vegetables at the seasons when wanted, is the most important problem that confronts him. It is always most gratifying to be able to produce early vegetables and no time must be lost in collecting and pre- paring materials for hot-beds. Enough should be gath- ered at one time to fill the pits and frames which we have decided to start with. Methods differ somewhat in the procedure of constructing the hot-bed. If a rapid ger- mination is desired and the hot-bed be placed in an other- wise unheated pit, strawy stable manure with a small per- centage of forest leaves can be used, but where a lasting and steady heat is wanted, an equal amount of leaves (oak or beech preferred) and fresh stable manure should be used. It should be turned and thoroughly incorporated, afterwards forked into the pits and treaded down firmly. If on the dry side, throw a few cans of water over it. or sprinkle with the hose when mi.xing; in a few days fer- mentation will commence and the bed can then be covered with soil, the depth of which must be determined by what- ever uses we intend to make of our beds. If desired only to rai.se seedlings, just enough soil is necessary to keep down the rank ammonia and too violent heat which is the cause of too rapid germination and consequent damping, making it more difticult to manage after the strong heat has subsided. Where crops of beets, carrots, and spinach are sown about six inches are necessary. Growers who anticipate exhibiting their produce at the fall shows should now sow their onions, leeks and celery. Sow thinlv in flats and as soon as the seedlings are suffi- ciently large to handle, transplant into other receptacles. Aim to have good stocky plants when the time arrives for planting into their final quarters. This desirable condi- tion is gained by attention to the smaller details. Avoid coddling : keep growing near the glass ; and admit an abundance of fresh air wherever the climatic conditions allow. He careful to avoid cold draughts, especially dur- ing the early seedling state, as there is nothing more con- ducive to mildew or other evils to plant life at any stage of growth. Other vegetables to be sown include early cabbage, cauliflower, dwarf peas, all kinds of salads, potatoes, string beans, etc. V\'ith the increase of sunshine and light, ger- mination quickly takes place. .\mple provision should be made for covering cold fraiues durinr;: severe weather which is often experienced during this month. Snow is one of the best protections for frames and some caution should be used before remov- ing it, referring, of course, to zero conditions which may prevail. Heated pits should always be clear to take ad- vantage of any sunshine. Plants for Summer bedding can now Ije propagated. These include heliotrope, Colcus, geraniums, lantanas, Agcratum, and salvias. Standards of Fuchsia, heliotrope, and lantanas should be grown rapidly. Keep them pinched to furnish shapely heads. Standards make a decided featiu-e in a garden and can be used to advantage in many ways, as pot plants or in beds with a ground work of other dwarf plants, which blend harmoniously with the stand- ards. This is necessary to appreciate fully this style of bedding. Sow seeds of Begonia gracilcs and sciupciiiorcns; Sal- via splriidcns, S. patens, and 5". farinacca. Seeds of the hybrid ].)enstemon can be sown, which is a most useful and very attractive plant, and deserves to be more widely used for cut flowers or borders. The majority of bedding an- nuals can be handled more successfully if sown ne.xt month. Seeds of Delphinium or larkspur should be sown as early as posible to insure bloom during the coming season. I ireat improvements, both in size and range of coloring, have been accomplished in the last few years with this wonderful genus of plants, but the old variety Belladonna still holds its own as a clear, true blue. It may be lack- ing in size and probably may be of a somewhat less robust constitution than the hybrids, but it is more reliable when used for the blue border. The dwarf variety Chinense is also fine for this purpose, its lasting qualities being only one of its good points. August is a good month to raise seedlings of these plants, wintering them in a cold frame. Another fine blue flowered hardy plant which can be sown is Salvia azurea. It will bloom during September and make a pretty combination when planted with Arte- misia hictitiora. Sweet peas should be sown this month in pots or flats, and plunged in ashes in the cold frame where severe frost can be avoided. It is best to sow the new and more ex- pensixe varieties singly in small pots ; others about four in three-inch pots ; or in rows in flats. Use fairly light soil so that when the time for planting is here, the roots will hot be broken when shaken out. Avoid rough or half decayed leaf soil for drainage as the roots penetrate this, making it impossible to separate them without in- jury. Some may ask, "Why shake out the soil?" The .mswer is that the sweet pea is a very deep rooting plant. When shaken out, the roots are often considerably over a foot in length. It will repay any extra care to endeavor to keep them intact, and, in planting, to get them down as deep as posible, assuming, of course, that the ground was deeply dug and manured last fall. If we expect success with sweet peas, they nuist have a good deep rooting medium, otherwise their beauty and usefulness are soon over when the hot weather arrives. If attention is not paid to this phase of their culture, they prove very unsatisfactory subjects, but where conditions suit theiu. few flowers excel their beauty and abundant returns for the labor expended. After germination, give all the air nossible to encourage steadv growth. for February, 1921 463 Walks and Talks Among the Spring Flowers FLORUM AMATOR IT is a pure dc-light lo saunter along the paths of our riower gardens in the Spring months and observe the resurrection of the flowers. They remind us of that beautiful old Greek myth of Persephone and her mother Demeter, and its interpretation. Let us take daily walks together through our gardens, and the Botanical gardens too, if possible, for we find flowers there which we do not see elsewhere, and let us talk in an informal wa}- about what we see during .March and in the first half of April. A large majority of the flowers appearing during this period come from bulbs, but some are from tubers and perennial roots. Such of the bulbs, as are not natives of the United States and their possession, with the ex- ception of Crocus, Hyacinth, Narcissus and Tttlips, are now forbidden by the Federal Horticultural Board for reasons which appear sufficient to it to be imported from the several sources from which they used to come. For- tunate are they in whose gardens these bulbs are already established. Let us begin now our garden walks. Here in bloom is the \Miite Glory of the Snow, Chionodoxa lucilicr alba. with about a dozen white star-shaped flowers, on each stem, a bulbous plant thriving in sunshine or half shade in any good soil in border or rock garden ; here also sev- eral other species, and varieties of this flower, the Giant Glory of the Snow, C. lucilicc gii^antca, whose blue flowers are larger than those of C. lucilicc, excellent for grouping in the border : C. lucilicr fiiiohis, with blue and white flowers, blooming later than the others and excellent in a rock-garden ; the Sardian species, C. Sardicnsis, having flowers of Gentian blue on branching stems, thriving in a fertile border : here are two more, C. lucilicr with white based flowers tipped with blue, about a dozen on each stem growing in any good soil in border or rock-garden : and Allen's Glory of the Snow, C. Allcui, dili'ering little from C. lucilicc. Now we come upon not more Glory of the Snow, but Snow Drops of several species all with white flowers : the common Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, whose droop- ing flowers appear as soon as the snow leaves the ground : G. eki'esii. with more globular blooms than G. iiiz'alis: and the Plaited Snowdrop, G. plicatus, whose lovely soli- tary hell-shaped flowers on long stems appear a little later than those of G. nivalis. All of these charming liulbous plants thrive in any rich border in sun or half shade. The Crocuses begin to throw up from their bulbs quaint funnel-formed flowers of several colors ; first the Stem- less White Crocus, next the deep yellow variety, Cloth of Gold, Crocus Susianus, and later, the Cloth of Silver, Crocus biflorus; others follow with blue, and yellow and variegated flowers. All Crocuses are suitable for group planting in border or naturalizing in grass ground or under trees. Here are the Hellebores, six in number. They are throw- ing up from their roots their cup-shaped blooms of several colors ; the much talked-abcut Christmas Rose, HcUcborus niger; the tall leaved variety of this, H. nigcr altifolius, wliose flowers are the largest of all the Hellebores ; also the ( )lympic Hellebore, H . oricntalis Olyinpicus. with smaller and more spreading white flowers : another va- riety of oricntalis we see here, the Dark Red Eastern Hellebore, C. oricntalis atronibens, with large reddish purple flowers. Look at these very odd colored purplish green drooping blooms of HcUcborus viridis piirpurcs- cciis, and these large flowers, purple without, but green- ish within and dotted and streaked of another variety of H. oricntalis, Fratt Irene Heineman. The flowers of this variety as well as those of Olynipicus are good for cutting. Frau Irene Heineman and H. i-iridis purpur- csccns are suitable for iilanting amidst shrubber\-, and the others in border or rock-garden. All the Hellebores thrive best in a well drained rich soil in half shade, and should not be disturbed often by taking up or dividing. This pretty little yellow flower comes with the Snow- drops and from a bulb and prefers the partial shade. It is the Common Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyenuilis. Xow in mid-AIarch the spikes of the pretty Squills, some white, others in different shades of blue, spring up from their bulb mother in the earth to greet us; the Early Squill, Scilla bifolia, is the earliest of all the Squills ; its starry flowers, about six in each spike of blooms, are, you see, dark blue : here is another early species, .S". .S'ibirica, with pretty nodding China-blue flowers oh slender stalks, and also its white flowered variety, 6". S'ibirica alba, and another species 5. ainocna, the Star Hyacinth Squill, whose blue flowers, you see, are not, in spite of its name anwcna, as pretty as those of other species. All the Squills prefer a sandy soil either in sun or half shade, in the border or rock-garden. Here are some flowers of a quite dift'erent form. ])ut also from bulbs, the Netted Iris, Iris reticulata, with fragrant yellow crested flowers : there are several blue flowered varieties of this which we do not yet see in flower. Nearby we see Krelage's Netted Iris, /. reticulata Krclagci; its flowers we note are not as fragrant as those of reticulata or its color as clear. These Irises like a shel- tered, but suimv spot in a fibrous or sandy well drained soil. April is now here with its fickle weather, but its sun- shine and its showers, alike bring out the Spring flowers. Though in our garden walks we notice that the flowers from bulbs are still in the majority, nevertheless, we see that not a few plants from perennial roots which are not bulbous are beginning to bloom. This is the White Bane- berry, Actcca alba, displaying its clusters of snowy white flowers above its finely cut foliage : a little later we will see its white berries. This plant which thrives best in a loose soil and shade is suitable for a rock-garden or wild garden. A\'e come now upon a pure white sheet of fragrant flowers of the White Rock Cress, Arabis albida, excellent for covering rocky, bare places and for edgings. Not far away we see the Alpine Rock Cress, Arabis aJp^ina. adapted to the same uses as A. olbida and with flowers of like color, but smaller, and, like albida, loving the sun. Trailing over this rock-garden we see the Ruiming Rock Cress. Arabis procurrcns. In the full sunlight here, though it thrives in the shade too. we find the Double Snowdrop \\"indflower. Anemone syk'cstris florc plena, equally at home in the border or the rock-garden. Growing both in the half shade and also in the full shade of the shrubbery we see the Pepper Root. Dcntaria dipliylla. whose flowers are white above, but pale purple beneath. The root stocks of this plant, which prefers a light peaty soil, are edible. Here are two Spring flowers very different from any which we have met in our walks, the Squirrel Corn. Dicentra Canadensis, with its pendent, pink tipped flowers on leafless stems, and its fern-like foliage, suitable 464 GARDENERS- CHRONICLE for rock-garden or border and preferring the half shade. In a like location we find the Dutchman's Breeches, Dkentra ciicullaria, with its pretty racemes of drooping, yellow tipped flowers, thriving", as Canadensis, in a light rich soil. In this rock-garden we now see a pretty, little odd- looking creeping evergreen plant, with rose-colored buds, and white flowers rising out of a moss-like cushion of leaves growing in half shade or full sunlight and pre- ferring a soil of leaf mold and sand. This is the Pyxie, Pixldanthcra barhulata, a native plant. Do you see these pearly white buds and large white star-shaped flowers disclosed by the unfolding of the handsome foliage, different shaped foliage than we have before seen in our walks? This is the Blood Root. Sanguinaria Canadensis. This native plant flourishes in light moist soil under deciduous trees and is excellent for massing in such a position. This Early Saxifrage, Saxifraga Virginicnsis, is not a particularly beautiful flower, but it is a native and has in it the touch of Spring : it blooms freely in border, or rock-garden, in the sunshine in any soil. Growing here in this rich border, though preferring a wet location in sun or half shade we see the Double Marsh Marigold, Caltha pahistris florc plena, with its broad double yellow flowers, a double form of our native plant C. pahistris; its blooms are good for cutting. The blooms of this plant before us have a very imique form ; this is the Californian Columbine, Aquilegia Cali- forniea or truncata, bearing yellow tinted short spurred flowers. This plant flourishes in sunshine or half shade in a border of well drained sandy loam. These two tuberous plants growing in this rock-garden are natives: thev prefer a half shade and moist soil. These are the Spring Beauties, Claytonia J'irginica and Caroliniana with their star-shaped pink veined flowers, the former the larger, borne in loose clusters on slender stems. Four Anemones. .-Inemonc apenina. with large white flowers, A. Pulsatilla, with lilac colored flowers, and much divided leaves, .}. patens A'lUalliana with star- shaped lilac flowers, and A. ranunetiloides, with golden 3'ellow flowers, sometimes semi-double, and with deeply cut foliage. All these Anemones thrive in the shade. A. Pulsatilla is excellent for border or rock-garden: A. ranunculoides in rock-garden, and the other two in wild gardens. As we are coming here we see some more Inilbous plants in bloom. This is the Lily-like Fritillary, Fritil- laria liliacea growing here in this border of rich loam. Its lily-like green veined or greenish flowers are some- times solitary, sometimes several droop on their stalks. These flowers of transparent white are those of the Sand Lilv, Leucocrinum niontanuin ; these stemless flowers with pale anthers and shaped like a funnel are fragrant, and continue to appear among" the narrow leaves for several weeks : this is a good rock-garden plant. These are the Summer and Spring Snowflakes. Lcueo- juni ccstivuni and L. vernum. the former, we see. bears clusters of fragrant bell-shaped, green tipped flowers, somewhat like SnowdrojiS ; the latter is a smaller plant with solitarv flowers : both thrive in a border of rich soil. In our garden walks and talks we have reached mid- April. What we see in our subsequent walks we will tell vou in another issue of the Chronicle. We are going to be called upon, nationally, collectively and individually, to renounce extravagance and learn anew the old lessons of thrift and providence. It will add to our power and emphasize our stability if we be- come a simple-living people once more. — ]]' . G. Harding. THE MASTER OF "THE MOORINGS" In the death of Col. H. E. Converse, taken, as he was, in the prime of life, the horticultural world, the flower loving public and the pleasure seekers have met with a loss hard to estimate. Whether his beautiful estate, sit- uated on Charles Neck in Marion, will be lost to the public is still a matter of conjecture. When Mr. Converse purchased this estate about 17 years ago it consisted of about 80 acres of practically undeveloped land and an old farmhouse. Today we find the whole place developed to such an extent that even the so called wild section is a thing of beauty, in fact so tastefully are the entire grounds arranged as to win the Hunnewell Triennial Pre- mium for the most tastefully laid out estate in Massa- chusetts and also the silver medal of the Massachusetts Hort. Soc. for the best rose garden. When the estate began to assume the desired eflrects he looked upon the work of the two master minds, and, deciding" that it was good, he did not build a high wall with massive iron gates at the entrance or post a sign "No Admittance" but rather let it be known that all were welcome to enjoy the beautiful spot, embellished with the gardener's art, to the full without any restric- tions so long as property rights did not suffer, in fact he even advertised in the papers when there was any special attraction. Col. Converse enjoyed his place but his chief pleasure was the enjoyment of his many vis- itors. Everything was open and the visitor wandered where he pleased, along the sea wall with its splendid view of Buzzards Bay, in the green-houses with their burden of fruit and flowers ofttimes in such abundance as to make one wonder at the profligacy of Nature when fostered by trained experts, through the daffodil walk in the Spring where the Golden Spur, Emperor, Empress and their ilk were nodding their golden heads and one felt he was in Fairy Land, through the Japanese garden and over the rustic bridge where one was constantly on the watch for a son of Nippon to appear so realistic was the scene, even through the mansion itself on certain days when he held open house. All these the Colonel enjoyed and took pleasure in the enjoyment of others. Some might say pride prompted the action, and it certainly would be a justifiable pride, but I would attribute it rather to a generous nature enhanced by a proper pride. A very democratic man, everyone was welcome, the rich and the poor alike, and so open was the hospitality and so beautiful the picture, that hundreds walked the two miles each way from the electrics. Even with the employees this democratic attitude prevailed to such an extent that the superintendent said "he seemed more like a partner than eniployer'' while the same feeling" existed among the help. All seemed to be working together, employer and employe, to make the place beautiful, cheer- ful and attractive. How well they succeeded anyone who has visited "The Moorings" will know. This was not his life work but it was a work remarkably well done and generouslv shared with his fellow man, something that will linger long in the memories of the present generation. Col. Converse was nuich interested in Town affairs, gave it its fire apparatus and was very influential in pro- curing a water sup]:)ly for its people. The ultimate disposition of this beauty spot is still a matter of conjecture but it is sincerely hoped that it may still be saved in its, charming simplicity and b? continued as a spot where all may find pleasure. Long live the memorv of the Master of "The Aloor- incs." ' ■ W. F. T. Convey thy love to thy friends as an arrow to the mark, to stick there : not as a ball against the wall, to rebound back to ihee. — Ouarles. jor February, 1921 465 Essentials to Success with Wild Gardens HERBERT DURAND WITH few exceptions, native shrubs, evergreens, ferns and wild flowers cannot be expected to thrive unless they are given conditions of soil, moisture and exposure closely similar to those of their natural haunts. Some country places are fortunate in having suitable areas for establishing all, or nearly all, i>ur indigenous plants. In such cases practically the only problem is to fit the plant to the localit}-. ]\Iost home owners, however, have naturallv congenial situations for only a limited number of plant families, and if other kinds are desired, as is almost invariably the case, the main problem becomes one of making- the lo- cality fit the plant. To solve these two problems satisfactorily, it is neces- sar)' to know what plants are suitable for effective wild gardening, what each species requires in the way of nour- ishment and shelter, and what must be done to supply its needs artificially, if the}- do not exist naturally. I believe the simplest way of teaching these funda- mentals to the uninformed is by giving a list of the most beautiful, desirable and easily handled plants, divided into groups according to habitat, and with a concise description of the conditions under which the members of each group will ordinarily flourish, when properly planted. Groi'p Plants (tRciwixg X.\tur.\i.i.v in Moist Shade. Soil — rich, black, acid and light, largely leaf mold. Location — woods, ground sloping or well drained. Constant moisture fnini neighboring streams, or from springs. Conditions may be repro- duced in any shaded area by adding leaf mold or commercial humus to the existing soil, seeing that the drainage is good and providing water when needed. A light mulch of dead leaves should be maintained. Avoid lime, manure and fertilizers. Conifers — White Cedar (Thuya occidcnlalis) : Hemlock (TsH,s.a Canadensis) ; White Spruce {Picca alba) ; White Pine (Pinus strobus) ; American Yew {Taxus Canadensis.) Broad-leaved Evergreens — Andromeda (floribi(nda and poli- folia) ; Leiophylluin ; Leucothoe (Catesbceii) ; Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) ; Pachysandra; Rhododendron {Maxiniuni. Catazvbiense, Caroliniaiiunt and punctatus.) Deciduous Shrubs — Azalea {arborescens. calendulacea and vaseyi) ; Dogwoods {Cornus florida, sericea and Stolonifera) \ Flowering Raspberry {Rubus odoralus) ; I'iburnum (acerifoliui)i, cassinoides and lentago). Ferns — Maidenhair {Adiuntum pedatunt) ; Braun's Holly (Aspidium aculealum, var. Braunii); Male Fern (Aspidinin Felix Mas) ; Goldie's Fern (Aspidium Goldianutn) ; New York Fern (Aspidium A'ovahoracense) ; Spiny Wood Fern (Aspidium Spinulosum, var. dilalaluin) ; Narrow-leaved Spleenwort ( As- plenium angustifoliuni) ; Silvery Spleenwort (Asplcnium thelyp- teroides) ; The Bladder Ferns (Cysptopteris, bulbifera and fragilis) ; Interrupted Fern (Osmunda Claytnniana) ; Broad Beach Fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptcra) ; Woodsia obtusa. Wild Flowers — The Baneberrys (Actea, alba and rubra) ; Wood .'\nemone (A. nemorosa) ; Rue Anemone (Ancmonella Ihalie- troidcs) ; Wild Ginger (Asarum Canadensis) ; Pipsisscwa (Chimaphila nuieutata) ; Prince's Pine (Chimaphila umbellata) ; Black Snakeroot (Cimicifuga racemosa) ", White Snakeroot (Eupatorium ageratoides) ; Bunchbcrry (Cornus Canadensis) : Crinkle Root ( Penlaria diphylla) : Dntchman'.s Breeches ( />i- centra cucutlaria) ; Shooting Star (Dodrratheon meadia) ; Trout Lily (Erythronium Ainericanum) ; Galax (G. aphylla) ; Liver-leaf (Hepatica triloba) : Alum Root (Ileuchera Americana) : Crested Iris (I. cristata) ; Twin Leaf (Jcffersonia diphylla) ; Red Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum) ; Cardinal Flower (Lobelia car- dinalis) ; Blue Bell (Mertensia virginiea) ; Partridge Berry (Mitchella repcns) ; Bishop's Cap (.UiVc/Zu diphylla) ; Wild Bhio Phlox (P. divaricata) ; May Apple (Podophyllum prllalum) : Solomon's Seal (Polygoiialum bitlorum) ; Bloodroot (Sanguinana Canadensis): False Solomon's Seal (Smilaeena racemosa) ; Shortia (galacifolia) ; Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifnlia) ; Wake Robin (Trillium ereclum) ; Great \\'hitc Trillium (T. grandi- tlurum): Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisicma diphylla); Great Bcllwort (L'vularia granditlora) ; Virginian Speedwell (Veronica Vir- giniea); Canadian Violet (/'. Canadensis); Dog Violet (V. canina, var. sylveslris) ; Common Blue Violet (V. cucullata) ; Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium parvillorum) ; Showy Lady Slipper (Cypripedium spectabile). Group 2. Plants Growing Natx-rallv in Moist Sex. Soil— rich and black, usually peaty. Location— low meadows, pastures, along streams and similar open places. Conditions may be approximated by adding muck or peat and supplying persistent moisture. Mulch plants until established. Conifers — White Cedar and Hemlock. Broad-leaved Evergreens — Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) ; Pale Laurel (K. glauca) ; Leather Leaf (Cassandra calyculata). Deciduous Shrubs— Sh3.d Bush (Amelanchicr Canadensis) ; Azalea (A. viscosa) ; Sweet Pepper Bu?h (Clethra alnifolia) , Moose wood (Direa palustris) ; Black Alder (Ilex verlicillata) ; Sweet Gale (Myrica Gale) ; Chokebcrry (Pyrus arbutifoUus) ; Rhodora; High Bush Bluelierry (I'acciniuni corymbosum) ; Pussy Willow (Salix discolor). Fi'r;(j-— Marsh Shield Fern {.tspidium Ihelypteris) ; Lady Fern (.4splenium iilix-fa-niina ) ; Sensitive Fern (Onoctca .';ensibilis) ; Ostrich Fern {Onoclea sirufhiopteris) ; Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis); Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) ; Narrow- leaved Chain Fern (IVoodimrdia angustifolia) ; Virginia Chain Fern (W. Virginiea). Wild Flowers — Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) ; Meadow Beauty (Rhexia I'irginica) ; New England Aster (.4. Xova-.-ingliie) : Turtle Head (Chelone glabra); Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum) ; Golden Ragwort (Senccio aureus); Closed Gentian (Gentiana Andrc'vsi) ; Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) ; Swamp Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) ; Quaker Ladies (Houstonia ctcrulea) ; Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) ; Wild Strawberry (Fragaria Amcricanum) ; Meadow Lily (L. Cana- densis) ; Turk's Cap Lily (L. supcrbum) ; Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) ; Great Blue Lobelia (L. syphilitica) ; Purple Loose-Strife (Lythrum roseum) ; Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) ; Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia Carolinianum) ; Obedient Plant i Physostegia Virginiea) ; Meadow Rue (Thalictrum cornuti) ; Irouweed (J'ernonia Xoz'cboraeencis) ; Common Blue Violet iJ'iola cucullata); Yellow-fringed Orchis (Habenaria ciliaris) ; Purple-fringed Orchis (Habenaria psychodes) ; Smooth Wild Rose (R. Blanda) ; Pasture Rose (R. lucida). Groui' 3. Plants Growing Naturally in Dry Shade. Soil — thin, rocky and usually impoverished by tree roots, e.xcept in pockets among the rocks, etc. Location — dry slopes and rock ortcrops. Similar conditions may be improved by adding leaf mold where it is desired to install plants from Group 1, but in such cases moisture must be provided when needed. Without improvement the following plants will grow and do well in such situations : Conifers — Common Juniper (/. Co}nmunis and /. Communis prostata); Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana and its varieties). Deciduous Shrubs — Pink Azalea (A. nudidorum) ; Sweet Fern iComptonia asplenifolia) ; The Sumacs (Rhus cnpallina and R. aronuilic) ; Dw;irf Bluel;erry (I'ascinium vacillans) ; Dock- mackie (I'iburnuni acerifolium) ; W-Wow Root (Xanlhorrhisa apiifolia). Ferns — Christmas (Aspidium acrostichoides) ; Braun's Holly Fern (Aspidium aculeatum. var. Braunii) ; Evergreen wood Fern Clspidium marginale) ; Ebony Spleenwort (.4splenium ebeneiim) ; Hay-scented Fern (Dicksonia punctilobula) ; Polypody (P. vul- gare) ; Bracken (Pteris aquilina) ; Rusty Woodsia (IF. ik-ensis). Wild Flowers — Colic Root (Aletris farinosa) ; Wild Colum- b'ne (Aquilegia Canadensis) ; Sky Blue Aster (.4. la:vis) ; Blue Bells of Scotland (Campanula rotundifoUa) ; Bristled Aster ( Diplopappus linariifoUus) ; -Star Grass (Hypoxis erecta) ; \'enial Iris (/. verna) ; Creeping Charlie (Lysimacliia nununu- taria) ; Violet Wood Sorrel (O.ralis violacea) ; Saxifrage (S. aizoon and S. Virginiensis) ; Rock Pink (Silenc Pennsylvanica) ; The Sedums: Golden Rod (Solidago cffsia) ; Purple Rue ( Thalictrum dioicum) . Group 4. Plants Growing Naturally in Dry Sun. Soil — usually peer, thin and .sandy, or gravelly. Location— liarren hills and rocks and other open uncultivated places. Diffi- 466 G-iRDE\EnS- CHRONICLE cult to improve conditions, owing to washing during heavv rain-.. L omf ers~Lommon Juniper (/. Communis and var. fostam) : Ked Ledar (Junipcrus Virginhwu and varieties) Broad-lcuvcd Evcrgrcens—lnkhcrrx (Hex glabra); Bearberrv (Arctosfaphylos bzn-iMsa). Deciduous Shrubs—Pink Azalea (A. nudiAorum) ; Bavberry (Jlyrtca cent era); Sweet Fern {Comptonia asplenifolia)'; The Mimacs {hhus aromatica, R. copallina, R. glabra and R. tvpkina) ; Uwart Blueberries (^Gayhtsaccia resinosa, Vaccinium Peiwsvh'ani- cum). Fcr;i.t— Hay-scented Fern (Dicksouiii punctilobula) ; Rusi .