The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-17
By GEO. B. M'vAY. SIR.


 The United States government, large and small corporations, have or are re- moving all the useless and dead timber from the payroll. This is good business and has a particular relation to plant life. There are thousands of valuable trees. plants, shrubs, etc, right here in
 irmingham as well as every other city that are burdened with dead timber that ought to be speedily removed. A dead branch on any plant, like useless of ficial, is a diseased condition and the remedy is the knife, saw, axe or any other suitable instrument that will do the work. Cutting out dead wood may be done now or at any time for that matter.
 It is remarkable to the writer that there still remains in Birmingham hun dreds of valuable shade trees that were seriously injured in the sleet storm last February that have never received the least attention, but are still standing mute awaiting the tree surgeon, their broken arms still holding on as if ap- pealing for relief. Dead wood on any tree harbors disease and insects which ultimately results in death.
 FLOWERS FOR EVERY HOME
 It seems to the writer that the south, the natural home of flowers, do not ap- preciate them like our northern neigh bors. 1 have travelled good deal in the northern and eastern states in the past p years during the months of June and July and the difference is too apparent, to even the casual observer, not to be noticed. It is rather rare to see any home in our northern cities, from the most modest cottage in the suburbs to the stateliest mansions in the best resi- dential sections, that do not have per- feet riot of blooming plants round about their premises. The same thing obtains when you observe any factory, no matter how large or small, you will always find their premises surrounded by beautiful flowers, shrubs and all scrupulously well taken care of. The advent of the apartment house has, of course, greatly diminished floral cul- ture because frequently in the north, the huge apartment houses are built like office buildings and cover the entire ground space. Let us all wake up and try and redeem the south in her back wardness in the matter of Horticulture.
 OLD-FASHIONED TERMINALS
 It would seem that many of the hardy old-fashioned perennial Towering plants, that our mothers and fore fathers used to potter over. have made comback to claim their own. A few of which might be mentioned as fol- lows: Rose champion, butterfly weed, Kings spear, bleeding heart, canterbury bells, garden pinks. snake root, gar land flowers, larkspur, fox glove, leopards bane, blanket flowers, sun rose, blazing star. cup flower. bearded tongue, phlox, Jacobs ladder. sweet William and host of others all good and plants may be purchased In pur- chasing perennial plants, Towering shrubs and even annualS. one should first ascertain what time of the year the plant blooms. Of course, many of them bloom throughout the season from April until frost, but by careful selection one can have, flowers in July, August September, October and even later IL is important to consult some good per ennial plant catalog, which generally gives the desired information Thorough preparation of the soil before setting out, is one of the chief factors for sue. cess. Just tell your troubles to The Age-Herald and help will be rendered when possible.