The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-05

Place your order for hardy pel
 roses, etc., as it will soon be tim
 Time to Remove Dead Wood
 been cleaning house and throwing
 overheard dead timber for some
 time, we should now be reminded
 that many of our plants, trees and shrubbery need just such thorough i cleaning. There is no better month
 than November to do the job. If
 we wait until all the foliage has dis l appeared then one cannot always tell
 the good branches from the bad It | is just as important to remove dis l eased and dead branches from a tree ] shrub as 1t Is to get rYd or help or the officeholder who has arrived at :, that state of mind where obsessed with the idea that he is indispensa- | ble. Both are burden and a para
 site on the host plant. When dis
 eased or dead branches are removed from trees and plants they should be l burned as a matter of caution, be-
 cause they nearly all are possessed l with spores of disease or have be- come the breeding places of noxious I insects. One of the big factors in l successful growing of all fruits, de- I ciduous trees and shrubs and some l evergreens is a careful and syste- 1 matic annual pruning Trees. like | the conspicuous vanity of many folks 1 need to be trimmed. In short, plants | like humans naad hofr T | then.
 Questions and Answers l Q. What are tree roses and will l tEey do well here? Mrs. I. W A There are certain varieties which l if grafted on hardy root stocks will grow under proper care into large bodied, upright shrubs. It is largely question of management to produce such forms. Alabama grown plants are obtainable In several good sorts i Q. l want the varigated gold and yellow juniper. Which one is this and Is 1t hardy in this section? Mrs A. K, Selma.
 1 A. The common name Is Chinese juniper. It is dwarf type and perfectly hardy.
 | Q. What cedar Is this that grows tall, pointed and forms a pyramid like tree? Is it a native? M. S., Hartselle.
 A. There are some native species that are naturally inclined to pyra- | midal growth and are rapid growers. There is a similar cultivated variety known as Japnese cedar that grows
 very tall, 75 to 100 feet. and perfectly hardy in this climate. 1 Q. Is the Magma Charter rose a monthly bloomer? T. o. A. No; it is a hybrid perpetual and while an annual blooming rose, | 1t does have a much longer period | of bloom than some. The color, a | fine rosy carmine. makes 1t one of the standard sorts
 I O. There is an ornamental shrub called fire bush that I want. Is there another name for this and where 1 should it be planted? Mrs. H. A. This is probably Japanese quince, commonly known as fire bush | from the color of it's early spring flowers. Set out in December or | January.
 Q. Can you buy and grow the sweet shrub like you see growing in l the woods in spring? Miss F., Ensley.
 A. Calycanthus or sweet shrub can be purchased and set out like any other hardy shrub. Wild ones are
  the home grounds.
 Q. l am having a lot of pruning done now and would like to know l if it would hurt to cut away hardy l EydranGeas that have grown too naked and scraggy? Miss D. B. l A. l think 1t perfectly safe to go ahead and do it.
 l Q. Can you grow jonquils in water or in damp moss in the house? Mrs E. C.
 l A. They do very we'll thus planted, cred sorts
 c. How do you fix the ground to make bluegrass grow? w. J. | A. Preparing the ground well is the main factor for a success with | bluegrass this far south. The soil should be deeply broken, heavily fer tilized with well decayed animal manures together with complete fertilizers. Lime in some form. preferably ground limestone or marble dust, should be literally ap- piled. Under these conditions the chances for success are good 1 Q. Can you kill out the germs of root knot in plant beds I want to grow tomato plants that would be free of this trouble? NJ. F., R. F. D. g. l A. Mix one pint of 40 per cent commercial formaldehyde to 100 pints of water (12h gallons) and apply at the rate of to 1s gallons to the square yard of surface. Cyanide of | soda Is also used by applying in thousand pounds to the acre and worked into the soil. When either treatment is given it should be done a month or more prior to time of sowing seed so as to give rains an | IoppOrtunitv fo wash away | O. If you were putting out a hedge what would you use? E. H., Oxford. Ala.
 A. If privet is desired. I would use Amur river Qegustrum Amurense). This Is a small leaved, rapid grow ling, densely branched variety, strictly evergreen in this climate and may be trimmed to any shape or form desired. If privet Is not wanted there are number of valuable plants that may be used alone or in combination with others. I c. When shrubs are growing on a lawn how far away from the shrub 1 should the grass be kept back? Mrs. D.
 A. Much, of course, would depend on size and character of shrub l Ordinarily from one to two feet would suffice for the smaller shrubs. It is highly important for the life and success of the shrub that enough | ground space be allowed for cultiva- tion and mulching. There are more shrubs killed by the encroachment of weeds and grasses than any other cause. This applies to fruit trees also.
 ] O. In sowing a cover crop for an orchard, do you SOW broadcast over all the ground or do you leave the place under the trees unsown? R. | B., Leeds, Ala.