- Woodsia (IV. ilvensis) ; Bracken (Pleris aqiilliiia). /I'iW Flo'i'crs—Pink Yarrow (Achillea millefolium); Pearly h-verlasting (Antennaria nmrgaritacea) ; Sandwort (Arenaria groenlandica) ; Rock Pink (Silene Pennsylvanica) ; Heath Aster (A cncoides) ; Bristled Aster (Diplopappus !inariifolius) ; Wild Indigo (Baptisia tmetoria) ; Blue Bells of Scotland (Campanula rotundifoba); Golden Aster (Chrysopsis mariana); Flowerin.i Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) \ Herb Robert (Geranium Robertianum) ; Kansas Gay Feather (Liatris pxciwstaehva ) ; l^utton Snakeroot (Liatris scariosa) ; Orange Butterfly Weed (Asclcpws tubcrosa); Wild Lupin (Lupinus perciinisj ; Mo;.s Pink (Phlox suhulata and varieties) ; Lovely Phlox (P. amcciia: ; I he Sedums; Early Golden Rod (Solidago nemoralis) ; Showy Golden Rod (Solidago spectabile); Bird's-foot Violet (T peda'.a and var. Bicolor). Group 5, induding aquatic and seiui-aquatic pUmts and Group 6. conijirised of general purpose plants, from all groups, which flourish under practically any conditions, will be the subject of an article in the ^larch issue. It will be noted that occasionally the same plant is listed under two or more groups. This' indicates that the plant does equally well in different conditions and vitnations. PEACH TREES ON WALLS IN MASSA- CHUSETTS 128 YEARS OLD J WAS yery much interested in the article in the last num- ber of the Gardener's Chronicle on growino- peach trees on walls at Montreuil near Paris. Peach trees have been grown on walls on this estate since 1793, nearly 128 years. They, however, have not been a decided success owmg, T think, to climatic conditions. I think from my observation around Boston, it would not be advisable to grow fruit trees closely trained to walls, unless one had some means of protecting them from late frosts. The strong sunshine in Spring, during the day. heats the walls enough to start gro«'th, and very often the flower buds get destroyed, thereby ruining the crop for that season. I thmk if a wall effect of fruit trees is desired, the trellis should be at least eighteen inches forward from the wall (two_ feet would be better), thereby ensuring a tree cir- culation of air between the tree and the wall. I have seen apples and pears tried on walls in this section but never with any degree of success, ^^'e cannot follow European ideas in gardening too closely in this section of the United States. P>oxwood was at 'one time largely used in the old gardens as an edging for walks, but the \\ inter of 1918 about entirely cleaned it out around here. U e had a piece on this estate eighty years old, and that U'mter about wiped it out. very much to the regret of the family. I also note in the same Chronicle Air. Vincent's article on the Dahlia, that he .savs there is a little lack of .good commercial all 'round varieties. If he means good free flowering kinds, of good distinct colors, I agree with him, for one cannot go b\- what he sees on the exhibition tables. In days gone by we tried many of them and found one could get only a very few perfect flowers per plant, the others being very imperfect. A race of oood single Dahlias, of good distinct colors, would be very acceptable as cut flowers b\- mam-, as the others are not considered very artistic. George F. Stew.\rt. The Vale, \\'altham, Mass. NEW YORK SPRING FLOWER SHOW "^1111 four weeks intervening between the present and the opening date of the show, arrangements are wonderfully complete in all the main details. The big private estates are, this year, taking more than ordinary interest in the exhibition, and the group displays promise to be finer than at any previous show. Amono- those who are preparing extensive exhibits are: Payn? \yhit_ney, .Alanhasset, L. I.; Adolph Lewisohn, Ardsley, X. \ . : Daniel Guggenheim, Sands Point, L I ■ W b' rhompson, Yonkers, N. Y., and .Mrs. F. A. Constable' JMamaroneck. X. Y. P.ntries for every one of the larger classes are in hand There is always a doubt as to the possibility of fiUino- a class as big. for instance, as Class 175, which calls for^n exhibit showing the best development of a garden cover- . ing 1,000 sq. ft. The display may include lawns, flower beds. Rose gardens, shrubbery borders. Rose beds, bulb beds, or anything else an artistic exhibitor may suggest keeping, of course, within the garden idea. Four entries have already been received for this class, and as com- petition IS hkely to be keen, some magnificent displays, such as never seen at any previous show, or. indeed, 'at any show in America, may be expected. (Jne or two novelty classes are featured this year Ihere is a class for "a bird bath, with a plantin^^ ar- rangement at ba,se not to exceed 3 feet in diameter."''^This class, which is open to all, does not appear in the official hnal schedule. It is an extra, the prize for which is offered by the Garden Club of America. Another extra class is for window boxes; this also is an open class A third extra teature is one, which, for want of a better name just now, may be called the "Backyard Garden." 1 his display will be of the "before and after" character showing conditions with and without a garden. The classes for decorated tables are confined to private and amateur growers. This vear, there is to be a com- petition on each day of the show excepting the last "The "Tea Garden" will again be a leading feature and in It various social functions have been planned to 'take Ijlace. This garden will he located at the \\'estern end of the mam floor. With the tea garden location thus changed, a lot of very desirable space becomes available for trade exhibits on the second floor, Lexington avenue front. At previous shows, many would-be exhibitors have expressed desires tor locations in this section of the building, which is easily approached and in many respects fully as desirable as some of the locations on the main floor' 1 he National Association of Gardeners has taken space on the mam floor, which will be fitted as an office and con- ducted as the association's general headquarters during he show. The American Dahlia Society has taken quar- ters where- Dahlia enthusiasts can gather: the Women's Xational Farm and Garden Association will similarly have quarters wherein to meet its members and friends' 1 hose xyho have taken space in the trade exhibition are extremely optimistic as to the attendance at the show the drastic changes made in the general layout of the exhibi- tion being such as to insure something different from what has gone before. The man is most original who can adapt from the greatest number of sources.— r«r/v/c. 1 here is a principle which is a bar against all in- formation, which IS proof against all argument, and which cannot tad to keep a man in everlasting ignor- ance I his pnnciijle is contempt prior to examination — ncrhcrt Spencer. for February, 1921 A67 Plant Travelers WILLARD N, CLUTE THE casual observer finding the plants nf held and wood rooted in the soil might hastily conclude that organisms so fix;.'d in their places cannot move about, but a closer investigation should convince him that the reverse is true. Plants, to be sure, cannot move as rajiidly as animals, but judged by their accomplishments they appear perfectly able to spread from one locality to another if given time enough. The dandelion has spread quite round the earth, a feat which few animal travelers have equalled though the English sparrow, the rat and the mouse make a pretty good showing. In one important respect, however, the migrations of plants differ from those of animals, ^^'hen the latter move into a locality the journe\- is accomplished by their own efforts and is directed by a certain amount of se- lective intelligence. Plants, on the contrary, have no choice as to the direction of their migrations and from the time the young plant, which we call a seed, leaves its parent, its movements are due entirely to chance. Moreover, the animal has a greater range of adaptability and is not so vitally affected by slight differences in its environment. In a measure it can modify its environ- ment, but plants cannot, ^^'hen they spread into distant regions it is by a series of trials, the outcome of which is decided by wild Nature. Under the circumstances it is small wonder that plants produce so many more young than do animals. There are a number of species that in favorable circumstances may produce a million or more young, anntially. No ordinary animal can equal that. When the young plant attempts to lay hold of the new region in which it finds itself, however, there begins a silent though deadly strug- gle with wind and weather, with birds, insects and fungous pests, with drouth and cold and with other plants, in which it must often go down to defeat. The necessity for the production of a large number of seedlings by plants if they would maintain their race is thtts ver}- apparent. Though jilants exercise no conscious eft'orts in reach- ing and holding new regions, thev are often very elab- orately equipped by their parents for success in such an undertaking. There is scarcelv a seed or fruit that is not modified in some way for distribution. Those which come nearest to being without such aids are the tiny specimens, but their very size is in their favor and the friendly wind scatters them far and wide along with other animate and inanimate dust. In this method of distribu- tion they follow the example of the mosses, ferns, and other flowerlcss plants whose exceedingly small and light spores are carried to immense distances. In one case recently recorded, fern .spores have traveled on the wings of the wind for more than ten thousand miles ; from the Himalayas, across the Pacific, to settle at last in Arizona. Though the seeds themselves may have no means of their own for distribiUion, the capsules in which they are borne often give them a good start, being so constructed as to shake out a few at a time when the wind is high, as in the case of the poppy and snajidragon. Then there are the various tumble-weeds which go rolling and bounding over the wastes shaking out the seeds as tliey go Since the wind works for nothing, a large number of seeds and fruits make use of it for transportation. One grfiup trusts to parachute devices and sails upon the wind often for days, coming down when the wind dies out and resuming their travels when it rises again. The winged seeds and fruits are rather more interesting since their modifications appear to have a measure of intelli- gence behind them. There are some of course, whose membranous outgrowths serve merely to catch the wind and thus drive them onward, but the majority have the wings so set that when severed from the plant thev .spin round like a propeller and thus delay for an appreciable interval, their descent to the earth during which they are wafted to a considerable distance. Other currents besides the air may be used. The seeds of a number of water plants, as befits their station in life, are fitted with corky floats that make efficient life- preservers. Others that make use of the same medium for transportation put their trust in inflated chambers, like the water-tight compartments of modern ships. Thus eciuijijied they may float for many days. A \cry large number of wingless seeds have been able to acqtiire wings by the simple expedient of wrapping themselves up in substances that please the palates of the birds. Borne on feathery pinions they seldom fail to be carried long distances. The majority are enclosed in hard seed-coats so that if swallowed they escape digestion. Of somewhat more calculating dispositions appear those fruits with hooked appendages for laying hold of the clothing of passers-by, whether man or the other ani- mals, and thus certainly, though often unwillingly, trans- ported. To secure samples of these one has only to ex- amine his clothing after passing through a weedv field in Autumn. It is a noticeable fact that the hooked fruits are always borne near the ground where animals may come in con- tact with them, but that the winged fruits are usually found high on the plants so that when they release their hold on the parent, they have a considerable distance to go before reaching the ground. The juicy fruits beloved by birds may be borne at any height but it is interesting to note that nearly all are borne on woody plants. It may be questioned whether the hard shells of nuts are adaptations for distribution or whether their hard- ness merely protects them from gnawing animals until they get started in life. In any event they are often distribtited bv small mammals who hide them away and often forget or fail to return to them. There are many ball-like fruits, the osage orange for example, that are distributed by simplJ-V; rolling about on the ground or li\' being" washed along by the floods of Winter and Spring. It is possible that the distribution of nuts is largely of this nature and the transportation by animals merely fortuitous. Possibly half of the seeds with special means of dis- tribution owe their dispersal to various forms of slings. In practically all of these the dtying out of the tissties ilevelops a tension that increases until with a sudden snap the seed-pod bursts, projecting the seeds in all directions. In some cases the seeds are thrown a thouand times their length. The sand-box tree of the Tropics is a classic example of such decrepitating ca])sules. The fruit of this s])ccics is nearly as large as one's fist and bursts with a loud report. The discus-shaped seeds, a little larger than a coat-button are admirably shaped to sail long distances. The aids to the distribution of plants thus far men- tioned all look toward the establishment of new individ- uals at long distances from the parent plant, but vegeta- tion has other methods of peopling a region with plants, wherein an indixidiird, once establishctl. mav start a col- 468 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE ony of its o\\ n. To such adaptations are often due the patches and ckunps of plants to be found in undisturbed Nature. In contrast to the modifications alreadv men- tioned, these latter do not usually depend upon parts detached from the parent plant, Init instead are. one might say, mere extensions of the original individual. A single strawberry plant in favorable situation will soon be surrounded by a colony of plants which are essen- tially parts of itself, produced by the familiar runners. A species of saxifrage is known as "Mother of thousands" from a similar method of multiplying. The stems of plants most frequently take part is this vegetative multiplication and distribution of plants. The rhizome or rootstock is a typical example. Lying hori- zontally in the soil it increases in length at one end and as constantly dies at the other. By this process, in the course of a few years, though the original plant ntav still be in the locality, it is not in the same place. When such rhizomes branch, these latter soon become separated from it by the decay of the main stem and thus form the "fairy ring's" most familiar in the case of certain fungi, but common in other forms of plants. Tubers are merelv the enlarged tips of underground stems. \ typical Inilb has very little about it to suggest a run- ner or tuber but bulbous plants often indicate the con- nection. Some species, for instance, send out long under- ground runners which form bulbs at their tips. The adder's-togue or Erythronmm has this habit. There is also a great variety of above-ground stems that root at the tips as in the case of the black raspberry. The walk- ing fern goes further and produces new plants where the tips of the Jeaves touch the earth. The Bryopliylluin and some Begonias produce numerous new plants from the edges of the leaves and in our own region the com- mon sundew multiplies in this way. A number of plants, of which the cottonwood is a good example, cut of¥ some of their twigs in Autumn in a man- ner similar to that in which the leaves are cast. These twigs, washed into suitable situations by the streams, may take root and grow. Some of the water plants im- prove on this by cutting oft their tips gorged with food which sink to the bottom of the water and renew the plant the next season. ^Meanwhile, the plants, frozen in the ice usually die. The little duckmeats, so connnon on the surface of quiet pools in Summer, always produce hibernacula of this kind, and though the smallest of flowering plants, rarely reproduce by means of seeds. February Birds PAUL B. RlIS IT is ever darkest before dawn. The great frozen out- doors. Nature's own workshop, looks rifled and worn, its wintry monotony is palling the weary soul. The pure whiteness of snowflake and frozen crystals, the invigorating wintry air have lost tltfe erstwhile charms of an old and refreshing acquaintanceship. The for- tunes of Winter have been cast, the season stands out prominently on a grim and unyielding record. Now we are but merely waiting to check off its closing days, which perhaps, have spent their fury, and may grow mellow and repentant, softening at heart, and betraying within the generous soul of a masterful element. Inexplicable warm spells have closely followed on the heels of days of un- usual severity. But severe Winters do not indicate warm Springs, any more than an early Spring should follow anv early Winter. Extremes in seasonal changes follow invariably, but the regime of a severe Winter may be a long drawn out one, and long past due its regular and lawful term. Sometimes it happens that Nature's forces l_>ecome disorganized and demoralized, tmtil in some way they are again able to strike their equilibrium. But to the Nature student, February is the crest of the wave, breaking in playful spray, setting again into mo- tion the silent machinery of Nature's workshop. The true reawakening of life from the icy grip of death marks the early days of the month, the gradual waning of Win- ter and the gradual transition of death into life. A rosy dawn suffuses the white robe of purity of Mother Earth, heralding the returning circulation of the stream of life. The buds of the large toothed Aspen are swelling w'ith the throb of renev.-ed functions within, the red buds of Haw and Thorn have grown scarlet, showing vivid against the smoky outline of their stratified frames, The Elms and Maples, too, feel the reawakening from their slumber, their finely etched twigs showing dark and dense against the billowy outline of the snowclouds. The Junco. too, glad of the imperceptible change, twitters more hap- pih'. The tree sparrow we hear as Chapman savs, "their chorus of merry tinkling notes like sparkling frost crys- tals turned to music." How daintily the cedar wa.xwing or even the rarer evening grosbeak pluck the red berries of the bittersweet, the bluejay extracting the meat of the acorn and the chickadee and the nuthatches relishing the seed from the upstanding stalks of wild hemp. Horned larks and prairie horned larks are twittering in increasing numbers, and redpolls are gamboling about everywhere in loose flocks with the wing sweep and care- free note of the goldfinch. The great horned owd of the dismal swamp is again engaged in wooing his life's part- ner, and the big hawks, too, are pairing. But there are also newcomers. Spring birds and old friends, to arrive a little later, travelers from a sunnier and more generous clime, the early bluebirds. Stray fragments of their poetical strain may be heard from fence post and shrub- grown meadows any time after the twentieth and quite often, too, the happy carol of robin redbreast helps to belie the tardiness of departing \\'inter. Reluctantl)- we note the early arrival of the bluebirds, misguided by the approaching Spring in their Winter quarters, but they come to us, to soften the lingering departure of King Boreas. They appear like messengers of hope, pouring out their faith in their incomparable warble, the joyous and gladsome notes of a generous victor, pleading with us to be patient but yet a little while. Their arrival has also been prompted by the reawakening of life within, the kindling of the mating instinct to come north to their breeding grounds, homes which once held their cradles. With the return of the season of life, the arrival of birds, the gradual swelling and unfolding of buds, there are revealed to us other mysteries of life, each one more wonderful than the other, passing by in a never ending succession of kaleidoscopic splendor. The simple gifts of late Winter are rarer and more precious to us than the lavish offerings of May and June, they constitute the offerings of a convalescent, gathering strength and volume with the return of the awakening rays of Spring sunshine. They gladden the heart with their sheer sim- plicity, in wonderful contrast to the harsh and cruel dominance of boreas. They are gifts of compassion, of a sympathetic spirit, a compensation for the weeks of \-earning to a longing soul. for Ft'bruary, J921 469 iiiiiHimiiitixmiilis The Greenhouse, Month to Month W. R. FOWKES THE days of F"ebruary and earl\- Marcli are busier than those of last month. Extra siin- sliine calls for more attention tci the checking of the fires early in the day, and some plants will need a light shade. The orchids must have a thin coat of white paint on the glass by February 20th, and palms and ferns must be protected also. It is a period of great strain on these plants when the wind l)lo\vs strong and the ventilators are down to keep out the cold draught, or in case of a tall structure, to keep the roof intact. The somewhat mild Winter we have been enjoying has brought the nectarines along more Cjuickly than ever, and the early varieties are in bloom. Take care that they are never dry at the roots, but have a dry atmosphere. Go over each blossom lightly with a rabbit's tail tied to a stake to pollinate the blossoms. The proper time is now when the pollen is dry. Do not ruin these plants with heat, for they must be kept quiet, and do not allow the temperature to rise above 30° at night. This is the great secret. I have seen failures occur where a night fire- man was employed, though due care was exercised in the day because the fireman, who was not posted and looked after occasionally, thought as long as the roof did not fall in, that all was well. After the bloom is set, careful syringing should be employed. Carnation cuttings should all be in the sand, and also the larger varieties of 'Mums. Primulas will succeed nicely with the nectarines and only need careful watering and a feed of Cla\''s every ten days. Gardenia Vcitcliii is now at its flowering stage. We have some in six inch pots, cut back ; that is, young, vigorous plants headed back last September and kept fairly cool. Now the sunlight is assisting them greatly and the main thing is to prevent the buds from dropping. I find occasionally that if they have been syringed rather heavily and not dried off before night, a few promising buds fall off. Therefore, it is advisable to keep them dry overhead in the early afternoon. See that the drain- age is clear and drive the worms out of the pots. Soot water once a week is the best stimulant for them. Now is the time to repot the ferns, using light soil. It is important that the pots are properly drained. Adiantum Farlcycnsc needs heavy soil, no peat, no leaf- soil, and not the high temperature it is often forced to imdergo. The roses require a little care. The twiggy basal wood, known as the mother plant, must be cut out clean. Get daylight into the bushes. This twiggy growth will not give a single rose bud for the space it occupies, but is a fine home for the red spider, and the continual drop- ping of the leaves from this source is a dail\- nuisance. Prune back any strong wood Ih.ii ni;iy have been left about two feet long when cut in a hurry. If they are cut back to two eyes, you will have a splendid crop for Easter cutting. Let the feeding alone for two weeks, and throw in a handful of air slaked lime into each bush. If angleworms are troublesome, give the benches a good watering and fumigate the same night with Nicofume paper. The dead worms will be found next morning on the top and sides of the benches by the score. The gloxinia bulbs started in the flats last month should be potted. These plants like leafsoil. The fir.st potting should be done with care. Place them in ;i warm corner with a temperature of 60° at night and in a semi- shaded position during- the day. The Azaleas are to be looked after for Easter and should be in a light position. Do not allow them to become too dry or too wet, or infested with worms. It will prove fatal to them. Camellias will not open their Inids if kept warm. You can force the azaleas with heat when you want them to bloom, but camellias will cast their buds with heat. Both can be grown together citherwise, bearing in mind the different requirements. Hyacinths, the show varieties, should be fed well and not overforced. Tulips can be forced at this time, the Darwins being the best for this season of the year. Crotons should be propagated now. Take any bushy ])lant that you choose and make an upward incision about an inch from the stem. Insert a tooth pick to keep open the cut and fill with a little moss and sand. Tie firmly with rafifia. A boy can do a lot in a few hours if his fingers are nimble. Sponge all palms. Do not sour the soil they are grow- ing in by watering with soap suds. Use soot water. These plants should be given any repotting they may need, but do not over-pot. It is better to feed. Cucumber Telegraph, which was started some time ago and is now a five-inch plant, should be set in a warm corner in a large tub or pot about twelve inches. One plant will give as many cucumbers as a small place re- quires until outdoor ones are ready. Use broken turfs and lumps of half decayed cow manure. Tie the plant to a stake and let it reach the top of the trellis, or four feet. Then pinch out the point : laterals will push out and the first young cucumbers must be rubbed out and the plant will soon be strong enough to bear a nice lot of useful fruits. Tomato plants which were started in December should be in eight-inch pots and about two feet high. Do not over-water and pollinate the blossoms at noon. Keep all side shoots rubbed ofl: : grow to a single stem, and do not feed until the fruits are of a fair size. OUR COVER ILLUSTRATION The illustration on our front cover, reproduced from a photo, through courtesy of John Scheepers, Inc., shows the entrance to the gardens at "Daybreak," the beautiful estate of Supreme Court Justice Josiah T, Marcan. Here the Judge shows how advantageously he can use his won- derful Dahlia Creations together with the full range of other ornamental plants. In 1913 the Judge exhibited his Creations for the first lime: the American Dahlia .Society ruled him out of competition for the reason that his Dahlias were exhibited onlv under muuber. In 1916, having named his seedlings, they were awarded First Prize in the class for 50; the only exhibit he then made. In 1917 and 1918 he exhibited in the 30 and also in the 23 and 12 classes, winning both years First Prize in all classes. In 1919 he received First Prize in the 50 and 1^ classes ; also First Prize for the Largest Flower in the Show, First Prize for the most meritorious display in (he Show, besides other minor First Prizes. In 1920, desiring to only exhibit out of competition, his exhibit was awarded a Special Gold Medal. 470 GARDENERS' CHROMCLE Consider the Gardener What He Should Be and What He Often Is— His Rightful Relations to His Work and Employer ELLEN P. CUNNINGHAM in House and Garden IX America today, unless the gardens are of the in- timate form and size in which many of our colonial ancestors and later such enthusiasts as Celia Thax- ter joyed to labor, the ubiquitous pest of which not even a quarantine ruling- of the Federal Board of Horticulture can rid (.