Evening star., 1926-03-13
Gardening i'm Washington
CHESTER J. HUM, Garden Editor, The Star.
AND IT'S ENVIRONS

| for the preservation of the wood ana
for the better looks of the place.
Late March is good month for the
planting of trees and shrubs. This
planting should be done just as soon
as the frost leaves the soil. In pre-.
pairing the holes. keep the top soil.
which is usually most fertile, in a
separate pile. Later, in planting the
tree or shrub, put this dirt down
around the roots of the plant.
Do not forget that order for grape
| vines and shrubs or fruit trees if you
| have the room. Good results cannot
be expected if these plants are placed
/ in slovenly prepared holes.
! In tranSplanting trees. shrubs or
even vegetables or Towering plants
one should guard against the roots be-
coming dry through exposure to the
air. slin or wind. The gardener often
| 'puddles" his roots. This is done by
| making a watery paste Of soil and
water in a bucket or depression in the
ground. AS soon as the plants are dug
or received they are churned up and
down in the paste until every portion
| of the root is covered with a coating
| of mud. Even after this operation
the roots should be protected by wrap
| ping them in moist burlap bags and
! keeping them in the shade and out of
| the wind until the moment they are
| placed upright in their new position.
Coal ashes. sifted so as to reject the
| clinkers, may be used in large quanti-
! ties in some gardens, for this material
is especially valuable in improving the
texture of heavy soils.
Be ready to prune the hardy planted
| roses. but delay the operation until
+b hni,
Winter coverings.
1t is sometimes difficult to secure
the ready termination of such seeds
as moon flower and Gamma. Gardeners
often assist the growing of such hard
or horny seeds by filing a little notch
through the outside coating of the
| seed. but guarding against injuring
the germ. When the seed coat is
hard a preliminary soaking in water
will often suffice to aid termination.
Boiling water is poured over the seed
and then is promptly poured off again,
and the seed is then soaked for two
days in lukeWarm water before being
planted.
The formula for preparing un-
bleaChed muslin to serve as a cover
ing for hotbed and cold frame sash
is three pints pale linseed oil, one
ounce or sugar Oh ledu, 1Our ounces
white rosin. Grind and mix the sugar
of lead in a little oil. then add the
other materials and heat in an iron
kettle. Apply hot with a brush.
AS soon as the frost leaves the
ground examine all the plants which
were set out last Fall. If the ground
| has heaved with the frosts, firm the
plants back into place with pressure
| from the feet. Reset labels which
have been heaved out during Winter.
Mulch the asparagus bed, digging
| in the rich compost. but avoid injur-
ing the roots and young shoots.
The birds are returning. Are the
| bird boxes ready?
Keep a record book of planting
dates and other interesting garden
notes, for this will, by personal cor
rections, form your timely hints in the
| years to come.
In purchasing plants for the home
yard it is we'll to remember this quo.
| tation: MANY people pay too much
in the end for paying too little in the