>ur Edens is the labor problem. Gardens may have to be simplified, if they are too large for the sole care of the owner, because a wealth of literature and visits to perfected old-world gar- dens have stimulated taste beyond the physical power to apply it. How can we escape the wilderness un- less more skilled gardeners come to the rescue? \Miatever the nationality of workers at present listed on the family tree as gardeners, they may ap- parently be anyone shouldering a shovel as a symbol. The dictionary justifies this classification, for it de- fines "to garden" as not only "to lay out, to prepare, to cultivate land as a garden, to practice horticulture," but "to labor in a garden." So "gardener" is inter- preted in various human forms. We have found that a gardener may be an untrained day laborer who ignoranth- follows or fails to follow directions as he pleases, possibly weeding out even rose bu.shes without prick of thorn or conscience and hoeing up the precious self-sown seeds. He may be a sporadic worker — perhaps a Norwegian sailing-master, driven to shore tasks by the sinking of so mnay of his country's ships during the war, and who climbs down from a painter's ladder patiently to extract miniature bulbs from the sod where they have be- come naturalized. Or there is the odd-job man wdio with a little general knowledge and experience con- tracts to care for a place by the season, but who takes no special interest in any particular one, as his atten- tion is distracted by the claims of other places. Then we have the resident handy man \\ho serves as bathing master in the Summer and caretaker in the Winter, working in the gardening incompletel}- — for when some flowers are missed from the beds, they are found lying indoors in their original packets. . . Finallv. there is the chauffeur gardener, who is likely to be called at any moment from the in- tricacies of mechanics to those of horticulture. Fortu- nate are the flowers if he is country-bred, and to be pitied if he has been raised in the city. In some places the old family gardener still exists, perhaps too illiterate to read or properly pronounce the names of the flowers with which he works such wonders, and skeptical of everything in print, declar- ing that you can put anything in l)ooks but not in gardens — if he can help it ! He respects onh- bought or home-grown plants, ruthlessly destroying, no mat- ter how beautiful they are. all native vegetation which he calls wild, saying self-righteously that he is "a poor hand to save weeds." Seldom visiting flower shows to absorb new ideas, he sees no necessity for replacing old jilants and shrubs with improved new varieties. He has never heard of color schemes, yet by familiarity with local soil, climate and the family taste he is enabled to produce satisfactorj- results of a certain kind, and he is so devoted to his flowers that lie will spend jiortions of even Sundays transplanting tiny seedlings with his pen-knife. Surelv such a man can say "I count not hours by dollars, but with flowers." To this class of gardeners we owe a last- ing debt of appreciation for faithful service to the best of their ability. They toiled earl}- and late, in heat and cold, rejoicing in the pleasure of the family as miich as in the beloved flowers. Our large estates are especially indebted to the scien- tifically trained private gardeners who have come from England. Scotland, Denmark, Germany, etc.. where a man aspiring to become a superintendent is expected to serve years of a]3prenticeship before assuming the larger responsibilities. Why are intelligent, trained private gardeners so scarce? IMr. William N. Craig, President of the Na- tional Association of Gardeners, oiifers several answers. First, that the war has depleted the ranks of gar- deners, as of other professions. Second, that salaries for superintendents have not risen proportionately to I)ay for less skilled Avorkers, and many expert men liave gone into more lucrative occtipations. Third, it is increasingly difficult to recruit the ranks of gar- deners from American boys wdio are unwilling to give so many years to preparing themselves professionally. Evidently, if high standards of gardening are to be maintained, more of our j'oung people must be in- terested in scientifically training themselves as horti- culturists and as managers of large and small estates. Nature studv classes and school gardens are awaken- ing special powers of observation and emphasizing the practical value of patience and diligent persever- ance. As the minds of the boys and girk expand, let us further open their eyes to the joyous possibilities of self-expression of outdoor life, before youth is stifled in the commercial confines of the city where, amid the ever-increasing roar of industry, the call of the country is heard too late. Public and private enterprise must combine to throw searchlights on the path to be chosen, revealing the mysteries of science as related to horticulture. Even soil, when discoursed upon bv such a man as Professor Button of the Farmingdale, L. L, State School of Agricul- ture teems with history, science, poetry and religion, as he explains how destinies of nations depend upon the character of their soil, and how, by altering it scientificallv, the trend of civilization is changed. Furthermore, poetrj- and religion draw their inspira- tion from the beauty of bloom issuing from the soil. Once the desire to study gardening is created, how is it to be gratified? Glimpses at home and abroad show some of the methods of training gardeners. In Europe there are special schools. In England alone, last Summer, Miss Elizabeth Leighton Lee, Director of the School of Horticulture, for Women at Ambler, Pa., visited a dozen of the many schools for women in Great Britain. On the Continent, familiarity with three modern languages is sometimes required, and a health certificate, as conditions of admission to classes, thvis hinting at the high standards for gar- deners. In this country, in addition to the public opportuni- ties offered bv colleges and botanic gardens, the gar- jor February. 1121 471 den clubs are not only educating thousands of their ineniliers in practical planting of public and jirivatc grounds, but. like the Woman's National Farm and Garilen Association, are giving scholarships for the training of women gardeners. For two Stunmers a new departure has been successfulh- made by Mrs. James Duane Livingston, who opened her place, "Garden Home." at Barnstable, Mass., to young women coming from such elaborate homes that the multiplicity of gardeners and domestics prevents the future mistresses of estates from learning gardening and household management. Another opportunity for training is ottered by Airs. Samuel T. Bodine of \'illa Nova, Pa., whose extensive estate and eminent superintendent-gardener, Mr. .-\lexander McLeod, have formed an exce])tional com- bination. Young girls are received here for practice and instruction, are partiall}- paid while learning, and have model housing accommodations. JNIr. C. T. Crane's estate, at Ipswich, Mass., has also employed votmg women under the superintendent-gardener, Mr. Cameron. An October conference at the Massa- chusetts College of Agriculture is said to mark a new epoch in the advance of women in agriculture and horticulture. Boys have worked during the Summer under Mr. Craig, superintendent for ]\Irs. Edward Brandigee's Faulkner Farm, Brookliiie, Alass.. and Mr. Untermeyer and Mr. Dupont have agreed to re- ceive groups of boys on their ])laces. Should there be any question of adequate pecuniary reward if gardeners are properly qualified? Cer- tainly in few other professions is the laborer more worthy of his hire. America cannot, any Ix-tter than an individual can, live by bread alone, and never has there been greater need of the spiritual refreshment coming from the beauty of gardens which depend so much upon the persons caring for them. In spite of this. Miss Ellen Eddy Shaw, head of an educational department of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, states that the most frequent c|uestion she receives is "How little can a woman be secured for?" Not "How much should be paid for the best woman ?" She believes the profession of gardening owes itself suitable stand- ards of salaries to ensure the respect of the public, as well as to protect the workers from the deadening economic pressure of vnider-pay. Furthermore, it would not be justifiable to persuade intelligent per- sons to enter a profession which would not furnish a living wage. Here, it seems, is a case for educat- ing the public to pay for value received, even though the artist of the out-of-doors as well as the in-door lields of literature, etc., receives a compensation in happiness which is all his own, and maj- think first of the work and last of the reward. Improvements in housing and recreations may be counted on as addi- tional inducements for the right persons to take up gardening and apply trained intelligence to it. Finally, however, after the last word has been said on education and salaries, the most delicate and diffi- cult part of the problem remains — the adjustmerit of temperament and point of view, the human relation- ships. No matter how well laid out or flourishing horticulturallv our land may be, it will be impossible to achieve our heart's desire, the perfect garden, un- less there is harmony between employer and em- l)lo3-e. For instance, a certain owner wearied of the ceaseless laments of her gardener, inconsolable for the frost-blighting of his VVeigela hedge, the glory of whose bloom illuminated a large part of his calendar. Then, suddenly, she became sym))athetic as she real- ized that, much as she loved her beds and borders, her disappointments found distraction in travel over the entire globe, while the gardener's joys and sorrows were intensified within his hedge-hemmed world. The cloven hoof of avarice occasionally leaves its j)rints in a paradise, as when some artistic woman's soul is starved and skimped for flowers for wdiich her well paid gardener ever insists there is neither time nor fertilizer, while vegetables are raised far in ex- cess of the family needs, the surplus going to over- fed emplo}-es. Another owner despairs of having her favorite flowers, which her gardener insists are not adapted to the soil wdiich, nevertheless, can grow- all his favorite specialties for exhibitions. On the other hand, an example of extremely friendly rela- tions is aftorded by a gardener who walks miles, in his spare time on Sundays, to aid in labor beyond the physical strength of a former employer whom change of circumstances had forced to let this man seek an- other place. He refused all pay for his generoift services, threatening never to return if money were mentioned ! Mutual consideration is the true touchstone, and Mr. Walter Wright, the English author and Kent County-Council gardener, intimates that co-operation in plans from the beginning will go far toward their success, as the gajdener is then more interested in assuming responsibilities with his employer. So many problems occur, requiring both points of view, that it may be worth while occasionally to hold forums for employers and gardeners, where on a plat- form of knowledge, taste and, sympathy, discussion will promote complete understanding, witht)ut which we can never attain the true definition of a garden — "a delightful spot." — This article is reproduced in these coliiiiins throui^li the courtesy of House & Garden. HARDY CYCLAMENS The various species and varieties of hardy Cyclamens are among the choicest and most beautiful of hardy plants. Their cultivation is not difficult, a free open soil, mixed with leaf-mould, suiting them admirably. They may be grown among short grass or under trees or shrubs. About the rock garden in almost au}' position they are quite happy, and the freest growers soon make large clumps. Some produce the flowers before the leaves, others produce flowers and leaves together. Proi)agation is best eft'ected by seeds, which in some cases are freely produced. C. africanuin, C. rcpanduiu and C. neapolitaniiin usually seed freely ; these, if sown as soon as ripe, germinate in a fortnight or so, and as soon as the seed-leaf is well developed they may be picked ofl' into boxes, two or three inches apart, where they may remain until the following year, when the corms will lie sufficiently developed to plant out. The production of one seed-leaf only has been the sub- ject of inquiry bv numerous botanists, the latest being the Assistant Director at Kew. In a paper read recently before the Linnjcan Society Major Hill showed conclusively that two seed-leaves are really formed in the embryo as in dicotyledons generalh', but that one of them becomes aborted and never develops. When [planting the corms the soil must be well broken up and mixed with leaf-mould and sand; in some heavy soils devoid of lime, old pulverized mortar rubble is an advantage. The corms should be planted just below the surface and covered at first with leaf-mould and sand. 'Ihe planting season varies for the different species: those that flower in .\utunm must be planted when dormant in Summer and those flowering in early' Spring may be planted in early .\utunm. — Irish Gardening,. 472 GARDEyERS- CHROMCLE g"!"! Niiiiiii!]iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiii:;iiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibiii^ I A Lesson on Plant Physiology and the Plant in | I Relation to Its Environment | i Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Garuening. Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle M I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | f,(iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiliiiiililiii;iiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiii!iiii'iiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiii)niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu THE germination of seeds is a very wonderful phenomenon to watch, and by doing so some interesting facts may be observed. Viable seeds will germinate on the surfac; of well moistened soil or sand if we provide a damp atmosphere above them by covering with a glass bell-jar or something similar, as light does not hinder germination. After germination has commenced the seed-case is of no fur- ther use. It has fulfilled its purpose, which is to protect the seed from the time of its maturity until conditions arrive suitable for germination ; henceforth it is a hindrance to germination in many plants as it must be torn asunder by the expanding plantlet. If we watch the germination of a squash or sitnilar seed through the different stages we can discover that Nature has made a special provision to help the plantlet in escaping from the seed- case. Tlie first shoot from the germinating seed is called the hypocotyl, which first grows downward no matter in what posi- tion the seed is placed. It will curve in a semicircle if necessary in order to bring its rounded point into the soil. Strictly speak- ing, the hypocotyl is that portion of the^stem or axis which is situate below the cotyledons of the embryo and which is above the root. As the hypocotyl grows downward, a projection or hook is forined on the side towards the seed ; this hook holds the seed-case down while the seed-leaves (cotyledons), are pulled out from it. Sometimes the point of the seed-case breaks, thus permitting the hook to slip ofT ; also, if the seed happens to be planted edgewise, or with the point downward, the hook often fails to catch the seed-case, and therefore the plantlet emerges from the soil without freeing itself from the seed-case and is for a time hampered. This provision is peculiar to the pumpkin family, to which squash, melons and cucumbers belong, although other' provisions accomplishing the same end are found in a few other families ; many plants are, however, considerably held back by the seed-case during germination. Seeds of the pumpkin family should be planted flatwise rather than edge, or endwise, since' in this position they most readily free themselves from their seed-cases. Lima beans are best planted edgewise with the concave side downward. The best depth at which to plant seeds of different species varies in a general way with their size, and the rule sometimes given is that seeds should be covered with a thickness of soil equal to four times their diameter. As above luentioned, the iirst shoot from the seed called the hypocotyl. grows downward, but if the seed is sufiicientlv covered, the point of the hypocotyl is not always able to penetrate into the soil because the resistance offered bv the latter is not only often greater than the pressure offered bv the weight of the seed, but, what appears to be in this connection more important, the larger the seed the larger is the hypocotyl. and it obviously requires more force to push a large root into the soil than it does a small one ; therefore a large seed requires the additional weight of a thicker covering of soil so as to afford sufficient additional leverage to enable the root to grow downwards, otherwise the germinating embryo would be entirely lifted out and from lack of moisture be unable to com- plete the act of germination. It must, however, be admitted_ that this latter event Is only likely to happen under conditions of bad soil preparation so that the ground under the seed is hard and himpv. , , 1 • r The rule that the depth of planting is governed by the size of the seed is, like most other rules, subject to exceptions, which exceptions are connected with the special mode of germination practised by different seeds. If we take a pea or a bean and soak them in water so that the seed-case can be easily removed, we shall find that they divide almost of themselves into halves joined together at one point, and at the point of junction the embryo can be easily seen. These two parts of a seed arc known as cotyledons. Plants having two cotyledons form the very important class known in botany as Dicotyledons ; while those known as Mono- cotyledons have' but one cotyledon. There is also a class, which includes conifers, in which the members have several cotyledons. In some cases the cotyledons remain in the soil, and in others they are lifted bodily into the air in the act of germination; it is this distinction which has to be considered when covering large seeds like the pea, bean, pumpkin, etc. In the case of the pea, the cotyledons remain in the soil, and this species will germinate from a depth of five or six inches as it is only the pointed shoo': which has to be forced through the covering soil. But with beans^ pumpkins, and many others whose cotyledons must reach the upper air before germination can be completed, it obviously re- quires considerably greater force to push the more or less broad cotyledons through the soil than it does a mere pointed shoot. Therefore if seeds like beans, etc., are covered too deeply the hypocotyl is often unable to lift the cotyledons to the surface and the plantlet perishes. Frequently, too, the energy used by the hypocotyl is sufficient to break off the cotyledons and the plantlet emerges minus these appendages, in which case also it dies. Seeds of the larger beans usually fail if covered to a depth of three inches, especially if the soil is clayey, while those of the Castor Bean, though very robust, can hardly lift their cotyledons through one inch of soil. Wheat, corn, and other similar monocotyledons,, will germinate through five inches of soil as their tiny, pointed shoots readily insinuate themselves between the soil particles and come to the surface with comparatively little expenditure of energy ; it is not, however, necessary nor advisable to plant them so deeply. As a rule the earlier germinations from a sowing of seed pro- duce more vigorous plants than later ones. This is sometimes, looked upon as one of Nature's methods for preserving the vigor of species, as the stronger seedlings overtop the weaker ones and crowd them out of existence. This should he remembered when transplanting from a seed-bed and we should therefore reject if possible plants from the later germinations. In all cases the covering of soil over seeds should not be deeper than is abso- lutely necessary because it is advisable to secure the completion of germination in the shortest time possible. As previously men- tioned, when a plantlet has used up the food supply in the seed before germination is complete, it is liable to die, and in any case it is likely to be weakened if it has to grow through an excessive thickness of soil, even if it is possible for this to take place. In respect to peas, for instance, while they will germinate through five or six inches of soil covering, it is not advisable to cover them to that depth in spite of the fact that it is necessary to have the roots of peas as deeply placed in the ground as pos- sible for the purpose of keeping the roots away from the (to them) deleterious effects of hot weather. The latter is sometimes secured by mulching, but a good method is to sow peas at the bottom of a trench si.x inches deep and cover them with two inches of soil ; then gradually fill in the trench as the peas grow. In all cases seeds may be covered about a fourth deeper in a sandy soil than in a clayey one. Very small seeds, celery, petunia, begonia, and such like, should be scarcely covered at all. When seeds of this character are .sown in pots or flats under artificial conditions, such as the window of a room, in a greenhouse or frame, it is best to merely press them into the surface of the soil and cover with a sheet of glass to prevent evaporation, or they may be shaded with paper or muslin. The soil should be moist before sowing, and if further moisture is required before germination takes place watering should be done with a very fine sprinkler, a better plan is to place the pot or flat in a vessel of water, taking care that the water is not deep enough to reach higher than one inch below the surface of the soil. In all cases overhead watering of seeds should be avoided if possible, as this operation is liable to puddle the surface of the soil : if care is taken that the soil is thoroughly moist before sowing it is rarely that watering is required until after germination. Shading which has been placed over seeds should be removed as soon as they germinate, and in rooms and greenhouics, pots or flats of seedlings should have all the light possible and be placed close to the glass, so as to prevent the young plants from becoming drawn and spindly ; strong plants can never be produced from seedlings of this character. It has been indicated that rapidity of germination is in alt cases desirable, and this is naturally more easily accomplished in a warm soil than in a cold one. While in the case of things like melons, lima beans, and others native of hot climates, it ii? useless to sow them until the soil is warm, the general rule for hardier species like peas, spinach, and so on. is to sow them as for Fcbnw.ry. 1021 473 carl}' as possible in the Spring, as soon as the ground becomes workable, so that they may become established before the advent of hot weather. The natural environment of these latter causes them to be constitutionally adapted to germinate at a temperature just above freezing point, and they will germinate as quickly at a temperature of 35 dcg. F. as melons, etc., will at 65 deg. F. Thoroughly drained soils, deeply cultivated and well pulverized, not only warm up quicker after frost is out, but they come into a tit state for sowing seed inuch sooner, and plants will grow quicker on them, than is the case in connection with ground which has had poor treatment. Autumn spading or plowing is an important fundamental in obtaining the best soil conditions in the Spring. Germination is liable to be prevented by seeds being sown in contact with compound chemical fertilizers, acid phosphate, or any other inorganic fertilizer containing acid. The chief injury by chemical fertilizers in connection with germination appears to be inflicted upon the embryo after germination has started rather than upon the seed itself. Organic fertilizers such as stock yard manures and ground bones do no harm either to the seed or to the sprouting plantlet. Dissolved bones are liable to inflict injury because they are dissolved bj' acid. ' The operation of sowing seed should not be carried on when the soil is wet or sticky, as treading upon, or w'orking a soil in that state always does harm as a condition is brought about which excludes oxygen, and which will also cause it to dry into hard lumps. Very soon after germination is under way the embryo is seen to be practically divided into two parts, namely, an ascending and a descending axis. Of the two extremes of these axes the ascending one becomes the shoot or plumule, and the other the root or radicle. The question will at once arise as to what causes the shoot to grow upwards and the root downwards? To this question there is no real answer, except to say that the cause is unknown. Certain guesses have been from time to time made as to the why of this characteristic in plant life, one of these being that the growing of the radicle into the soil is brought about by the action of gravity, or, as it is sometimes put, by the exceeding sensitiveness of the tip of the radicle to surrounding influences especially to gravitation, a condition to which the name geotropism has been given, the root being said to be positively- geotropic and the shoot negatively-geotropic. While there is no plant organ more wonderful than the tip of the radicle and there is no doubt about its extreme sensitiveness, equally as much may be said as regards the shoot. Darwin wrote : "It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the tip of the radicle, endowed as it is with such diverse kijids of sensitiveness, acts like the brain of animals." He could have said the same thing about the shoot. It seems that Darwin's line of thought opens up more possibili- ties tending to solve the problem as to ivliy the root grows down and the shoot up, than anything else. While the existence ot brain-power in plants may not be capable of actual scientific proof, yet there are hundreds of facts connected with plant life which give ample grounds for faith to believe that such power exists. It certainly appears to l^e nothing but absurd to bring the attraction of the force of gravitation into the question, for the simple reason that this force acts equally upon all matter of the same weight existing under the same conditions, and it would therefore have the same pull upon the shoot as upon the root. Another point is that different species have different methods of root-growth, some have a tap-root which while growing down very deeply into the soil when conditions render this possible, also produces horizontal roots; others, after the tirst root has gone down some way, grow their roots entirely in an horizontal manner. Then again when the soil down to, or below, the roots has become very dry, and which subsequently is watered so that only a couple of inches or so is kept moist, the roots will turn and grow upward for the purpose of reaching the moist soil and obtaining the water the plant stands in such great need of. In this action brain-power appears more in evidence than the force of gravity. It is this characteristic of plants' roots growing towards the surface when the latter is moister than the soil below, which is why mere surface sprinkling does more harm than good when artificial watering is practised. In watering plants sufficient should be given at one time to soak the ire I horn, with its double season of beauty, its peerless white cluster; ot flowers m the Sprnig, and its scarlet clusters of berries in tne Autumn? From the wild Roses, that will grow, one migb.t almost say, anywhere, to the Pernettyas with their various]. - colored berries and lovers of peat and sand, there are berrv- bearing shrubs for all situations with enough varietv amonf them to enable the planter to make a selection and use them in a bold tree way.— Gardening Illustrated. A G.\RDEx OF Berries \\hy not plant a garden of berries when we have shrubs that yield berries of mdigo blue, green, yellow, orange and red--a great range of secondary colors, and white and black." We have Blackberries, Barberries, Snowberries, Bilberries Partridge-berries. Cranberries, Whortleberries, Mul- berries, Llderbernes, Strawberries, Raspberries, Goo«e ber- ries and a host of other berries. And docs not the Aucnba hear berries, and the Cerasus, the Cratcegus, Dafhnc, Gaullhena Per- nettya. huonymus, Cotoneaster, Hippoba; Arbutus, Samhucus .Y^innnia, Symphoncarptt-s and the Fiburnum. The Monntani' .Ash also, the Pyrus, Rubus, Ruscus, Rose, Ivv, Honcvsuckle and Holly." For my part I have a border about 10 vards long by 4 vards deep which I intend to plant with berrving shrubs. My' plan's are only partly tornied, and I desire to help, but in imagination I see the wall at the back covered with Cotoneaster horisontalis Coton- easter microphyUa and Cratagus pxracautha in all their Octo- ber glory of fruit and leaf. Gaultheria .■ihallon and I'iburuum opulus will fill up the larger spaces with Euonxmus europccui the white variety of the same, the sea Buckthorn and Cotoneaster nwuptnensis. A clump of Syniphoriearpus. together with the Rosa rugosa and a still larger clump of Rosa rugosa Movesii will occupy a central position with Cotoneaster frigida and Coton- easter Sinionsli. The .Mountain .\sh and the Barberries will have no place in this border stones and rising through them the lovely seed pods of the birds. _ Berberis Thunbergii. however, will be .given a place on account of its beautiful color and its lateness, and maybe, some of the newer Barberries also. The whole of the front of the border shall be given over to the licautiful Pernettyas, with their large and handsome clusters of red and pink and white berries that hang until Spring is well in. Cotoneaster adpressa. Cotoneaster miero- pliylla. and other dwarf Cotoneasters shall clothe the ground wherever there is room, and the same shall come right over the border stones and rising through them the lovelv seed pods of the Gladwin Iris and the scarlet berries o"f "Lords and Ladies." — The Garden. Ciburnuni rhytidophylluni.—Th\s is a very handsome species from China, having large evergreen foliage 'and clusters of yel- lowish-white flowers. One of the chief charms of this shrub, how- ever, is that the flowers are succeeded by brilliant red berries which last well into the Winter. There are many fine species of Viburnum now in cultivation, some of them coloring up well in the Autumn. I saw recently a bush of the common I'ibnrnurti opulus. the foliage of wliich was of a brilliant crimson. I had no idea that the leaves took on quite so brilliant a hue. — Gardening Illustrated. [The leaves of this shrub are oilly semi-persistent, in this country, as far north as the latitude of Pliiladelphia.— Fd.| NATURALIZING PRIMULAS IN WOODLANDS The term "naturalizing plants" may be defined in two ways. either as the introduction in quantity of plants which grow in similar positions in Nature, or the introduction of garden forms — sometimes of exotic origin — and establishing them where they will continue flowerin.g and .seeding without further attention. It is with the second system that I propose to deal. Success in this form of gardening depends upon two things — choosing the right varieties and jiultiiig them in suitable positions. Both of these connote considerable knowledge and experience and a lew notes from a place where results have amply justified practice mav not be inappropriate. The woodland at Wisley is in a somewhat moist situation and the trees consist of Oak and I'.irch which, while providing the req- uisite shade, do not exclude too much light. .At intervals are planted clumps of Bamboos, which not only provide additional shelter, bin also form a pleasing setting for the flowers. 476 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE \\ith regard to the soil lor Primulas, the)- will grow in any kind of loam, but they will not succeed in pure peat. If, however, a layer of loam is mixed with the surface of the latter, satisfactory results will be obtained. When making new plantations it is advisable to use young plants in preference to sowing broadcast. Once established they will seed themselves and seedlings spring up in numbers. The selection of varieties requires a knowledge of the season and color of the plants and their suitability for naturalizing. The Primula season may be lengthened by introducing Prmi- roses. which are the earliest of all to flower, and the attraction of the wild garden may be varied by the employment of other plants suited to similar conditions. Among these are Anemones, which are quite at home in such an association : Campaxida lactifiovu, which flourishes in grass beneath the partial shade of trees, and Gentiana asclcpiadca. which grows very freely at Wisley beside ditches, paths and in shady positions among grass. American Lilies, such as L. pardalinuin var. siipcrbuiii also make a fine dis- plav in Summer. A word may be added with regard to the efi'ects which can be obtained. The sight of hundreds of flower heads of various hues, glowing amid the delicate green of the foliage associated with the subdued light of woodland, is a sight to be remembered — and reproduced— for this form of gardening is quite distinct, and from^ its very nature possesses a charm entirely its own. — The Gardeners' Chroiiiele ( British. ) PRIMULA HELODOXA One of the linest introductions of late years, P. hclodoxa certainly takes first place among the many varieties of Chinese Primulas now in cultivation. A strong grower, of the Candelabra group, it remains almost evergreen through the \\'inter, not dying down like many other varieties. The flower stems, of a rich green, grow to a height of 3;4 feet or more, bearing an average of six w'horls of bright chrome yellow blooms, the calyces being covered with a pale yellow farina. The foliage is of a rich green and of stout texture and vigorous growth. It is found growing at an altitude of 6,000 feet ni open, wind- swept meadows where it gets a dry and cool Winter, yet in this country it has proved itself quite hardy and a very robust grower. I have grown it in a heavy soil— almost clay— in nearly full sun with some moisture at the roots, and have had flower stems of four feet with nine and ten whorls of blooms. This year I planted out a batch of young plants from seed sown last Autumn, giving them a semi-shaded position in woodland, and 1 have now— November 15— a quantity of bloom which, even at this late season, is almost equal to that of old plants flowering in Tune. It seeds freely, and seed should be sown as soon as ripe, as it germinates quicker than if sown in the Spring. — Tlie Garden PURSLANES (PORTULACAS) Two months ago I saw a truly wonderful bed of Portulacas. It was. in fact, the tirst week in September, and, although tliere had beeii a great deal of rain and much dull weather by day and cold at night, yet the plants were as rolnist and healthy as at any period of the Summer, and flowering with wonderful freedom. It matters but little that a storm of rain passes over the bed, destroy- ing its beauty; only let the sun shine out brilliantly for an hour or^'two, and hundreds of blossoms leap up to open their richly- colored petals. It is the practice to give names to the varieties ot double and single Portulacas, but they aft'ord but a small clue to the colors of the flowers. There are nearly a dozen distinct varieties of single forms, and six or eight of the double. Of the former there are white, pink, magenta, rose, crimson, primrose. goldcn-yellow% etc., and a few of these are reproduced in a double character. I do not think double Portulacas so pretty as the single varieties, but then there are many persons who regard a double flower as a great improvement on a single one, and value it accordingly. When the blossoms of single flowers are fully ex- panded at mid-day they will repay close inspection bv anybody. There is one good quality about Portulacas, and that is they form a dense, compact green growth, which covers the ground on which they are growing. Tlicy really make a good covering for the bare spots where, on a dry soil and a sunny position, little else will grow. This is just the spot for these pretty plants. But w-e are told in catalogues that the seed requires to be raised in heat, and the plants transplanted to a sunny border. It is not at all necessary to raise in heat. Anyone who has grown Portulacas will find self-grown seedlings come up the following Spring from seeds that have lain in the soil all the Winter. This is proof that the seeds will germinate in the open ground. The best place to grow Portulacas is a warm, exposed, sunny border. It docs not require to be rich. The best plan is to dig the border deeply in early Spring, working" in some leaf-mold and road-grit, or sittings fror,-. the jiotting bench, and then, when Jug. it should be beaten nowi. a little hard on the surface, the seed scattered thinly over it broadcast; or, if it is desired to have lines of colors, the seeds should be sown very thinly in drills; but, as they are so small, the plants in both cases will need thin- ning out to at least 6 inches, and, indeed, 9 inches apart. The plant soon tills out and covers the intervening spaces. It is of the utmost advantage that the plants be not moved after being sown, and that is why I so strongly recommend the seeds being sown in the open ground where they are to flower. One great advantage is that the plants cover the ground so much more quickly, and come into flower so much earlier in consequence. April is the best month in which to sow. — Gardening Illustrated. CONCERNING GARDEN BOOKS "Of the making of books there is no end," and not a few of these books deal with the garden. Such volumes are well-nigh indispensable to the gardener, using that word in the broadest sense. He who has a well-selected collection of books upon gar- dening subjects is a fortunate man. Does a name elude him, or is he uncertain concerning some detail of management or of culti- vation, a reference to one of his volumes refreshes his memory. But he must know the name, or the detail, for which he seeks, otherwise the volumes are so much waste paper. It may be put in this way. Books upon gardening are invaluable auxiliaries, but no one can learn gardening entirely by their use. Full knowledge of gardening — and of all things — is only attained by practice, and while elementary instruction is to be derived from books, it by no means follows that even the most painstaking and diligent student of garden literature will ever attain to a thorough understanding. of the mysteries of the craft. But practical work in conjunction with weli-chosen text-books will carry a man far. The old "rule of thumb"' gardener, who was content to plod along from year to year in the same time-hallowed way, and who despised books concerning the garden, is extinct, or upon the very verge of extinction. The present-day gardener must be — to use rather an objectionable term — "up to date." In order to keep in touch with modern ideas of gardening he must read con- temporary garden literature, and here it may be said that in this respect there arc books and books. ^lany are written by men of great practical experience — men who have grown familiar with plants and their cultivation from their youth upward, but who have not the gift of imparting that knowledge in a clear and in- teresting way, for it by no means follows that the cleverest gardener is the fittest man to write upon gardening subjects. Others, perhaps with less knowdedge, write in highly technical terms and use — over-use if the word be permissible — the botanical names of plants. The reader of such a volume becomes involved in a maze of verbosity and the book is soon laid aside. The ideal garden book is that which is written without any striving after "style," in which clear and simple language is used, in which technicalities and the unnecessary use of foreign words are reduced to a minimum: in which, in short, the writer is so full of, and so interested in. his subject that he forgets he is writing a book. The garden book of other days was a portly volume, durably bound, and expensive. Pages of diagrams are to be found in these books of a bygone day dealing with the minutiae of hothouses — of Pineries, Aquatics, Melon-houses, and forcing houses of all descriptions. Chapters upon chapters were devoted to the cul- tivation of now forgotten plants. Even the preparation of such a thing as a Celery trench appeared to call for a special chapter. The result was that, as a whole, such a volume, after it had been purchased, was perfunctorily looked over and relegated to the gardener's bookshelf, from which it was but seldom taken down. The present-day volume dift'ers almost entirely from its predeces- sors. There is an almost entire absence of diagram and of illus- tration, the binding is less ornate, and more attention is paid to clearness and to conciseness of facts. In brief, the writer of the present day garden book credits his reader with having learned at least the rudiments of the craft, and does not, on the one hand, write down to him ; nor, on the other, by a display of superior erudition, write over his head. There are many of these very servicalile volumes now in the hands of all practical gardeners, for, as has been already said, the old-fashioned gardener who despised, or who affected to despise, books has given place to the man who realizes that if he intends to keep abreast of the times he must own modern volumes dealing with horticulture. — Gardening Illustrated. One trouble with the world is that too many are de- manding "gimme" and too few are offering "thank you." The trtith which another man has won from nature or experience is not our truth until we have lived it. . . . He who would be wise must daily earn his wisdom. — Dazid Starr Jordan. for February, 1921 477 DEPARTMENT OF BOOK REVIEWS Landscape Gardening, by O. C. Simonds ; large 8vo., X+338 pages, with 60 illustrations; cloth; The Macniillan Company, Xcw York. In one ot his prose writings, read too infrequently, the gifted Edgar Allen Poe imagines a young man generously blessed by Fortune and endowed by Xature most uniquely and lavishly, .\fter thoughtful consideration and earnest reflection, in order that he may devote his ripening powers and talents best to develop his own mind and most worthily to serve his fellow man, he decides to direct them into making more suitable to live in the ground upon which man dwells ; he becomes a landscape gardener. It is with this e.xalted conception of the art that tliis book lias been written "to help make our country more beautiful." In fur- therance of that purpose the first chapter, setting forth the ".\iins I if Landscape Gardening" has been composed with artistic skill, nneness of insight and delicatcness of touch that rival the genius of that extraordinarily artistic race, the ancient Greeks, in whose hands the chisel seems never to have gone too deep, the pencil jicver to have strayed, nor the pen to have stopped short. It is a prose poem, a cameo. It is with these sensibilities that the entire book has been formed inidcr the influence in part of his friend Bryan Lathrop, to whose memory the author has dedicated it. In this spirit he endeavors, in this comparatively new country of ours, in which "the struggle for existence has been intense, and the practical side of life has been developed while the aesthetic side has lain dormant, to awaken the great nation to a love of the beautiful in Xature.'' The read- ing of the book should help every one mightily toward becoming a leader and in having himself a part in fulfilling this "mission of the first importance." It has been written with the conviction that "even if one should not intend to take up landscape work as a profession, there are few- subjects of study which will do more for one's general culture." Although it views all things with the eye of the artist it is in keeping throughout with that wise dictum of the lamented Charles Eliot: "What is fair must first be fit." After seven chapters have been devoted to "General principles and a study of those features that might be introduced into any orna- mental grounds" there comes a preeminently satisfactory treat- ment of "Home Grounds." But not only are proper prescriptions given for the suitable de- velopment of home grounds as commonly defined, large and small: there is a correct stating of the principles that should control the charms of a home in the country also, and even of a home in arid and semi-arid regions, the construction of public thoroughfares, the groiuids of railway stations, parks and city squares, golf grounds, schools grounds, arboretums and botanic gardens, ceme- teries and city planning. Of the chapters given to these topics in succession the most interesting, perhaps, is the one headed "Ceme- teries" : but it is surpassed in merit by one in the first section of the work, the seventh, which treats of water as an element in the landscape. The author studiously keeps away from the term laiiilsca/'f architect, for he believes that the name is "only one of many indi- cations of a tendency to introduce into landscape gardening a formalism based on architectural lines and principles wliich. if not checked, will very soon debase and degrade it." He avoids laying down any rule of thumb methods and contents himelf with putting into his book but few sketches for the development of home grounds. His pictures all are cho.sen well. One could only wish that more were used. The Music of Wild Flowers, by John Vaughan, .\.M. ; 181 pages. Svo., clotli : E. P. Button and Company, New York. This is a collection of botanical essays contrilnitcd, at various times, to English journals and magazines by the Canon of Win- chester. Its title was suggested by words of Doctor .\rnold nt Kugby who. realizing how limited was his capacity for cnjoving what many regard as the finest of the arts, used to say, "Wild (lowers are my music." Other distinguished Europeans arc citcl !o make an introductory chapter most entertainin.g in showing how great characters, known to the world in general through works in no way suggestive of Flora's cult, yet have found sweet solace in her gracious ministrations. And other surprises como as the curtain is drawn aside to reveal, in their native haunts, lovely flowering plants that to .'\merican readers at least are known only in gardens or thought of as existing more in the writ- ings of noets than as actually growing in the so'l of English. Welsh, Scotch or Swiss woods, meadows and shores. The marsh gentian, the blue cowslip, the ludzi-igia. the summer's lady's- Ircs-es the sea lavender and the yellow horned popi)y, than which the Canon thinks there is perhaps no mere beaut' ful wild flower. are met in the comfortable and peaceful enjoyment of their own homes. But that is not all ; to the American reader it gives a start to be brought into the presence of goodly colonies of flower- ing plants that to him usually seem to be the products of nurseries in his own land or in Holland ; the very rare sea-buckthorn, the Daf'hnc iiic:crcum, scillas and grape hyacinths, fritillaries and wild daffodils. In connection with the mention of daffodils is ad- vanced a pretty theory to account for the fact that the finding of a white species of a blue or purple flower is so uncommon. The earliest petals were flattened stamens, and since stamens are mostly yellow the flowers were yellow likewise. Then some of them became white : after that, in the course of ages, a few of them grew to be red or purple ; and finally a comparatively small number acquired various shades of lilac, mauve, violet or blue. But plants, like men, sometimes show a tendency to revert or re- lapse. Now primary yellow flow-ers, like the buttercups and po- tentillas, show little or no tendency in a state of Nature to vary in color, for the simple reason that they have never passed through any earUer stage to which they can relapse. White flowers, again, seldom vary, though now and again there is a tendency to revert to the earlier stage of yellow. It is, however, strange as it may seern, with the more highly developed blue flowers that this re- version to white is mostly seen. The little book makes most appeal, of course, to sons and daughters of the British Isles. But Chapter IV, which treats of the flora found on old walls and Chapter XIX, which treats of climbing plants, have a more general interest and are even of suggestive value in garden design. .\ll is good reading for early Spring just before the melting of the snow lures one's steps out upon the hillsides. The Laws of Hvbridizing, by Richard Diener ; 16 pages, with portrait, other pictures and chart ; 4to, cloth ; published by the author at Kentfield, California. Several extracts, without comment, will give an idea of what is contained in the six and one-half pages of text in this pretty booklet. "Since the beginning, untold numbers of plant life have been created continuously by the sun's rays in water or moist places where conditions are favorable. But of those untold numbers only such as had the ability to sport could climb the ladder of evolution. * * * Prior to the acquisition of sex, when the propagation of plant life depended entirely upon the splitting-apart process, any variety which did not produce a sport during its cycle of existence was doomed to extinction. * * * Though it took thousands of crosses and about fifteen years of time to Iierfect the actual laws I herewith submit ; these laws accomplish by short direct method what it would take X^'ature thousands and hundreds of thousands of years to do in a natural way." If the pollen parent is one-half the size of the ovule parent the resulting offspring will be one-half the size of the pollen- bearing parent; this is "the first or declining way." If pollen-and- o\ule-bearing parents of exactly the same size are used an "actual doubling of size will be secured in the oft'spring ;" this is "the second or enlarging way." Finally, if the pollen-bearing parent. or male, is twice as large as the female the offspring will be only slightly larger than the larger parent. These laws govern animal life also, for, after a cock had been mated with a hen of the same size and produced offspring, one of these pullets was mated with its sire and became the parent of offspring, one-third of which were twice the size of the fowls first mated. This law is qualified only by the fact "on account of the sexes being in different individuals it takes two crosses to reach the same result that is obtained by a single fertilization in the case of plants where both se.xes reside in the same individual." "The pollen-bearing parent is always the dominating factor in changes of form or color." "In attempting to derive new colors always use a white flower as the ovule-bearing parent with which to break up colors." "Few people at the prcseiu time realize the innnensity of this discovery to mankind. It is equal to the discovery of electricity, if not .greater. It means that the farmer and horticidturalist will get three to four times the amomit of fruits and grains from the same land without any additional fertilizers or expenses, simply by using varieties developed higher through these laws from the varieties in use now." I who have written this have myself seen results of his work with flowers that have greatly enriched the world : but it is ccr- ta'nlv to be regretted that the bdoklet is so brief and does not explain matters with more detail. One nuist be an inventiu' to read well. .Vs the proverb says, "He that would bring home the wealth of the Indies must carry out the wealth of the Indies." There is creative reading as well as creative writing. — Rincrsoii. 478 GARDEISERS- CHRONICLE tttiiiiiiniiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiii;n National Association of Gardeners Office: 286 FIFTH AVE., NEW YOKK ^iiiliittliuiiliniiiii iiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiii nym.i iiii:iiii:iiiiiiiii:iiii:iiii:iuii>ui:iiiii inimiimin.iiiuii .m .iiii i diiiiiiii i ninni niiiiniiiiiiii inhihiiii ,m ;iiii iiiMiiiiuuiiiiiuiii 111:1 iiiiu iimu mM President — W. N. Craig, Brookline, Mass. Vice-President — George H. P'ring, St. Louis, Mo. Secretary— M. C. KIjcI, 286 Fifth Ave., Xew York. Treasurer — F'eter Duff, Orange, N. J. TRUSTEES (For 1921)— William H. Waite, Arthur Smith. D. L. Mack- intosh, New Jersey; L. P. /ensen, Ernst Strehle, Missouri. DIRECTORS (To serve until 1922)— George Wilson, Illinois; James Stuart. New York; WilHam Kleinheinz, Pennsylvania; John t-'. Huss, Connecticut Edwin Jenkins, Massachusetts; Carl N. Fohn. Lolorado; Joseph Tansey, New Vork. (To serve .until 1923) — Robert Williamson, Connnecticut ; Robert Cameron, Massachusetts; Iheodore Wirth, Min- nesota; George W. Hess, District of Columbia; Daniel J. Coughlin, New York; John Barnet, Pennsylvania; Montague F"ree. New York. (To serve until 192-11— William Gray, Rhode Island; William Hertrick, Cali- fornia: -\lbin Mort'ni, Iowa: Thos. Hattoii. Connecticut; Robert Weeks, Ohio; W. H. (iritliths, Michigan; Thos. W. Head, New Jersey. SUSTAINING MEMBERS Keiu i'oiA-— .Mrs. I I ,\lliri'.;ht. (ie.iree V. l:aker, Edwin S. Bayer. Albert Clayburgh. W. li. Coe, Mrs. E. A. Constable, Paul D. Cravath. Mrs. W. Bayard C'cttine, ^Irs. Charles Daniels, Cleveland H. Dc-dge, Mrs. Da^id Daws, Frank J. Dupignac, Mrs. Coleman du Pont, Childs Frick. W. H. Gratwick, Daniel Guggenheim, Mrs. W. D. Guthrie, Mrs. William P. Hamilton, Mrs. Tohn Henry Haitiniond, T. A. IIa\xmever, Jlrs. L. A. Hermann, B. H. Howell, C. O. Iselin, Otln II. Kahn, Mrs. Frank P.. Keecli. W. Eugene Kimball, Adolpli l-ewisolin, Jthn Magee, Mrs. Julius Mc'.'icker, Morton H. Meinhard, Mrs. Eugene Meyer, Jr., J. Pierpi nt Morgan, Mrs- T. Pierpcnt Morgai\ Stanlev G. Mortimer, Mrs. Harold I. Pratt, Tohn T. Pratt, E. F. Price, Mrs. William A. Read. H. D. Roosen. Charles A, Sherman. Mrs. Samuel Sloan, Benjamin .Stern, Mrs. W. Stursberg, Daniel Tatum, Mrs. R. M. Thompson, Mrs. Edwin Thorne, Mrs. Henry M. Tiltord. Carll Tucker, Samuel XJntermyer, Mrs. Harold T. White. Mrs. Payne Whitney. New Jersey — A. .Mbright, Jr.. Charles A. Bradley. Jcseph P. Day. James B. Duke, Mrs. Lewis L. Dunbam; Mrs. Frederick Frelinghuv'^^n. Mrs. Gustav E. Kissel, C. Lewis, Mrs. Paul Moore, Hubert T. Parson. Mrs. Manuel Rionda, P. .S. Straus, Mrs. John I. Waterbury. Poiiisylz'aiiia — Samuel T. Ecdine, Gen. Richard Coulter, Mrs. J. D. Lyons, R. B. Mellon, Gifford Pinchot, (George F. Tyler, Edward A. Woods. Delaware — Irenee du Pont, Pierre S. du Pont. Connecticut — E. C. Converse, Dr. and Mrs. Tracy Farnam, George M. Hendee, Mis,s A. B. Jennings, W. H. Truesdale. William Ziegler, Jr. Rhode Island — Gov. R. Livingston Beeckman, George P. Weanore. M nssachnsctis — Harry E. Converse, Mrs. Henrv C. Frick, Mrs. Louis Frothingham, C. II. Hutchins. Mrs. C. G. Rice Prof. C S. Sargent, Mrs. I. .\. Spoor. Ohio — F. F. Drury, H. S. Firestone, Mrs. Frances F. Prentiss. John L. Severance. H. S. Sherman, H. L. Thompson. Indiana — Theodore F. Thieme. Michigan — E. D. SpecJ;, J. B. Schlotnian. Illinois — A. Watson Armour, Harry B. Clow, Mrs. Julius Rosenw.ald, Mrs. F. W. llphani.^ Minnesota — Mrs. Chester A. Congdcn. A. C. Douglas. Missouri — August A. Busch, Dr. George T. Moore. Virginia — Miss Grace E. Arents. IV. I'ir^inia — Mrs. .^rthur Lee. Kentucky — F. M. Sackett. (.'corgia—C. IT. Candler E, II. Inman. .S'. CnTO/iiin- Ri hert S. Meliane. A. B. Dick, Clayton Mark. Wisconsin — F. D. Countiss. Loring. lo^i'a — Mrs. G. B. THE ASSOCIATION AT THE NEW YORK SPRING FLOWER SHOW The associatio:i has engaged .space at the New York Spring Flower Show, to be held at Grand Central Palace, March 14 to 20, for a reception room and information bnrean for the convenience of country estate owner.s. The secretary will be in attendance throughout the show to discuss any subject lliat may relate to the gardening profession, and the engagin.g of efficient gardeners. NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE AT BOSTON APRIL 7 A gardeners' conference nndcr the auspices of the Xew England members of the association will be held at Horticultural Hall, Boston, on Thursday afternoon, April 7. This will be during the week of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Spring Show, and show of the American Rose Societ\. 1921 CONVENTION COMMITTEE TO MEET FEB. 18 The 1921 Convention Coimnittee appointed by President Craig will meet at the association's office in New York, February 18, to organize and to discuss the plans for the 1921 convention, which will be held in New York city this fall. The committe,' i.s already in receipt of an invitation from a friend of the asso- ciation to have the attendants at the convention visit some of the line gardens on Loiig Island on an automobile trip, with luncheon at one of the prominent country clubs. NASSAU COUNTY (NEW YORK) TO ORGANIZE A LOCAL BRANCH A movement is on foot to organize a local liranch of the National Association of (;ar(lcners in Nassau county (Long Island) N. Y.. to promote the interests of the profession and the welfare of the members in the Nassau county community by informing the country estate owners of the aims and purposes of the association, and by keeping them advised on the activities it is engaged in — in brief, to establish a more confident relation between the gardener and his employer. CONCERNING THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS POLICIES There has been some criticism respecting the increase in dues, some members contending that they are not in sympathy with being taxed to support the Service Bureau ; others that they do not see where they get their money's worth out of the association. This, however, may be accepted as a minority protest, for up to February 1, more members paid their dues than had been paid up to -March 1 last year, which was a record year. A western member writes, "I think it is a wise move to increase the membership fee, rather than to depend upon the individual generosity of the members to carry on and further the good work the association is doing for the gardeners as a class." Some members appear to overlook the fact that the Service Bureau covers practically all the work the association is engaged in, and is not limited to merely placing gardeners in positions. Those who cannot see what benefit the association is to them should carefully study tlie article on another page of this issue, "Con- sider the Gardener." They will lind their profession does require representation such as only a national association can provide. Some members have taken exception to the publicity give.i to the expelling of a member for unprofessional conduct. The com- mittee which acted on this case carefully considered the matter of making its action public, and decided that if this was not done, the intended effect of the expulsion would be lost. We know of at least two instances where employers have communicated with their gardeners, congratulating them on the attitude of the asso- ciation in its effort to elevate the standard < ears head of the Professional t'ourse in Landscape Gardening. L'. of 111.; head of Summer School of Landscape Architecture, Lake Forest, author of "Design in Landscape Gardening." UNUSUAL OFFER SEND NO MONEY Free inspection. See these books, read them, look at the pictures. Sent prepaid. If satisfied mail check. I f not return the Ix oks within tive da}s. Vou will riot owe one THE GARDEN PRESS Dept. A Davenport, la. Send nie your library oi Ten Huih>> I.;ni(lseiipe GnrdeiiiiifT Books. I will rt-- iiijiil tlieni or send $T.riO in full pnyniPiit uiiliin tive days aftor receipt. Ncme Address Town anJ State. Trees and shrubs, dis- tinctive in . quality and large size which will produce an immediate effect Jor country residences and estates ANDORRA NURSERIES Cbestmn'hiU.'Pa. Have you seen ANDORRA? The Season's Sensation We are headquarters for the ';plen- did new Dahlia. W'l nder fully perfect, larce flower c-f beautiful, rare autumn shade, on long, strong stems. Certain to become a favorite. Strong plants $10.00 each. Safe delivery guaranteed. Ilhistration in natural size and color free to intending purchasers. Complete Spring Catalogi:t . ~i.nt on request. 30-32 Barclay St. New York RUNLITE cuwor D<'li%'erpd anvwhere in the United States Light running, strong and durable, teeth oscillate, relieving -itrain, making perlect " dust" mulch. Increase yield, improve quality of Fruit, Flowers or Vegetables. Complete with handle. At Hardware Dealers, Seed Stores or from the factory. Unqualifiedly guaranteed. CIRCULARS ON REOUEST RuNLiTE Company, itbaca, n. y. PLANT NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS is the title of a series of articles now appearing in The American Botanist where a multitude of other things of interest to the plant lover are also discussed. Quarterly, $1.50 a year; specimen copy, 25 cents. THE AMERICAN BOTANIST Joliet, lU. THE FLOWER GROWER Published Monthly for hoth Amateur and Professional Flower Growers GARDENERS: You should grow flow, ers in quantity and help beautify your surroundings and brighten the lives of those who visit your gardens. The subscription price of THE FLOW- ER GROWER is $1.00 per year, three years for $2.50. Sample copy 10c. Madison Cooper, Publisher, Calcium, N. Y. NURSERYMAN WANTED Largest retail nursery company offers hard work and long hours to competent man to manage branch nursery for large share of the profits. Lewis & Valentine Co. 47 W. 34th St., New York Rosyln, Long Island Ryt, N. Y. THE BEAUTIFUL GLADIOLI Get acrmairittHi (ilT.r -For $l,lill wi- Mill ^nid jiost- [)ai(l 12 different i'.\hiliiIiori. large flowering named gladioli bulbs — also paeket of 50 varieties of eboiee flower .seeds ineluding the greate.st new red aster "The Heart of Kranee" and "Your Flower Garden" a book on the eiilturc of annuals and perennials, listing Plants, Flowers and Vege- table S'eds. ROSE SIDE GARDENS Warwick, Chester Co., Pa. ORCHIDS i Wo are Sppcialfstfl tn Orcbids. Wc r.illect. I erow. Import, export and spII orchids ex- I cliislvfly. If you arp in tlie market for Orchids. I wp s'llicit your inquiries and orders. Cata- I Ingues and special lists on applicntton. LAGER & HURRELL •rthld Growers and Importen Summit, N. «I. 1 J HORACE MCFARLAND COMPArjV MAnniSQURC PENN5TI.VAK1* S^veaOor \^ , 1920 <:»rdaD Cbrst«*l Conpi^y. P&rk Ave. And 14ft-.h StToet. tlq« Yurk Olty. ClootlFS«n . iMg lud A (ry-«ol ot Ui« aubstiofte ni!« :.!«•• b«iror» it M> pot CO the aariMt. : ma, i-.^7^!!9d by tb« J»ot. th»i It roilly did kill ros».bo£», *rd 1 don't toe- of jwytDlns fls« ib»'. «»11 do tn. «*iu a«rvlc« vilhout 1I95 tolling the rosea. Ttun lAter. afiei it h*d b«en imcodaasd. 1 ■&> it being • ff«otlT«ly mod not oiUy to put th« ros—buga out of boalnvai on r«cc3, bat to do Ibe e*me *b(R tboy had PhilAdslphia 1 keep 11 On h»nd, »ad would not hooital* ■ fraatlon of k scooad About pottiog it ia use ab eoon 1 » Ibt bugs fcppoarod beo»ns« I balle-r. it is tbe beol •y nvailbt^lc remedy Ijr this n»aty piMt Yooro truly. i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.i iiaiiiiiiniiiwniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiii':; What J. Horace McFarland Ivlitiir .\nR-rican Ro.sf .XTMiU.ii) says lib out MELROSINE Reonnimended as the most effective rose bug remedy l)v mam- eminent rusari- ans. A highly concen- trated liqtiid contact spray- Preserves blooms unblem- ished. Inexpensive. Keeps indefinitely. IT KILLS ROSE BUGS SAVE YOUR ROSES Pleasant and harmless to use. Kills rose bugs, other insects, and prevents disease. Full directions on each can. Pint, $1. Quart, $1.75. Half-gallon, S3.25. Gallon, $6. Order from your seedman, nurseryman, or florist. If he cannot supply you, write us, giving his name and address M A X 1- A C T U R K K S GARDEN CHEMICAL COMPANY E'ark Avenue anil 146lh Street New York City ^iiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiijuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiUiuD i»!iiiii:ii];iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiii:i;iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiMi!iiiiiiiiiiii!iiii:iiiiiiiinw^^^ Become a Prepare by mail for this uncrowded pro- fession. Inexpensive. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Easy to master. Earn vliile \ou learn. Diploma awarded. Special prop- osition" to HOME OWNERS and Plan for beauti- fying your property. AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SCHOOL 21 N, Newark, New York State HARRY BA.I DWIN Manufacturer oi Greenhouse Shading Lath Roller Blinds MAVIARONECK. N. Y. WANTED. 100 boxes Greenhouse Glass 16x18" pre- ferred. 2.000' — 2" pipe: Hot Water Boiler. 6.000' capacity. Would like to exchange fine Evergreens for the above material. Please let me have a list of all you can supply. THE D. HILL NURSERY CO . DnnJee, IIL 14 1 T IVI I T Q Fo"" *^^ price is the nC iVHJ O best and cheapest PERTH ITY MAKER for lawn, flower, vegetable, shrub and tree. $6.00 for 5, 100 lb. bags freight prepaid. Special price in ton and carload lots. H B. PRINDLE. 101 Park Ave.. New York QUALITY RED POTS -Made of best material by skilled lal)or, uniformly burned and cart.'fully packed. Famous "Moss-Aztec" Ware includes Azalea Poti. Fern Dishes, Hanging Baskets. Lawn Vases, etc. Write for catalnpue and price list. PETERS & REED POTTERY CO. So. Zanesville. e^ CUT FLOWER BOXES EDWARDS FOLDING BOX CO I fHILADCLFMIA. PA. '"•oc . M»«'^' *' HAMMOND'S GRAPE DUST' Used effectively to kill Powdery Mildew on Roses and other Plants. USED BY THE FLORISTS FOR OVER 25 SUCCESSIVE YEARS Sold by the Seed Dealers. For pamphlet on Bugs and Blights address HAMMOND'S PAINT & SLUG SHOT WORKS BEACON. N Y. 4.S1 ifi^tfiifiwy^^xwtfitf^ifiifiifiw^^ifiy^y^yi » ii.iiii:iiii:Nii iiii.'iiii nil iiuiiiii tii{:iin;ii!i:iiii'{itiiiiri{iiiMiiiiiiiii iiiinMitiiiiiiti!iiiiN({i{iiiiiiii|i!iiiiii{i{i[|[i|^ SEE THE I S'THE PRESIDENT'^^ ' GILLETT Wild GARDEN Chosen by an Overwhehiiing Majority as llie ifi Greatest Canna in Commeree ifi ifi Hi "I have been much impressed with some of the new Cannas that I have tried this Summer, and cannot refrain from men- tioning two. These are The President and Snow Queen. Pres- ident is by all odds the best red Canna today, larger and better than Firebird and a free bloomer: the foliage is strong and does not burn, as does that of Firebird. Those who have tried Firebird and lamented that it would not do on account of dis- eased foliage will rejoice to know that at last we have a Canna that is 'right.' Snow Queen is whiter than any other Canna on the market. It is also one of the largest individual flowers among Cannas of any color, is as free as the freest, and the trusses are of enormous size. Only in the best reds do we hnd anything that approaches it in general value." — FLOYD BRALLJAR.— Extract froi:! the Florists' R,-'!C7i; Sct^tcnihcr '8 1919, Description. — We tliought >;o much of this Cauua we put it iu color ou mir '\iIalog. — ^Height. 4 feet. In color, a rich, globing scarlet, and the ini- uieuie. firm, rounded flowers, 7 inches across when op'n. are produced on .strong, erect stalks well above the large, rich green foliage. "The Presi- dent" is superior to any other red variety in the quantity and also nuality of bloom, and the firm flowers resist drought and heat to a remarkable de- cree. A large bed of this variety was planted last year on the grounds of the Washington Monument, Washington. 0. V. Get your order placed now for iieH\.'ry at planting time. Price, 5 for S3.00— 25 for SU.OO delivered. iJi 1^/^.CONARD )f ROSES ^ ffi & JONES CO. Jfl RoIhtI Pyle. President \,,l.,,i,k .. •,,i<,ci. .mj. ir^. ._ Westgrove. Pa. W 31 \nioiiie Winlzer. \ i(*e-Pre>. AT THE International FLOWER SHOW Grand Central Palace NevJ York City MARCH 1 4 to 20 I WILL have over 600 square feet planted with Co- 1 niferous and Broad-leaved Evergreens, Early Wild 1 Flowers, Ferns, Rock Plants, Ground Covers, etc. = Either myself or Mr. Durand will be on hand, at all 1 times prepared to welcome visitors, answ^er questions = and give advice. h EDWARD GILLETT Southwkk. Mass. j 286 Fifth Avenue, New ^'ork City | Herbert Durand, Associate | iiiiiiiiiN'' iHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinmiiiiiniiiiiK^ 'gllliiililiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiii iiN:iiii:iiii;iiiiiuiriNi:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii«iiiiiiuiiiijiiiiiioiiiiiiuii:iiiiiiiii;uii:iui;iui:iiii.iiiijiuiiiu:iui:iiiiiu,iiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii!£ |iiniiininiiiiiiiiiiiiii miiii iiiumiiiiiii CARNATION STOCK Have you bouuht your Carnation plants? We can quote you, immediate delivery, pot plants of the following : WARD, RUTH BAUER, ENCHANTRESS SUPREME in p!Kik. MATCHLESS. WHITE BENORA in white. AVIATOR BEACON BELLE WASHBURN in scarlet. $12.00 per Hundred Laddie : Yes, we can ship to you in March. Sold out for February delivery. CHAKLES H. TOTTY COMPANY MADISON NEW JERSEY Orchids If you contemplate buying semi-established, § established or imported orchids, consult us firet. | We carry in stock about 25,000 species. | A large stock of Laelia Cattleyas, Hybrid Catt- | leyas, Brasso Cattleyas, Odontiodas, and other | choice hybrids. | We specialize in supplying the private trade. | Let us figure on your requirements — our quahty | is second to none. | ^Orchid peat, live Sphagnum Moss, baskets, pot | hangers, always on hand. | Send for our price list. i G. E. BALDWIN & COMPANY | Orchid Collectors, Growers and Importers MAMARONECK Box 98 NEW YORK 4S' WATEK LILY POOLS I ARE EASILY MADE | Expert labor is not needed. You or your | gardener can supervise, and a day laborer can | do the work. My 1921 catalog gives working 5 plans and directions. | RARE WATER LILIES | and water plants are pictured and described | in this booklet ; facts about their colors, bloom- | ing time, habits, and how to grow them, are | carefully stated. .Send today for a copy. | WILLIAM TRICKER | W ater Lily Specialist | Box P, Arlington, New Jersey | IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INinilllllllllllllllllNllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli.' iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiii;iiii:iiii:iiii:iiiiiiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iiii:iii>:iiii:i!ii;im:iin:iiii:iiii!iiii:iiiiiiiii»iiiiiliiiiliiiHiri^^ Gl oxinia Bulb Extra Large Selected Stock Per Doz. $6.00. Per 1 00— $45.00 Lily of the Valley Selected Hamburg Pips Per Case 250 Pips— $15.00 Per Case 500 Pips— $25.00 WILLIAM M. HUNT ^ CO. 148 Chambers St. ^iniiliiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii New York City EliREERS I931!iii,\ . r(.ii-ljk«n'psie. Wliitf riiiius. .I:niiiiii:t. Muntcliiir. New Ymk. rhil;nlcl|ilii:i. Harris- lim-u. r.alliuion-, \Vnsliiii-r(.n. Itk-hnicini. UnlTiiln, Tonnito. ri(1slnii'.i.'h, f'leveliitul. Detroit, f'ineinnai i l.duisville, IiiiIianhi)olis. Clitea^'f). Milwnnkee, St l.niiis. Kan^a^ (it. v. Caniulian atliln^ss. 252 I.jin.L'au cliitere W.est. ^fontreal. DAVEY TREE SURGEONS /•:;riv ica! Pavev^ Tree Swgeon is in the rniflnr of The Da-'cv Tree Expert Co.. Inr., nui! Hie fnhltc is cautioned against th^'ic Jalu-Tx ref^cscnJin:; Ihcmsci-.e.'-. .'In agreement made tfith the Dorev Comf'nny and not with an Indi-idnal is certain evidence of gennincnes.t. GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) 5 ILLUSTRATED HORTICULTURAL $2.00 A YEAR »lfc] 25c A COPY , No. 3. Published monlhly by The 'ress. Inc., 286 Fifth Ave., New York MARCH, 1921 Kntered as second-class matter Nov. 3. 1914, at post office at New York under the act of March 3, 1 giiiiiiiiiiiii{iiiiniiiiiiiiii!iii!;iiiiiii!i;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini IbURNETT BROS.! I "r/ie House Famous for Lawn Grass Seed'' i 1 Many of the Most Beautiful Lawns in America were sown with 1 I BURNETT'S SPECIAL MIXTURES I w WE MAKE A SPECIALTY OF LAWN GRASS SEED FOR ALL SOILS AND SITUATIONS J ^*'*-~— ^ lit -i-ifii m LAWNS BANKS AND TERRACES SHADY PLACES SEA SHORE TENNIS COURTS GOLF COURSES ETC.. ETC. s Sown with Burnett's "Special" Law^n Grass Seed LAWN GRASS SEED To obtain a perfect Lawn, sow early with BURNETT'S "SPECIAL" MIXTURE Price, Quart 30c.. Peck $2.00, Bushel (20 lbs.), $7.50 OR BURNETT'S FAMOUS "KILLARNEY" MIXTURE Price, Quart 35c.. Peck $2.50, Bushel (25 lbs.), $9.50 "SOW 'KILLARNEY' AND WALK ON VELVET" Our Illustrated Catalogue and Novelty List Mailed Free on Application BURNETT BROTHERS I 92 CHAMBERS ST. s Between Broadway and Church St .iiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiw^ SEEDSMEN ■iiiiiiiiiii NEW YORK Phone Barclay 6138 J ean Nerr K m Burpee's Sensational Decorative Dahlia M ' I HE most valuable of all white decorative M I dahlias. Let the weather be as it may, M and no other dahlia blooming, JELAN ^ KERR w^ill be a mass of flowers. It is one of M the first to flower and bloonris continuously J until killed by frost. In type it is a short- ^ petaled decorative, and by some classed as a M show or ball dahlia. It is an outstanding ^ variety because it never fails to flower freely. M The pure white blooms are carried grace- ^ fully on long and strong stems. The illus- = t ration, reproduced from a Fordhook photo - = graph, show^s the compact grow^th and f ree- = flowering habit. JEAN KERR is a foremost M variety for cut flowers and equally as jm- M portant for garden use. JEAN KERR Vk'as M awarded Certificate of Merit by the American ^ Dahlia Society when first exhibited in Sep- M tember, 1916. After it was tested in the ^ trial grounds of the American Dahlia So- = ciety it received a second Certificate of Merit I on September 24, 1920. M Strong Roots, 75 cents each; 3 for I $2.00; 12 for $7.00, delivered I W. Atlee Burpee Co. M Seed Growers Philadelphia A row of JKAN KERR in Burpee" Trial Giound on Fordhook r;inr until killed by frost. Fii--t diilili;! to tiloom. flowering = iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Compiled for the amateur, but equally interesting to the professional gardener, as it is the most complete catalogue of Seeds and Plants published. A large, handsomely illustrated book, showing in colors and photo-engravings, the varieties offered and giving cultural information which will assure a successful garden. It offers the best Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Lawn Grass and Agricultural Seeds, Plants of all kinds, including the newest Roses, Dahlias, Hardy Perennials, etc. Write today for a copy which will be mailed free if you mention this publication. HENRY A. DREER 714-716 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Pa. 11I|IUMI11II"I1H"|1II)HI>IIHMI"I ■- Think of SEEDS Think of MARSHALL'S 166 West 23rd St., New York ■»■; * Catalogue mailed on request. 485 =jiii:iijiiiiii:ii:;iii Jiii:imiiiii.iii.iiiji:iii.«i :iin:iiiiiiiiiiifi:iiii:iiii:iai.iiii;ii[i:ii;i. 1111:1111. iiiiiii:i.iii::iii!^iiiiimiiiiiumiinmi»iuimnii^ Bobbink & Atkins Visit Nursery Ask for Catalog ROSES I EVERGREENS | RHODODENDRONS | TREES AND SHRUBS | ROCK GARDEN PLANTS | OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS | FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES | SPRING -FLOWERING BULBS | Ask for our special list of Lilacs and Rock j Garden Plants. | Nurserymen and Florists | RUTHERFORD NEW JERSEY | iitihi);!.iiL;tiiimiMiiii)iiiJUiiiiitij:iu;iiii:iniiiii(!iiii:ii;: I The Glenside Hardy Flower Gardens | | I Richard Rothe. Proprietor, Glenside. Pa. g . g I ^ e are Specialists in Designing and Building of | | I Rockgardens. | | I For rates on Consultations and illustrated lee- | | I tures please address 1 1 I RICHARD ROTHE, GLENSffiE, PA. | | lirarnnmraimnroimnimnniiimnnniiiminnTmrnimnimmmrninnirainnimninmmmmraiamnmair^^^ -M 486 ,,ij.iujiiiimimiuiiiuiiiiJiijnii«iiuiiniiiiu«uuunugiiuiimiuiuninim!imMiiiniiuiiimuuimuiiimuiiw^ DAHLIAS I Originated By = MRS. CHAS. H. STOUT | Through a recent arrangement I become grower, 1 distributor and exhibitor of the Dahlias originated by 1 Mrs. Chas. H. Stout. Mrs. Stout's standing as an | amateur remains unchanged as her entire proceeds go 1 to charity. The following varieties are offered for | sale for the first time this season. i (Given in the order Golden Sunshine. doUlen Du- plex, overlaid >r*lmon. In- troduced \912. $2.00 each. Gertrude Dahl. Opalescent pink Peony. SZ.OO each. J. Harrison Dick. Pale corn colored hybrid Cactus with picoted lavender e d g'e s. Fluffy blooms. $2.00 each. Pen^ope Van Princess. SaJ • mon colored hybrid Cactus. $2.00 each. Lucy Langdon. lavender Decorative. S2.00 each, S20.00 a dozen. White Sunshine. A pure white Sinsle. Rounded petals. S2.03 (ach. Mexican Beauty. Hybrid Cac- tus. Same color as Amer- ican Beauty Rose. $2.00 each. of their introduction) ^ Minnesink. Blood red hybrid 1 C actus. 52,00 each. f N'ne of Spades. Enormous E blood read Peon> . $2.00 i each. § Alma Mater. Large pure white 1 Decorative. S2.00 each. ^ Westhope. Decorative. Light § yellow with slight pinkish § tinge. $10.00 § Bonnie. Bright cerise Decora- M tive. S2.00 each. E Shantung:. Scarlet and gold | Pecny. Huge blooms. $5.00 = each. SSOJW a dozen. § Humoresque. Pecorative. = Rose, reverse shaded old E gold. $5.00 each. i Order from the foregoing list or write for FREE catalog— = which gives further information regarding habit of plants. ^ color of flowers, prizes won, certificates issued, etc., as well ^ as descriptions of some 300 other varieties of dahlias. Some | varieties may be "sold out" before this catalog can be mailed. ^ Tn such cases remittances will be returned, as orders will be ^ booked according to priority of receipt. Telegraphic orders ^ should be immediately confirmed by mail. = ALT F. CLARK, "The DahUasC NETCONG, N. J. | rmrainiiiimiiininiDnmiiiniinniMmniiimiiniiimnimiiimitiiiniiiiiiiinninnmmHimiiinciini^ giiiiiiimmmimiiriimimimiffliiiiiniiimiiiinniinniiinraiiiiiiiiiimraiiiiinn!'! Joseph Manda Company ORCHIDS Our Specialty WE SHALL BE PLEASED TO GREET OUR FRIENDS AT OUR EXHIBIT AT THE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW, NEW YORK, MARCH 14TH TO 20TH, WHENEVER THEY VISIT THE SHOW. JOSEPH MANDA COMPANY 191 Valley Road, West Orange, New Jersey ."simmiiniiiiiiaiMiinuiiiix: Kiiiiiiiiitniinnnaii:!- Star Dahlias anpi I HE most beautiful thing in the Show," is what the ladies called our display of the Star Dahlias, in the Dahlia Show, last fall. We agree with them and so will you when you grow them, for their lovely colors and stiff stems make them un- equalled for cutting. To make you a permanent customer of ours, we are going to send you one each of the six best sorts of Star Dahlias. We catalogue and deliver them to you any- where for a $5.00 bill, providing you men- tion this paper. We catalogue 100 varieties of the newest and best Dahlias and would like to hear from you. CHAKLES H. TOTTY COMPANY MADISON NEW JERSEY CARTERS TESTED SEEDS Famous for a Century OKjiv CcTUL lUi 3nUXvn^" TRADE MARK Witness the success of Carters English Grown Seeds: — They are today used in the Notable Gardens of Great Britain and America and are recommended by the leading Gardeners and Horticulturists. They are seeds with only one Standard — TTie Highest. Years of painstaking care in the selection, propagation and testing are the foundation of Carters success and reputation. Carters Tested Grass Seed sold in one and five pound packages, also by the bushel. Used in producing quahty turf on the foremost Golf Courses of America and England. SEND FOR CARTERS 1921 CATALOG "GARDEN AND LAWN" MAILED FREE ON REQUEST Careers Tesieci Seeds * INC.- ^'^ Main Office: 25 West 43rd Street, New ^ork Branch Offices: 7 Glen St., Glen Cove. L. I.. Dept. M. 106 Chamber of Commerce Bldg., Boston, Dept. M Philadelphia Chicago Toronto London, England 4»7 i"THE PRESIDENT"^ S Chosen by an Overwhelming Majority as the ^. Si Greatest Canna in Commerce S »i tfi »; "I have been much impressed with some of the new Cannas that I have tried this Summer, and cannot refrain from men- tioning two. These are The President and Snow Queen. Pres- ident is by all odds the best red Canna today, larger and better than Firebird and a free bloomer; the foliage is strong and does not burn, as does that of Firebird. Those who have tried Firebird and lamented that it would not do on account of dis- eased foliage will rejoice to know that at last we have a Canna that is 'right.' Snow Queen is whiter than any other Canna on the market. It is also one of the largest individual flowers among Cannas of any color, is as free as the freest, and the trusses are of enormous size. Only in the best reds do we find anything that approaches it in general value." — FLOYD BRALLIAR.— E.vfrflff from the Florists' Rct'ieiv, September 28. 10i9. Description. — We thought so much of this Canna we put it in color on our caUloe. — Height, 4 feet. In color, a rich, glowing scarlet, and the im- mcn.se. firm, rounded flowers. 7 inches across when op?n. are produced on strong, erect stalks well above the large, rich green foliage. "The Presi- dent" is superior lo any other red variety in the quantity and also quality of bloora. and the firm flowers resist drought and heat to a remarkable de- gree. A large bed of this variety was planted last year on the grounds of the Washington Monument, delivery at planting Ume. Lawns of Velvet Wh?ri"vcr Ideal Power Lawn Mowers are used it is a simple matter to keep large lawns in won- derfully fine cnndition. The Idral is a power mower and power roller in one. It will mow from foiu" to five acres of grass per day. doing more and better work than five men with hand mower. Moreover the sod is rolled ever^' time the grass is cut, which keeps it smooth and firm, and discourages the action of harmful insects, ants, grubs, moles, etc. Furnished with or without riding trailer, also with special unit for putting greens. Everyone interested in the care of large lawn should writ* for our large illustrated catalog. IDEAL POWER LAWN MOWER CO. R. E. OLDS, Chairman ■134 Kalamazoo St. Lansing, Mich. Nrv. \,>r\i: 270 West St. I lu-Mgo: 533 S. Dearborn St. Dealers in all principal cities. Washington. D. C. Get your order placed now for Price, 5 for S3.00— 25 for 814.00 aelivered. 5^«C0NARD * ROSES & JONES CO. Westgrove, Pa. Robert Pvle. Presulent Antoiiie Wiiitzer. Vice-Pres. £ifiifi«ifitfiy^!fiifiifiy^tfitf;sw!fi>fiifi }R}rr photo: BusU Fcsidejice. Roek Beach, Rochester, .V. Y. IDEAL POWER _LAWN MO>VEPt Does i/ic \'- '-'ik oi iive hand n\owc*ri ^... .^' V^>.<^.?^-»-,A.-=j»-.. *t O^eenliouse Guilders Palm House and Wings Erected for Mrs. A. D. Morse, Oeveland, Ohio. It is our Standard house number four, duplicate of which could be furnished in a surprisingly short time. Send for Booklet Jofd.^ Btiniham^ Builders of Greenhouses and Conservatories NEW YORK 42nd Street Bldg E.ASTERX F.^CTORY Irvington. N Y. PHfL.ADELPHI.A Land Title Bldg. CHIC.-\GO Continental Bank Bldg WESTERN' F.^CTGRY Des Plaines. 111. 488 piill!!!l!!HiimflI!llilflllllll!!!!'l!fIIII'"" I These Wonderful I New Flowers M the sensations of 1921 M — should he in your p garden this year. You J will be proud of every M one of them. = 1. A New Bedding J Petunia^ '^'Purple p Queen" ^ An cMniisitp rich, denr ^ piiriile, overlaid with a ^ velvety sheen — an en- ^ tirel.v new color in pe- ^ tiinias. entrancingly bean- ^ tiful in beds or clumps. = Like the "Rosy Morn' ' ^ petunias, the plants bloom = very freely and continu- = oiisly. Tliey are always; ^ covered with flowers, aver- ^ aging in size about four ^ inches across. Pkt. 50c. % 2. Queen Anne's Blue M Lace Flower ^ The illustration gives but = a faint idea of this lovely ^ flower, wliich must be ^ seen to be appreciated. = The finely laced flowers ^ are of the most exquisite ^ light blue shade, and are ^ gracefully borne on long = stems. Beautifully decora- = tive in a vase or bowl. ^ Pkt. 50c. ^^^^^^^H ^IR^^ fflHi ^^^BSL^ fl ^IM^H^^I ^^^^^^^^^HHi John Scheepers INC. BLUE LACE FLOWER 3. The New Dahlia-Zinnia Munstroiis double flowers with broad, long petals over- lapping each other in dense formation, giving the huge flowers the appearance of a Decorative Dahlia. No trouble to grow. You can atari it in the hotbed or sow outdoors where you want it to grow — and you will be able to cut tliHSP marvelous flowers from .liine until frost. Pkt. 50c. iiTiiiiii[iiiiiii[iiiri[iii)]iiiiii)iiiriimiiiiiniii[in Special Offer to Gardeners* Chronicle Readers ^ All three of the above novelties, together with our "Book for ^ Garden Lovers"— an invaluable g'uide for selecting just the ^ seeds that will make your garden your pride and joy, $1.00 = MAX Schling SEEDSMEN, INC. | 26 West 59th Street, New York 1 llUUIIIUIUIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllllliilllillllllliliillUUIIIUIIIIIIIIIUIIIUUIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ HIGH CLASS FLOWER BULBS iii:iiii:uiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiijiii:iiiiJiii:iiii:iiiiinii:iiiiiiiii:iiii:iii^ m J^^arden/or&oeryy^ome I Potgrown Polyantha Roses ] I For May 1st Delivery. | | = Flowering practically all summer they are an or- % \ 1 nament in any garden. We offer the following varieties f | § in extra strong potgrown plants : ^ | I BABY RAMBLER— Red, dwarf habit. j j I ECHO — Soft pink, rather vigorous in growth. I | I EDITH CAVELL (new) Brilliant scarlet color, | | 1 never fades. j | j ELLEN POULSON— Brilliant rosy pink. | | i GRETA KLUIS — Dwarf, deep carmine pink. I | j JESSIE — iJriglu cherry crimson. | | j MARIE PAVIC— White, faint flesh center. | I j MME. JULES GOUSCHAULT — Vermilion red, | j i shaded orange. i | I MRS. W. H. CUTBUSH— Peach pink. | | I ORLEANS — Cerise pink with white eye. | | I LARGE FLOWERING CLEMATIS | | i Strong pot^own plants — white, pink, light blue, dark blue 1 1 1 and red. s = j POLYGONUM BALDSCHUANICUM | | % Potgrown Plants for May 15 Ut-livcry ^ 1 1 A rapid growing climber, very hardy, producing large 1 i ^ trusses of white flowers in August-September. Fine for cover* ^ = g ing Trcllisses. Pergolas, Porches, etc. = | I MULLER-SEALEY COMPANY, ING. | | I 145 West 45th Street, New York City, N. Y. | | ^iiiiiiiiijinuniwuiiiiiiiiiHiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiniiiiumiiiuuiuiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiimimmiiHiinwiiiimiiM^^ Mllllllllllllllllll 489 IIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII. RARE AND UNUSUAL VARIETIES OF PROVEN MERIT lilllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIllllllllllllIII 522 FiftK Avenue (ccr. 44tK St.) New York City Coldwell Lawn Mowers hj'Make Beautiful Lawns'! V, Perfect lavms make for beduHful counlry fiomes. Coldi^el.1 makes a. mower for every lype of layrn. COLDWELL LAWN MOWER CO. NEWBURGH, N.Y , U. 5. A. JLLUSTRATO) CAIAWGVL UPON REQUEST I Water Lilies in I Formal Gardens 1 Just imagine how greatly the charm of formal B gardens can be enhanced by a pool of Water 1 Lilies and aquatic plants. Rare trees and shrubs H may be in the garden, but the pool is always the H central point of interest. I HARDY AND TENDER LILIES ^ give such wonderful ranges of color and form that both ^ classes can be used to advantage. The finest varieties are M classified in my Water Lily booklet for 1921. which will = be sent promptly on request. I will also be glad to sug- = gest varieties that are specially adapted to formal or ^ natural plantings. I WILLIAM TRICKER = Water Lily Specialist I Box P, ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY iiiiiwiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ gmmir miiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii i i llllllllllllllllllllll:lllllllllllllllUllllmllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll'^ I ARE we: approaching I " dahlia perfe:ction? I "Murray '/3 Natural | I Hiir— * - Size j i My new New York group, named after the five magnificent | 1 hotels, Biltimore, Commodore, Murray Hill, Belmont and An- ^ i sonia,*will cause you to believe we are. Enormous flowers of the g = Peony and Decorative style, of deep rich shades and beautiful ^ 1 texture, they are bound to captivate the most exacting = i hobbyist. § i This is but one of several groups of my new thinsrs obtain § I able only from me. Please write for complete catalogue to | ^ familiarize yourself with all I have. ^ i PefBonal advice and instruction on Dahlia Culture second Tlinrs- p I day and Friday of each month at the New York Office, Gl East p i 42d St., Room 412. Telephone Vandertiilt 7676. E I George L Stillmaiiy spe^ust CG21, Westerly, R. 1. | ImiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiitiiuiiuii^^ 490 Wiew of Retail I'cgi'lahle Seed Deft.) The HOUSE Built on QUALITY SERVICE HONESTY "Ask Your Neighbor" BECKERT'S SEED STORE 101-103 FEDERAL ST. ^^P^ PITTSBURGH, PA, 1 Est. 1877 liiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii JIlinilllllllllUIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ I Ne\A/ Dahlia | I MRS. GEO. W. ELKINS JK. | The color of this wonderful new decorative Dahlia 1 is hard to describe. Apricot pink with a gold suflfu- | sion seems to be about the best description, but this | does not do it justice. The blooms are extra large I and beautifully formed. The habit of the plant is | ideal, being a free and open grower, with frequently | two and three, eight to nine inch blooms on it at | one time. The stems are stiflf and hold the blooms 1 gracefully above the foliage. This grand Dahlia is g a perfect exhibition flower and unusually line for the | garden or cutting. 1 Price.-r-Strong, Thrifty Plants Ready After May 1st, | $10.00 Each j MICHELL'S SEED CATALOG | An authentic ffuide to successful g;irX/ALNUT STREET. PHILADELPHIA. fiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiNmiiu:iinuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:Nii:iiii:iiii:iiiuiiiiiiiiiw^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiitiiiiiiniinii- | &iiiniiiiiiii>i>iiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'''i''''H''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiu^ I Stumpp & Walter Co.'s Catalog | I Our 1921 Spring Catalog will be mailed to | I you, on request, if you are not regularly | I receiving it. | I Many New and Exhibition varieties of | I Flower and Vegetable Seeds are offered. | I . Farm and Grass Seeds are also a feature. | I Cannas, Dahlias, and Gladioli — the best | I varieties to date. I ^(Imtef& 30-32 Barcla}? St. New York iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiui liiiiiii 494 iii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiw IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII>IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!IIIIIIIII||H GARDENERS' CHRONICLE (OF AMERICA) Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture ■ Vol. XXV MARCH, 1921 llilllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliillllllllllllllllllllllil No. 3 I lillllliiiliiiiiliiiiiiiiillliliiil LIBItAICY Things and Thoughts of the Garden nbwv«rk MONTAGUE, FREE BOTANICAL •JAUUaH WHEN writing last month of some of the introduc- tions of \'eitch & Sons a train of thought was started which led to some reflections on the ro- mance of plant collecting and to the reperusal, after a lapse of twenty years or so, of a boys' book of adventure called "The Orchid .Seekers: A Story of Adventure in Borneo," by .\shmore Russan and Frederick Boyle. The reading of this book, when a garden boy, did much to make tolerable those burdensome chores which are in- separable from gardening, and which are so often, inad- ^•isedly perhaps, put upon the shoulders of a beginner. W hen chasing mealy bugs and scales with sponge and brush in the steaming stove, the remembrance of the ad- ventures of daring Ralph Rider and his companions when orchid seeking in rjorneo, tended to counteract the soporific influence of the employment ; and musing upon the romance and glamor of plant collecting, that the au- thors so admirably succeeded in depicting, was instru- mental m lessening the ennui consequent upon the seem- ingly interminable crocking of pots. It is a story of a search for a "blue orchid" in Borneo. The f)€rsonality of the leader of the party, Carl Hertz, was evidently moulded on that of Benedict Roezl, one of the greatest of plant collectors, whose name is commem- orated in many of our glass house favorites ; for Hertz, like Roezl, had lost one of his hands and used an iron hook as a substitute. Doubtless, as a concession to the ■demands of the reading public, who require much of their book heroes, Hertz was somewhat of a superman, for we learn he "was acquainted with every tree and herb in the universe, or nearly so," which seems to us moderns to be an almost impossible accomplishment. The other principal members of the party were two sons of Mr. Rider, an orchid importer, located in England, and Bounce, a sailor, who provides the comic relief. When books of this nature deal with plant life one ex- pects to find glaring mistakes and arrant misinformation likely to raise the scornful ire of botanist or gardener, but "The Orchid Seekers" is an exception. The junior au- thor, Frederick F)Oyle, is a traveller, amateur orchid grower, and writer on horticultural subjects, and has a vast fund of reliable plant lore. In the "Orchid Seekers" the characters speak glibly and correctly of such tongue twisters, from the layman's point of view, as Phakcnopsis, GrammatophylUim. Dcndrobinm and Ccrlogyiic. So well is the pill of botanical knowledge coated with the jam of adventure that the information given may be absorbed unconsciouslv — sometimes a desideratum when dealing with the problems of adidescent education. Thus there are discussions on the fertilization of orchids, con- ducted with interruptions occasioned by thrilling game hunting interludes, and we learn of the ingenious mech- anism which insures the cross pollination of the Bucket Orchid, the curious tumbling lips and awful odor of some of the Bulbophyllums, the spring gun contrivance which ejects the pollinia of Catasctiim, and of the adventures of insects in the slippers of Cypripediums. The story is told of Angraciim sesquipcda'lc, that plant curiosity with a nectar tube one foot or so in length, which impelled Dar- win to make his famous pronouncement that there must be a moth with a proboscis long enough to reach to the bottom of the tube — a statement that was afterwards proved to be correct by the discovery of such a moth. The question "what is an orchid," put to the leader of the party by one of its youthful members, is one that might puzzle many of us to answer oft'hand, without re- course to a botany. Hertz, however, is quite equal to the occasion, and holds forth somewhat as follows : "Orchids are petaloid Monocotyledons niit irregular perianth und inferior ovary, gynandrous. . . . Orchids are a fam- ily of monocotylcdonous phanerograms mit albuminous seeds und an undivided embryo." One suspects that Hertz was showing oft. and in spite of the scientific terminology' of the preceding, we prefer his final ofifering as a more simple and comprehensive definition of an orchid. " .\n orchid ish a flower dot consists of t'ree sepals und t'ree petals, mit de organs of reproduction — separate in oder plants — fused togedder." -\11 this sound horticultural and botanical knowledge is interspersed with accounts of hairbreadth escapes from varied dangers, fights with Sulu pirates, adventures with poisonous snakes, encounters with Chinese secret socie- ties, and with Pakatans, adepts in the u.se of blowpipes and deadly poisoned arrows. This is the style of writing dear to the heart of the adolescent male, and 1 can think of no better literary fare to place in the hands of a budding gardener. Such a book as this is worthy of the attention of those who are anxious to interest young men in hor- ticulture as a profession. However, it may necessitate some searching to olitain a copy, as it is quite a number of years since it was first published, and it may be scarce. Of course, it is not at all necessary to delve into the realms of fiction to find thrills in connection with plant collecting. (Actually the incidents described in "The Orchid Seekers"' are founded on facts.) .\ book by Frederick liovle. "The Woodlands Orchids," is a descrip- 495 496 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE tion of this famous amateur collection, interspersed with stories of orchid collecting, in which incidents are de- scribed as strange, wild and exciting as any conceived in the brain of an imaginative writer. The story of Bulbo- phxUmn barbigcrum, for example, tells of a young clerk in a factory at Whydah, on the Gold Coast, who made a practice of collecting this orchid in his spare time with a view to making money on the side. In so doing he in- curred the wrath of the fetish priesthood, and things be- gan to happen. The unfortunate youth was thrust into the Snake Temple. "There are men who would have lost their wits in terror at that sight. The snakes were there, hundreds of them, perched upon the thickness of the w^all, the ridge of their bodies gleaming in the red light of sun- set, their long necks hanging down, waving and twining. Every head was turned towards him, the glass bright eyes fixed on his, and the tongues slithering with eager- ness. Nightmare was never so horrible." He managed to burst through the doorway and through the guard. The influence of the Europeans of Whydah was sufficient to mitigate his punishment to that of "the man who kills a snake bv evil chance — no worse." This was bad enough, in all conscience, for he was put into a hole in the ground covered with reeds, which were aftefwards set on fire. His chance for life was then to get up, run the gauntlet of natives who would try to cut and hack him until he reached water, when he w'ould be free. It is satisfactory to know that he escaped with but little hurt. That plant collecting is not without its humorous side is demonstrated in the story of Roezl's acc|;iisition of Catt- leya Skinncri alba. It was the custom in many parts of South America for the natives to plant on the roof of the local church any rare orchids that they chanced to find. Great value w^as placed on these orchids, and only with great difficulty could they be induced to part with them. Roezl found the white form of Cattlcya Skinneri on the roof of a church in a village in (Guatemala. The problem was how to get it. It so liappened that with the e.xcep- tion of getting drunk, cock-fighting was the one amuse- ment of the population, and the Cura was the leading ex- ponent. The champion cocks of the village had recently been badly beaten by those of a neighboring village, and everyone was despondent and anxious for revenge. This was Roezl's chance. How he came to be possessed of a knowledge of cock-fighting is not explained, but such was the case, and, in return for giving some hints to the Cura as to the proper management of the birds, he was allowed to remove the white Cattlcya and "sold it to Mr. George Hardy, of Manchester, for 280 guineas." Which goes to prove that versatility is a desirable item in the equip- ment of a plant collector. * * * * The introduction of tropical plants, in the early days especially, was not a particularly healthy occupation. These enterprising and courageous collectors had to face all kinds of dangers from hostile natives, fever-ridden climates, and varied perils of travel by land and water, and many lost their lives in the endeavor to introduce plants that now adorn our gardens. Glancing over an account in "Hortus Veitchii" of the collectors employed by Veitch & Sons, we find that many of them came to an untimely end. Richard Pearce, to whom horticulture is indebted for the introduction to cul- tivation of many of the P.egonias which were the parents of tuberous begonias as we know them to-day, succumbed to fever in Panama when on the way to a collecting ground in South America. David Bowman died of dysen- tery in Bogota. Henry Hutton died an early death in Java. Gottlieb Zahn perished by drowning on the way to Costa Rica. J. H. Chesterton, who successfully intro- duced Miltonia vcxillaria, died at Puerto Berrio from ill- ness contracted when on a collecting trip. An extract from an obituary notice is illuminating and indicative of one of the qualifications of a collector. "Poor Chester- ton's reckless spirit rendered him very efficient as a plant collector.'' Gustave Wallis, whose work is commemorat- ed by many plants named for him, including Antlinrium JVallisii and lipidcndrinn ll'allisii. died at Cuenca from fever and dysentery. Not only were the collectors exposed to great hazards, but the plants too were subjected to many vicissitudes, and often arrived at their destination in a dead or dying condi- tion owing to the lack of swift transportation. Not only that, but many collections were lost outright by such mis- haps as trouble with natives, necessitating the abandon- ment of collections, shipwreck or fire. The latter was il- lustrated in the Florists' Exchange of January 15, 1921, in a paragraph of the obituary notice of the late H. F. C. Sander, founder of the firm that bears his name — one of the most famous in the annals of orchid growing and importing. We learn that the first large consignment of Dcndrobium Phalcrnopsis Schrodcrianum was burnt up in a sailing vessel. Boyle, in "The Woodlands Orchids," gives a full account of the incident. ^Nlicholitz was the collector, and had obtained a large quantity of this de- sirable orchid. During the process of collecting he was compelled to witness many horrors perpetrated by mur- derous natives and jovfully turned his back on the bloody spot. With his shipload of treasures he arrived safely in a port where the orchids were to be transhipped to a steamer that would convey them to England. During the night, however, the sailing vessel caught fire and the orchids were a total loss. The almost monosyllabic cable exchanges between Micholitz and Sanders are related by Boyle as follows : "'Ship burnt! What do? — Micholitz.' The reply was emphatic: 'Go back — Sander.' 'Too late — rainv season.' 'Go back.' " So there was nothing for Micholitz to rlo but return to that blood-stained island in the rainy season and again collect the "Elephant Moth Dendrobe." This time it was found growing in abundance in the graveyard of the tribe — a place where the dead were laid on the ground beneath the sky. Thus it happened that one of the Dend- robes sold at "Protheroe's" [Protheroe & Morris, the well known English firm of horticultural auctioneers], on October 16. 1891, w^as "attached to a human skull." No! Horticulture is not altogether prosaic. Shipwreck seems to have been the lot of many of these collections of plants obtained from the wilds at the cost' of. sometimes almost superhuman effort. Peter C. M. Veitch had the misfortune to lose the whole of a collection of plants made in the Fiji Islands when the vessel in which they w-ere being transported w^as lost ui a gale. This was in 1876. In the following year he made collections in Australia, and on the way to New Guinea was shipwrecked, again losing his collections. Charles Maries, remembered in gardens by Abies Maricsii and Platycodon Mariesii, when collecting in lapan. shipped his collections "in a vessel laden with sea- weed bound for Hakodate, but which was wrecked the following morning; the seaweed, wet and swollen, had burst open the vessel and the captain ran her ashore. The box containing the seeds was rescued and put into an- other boat, which immediately capsized and sank." It surely adds to the interest of gardening and removes any suspicion of humdrumness when we realize the stir- ring incidents that accompanied the introduction of many of our treasures. For March, 1921 497 American Rock Gardens RICHARD ROTHE CONFRONTED by rock garden problems, at a time lying beyond a long evolutionary stage abroad, with European books richly illustrated by views of inspiring achievements at hand, we find ourselves more or less at an advantage. The near future is going to reveal whether the growing popularity will prompt our craftsmen to spare no effort in establishing right at the start an artistic standard worthy of the designation Amer- ican, or, whether we leave popularity growing into a mere fad, doomed ultimately to amount to nothing. The best remedy for averting the dangers of the latter alter- native are American object lessons demon- strating the natural possibilities and their limitations within our different States and climates. Our home owners desirous of en- joying a rock garden are at present most eager to know and, if possible see. what we have been doing and what we can do. Adopting the rather broad definition of a rock garden as a com- bination of the beauty of rocks and natural rock-compositions with the beauty of plant-life indigenous within mountain regions, it is necessary to say that for perfect develop- ment of the latter we must have a rich por- ous soil and a liberal amount of stone ma- terial as moisture re- taining and cooling component mixed in. The rock-material for the building of the vis- ible surface construc- tion, serving as re- ceptacle and stage for our floral displays, is to be of natural color and shape. As we are expected to attach beauty to the various forma- tions and outlines of rockery constructions, it is obvious that one of the fundamental requisites for eft"ective work consists of the faculty to discern the elements of beauty in rocks and natural rock-compositions. Here initial in- efficiency does not necessarily need to despair. When studying our rock-strewn mountain slopes, the ledgy plateaus, the deep ravines with their gushing .streams and the cliftljound sections of our seashore lines, the novice will be amazed over the abundance of object lessons for gaining the desired subtlety of vision. \'isual sensitiveness, the most essential attribute of a genuine rock garden builder, will guide him to adhere to the simple boulder effect on the level or near level ground ; Pathway Effect of the Author's Rock Garden, GJcnsidc. Pa it will enable him to master the problems of hill and mound by effective distriluition of the masses, and it will aid him in modelling the picturesque ruggedness of ravine and steep slope. Rock gardening on a large scale pre-supposes natural conditiotis adaptable for it. Ingeniously designed ex- amples with mountain sceneries en iiiiniatiire, natural cascades and rock-bound pools and lakes, are not very rare in Great Britain. Examples of such magnitude no doubt we may hope to see and enjoy sooner or later in some of our leading public parks. At present it is princi- pally the beauty-loving private home-ground owner who is most in- terested in our subject. ■ Vnd here, right at the very beginning, it is best to admit frankly that within the pre- cincts of the average sized lot the prevailing conditions for the in- troduction of a rockery seem anything but pro- pitious. The cases where an old aban- doned quarry-hole — a most coveted proposi- tion — is waiting for the landscape architect with the soul of a poet and the sensitiveness of an observant nat- uralist to transform its commonplace appear- ance into a nook of fairyland are, indeed, extremely rare. I be- lieve, not until we learn to rid ourselves of the assumption that our work must be a harmonious part of a landscape scheme can we readily and satis- factorily meet the de- sire of a flower-loving suburbanite for enjoy- ing a rockery. When aiming simply to make it a distinct object of beautv out of door, as for instance, a large canvass of a lan(lsca|)e may con.stitute the dominant ornamental feature of a ball or library, the problem is less complicated. Our picture of the rock garden of Atr. Gustave Heckschcr, Strafford, Pa., situated on the front lawn, several hun- dred feet from the residence, seems a conceivable ex- emplification of this. A clear, consistent and sincere conception of the origin and pur])ort of rock gardens is the best safeguard against serious mistakes in the selection of the life-material. It also decides the issue regarding the subsequent arrange- ment of plantations. Being in its essential part of a dwarfy, more or less diminutive form, it is often surpris- ing how many of those highly attractive and interesting 498 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE plant species even a small rockery can hold. This oc- casionally misleads owners into acquiring the possibly largest collections with the result .of making a botanic garden out of a rockery. Botany, however, is a science, and gardening in its purely decorative potentialities is an art — two entirely different things with no connecting link existing. Watch the phenomenon of the awakening of the vege- tation within the regions adjacent to the eternal ice of the glacier. The powerful sun-ravs of June finallv suc- Rock (iordcn of Gustmu- Hcckslicr. Strafford, Pa. ceed ill removing the last vestiges of a thick and heavy mantle of snow. At once the emerging verdure of herb growth, densely covering the ground, ap- pears sprinkled over with color. Within the course of a few- days myriads of little blossoms open, forming solid sheets of Iirilliant hues in great variation. It is this incomparable spectacle of radiant color-gayety which prompts us to make color our medium of expression in rock garden planting. As most of the strictly alpine plant species, chiefly for clirnatical reasons, proved unavailable for the American rock garden, we have learned from the very start to rely on our native vegeta- tion. The great mountainous districts of the northern part of our hemisphere are (iislinguished by a flora unusually rich in beautiful trees, shrubs and herbaceous ])lant life easily domesticated and resista- ble to withstand hot waves during Sum- mer and the frigid periods of even our northern Winters. With leading nur- series now carrying assortments of the liest rock garden habitants on their stock lists, and garden magazines pub- lishing articles on the rudimentary side, the imj^etus of countryside connoisseurs in their desire for the enjoyment of the beauty, invested in this subject, occasionally impels to exertions of personal ingenuity. Results differ, but on the whole, there is good reason for encouraging such at- tempts. I know of instances demonstrating surprising deftness in coping with intricate problems of the construc- tional part and. in regard to planting, 1 have seen ar- rangements composed by students and lovers of Nature representing wonderful feats of cleverness. For producing impressive floral color effects we need an open sunny exposure. All plantings should be done in early Spring or early Autumn. The illustration of the rockery of Mrs. Andrew Adie, Chestnut Hill, Mass., de- picting a general aspect of work immediately after plant- ing, evinces the necessity of the vegetation first forming a unit with the rock-setting before we may arrive at the illusion of natural reality. This, however, the creeping growth of most of the hardy herbaceous material very quickly estab- lishes, and moreover, we are going to be regaled by a fair display of blossoming and floral color notes during the first year. The enjoyment of a full color tonality in rock gardens begins with the second season. Being in its essential part vernal, the preludiary accords are noticeable as early as in March, increasing steadily in number and volume until reaching the great festive climax during May. South of New York, beginning the second week in June; throughout the New England States perceptible as late as the end of June, the diminuendo sets in, going down to the level of an amiable mid- Summer and Fall modesty in floral array. This confrontation with an unusually bountiful beauty in blossoms and hues immediately after a weary Winter's end- ing, when our mind and vision are most appreciative and susceptible, exerts its Entrance to Author's Rock Garden, Glenside, Pa. charm. \\ e gladly accept it as a greeting from distant hillsides. We interpret its meaning as being a message out of the clarity and the invigorating atmos- phere of high altitudes, where, in giving cheer to ap- parent desolation of avalanche and wind-swept mountain recesses. Mother Nature, kindly disposed, proves lavishly liberal in ajiplying the brightest tints from her color palette. \'oid of every-day conventionality, the vernal glory for March, 1921 499 of the rock garden, touches the sunny l_\rical cord in human emotion. Its most enchanting features are the evanescent character of floral color effects and the sensa- tion of a lasting and happy security in its structural en- durance, as well as in the hardiness and longevity of its vegetation. Purport and aims of our work at heart, we soon realize, that for its artistic concentration of thought and the faculty (if |itriHi\ in„' heauty almost intuitively is the Rock Garden of Mrs. AndrcZi' Adit', Clwstnul Hill. Mass., iiiuncdialely after j^laiitiiig. paramount issue. As for advanced ama- teurs, the fact that even the designing and building of a small sockery is apt to tax personal ingenuity in a most de- lightful way, no doubt, will be one of the alluring incentives for self-activity. En- thusiasm and the communicative joy of work accomplished with love, especially in all those instances where results, by virtue of artistic merit, compel general admiration will make a rockery the pride of a home. In establishing and further developing artistic conceptions, we are profoundly sure the educative tendency and friendly rivalry between the mem- bers of our leading garden clubs is going to prove instrumental. A rockgarden, however, can hardly be construed as be- ing a means for displaying mere splendor. As a conspicuous outdoor feature of a home, it is an indication of refinement preferring the simny, healthy side of life. No matter how small and unpretentious or how extensive and elaborately de- signed, the American rockgarden, as we have it in mind, should reveal our intention to enjoy beauty conceived direct out of our own primitive Nature — the rejuvenating well of .^rt. Looking at the rock- garden from this viewpoint. I believe we have good reason to welcome its recent advent and rejoice over its growing popularity. HAS PERFECTION BEEN REACHED IN ROSES /^NE of the most interesting and instructive themes for discussion at a meeting of the Rose Society would be the question — Has not the acme of perfection of beauty been reached in the present best varieties of roses or is further improvement possible? Certainly it would seem undesirable to increase the size of blooms. If roses could be grown as large as the largest peonies, (except for exhibition rivalry), they would not be preferred liy those of refined taste. The dahlias, asters and chrysanthemums of monstrous size to be seen at flower shows cannot compare in artistic beauty and grace, with those of the natural and medium sizes. The same applies to chr}san- thenuuns, dahlias and asters, the first mentioned, when grown naturally or in sprays are by far the most graceful and desirable for their decorative quality. The points of improvement yet de- sired are hardiness for out-door culture, delicate fragrance and beauty of foliage and increase in the range of color and shadings, to be made possible perhaps through some scientific discovery yet to be. For instance a black rose with either golden, white or pink stamens, or roses of the beautiful russet and brown shad- ings would be most artistic and charm- ing, but iit form it would seem that per- fection has now been attained in some of the present new varieties. l'hiladell>)iui Roekery i^-illi display of Cerastiiiin in Sttininer). If you hit the mark you must aim a little above it; every arrow tliat flies feels the attraction of earth. — Longfelloi^'. The keeping quality of some roses when cut might be improved, and if without thorns will be a still greater desideratum. Improved varieties of miniature roses would also be popular, as note the late growing demand for the button, small pompom and semi-double varieties of hardy chrysanthemums that are now so popular. The same question arises, is it possible to increase the beauty of the present new and be.st varieties of the peony. Iris, dahlia and asters? {Co)ifinui'd on page 507) 500 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE gimiiniHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ I Work for the Month in the Garden | I SAMUEL GOLDING | ^iiinMniniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniil DURING the last few years much has been done to arouse enthusiasm for home gardens among ama- teurs. The War Garden movement did much to accomplish this desirable end, as it aroused popular in- terest in the growing of vegetables and flowers among people who were formerly content to buy their products. They discovered that it pays to produce fresh vegetables for the table, and flowers to embellish the home, with the added attraction of more beautiful home surroundings. Many of the keenest amateurs of today commenced home gardens from a sense of duty, and now retain them for the pleasure and profit which they derive. Their gardens prove that the lesson of intensive culture has been thoroughly grasped. Some have turned their attention to flowers, specializing in one or more varieties, and their roses or dahlias show that they have become real experts in their knowledge of and cultural efficiency in their par- ticular subject. This is one of the most encouraging signs of the future of horticulture. With the advent of Spring, the attention of all growers is once more focused upon the garden. Vegetables of high quality will be the aim of all, which can only be at- tained by a thorough .system of cultivation, that is, by deep digging or plowing, and the constant use of the cultivator during the growing season with the judicious use of fertilizer. As soon as the frost is out of the ground and conditions will permit, lose no time in manuring and digging, or plowing, where it was not done in the Fall. Deep digging" is a most valuable asset to future operations. If the ma- nure is of a strawy nature, it must be placed, as deep as possible, so that it will not become exposed when prepar- mg for sowing or planting crops. Light, sandy soils are the best for early crops, as they do not retain the moisture in the same degree as heavy soils, and in gardens of this description, early crops of peas, and spinach can be sown as soon as the ground is fit, that is, when it is in a friable condition, and can be easily worked. For the first crop of peas it is advisable to plant the round seeded varieties because they withstand any pos- sible wet spells better than the wrinkled or marrowfat, which though superior in quality, are not quite so hardy, and the seed is prone to rot should April prove wet and cold. Where space is limited it is a good plan to sow the peas in rows wide enough to admit the sowing of spinach between. This crop will be over just before the peas are ready to be picked. Plant onion sets. Sow onion seeds and ])arsnip, and any other hardy vegetables towards the end of the month. Prepare the asparagus bed by forking in well-rotted ma- nure, or a good dressing of bone meal, which should be done with care to avoid breaking many surface roots. Cover strawy manure over rhubarb crowns. Close attention should be paid to vegetables growing in the pits and frames regarding ventilation and cultiva- tion between the rows, thinning out plants that are too thick. Endeavor to conserve the sun heat by closing as soon as possible in the afternoons, and also try to main- tain perfect successions. Manv of the seedlinirs sown last month will require transplanting, and should he pricked ofif as soon as they can be handled. ,\fter they have been transplanted, they should be kept close and shaded from bright sunshine for a few days, until root action has commenced. Then gradually harden off as they become well established. Sow more cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, also a full line of tomatoes, egg plant, peppers, celery and lettuce for planting out later on. Allow no time to be lost in getting any arrears of prun- ing done on bush fruits, cutting back red currant and gooseberry bushes to a few eyes near the fruiting wood. Remove old wood from black currant bushes. Raspber- ries that have been covered will need attention. Tie up in position after removing the litter and \> eak canes, cut- ling back and thinning as desired. Give them a mulch of manure. Remove the covering from strawberry beds, although it is wise to leave a mulch for some protection for a time around the crowns. Annuals that are needed for bedding and for cut flowers should be sown this month, but the sowing of some va- rieties must be influenced by whatever time the flowers are needed. If wanted in September or during the Fall it is better to defer their sowing until the end of April or early in May, when they should be sown outside. This refers to such subjects as asters, zinnias, nemesias, mari- golds, etc. Cclosia plumosa in its various colors have become de- servedly popular as a bedding plant, its lasting value and bright plumes are a real asset to the garden. Another plant that is worth attention is the Hunne- mannia fumariccf oVia, which when associated with S.ahia patens, makes a pleasing combination in the garden or border. Brozi.'alUa spcciosa can be recommended for its free and continuous blooming. It must be sown early. Early flowering or border chrysanthemums deserve more attention than is usually aiiforded them. The merits of these plants are gaining more recognition each year, for they are almost indispensable during the month of ( V-tober, as cut flowers ; and do much to make the her- baceous border attractive at a season when the majority of flowering plants has ceased to bloom. Although hardv in some locations, it is a wise precaution to lift the clumps and winter in the cold frame. Vv'here this has already been practised they will soon require some care. These flowers can be prop.igated by cuttings and dividing the clumps. Remove the covering from roses as soon as the climatic conditions permit. The climbing and rambler varieties should be pruned and tied into position, though they need but little pruning in the Spring, other than cutting out any dead and weak or useless wood, providing, of course, that the old flowering wood was cut out after last year's blooming. It should be done at that time, as it encourages vigorous growth, and is conducive to a w?ll ripened con- dition which will help to enable them to withstand the rigors of Winter. Where rhododendrons, box, etc.. have been protected by cornstalks or .straw, the protection can be taken a\vay before the month is over. Now is a good time to carry out work in the shrubbery where shrubs have become overgrown. The shrubs can be thinned and cut into shape, but the regular pruning season of flowering shrubs depends entirely on the char- acter and habits of the individual plant. Spring bloom- ( Coiitinncil on page 512) for March, 1921 501 Some New Shrubs for Northern Gardens THE plants in this list are hardy in southern New- England and the Middle States. The two Rhodo- dendrons, however, cannot be grown in soil im- pregnated with lime. Several of these plants cannot, un- fortunately, be found in American nurseries ; they are, however, easily propagated and a demand for them will in time produce a supply. The list contains the names of eighteen of "the best" new shrubs; it might easily be increased to a hundred for there is a large number of new or little known shrubs now growing in the Arboretum which American garden-makers unfortunately neglect. The plants selected today are: Hamamclis )nollis, Prinscpia sinensis, CoryJopsis Go- toaim, Amclanchicr grandiflora, forsytliia intenncdia spectabilis, Cotoncastcr hupchcnsis, C. raccrniftora soon- gorica, C. nitens, C. multiflora calncarpa, Rosa Hugonis, Ncillia sinensis, Rhododendron Schlippenbachii, R. japon- iciim, Berberis Vernec, Syringa Sweginsoivii, Spircea Veitchii, Philadelpluis purpurcscens, and Euonymus planipcs. Like the other \\'itch Hazels of eastern Asia, Ham- amelis mollis blooms in the \A'inter and the flowers are not injured by the severe cold to which they are subjected in the Arboretum. This plant has handsome foliage and larger and more brightly colored flowers than the other Witch Hazels, and is invaluable for the decoration of Winter gardens. Prinsepia sinensis is considered here the best shrub the Arboretum has obtained from Manchuria. It is valuable for its perfect hardiness, the fact that its dark green leaves unfold before those of any other shrub in the Arboretum, with the exception of those of a few Willows, and for its innumerable clear yellow flowers which open before the leaves are fully grown. The stems of this shrub are armed with stout spines and it should make a good hedge plant. Corylopsis. which is an Asiatic genus related to the Witch Hazels, has handsome yellow, early Spring flowers in drooping clusters which appear before the leaves. There are several Japanese and Chi- nese sj>ecies in the Arboretum but only the Japanese C. Gotoana has been uninjured here by the cold of recent years, and it is the only species which can be depended on to flower every year in a Massachusetts garden. The Forsytliia of the list is still the handsomest of varieties of F. intermedia which is the general name of the hybrids between /•". siispensa Fortunei and F. z'i7-idis. This va- riety was raised in a ("lernian nursery and is the hand- somest of all the Forsythias now known in gardens. Amelanchier grandiflora is believed to be a hybrid be- tween the two arborescent species of the eastern United States, A. canadensis and A. Icevis, and is by far the handsomest of the Amelanchiers in the large .\rboretum collection of these plants. It came here from Europe but what is believed to be the same hybrid has been found in several places in the eastern states. The four Coton- easters in the list are perhaps the handsomest of the twenty odd species introduced by Wilson from western China. They are all large shrubs of graceful habit, and have white flowers and red fruits with the exception of G. nitens which h?.s red flowers and black fruit. In recent years the Arboretum has made few more im- portant introductions for .American gardens than the Chinese Cotoneasters. Although no longer a "new plant" Rosa Hugonis is included in this list hecatise it is not only the handsomest of the Roses discovered in China dur- ing the last quarter of a century, but in the judgment of many persons it is the most beautiful of all Roses with single flowers. I'ortnnatelv for .-Vmerican garden-makers the value of this Rose is appreciated by a few American nurserymen from whom it can now- be obtained. The in- troduction of Neillia sinensis made it possible to add to ihe Arboretum collection a representative of a genus of the Rose F'amily which had not before been cultivated in the Arboretum. There are now other species of Neillia grown here but some of them are not entirely hardy, and others have no particular value as garden plants. Neillia sinetisis, how-ever, has never been injured by cold, and with its drooping clusters of pink flowers is a handsome plant w-ell worth a place in any garden. Rhododendron {Aza- lea) Schlippenbachii is one of the most important intro- ductions of recent years. A native of northern Korea, it grows further north and in a colder country than any other Azalea, with the exception of the Rhodora, and there can be little doubt that it can be grown successfully in the open ground much further north in the eastern United States than any of the other Asiatic Azaleas. It may be expected, too, to prove hardy further north than the American species with the exception of Rhodora. The large pale pink flowers of this Azalea, although less showy than those of a few of the other species, are more delicately beautiful than those of any of the Azaleas which have proved hardy in the Arboretum. There are a few plants of this Azalea large enough to flower in the United States, and many seedlings have been raised here and in Europe during the last two years. Until these are large enough to flower it will probably remain extremely rare. Rhododendron (Azalea) japonieum cannot be called a new plant for it has been grow-ing in the Arboretum since 1893, but it is such a valuable plant and is still so little known or understood that it can perhaps properly find a place in a list like this. The large, orange or flame-col- ored flowers make it when in bloom one of the showiest of all hardy Azaleas. Berberis Verncc has been men- tioned in a recent number of these Bulletins ; and it is only necessary to repeat what has already been said about it, that it is a hardy plant of exceptionally graceful habit among Barberries, w-ith arching and drooping branches from which hang innumerable slender clusters of small yellow flowers followed by small red fruits. Berberis Vernce has proved the handsomest of the large number of Barberries w-ith deciduous leaves found by Wilson in western China. Among the numerous species of Lilacs introduced into gardens from China during re- cent years Syringa Szccginzozini is considered the most beautiful by many persons. It is a tall shrub with slen- der erect stems which produce every year great quantities of pale rose-colored, fragrant flowers in long rather nar- row clusters. It has the merit of being almost the last of the Lilacs in the Arboretum collection to bloom. Spircea I'eitchii has the merit, too, of being the last of the white- flowered Spiraeas to flower. It is a shrub already 6 or 8 feet tall in the Arboretum, with numerous slender stems and gracefully arching branches which about the first of July are covered from end to end with broad flower-clus- ters raised on slender erect stems. This Spiraea is one of the best of the hardy shrubs discovered by Wilson in western China, and by many persons it is considered the handsomest of the genus as it is now represented in the Arboretum. Euonymus planipcs is a native of northern Japan and a large shrub with large dark green leaves and the inconspicuous flowers of the genus ; and it is only on account of the beauty of its fruit that this plant is in- cluded in this list, for the fruit which hangs gracefully on long slender stems is large, crimson, very histrous and more showy than that of any of the other Burning Bushes in the Arboretum. — Arnold Arboretum Bulletin. 502 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE Plant Partnerships WILLARD N. CLUTE THE ordinary green plant is an independent individ- ual ; given only light, warmth, air and a small amount of water, it is able to make for itself all the long list of starches, sugars, proteins, alkaloids, acids, gums, tannins and other products of the vegetable king- dom. A considerable number of plants, however, have abandoned such an existence in favor of partnerships — sometimes with other plants, sometimes with insects and sometimes with other animals — apparently for the express ptirpose of advancing the interests of each. To such an association the term of symbiosis is given. There are a great many one-sided associations of plants in Nature in which one s]3ecies thrives at the ex- pense of the other, as in the case of the mistletoe, the dodder and other parasites, and their hosts. Some stu- dents would class these also as examples of symbiosi, calling it an antagonistic symbiosis, but this seems stretch- ing the definition a trifle. In still other cases two species may be almost constantly associated, and yet neither de- rive any special benefit from the jiresence of the other, their OcciU'rence together being explained by the fact that they obtain their food in essentially the same places. The mosses that grow on trees are good instances. Such as- sociations, especially among animals, are sometimes known as commcnsalisni. The most remarkable instances of symbiosis to be found in Nature are the organisms known as lichens. In these the association is so intimate that what is essentially a new type of plant is produced. Up to comparatively recent times lichens were thought to be distinct species; now they are known to consist of a fungus and an alga in partnership. The lichens themselves are familiar to all as the grayish-green, scaly or tufted growths on the trunks of trees, old fences, stone walls and in other places where the soil is too thin to support other forms of vege- tation. In the places where lichens grow there is usually mois- ture only for short periods. Certain kinds of alg;e can live in such places, but they must remain dormant when the water supply runs short. By combining with a fungus, however,'the latter can absorb and hold the water for a considerable time, and thus the algae can continue to vegetate. In return for this storage of water, by the fungus, the alga? provided it with food. In this way both partners can thrive in a locality where either would find it difficult to exist alone. It is not at all likely that this partnership is voluntary on the part of the alga;. It has been shown that these plants are held in a sort of bondage by the fungus, and when removed from the lichen and cultivated by them- selves, are able to grow vigorously. The fungus, treated in this manner, must, of course, die for want of food. It must be said, however, that the algx in the lichen seem in no wav harmed by the partnership and carry on exist- ence much as they do when free, possibly finding the pro- tection of the fungus of some advantage. The idea that the alg.T are in a sort of captivity arises from the fact that new lichens can be made artificially by bringing ger- minating fungus spores into contact with free algje cells. The fungus threads soon surround the algae. An iriteresting illustration of the water absorbing powers of the lichen is seen in the reindeer-moss, a com- mon form in sand barrens and other sterile soils. On a sunny day the lichen is so brittle that it crumbles almost at a touch, but as evening approaches it gathers moisture from the air and becomes as soft and flexible as velvet. It thus forms a very dependable natural hygrometer, by which one can judge of the amount of moisture in the air. For some time after the sun has risen the lichen continues moist and flottrishing, and the algae, of course, are able to continue food making. The association of the legumes or pod-bearing plants with the smallest of living things, the bacteria, is regarded as another form of symbiosis. In this the bacteria form nodules on the roots of the host plant in which they fix atmospheric nitrogen in a form that the legume can use, receiving in return carbohydrates manufactured bv their host. In this way the legumes, like the algae and fungi in the lichen, can live in places from which they would otherwise be barred. They are thus frequent in sandy and sterile soils. Having their own sources of nitrogen, they are not as dependent upon rich soils as other plants are. This explains the fact that beans may be readily grown on poor land. Lo ig before the Christian Era. it was known that legu- minous plants, plowed under, in some way enriched the soil, but it was not until late in the last century that botanists discovered the reason for it. It is likely that through associations of this kind in past ages most of the nitrogen in the soil has been accumulated. This ele- ment does not weather out of the rocks 9S other soil in- gredients do. There is supposed to be only one species of bacteria that forms partnerships with legmnes, but 'from the fact that the bacteria found on the roots of one species often will not grow on the roots of another, it is inferred that there are numerous races of the bacterium whose scientific name is Pseud omonas radicicola. Some of these races will grow on more than one species, and others by special cultivation may be made to do so. The bacteria of sweet clover will grow on alfalfa, and that on the partridge-pea will grow on cow-peas. The special race of bacteria for each crop is transported from ])lace to place, clinging to the seeds of the legumes, but if the soil in which legumes are planted should b.appen to lack bacteria the field may be inoculated with soil from a field in which a similar crop has grown recently. Another and less well-known form of symbiosis is that in which, the thready plant-body or mycelium of a fungus is associated with the roots of woody ])lants. This pene- trates the cortex of the root at some distance behind the growing tip. and spreading out into the surrounding soil, secures nitrogenous food for the olant, acting in this way much like root hairs. Such fungi are called mycorrhizas. Thev are ^■erv connuon in bog plants, especially among the cranberries, azaleas, huckleberries and other members of the heath family, but they are al$o known in oaks, beeches, birches and many others. It has been suggested that possibly a majority of our trees will be found to have mycorrhizas when carefully studied. In the light of what has just been said, it is easy to understand why certain species are difficult to transplant. In digging them up we often destroy the fungal symbiont, or leave it be- hind when we carry away the plant. The fungi that form these partnerships with the roots of trees are not very well known, though the mycelia of the geasters, or earth stars, .some of the shelf fungi, and various species of mushrooms have been identified in such combinations. Some of the ferns are also known to harbor mycorrhizas. For March, 1921 503 If we maintain our definition of symbiosis to be a partnership in which each derives some advantage from the arrangement, then the association of plants and in- sects, whereby the plant secures cross-pollination by pro- viding the insects with nectar and pollen, must be set down as another case of symbiosis. Associations of this are often extremely close in some cases. In the yucca the pollinating insect actually collects pollen, and packs it down in the pollen chamber at the top of the pistil be- fore laying her eggs in the young seed pod. Apparently the yucca flowers can not be pollinated by any other in- sect, and the insect cannot get along without young yucca seeds for its larvse. The bees are remarkably adapted to their work of serving the flowers, having capacious pockets on their hind legs for carrying pollen and a crop for transporting the nectar. Though working entirely for themselves, they, nevertheless, benefit the plant. A large number of bees seem adjusted to single kinds of flowers, and are found on the wing only during the blooming season of their favorite blossoms. Orchids are often adjusted to the visits of a single species of insect, and when for any reason this particular insect is absent they set no seeds. Instances of ant and plant partnerships are conmion in our gardens. The peony is frequented during the bloom- mg season by large black ants intent on getting the nectar so abundantly produced by the sepals. Since these ants are notoriously pugnacious it is possible that they may protect the plants from other insects. The little partridge- pea has tiny saucers on its petioles into which oozes nec- tar from a small opening in the center that is equally pleasing to ants. Some tropical species of legumes have hollow thorns inhabited by multitudes of stinging ants which swarm out to repel the invader whenever the plant IS disturbed. It was once believed that the plants main- tained the ants as a body-guard, producing little edible bodies on the leaves for their use, but a well-known nat- uralist has given it as his opinion that the ants are no more necessary to the plants than fleas are to a dog. Sotue of the tropical ferns also keep ants, or at least the ants inhabit chambers in their rootstocks, and, in a meas- ure, guard the plant. Species which harbor ants in this way are called myrmecophilous plants. A familiar form of symbiosis is fotmd in such plants as produce edible fruits. These fruits are designed to be carried away by birds and other animals, and thus the seeds are distributed. Both the plant and the animal, of course, derive benefit from the transaction. But at this point we begin to depart from instances of true symbiosis and arrive at a stage where the association is not close enough to be dignified by the name. Many such will doubtless come to mind. Even man has found symbiosis useful at times ; for instance, taking the horse to work for his board, and providing the cow with daily food and shelter in return for certain constant supplies of milk and butter. March Birds PAUL B. RIIS The note of the first bluebird in tlie air answers to the purling rill of the melted snow beneath. It is evidently soft and soothing and as surely as the thermometer indicates a higher temperature. It is the accent of the south wind, its vernacular. — Thorcau. THE bluebird's note of pure gladness, that messenger of Springtime, is carried to us on a balmy air. How its sweet warble challenges the lingering northwind, robbing it of its paralyzing sting I King Boreas is grudgingly giving ground to the gentle awakening of life's dormant impulses ; the balm of flooding sunlight reaching deep into the shadowy depths of the forests. Again we may live through Natttre's childhood and take new delight in its simple gifts growing richer from day to day. The bluebird, "shifting its light load of song from post to post along the cheerless fence," greets our arrival at the selfsaiue spring-brook, which daringly tempted our mettle in January. The snow is lying in patches where the protecting shadows of woodland and forest fall densest. How barren and hopeless it seemed two months ago. But what a subtle change has taken place. The boisterous brook, unrestrained by the icy hand of Boreas, is violently tumbling down its winding course. The king- fisher, our old acquaintance, greets us with a vigorous challenge of assurance, while a number of robins are enjoying an early bath in the crystal waters with all the abandon of Springtime. A little later we meet them again in a friendly sumach thicket in company with the bluebird partaking of a frugal meal, deftly plucking the seeds from the velvety depth of sumach bobs. There too in silent approbation, now at rest, now flitting from limb to limb, we meet our avian friend Chesterfield, the cedar waxwing, gathering the spare seeds of the hack- berry. They are immaculately clad in gray and olive and their red insignia completes the harmonious touch of correctness. Politeness forbids to take note of the intruder and their pantomine suft'ers little from our at- tention. Like the streams in Springtime, the stream of migra- tion is gathering volume. Leisurely we observe a rough- legged hawk patrolling the valley in spiral flight un- hurried and confident, while the not tmiutisical note of the bronzed grackle breaks the silence. The clear liquid notes of the meadowlark from a distance proudly pro- claim, "Spring of the Year, Spring of the Year." In assurance we observe the massive trunks of the elms, fed by perpetual fountains of springs. Rising like the pillars of Hercules, their fibres are again surging with the stream of life ; the swelling buds glistening in the brilliant sunshine. The blue jay, noisily protesting our advance is join- ing in the flock and presently we listen to its artful plead- ing attempts to beguile a mate. The flocks of tree spar- rows have grown abundant, "their erstwhile tinkling notes, like sparkling frost crystals,'' now transformed into a sweet canary-like warble. Slate colored juncoes are flitting across our path, their twittering" trill mingled with the phe-be call of the chickadee. And yet, in the abundance of early Springtime we hear strains of surpassing beauty, a well modulated, carefree warble, the song of the purple finch. The rich outpouring of a yearning heart, incomparable and match- less finds little rivalry among the songsters at anv tiiue. .And later in the month, how one's heart bleeds for these early arrivals, misled with the homing instinct strong within. March in its proverbial madness is but fitfully generous. The golden days of sunshine have yielded to sleet and snow. Again the hills are windswept and the meadows, valleys and woodlands become strangely silenl. The carol of the robin, the endearing warble of (Continued on page 512) 504 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE The Dahlia— the Flower of Myriad Forms and Shades EDWARD C. VICK IT is safe to say that no other plant suited to so many different soils and locations, so easy for the ama- teur and professional gardener to grow, and to be obtained at so small a cost, equals the [dahlia on these n Field .^farshal. Hybrid Ciictn.'!. a shii-udid f^riiiiro.u- ycllorv. a European production. Henry A. Dreer. points. .\nd seemingly there is no end. New forms are constantly appearing and there are so many now that there is no record, no knowing, how many different varieties there are. There is one grower who has over fifteen hundred va- rieties, and not far from him is another having more than one thousand. Neither has two hundred varieties alike, and in these two gardens are possibly two thousand dif- ferent varieties, in addition, there are numerous other hyljridizers in New England, New York, New Jersey, In- diana. Colorado. California, Oregon and other states con- stantly bringing out new varieties, to say nothing of the older producers in Great Britain, Holland, France and Germany. The impression is erroneous that the many double-flow- ered Dahlias are forms created by modern horticulturists from the single-flowered type, Dahlia variabilis. W. E. Jean Kerr, Decorative, an early and sure bloomer, short fetaled type, pure white. W. Atlee Burpee Company. Safford. iJureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, who has devoted considerable time to the study of the Dahlia, is authority for the statement that in ihe earlier illustrations of plants belonging to this genus, made more than three and a half centuries ago, only double-flowered forms are represented. Cavanilles, in his work on the plants discovered by the Spanish navi- gators, based the genus on Dahlia pinnafa, a plant with double heads and identical in form with certain Peony- flowered Dahlias of modern catalogs. Francisco Hernandez, the protoniedico of Philip II, sent by his sovereign in 1570 to New Spain to study its re- Scorpion, Incurved Cactus, the narron' pclals gracefully interlaced, flowers of medium size, clear yellow. J. K. Alexander. Misnoii Dahlias grow about eighteen inches high, of compact habit, producing a mass of brilliant colored dozvers. CItarles H. Tatty Company. For March, 1921 505 sources, figured three Dahlias under the Aztec names, Acocotli, Cocoxochitl and Acocoxochitl, all of which are derived from Cucotli, signifying a hollow-stemmed plant. Two of the figures of Hernandez represent types now called duplex, and a third represents flowers of what are now called the Peony-flowered type. The author states that many more forms occur in Mexico, differing in size and color and in the shape of the flower. At a later date, in Europe, the Dahlia was called "Georgiana," after Professor George, of St. Petersburg, which name is still used in some of the foreign catalogs. This name was later changed to Dahlia, after Mr. Andrew Dahl, a Swedish botanist, and pupil of Linnaeus. Dahlia Juarezi, the first of the cactus form was dis- covered in 1872-. Dahlia Tubers were used as food in Mexico and were first sent to Europe, with the idea that the tubers, under Ada Finch, a new type. Narcissus flowered, outer rows of petals pure white with pale yellow center. Charles H. Tolty Company. cultivation, would be useful as food, but as neither man nor cattle relished them, horticulturists turned their at- tention to the flowers. Recently it has been discovered that Dahlia tubers contain a sugar valuable in medi- cine, and attention is now being given to growing the plant for this purpose. .\ tree form of the Dahlia has been found whose top, like the stem of a tree, does not die down. What this type will develop in the interest of floriculture, remains to be seen. Dahlia.-; can 1)e successfully grown wherever potatoes grow and they are (|uite as easy to cultivate. .Always give the Dahlia an open, sunny situation. They are particu- larly adapted for use along the sea or lake shores on ac- count of the heavy dews. As to the soil, they are not par- ticular, sand, gravel, heavy or li.ght loam being suitalile. Heavy soils tend to produce i)lants with an ;ibundance of foliage and few or inferior blossoms. Where the soil is heavy, with a clay sub-soil, lighten it with sand or coal ashes. In a Xew Jersey garden, where the soil was heavy clay, I spread coal ashes, a foot deep, over the entire surface. In turning the soil over, a garden fork was used, mixing the ashes with the soil. This was heavilv fertilized with ^^'^.. y^m~~J'''-> Kuth Van Fleet, Hybrid Cactus, canary yelloiv flowers, si.r to eight inches in diameter. George L. Stillman. stable manure once. After the first year, rotted leaves were applied heavily every Spring, and lime spread, and the soil was excellent, not only for Dahlias but also for other flowering plants and vegetables. ^Manure from the horse or cow stable, spread broadcast, makes good fertilizer, and chicken manure is also good ; also, any commercial fertilizer rich in nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid. Emily D. Remvick, Decoratiir, rose luith a golden sheen at base of petals. Mrs. Charles H. Stout. 506 GARDENERS' CHRONICLE - The soil should be plowed or spaded to a depth of eight to ten inches, and twelve to fourteen inches is better. Make the drill to receive the tubers six inches deep. Plant tubers or set out plants any time in the Spring, when the soil has become warm, and the flowers will ap- pear in six to eight weeks. The late flowers are best, ap- pearing when the nights are cool. Never plant whole or undivided clumps, but single tubers, being sure that there is an eve or bud on each tuber. Lay the tubers flat or horizontally in the drill, with the bud or eye pointing up. If stakes are to be used, set the stake when planting, so the tuber will not be damaged forcing the stake down on it. After placing the tuber, cover it with four inches of soil, and if no other fertilizer has been used, spread from a pint to a quart of pulverized sheep manure over this, and then fill up the drill even with the surface. Never allow the fertilizer to touch the tubers. If the garden has been fertilized before planting, use no more fertilizer. Too much fertilizer will make rank-grow- ing plants, with few and inferior flowers. The staking system is the most popular with amateurs. The plants are set from two to four feet apart and only one stem or main stalk permitted to grow from the root. Tie the plants to the stakes as soon as they are two feet high so the stems will have room to expand as they grow. This prevents them from being blown or knocked over and broken. The branching system is used for field culture. The rows are usually placed about three feet apart and the plants two feet apart in the rows. When the plants have two sets of leaves, pinch out or cut off the whole top. A branch will then start at each leaf. Only pinch out the tops once, as the pinching delays flowering two weeks. The result is four flower stalks instead of one. The plant then will have a short, strong, single stalk, with four branches of flowering .stalks. The massing system consists of planting the tubers from ten inches to two feet apart. Some varieties produce a large number of liuds, more sometimes than the plant is able to develop into good- sized flowers. A proportion of the buds should be re- moved as soon as they appear, and those remaining will make longer, finer flowers. The more the flowers are cut, the more flowers the plants will produce. Keep the soil well cultivated and free from weeds. When the plants begin to flower, cultivation must be dis- continued, as then new roots are forming which are likely to be cut, weakening the plants. Dahlias are rank growers, composed mostly of water. When the hot Summer days arrive, do not let the plants suffer for water. Without ample moisture in the soil, the plants are unable to produce their mass of flowers. When the flowers begin to appear is the time to apply a little additional fertilizer. Some varieties require acclimating, and if they do not do well the first year, give them a second season's trial in the garden. Seeds of Dahlias started in the house in JNIarch or April will produce flowering plants the same year. _ Most of the flowers will be single and inferior to varieties now in commerce, but it is interesting work. The seeds of the best varieties are likely to produce the best results. The classes are : ' Single Dahlias, open centered, eight to twelve petals; Show or Ball shaped, the old ball shaped, full to the centre; Fancy Dahlias, Show Dahlias, with fancy stripes or spots: Hybrid Show, flowers fully double, loosely constructed (this class borders on the decorative); Pompom. Show Dahlias under two inches in diameter. Peony-flowered, semi-double flowers, having two. three or more rows of broad, flat, loosely arranged petals, surround- ing an open centre. The inner petals arc usually curled or twisted, the outer more or less irregular. Decorative, double flowers, full to the centre, flat and some- what loosely arranged petals. The centres show sometimes in the last flowers of the season. Cactus, flowers fully double, long, narrow, curved in or twisted petals, with sharp or fluted points and with margins rolled backward or outward, forming in tlie outer florets a more or less perfect tube for more than half the length of the petal. Hybrid Cactus, flowers fully double, petals short as compared with the former type, broad, flat, curved in or twisted. The tubes or outer petals less than half the length of the petal. Duplex, semi-double flowers, which have petals more than twelve in more than one circle. Collarette of the single type, with a circle of smaller, nar- rower rays, usually of a different color, in front of the longer rays, forming a collar between them and the open centre. Anemone, one row of longer petals, like single Dahlias, sur- rounding a rosette of compact petals in the- centre. DAHLIAS IN THE FLOWER GARDEN Mrs. Charles H. Stout T^HE^ Dahlia is one of the few plants which will adapt itscit to any and every kind of garden. A few in the back yard, or several in the large garden, or masses growing along the edge of a grea't lawn, all give satisfaction in their environment, and are a mass of bloom for a longer period than nearly any other kind of flower. Aloreover. it is good for them to be picked, and the great- er number carried into the house means more buds to open outside. Unfortunately most people who have the modern dahlias grow them for cut flowers only, planting a heterogeneous collection in a corner of the vegetable patch or some other out of the way place. It is a pity, and I hope that more dahlias will be seen this year in flower gardens both large and small. The colors and forms of this most beautiful flower are so varied that there are types to please any taste, what- ever it mav be. Some people dislike red. There are thou- sands of dahlias in white, yellow, orange, pink, lavender, purple, and even black — or as near black as nature will allow. There are some who prefer red. There are reds from the giant brick red Douzon, the blood red Mina Burgle, the rose red Grampion, the cerise red Creation, to the scarlet Breeze Lwivn. There are people who love great massive types ; there are others who like the dainty "star'" types, the pom- poms, the collarettes or the little "Mignon." lately intro- duced. Then there are still others v/ho prefer the graceful peony or cactus dahlias. Among the ten thousand named varieties represented in the official check list of the Amer- ican Dahlia .Society, surely there are plenty to choose from. The dahlia is the poor man's orchid. True there are many novelties listed in the catalogues this Spring, for which the originators are asking fabulous prices ; but all dahlias are so cheaply .grown and increase so rapidly that it takes but a short time before the prices on these become iKirmal — if they survive at all. In planting dahlias in the garden let me make a few suggestions for color combinations. Try four plants of Madonna, and in front of these set three plants of Hortn- lanus Fiet. .\t the feet of the latter put six plants of the Nizriis or Albion. Madonna is sometimes classed decora- tive and sometimes hybrid cactus, but its graceful habit of growth is more like the peony dahlias. It is pure white, and, disbudded, gives large and dignified blooms. Hortu- lanus Fiet is stocky, a foot or two lower, and is always covered with a mass of creamy pink decorative flowers. \'i-rciis and .llhion are both mignon dahlias, growing eighteen inches high, bearing pure white single flowers. They should be planted about eighteen inches apart, and For March, 1921 507 they make a beautiful edging for almost anv border, Nkrus is more bushy than the other. Chrystal, a fine pink incurved cactus dahlia, may be planted in the place of Hortulanits Fict; or for another combination. Attraction, the finest lavender grown, with frilled petals somewhat resembling Madonna, though with much more rigid stems. For a planting of deeper tones try George Walters, a huge hybrid cactus of dull rose with a faint golden sheen, with Ccrcelia. a creamy >ellow peony, or the Diiclicss of BriuL'Ti^'ick, a splendid pink peony, though with not very good stems. Place CoH)itcss of Lonsdale, that wonderful old favorite rose colored cactus in front, and edge the bed with Sweet Alyssum or Dusty Miller. For those who Io\e the reds, there are Miiia Burgle, Kalif or I'alliaiit. which look best with a contrasting white, such as Mrs. Struck or Alaz'anche. Etna, a scar- let mignon, may edg'e this bed. The Autumn tones can be combined with Copper at the back, a tall peony whose name denotes the color, and King of the Autuinii, medium apricot decorative; and edged with two nn'gnons. 0//ir (orange), and Pcnibrook (yellow), alternately. Another wonderful combination is Pierrot, an orange and yellow variegated incurved cactus, with graceful pen- dulous heads, and Melody, a pale yellow and white dahlia of the same type. They are beautiful together in the gar- den, and in a tall vase in the house cannot lie surpassed. Countess of Lonsdale on the small dinner table, or Chrystal on the large, arranged with soft foliage, are both exquisite. Occasionally rough handling will whip the head from some large dahlia. Do not throw it away, but float it on a flat dish, black, if you have one, together with a few ferns, and see what a beautiful table decoration yoti have. The pom-pom, Grctclicn Heine, a dainty pink, makes a lovely centrepiece when placed in a clear glass bowl. Some of the buff and yellow pom-poms combine well with deep purple J'eronica. The single dahlias. Xncport Pink or Xewport JJ'hite. combine well with a bowl of lavender Buddleia. and a spray or two of Maiden Hair Rue. Do not fail to place two or three blooms of Deliee in a vase of purple helio- trope. It is worth growing the heliotrope for that alone. .St. Egwin Aster combines well with any of the pure pink dahlias, either used as a cut flower or as an edging to the bed of dahlias. If used in the garden, however, care should be exercised to keep it within bounds, as it is a rank grower, and will wage war on th'- dahlia roots if allowed too near. The few named varieties I have mentioned are all staml- ard sorts, and may be purchased for a dollar a tuber or less. There are hundreds of others, and I could make a thousand suggestions — ^but then, you see, I am riding a hobby. Won't you get on and ride with me? You will then grow dahlias and more dahlias — and still more dahlias: and vou will have the healthiest and happiest time of your life. ' Order some now and see if I am not right. HAS PERFECTION BEEN REACHED IN ROSES {Continued from page 4'^')) Increase of size of bloom will in my judgment detract rather than improve their beauty. Vigor of growth, freedom from disease and the length- ening of the blooming period of strictly hardy and climb- ing roses through continued selection and seeding, are improvements that may be hoped for. James R. Pitcher. THE DAHLIA— THE GREATEST OF ALL FLOWERS E. L. Kunzman A -MAJORITY of the public, if asked which is the ^^ greatest flower, will answer, the Rose, some may sa_\- the Lily, others the Sweet Pea, but few will name the Dahlia. Why is it so? I venture to say that it is because they do not know the Dahlia of today, and have in mind those of our forefathers, the ordinary ball type of unattractive coloring and comparatively no stem. In my years of ex- perience I have never known anyone who, on first seeing the modern Dahlia, did not exclaim with delight and pleas- ure— and the Dahlia deserves it. I contend that the Dahlia of today is the greatest of all flowers, by far, and only those unacquainted with it will dispute the statement. But if you should want posi- tive proof, grow them yourself. The Dahlia will do well in any situation ; almost any location, soil or climate, if given proper attention. This "attention"' means preparing the soil thoroughly by dig- ging or plowing it and fining or pulverizing it : planting rather late than early ( after corn planting time ) ; keeping the top soil, which must not be rich, nor too poor, loose by hoeing or otherwise. Use water only when exceedingly dry, soaking the soil every eight or ten days, and restirring top soil next day or so. .\n application of liqui i manure or phosphate fertilizer when flower buds appear, and at intervals of three weeks or so will guarantee fine bloom. Keep all old bloom ofif the ])lants (the more vou cut from the Dahlia, the better it blooms). What other flowers will do well in any kind of soil? None. Also, the Dahlia has the widest variation in size, color and shajie of any flower. We have the tiny Pompom, the old-fashioned Show or Ball typ^, the later Cactus; deco- rative ; 'Peony, flowered ; Collarette, Anemone and Cen- tury or Single types, some attaining huge proportions, many so beautiful it is impossible to do them justice in any description. Xo matter what flower we think of, there is some variety of Dahlia closely resembling- it in shape. What are the other points of superiority ? They are the most inexpensive ; for, when roots are once bought, we always have the stock, and an increasing quantity, if care is taken in \\'inter storage. An ordinarv cellar is the best. The Dahlias have a longer continuous blooming period than any flower. They produce far more bloom to the given area than any other. The more one knows of the Dahlia, the more alluring it is. Now, I wonder why, in view of the foregoing facts, the Dahlia is so little known ? Is it because its rise in great- ness has been so swift, or is it because we who do know it, let our love for it become so self-absorbed we do not think of advertising its beauties and virtues? Let us, who are acquainted with this fascinating flower, decide to give it at least a small portion of its due and proclaim its many good points wherever chance offers. If the modern Dahlia were as well known and adver- tised as the Rose, for instance, there would be no com- parison between it and others in popularity, and the lives of millions would be made happier thereby. Our helm is given up to a better guidance than our own; the course of events is quite too strong for any helmsman, and our little whern,' is taken in tow by the ship of the great Admiral which knows the way, and has the force to draw men and states and planets to their good. — Emerson. 508 GARDE^'ERS' CHRONICLE Bo2 and Water Gardens HERBERT DURAND IX the February Gardeners" Chronicle, under the title "Essentiais to Success with Wild Gardens," I gave four lists of native evergreens, shrubs, ferns and wild flow- ers. These were grouped according to habitat, and accom- panied by a brief description of the conditions of soil, moisture and exposure under which the plants of each group will ordinarily flourish. Group 1 was of plants growing naturally in moist shade; Group 2 of plants growing in moist sun; Group 3 of those flourishing in dry shade, and Group 4 those which prefer dry sun. In the present article Group 5. including aquatic and semi-aquatic plants, and Group 6, composed of general purpose plants from all groups, are described. Group 5 — Plants Groiving XaturaUy in Bog or Su'amp Soil — In a bog, properly speaking, the soil is a mixture of muck, twigs, decaying leaves, etc., snd there is no drainage : in a swamp of marsh there is usually free drainage. Thus the margin of a bog is generally a marsh or swamp which drains into the bog. These conditions may be imitated artificially, both as to soil and drainage, or 'lack of drainage, by constructing a water-tight tank in the midst of a marshy area. In a bog garden many very choice and interesting plants may be grown that will not thrive in any other location. This is also true as re- gards the swampv margin, or any marshy area. "^ Conifers— White Cedar {Thuya occidentalis) Broad-leaved Evergreens—Swzm^ Azalea {A. V is- cosa) ■ Rhodora (R. canadensis): Sheep Laurel (Kabnia an<'ustifolium) : Pale Laurel {Kalmia glaiica) ; Leather- leaf (Cassandra calxculafa) : Labrador Tea {Ledum groenlandicum) ; Wild Rosemary {Andromeda poli- folia). ,^ ,. - c • Deciduous Shrubs— The Willows (Salix var.) ; Spice Bush {Lindcra benzoin) : Black Alder {Ilex zerficdlata); Button Bush {Cephalanthus occidentalis); Sweet Gale {Myrica Gale), and High Bush Blueberry {V accimmn corYtnbosmn). ,- , ^-j Ferns— \\\ the Osmundas, the Crested tern (Aspid- imn cristatum): The Marsh Fern {Aspidium thclyp- teris) ■ The Sensitive Fern (Onoclca sensibdis). and both Woodwardias ( If. angustifolia and JV. J'irgmica) Wild Floz.-ers-\\M Calla (C. pahistris); Marsh Maric^old {Caltha pahistris): Swamp Milk Weed {Asclepias incarnata) : Purple Potentilla (P. pdustns); Golden Club {Orontiiun aquaticum) : Buck bean, {Menvanthes trifoliata): the pitcher ^\z.nts {Sarracenia var V' The Stud-flower (Helonias bullata) ; The Sea Pinks' (Sabatias) : The Indian Pink (Calopogonpulchel- ius) ■ The White Fringed Orchid {Hahenana blephan- clotiis)- Arethusa bulbosa; Pogonia ophioglossoides: The Sun Dews (Drosera): Venus" Fly-trap {Dionffa muscipula) : The Yellow Flag {Iris pseiidacorus) and the \merican Cranberry- (Vaccinium vMcrocarpmn). IVater Plants— The Pond Lilv {Nymphcca odorataand varsV Pickerel Weed. {Pontcderia cordata) : Water Sh\e\d( Brasenia Peltata) : Floating Heart {Umnanthe- miiw lacunosumV. and Water Arum {Peltandra V ir- ""cri/) 6— General Purpose Plants— Vnder this head- inc^ are included those plants which seem to adapt them- seh-es to most anv soil, and are apparently indifferent as regards moisture and exposure. ^lany of theni have nroved welcome additions to the hardly perenmal border, and these are listed in the catalogs of most nurserymen and seedsmen. Coniferous Evergreens — Red Cedar xJiiniperus Vir- giniana and vars.) ; White Cedar {Thuya occidentalis and vars.) ; White Pine {Pinus strobus); White Spruce (Picea alba): Hemlock {^Esuga canadensis and T. Caro- linianum). Broad-leaved Evergreens — Rhododendrons Carolinia- mnn and Kalmia latifolia, provided there is not too much lime in the soil. Deciduous Shrubs — Azalea arborescens, A. niidifloriim, A. calendidacea, A. vaseyi, and practically all the shrubs listed in Groups 1 to 4. Ecrns—Eyergreen ^^'ood Fern {Aspidium margimle), under shrubs: Lady Fern. (Asplcnium felix-fwmina) ; Hay-scented Fern {Dicksonia punctilobula) ; Interrupted Fern {Osmunda claytoniana) : Broad Beech Fern {Phe- goptcris hexagonop'tera) ; . Bracken {Pteris aquilina) ; Rustv Woodsia {IV. ilvensis). ir'Ud Flozcers-Cohc Root (Aletris farinosa) ; Colum- bine {Aquilegia canadensis) ; Orange Butterfly Weed (Asclcpsis tuberosa) ; Aster {A. cordifolia, A. ericoides, A. Icrvis. A. Novce-Angelia, A. Novi-Belgii) ; False In- digo {Baptisia tinctoria) ; Boltonia {B. asteroides and B. latisqiiama) ; Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) ; Golden Aster {Chryopsis mariana) ; Bristled Aster {Diplopappus linariifolius) ; Shooting Star {Dodecathcon meadia) ; White Snake Root {Eupatorium ageratoides) ; Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) : Sneezewort {Helenium autumnale); Swamp Rose Mallow {Hibiscus moscheu- tos): Red Wood Lilv (L. Philadclphkum) ; Meadow Lily (L. canadense) ; Turk's Cap Lily (L. superbnm) ; Cardinal Flower {Lobelia cardinalis) ; Great Blue Lo- belia {L.svphilitica) ; Wild Lupin (L. pcrcnnis and vars.) ; Mrginia Cowslip {Mcrlensia Virginica) ; Bee Balm {Mo- narda didxma) ; Phlox (P. auio'na, P. divaricata, P. su- bulata and vars.) : Obedient Plant {Physostegia I'lrgmi- ana) ; Golden Rod ( Solidago ccesia, S. canadensis, S. nemoralis, S. Spectabile) ; Cornflower-Aster {Stokesui cvanea and vars.) ; Meadow Rue {Thalictrum cornuti) ; Celandine Poppv {Stvlophorum diphyllum) ; Spiderwort {Tradescantia Virginica) : Bird's Foot Violet {V wla pe- data and var. bicolor) ; Wild Roses {Rosa blanda, R. lucida and R. setigera) ; ^'irginia Creeper {Ampelopsis quinquefolia) ; Bitter Sweet ( Celastrus scandens) ; Vir- gin's Bower {Clematis J'irginiona). " XoTE.— The lists of plants given in the various groups is bv no means complete. My idea has been to name those of conspicuous beautv. which do well under the conditions prescribed, with ordinary attention to then- requirements. We all need to break the grip of earthly things. It is wholesome to escape if only for an.hour from the routine and tyrannv of the dailv task. We are sons and daugh- ters of the' Eternal, and our life has sovereign joy and power only when we are in tune with the Infinite. Oliver Wendell Holmes used to say that he attended church be- cause he desired to water every week the delicate little plant in his soul named reverence. For the development of our interior life we need the ministry of the sanctuary-. We need to come into communion with our fellows in the search after the best things.— i?r:'. C. E. Jefferson. All things are not right in the country today nor will they be right until we as individuals tr\- to make them right. For March, 1921 509 Ornamental Tree Pruning an Art THERE are few ornamental trees or shrubs that do not require occasional pruning or trimming at one season or another for their best growth and de- veloijnient. The extent of this, with certain exceptions. able pruning "is often needed the tirst few years after planting, on account of excessive growth induced through climatic conditions, cultivation, enriched soil or extra water supplv. This tree, an English zvhite oak on the estate of Mrs. Sidney Webster, Newport. R. I., broke doum some years back in a high ■a.ind storm about eight feet from the ground, its several limbs spreading out in different directions as shouii. These limbs upon instructions from the gardener ivcre supported by iron arms and the branches zcerc pruned back to form the shrub- like looking speciment shown in the picture. At the time I had this picture taken the acorns were oh this tree in abundance. It is still possible by treating the decayed parts to pre- serve this wonderful specimen tree. Arthur M. Horn. however, is often quite limited, and in this respect ornamental plants differ from fruit trees. Pruning is usually given too little attention by the amateur planter and homemaker. with the result that the task is put oft' as long as possible to be finally disposed of with little or no fore- thought and regardless of results. All newly set trees should have their branches cut back to correspond with the loss of roots incident to transplanting, though this does not mean that such trees are to be reduced to poles. At planting time all mutilated parts of roots should be removed, and if the trees are of considerable size. i. c, eight feet oi so high, the main limbs should be put back to within twelve or fourteen inches of the trunk, the leader being retained. A sufficient number of branches, vary- ing with the kind of tree, is left to form the framework of the crown. These should be disposed at nearly equal angles about the trtmk and not lie in the same horizontal plane. If handled in this manner, such trees as the ash, locust, mulbern.'. cottonwood and sycamore will need little further attention for some years and will usually develop into pleas- ing, symmetrical forms. \Mien small trees are used, consider- This growth commonly manifests itself in water sprouts, overdevelopment of the head causing top-heaviness and leaning, or in extra growth in occasional vigorous branches in one part of the plant or an- other, all of which tend to destroy the otherwise natural form of symmetry of the tree, unles^ corrected by careful pruning. The much-planted and justly popular pepper tree is a notable example of the above, due partly to its soft, yielding wood. On this account, during its first years, cutting back and thinning out of the crown are necessary, in addition, to secure bracing of the trunk. It is justifiable at times to resort to topping in the case of shade trees to in- duce a denser growth, or where trees have become too tall to be in harmony with their surroundings. Such pruning, however, should be done with delibera- tion as to effects desired. Dead or un- healthy branches or those broken by storms should be removed speedily, and if necessary the remaining top or crown I (' (/'J uiu r iiii:,-^! ■■',■,■ :>:.,- i 'i ' \ '; <)' nils lU'^u'Ltt'd